UNIT 5. TIME FOR DISCOVERY » Стр.215 (3)

What can you tell about Ukrainian Christmas traditions? - Sviaty Vechir, or Holy Evening, is the Ukrainian Christmas Eve. Families celebrate with special food. Hay may be brought into the house to remind those gathered of the manger in which Christ was born. Families wait until the first star appears in the sky before beginning to eat and may attend church services late that night. What can you tell about the traditions on Ivana Kupala Day? — Ivana Kupala Day is celebrated at night between the 6th and 7th July. Holiday begins the night before. It is associated with the summer solstice Ivan Kupala also Midsummer day - summer folk festival of pagan origin known as the Eastern and Western Slavs. Night before surpasses the day of Ivan Kupala in its ritual filling. People gather together at night near fire. Young men and women play folk outdoor games. They jump over the fire and try to find mystical flower of fern. What can you tell about the traditions of St. Nicholas’ Day? - St. Nicholas Day is celebrated in December 19th. This morning good Ukrainian boys and girls around the world looked under their beds to find presents delivered by St. Nicholas, who departed heaven on a chariot carried by angels. Giving gifts is usually reserved for today rather than on Christmas in traditional Ukrainian culture, but is becoming more laxed with western traditions. What can you tell about the traditions of New Year? - Ukrainian people think that at night on New Year’s heve the old year with all its troubles leaves us forever and the new year with all our hopes and expectations knocks at our doors. People decorate the Christmas tree, have New Year parties and prepare presents for their relatives and friends. What can you tell about the traditions of Women’s Day? - March 8th is a very special holiday for every woman in Ukraine. It’s a tradition to pamper women on this day. On March 8th women receive flowers and possibly small gifts from their husbands, children, boyfriends, fathers, brothers, peers in school and male co-workers. You will notice a lot of women walking around with flowers on this day. Some offices even organize small parties to celebrate March 8th, or go out for lunch or dinner. What can you tell about Humour Day traditions? - April fool’s Day is celebrated everywhere in Ukraine, but nobody takes it more “seriously” than the “Humor Capital” of Ukraine, the city of Odessa. From the first minute at the annual “Yumorina” comedy festival you will feel that specific atmosphere, which brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to Odessa every April.