Ukrainian holidays
If you dream to meet a lady from Ukraine and want her to be your closest person, learn some interesting information about Ukrainian holidays. So you will be able to send your wishes to your beloved girl when she is really waiting for them. Indeed, attention is a key to each lady's heart.
Holidays in Ukraine are full of hearthfullness and joy of living. Many of them come from far ancient times, embody the soul of the people, show national features and traditions of Ukrainians.
| Holiday | Date | How is it celebrated? |
| New Year | December 31 — January 1 | Staying for the New Year in Ukraine may be one of the brightest events. It is a time when many Ukrainians decorate their Christmas tree and buy presents to give to one another. As Ukraine approaches the New Year, many people raise a toast to drink to the New Year and as they enter the New Year, they congratulate each other. Fireworks are also lit to celebrate January 1. |
| Orthodox Christmas | January 7 | Ukraine is mostly orthodox and the 7th of January is a very important holiday for all Ukrainians. Almost everybody attends the divine service. 12 Christmas dishes are traditionally cooked for Holy supper, but modern ladies are quite busy and don't manage to cook so much. However, a tasty festive supper is always on the table on this day. Godchildren treat their godparents with a traditional cereal Kutya. A lot of people in Western regions of Ukraine celebrate Catholic Christmas. |
| Old New Year | The night of January 13th | A curious fact: Ukrainians celebrate New Year Eve twice. According to the old, Julian calendar, it’s December 31, which means that the Old New Year is the actual New Year — just old style. The celebration is not very big, but Ukrainians like this holiday. |
| Tatiana's Day | January 25 | Tatiana's Day is a holiday of all students and ladies named Tatiana. In 1755 on the day of St. Tatiana the Empress Elizabeth signed "The decree on establishment of the first university in Moscow". Since then this day is considered to be the student's holiday and St.Tatiana is the patroness of all the students. |
| St. Valentine's Day | February 14 | St. Valentines Day is celebrated in Ukraine since the early 90-ies. This is one of the most romantic and magical days in a year. It is interesting that a piece of the relics of St. Valentine are kept in Ukraine — in the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin of Sambora city in Lviv region. |
| Women's Day | March 8 | Women's Day is a really big holiday in Ukraine and a very special day for Ukrainian ladies. On this day men congratulate their girlfriends, mothers, grandmothers, daughters, sisters and thank them for their warmth and care. All Ukrainian ladies receive flowers, sweets and gifts. They feel like queens on this day, all men congratulate them. |
| Pancake week, or Maslenitsa | A week before the Great Lent | Maslenitsa is a greeting of a long-awaited Spring, cheerful farewell of Winter. In some features it is similar to the Western Christian Carnival. Traditionally pancakes are cooked this week. They will be really various – with honey or jam, with mushrooms, meat or red caviar. According to the tradition, funny games, ice-runs, circle dances and fairs are take place during Maslenitsa. |
| Easter | Date is calculated | The most Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians. The Orthodox Easter period often occurs later than the Catholic Easter period, because Orthodox church bases its Easter date on the Julian calendar. Ukrainian ladies bake traditional bread «paska» and paint eggs with dye and wax. Such eggs are called «pysanki». On the night of the Saturday / Sunday Ukrainian ladies sanctify in church a basket with paskas and eggs. Ukrainians believe that this ceremony brings health and prosperity to the house. In western regions of Ukraine Catholic Easter is celebrated. |
| Mother's Day | May | Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. It is a quite new holiday for Ukraine. But a few years ago Ukraine joined to a number of countries in which this holiday is celebrated regularly. |
| Children's Day | June 1 | Ukrainian children adore this holiday. This day is a perfect chance to show your care towards your lady’s child, if she has one. Think over, perhaps children are exactly what is important for you both and it can unite you? |
| World Kiss Day | July 6 | World Kiss Day is one of the most beloved holidays of UaDreams ladies. It gives you an opportunity to make your relationship with a lady closer, so why not have fun and celebrate this romantic holiday together? |
| Independence Day of Ukraine | August 24 | Many years ago the USSR empire fell and Ukraine gained the long-awaited independence. Now this holiday became the main festivity of the state. On this day the President addresses the nation, state flags flutter in the streets and the national anthem sounds. And in the evening magnificent festive fireworks will thunder over many cities. |
| Knowledge Day | September 1 | On the 1st of September, Knowledge Day, new school year starts in Ukraine. Children, wearing their best clothes, are excited on a hurry to their first classes and their lovely mothers overwhelmed emotionally watch their children begining their new life step. Students attend first lectures in the university. And teachers are inpatiently waiting for their new students. Congratulate your lady this day, if she is a teacher, a student or a mother of a schoolchild. |
| Halloween | October 31 | Mostly young Ukrainians celebrate Halloween. People enjoy dressing up in grotesque costumes and getting together in public places, or holding private parties where you're supposed to come wearing a costume. |
| International Students' Day | November 17 | International Students' Day is the second holiday in Ukraine dedicated to those who study along with Tatiana's Day. Student's Day in November is a quite new holiday for Ukraine. |
| St. Nicholas Day | December 19 | St. Nicholas, the Ukrainian version of Santa Clause, brings something more than just presents for kids, St. Nicholas day marks the beginning of the winter holiday season in Ukraine. |
Note that Ukrainian religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter fall on different dates than in other countries. This is because the Orthodox Churches of a number of countries (Ukraine, Israel, Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia) continue to use the Julian, or "Old Style" Calendar, which is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian Calendar. The lag time between the two calendars increases by roughly one day every 100 years.
Public holidays in Ukraine are non-working days. They are January 1-2, Christmas, Easter, Independence Day of Ukraine etc. According to Ukrainian law, if one of the official holidays falls on a weekend, then the holiday is taken the following Monday and people do not go to work.
Some foreign holidays have become popular in Ukraine not long ago. For instance, St. Valentine's Day and Halloween are growing in polularity year by year. Ukrainians love their numerous holidays and celebrate them with a great engagement.