Balabushky

Balabushky are small round buns of yeasted dough that hold a special place in Ukrainian traditional culture thanks to an old fortune-telling rite.

On St Andrew's Eve (the night of 29–30 November; 12–13 December in the Julian calendar), unmarried girls baked balabushky according to special rules — carrying the water for the dough in their mouths, among other things — and then laid out their buns on the floor and let a hungry little dog into the house. Whosever balabushka it ate first, that girl was to marry soonest; whichever it nudged or rejected, the omens were interpreted too. So balabushky are not only a tasty bake but an interesting window into the world of old Ukrainian girls' customs, beliefs, and dreams of a happy fate, which have reached us across the centuries.