Holidays in Ukraine

Very often we look forward to holidays to enjoy ourselves. As you know, the word " holidays" comes from the words " holy day". The point is that all the holidays were first religious festivals, but nowadays many of them have nothing to do with religion. Each country has holidays honouring important events in its history. Many historical events are of great importance for all peoples and countries throughout the world.

As we live in Ukraine, we have our own customs and traditions, holidays and festivals. The long-term dream of Ukrainian people came true on December 1, 1991. More than 90% of the Ukrainian people voted for the independence of their country, Ukraine. It was proclaimed on the 24^th of August, 1991 and Ukraine became a sovereign state. That is why Ukrainian people celebrate this day as the greatest national holiday. There are a lot of concerts and dances in the streets of Kyiv. This holiday commemorates freedom of the Ukrainian people.

On the 28^th of June 1996, the citizens of Ukraine celebrate Constitution Day. This is the day when a long-cherished dream of the Ukrainian people came true: after an all-night marathon session the Main Law was finally adopted by the Supreme Council. The parliamentarians had ample time to review and discuss progressive drafts over the course of many weeks and months. The adoption of the Constitution was the victory of democracy, the sign of Ukrainian people's will to live in a state where the rule of law dominates. National and local authorities hold various meetings and seminars devoted to constitutional issues, discuss further strategies of Ukraine's successful development.

The New Year Holiday is widely observed in Ukraine. The most common type of celebration is a New Year party, either a family party or one arranged by a group of people. This usually begins at 9 o'clock p.m. and goes on till the early hours of the morning. There is much drinking and also eating on the festive table; but the main thing is that the New Year is the holiday of expectations. The children decorate a New Year tree with toys and coloured lights. When the clock strikes 12, everybody drinks champagne and says: " (A) Happy New Year! " to one another.

Ukrainian people celebrate church holidays as well. These are days set aside by the church for celebrating various events from the life of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the saints. The main holidays are known as praznyky, from the Church Slavonic " praznyk" (day free from labor), and the faithful are obliged to desist from work on such days. For each holiday the church has a special service which is described in the book of rules for church services — the typikon.

An important holiday in the Ukrainian churches is Christmas Day. It is observed on the 7^th of January. Most people follow the tradition of going to church and having a tasty Holy Supper. But in Ukraine people do not exchange presents on this holiday as it is in the case of Great Britain and many other countries.

The most important holiday is Easter (Resurrection of Christ). It is a time of giving and receiving presents which traditionally took the form of an Easter egg. The Easter egg is the most popular emblem of the religious holiday.

Other church holidays include Christ's presentation at the Temple, Annunciation, Christ's entrance into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), Ascension (40 days after Easter), Pentecost or Sunday of the Trinity, Transfiguration, Dormition of the Virgin Mary, Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Elevation of the Cross, and Presentation of the Virgin Mary at the Temple.

Easter Sunday does not have a set date, but changes every year to fall on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or right after the spring equinox. In the Byzantine-rite church a slightly different calculation is followed, resulting in Easter coinciding or falling one, four, or five weeks later. The dates of the other movable feasts depend on the date of Easter. The Ukrainian Catholic church has a special movable feast, the Feast of the Holy Eucharist (second Sunday after Pentecost). Individual parishes celebrate feasts in honour of the saint or event to which the local church is dedicated.

Children and young people like to celebrate holidays that bring a lot of smiles, fun and joy. All Fool's Day (April Fool's Day) day is one of them. The name comes from the custom of playing practical jokes on people. By tradition it is the day on which jokes are played, when everyone is entitled, if he can, to make other people look ridiculous by getting them to believe something that is untrue or sending them unsuspectingly, upon some fool's (foolish) errand. Those who fall into the trap set for them are then greeted with jeering laughter and shouts of " April Fool! " The children might decide to make their parents with the news that the house is on fire, or that some other disaster has occurred. When they see the looks of alarm on their victims' faces they shout, " April Fool" or " April Fool, April Fool, send your mother back to school". At school serious work is practically forgotten as the children try to pin notices on one another's backs. The notices say things like " Kick me", or " I'm a Fool". Teachers have to be particularly careful or they too might find themselves walking around with a silly sign on their backs. On this day of national good humour, the television service joins in the fun and makes everyone smile and look happy.

Find the second part of the sentence:

1) The word " holidays" comes...

2) The point is that all the holidays were first religious festivals...

3) Independence Day commemorates...

4) The New Year party is...

5) Everybody drinks champagne and...

6) Christmas Day is...

7) Christmas Day is the holiday of...

8) It's a nice spring holiday when...

9) The Shevchenko Days...

10) Easter is the holiday of celebrating Christ's rising from the dead and...

a)... the freedom of Ukrainian people.

b)... but nowadays many of them have nothing with religion.

c)... says to each other: " Happy New Year".

d)... either a family party or one arranged group of young people.

e)... from the words " holy day".

f)... religious origin.

g)... are celebrated in March every year.

h)... the Easter egg is the most popular emblem of the holiday.

i)... men give presents to women, j)... observed on the 7^th of January.

Translate the following without consulting a dictionary:

A

1. Дуже часто ми з нетерпінням чекаємо на свята, щоб трохи розважитись.

2. Кожна країна має свята, коли вона відзначає та вшановує важливі події в своїй історії.

3. В Україні ми маємо свої звичаї та традиції, свята та фестивалі.

4. Довготривала мрія українського народу здійснилася 1 грудня 1991 року.

5. Незалежність України була проголошена 24 серпня 1991 року.

6. Святкування Нового року, зазвичай, розпочинається о 9 годині вечора і триває аж до самого ранку.

7. Ласкаво просимо на Шевченківські дні в Україну!

8. Пасха — це час, коли дарують подарунки, які традиційно мають форму яйця, що є найбільш популярною емблемою свята Пасхи.

9. 1 квітня є святом гумору та сміху.

10. 9 травня — День перемоги над фашистською Німеччиною.

В. Це — цікаво знати.