Winter holidays

From ‘Shchedryk’ to ‘Carol of the Bells’: the untold story of the famous song

“Carol of the Bells” has emerged as one of the most well-known Christmas songs across various parts of the world. However, it is less commonly known that this song was actually created by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych and is deeply...

Ukrainian Christmas traditions: food, carols and nativity scenes

December and January in Ukraine are winter holiday months, brimming with colourful costumes, memorable events, and abundant group singing. One of these holidays is Christmas, and its celebration traditions are interwoven with rites from pre-Christian times.

Kryvorivnia. Hutsul Koliada in Spite of the Bans

 “On Sunday morning, an early sunrise brought joy and glory to cherry gardens” — these lines begin a carol which has been heard in the village of Kryvorivnia in the Hutsul region for over 100 years. The tradition...

Krasnoilsk Malanka. The revival of the carnival

Bukovyna is considered to be a region that preserved old customs of Christmas holidays celebration better than anywhere else in Ukraine. Local people call their original Malanka “pereberiya” (pereberiya comes from the Ukrainian word “pereberatys” meaning to change dress, to...