People visit the Christmas Fair on Sofiivska Square in Kyiv on Dec. 27, 2021. The square is hosting the city's main Christmas tree. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
Unlike the rest of the Christian world, most Ukrainians celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7, not Dec. 25.
This is because most of Ukraine’s Christian denominations use the Julian calendar, according to which Christmas falls on this date.
But that is not the only tradition that makes Ukrainian Christmas celebrations stand out. Both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are filled with festive rituals that are hundreds of years old, and which many Ukrainians follow to date.
The Kyiv Independent teamed up with the Shadows Project – an initiative for young Ukrainians to interact with their culture and history in a contemporary way — to quiz your knowledge of these traditions.
Member of the Shadows ProjectMaryna Kryvoruchko contributed to this story.
Agatha Gorski is a contributor to the Kyiv Independent. She is the co-founder of the Shadows Project, a cultural initiative for young Ukrainians to interact with their culture and history in a contemporary way.
Russian forces launched a drone strike on Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast on July 21, injuring 13 people, including a 5-year-old boy, local officials said.
Oleksandr Tsyvinsky, currently a detective at Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau, gave his first public interview to Ukrainian publication Economichna Pravda, accusing the government of using "manipulative" security concerns to block his appointment to head the Bureau of Economic Security.
Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council has imposed a moratorium on business inspections by state authorities, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on July 21, calling the move essential for the country's economic security.
"I urge our European allies, who have talked a big game, to follow us if we implement these secondary tariffs," U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
Trump's ultimatum to Russia, Ukraine’s largest government reshuffle, and allegations launched against prominent anti-corruption activist that many claim are politically motivated.
Ukraine needs $6 billion to bridge its weapons production shortfall in 2025, Defense Minister Denis Shmyhal told allies during a virtual Ramstein meeting on July 21, according to Radio Svoboda (Ukrainian service of RFE/RL).
Speaking during the 29th Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he reached the agreement with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a recent trip to Washington.
"It is a great honor and at the same time an extraordinary responsibility for me to lead the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in a difficult time for our country," Hennadii Shapovalov said in a statement.
"In the morning, after briefings from military and interior officials, I met with the foreign minister and our (Presidential) Office team. We finalized the long process of selecting ambassadorial candidates," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram.
