Winter Holidays in Ukraine
Ukrainians love their numerous holidays and love to "celebrate"
those holidays in grandeous fashion. It's not uncommon for
Westerners to be taken aback at just how many "days of note"
they observe, and the amount of fireworks and revelry that goes
along with them, not to mention the vast amount of spirits
consumed. Ukraines history that included Paganism and later
Christianity can be attributed to the evolution of many of her
current holidays and festivities.
1 January - New Year's Day is one the most favorite of
all holidays in Ukraine. As in Western countries on Christmas
Eve, Ukrainians give "New Year" presents, Children receive their
presents under the New Year Tree on the morning of the 1st of
January. Traditionally just prior to midnight there's a
Presidential speech broadcast nationally. When the clock strikes
Midnight, people pop open thier champaign bottles and raise a
toast. With the first glass they congratulate each other as the
clock strikes 12 times and fireworks fill the sky. The week
before the New Year is a busy one with shopping, parties at
work, decorating pine and fir-trees, and cooking the years most
delicious meals. The main folk heroes of this holiday are Father
Frost (Did Moroz) and his grand-daughter "Sniguron'ka" (The Snow
Girl). The tradition of predicting fortunes on this night is
very popular among young people.
A peculiar tradition includes writing down on a piece of paper
your wish for the coming year, then dropping it in to your
champagne and drinking it as the clock stikes twelve times.
Another "fun" folk tradition pacticed mainly in the villages on
New Year night is for the unmarried girls to go outside and
throw one of thier boots over the Hosts' fence. Whichever way
the toe of the boot ends up pointing indicates where the future
husband will come from. Nearly all businesses remain closed from
December 31st to January 8th.
7 January - Orthodox Christmas The period from the 7th
until the 14th of January is Saint Christmas week. During this
week people go from one house to another, singing songs and
wishing good wishes to health, prosperity, etc. and just having
a good time. Most usually are dressed in folksy or carnival type
costumes. Such activity is called "Kolyaduvannya" and
"Schedruvannya". The songs are called "kolyadky" and
"schedrivky". When somebody is singing these songs and greeting
you, as a rule you should give them sweets or food or drinks or
whatever you have as a token of appreciation. . It is believed
that everything that the people have sung in their Kolyadka and
Schedrivka will come true.
Also during the new year holidays, up to the 14th of January it
is common for kids (and sometimes adults-in the villages) to go
from one house to another wishing the owner of the house new
year wishes, new happiness, health, etc. All those wishes are
usually said in rhymes and with the spreading of seeds, such as
wheat or other grains. This shows a wish of prosperity for the
house. This practice is called "Posivannya". Some token, usualy
food, drink, sweets, or money, is usualy given in return.
14 January - Old Calendar New Year celebrated as a family
holiday. See more above under 7 January - Orthodox Christmas.
22 January - Ukrainian Unity Day (Den Sobornosti) is an
important historical event in Ukraine. It goes back to the date
when Eastern and Western Ukraine were united. On this day in
1919 the "Treaty of Unity" between Ukrainians was signed and the
unity of all Ukrainian lands previously belonging to the Russian
Empire (UNR) and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was solemnly
proclaimed on Sofijivska Square in Kyiv. "Den Sobornosti" is the
symbol of territorial and spiritual unity of Ukraine as a
unified sovereign state.