Shulyky at Makovia fade from the table: Ukraine's poppy ban reshapes an ancient tradition

A Holy Day of Poppies: How Makovia's Ritual Food Is Changing

According to 24 канал — Lifestyle: Makovia, a Ukrainian holiday celebrated with a blessed bouquet of flowers and herbs on 1 August, once revolved around the poppy. According to ethnologist Anastasiia Kryvenko, who spoke to 24 Kanal, the plant was the holiday's central symbol: people cooked ritual dishes from it, blessed it, and used it to safeguard their homes and summon rain. But because poppy cultivation is now prohibited, its role in the celebration has sharply diminished, and the old custom of baking shulyky is slipping out of practice.

Kryvenko, an ethnologist at the Institute of Ethnology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, says those ceremonial foods included:

• flatbreads called shulyky (korzhi)
• pies
• varenyky (dumplings)

"With the ban on growing poppies, its use on Makovia has dropped significantly. Nowadays it is mostly blessed as part of a small bouquet alongside other plants, while in the past it was the main attribute of the holiday. Poppy was first and foremost a base for ritual food: people baked shulyky flatbreads, pies, boiled varenyky, and so on. The custom of baking those ceremonial shulyky is now gradually dying out." - Anastasiia Kryvenko

Poppy was also connected to rainmaking and protection. It was scattered into wells, and poppy seeds were sprinkled around houses and farm buildings to ward off evil. The field poppy known as mak-vydiuk was thought to be especially powerful, serving as a mediator between the world of the living and the world of the dead. In modern Ukraine, the red poppy has become the official symbol of remembrance. The traditional "makoviichyk" bouquet, which contains poppy heads among other plants, is blessed on 1 August.

The shrinking role of the poppy in Makovia reflects wider changes in Ukrainian cultural practice, as well as the impact of contemporary legislation on traditions. The ban on growing poppies, introduced to combat drugs, has eroded parts of the holiday's heritage. At the same time, the continued blessing of the makoviichyk bouquet shows how the celebration is adapting to new conditions. Observing this shift helps show how legal restrictions can reshape customs and religious rituals in Ukraine.

As the traditions surrounding Makovia evolve, understanding the significance of the Dormition Fast and the blessings associated with it becomes increasingly important. For those interested in the rich tapestry of Ukrainian customs, exploring what is blessed during this feast offers valuable insights into the cultural shifts impacting celebrations like Makovia.