I'm trying to track down information regarding a Christmas custom which my father experienced as a child. He described men going from house to house, possibly in costume, singing, and warning the small children that they had better behave. The banging of pots was involved, although I no longer remember if you banged pots to get rid of them or if they banged pots to frighten the kids. Does any of this sound familiar to someone out there? Thanks for the help!

Barbara

T O P I C R E V I E W
RusynGrl
I'm trying to track down information regarding a Christmas custom which my father experienced as a child. He described men
going from house to house, possibly in costume, singing, and warning the small children that they had better behave. The
banging of pots was involved, although I no longer remember if you banged pots to get rid of them or if they banged pots to
frighten the kids. Does any of this sound familiar to someone out there? Thanks for the help!

You are talking about the Jaslichkary Gubi, or Bethlehem Shepherds Play. There are many different versions of this, some very simple, others elaborate. It is similar to a mummer's play.

The carolers (usually teenagers) go from house to house after Holy Supper, and re-enact the story of the shepherds going to Bethlehem. Some of the carolers play shepherds, others angels. The one who scares kids is variously called Guba Juri, or the Kuba. He's the bad shepherd, and he plays tricks on people, and threatens to kidnap the bad children and put them in a sack he carries (and into which the families they visit put gifts). There is also an Old Shepherd, who acts as narrator.

I have a very elaborate script for this, but I am not sure where you could get a copy of it, since I don't know the provenance of my copy.

Stuart

Hi RusynGrl,

Stuart is right, it's the Jaslic~kary or Bethlehem Carolers, informally known in some places as "Gubi" (the Gubi are some of the shepherd characters in the play). There is a more elaborate version of this called the Bethlehem Play.

Holy Ghost Choir in Philadelphia, PA made a video of their version of the "Gubi" -- see one of my replies in the "Christmas Carols Anyone?" thread in another forum here for ordering info.

Also, the more elaborate script has been done in English by Jerry Jumba, who would probably supply you with a copy if you write to him:

Jerry J. Jumba
312 Hamilton St.
Mc Kees Rocks, PA 15136-2827

He just this month directed two productions of the play at our parishes in McKees Rocks and Monroeville in the Pittsburgh area, performed by the parish school children. In past years he taught the kids in various Rusyn B.C. & Orthodox parishes in McKeesport, Homestead, & elsewhere. He also might still have videos of these productions.