I had the idea, now that Western culture’s Easter acknowledgement has passed, that I would like to share with my readers all about the wonderful Easter baked goods stories for which my country, the Ukraine, is famous. Of course, this sharing primarily includes Easter bread, which our housewives traditionally bake just before Easter. Many new recipes and varieties of Easter bread have emerged. Cottage cheese, candied fruit, and lemon or orange zest have become popular additions to the dough. Previously, the dough was simple, consisting of eggs, butter, flour, and sugar. Instead of yeast, homemade sourdough was used, and the dough was kneaded in stages over a long period of time. All this was done by hand, and it is still believed that the warmth of one’s hands imbues the product with the best and brightest feelings, thoughts, and mood.  Housewives prepared meticulously for the dough preparation and sometimes they would ask anyone creating excessive noise and fuss to leave the kitchen. Usually, it was the husbands, but children, on the contrary, were often involved in the dough preparation process and performed simple tasks.  For example, they cracked eggs or sculpted dough decorations; it was educational and fun.

I love the month of March for its longer days, for the scent of spring in the air despite the snow, and, of course, for my favourite women’s holiday, which we celebrated on March 8th. Celebrating International Women’s Day at the beginning of spring is very symbolic. At this time, nature awakens, is reborn, and comes to life. So does feminine nature, which creates, decorates, and protects our world, making it brighter and undeniably better.

Our families are very important in the lives of each of us. After all, family is like links in a single chain and all chains are inextricably linked.  Each chain can be strong and impervious to any impact or damage, or it can be fragile, and then others can fill the missing links with their support and love. Never  underestimate the role of each family in society. Our traditions and habits, our skills, and everything our family gives us—we fill our lives and the lives of those around us with them. 

From a cozy home in the Crowsnest Pass, Iryna reflects on Ukraine’s winter of blackouts and bitter cold as strikes hit the energy system. Through Kyiv and Odesa, she shares survival, humour and the stubborn will to keep living.

New Year’s Eve carries memories of childhood, family and tradition, from Father Frost and school concerts to Old New Year rituals rooted in the Julian calendar. Against the backdrop of war in Ukraine, the season has also become a measure of endurance and a renewed wish for peace.

From a folk proverb to the korovai wedding loaf, this feature traces wheat and bread as symbols of prosperity, hospitality and identity in Ukraine, honouring bakers, inclusive workplaces and family traditions that keep the craft alive.

A column linked Canadian Thanksgiving with Ukraine’s Obzhynky, stressed gratitude for farmers and nature, recalled Holodomor remembrance in Canada, and closed with a family harvest and wishes for prosperity.