The tradition of making and gifting "koniki i baryshni" cookies has been added to the cultural heritage list
Kyiv • UNN
The Ministry of Culture has included the tradition of making and gifting ritual cookies "koniki i baryshni" in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The tradition exists in the Oleksandriia district of the Kirovohrad region.
The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine has included the tradition of making and giving ritual cookies "horses and young ladies" in the National List of Elements of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ukraine, reports UNN.
Details
As reported by the ministry, this tradition is a component of Christmas rituals and is associated with the custom of giving shaped cookies to godchildren and children who bring "supper" on Holy Evening. The ritual cookies are baked by hand on the eve of Christmas in the shape of horses and girls ("young ladies"). Each figurine has a symbolic meaning: horses are given to boys as a wish for strength, and young ladies to girls as a wish for beauty and a happy fate. The act of giving itself has ritual significance and is a unique form of blessing.
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Metal molds are used to make the cookies, which are traditionally created in families and passed down from generation to generation. Depending on local and family traditions, the finished products may be painted red and decorated with painting or paper ribbons. At the same time, there is no single recipe for "horses and young ladies" — its composition changes over time and depends on the family's capabilities and the preferences of the housewives who bake it
Let us add
The Ministry of Culture noted that the tradition exists in the Oleksandriia district of Kirovohrad region, particularly in the village of Holovkivka, where it has been passed down from generation to generation in families. The main bearers of the element are older women — grandmothers, mothers, and godmothers, who preserve the recipes, make the molds, know the symbolism of the ritual cookies, and teach this to their children and grandchildren.
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After the element was included in the National List, local communities are recommended to take into account the proposals for its preservation and development, prepared by the Expert Council on Intangible Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.