RITUALS OF ACCEPTING A GUEST IN UKRAINIAN HOSPITALITY

Abstract

In this article we are going to analyze guest acceptance rituals in Ukrainian hospitality and unfold its specifics in process of interindividual communication.

Hospitality in its primary image is acting like a catalyst of live communication in process of joint human activities and as such – a mandatory condition of individual’s accepting cultural accomplishments of nation, ethnicity, people and acts as a mediator in relation between generations, determining its communicative origin. Namely that is why the main function of hospitality is a function of inerindividual communications, governed by rites, rituals and cannot be performed without the other – guest.

Cross-civilization and cross-cultural communications in nowadays world is an environment where the processes of direct and indirect interaction of the latest are carried out. Overcoming cultural barriers is an important factor for selfconsciousness and self-assessment of a person, which thereby promotes understanding of hospitality traditions allowing the development of norms and principles of interaction within information-oriented society. Communicative role of conversation participants was firmly established in historic practices and in hospitality, which actualizes historical self-consciousness of hospitality ritualization. So the purpose is to uncover the rituals of guest acceptance in Ukrainian hospitality.

Hospitality is a type of close and powerful interaction between people, including being "face to face", and also exchanging glances and touches. To some extent, the stress from experiencing something foreign is neutralized by the law of hospitality, which is a quite effective strategy of accepting the other. Inasmuch as the guest is a stranger, the hospitality is an expression of attitude not only to this person, but is also a personalization of reality, represented by the guest.

Ritual origins of hospitality are at full amount manifested in accepting a guest. Hospitality during accepting aguest is in the first place – a peculiar ritual, a standard fixes sequence of actions, performed by means of a series of "identification signs". At that, the ritual is not only a formal procedure, but also an act, values and meanings of which are accepted as real and have an unquestioned sense for an individual, performing such act. Guest acceptance ritual consists of three stages, observance of which is mandatory. Therefore, the first stage starts from arrival of guest (stranger), acquaintance and recognition. Second stage, namely the reception – is a festive reception of guest at the table. The third and final stage is a farewell ceremony to the guest with presenting expensive presents.

Similarity of different nation’s hospitality rituals, historically and geographically distant from each other is of no occasion: this is an evidence of deep hospitality structures constancy. At the same time, in each spatial locality, an ethnic (and later – national) distinctiveness of hospitality manifestation is maintained.

Because of that, motives of behavior within the field of hospitality are defined by factors historically established in human consciousness: religion, culture, traditions which significantly influence all fields of social relations and common culture. Namely that is why Ukrainian hospitality, deepest origins of which are common among all Eastern Slavs, always differed by distinctive special humaneness.

Therefore, analysis of guest acceptance ritual in Ukrainian hospitality gives us reasons to draw some conclusions related to three-stage guest acceptance with strict sequence and particularization. Meeting – is an invitation for the guest to enter the house, acted as a sacred invariant of human life, whereas the house represented all living space and worldview cosmos of a Ukrainian. Second stage began with a festive reception at the table, because the habit of entertaining and nourishing the guest, performance of festive treating – feeding, constituted an important element of Ukrainian hospitality. Next stage was the farewell ceremony with presentation of expensive gifts, inasmuch as habits of making presents and gifting played a significant role in Ukrainian hospitality.