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Posted by Natalka on April 06, 2000 at 13:29:01:
In Reply to: anniversary traditions posted by maria on April 05, 2000 at 22:37:23:
: I am throwing party for my parents' 25th wedding anniversary. I was wonderimg if there are Ukrainian traditions I could do.
: Also, I will be saying speech for the toast. Any help in form of references for Ukrainian speech/toast for paretns are aprpeciated.
: Thank you.
A 25th wedding anniversary is not exactly an ancient folk tradition; it is a more recent import. In many senses, this gives you the freedom to draw on traditional things that would have meaning to your parents, to you, to your family. A couple suggestions off the top of my head:
I LOVE rushnyky. You could embroider a rushnyk that has something appropriate to important events in your parents' lives, things important to their children. You could have each of the children embroider something and then present it to your parents.
How about a korovai instead of a cake? Again, modify the decorations to symbolize things important to your parents.
Family photos collected together and presented in an embroidered album would be nice.
How about a collection of pysanky, each done by a child and or grandchild?
These are all sweet approaches to the anniversary. Then could could also do something like the tsyhanshchina which I write about in my article for the Slavic and East European Folklore Assoc. and which is pictured toward the end of my first wedding page. This is a mock sacrifice of parents for the sake of crop fertility. Some parents love it. The ones pictured on my page had a great time. I'm not sure your parents would be ready for this. You have to use your own judgement.
As for toasts, we have discussed this at various points in the past. I think Hanya even gave Mnohaia lita below. General idea is to wish health, prosperity, long life, to compare the person or persons being honored to all good things in nature.