About this Course

Learn how to make a didukh, a Ukrainian winter decoration made of a bundle of grain, traditionally prepared to honour and bring the ancestors to the table during the winter holiday season. DIDUKH comes from the words "дід-дух did-ukh," which means grandfathers' spirits in Ukrainian. Didukh is an "ancestor tree" made of a sheaf of wheat, other grains like rye and oat, dried flowers and other grasses, traditionally made in Ukraine to honour and welcome our ancestors to the home during the winter holiday season. It is held together and decorated by wrapping bundles of wheat with straw or natural cord. Didukhy symbolizes the household's wish for an abundance of nature and a bountiful harvest for the upcoming year. Before the popularization of the Christmas tree, the didukh was considered one of the most important symbols during the winter holidays and placed in the most prominent location to decorate the home. Your Instructor: Oksana Hawrylak is a Ukrainian Canadian illustrator, printmaker, designer, maker and community arts organizer based in Toronto and Grafton, Ontario. Her work is strongly inspired by Ukrainian folk art, craft and traditions, and the natural landscape of Ontario, where she currently resides.