A1-20 · Halloween and Christmas: USA vs. Ukraine

Halloween and Christmas: USA vs. Ukraine

This year, Daryna is going to celebrate Halloween and Christmas in the USA. Here is what she knows.

Halloween (October 31st). In the USA, Halloween is a big holiday for kids. They wear costumes: witches, ghosts, superheroes. In the evening, they go from house to house and say "Trick or treat!" People give them candy. Families also carve pumpkins with funny or scary faces. In Ukraine, Halloween is newer. Ukrainians remember their dead in spring, a week after Easter, on a day called Provody. They go to the cemetery, bring flowers and food and light candles. "I'm going to wear a witch costume," says Daryna, "and I'm going to carve my first pumpkin!"

Christmas (December 24th–25th). In Ukraine, the big evening is December 24th, Holy Evening. Dinner starts when the first star appears in the sky. Families eat twelve dishes without meat, and the first one is kutia, sweet wheat with poppy seeds and honey. Then children sing carols. Many children get presents twice: from St. Nicholas on December 6th, under their pillow, and on New Year's Eve, under the tree. In the USA, Santa Claus brings the presents. Children leave cookies and milk for him on December 24th, and he comes down the chimney at night. They open their presents on the morning of December 25th. Some presents are in big socks, called stockings.

"I'm going to miss our kutia," says Daryna, "but I'm going to love the cookies!"