My role(s): personal work, book design, typography, illustration

Christmas in my family is steeped in tradition from our Slovak ancestors. Since long before my time, the Sefchiks (and their offspring) have celebrated Christmas Eve with a Slovak vilia / vilija (vigil), a Catholic tradition with special food and prayer intended to honor each other and prepare our hearts for the end of another year. 

For as long as I can remember, we read through the vilia ceremony on a few yellowed pages my mother lovingly packed away each Christmas — xeroxed sheets unlikely to last another season in the attic. These were our only record of a tradition we all hope to perpetuate.

I created this book to better preserve our family tradition for my mother, for me, and for future generations. The content is (mostly) transcribed from those old photocopies. I created original illustrations to bring each page to life — and what would a family memento be without a few vintage pictures?