Palianytsia
Palianytsia is a word on everyone’s lips at the moment, but how did this traditional Ukrainian bread gain such present-day significance?
Traditional Bread
Традиційний хліб
Palianytsia is a round traditional bread with a horizontal incision made on the side. Unlike many other Ukrainian breads, Palianytsia is not baked but rather heated on a flat surface.
Symbolism
Символізм
In ancient times, Palianytsia symbolised the sun, happiness, and prosperity. Across Christianity, as with bread in general, Palianytsia also represents the happiness and well-being of the Lord. Traditionally, the bread is not cut with a knife, but rather torn by hand.
Palianytsia as a code word
Паляниця (кодове слово)
The pronunciation of Palianytsia is difficult for foreigners, particularly Russians, to pronounce. Typically, Russians pronounce “palianytsia” with a soft «і» sound instead of «и», and «ц» is pronounced hard or sometimes replaced with «тс». After several Russians pronounced ‘Palianytsia’ as strawberry, it became an increasingly popular meme across Ukraine and diasporas worldwide.
