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What does kutya mean for Christmas, Malanka and Epiphany – Different
From September 1, 2023, OCU and UGCC switched to the new Julian calendar. Therefore, Ukrainians will celebrate Christmas and some other major church holidays 13 days earlier. This also applies to Christmas Eve (now December 24). And the most important dish on the holiday table is kutya.
According to Olena Brychenko, the founder of the scientific and educational project “Food Culture”, kutya used to be an everyday food, if you remove the nuts and honey from it. Nowadays, it is no longer prepared constantly, it has turned into a ritual dish.
What does kutya symbolize
Now kutyu is prepared only three times a year, on Christmas holidays (Christmas, Malanki, Vodokhreshche) and each type has different names:
- rich corner — consumed on Christmas Eve (according to the new calendar December 24), this is a lean dish that is prepared from various ingredients;
- generous kutya — is served on the table before the New Year, on Malanka…
