Ruska Bursa was caroling

As every year, Ruska Bursa in Gorlice invited Lemkos to their place, to gather at the pre-Christmas time together, to talk and mainly – to carol and try Christmas dishes. This year’s Christmas meeting took place yesterday, on 29 December, actually from the morning, as Lemko youth and children came to Ruska Bursa early in order to prepare the numerous Christmas dishes before the meeting.

The tradition of Christmas meetings in Ruska Bursa is quite long. There were always people willing to come to the cultural centre on this day where, apart from plesure for body, also pleasure for soul was always provided. The Lemko caroling is one year more popular, the other less, but always – successful. This time our carols were performed only by our local “Terochka”, but in the previous years, the meeting was combined with a review of caroling groups, almost a hundred of Lemko youth and children would perform then.

After 4PM the ensemble started their performance during which the audience could hear several Lemko carols. Then, the children and youth who prepared the dishes under the guidance of a Lemko teacher Barbara Duć and Olena Duć served dumplings, bobalky, mushrooms, peas and other dishes that can be found on a Lemko Christmas table according to tradition. The feast was preceded by a brief prayer by Paweł Stefanowski – a parish priest in Szczecin. Then, there was food and singing, as everyone tried the dishes, joint caroling started.

Below are some pictures from yesterday’s meeting in Ruska Bursa.