Holidays in Ukraine

Each country has its own customs, traditions, holidays, and important days in its history. Talking of holidays in Ukraine we can’t but tell about everybody’s favourite New Year Holiday. People think that at night on New Year eve the old year with all its troubles leave us forever and the new year with all our hopes and expectations knocks at our doors. People decorate the Christmas tree, have New Year parties and prepare presents for their relatives and friends.

On the eve of the 7^th of January Ukrainians start celebrating Christmas. It’s the day of Jesus Christ’s birthday and it is widely celebrated all over Ukraine. People sing carols, cook a traditional Ukrainian Christmas dish named “kutya” which all the family eats together. Then people go to church to listen to the Christmas sermon.

Not long ago Ukrainians began celebrating a new holiday, St. Valentine’s Day, on the 14^th of February. It’s the day of love, when we give special cards and presents to our sweethearts. This traditional holiday came into Ukraine from the English-speaking countries.

The 8^th of March is Women’s Day. This date was introduced in 1910 by the 2^nd International Conference of women-socialists at the proposal of Clara Tsetkin as a day of the international solidarity of women in their struggle for economic, political and social equality. Nowadays this date has lost its political meaning and became just the day when we congratulate and thank our women for everything they do for us at home and at work, say our good wishes, give them flowers and presents.

Easter Day comes according to the lunar calendar. It’s the Day of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection. People celebrate this Holiday because He died on the cross for our salvation. They go to churches to listen to sermons, gather at homes to pray and thank Jesus Christ for our salvation from eternal death into eternal life with Him in Heaven.

50 days after Easter we celebrate Holy Trinity (or “Green Sunday”). This holiday is dedicated to the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ. This event gave rise to Christianity. The meaning of the Holy Trinity is thus: God the Father laid the basis for the church in the Old Testament, the Son brought its meaning into words, and the Spirit acts within it. On this holiday people decorate their houses with calamus and green branches.

On the 1^st of May we celebrate the holiday of spring, nature awakening and beauty.

On the 9^th of May we celebrate the Victory Day. People go to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier who died at war defending our country from fascists, put flowers to the monuments, and in the evening everybody goes to see the holiday salute.

On the 28^th of June 1996 the Constitution of Independent Ukraine was adopted. We celebrate this day as the Constitution Day.

On August the 24^th we celebrate the Day of Independence of Ukraine, which was proclaimed in 1991 on the decision of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Fireworks and various concerts and musical events are common throughout the country.

We also like our holidays because we always have our family reunion on these days.

1. What do people believe in at night on New Year eve?

2. When do Ukrainian people celebrate Christmas?

3. How is Christmas celebrated in Ukraine?

4. What holiday is the day of love?

5. What is the history of Women’s Day?

6. How do we celebrate Easter Day?

7. What is Holy Trinity dedicated to?

8. What is the tradition of celebrating of the Victory Day?

9. When do Ukrainian people celebrate the Constitution Day?

10. What is the major state holiday in Ukraine?

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