Kind of tough question, huh?
Not really. Just read a poem below. It’s called “A Ukrainian
Wife’s Poem” – my husband’s sister-in-law sent me it:
A Ukrainian Wife’s Poem
He didn't like my holubtsi
And he didn't like my cake,
He said my perogies were too hard
Not like his mother used to make.
I didn't perk the coffee right
He didn't like the borsch,
I didn't mend his socks
The way his mother used to do.
I pondered for an answer
I was looking for a clue.
Then I turned around and
Smacked the sh…t out of him
Like his mother used to do!
I don’t know who is an author of this poem – it’s goes viral
by e-mails between Ukrainians of North America – but this poet definitely got a
great sense of humor! I showed the poem to Ron, my husband – he was laughing
hard, just like me. Thank God, my hubby got a good sense of humor, too
(otherwise I wouldn’t marry him – I have a hard time to spend even 5 minutes in
presence of man without sense of humor).
Posting here this poem, I just wanted to introduce you to
Ukrainian marriage humor – for you to get an idea what kind of humor it is.
Yep, this is the kind! And this poem was written about relationships in family,
where both – husband and wife – are Ukrainians, that’s why the author mentioned
a Ukrainian dish holubtsi (cabbage rolls) and perogies (stuffed dumplings). Speaking
ethnographically and historically, the situation which described in the poem is
very typical for the marriages between two Ukrainians, so, it is not totally a
joke.
Anyway, as you can see, this poem is showing a wife as a
winner of the situation.
Here is another example of Ukrainian marriage humor, where a
winner is a Ukrainian husband. A story called “Ukrainian secret to a long
marriage” (sent me by my husband’s dear sister-in-law, too):
“At Ukrainian Church
Joe replied to the assembled husbands,
"Well, I've always tried to treat her nice, spent lots of money on her, but best of
all I took her to the Ukraine
The priest amazed responded, "Joe, you are an amazing inspiration to all the husbands gathered here! Please tell us what you are planning for your wife on your 50th anniversary."
Joe proudly replied, "I’m gonna go pick her up."
P.S. An illustration to this
post – a rolling pin – is a part of Ukrainian marriage humor too. Well, I would
say not only Ukrainian – our good friends Tania and Bill from The priest amazed responded, "Joe, you are an amazing inspiration to all the husbands gathered here! Please tell us what you are planning for your wife on your 50th anniversary."
Joe proudly replied, "I’m gonna go pick her up."
P.P.S. A huge “Thanks!” to my
husband’s sister-in-law for sending me all these jokes! Just for the record –
she is a Ukrainian wife to a Ukrainian husband. I am a Ukrainian wife to a
Ukrainian husband, too. My husband’s sister-in-law and I are getting along very
well, especially if it’s come to Ukrainian marriage humor :)
