Holidays and festivals
If you travel to kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, at the right time of year, you might be lucky enough to take part in one of the country’s many festivities or festivals. Ukrainians observe many of the traditional Christian holidays, such as Christmas and Easter. However, Church holidays are generally marked according to Rome’s old Julian calendar, which is thirteen days behind the Gregorian calendar used by the rest of the world. The result is that in Ukraine, Christmas Day falls on January 7 instead of December 25.
Christmas is the most important holiday of the year for Christians in Ukraine. Christmas Eve is a time for families to get together and enjoy a great meal called Sviata Vecheria (Holy Supper). This meal has twelve dishes, one for each of the apostles of Jesus Christ. The first course is always a plate of borshch, the national dish of Ukraine. In some families people like to dress in traditional Ukrainian clothes. After dinner, the family attends church services. Then they sing Christmas carols and give gifts to the children. If you’re visiting around Christmas time, you can be sure your kyiv hotel will be in the spirit of things with decorations and seasonal offerings on the menu. Visitors staying in cheap apartments in kyiv can even do some decorating on their own.
Easter celebrations in Ukraine are observed according to ancient Greek Orthodox traditions. Religiously devout people prepare for this holiest of all Christian holidays by abstaining from meat and dairy products during the forty days of Lent that precede the Easter season. They also clean and purify their homes. Meanwhile, in the days leading up to Easter, people prepare large amounts of food for the feast they will have on Easter Sunday. The food will be wound by a priest before being consumed.
If you stay in an accommodation in kyiv on August 24, you are lucky to be there for the Independence Day of Ukraine. This holiday is as important to Ukrainians as the 4th of July is to Americans; for some people, maybe even more. Ukraine was recently freed from Soviet rule, and many people remember the dark days of foreign domination. Ukrainians celebrate Independence Day with parades, fireworks, concerts, festivals, parties and parties. kyiv hotels may be decorated in national colors.
March 8 is International Women’s Day. Ukrainian men and boys honor their wives, mothers, sisters, and other women in the family. May 1, Labor Day, is one of the most important holidays in the country. Ukrainians celebrate the country’s workers with parades and various types of gatherings. May 9 is Victory Day, marking the victory over Nazi Germany and the end of World War II. Another important political holiday is June 28, Constitution Day, the anniversary of the adoption of the new constitution of independent Ukraine in 1996. Throughout Ukraine, many cities and towns have local festivals that are great fun. Your kyiv hotel may have information.