Behind the Scenes of 2021 Ukrainian Heritage Calendar - Tanya Morrow’s Story
Tanya is featured on November`s page of the 2021 Ukrainian Heritage calendar. This is her story:
Life is very unpredictable and we never know what awaits. At this moment, I live in San Antonio and I’m very happy to be a part Ukrainian San Antonio community which provides a network of support to its members and works to preserve Ukrainian language and traditions.
The ethno-calendar we created is indeed very cool! I’m proud of Ukrainian vyshyvanky, the traditional embroidered shirts. These shirts carry the identification code of the Ukrainian nation, where the soul and the essence of Ukrainian nation is embedded in every thread of the cross-stitch. Every person who wears vyshyvanka, carries this embroidered code with them throughout the world.
While making the calendar, I had a unique opportunity to wear and experience a vyshyvanka that was a century old. Wearing an authentic vyshyvanka and jewelry was a privilege as most of the Ukrainian national artifacts were viciously and intentionally destroyed by the Soviets. While wearing an antique vyshyvank, one can feel the energy, magic, and an inseparable connection with those generations of Ukrainians who utilized patterns to convey love for Ukraine and preserve its traditions.