Public holidays in Ukraine explained

The following are 11 public holidays in Ukraine.^[1]

Holidays established by law

Date	English name	Ukrainian name	Remarks
1 January		Новий Рік
8 March^[2]		Міжнародний жіночий день
moveable		Великдень	Religious holiday
moveable Easter + 49 days	(Revised Julian) Pentecost	Трійця	Religious holiday
1 May^[3]		День праці	Until 2018, 2 May was also a public holiday
8 May		День пам'яті та перемоги над нацизмом у Другій світовій війні 1939 - 1945 років	To commemorate the end of World War II and the Allied victory over Nazi Germany^[4]
28 June		День Конституції України	To commemorate Ukraine's Constitution of 1996
15 July^[5] ^[6]		День Української Державності	To commemorate the Christianization of Kievan Rus' (28 July until 2023)
24 August		День Незалежності України	From the USSR in 1991
1 October	Defenders of Ukraine Day	День захисників і захисниць України	Public holiday since 2015^[7] (14 October until 2022)
25 December^[8] ^[9]	Christmas	Різдво Христове	Religious holiday since 2017, previously celebrated on 7 January (from 2017 to 2022 celebrated on 7 January and 25 December)

During martial law a public holiday is not a non-working day.^[10] Before the Orthodox Church of Ukraine^{[11] [12]} and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church^[13] switched to the Revised Julian calendar in September 2023 all religious holidays were observed according to the Julian calendar, since then Christmas is officially celebrated on 25 December. From 2017 to 2022 Christmas was celebrated in Ukraine on 2 different days, 7 January (the date of the holiday according to the Julian calendar) and 25 December (the date of the holiday according to the Gregorian and Revised Julian calendars). From 2023 Christmas is only officially celebrated in Ukraine on 25 December.^{[14] [15] [16] [17]}

When a public holiday falls on a weekend (e.g. Saturday or Sunday), the following working day (e.g. Monday) turns into an official day off too.

If only one or only two working days are between a public holiday and another day off then the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine usually releases a recommendation to avoid this gap by moving these working days onto a certain Saturday (that is to have uninterrupted vacations, but to compensate this by work on another day which would be a day off). Usually such recommendations only concern those employees whose weekly days off are Saturday and Sunday.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine that started on 24 February 2022 led to a reappraisal of the popularity of the public holidays in Ukraine. A March 2024 study by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that the popularity of Independence Day of Ukraine and Defenders Day had both almost more than doubled (from 37% to 64% and from 29% to 58%) while the popularity of International Women's Day had fallen from being labelled "most beloved" by 49% of respondents in 2017 to 21% in March 2024.^[18]

Holidays celebrated by the uniformed organizations

• 26 March — National Guard Day
• 30 April — Border Guards Day
• 6 May — Day of the Mechanized Infantry
• 18 May — Reservists' Day
• 23 May — Marine Corps Birthday, Heroes of Ukraine Day
• 4 July — Police Day
• 8 July — Air and Air Defence Forces Day
• First Sunday in July — Navy Day;^[19] From 1997 till 2011 this day was celebrated on August 1^{[20] [21]}
• 29 July — Special Operations Forces Day
• 8 August — Signal Corps Day
• 7 September — Military Intelligence Forces Day
• 9 September — Armoured Forces Day
• 14 September — Mobilized Servicemen Day
• First Sunday in October - Territorial Defence Forces Day
• 29 October — Finance Officers Day
• 3 November — Rocket Forces and Artillery Day
• 3 November — Corps of Engineers Day
• 21 November — Air Assault Forces Day^{[22] [23] [24]}
• 6 December — Armed Forces Day; festive fireworks and salutes take place in various cities in Ukraine^[25] The holiday was established in 1993 by the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's national parliament).^[26]
• 12 December — Ground Forces Day
• 23 December — Operational Servicemen Day

