Christmas in Ukraine Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Christmas in Ukraine
Twelve-dish Christmas Eve supper by Jacques Hnizdovsky
Also called	Rizdvo
Observed by	Christians, many non-Christians
Type	Christian, cultural
Significance	Commemoration of the Nativity of Jesus
Celebrations	Gift-giving, family and other social gatherings, symbolic decoration, feasting etc.
Observances	Church services
Date	25 December: Western Christianity January 7 [O.S. December 25] : Eastern Christianity
Frequency	Annual

Traditional Ukrainian Christmas festivities start on Christmas Eve, which is celebrated on 6 January, as reckoned by the Julian calendar. The Christmas celebrations end on 19 January, the date of the celebration of the Baptism of Jesus, known in Ukraine as Vodokhreschhe or Yordan.

As of 2017, 25 December, Christmas Day by the Gregorian calendar, became an official government holiday in Ukraine. The Eastern Orthodox Church and Ukrainian Greek Catholic Churches predominantly follow the Julian Calendar, and 7 January is also a public holiday in Ukraine. In December 2020, the head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epiphanius, said that changing the date of Christmas to 25 December in Ukraine is possible after both the church and the faithful are ready for such a decision, after conducting educational work. It was stated that the postponement of the Nativity of the Lord would entail a change in the dates of all fixed holidays to 13 days ago. In December 2020, the head of the UGCC, Patriarch Sviatoslav, stated that the Greek Catholic Church would resolve this issue "together with our Orthodox brothers." He also noted that this issue is not dogmatic, it should overcome church divisions, not cause new ones, and in his opinion, the transition to celebrating Christmas in a new style — 25 December, should be initiated by the laity.

Sviatyi Vechir (Holy Evening)
Koliadky (Caroling)
Didukh (Grandfather)
Shopka (Nativity scene)
Gallery
See also

Sviatyi Vechir (Holy Evening)

Christmas Eve is called Sviatyi Vechir or Sviatvechir in Ukraine ("Holy Evening"), and has many customs and rituals, most of which predate the introduction of christianity to Ukraine. Traditions include decorating house and dinner table with special attributes (a symbolic sheaf of wheat called the didukh, garlic, hay, and others), performing koliadky ('carols') and so on. Each ritual has its own meaning and purpose, as such a few wisps of hay on the embroidered tablecloth as a reminder of the manger in Bethlehem. One prominent custom of the night is a special supper, called Sviata Vecheria ("Holy Supper").

Ukrainians fast on Sviat vechir; only when the first star is seen in the evening sky, may the supper begin. The family comes together to have a dinner which usually includes 12 dishes (the number can vary from 7-17). These twelve dishes are traditionally vegan plus fish, and do not contain meat, milk, or eggs. While the dishes served can vary regionally, as well as from family to family, the two mandatory dishes are uzvar and kutia, both reckoned by ethnographer Khvedir Vovk to be remnants of ancient rituals which date back to the neolithic era. Kutia (a dish of grain, honey and poppy seeds) is traditionally served first at the meal, after being offered by the head of the household to the frost. A spoonful is tossed at the ceiling, and the number of poppy seeds which stick portends the fruitfulness of the fields and farm animals in the coming year. It is rarely served at other times of the year. Uzvar is a beverage, made with cooked dried fruits and berries. It can be mixed in with the kutia, or served separately at the end of the meal. Servings of both dishes are also set aside overnight in the pokuttia, the corner of the house with the icons, for the ancestors.

Koliadky (Caroling)

At the end of the Sviata Vechera the family often sings carols (koliadky, singular koliadka). In many communities the ancient Ukrainian tradition of caroling is carried on by groups of young people and members of organizations and churches calling at homes and collecting donations. A well-known carol is "Boh predvichnyi narodyvsia".

Didukh (Grandfather)

In villages (farming communities), the head of the household brings in a sheaf of grain called the didukh which represents the importance of the ancient and rich wheat crops of Ukraine, the staff of life through the centuries. Didukh means literally "grandfather spirit" so it symbolizes the family's ancestors. In Ukrainian city homes the didukh may be purchased, and is often three footed made of woven grain and dried grasses and flowers.