Winter holidays are one of the most favorite and long-awaited among Ukrainians. They start in mid-December and last until mid-January. At this time, all usually sum up the results of the outgoing year, do general cleaning, buy gifts for loved ones, and prepare a festive table.
Want to learn more about New Year and Christmas traditions in Ukraine? Let’s make a brief review of the past and present.
New Year in Ukraine
From December 31 to January 1 – on this night, Ukrainians celebrate the New Year. However, there is nothing unusual – many people on the planet celebrate the coming of the following year in this way. What is more interesting is that this was not always the case.
Previously, in Ukraine, the New Year was traditionally celebrated in January – from 13 to 14, after Christmas on January 7. However, this date was changed to the one we are used to today only in 1918 to switch to the Gregorian calendar and celebrate the New Year with other European countries.
However, the tradition of celebrating January 13 is still preserved due to historical events. And today, this holiday has a very lovely name among the people – the Old New Year. All because it is a celebration according to the old (Julian) calendar.
Initially, the idea of New Year calendar holidays was associated with the desire to get as much harvest as possible in the coming year. Ukrainians have always worked on the land and depended on it for basic needs, and in winter, it is not possible to grow crops. Thus, winter was a period of waiting for spring, when agricultural work began.
At this time, Ukrainians performed various rituals. The ancestors believed that if not to follow rituals on time, everything related to the harvest would come to nothing. And they also thought that the conducted ceremonies had power for one year only.
Among the fascinating Ukrainian traditions regarding celebrating the New Year is seeing off the old year. Finishing the year right to open new opportunities in the coming year is crucial.
Among the modern popular traditions, the following are worth mentioning:
– decorating Christmas tree. The symbolism is that an evergreen tree is identified with hope for the future;
– making wishes. There are no specific rules here. Someone makes wishes directly at midnight; someone prefers to write them on paper and burn them;
– using symbols. This tradition came to Ukraine from China: the symbol of each year is a specific animal. For example, in 2023, it will be the Black Water Rabbit.
Christmas in Ukraine
In Ukraine, there are 2 dates for celebrating Christmas. These are December 25 (according to the Gregorian calendar) and January 7 (according to the Julian calendar). On any date, one thing remains unchanged: Christmas is one the most favorite family holidays for Ukrainians.
Most of the traditions and rituals are held in a narrow family circle. Therefore, it is extremely important that all relatives can gather on this day at the festive table. It is believed that the one who will be far from the family on this day will be alone for the following year.
There was even a cute tradition on Christmas morning. Ukrainians took all the spoons in the house and tied them together. This meant that the whole family was as united as ever.
It was very important not to quarrel at Christmas. Whatever the size of the conflict, you need to control yourself and, even better, immediately make peace.
In addition to Christmas traditions, many rituals were connected with Christmas Eve (Holy Evening), which fell on December 24 or January 6. Some were connected with preparation, and the other were directly related to the celebration.
Everything that happened before the first star appeared in the sky was preparation. The house should be clean and decorated with festive decor. The traditional towel played an essential role in the decoration: its task was to create a festive atmosphere.
Children make vytynanky – cut out various patterns from paper. It could be snowflakes and any other figures.
Didukh played a special role – rye and wheat sheaf, with the addition of various herbs. Often, this is a sheaf collected first or last when harvesting. Accordingly, every year a new didukh was prepared. In the house, it was placed in the most prominent place, for example, on the table, near the icons, etc.
The celebration of the New Year and Christmas is a special time for Ukrainians. All expect the beginning of a new, happier, and fruitful year in every sense, so all try to follow the usual and modern traditions.
