Christmas celebration in Ukraine

Many Ukrainians have a day off on Christmas Day, which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. It is an annual public holiday across Ukraine and falls on January 7, the Orthodox Christmas date.

What Do People Do?

The period from January 7-14 is a festive week, in which it is customary for some people to dress up, visit homes, sing Christmas songs (e.g. Kolyadka), and wish each other blessings. A Ukrainian Christmas dinner may often include dishes such as:

§  Kutia (sweet grain pudding).

§  Borshch (beet soup).

§  Vushka (small dumplings with mushroom).

§  Varenyky (dumplings with cabbage and potatoes).

§  Holubtsi (stuffed cabbage roll). 

Other Christmas activities include puppet shows of the Nativity, holiday concerts, and Christmas fairs.

Symbols

Christmas meals that have a symbolic meaning include:

§  Kolach (Christmas bread), which is braided into a ring, with 3 rings placed on top of another to symbolize the Christian concept of the Holy Trinity of father, son and holy spirit.

§  Didukh, a sheaf of wheat stalks or mixed grain stalks placed under icons in a home. It symbolizes family ancestors.

Some families celebrate Christmas with a 12-course dinner, with each course representing one of Jesus Christ’s apostles. According to the pre-Christian Pagan tradition, each course of meal represented a full moon that took place during the year.