Ukrainian Christmas traditions in Kazakhstan and Canada: folklore, folkorism, and preserving heritage

Folklore consists of songs, stories, and ritual acts created by the people themselves. It is the most organic form of cultural expression. In this period when nations and their cultures are under attack, both folklorists and politicians look to folklore as a means of cultural preservation. Folklorists have recently started distinguishing folklore and heritage. Heritage comes to be emblematic of a culture and is used to assert cultural uniqueness. Heritage can be registered with UNESCO and become the property of one nation. It is rigid and controlled by elites. The authors' work with Ukrainian folklore in Kazakhstan and Canada shows that true folklore, that which is created by people and changes to fit their lived circumstances, is the real proof of cultural vitality. The Christmas traditions discussed here show that folklore can be different and still express and maintain cultural vitality.