Bradford's Orthodox Eastern European communities celebrated their Christmas Day yesterday.

Hundreds of people from the Ukrainian community attended services in Keighley, Leeds and at the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Park View Road.

And members of the Serbian community celebrated at their church in Little Horton Lane with the ceremonial burning of an oak tree.

But the festivities were blighted by the flu bug in Keighley. For the first time in 50 years they were forced to cancel a Christmas Day reception that usually follows the mass at St Anne's Roman Catholic Church.

"It is very disappointing but we had no alternative," said Mr Petro Szczur, President of the Keighley branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain.

In Bradford, Sheilah Vucak, of the Serbian Orthodox Church of Holy Trinity, explained: "We had our main service on Christmas Eve which was Wednesday. We had a service in church then a procession outside where we burnt an oak tree.

"As it is burning everybody tries to grab a twig which they keep for the whole year to bring them luck. Straw is scattered all over the floor of the church and hall during the Christmas period to represent the stable.

"On Christmas Day we say to each other 'hristos se rodi' which means Christ is born."

Serbian families traditionally celebrate Christ-mas with a roast ham or pork and Yugoslavian dishes such as Sarma (meat and rice wrapped up in cabbage) and Gibanica (cheese pastry).

Mrs Vucak said: "In reality this is the real Christmas according to the old calendar. Christmas Eve on January 6 is when we exchange presents and cards. Most families do mark the English Christmas because they are off work but we don't have anything at church."

Father Leo Goldade of the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church said: "Our Christmas celebrations started on Christmas Eve with families having what is called a divine supper - a 12-dish meal - in their homes.

"This is the main Christmas meal and the leftovers are eaten on Christmas Day. They go to church on Christmas Day and many of them wear their embroidered dresses and shirts.

"We then go to the Ukrainian Club to sing traditional Ukrainian carols in the afternoon."

But in Keighley, Ukrainian families fast for a week before Christmas avoiding meat and dairy products.

Orthodox churches, including Ukrainian, Serbian and Russian, which retain the Julian calendar, celebrate all fixed festivals 13 days after the Western churches.

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