From November 14 till December 18, preparations for Christmas will begin at the Ivan Honchar Museum National Center of Folk Culture. Traditionally, learning Christmas carols will go first, preparations of nativity scenes and making Christmas stars will follow next, along with the baking of “St. Nicholas” gingerbreads for children, decorating houses with festive embroidery, making straw “spiders” and Didukhs – everything will be filled with deep meaning and anticipation of the holiday, emphasize the museum employees – the organizers of master classes. Yes, the folk craftswoman Olha Karapata, an ethnographer and member of the Bozhychi folklore ensemble will teach all willing to sing Christmas carols and songs; she will tell how our ancestors sowed the seeds and made vinshivkas (greetings) for children. During the lesson at the museum, artist Ivan Prykhodko will show how to make and decorate Christmas stars and folk masks. By the way, baking traditional gingerbreads is also a craft (Leonida Pronchuk will reveal these secrets). Folk craftswomen Iryna Bilai and Liudmyla Pavlenko will teach the art of straw weaving (angels, Christmas “spiders,” horses, stars, Didukhs) and Svitlana Rak will show how to paint on glass. The lesson that the famous Ukrainian animation director Stepan Koval will give to the Kyiv citizens will be also unforgettable; in front of the audience, he will create an animated film for children.
