美国国家公共电台 NPR--Why Christmas in Ukraine may be celebrated on Dec. 25 or Jan. 7

Why Christmas in Ukraine may be celebrated¹ on Dec. 25 or Jan. 7

Transcript²

Even the day that Christmas falls on is a matter of vigorous dispute in Ukraine. In the context of the ongoing³ war with Russia, the question has taken on new meaning.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

In Ukraine, the date on which to celebrate Christmas is vigorously debated. Some prefer December 25, but others celebrate it on January 7, a tradition closely associated with Russia and the Eastern Orthodox Church. With the ongoing war, the question has taken on new meaning, as NPR's Tim Mak reports from Ukraine.

TIM MAK, BYLINE⁴: It's a foggy day, with snow on the ground outside the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a historic Eastern Orthodox Christian⁵ site in Ukraine's capital city founded as a cave monastery⁶ in the 11th century. The person waiting for us is Father Mykola Danylevich, a spokesperson for one of the Ukrainian Orthodox churches, which has historically had deep ties to Moscow.

MYKOLA DANYLEVICH: What country you're from?

MAK: America.

DANYLEVICH: From America. Yes. Yes. We will go.

MAK: The power is out in the building, the result of recent Russian strikes on energy infrastructure⁷. In a dark room, he explains. The dispute over dates is really a dispute over calendars. Hundreds of years ago, when the West was switching from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, the Orthodox Church decided⁸ to stick with the old calendar when it came to the celebration of Christmas.

DANYLEVICH: (Through interpreter) We actually celebrate the 25 of December just by the Julian calendar. And by the new calendar, it happens to be on the 7 of January.

MAK: Danylevich says that the debate over which day to celebrate Christmas has intensified⁹ since the Russian occupation of Crimea in 2014. The Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine this year has further inflamed¹⁰ these passions.

DANYLEVICH: (Through interpreter) You know, in Ukraine now, everything is emotional. Regardless of topic, it is emotional.

MAK: Sebastian Dmytrukh, a Catholic monk¹¹, met us at a religious museum in Lviv, Ukraine, where he's the director and the leader of a local congregation.

SEBASTIAN DMYTRUKH: (Through interpreter) I ask probably four weeks ago, when do we want to celebrate? The whole church answered they want to celebrate 25 of December.

MAK: They felt this way despite the inconveniences it could entail¹².

DMYTRUKH: (Through interpreter) So at this time of war, people are even more open to speaking out. They're saying, we don't want to celebrate with the Russians.

MAK: Dmytrukh says he's been traveling throughout western Ukraine over the past few days, and he's surprised about how frequently the question has been brought up.

DMYTRUKH: (Through interpreter) people, even people from the small villages, want it, and they want it desperately¹³.

MAK: Part of the division is generational and comes from the ties of long-standing tradition.

OLEKSANDRA KYRYCHUK: (Through interpreter) In my home, we always had this really vivid Christmas celebration.

MAK: Sixty-year-old Oleksandra Kyrychuk is the assistant director of the Museum of Religion in Lviv. She has fond memories of Christmas dishes like kutya, a grain dish with gravy¹⁴, and pampukh, these sweet Ukrainian pastries¹⁵.

KYRYCHUK: (Through interpreter) As a religious scholar, as a scientist, I understand that we need to celebrate on the 25 of December. But as an individual that is tied to those traditions that have been in my family, I won't have the sacredness on the 25. But in January, it's something divine, mystical.

MAK: Dariia Kostiuk is an 18-year-old law student who, like Kyrychuk, is a Greek Catholic, but she doesn't share the same view on Christmas dates. She strongly supports celebrating on December 25, and she says many people her age would agree with her.

DARIIA KOSTIUK: I don't want to have anything in common with Russia. So that's why I want to celebrate with Europe and whole world.

MAK: Still, she said, regardless of which date people choose to celebrate, she had one Christmas wish - peace on the whole Earth and, in particular, peace in Ukraine.

Tim Mak, NPR News, Kyiv.

1 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

6 monastery   

n.修道院，僧院，寺院

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• She was appointed the superior of the monastery two years ago.两年前她被任命为这个修道院的院长。

7 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 inflamed   

adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His comments have inflamed teachers all over the country. 他的评论激怒了全国教师。
• Her joints are severely inflamed. 她的关节严重发炎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 monk   

n.和尚，僧侣，修道士

参考例句：

• The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下来的和尚。
• Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。

12 entail   

vt.使承担，使成为必要，需要

参考例句：

• Such a decision would entail a huge political risk.这样的决定势必带来巨大的政治风险。
• This job would entail your learning how to use a computer.这工作将需要你学会怎样用计算机。

13 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

14 gravy   

n.肉汁；轻易得来的钱，外快

参考例句：

• You have spilled gravy on the tablecloth.你把肉汁泼到台布上了。
• The meat was swimming in gravy.肉泡在浓汁之中。

15 pastries   

n.面粉制的糕点

参考例句：

• He gave a dry laugh, then sat down and started on the pastries. 杜新箨说着干笑一声，坐下去就吃点心。 来自子夜部分
• Mike: So many! I like Xijiang raisins, beef jerky, and local pastries. 麦克：太多了。我最喜欢吃新疆葡萄干、牛肉干和风味点心。