Christmas is one of the most important holidays for the Ukrainian people. We celebrate it from generation to generation, adhering to traditions and beliefs. Christmas traditions are deeply rooted in the lives of our ancestors, carrying sacred and religious meaning.

HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF CHRISTMAS IN UKRAINE

Ukrainian Christmas is of great importance to the people of our country. Every year, Ukrainians gather at the festive table to celebrate the birth of the Savior and congratulate each other. Traditionally, they set a festive table and prepare gifts for children and adults.

The history of Christmas begins in Bethlehem, where the righteous Joseph the Betrothed and his wife Mary were forced to travel from Nazareth. Mary was in the late stages of pregnancy at the time, but Emperor Augustus had announced a census, so everyone had to appear in the city where they were born. In Bethlehem, the couple could not find a guest house, so they stayed in a cave that served as a stable for livestock. Joseph went to look for a midwife, as Mary was about to give birth. When he returned, the birth had already taken place, and the cave was filled with a very bright and wonderful light. The angel of the Lord was the first to announce the birth of the Savior and Messiah to the shepherds. They came to the cave to worship the baby in the manger.

Today, this cave is one of the main Christian shrines. It is located in the Basilica of the Nativity of Christ in Bethlehem. The cave houses the altar of the Nativity (Orthodox religion) and the manger chapel (Catholicism). The birthplace of Jesus is marked on a marble slab on the floor. There is a 14-pointed star, symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem, an attribute often used to celebrate Christmas in Ukraine and other countries around the world.

The day after the baby was born, Joseph and Mary found a place to stay in a guest house. On the eighth day, the traditional circumcision took place. The Magi brought the baby gifts that went down in history as the gifts of the Magi: gold (a symbol of royal dignity), frankincense (divine origin), and myrrh (future burial).

When celebrating Christmas in Ukraine, people always remember the great miracle - the birth of Jesus Christ, our Messiah and Savior.

MAIN CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS AND RITES

In Ukraine, some celebrate Christmas on December 25 (according to the Gregorian calendar), others on January 7 (according to the Julian calendar). However, regardless of the date, the celebration has certain traditions and rites.

Christmas traditions primarily included family unity. Ukrainians have always perceived this holiday as one that should be celebrated with the family. To this day, it is believed that those who have left to study or move away but have not started their own families should come home for Christmas. Simply put, the entire family must gather together. Our ancestors believed that if a person was left alone on Christmas, they would wander for a whole year.

It is important that absolutely all family members participate in Ukrainian Christmas traditions. Since ancient times, it has been believed that even villagers must fully adhere to traditions, and if one person fails to do so, misfortune may befall all the villagers.

It is also interesting that our ancestors had different Christmas traditions depending on the region. For example, the Boikos' Christmas traditions included wrapping the festive table with an iron chain and then trampling on it with the whole family. This ritual symbolized family unity throughout the coming year. On Christmas morning, spoons were sometimes tied together, which had the same meaning.

There were also many other Christmas traditions, including traditional clothing, festive meals, nativity scenes, and other beliefs.

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS DISHES AND THE HOLIDAY TABLE

Christmas traditions in Ukraine include a festive table. The feast begins on Christmas Eve. According to Ukrainian Christmas traditions, there should be 12 lean dishes on the table, each of which should be tasted by all family members. The main dish is kutia, which is usually placed in the center of the table next to a lit candle. Kutia is made from rice or wheat, supplemented with raisins, poppy seeds, nuts, and honey.

Ukrainian Christmas traditions dictate that kutia should be left on the table after the festive dinner for the spirits of deceased ancestors. Our people believe that they visit their homes on Christmas. Christmas Eve is the last day of the strict Christmas fast.

In addition to kutia, the table must have borscht, mushrooms, fish, dumplings with beans and cabbage, potatoes, and uzvar. Since ancient times, on this day, the hostess was constantly busy preparing 12 dishes (in honor of the 12 apostles), assisted by her children, especially her eldest daughter. At this time, the master of the house fed the livestock and spread straw for them.

On Christmas Day itself, there are no restrictions on food, and dishes can be prepared from meat and dairy products.

CAROLS AND SHEDRIVKI - A MUSICAL CHRISTMAS TRADITION

Christmas traditions also include caroling at dusk. Our ancestors staged real performances, singing carols and shedrivki. Unmarried young men and women would gather together for this wonderful ritual. Everyone in the group of carolers had their own role. The one with the best voice always went first, holding the Star of Bethlehem, followed by the bell ringer, who announced the arrival of guests to the owners of the house, and then a person with a bag of gifts.

To this day, this incredible tradition has been preserved, and now you can see teenagers walking around their neighbors' houses, singing carols and shchedrivki. In the western regions of Ukraine, you can see this event, which is closer to the musical tradition of Christmas at that time.

