The tradition of baking Christmas gingerbread in Slobozhanshchyna was included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ukraine
Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine included to the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage the tradition of baking and giving ceremonial Christmas gingerbread, widespread in the Slobozhan region.
This customary practice has been preserved in the communities of Poltava, Sumy and Kharkiv regions, which are united by a common historical and cultural heritage, a similar recipe, method of production, forms, decoration and symbolism.
Ceremonial pastries are prepared only once a year – during the Christmas celebration, mostly in the family circle or together with neighbors and friends. Gingerbreads have different local names, in particular: “young ladies”, “barini”, “baryshni”, “horseflies”, “horsemen”, “birds”, etc.
In the Poltava region, in particular in the Kotelivska community, such Christmas gingerbread is called “panyankami”. They are baked from lean dough, decorated with colored glaze and presented in bags to carol singers and benefactors. Before baking, “payanka” are often painted with pink beetroot juice, and then decorated with white glaze, painted with characteristic “swirls”. Forms for baking – tin, forged by hand, size from 20 to 60 cm.
In the Sumy region, in particular in the Okhtyr district, gingerbreads also have the names “panyanky”, “barini”, “konyky”. They are painted with a mixture of starch and flour – the so-called “spread”, adding white, green or yellow glaze. Patterns on gingerbread are arbitrary: spirals, contours, flowers, waves. The dimensions of individual products reach up to 60 cm.
In the Kharkiv region, in the Bogodukhiv district, Christmas pastries have the general name “gingerbread”, although the names “horses”, “horses”, “baryshny”, “barini”, “payanky” are also used. Common forms are roosters, stars and others. The main element of decoration is curls, and the process of painting itself is called “flowering” or “lacing” by local residents. The size of gingerbread is from 15 to 40 cm.
According to tradition, girls are given figurines in the shape of young ladies, a symbol of femininity and well-being, and boys are given grasshoppers, which represent strength and courage. Other figures do not have a fixed distribution. The biggest and most beautiful gingerbreads are usually intended for godchildren, and smaller ones for neighbors’ or acquaintances’ children. This tradition has not only a gastronomic, but also a deep symbolic meaning, because it is connected with Christmas rituals, wishes for prosperity, peace and unity of the community.
Photo: mcsc.gov.ua
