My Grandmother left Ukraine when she was 13 and went west away from the Russian front during WWII. They ended up first in Slovakia and then made it to the American occupied part of Germany. She stayed in a displaced persons camp created by the Americans. Fortunately, my grandmother had close family in the U.S. They sent affidavits ensuring a place to live and a job in the United States to prove that they would not be a burden on American society, so she was able to immigrate to America. Adlai Stevenson II, an American politician and diplomat, rechristened the displaced persons as delayed pilgrims to make people feel more welcome in the U.S. My grandmother bought this particular necklace at her church’s bazaar that is held every year before Christmas. Every Ukrainian church has a bazaar once a year which displays Ukrainian artwork and literature. Traditional borshch (beet soup) pyrohy (potato dumplings), and holubtsi (potatoes or meat wrapped in cabbage leaves) are also sold there. The bazaar features Ukrainian folk music  often involving a bandura, a string instrument which has a very old and rich history. This specific type of jewelry is called Gerdan and it's popular among young women in Ukraine. The necklace, and the bazaar where it was purchased, reminds our family of our origins, and it helps to maintain a spiritual tie to Ukraine and largely forgotten ancestors and culture.

– KG

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant