Fast. 40 days before Christmas, the Nativity Fast begins - one of the longest of the year. In terms of severity, it does not take first place, but it lasts 40 days and is necessary to cleanse the soul and body before the Nativity of Christ. During the Nativity Fast, any vegetables and fruits, cereals, legumes, mushrooms are allowed, and most days you are allowed to eat fish. During fasting, you should not eat meat, eggs, cottage cheese, dairy products, or butter.

Holy evening. On January 6, the Holy Evening is traditionally celebrated, a mandatory attribute of which is 12 Lenten dishes on the table. There are two versions of the interpretation of this number: one is the number of apostles, and the other is the number of months in one year.

Kutya. The main dish of the evening is kutia (boiled wheat mixed with poppy seeds and honey, walnuts, raisins). And after a feast with the family, it is customary to take dinner to the godparents. They took kutya and other dishes and went to visit for a few hours, but then they always returned home to celebrate Christmas morning with their family. After lunch, they could already visit grandparents living separately or other relatives.

Didukh. The main decoration of the house is the didukh - a sheaf of wheat stalks, symbolizing the spirit of our ancestors and a symbol of prosperity, wealth, a talisman of the family. It is believed that on these days our ancestors return to spend time with their families. The didukh is placed in the most honorable place in the house - under the images.



Carols. From the evening of January 6, it is customary to carol with a big star in your hands: carolers sing Christmas carols. Boys and girls prepare special songs and poems, which they take from house to house, entertaining their neighbors in exchange for sweet gifts and coins. It is believed that the more carolers who come to the house, the more prosperity and wealth the family will have over the next year.

Divination. The tradition of telling fortunes on Christmas night is more ancient than Christmas itself in Ukraine. Many people believe that it is impossible to tell fortunes on this day, while others, on the contrary, believe in the great power of the holiday, as well as in the fact that fortune telling on Holy Evening will help to find out the future. Girls in Ukraine even today guess their fate to find out whether they will get married and the name of the future groom. Dreams from January 6 to January 7 are also considered prophetic.

The morning of January 7 begins with people greeting each other with the phrase “Christ has been born!” and the answer “Slavimo Yogo!” On this day, people go to church for Christmas prayer, and then gather with their families. On this day, people no longer limit themselves to fasting.