With two major conflicts attacking humanity, tourism, and of course, the spirit of Christmas, WTN member and partner Mariana Oleskiv, Chairperson at the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine explains how Christmas is seen and celebrated this year in her country. A lot has changed.

Ukraine this year is celebrating Christmas December 24-25 with the rest of Europe. This is the first year Ukraine has followed the Catholic rule of Christmas.

Traditionally the country has been going by Orthodox rules celebrating January 6 and 7, the same day Russian Christian Orthodox are observing Christmas.

The State wanted to change it to be different from Russia and changed the rules this year. Most Ukrainians don’t agree with this government decision, but today it is officially Christmas in Ukraine.

The division of the Orthodox Church and some of its traditions started with the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, and its support for the separatist movement in the mostly Russian-speaking Eastern Donbas region of Ukraine.

The new Orthodox Church of Ukraine grew fast as an independent church. The headquarters is at the St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv. Ukrainians around the country are supporting the changes.

Some Ukrainians linked to the Russia-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church are keeping Christmas on January 7 basing it on the Julian calendar.

Mariana Oleskiv said:

Is Ukraine Different different from other countries?

Ukraine is no different from other countries in its Christmas rule of gathering the whole family together.

Our traditions are very ancient. For example, 12 special Christmas Eve dishes, ancient carols, which reach out to pre-Christian times, and many other symbolic Christmas rituals. Most of them focus on the Head of the Family – the Man and the Father.

Today, the Head of the Family is defending Ukraine somewhere in a completely different place. In trenches and ice, under enemy bullets and missiles. He has no festive mood at all. His family on the other side of the map – also does not. But all these still are celebrating, because our history and traditions are what unite us and make us a nation.

This is the price of a peaceful and wealthy Christmas in Europe.

Someone has to protect civilians on this solemn day. This simple Ukrainian man, the Head of a simple Ukrainian Family, who, at this specific moment, is sacrificing the most precious things he ever has.

Merry Christmas to Europe!

Congratulations to all Ukrainians for having enough strength to protect the entire continent!

About Ukraine

Ukraine is the largest country in Europe
There is no article before Ukraine: Ukraine, not “the Ukraine”
The Cultural Capital, Lviv, has the highest number of cafes per capita
The Ukrainian national costume is called Vyshyvanka. International Vyshyvanka Day is celebrated on the third Thursday of May
Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is one of the biggest Orthodox monasteries in the world
Ukrainians have built the world’s heaviest plane An-225 Mriya
The first constitution in the world was written and adopted in Ukraine in 1710 by a Cossack Hetman named Pylyp Orlyk.
After declaring independence, Ukraine gave up the third largest nuclear weapons arsenal in the world, which it inherited from the USSR
Ukraine is the geographic center of Europe
Population: 43,950,000 (July 2018 CIA Factbook est.)
Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland and Russia
Geographic coordinates: 49 00 N, 32 00 E
Area: total: 603,700 sq km, land: 603,700 sq km
Area comparative: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries: total: 4,558 km
border countries: Belarus 891 km, Hungary 103 km, Moldova 939 km, Poland 428 km, Romania (south) 169 km, Romania (west) 362 km, Russia 1,576 km, Slovakia 90 km
Coastline: 2,782 km
Maritime claims: (water resources)
continental shelf: 200-m or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: temperate continental Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland summers are warm across the greater part of the country, hot in the south
Terrain: most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Hoverla 2,061 m
Natural resources: iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber
Administrative divisions: 24 oblasti or regions (singular: oblast), 1 autonomous republic (avtonomna respublika), and 2 municipalities with oblast status
Independence: 1 December 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 24 August (1991)
Constitution: adopted 28 June 1996
Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age universal