National holidays:

January 1 - New Year's Day
The New Year is one of the favourite holidays for children and adults. Ukrainians decorate the Christmas tree, have New Year parties and prepare presents for their relatives and friends. We believe that at night on New Year's Eve the old year with all its troubles leaves us forever and the New Year with all our hopes and expectations knocks at our doors.

January 7 - Orthodox Christmas
It is the day of Jesus Christ’s birth according to the Orthodox calendar. People sing carols; cook a traditional Ukrainian Christmas dish, named Kutya, and all the family gathers together to eat it. Then people go to church to attend the Christmas sermon.

January 22. Unification Day
The holiday goes back to the day when Eastern and Western Ukraine were united into a single Ukrainian unified state in 1919. The day symbolizes of territorial and spiritual unity of Ukraine, and national harmony.

March 8 - International Women’s Day
The date was introduced in 1910 by the 2-nd International Conference of women-socialists as a day of the international solidarity of women in their struggle for equality. Nowadays the holiday 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, and give flowers and presents. The women should not do any housework on this day.

April - May - Orthodox Easter
Easter comes according to the lunar calendar. It could fall on any Sunday in April or May. People attend the ceremonies at churches, gather at homes to pray and thank Jesus Christ for our salvation from eternal death into eternal life with him in Heaven. The holiday has many traditions: eggs are boiled and then painted brightly in different colors, and very special sweet Easter bread is baked, full of raisins.

50 days after Easter - Holy Trinity Day (the "Green Sunday")
The Holy Trinity Day is one of the greatest religious holidays next to Christmas and Easter. According to the tradition, Ukrainians decorate their homes with branches of basswood, grasses and flowers.

May 1-2 - Labour (May) Day
The Labour Day is a traditional Soviet era holiday. It was celebrated by numerous demonstrations of working people on the central streets of the cities. Nowadays some people visit public performances and concerts; the others prefer to have a picnic in the forest.

May 9 — Victory Day
Victory Day is a major national holiday, which serves a reminder about the great feat of the Soviet people and immense losses in the World War II. The war took life of nearly every 6th Ukrainian citizen. Because of its tragic content, the holiday is of lesser entertaining kind but instead it is celebrated with due in such cases respect. Celebration includes military parades and salutes.

June 28 - Constitution Day
The holiday commemorates the adoption of Ukrainian constitution in 1996.

August 24 - Independence Day
The Decree “On Declaration of Independence of Ukraine” adopted on August 24, 1991, became the act which finally established the independent Ukrainian state. Large public performances, concerts and festivals, competitions, and military parades are held this day.

Other Holidays:

January 14 - Old Calendar New Year

January 25 - "Students Day"

February 14 - St. Valentine's Day
Ukrainians began to celebrate this holiday not long ago. It's the day of lovers, when we give special cards and gifts to our sweethearts. This traditional holiday came into Ukraine from the English-speaking countries.

February 23 - Men's Day (formerly known as The Soviet Army Day)

April 1 - Fool Day (the Day of laughter)

May 13 - Mother’s Day

June 1 - International Child Protection Day

June 6 - Ivan Kupala Day
Ivan Kupala Day is a traditional summer holiday which originates from pagan times. People honor the sun, the nature and its beauty, youth and love. Many traditions are concerned with this holiday: people gather medical plants, young men and girls dance around the fire and sing songs, girls like to practice fortunetelling on this day too.

June 6 - Day of Journalists

Third Sunday of June - Day of Medical Workers

June 22 - Day of Sorrow and Remembrance of Victims of War
On this day the Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union. It was the beginning of a four-year-long war which took many lives.

June 24 - Youth Day

September 1 - The Day of Knowledge
The new academic year starts at schools and colleges on this day.

October 5 - Teacher's Day.

December 6 - Ukrainian Army Day

December 19 - St. Nicolas Day

December 25 – Christmas
Many people in Ukraine celebrate Catholic Christmas too.