Ukraine Holidays.
What kind of holidays does Ukraine celebrate?
Find out to make better travel planning.

Ukraine holidays can be divided in three groups:

• National Holidays (Public and Religious). They are "no - business" days in Ukraine.
• Religious Holidays are regular business days except for those which are included in the list of the National Holidays.
• Just Holidays. Among them can be found different professional holidays, those which commemorate national heroes and significant political or cultural events, holidays adopted from other cultures, etc.

National Holidays.

There are eight national holidays celebrated in Ukraine every year. If any of the official Ukraine holidays fall on Saturday or Sunday, it is customary for the following Monday to be an official public holiday.

New Year's Eve that is celebrated on December, 31, is definitely the favorite among the Ukraine holidays. It has some special and sentimental value in Ukraine. We have saying that a person will spend a year the way he has welcomed it. So everybody tries to do their best to make the New Year's Eve the greatest day of the year.

Ukraine Holidays. New Year Day.
Source: http://flickr.com/

People decorate the New Year Tree, present each other with gifts, send cards, cook festive dinners. It is time for the best wishes for the next year. You have to do it exactly a few minutes before midnight to make them true!

According to Ukrainian traditions people spend this holiday at home together with their relatives or friends. Everybody loves this bright holiday. But kids are the ones who are waiting for Ded Moroz (Santa Claus in the culture of the eastern Slavs) the most. He will come personally to each house and put presents under the New Year Tree.

New Year's Eve is definetely a great and special time in Ukraine. It is even more special than one can imagine! New Year comes to Ukraine twice. Here is the story. It was 1918 when Soviet Russia adopted Gregorian calendar. Before that time they have been 13 days behind the rest of the world. However, even though the official calendar was switched, many people did not want to change and refused to celebrate New Year before Christmas.

Now people in ex-USSR celebrate two New Years. Official one ia on December, 31 (New style) and unofficial - on January, 13 (Old style).

International Women's Day (March, 8).

From time to time history makes some unexpected twists. International Women's Day in Ukraine is one of those "twists". It was started as a political protest of women from clothing and textile factories on 8 March 1857 in New York City. Somehow it has lost its political flavor when it became a part of cultural traditions of the former USSR.

Traditions of the International Women's Day in Ukraine are the "mix" of Western Mother's Day and St. Valentine's Day. Holiday is extremely popular. It is a good occasion for men to demonstrate their love and sympathy to the women around them. From the other side, this is the only day of the year when every woman becomes a queen.

The Day of International Solidarity of Workers (May, 1st and 2nd).

Today this holiday is more a reminder about "good old days" of the Soviet Union. It used to be a day for colorful parades, loud marches, crowds of peoples in the streets. Now the majority of people just takes a rest at home or goes camping with their families or friends.

Victory Day (May, 9).

This is the day when people of the former Soviet Union celebrate the victory over the fascist Germany. During World War Two SSSR lost 27 million people - more than all its Allies together. Three quarters of the German soldiers who were killed during WWII, lost their lives on the Russian Front. Practically each person in the USSR has relatives who didn't come home after Victory. Let they rest in peace. We remember them.

Constitution Day (June, 28).

This holiday commemorates the adoption of Ukrainian constitution in 1996.

Independence Day (August, 24).

Among the Ukraine holidays Independence Day is a symbol of the new Ukrainian history. This holiday is dedicated to the important event when Ukraine proclaimed independence from the USSR in 1991. There are no particular traditions of celebrating it yet. Large public performances, festivals, concerts of popular singers in the streets take place. Big cities usually have military parades and performance of the military orchestras.

Religious Holidays.

For decades people in Ukraine were controlled by an atheistic regime. That's why almost during the whole 20th century Religious Holidays were not included in the list of the official Ukraine holidays. But in some mysterious way people's memory kept special traditions and spirituality, which distinguish religious holidays.

Only at the end of 1990s religious holidays in Ukraine were resurrected. Traditions around religious holidays and their importance in the social life have grown.

Ukraine Holidays. Pentecost.
Source: http://flickr.com/

Easter or Holy Trinity Day is considered the major holiday of the Orthodox religious calendar. The date of Easter changes each year according to the lunar calendar. Several other Christian holidays fix their dates by reference to Easter.

Since the Orthodox Church uses the Julian or the "Old Style" (OS) calendar, the calculations for the date of Easter are pretty complicated. To determine the date of Easter, you can use calculator from the Diocese of Ely or Smart.Net web sites.

The Christmas celebrations in Ukraine is maybe the most full of beauty and solemnity among the Ukraine holidays.

Triytsia or Pentecost ("the 50th day" in ancient Greek) commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles.

Ukraine Holidays. Ivana Kupala Night. Jump over the fire.
Source: http://flickr.com/

Many of Ukrainian holidays are based not only on Christian traditions, but are deeply rooted in a pagan culture. Ivana Kupala holiday (July 6-7) is the most mysterious and enigmatic holiday in the Slavic culture. It is the Holiday of Fire and Water, surrounded with many legends and rituals.

You'll find information about Ukraine holidays, added as I build this site.

Other Ukraine Holidays.

Ukrainians are extremely sociable and friendly people. They love to visit each other at home or just to have casual conversation with stranger in the street. Perhaps these are the main reasons for those numerous Ukraine holidays which they have.

Here is a list of the most popular of them.

Tatiana's Day or Students' Day (January, 25).

Tatiana's Day is kind and cheerful holiday. Present day students enjoy the freedom, youth and coming vacations. For those who have been a student years or decades ago, it is always the day to remember about the best days of their life.

St. Valentine's Day (February, 14).

This holiday was adopted from Western culture about 10 years ago. It became very popular in Ukraine.

Men's Day (February, 23).

Formerly was known as The Soviet Army Day. It is a sign of respect to all generations of the Soviet soldiers and military people who defended our Motherland from invaders. Now, this holiday is considered as an opportunity for men to have their own holiday. :) Similar to the Women's Day on March, 8.

Day of Knowledge
(September, 1).

This is the first day of the new school year at all Schools, Colleges, Universities and Institutes.

Ukraine Holidays. Fool's Day in Odessa.
Source: http://www.odecca.com/

Fool's Day or Humor Day
(April, 1).

April Fool's Day is celebrated everywhere in Ukraine. But nobody else does it more "seriously" than the "Humor Capital" of Ukraine city of Odessa.

From the first minute at the annual "Yumorina" comedy festival you will feel that specific atmosphere, which brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to Odessa every April.

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