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Christmas in Ukraine (№1)
In Ukraine, the Christmas festive days are observed according to the Julian calendar, starting on January 6th, Christmas Eve and ending with "Jordan" or "Epiphany" on January 19th.
In preparation for Christmas, houses are cleaned fully and their exterior whitewashed.
The "Sviata Vechera" or "Holy Supper" is the most important part of Christmas Eve celebrations. The ceremony commences when the children of the household see the first Star in the eastern evening sky, which symbolizes the journey of the Three Wise Men.
In farming communities, the head of the household brings in the 'didukh'
which represents the importance of the ancient and rich wheat crops of Ukraine, primarily an agarian country. Beautifully embroidered ribbons, flowers and a small wreath of basil are tied in the middle of the 'didukh' which is then placed under a Holy image in a corner of the dining area.
In city homes a few stalks of golden wheat in a vase are often used to decorate the table. Also placed on the table is a "kolach" (bread) with a lit candle; signifying that Christ is the "Bread of Life", and the "Light of the World". "Sviata Vechera" starts with a prayer.
After this people say traditional greeting ti each other - 'Khristos rodyvsya!' or 'Khristos razhdayetsya' (meaning Christ is born!) to which the other family members answer by saying 'Slavite Yoho!' (meaning Let Us Glorify Him!).
The traditional Christmas Eve supper is a twelve-dish meal. Kutia (sweet grain pudding) is often the first dish. At the end of the supper, the family often sings Kolyadky or Ukrainian Christmas Carols.
Caroling is an old tradition in Ukraine and still survives in many communities. Like in many countries, here too many young people or church members visit houses singing carols to collect donations.
In Ukraine, church services commence before midnight on Christmas Eve and continue until Christmas mornings.
Christmas in Ukraine (№2)
Christmas is a wonderful holiday, it’s a feast of Christ’s birth and it’s celebrated on the eve of 7th of January. In the mid-4th century it was established by the Roman Catholic church as a separate feast and was celebrated on 25 December according to the Julian calendar. In the 10th century with the introduction of the Christianity into Rus it was fused with the local pagan celebrations of the sun’s return or the commencement of the agricultural year. In some areas was used the pre-Christian name of the feast — Koliada. The Christmas Eve is considered as the most interesting part of Christmas as it has ritual and magic acts aimed at ensuring a good harvest and a life of plenty. Caroling is a characteristic feature of the feast, it expresses respect for the master of the house and his children, and sometimes it’s accompanied by a puppet theatre (vertep). The religious festival lasts three days and involves Christmas liturgies, caroling, visiting and entertaining relatives and acquaintances. The Christmas tree was adopted from Western Europe, but today it’s the element of the New Year celebration in Ukraine.
The «holy supper» on Christmas Eve is a meal of 12 ritual meatless and milkless dishes. Christmas is the holiday when all members of the family gather together. This is the holiday of joy. Comparatively with Great Britain and some other countries Ukrainian people don’t exchange presents on this holiday. For many years only religious people observed this holiday, but today it’s an official state holiday. Children like to have fun on this holiday, they go from door to door, sing carols and people give sweets to them. As it was already mentioned, «Kutya» is a traditional Ukrainian Christmas dish. It’s cooked by mothers and godchildren take it to their godparents. Although this holiday appeared long ago but nowadays many people still like to go church and listen to Christmas sermons.
Christmas in Ukraine (№3)
Since Ukraine is geographically located between Europe and Asia, much of its culture exhibits both Eastern and Western influences. Over the years it has been invariably influenced by movements such as those brought about during the Byzantine Empire and the Renaissance. Today, the country is somewhat culturally divided with the western regions bearing a stronger European influence and the eastern regions showing a strong Russian influence.
Ukrainian culture is richly embedded in ancient traditions. Even today many historical songs such as the dumy and the playing of the kobza – which was popular during the 16th century – is still enjoyed. There are also a number of cultural festivals such as the Tavriya Games which are most popular.
The Ukrainian people also enjoy their culture in the form of traditional dances and dance games. Many of these originated in rural Cossack villages and some of the oldest dances can be traced back to ancient cults. Traditionally many of these dances were performed only by males or females, but today both sexes sometimes mix and enjoy the dance together. Appreciation for these dances is usually kept alive by Ukrainian dance troupes.
Many people do not know that the tradition of the Easter egg had it's beginnings in the Ukraine. In times gone by (and still sometimes today) these eggs were drawn on with wax to create patterns. Dye was then added to give the eggs their delightful colors – the dye not affecting the wax coated parts of the egg. Once the whole egg was dyed, the wax was removed leaving only the colorful pattern. Ukrainians still believe that the egg has immense power and releases the earth from the restraints of winter. Even the designs have meaning and the eggs are usually given as gifts or used as decorations.
Ukrainians celebrate a number of holidays, namely Christmas, Easter, Whitsuntide, New Years and Ivana Kupala (St John's Eve). They also hold a festival every autumn to celebrate the end of the harvest. While some of these festivals are celebrated world wide, Ukrainians have their very own way of observing them. Ukrainian culture is very interesting and there is so much to say on the matter that it cannot be discussed fully here. The best way to find out more is to visit the country and learn from the locals.
(4)Street art. Graffiti culture
Culture is the attitudes and behavior that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization; Graffiti is pictures or writing placed on surfaces, usually outside walls and sidewalks, usually without the permission of the owner. Graffiti culture has evolved into a (still mostly illegal) art form of its own, using spray cans of paint, with a modern history, master practitioners, and categories of style.
Some artists, sociologists and writers even regard graffiti as a sophisticated art form, calling it 'spray can art'. As one graffiti artist commented, graffiti has been with us since our early ancestors painted on cave walls. If beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, nowhere is this more evident than in the response to graffiti. To many graffiti is just ugly, anti-social daubs, while for their practitioners they represent an expression of individuality in an impersonal world.
The Language of Graffiti Culture “ Writer” = A person who creates graffiti “ Toy” = A beginner graffiti artist “ Burner” = A well executed piece of graffiti displaying style and emotion. “ Crew” = A group of graffiti writers who feel some sort of cohesion and like to go writing together. A graffiti artist can be part of more than one crew. Benefits in being part of a crew is a pooling of ideas and supplies.
Misconceptions of Graffiti Culture All Graffiti is created by Gangs.In large cities there is probably a fair amount (maybe 10%) of "graffiti" that is done by gangs, but it is very different in style. Graffiti artists consider Gang graffiti done in poor taste, and done strictly for marking terrain. Question for thought: Were impressionist, expressionist, fauvist, or other art groups considered gangs? Graffiti is created by minorities and poor people: Graffiti is created by people of all color. Suburban, white kids, and rich kids are just as much a part of graffiti crews and go to the city to create graffiti. Graffiti is and always will be illegal: By and large, yes. In the United States, graffiti is an illegal act but there are still "legal walls" -- places where writers can go to do murals without fear of being arrested. Laws vary in other countries. In general, it is illegal almost everywhere. ...and yes, women do graffiti too.
Where Graffiti is Legal Venice, California, United States The Venice Graffiti Pit is world famous for being an open and creative space for street artists. It is not uncommon to see an artist in the middle of working on a mural her. Artwork gets painted over by other artists in rapid succession.
All graffiti is not motivated by a simple desire for self advertisement, a demand for attention...
Graffiti Can Change Things ... some are an advertisement for a cause - a propaganda tool.