Holydays

International Women’s Day is considered the first Spring Holiday in Ukraine. It is an official day off as both men and women look forward to this holiday. It originated as a day of fighting for women's rights, when on the 8th of March 1897 women (workers of sewing and shoe factories) gathered in New York demanding 10 hour working days, light and dry work places and equal salaries with men. In 1910 at the International Conference of Women Socialists in Copenhagen, Clara Tsetkin proposed celebrating the International Women's day on March, 8th which sounded an appeal to all women of the world to join in the struggle for equality.

The International Women's day on March, 8th has been a State Holiday of the Former Soviet Union since the countries inception. Beginning in 1965 it was recongnized as an official day off. The Holiday enjoyed vast celebratory rituals, including public meetings involving officials at various levels of government in an attempt to report the govenments efforts in supporting Womens Rights and issues concerning them.

Two weeks following the Catholic Easter Holiday is the main Christian Orthodox Holiday established to honor the Resurrection of Jesus Christ following his crucifiction on the cross and to the coming out of the Jews from Egypt. The date of Easter is usually determined by the Church calendar and calculated according to the so-called "Paskhalias" (the name for the "special tables".) Before and during Easter Ukrainians buy or bake Easter cakes (buisquits with raisins),and hand paint eggs widely known as Pysanka. It is a very important holiday. On Easter night people go to their local church, spending the entire night in Church services! Usually they take with them Easter cakes, painted eggs, and bottles of wine. In the morning (about 4 am) the service concludes with the clergyman sprinkling all food with sacred water which is believed to give strong healing powers. At this time people return home to continue the celebration with food and drink throughout the the day. The traditional greeting on this day is: "Khrystos Voskres!" (Christ is arisen) and the answer "Voyistynu Voskres!" (Truly arisen) followed with kisses and the exchanging of gifts.

The 1st of May historicaly has been the traditional holiday of Spring. During the Industrialization of the Nineteenth Century, it became an International Day of Solidarity for workers of all countries.

The 1st of May began to be widely celebrated with various groups of workers joining together and paying tribute to the memory of victims of oppression and for the rights of all oppressed workers irrespective of their nationality, sex, age and/or profession. In it's convention of 1888 the "American Federation of Labour" declared, that May the1st should become a day for the active struggle of workers for the eight-hour work day.

Strikes and Demonstrations were held worldwide. Later, in the former Soviet Union, this holiday was widely and actively celebrated with huge parades and political speaches on Red Square in Moscow and in all other cities.

This is a holiday of both joy and sorrow. A great tribute is bestowed to those who gave their lives during World War II resulting in today's peace and happiness. The eternal memory of those lost will last forever throughout the generations. Veterans gather together remembering those who perished. Every city has an area on this holiday in which people gather called "The Eternal Fire". In Kyiv it is located near the famous WWII museum and the "Motherland" Statue and Monument.

Tatyana's Day is a pleasant and upbeat holiday highlighting the best, brightest, and most carefree years in the life of every student. On this day, all former classmates tend to grow nostalgic, and recall their fellow students, Deans and Principals as well as recalling memorable student years. The holiday's origin goes far back into history.

On the 12th of January according to the Old Calendar (Jan 25 New Calendar) in 1775, being the day of "Maiden Tatyana the Martyr", Empress Elisabeth Petrovna signed the regulation "Concerning the foundation of Moscow University." This project was developed by the famous Russian Scientist Mikhail Lomonosov and later continued by Ivan Shuvalov.

Shuvalov chose this day to sign the regulation not by accident. as he desired to present it as a gift to his mother Tatiana Petrovna on her Name Day. "I am giving you a University", said Shuvalov. On Easter, 1791 the "Church of Tatyana the Martyr" was opened. Later, Nikolay " I" disposed in his Decree to celebrate, not the opening of the University, but the signing of the regulation regarding its foundation. On this holiday all kinds of distinctions -of age and class, grades and ranks, were cancelled, Rich and poor were equalized - All felt themselves as fellow citizens of the" Scientific Republic ”. On this holiday the kitchen was preparing for the students cold snacks along with vodka, cheap wine, and beer. You could find seated at the table favourite professors, popular journalists, students, lawyers, and administrative figures. Vladimir Giljarovsky, describing Tatyana's day, truthfully recalls the popularity of a rhyme “"Pyana - Tatyana” which translated means "Drunken Tatyana". Yes, it was a loose, and at times a disgracefully loose holiday. So, thanks to the love of Mother by an omnipotent favorite of Shuvalov, and the decree of emperor Nikolay "I", Sacred Martyress Tatyana has turned into a "Patroness" of the students, and the day of her commemoration turned into a reckless revelry. Nowadays, on this winter day we congratulate students of all generations. With feelings of gratitude we recollect the teachers who opened the Temple of Sciences for us. Eventhough this holiday is considered more of a Russian holiday, students in Ukraine are celebrating it also as a youth holiday, for all of those who keep the fire of creativity in their souls, with a thirst for knowledge, search and discovery.

The remnants of the bonfire are distributed to the participants, and maybe taken home, to protect against evil forces. It was considered a good sign for their future if young people, while jumping over the fire, would keep their hands locked and their clothes unsinged. Mothers burn shirts of ill children in the Kupala fire as illnesses are believed to burn away with it.

The next ceremony consists of purifying by another element. Water. Girls try to dive in the water in such a way, that a chaplet from their hair would float on the surface of the water. Sometimes girls were sending their own personal chaplet with candles alit floating to the other side of the river or lake as the young men would try to capture the chaplet of his favorite girl. If not able to reach it from shore, some would impatiently jump in the water and retrieve the girls chaplet. A kiss awaits the bearer of each chaplet.

The highlight of the ritual is a decoration of the sacral sapling - "kupaily" (kupailytsi, gil'tsya, madder). Usually it is the branch of a willow, cherry or ash tree, decorated by field flowers, paper ribbons, and burning candles. Girls dance and sing about love and marriage around the "Kupaily". It is then dipped in water and broken into pieces and given to the girls, "so they would attain riches".

The Kupal'ska ritual is highly symbolic. Kupal's'ki fires symbolize a cult of the Sun. Kupal's'ka water is a symbol of healing power. A fern is a symbol of a happy future. Magic Ivanivs'ka dew provides beauty and love, and the Kupala tree denotes fertility and happiness.

The Kupala ritual, as with Ukrainians, was widespread not only amoung the Slavic people, but also included other segments of Europe and even India. In particular, Bulgarians believed that on Kupala the Sun is "dancing" and "twirling the sabres". Polish girls baked ceremonial "sun" cakes while Englishmen sought out the fern, not for the sake of the blossom of a burning flower, but for its seeds which can make a man invisible.

This is a serious holiday called the "Day of Open Doors" and includes all Schools, Colleges, Universities and Institutes. It is celebrated as the time when all students begin their new year studies. After a funfilled hot summer students are going back to the "Land of Knowledge". The day starts with meetings held next to each school. You'll see many nicely dressed students carrying flowers everywhere.