Voloshky

I finally got around to growing voloshky (волошки) in my garden this year. In English, this native European wildflower is called cornflower because it often grows as a weed in cornfields, including fields of wheat, barley, rye and oats. Just like kalyna (guelder rose), barvinok (periwinkle), poppies and sunflowers, voloshky are an integral part of...

Thinking about Korovai Rituals

A few weeks ago, I made this two-tier korovai encircled with braids, doves and periwinkle flowers for a wedding in Burlington, Ontario. During my email exchange with the mother of the bride, she asked about korovai rituals that are typically performed at Ukrainian-Canadian weddings. Sometimes I get so caught-up in the making of the korovai,...