435. Christmas Bazaars – Ukraine, Japan & Philippines 2013

 

I love going to bazaars especially those of our culturally-diverse neighbours. Earlier today I was at a Ukrainian bazaar at St. Demetrius Ukrainian Catholic Church, 135 La Rose Avenue in the Eglinton-Royal York Road area. The bazaar continues tomorrow, Saturday, November 30, 10am to 3pm.

I arrived early, shortly after it opened but parking was hard to find. It seems many other people also like Christmas bazaars. I didn’t know it was such a beautiful church.

For sale were wooden symbols and jewellery.

Oksana Komarnicky was selling Ukrainian DVDs and CDs. Behind her people were starting to line up for Ukrainian food. By the time I left, the tables were all full of people eating perogies.

Julia Popowycz of ApplePie Productions was selling sheaves of wheat. Wheat for Ukrainians symbolizes prosperity and fertility. Last week at the Holodomor commemoration, participants were all handed five blades of wheat, the maximum that the Soviets allowed each person 80 years ago. Consequently, thousands perished of starvation in Ukraine in the 1930s.

Volunteers were selling a wide variety of sausages. Others were selling jams and jellies and work clothes, socks & shirts. You never know what will be offered at these sales.

One table offered chocolate snowmen and cookies.

One lady was selling fancy embroidered pieces for blouses, similar to what she was wearing. They were beautiful. As a collector of unique embroideries, I was very tempted to buy.

And another booth offered lovely pillows with the distinctive Ukrainian embroidery.

I was only sorry I didn’t have a chance to look at the sanctuary. I parked at the nearby mall. And yes, I did buy some presents. The church’s website is: http://www.stdemetrius.org/

There’s also a Japanese bazaar and a Filipino Christmas market this weekend too. The Christmas Market is opening in the Distillery also. See: www.torontomulticulturalcalendar.com . Ruth