MAIN SYMBOLS OF CHRISTMAS: FROM DIDUKH TO VERTEP

Before Christmas, the home of a true Ukrainian had to be clean and richly decorated. And while today people often cut snowflakes out of paper to decorate their homes, our ancestors made something similar called vytynanky. They did not always resemble snowflakes; most often they were beautiful geometric patterns used to decorate the home.

Christmas traditions also included one of the main symbols - the didukh. The didukh was a sheaf of wheat or rye, which could also contain other herbs. It was important that the didukh was made from the last or first sheaf harvested. This decoration symbolized a good harvest and was placed in the most prominent place—on the corner of the room, on the table near the icon. Every year, our ancestors, when harvesting a new crop, had to make a new didukh, because the old one had already lost its power. After Epiphany, the grain from the didukh was added to the grain that would be sown first.

Christmas traditions in Ukraine also included the vertep. This is a theatrical performance depicting the everyday life of Ukrainians. The Christmas vertep has its origins in the ancient worship of the New Sun. The vertep had a sacred meaning for the Ukrainian people and was a harbinger of a good harvest.

CHRISTMAS OMENS AND BELIEFS: WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW

The Ukrainian people have many Christmas omens. For example, 12 days before the holiday, any hard work was prohibited; only tending to livestock and preparing food was allowed. Another Christmas Eve prohibition was the taboo against borrowing money. The logic behind this prohibition was something like “how you start the year is how you will spend it.” It was believed that if a person came to borrow money, they had evil intentions or were even a witch.

Amulets against evil spirits also became a kind of tradition for celebrating Christmas. Our ancestors called on evil spirits on Christmas Eve, and at the end of the holiday they said, “If you don't come now, don't come all year, your dinner is across the sea.” Ukrainians often used iron as a talisman, so you could often see a sickle, scythe, etc. in the didukh. The Hutsuls placed an iron core under the table to protect themselves from evil spirits.

The most popular Christmas attributes were coins and garlic. The coin symbolized wealth for the coming year. It was placed under the tablecloth, under the didukh, and in the morning it was put in water, which was then used to wash. Garlic symbolized health, and was sometimes eaten before kutia.

In general, all Christmas traditions in Ukraine were associated with the desire to know one's fate, as well as to invoke prosperity and a good harvest. Among the main Christmas omens are the following:

If there is a lot of snow on Christmas, there will be a good winter crop.
If there are a lot of icicles under the eaves on Christmas, the barley will grow well.
If there is abundant frost on the trees, a wonderful winter crop is expected.
A green Christmas means a white Easter.

One of the main Christmas traditions was fortune telling, which is believed to have appeared much earlier than Christmas itself. Some believed that fortune telling on Christmas was bad luck, while others believed in the mystery of the holiday. To this day, Ukrainian girls perform fortune-telling rituals on Christmas Eve to find out their fate and the name of their future husband.

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CLOTHING: WHAT TO WEAR FOR THE CELEBRATION

To celebrate Christmas, Ukrainians used to wear only new clothes, which were sewn and richly decorated with ornaments in advance. Christmas traditions in Ukraine included wearing festive embroidered shirts, embroidered belts, breastplates or vests, and national outerwear.

In addition, young girls who went caroling could be seen wearing elegant scarves on their heads.

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF UKRAINE

Christmas traditions in Ukraine vary depending on the region. In fact, each region and part of our country has its own unique customs and beliefs.

Western Ukraine, especially Hutsulshchyna, Zakarpattia, Volhynia, and Halychyna, has one of the most vivid traditions — the vertep. It can be in the form of a puppet theater or a live performance that tells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ and emphasizes important contemporary events. In addition, the western regions of our country often weave spiders from straw, which are considered a talisman for prosperity and fertility.

In the Carpathian region, Christmas traditions include rituals with ancestors. People visit the cemetery with kutia. In Volhynia, it is customary to set a separate plate for the souls of deceased ancestors. Dishes may also vary, for example, in Transcarpathia, people enjoy bobalky — dough balls with poppy seeds and nuts.

Central Ukraine (Kyiv and Cherkasy regions) has a tradition called “Chub-Chub.” Mothers put kutia on the fire and pluck their children's forelocks so that the chickens will lay many eggs. On Christmas Eve, it is customary to visit godparents with kutia.

The eastern part of our country celebrates using the Star of Bethlehem. This tradition is also observed in the south of the country. The eastern regions celebrate mainly within the family circle, and festive fairs are often held.

Bringing sweets and kutia to godparents and receiving gifts in return is a traditional celebration typical of southern Ukraine. Their Christmas traditions in Ukraine also include cozy family feasts and caroling rituals.

Christmas dishes in Polissya (northern Ukraine) include burda (blueberries, pears, and hemp seeds), borscht with mushroom leaven, and dumplings with blueberries. Before the holiday, pears were tied with straw, which was supposed to ensure a good harvest.

Ukrainian Christmas traditions are diverse, but they all reflect cultural heritage and national identity.