www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Importance of The Holy Supper

Father Michael on Holy Supper [youtube.com]

Might be best to watch this during Holy and Great Week before Pascha, considering that we are at the opposite season now. It'll just be a couple of months, then I'll be sure to watch it then.

BUT - the Holy Supper is for Nativity not Pascha !

Ahh, THAT Holy Supper. I must have been thinking the Last Supper, forgive me... Sorry for the mixed message there.

I once read of the Nativity Eve dinner among Slavic Orthodox and Catholics being one of quite a number of courses. Could anyone refresh my memory and tell me how many and what are the traditional foods served?

Thanks.

Bob

Bob - as explained to me - though I've never yet been to a traditional Holy Supper - the meal consists of 12 meatless dishes.

Orthodox Wiki [orthodoxwiki.org]

Though I was unaware of the prayer traditions it gives - when it gets down to describing the meal itself - this is how I have understood it from my GodPapa.

That is how it is in Poland for Wigilia- the Christmas Eve dinner. The only meat is fish.

Well, from Slovak culture, I always know that meatless soups are always custom, such as cabbage soup and mushroom soup. I know for a fact that these are the two traditional starters to Nativity Eve dinner.

I've also been told that in some families that straw is placed beneath the tablecloth and a place set for the unknown guest--any stranger who might happen along.

Does this happen among any of you?

Bob

Here is the 'definitive' narrative of the Holy Supper as observed by the Rusyns as written by the late Michael Roman in the GCU Messenger many years ago.

http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/customs/highland.html.

Yes, we had straw both on the table, as well as scattered around on the floor underneath it, at the Christmas Eve "Holy Supper" at Christ the Bridegroom monastery Monday evening. We had 12 courses. Here are the ones I can remember: 3 kinds of pierogies (potato; sauerkraut; prune), "machunka," (sp? - it was a really wonderful dish made from dried wild Eastern European mushrooms of some kind - sort of a gravy-type consistency), 2 kinds of bobolki (sp? - these were tiny balls of yeasted bread, some mixed with poppy seeds and sugar, and the others mixed with sauerkraut, halupki (stuffed cabbage), baked fish, stewed prunes, mushroom-sauerkraut soup, mashed potatoes, a round homemade bread placed in the center of the table with a lit candle in the center of it, and small pieces of homemade bread, each one topped with a drizzle of honey and a raw garlic clove. There were a few more dishes, I think, but that's what I can remember. Everything was made without meat, dairy, or eggs.

At the beginning of the meal, we sang the troparion of the Nativity 3x, and this was followed by a blessing, given by the deacon present. He then broke up the bread, and handed a piece to each person at the table. Then Mother Theodora went around and anointed each person on the forehead with honey in the form of a cross. She went around a second time with the plate that held the garlic-topped bread cubes. Both the anointing and the offering of the garlic were accompanied by a short prayer she said to each person.

We had the table set for 10, but it turned out two couldn't come, so we wound up with 2 places set for "the unexpected guest." But that wasn't intentional.

Oh - we also had roasted brussels sprouts, but I don't think those are traditional. I think it was a modern inclusion so that we would have something green at the table. Everything else was white or some shade of brown, pretty much!

Yeah, I don't know about the brussel sprouts idea. Although I think that pierogi with potato filling is definitely a staple at any dinner, so that should automatically be a given. Besides that, the cabbage soup is certainly traditional, as stated. Between those two, I'm trying to think about what other dishes might work... I'm sure there were plenty of others, nothing I can magically just think of out of my noggin at this point.

I enjoyed the mushroom soup. Don't remember what it's calked, but it's good.

Please see similar thread entitled "Importance of The Holy Supper" and consider closing this thread.

Mod Note: Threads merged