Ukrainian Christmas Tradition of Vertep and Shopka
Ukraine has a rich history of Christmas traditions, with the Vertep tradition of the nativity play being among the most important.
Vertep is the Ukrainian tradition of the nativity story presented using a puppet theater. The Ukrainian word Vertep is rooted in the Old Slavonic word for cave.
The vertep (nativity) is traditionally housed in a shopka (from the Polish for box) and travels from house to house within a village. The performance of the Vertep would take place with carols, and the second act would consist of a varied comedic portion.
Apr 8th 2018
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