We finally got a phone number for the orphanage and we have tried several times to get through, to no avail. Who knew that something as simple as a telephone call could be so discouraging? So, we are going to send a package to Yuliya tomorrow and we hope that it gets there by the 19th, which is when Ukraine celebrates 'Saint Nicholas Day'. St. Nicholas (Sviatyij Mykolai) comes to Ukraine on December 19th. It is a happy day with visiting and sleigh rides. Schools have plays telling Nicholas stories and the saint visits local churches. Dressed as a Byzantine bishop, the good saint is often accompanied by angels. He quizzes children on their catechism before giving gifts. St. Nicholas Day is the main day for gift-giving, though gifts are also becoming associated with Christmas Day. Today many Ukrainian churches have St. Nicholas celebrations to help children understand that the holy man Nicholas came long before Santa Claus. (Source: http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=98)
We hope that Yuliya's orphanage is visted this year. Just in case, we will send her a St. Nicholas package just in case. :-)
We hope that Yuliya's orphanage is visted this year. Just in case, we will send her a St. Nicholas package just in case. :-)
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