Edmonton Plast Christmas Svichechka

On Saturday January 3, 2009 at 10:00 a.m., the Edmonton Branch of the Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization held its annual Christmas observance and ceremony, called “Svichechka” [or Candle]. Accompanied by traditional Christmas carols and festive theatrical sketches, candles were lit to symbolize the spiritual link between our local community and Ukrainians in the ancestral home country of Ukraine and throughout the world. The passing of a light candle flame, known as the “Bethlehem Flame of Peace”, is part of a ceremony common to scouts in Europe.

“Svichechka” has been taking place among the scouts of the Ukrainian Diaspora during  the post-WWII period. The goal of the ceremony is “to keep the flame alive”, symbolic of keeping the spirit of Plast Scouts alive (banned in Ukraine by occupying Polish then Soviet Russian rule) and that of keeping the Ukrainian language and culture alive - under constant threat by the Soviet Communist regime until Ukraine became independent in 1991. The candle-lighting ceremony is usually timed to coincide with the appearance of the first evening star in the skies over Ukraine on Sviat Vechir (Holy Christmas Eve) on January 6 according to the Julian calendar.

The Christmas candle-lighting ceremony is one of only a handful of occasions in a year full of activities when the entire Plast Scouting community of Edmonton gathers all together. The different scouting groups usually conduct their instructional, practical, sporting, and recreational sessions separately - junior youth, youth, young adults, and seniors. The opportunity to meet on this happy occasion as a scouting family is particularly cherished, when we sing ancient carols, and share the traditional kutia - ceremonial dish of boiled wheat kernels, poppy-seed meal, nuts and honey.

In addition, as Plast Ukrainian Scouts mark their 60th Anniversary in Edmonton, this year’s Svichechka Christmas Ceremony included for the first-time a live video-link with Plast Scouts in the Western Ukrainian city of Lviv. Some 150 local Plast members were at the event. Commenting on how the online web ceremony united Ukrainian scouts across the ocean, Liane Faulder of the Edmonton Journal reported that the event was both a Christmas event and a symbol of the tight relationship between Ukrainians here and abroad. “With modern technology, we’re doing something not possible before,” said 19 year-old Oksana Dacko, whose parents were born in Ukraine. “It’s very special because they are overseas and our parents never had that opportunity. If you moved away, you were separated, but now you get a chance to connect … It’s very symbolic of being together. Distance was not a barrier to celebrating Christmas,” Dacko was quoted as saying in the Journal.

The Plast House [or domivka] is located at 10150 – 79 Street in Edmonton. Ann Slevinsky is President of Plast Edmonton.