Move over Pinocchio, Buratino's running the show this weekend - and he's bringing with him the Kalinka song, some balalaikas and even a sighting or two of Father Frost.

The Palme Performing Society will stage a Russian themed Christmas event in Coquitlam this Saturday to coincide with the Orthodox Christian holiday that's feted across central and eastern Europe.

Though the society has held a handful of similar events in Vancouver and Burnaby, this Saturday's shindig will be a Tri-Cities first.

"Quite a large chunk of our group comes from the Tri-Cities, so we just decided that as a part of these celebrations that we should introduce this event and this part of our culture to the local Canadian crowd for them to get to know it and celebrate with us," said society member Andrey Ahachinsky.

Running from noon to 6 p.m., the event will be teeming with Russian folklore and tradition.

A traditional Christmas concert will be staged complete with Russian Christmas carols, including a popular Russian folk singer leading the crowd through a rendition of the Kalinka song. Based on a berry native to Russia, the Kalinka song will also include the use of balalaika, a triangular stringed instrument that sounds like a cross between a guitar and a banjo.

"The Kalinka song is a very typical, very well-known song in Russia," Ahachinsky said.

"It's very easy to sing and it only has a couple of words and the rest is just a melody."

An interactive show for kids featuring Buratino, the Russian equivalent of Pinocchio, will also light up Evergreen, and at the end of the concert, the group will unite around a traditional dance called the Khorovod.

"People join hands and they dance together around the Christmas tree," Ahachinksy said. "We always have a lot of people joining us to dance and sing. It's a very interactive song about the Christmas tree."

Craft-making will also be offered, and Father Frost - Russia's version of Santa Claus - will be on hand alongside his female confidante known as Snowflake.

"The two are very similar, but [Father Frost] is maybe a bit more strict than Santa Claus," Ahachinksy said. "He knows if the kids are misbehaving because he watches over them. Usually Father Frost speaks to the parents first and then he speaks on their behalf to the kids.

He doesn't ask questions because he knows if they're misbehaving."

Ahachinsky explained that the Orthodox celebration of Christmas typically begins on Jan. 6, a day on which most traditionalists fast or avoid eating meat.

The next day sees people gathering in town or village squares to sing and dance around the Christmas tree, while also attending church services.

And then comes the feast: borscht, perogies, cabbage rolls, piroshkis and a dish served only on Christmas called kutya that's meant to bring luck and good fortune.

"It's a dish that's made from poppy seeds, honey and rice or wheat, depending on how wealthy the family is. If they're wealthy, they would have it with rice. If they're not, they would have it with wheat," Ahachinsky said.

"The people spend several days preparing the food for the Christmas dinner, which consists of 12 dishes that correspond to the 12 Apostles."

Saturday's Russian Christmas event costs $8 for general admission and $5 for kids, and those prices cover the cost of the craftmaking and some entertainment. Separate charges will be applied for the food and concert portions of the event.

jkurucz@thenownews.com

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