Our Caroling Days

From the book, A Century Of Faith (2006)

By Josephine Gregory

Wintertime at Saint Demetrius Ukrainian Catholic Church

Christmas wasn’t Christmas unless we went caroling. After Midnight Liturgy, the priest would encourage youth and adults to go caroling. The money collected would be used for certain items for the church like candle stands or for the general fund.

The best time to go caroling was the first day (Christmas Day) because there were

family gatherings. Oh! That would mean a good stop so we could catch a several families at a time.

Some years the roads were tough, but that didn’t stop us. On many occasions we would walk through the deep snow to the house from the main road.

On one occasion I recall the road past Leonard Marx’s going east was blocked. We

were on our way home. Nick Symionow went first with his pickup to break a tract. Steve Haverluk was with him. Since our car was low, we got stuck. Steve Haverluk told Nick that he will help Nick Gregory push while I drove the car. When we got through, Steve ran to Nick Symionow’s pickup and told him that he will go with us. But Nick thought that Steve got in his pickup. So, Nick Symionow drives up to Steve’s place and no Steve. Nick Symionow came to our place and said that Steve was missing and he is probably still standing by Marx’s. Nick was happy when he came in our house and saw Steve Haverluk drinking coffee. We came home at 4:00 A.M. I’m sure the other carolers that were with us had a hard time getting home

also.

It seemed like we always were served good chocolates at George Krushevsky’s. They were store bought and were very good. From George Krushevsky’s, John and Ida Klym’s was the next stop because we were hungry and we knew we would get food there. Ida would have homemade buns, ham, pickled pigs feet, pickles, etc. For that, John and Ida were honored with an extra carol or two.

On another occasion Samuel Evoniuk drove his camper pickup. Mike Baranko and

Nick Gregory sat in the cab with Samuel. The women sat in the camper box-Betty Baranko, Michele Burian, Mary Ann Krush, Margie Evoniuk and I. Samuel would come to a farmhouse, backup the pickup to the door of the house, and out we would come.

For many years John and Lena Petryszak, Philip and Kathryn Malkowski, Nick Symionow, and Steve Haverluk would come to our place on Christmas Day and we would get ready to go caroling. After John and Lena moved to Dickinson, Philip and Kathryn, Nick Symionow, Steve Haverluk and Eugene and Lena Romanyshyn would gather at our place and we would go caroling.

Caroling went on for many, many years but now everything is changing. For several years the Dance Group has been caroling as a fundraiser for their group.