The vinok is the flower wreath created and worn by Ukrainian women, traditionally only if the women are unmarried. It has now entered Ukrainian national attire and is worn by females of all ages in celebration of cultural identity, feminine beauty, and respect for the natural world. For the holiday of Ivana Kupala, an ancient pagan holiday that takes place on the eve of July 6 into the morning of July 7, girls and women make vinky, (the plural of vinok) from found wildflowers and then place them on a river or lake. The direction the vinok flowed, as well as the reflection it made upon the water, would predict her future husband. Young men would enter the water trying to catch the wreath of the one he was interested in. Recently the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Yorkton branch held a workshop on how to make vinky. Clockwise from top; Toni Gromnisky fits a vinok on and her granddaughter Anna, Jennifer Bachinsky works on her wreath, close-ups of two works in progress, Bev Bachinsky with daughter Janelle Parsons, and a vinok is tried on for size.
