Public holidays in Ukraine

Last updated

The following are 11 public holidays in Ukraine. [1]

Contents

Holidays established by law

DateEnglish nameUkrainian nameRemarks
1 January New Year's Day Новий Рік
8 March [2] International Women's Day Міжнародний жіночий день
moveable (Revised Julian) Easter ВеликденьReligious holiday
moveable Easter + 49 days(Revised Julian) Pentecost ТрійцяReligious holiday
1 May [3] International Workers' Day День праціUntil 2018, 2 May was also a public holiday [3]
8 May Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II 1939 – 1945 День пам'яті та перемоги над нацизмом у Другій світовій війні 1939 – 1945 роківTo commemorate the end of World War II and the Allied victory over Nazi Germany [4]
28 June Constitution Day День Конституції УкраїниTo commemorate Ukraine's Constitution of 1996
15 July [5] [6] Statehood Day День Української ДержавностіTo commemorate the Christianization of Kievan Rus' (28 July until 2023)
24 August Independence Day День Незалежності УкраїниFrom the USSR in 1991
1 October [5] [6] Defenders of Ukraine Day День захисників і захисниць УкраїниPublic holiday since 2015 [7]
(14 October until 2022)
25 December [8] [9] [5] [6] Christmas Різдво ХристовеReligious holiday since 2017, previously celebrated on 7 January (from 2017 to 2022 celebrate on 7 January and 25 December)

During martial law a public holiday is not a non-working day. [10]

Easter postcard (by Jacques Hnizdovsky) Hnizdovsky Easter.gif
Easter postcard (by Jacques Hnizdovsky)

Before the Orthodox Church of Ukraine [11] [12] and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church [13] switched to the Revised Julian calendar in September 2023 all religious holidays were observed according to the Julian calendar, since then Christmas is officially celebrated on 25 December. [5] From 2017 to 2022 Christmas was celebrated in Ukraine on 2 different days, 7 January (the date of the holiday according to the Julian calendar) and 25 December (the date of the holiday according to the Gregorian and Revised Julian calendars). [9] From 2023 Christmas is only officially celebrated in Ukraine on 25 December. [14] [15] [16] [17]

When a public holiday falls on a weekend (e.g. Saturday or Sunday), the following working day (e.g. Monday) turns into an official day off too.

If only one or only two working days are between a public holiday and another day off then the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine usually releases a recommendation to avoid this gap by moving these working days onto a certain Saturday (that is to have uninterrupted vacations, but to compensate this by work on another day which would be a day off). Usually such recommendations only concern those employees whose weekly days off are Saturday and Sunday.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine that started on 24 February 2022 led to a reappraisal of the popularity of the public holidays in Ukraine. [18] A March 2024 study by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that the popularity of Independence Day of Ukraine and Defenders Day had both almost more than doubled (from 37% to 64% and from 29% to 58%) while the popularity of International Women's Day had fallen from being labelled "most beloved" by 49% of respondents in 2017 to 21% in March 2024. [18]

Holidays celebrated by the uniformed organizations

Flag of Ukraine Ukrflagblue.jpg
Flag of Ukraine

Other national holidays

Fixed date

Commemorative and remembrance days in honor of Ukrainian victories won in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

Beginning 2023 the following days are earmarked as days of remembrance and honor in relation to Ukrainian victories during the current (2022) invasion:

Movable

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">December</span> Twelfth month in the Julian and Gregorian calendars

December is the twelfth and final month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easter</span> Christian commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus

Easter, also called Pascha or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD. It is the culmination of the Passion of Jesus Christ, preceded by Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance.

January is the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. The first day of the month is known as New Year's Day. It is, on average, the coldest month of the year within most of the Northern Hemisphere and the warmest month of the year within most of the Southern Hemisphere. In the Southern hemisphere, January is the seasonal equivalent of July in the Northern hemisphere and vice versa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">May</span> Fifth month in the Julian and Gregorian calendars

May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days.

Reform of the date of Easter refers to proposals to change the date for the annual celebration of Easter. These proposals include setting a fixed date or agreeing between Eastern and Western Christendom a common basis for calculating the date of Easter so that all Christians celebrate the Festival on the same day. As of 2023, no such agreement has been reached.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liturgical year</span> Annually recurring fixed sequence of Christian feast days

The liturgical year, also called the church year, Christian year or kalendar, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches that determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be observed, and which portions of Scripture are to be read either in an annual cycle or in a cycle of several years.

In the Catholic Church, holy days of obligation are days on which the faithful are expected to attend Mass, and engage in rest from work and recreation, according to the third commandment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twelve Days of Christmas</span> Period between 25 December and 5 January

The Twelve Days of Christmas, also known as the Twelve Days of Christmastide, are the festive Christian season celebrating the Nativity.

