It was a lively afternoon in Kamloops when Sasha decided to spice up his Ukrainian Diaspora Language Class. The students were still chuckling about last week’s lesson when Sasha carried in a basket of garlic and placed it on the desk.
“Today,” he began, his eyes twinkling with mischief, “we’re diving into the world of garlic—through music!”
The students leaned in with curiosity as Sasha pulled up a video of Лісапетний батальйон, a colorful and boisterous Ukrainian band, performing their humorous anthem ‘Часничок.’ The room filled with laughter as the band’s lively beat and garlic-themed antics unfolded on the screen.
“This,” Sasha explained, pausing the video, “is not just a song. It’s a celebration of garlic’s place in Ukrainian culture – as a food, a symbol of health, and even humor. Now, let’s learn the words so we can sing it ourselves!”
He handed out lyric sheets and projected a table on the board:
| Ukrainian Lyrics | Transliteration | English Translation |
| Вам співали про хліб і про сало, | Vam spivaly pro khlib i pro salo, | You were sung about bread and lard, |
| Від душі, для душі, для смаку. | Vid dushi, dlya dushi, dlya smaku. | From the heart, for the soul, for taste. |
| І шкодуємо ми, що так мало | I shkoduyemo my, shcho tak malo | And we regret that so little |
| Присвятили пісень часнику. | Prysvyatyly pisen’ chasnyku. | Was dedicated to garlic. |
| Часни, часни, часничок, часто, часто як медок. | Chasny, chasny, chasnychok, chasto, chasto yak medok. | Garlic, garlic, garlic, often, often, like honey. |
| До борщів, до холодців, хоч по декілька зубців. | Do borshchiv, do kholodtsiv, khoch po dekil’ka zubtsiv. | For borshch, for aspic, even a few cloves. |
“Garlic is so much more than just a food,” Sasha said, holding up a clove. “In Ukraine, it’s a symbol of health and protection. You’ll find it in soups, stews, and even hanging on doors to ward off bad spirits!”
He taught the class the chorus first:
Часни, часни, часничок, часто, часто як медок.
До борщів, до холодців, хоч по декілька зубців.
The students repeated after him, stumbling at first over the “часни-часни” rhythm but quickly catching on.
“Now, let’s try it with feeling!” Sasha said, clapping along. The class burst into laughter as they sang with gusto, their voices growing louder and more confident.
“Do you know why this song is so funny?” Sasha asked, pausing after a particularly enthusiastic round. “Because it makes something ordinary, like garlic, into a hero. Ukrainians love humor like this—it’s part of our culture!”
One student, Yuriy, raised his hand. “Isn’t garlic also supposed to keep vampires away?”
Sasha grinned. “Yes, and maybe that’s why we sing about it with such pride. It’s our ultimate protector—of health, flavor, and even from mythical creatures!”
The class continued singing, their laughter mixing with the cheerful melody. By the end of the lesson, everyone was humming the chorus as they packed up their things.
As the students left, Sasha leaned against the desk, watching them walk out with smiles on their faces. For him, this lesson wasn’t just about language or culture—it was about connection. Through a simple song about garlic, he had brought joy, laughter, and a little taste of Ukrainian humor to their day.
And as the chorus echoed in his head—“Часни, часни, часничок…”—Sasha couldn’t help but smile. Teaching, he thought, really is the greatest gift.
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