Ukrainian Dancers Pose during Malanka at the Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta, Canada.
Who would have thought that the main reason for travelling to Jasper, Alberta in January was to celebrate the Ukrainian New Year? The Jasper Park Lodge has been partnering with local Ukrainian organizations for 14 years now to offer a special Malanka package for those who want to experience the Ukrainian Christmas and New Years traditions in one weekend.
For me, it was mostly for the cultural dance that I wanted to make the trip. The Vohon Ukrainian Dance Ensemble was the main dance entertainment for the weekend and gave me fantastic insight into the scene here in Alberta (see video links below to get an idea of what Ukrainian dance looks like).
Other than the performances, the evenings were filled with lots of dancing, much like a wedding, where the DJ plays favourites and everyone boogies on the dance floor until the early morning.
A staple on Saturday night is always the Kolomyjka, where you form a circle and people go into the middle to “show off” their tricks and fancy moves. This was more the type of dancing done in the old days, when there was no “audience,” only a group of villagers. These days, of course, the tricks are more modern and eleborate, but the idea is still similar.
All of this revelry was done as I sat beside the bishop (who performed the religious components of the weekend, if you’re interested in that aspect) and two sisters. But what could have been an awkward situation was broken open when the bishop bought the table a bottle of wine and the sisters shyly (but happily!) partook. They are Ukrainian, after all 
Ukrainian Dancing at Malanka in the Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta, Canada.
No videos or pictures of them survive… What’s the saying? What happens at Malanka stays at Malanka?
What I Liked:
- The whole weekend at the Jasper Park Lodge starts at $399 CAD for two nights and includes a Fairmont room, the welcoming reception, most meals, Malanka activities and gratuities. It’s a great partnership and will be bigger and better, I’m told, next year for their 15th anniversary.
- The whole weekend felt like a big wedding or family reunion, not like I was lost in foreign traditions. Gotta love those Ukrainians.
Videos from Jasper Park Lodge’s Malanka:
Lori Henry is a freelance Travel & Lifestyle writer based in Vancouver, Canada. She covers Solo Travel, Outdoor Adventures, Wellness & Spas, and Cultural Dance, and is often called "That Cultural Dance Gal."
