VII. DAYS OF CHRISTMAS CAROLS OF CHRISTIANS OF SLOVAKIA

BLESS LORD KINDLY ALL THIS COUNTRY

By: Maria Rybarova

Beautiful colors of the national costumes, interesting people, nice songs a music, dancing, good mood. Here I mentioned just a few words which where connected with Bojnice in December 1997. There was the ecumenical festival Bless Lord Kindly All This Country. 

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The festival lasted since December 12 till December 14, 1997. The participants of the festival visited the churches nearby Prievidza on Friday and Sunday. But the main program was on Saturday evening. It was opened by Anton Dubsky from Chrenovec and his trombita. Afterward Mr.Stefan Turna had read the message of the Bishop Jan Chryzostom Cardinal Korec. This year his were plenty of performances. 

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I would like to mention for example the folk group from Zuberec, Ruska Poruba, Mana, Poluvsie, Telgart, Ukraine, Sliace, Chrenovec-Brusno and many others. These groups were singing beautiful Christmas carols. I liked very much the folk group Nitrancek. Their singing was accompanied with nice tones of cymbal and violin. The folk group from Oscadnica told us really interesting but sad story about six children who lost their parents just before the Christmas. 

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The oldest 11 years old boy prepared with hi sister the Christmas for their younger brothers and sisters. It was their first Christmas without their parents. At the end of the program 18 years old Lucia Stasikova sang a song called Noc Najjasnejsia (The brightest night). And after her solo everybody in the hall were singing the well-known Christmas carol Bless Lord Kindly All This Country. I wrote about this festival in the winter 1996, so you can find the words of this carol in that winter issue. 

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Same like previous year after the program everybody moved to the entrance hall to eat delicious Christmas foods from the different parts of Slovakia. Most of them I have never eaten before. I like Christmas time very much. We are trying to be better and friendlier. And this festival is connected with Christmas.

Maria Rybarova
Holleho 5
972 01Bojnice
Slovakia

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Published in the Slovak Heritage Live newsletter Volume 6, No. 1, Spring 1998
Copyright © Vladimir Linder 1998 
3804 Yale Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5C 1P6
The above article and photographs may not be copied, reproduced, republished, or redistributed by any means including electronic, without the express written permission of Vladimir Linder. All rights reserved.