| January 1*
| New Years Day
новый года
| The biggest holiday in Ukraine usually spent with the family. Huge meals are prepared and eaten throughout the night. Traditional holiday films are watched on television, and a few minutes before midnight, the president addresses the nation. After midnight Ukrainians sometimes visit other friends and family, exchanging gifts. Fireworks are often lit in celebration throughout Odessa.
|  Christmas tree in center From www.photo.odessa.net |
| January 7*
| Eastern Orthodox Christmas Day Рождество
|
Svjata Vecherya or "Holy Supper" is the central tradition in Christmas Eve celebrations.
Ukrainians serve a traditional Christmas dish, Kutia. Kutia is made of special kind of home-made bread with honey and red poppies.
The family often sings Kolyadky, Ukrainian Christmas Carols. In many communities the old Ukrainian tradition of caroling is carried on by young children who go to house to house and throw rice into the home and ask for candy or coins.
Ukrainian families have Christmas trees similar to western countries.
December 25th, except among Protestant and Catholic groups, is not observed.
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| January 13
| Old New Year
| Similar to New Years day
|  Annual Christmas tree on Deribaskaya From www.photo.odessa.net |
| January 25
| Student Day
| Students finish there exams on this day, also winter solace
|
| February 14
| Valentines Day
| Valentines day is a recent import (in the last 10 years) from the west. The holiday has caught on very quickly though. Similar to March 8, Flower prices double or triple, and throughout Odessa women are seen walking with roses.
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| February 23
| Men's day Army day
| Similar to Woman's Day, except vice versa
|
| March 8*
| International Woman's Day
| On this holiday men are expected to do all of the cleaning and cooking. Men present their wives, mistresses, sisters, mothers, and female friends with flowers and small gifts.
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| April 1
| Yumorina
(Humor Day)
|
Since April 1, 1974 Odessa has had an outdoor festival called humor day. Thousands of people from the former Soviet Union come to celebrate.
Thousands of people descend onto Deribasovskaya street. In the late morning is a parade to the Shevchenko Park Stadium, where a show is performed.
Often parachutists, dancers, and singers entertain the crowds. In addition there is the International Imposters Club, The Extraordinary Congress of the Humorist Party, The World's' Only Odessite Olympic Games.
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| April 10
| Odessa's liberation
| On this day Odessa was liberated from the Nazi's in World War Two.
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| May 1*
| May Day
| International Worker's Day
|
| May 9*
| Victory Day
(World War Two)
|
Wreathes and flowers are put on the graves of those who died in the war.
Large military parades once place at the April 10th monument and Pobedeh Park until recently.
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| May 12
| Day of remembrance of victims of the communist regime
| (not widely acknowledged)
|
| June 1
| Children's day
| During the Soviet Union there was free ice cream for all kids and children's concerts in the parks.
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| June 28*
| Constitution day
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| Last Sunday of July
| Neptune day /
Sailors day.
| Day celebrating sailors. Many sailors, current and former, get together and celebrate.
|
| August 24*
| Ukraine Independence Day
|
Ukraine celebrated it's 10 years of independence in 2002. While Ukraine's capital, Kiev, rebuilt the downtown area and the train station, in Odessa this was only marked with an odd cut tree monument.
There is often fireworks and a concert on Potemkin stairs.
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| September 1
| "Day of Knowledge"
| First day of school
| 
See also photos below
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| November 7, 8
| October revolution (based on the old calendar which is 13 days behind)
| Celebration of the Soviet revolution. In 2002 it ceased to be a national holiday in Ukraine. Some old communist pensioners often march on this day.
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| December 6
| Ukrainian Army Day
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| January 19
| Epiphany (Baptism)
| Commemorating the first manifestation of Jesus to the Gentiles.
The priest stands outside of the church and sprinkles the faithful.
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| February 15
| Candle mass (Stritennya Hospdne)
|
A celebration to commemorate the presentation of Christ in the temple. (Luke 2:25-29)
The faithful come to the church and have the water and candles they bring consecrated.
These candles are called "hromnychny" (protecting against thunder) because traditionally they used to be lighted and put before icons during thunderstorms as protection against lightning striking the house. Today, when roofs are no longer made of straw and have lightning rods, people use these concentrated candles as a protection from evil.
The water concentrated on this day is believed to have medical and curative properties; particularly helpful when the aliment has been caused by the ill-wisher's "evil eye"
|  Alter in church on Pushkinskaya by Galen Frysinger |
| 50 days before Easter
| Trinity
троица
|
|
| Last week before Lent (Late February-early March)
| Mardi-Gras (Maslyana)
|
The celebrations in Ukraine are usually much more restrained than the carnivals in New Orleans, US.
The church requires abstinence from meat.
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| Forty days before Easter
| Lent
|
A period of fasting, abstinence and self-denial. A person is supposed to particularly "Christian" during this time, holding in anger and being kind.
All kinds of entertainment, public and private are forbidden. The only kind of music the faithful can listen to is religious music. Sex between married couples is also forbidden and carnal thoughts are to be suppressed.
Meat, fish, and dairy products are forbidden. Oil and wine are allowed only in small quantities and only on special occasions.
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| April/May 7 days before Easter Sunday
| Palm Sunday
|
Beginning of the Holy week
The faithful purchase palms in front of the church, which are consecrated and adorn their home.
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| Thursday before Easter
| Clean Thursday
| Ukrainians thoroughly clean their houses before Easter.
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| Friday before Easter
| Good Friday
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| April/May
| Easter--Pasha
| Celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
Ukrainians are famous for their painted wooden Easter eggs.
Families and business cook cakes, called paskha, oblong cakes with a domed top, topped with icing and sprinkles.
The faithful set down open bags full of colored boiled eggs and paskha cakes on the street and wait for the priest to walk past and sprinkle them and their gifts with holy water.
The forty-day fast is broken this day with the best food and drinks.
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| Sunday after Easter
| Memorial Day Raditelsky Den (parents/ родительский День)
| Ukrainians visit the graves of loved ones with food and drink. They sit at the gravestones eating, drinking, and reminiscing. Often the site of the grave has a bench and table just for this purpose.
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| May 40 days after Easter Sunday
| Ascension Day
| Commemorating Jesus's ascension to heaven
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| May Seventh Sunday after Easter
| Pentecost
| Commemorating the followers of Jesus receiving the Holy Spirit
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| August
| Transformation of Christ
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| August
| Assumption
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| September
| Exaltation of the Cross
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| First Sunday closest to November 30
| Advent
| Christians prepare for the coming of Jesus
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![Building the annual Christmas tree on Deribaskaya [From odecca.com]](/wiki/Image:Building_christmas_tree_on_deribaskaya_odecca_com.jpg)