Holidays in Poland are regulated by the Non-working Days Act of 18 January 1951. The Act, as amended in 2010, currently defines thirteen public holidays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armed Forces Day</span> National holidays honoring military forces

Many nations around the world observe some kind of Armed Forces Day to honor their military forces. This day is not to be confused with Veterans Day or Memorial Day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public holidays in Italy</span>

Public holidays in Italy are established by the Italian parliament and, with the exception of city or community patronal days, apply nationwide. These include a mix of national, religious and local observances. As for Whit Monday, there is an exception for South Tyrol. In Italy there are also State commemoration days, which are not public holidays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint George's Day</span> Feast day of Saint George

Saint George's Day is the feast day of Saint George, notably England's patron saint, but celebrated also by Christian churches, countries, and regions of which he is the patron saint, including Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Greece, Georgia, Portugal, Romania, Syria, Lebanon, Catalonia, Alcoi, Aragon, and Rio de Janeiro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Academic year</span> Period of time which schools, colleges and universities use to measure a quantity of study

An academic year is "the period of the year during which students attend school or university". An academic year or school year is a period of time which schools, colleges and universities use to measure a quantity of study. In this period, students attend the classes and do relevant exams and homeworks. It comprises school days and school holidays. Duration of school days, school year, and holidays vary across the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christmas in Ukraine</span> Overview of Christmas in Ukraine

In Ukraine, Christmas celebrations traditionally start on Christmas Eve, which is celebrated from December 24 to January 6, the date of the celebration of the baptism of Jesus, known in Ukraine as Vodokhreshche or Yordan, according to the Gregorian calendar and Revised Julian calendar by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), the Catholic Church in Ukraine and Ukrainian Protestants.

Lists of holidays by various categorizations.

The Serbs have many traditions. The Slava is an exclusive custom of the Serbs, each family has one patron saint that they venerate on their feast day. The Serbian Orthodox Church uses the traditional Julian Calendar, as per which Christmas Day falls currently on January 7 of the Gregorian Calendar, thus the Serbs celebrate Christmas on January 7, shared with the Orthodox churches of Jerusalem, Russia, Georgia, Ukraine and the Greek Old Calendarists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feasts of Jesus Christ</span> Specific days in the liturgical calendar

Feasts of Jesus Christ are specific days of the year distinguished in the liturgical calendar as being significant days for the celebration of events in the life of Jesus Christ and his veneration, for the commemoration of his relics, signs and miracles. While Easter is treated everywhere as the central religious feast in the Christian liturgical year, the other feasts differ in the liturgical practice.

References

  1. "В Україні з'явився ще один вихідний: 14 жовтня – День захисника України". Урядовий Кур’єр. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  2. Women Demand Equal Rights In Kyiv March, RFE/RL (March 08, 2018)
  3. 1 2 Рада зробила 25 грудня вихідним днем. BBC Україна (in Ukrainian). 16 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  4. "Victory Day Celebration On May 9 Canceled In Ukraine". Ukrainian News Agency . 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
    "Rada sets Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism on May 8". Ukrinform . 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Parliament changes dates of Christmas, Statehood Day, Day of Defenders". Ukrinform . 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 "Ukraine moves official Christmas Day holiday to Dec. 25, denouncing Russian-imposed traditions". AP News. 29 July 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  7. Day of Defenders and Defendresses of Ukraine celebrated today, Ukrinform (14 October 2021)
  8. "Ukraine seeks distance from Moscow with new Christmas holiday". m.digitaljournal.com. 16 November 2017. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
    (in Ukrainian) "Рада зробила 25 грудня вихідним днем". BBC Україна. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  9. 1 2 Poroshenko Signs Law Declaring 25 December Public Holiday, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (29 November 2017)
  10. "Public Holidays in Ukraine". Embassy of Ukraine in the Kingdom of Denmark . 25 February 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
    Olena Burceva (8 March 2024). "From iPhone to the end of the war: what do women in Dnipro want on March 8th". Informator (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  11. RFE/RL. "Orthodox Church Of Ukraine Approves Calendar Switch In Widening Diversion From Russia". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  12. "Orthodox Church of Ukraine finally adopts new calendar". english.nv.ua. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  13. "HISTORICAL DECISION: THE UGCC IN UKRAINE SWITCHES TO A NEW CALENDAR". Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  14. "Zelensky Introduces Proposed Draft Law to Change Holiday Dates". Get the Latest Ukraine News Today - KyivPost. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  15. Stambaugh, Konstantin Toropin,Alex (29 July 2023). "Ukraine moves Christmas to December 25, distancing itself from Russian tradition". CNN. Retrieved 31 July 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. "Ukraine moves Christmas date to 25 December in snub to Russia". The Guardian. 28 July 2023. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  17. Ap (29 July 2023). "Ukraine Moves Official Christmas Day Holiday To December 25". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  18. 1 2 Volodymyr Paniotto (7 March 2024). "Press Releases and Reports – Attitude of Ukrainians to Public Holidays and in Particular to March 8". Kyiv International Institute of Sociology . Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  19. Ukrainian Navy to celebrate its holiday on first Sunday of July – decree Archived 2015-07-16 at the Wayback Machine , Interfax-Ukraine (12 June 2015)
  20. Reif, Joe (2001). The Global Road Warrior: 100 Country Handbook for the International Business Traveler (3 ed.). World Trade Press. p. 781. ISBN   1-885073-86-0. Archived from the original on 4 February 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  21. Ukraine Intelligence & Security Activities and Operations Handbook. International Business Publications, USA. 2009. p. 250. ISBN   978-0-7397-1661-8. Archived from the original on 11 May 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  22. "День десантників вирішили перенести". Українська правда. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  23. "Указ Президента України №380/2017 від 21 листопада 2017 року "Про День Десантно-штурмових військ Збройних Сил України"". president.gov.ua. Адміністрація Президента України. 21 November 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  24. "Poroshenko: 469 Ukrainian paratroopers killed in Donbas amid war". UNIAN. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  25. Festive fireworks and salutes to take place in 9 cities on Sunday Archived 2010-12-24 at the Wayback Machine , UNIAN (3 December 2009)
  26. Ukraine marks Armed Forces Day (Video), UNIAN (06 December 2017)
  27. 1 2 Day of Remembrance of Ukraine’s Defenders marked today, Ukrinform (29 August 2020)