In the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta, where trees can be sparse, it’s not common to see Christmas trees tied to roofs of cars, or to see town-wide lighting ceremonies. Instead, the region has some of its own distinct markers and traditions of the holiday season. Here’s a look at the holiday celebrations in a few communities of the Y-K Delta.
Kwethluk
In Kwethluk, the Russian Orthodox St. Nicolas Church has a particular connection to the winter holidays. Archpriest William Vasily said that a key marker of the season is the Dec. 19 feast day of St. Nicolas, known for selflessness and giving.
“Being from Kwethluk myself, I remember all the preparations. The Elders before, looking to the season greatly,” Vasily said.
In addition to the Dec. 25 Christmas holiday, the church celebrates Slaviq — the Jan. 7 celebration of the birth of Christ according to the Julian calendar. On Slaviq, the church community follows pinwheel stars from house to house, singing traditional Russian Orthodox hymns. Many of the houses invite the community in, offering food and a place to warm up along the procession.
This year also marks the canonization of St. Olga, whose remains were exhumed in Kwethluk in November. Vasily said that the themes of rebirth around Slaviq and Christmas are a way for the community to feel closer to their loved ones that have passed away, including St. Olga.
“Her holy relics are in the church. Her upbringing was inside St. Nicolas church,” Vasily said. “So St. Nicolas was very dear to her, just as he is very dear to us.”
Marshall
Along the Yukon, students in the Lower Yukon School District put on a winter program that finished in a sweeping number with all the students singing a traditional song in the Yup’ik language.
On Christmas Eve, the town also puts on a larger event, with local organizations and the tribal council putting on skits and giving out gifts to the children in the village.
Bethel
Like most imports to Bethel, fresh Christmas trees make quite the journey into town. To bring the outside in takes a little sourcing and starts at a cost of $230 for a little guy.
Each year, the Bethel Community Services Foundation organizes a live Christmas tree fundraiser for the Bethel Food Bank and Pantry, said its executive director, Michelle DeWitt.
And though artificial trees are popular in the region that doesn’t grow any such evergreens, DeWitt said, for some folks there’s something special about having a live tree.
“It's really fun, you know, you get when you have the live tree, it's fun,” DeWitt said. “You know, you smell the smell of the tree, and it's just, it's a fun thing to have. It's a fun holiday tradition, and it's just fun to be able to provide that to folks who are interested in having that.”
And as for that classic road system Christmas time picture of tall trees precariously strapped to the tops of cars, DeWitt said that the Bethel way is a bit more creative.
“It’s a little more driving with trees shoved through the interior of the vehicles here. Most people have to go just a very short distance,” DeWitt remarked. “And so instead of trying to tie things to the vehicle, we see more opening the back hatch of cars and trying to shove it across the tops of both rows of seats or whatever. That's the more common tree removal plan here in Bethel.”
Tuluksak
Every year, high school students at the Tuluksak School venture out near Airport Rd. to find a Christmas tree, said Meghan Chandler, a mother of two in Tuluksak. With the help of their shop teacher, they harvest and transport the tree back to the school, where it is displayed in the school cafeteria and decorated by students of all ages.
“The different classes were doing different activities to create decorations for the tree,” Chandler said. “And so if you were around the school at any time, suddenly, like, a whole class would show up and they would be decorating the tree with different things that they had created in class.”
Chandler said that in Tuluksak, fireworks are a big part of this time of year. She said that all you have to do is look outside and you can spot them.
“Tuluksak’s not very wide, and so you can hear the different families. And because we've been here for a long time, we know which families are shooting off fireworks and stuff like that,” Chandler said. “And then the families will just invite other families over to come and watch the fireworks as well.”
However you celebrate the season in your corner of the Y-K Delta, be it with or without Christmas trees, Slaviq stars, sing-alongs, or fireworks — from all of us at KYUK, have a happy and safe holiday season.
