The Gubas performance is a century-long tradition that is still celebrated in certain parts of our nation. The Gubas performance is comprised of male parishioners of an Orthodox Christian church. They travel to the homes of members of their parish on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, which for some remaining Orthodox churches still following the Julian calendar occurs on January 6th and January 7th. So what do they do when they’re there? Read on to find out.
The Gubas
Their purpose of the Gubas is to tell the story of the birth of Jesus in word and song. The selection of clothing the Gubas wear varies. It can include costumes of shepherds, angels, or woodsmen. Gubas also carry a wooden replica of their church when they perform.
Gubas Are Getting Rarer
Even though the number of Orthodox churches who still celebrate Christmas on January 7 is declining and the number of parishes who participate in a Gubas celebration is also declining, this tradition is no less fascinating. You don’t have to be Orthodox or even Christian to appreciate this tradition.
Learning about a Gubas celebration is also an important reminder to admire and appreciate all the traditions unique to your own culture and religion. It also sparks a renewed interest in cultural diversity and appreciation for customs and religions very different than our own. It used to be that the Gubas performed in the Slavonic language, a language similar to Russian. A few decades ago, many pastors developed English versions of their performance to appeal to younger parishioners who didn’t know Slavonic. This helped to keep the Gubas tradition alive since participants didn’t need to be bilingual anymore.
The Gubas tradition is similar to Christmas caroling in which a group of people go from house to house bringing the spirit of the Christmas season along with them. The Gubas are essentially reenacting the journey many people made in search of Jesus after they heard of his birth. The above description was intended to provide you with the interesting history of the Gubas tradition.