Other national holidays

Fixed date

• 5 January — Anniversary of the Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine
• 5 January — Epiphany Eve (Second Holy Evening)
• 6 January — Epiphany
• 7 January — Synaxis of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist Saint John
• 20 January — Day of Remembrance of the Ukrainian Defenders of the Second Battle of Donetsk Airport (2014-2015)
• 22 January — Ukrainian Unity Day, marking both the 1918 Fourth Universal of the Ukrainian Central Council and the 1919 Unification Act
• 2 February — Candlemas
• 16 February — Day of Unity
• 20 February — Day of Remembrance of the Fallen Martyrs of Euromaidan, the Heavenly Hundred Heroes
• 21 February — Anniversary of the 2014 victory of the Revolution of Dignity
• 24 February — Mourning Day of the Beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (beginning 2022)
• 26 February — Day of Resistance to Occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol
• 19 March - St. Joseph's Day
  • 25 March — Feast of the Annunciation and the Day of the Security Service of Ukraine 20 April - Earth Day
• 7 May — Beginning of the Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War and Second World War Remembrance Day (Observance) (beginning 2023–24)
• 9 May — Europe Day and Anniversary of the 1920 Kyiv Polish-Ukrainian Victory Parade
• 14 May - Memorial Day of the Ukrainian Fallen of the Second World War
• 15 May — International Family Day
• 24 May — Saints Cyril and Methodius' Day (also Slavonic Literature and Culture Day)
• 29 May - International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers
• 1 June - Ukrainian Children's Day
• 22 June — Day of Remembrance and Sorrow (Anniversary of the Beginning of the Second World War in Ukraine and territories of the former Soviet Union)
• 23 June — Olympic Day and Day of the Ukrainian Civil Service
• 24 June — Kupala Night and the Nativity of John the Baptist
• 29 June - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
• 15 July — Day of Christianization of Kievan Rus' — Ukraine
• 16 July — Anniversary of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine
• 1 August — Honey Feast of the Saviour
• 6 August — Feast of the Transfiguration / Apple Feast of the Saviour
• 12 August — International Youth Day
• 15 August — Feast of the Assumption and Dormition of the Mother of God
• 16 August — Nut Feast of the Saviour
• 23 August — National Flag Day
• 29 August — Day of Remembrance of the Defenders of Ukraine^[27] (remembrance day of the great Ukrainian casualties during the Battle of Ilovaisk on August 29, 2014) and Beheading of John the Baptist
• 31 August — Cincture of the Theotokos
• 1 September — Knowledge Day and Eastern Rite Ecclesiastical New Year
• 8 September — Feast of the Nativity of Mary
• 14 September — Feast of the Cross
• 17 September — Adoption Day
• 30 September — All-Ukrainian Day of Libraries
• 1 October — Intercession of the Theotokos, Day of Ukrainian Cossacks, Veterans' Day
• 14 October — Anniversary of the Formation of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army
• 27 October — Day of Ukrainian Literature and Language
• 28 October — Liberation from Fascism Day
• 31 October — Reformation Day (Most Protestant religious denominations in Ukraine)
• 9 November — Day of Ukrainian cultural workers and masters of folk and traditional arts
• 13 November — Reformation Day (Ukrainian Lutheran Church)
• 20 November — International Children's Day (Observance, most celebrations are held on 1 June)
• 21 November — Feast of the Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God into the Temple and Dignity and Freedom Day (the anniversaries of both the first Euromaidan protest day in 2013 and the victory of the 2004 Orange Revolution)
• 6 December — Saint Nicholas Day
• 8 December — Feast of the Immaculate Conception
• 9 December — Feast of the Conception of the Virgin Mary
• 24 December — Christmas Eve (First Holy Evening), also marked as Day of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine
• 26 December — Boxing Day (Synaxis of Mary the Mother of God and Feast of St. Stephen)
• 31 December — New Year's Eve and Malanka (Bounteous Evening)

Commemorative and remembrance days in honor of Ukrainian victories won in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

Beginning 2023 the following days are earmarked as days of remembrance and honor in relation to Ukrainian victories during the current (2022) invasion:

• 13 March — Victory Day in the Battles of Voznesensk
• 26 March — Victory Day in the Battle of Okhtyrka
• 28 March — Victory Day in the Battle of Irpin
• 31 March — Victory Day in the Battle of Bucha and Relief of the Siege of Chernihiv
• 4 April — Victory Day in the Battles of Sumy and Hlukhiv
• 8 April — Victory Day in the Battle of Mykolaiv
• 13 May - Victory Day in the Battle of the Siverskyi Donets
• 14 May — Victory Day in the Battle of Kharkiv
• 4 June — Memorial Day of the Deceased Children and Young War Victims of the Invasion
• 16 September - Liberation of Kupiansk Day
• 2 October - Victory Day in the Second Battle of Lyman
• 11 November — Liberation of Kherson Day

Movable

• • http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=100521 Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Caves - second Sunday of Orthodox Great Lent Earth Hour - Last Saturday of March (observance)
• Maundy Thursday — Marked three days before Western Christian and Orthodox Easter
• Good Friday — Marked two days before Western Christian and Orthodox Easter
• Holy Saturday — Marked on the Saturday before Western Christian and Orthodox Easter
• Bright Monday — Monday after Orthodox Easter Sunday
• Feast of the Ascension — Thursday eight days before Pentecost
• Pentecost Sunday in the Gregorian Calendar — 7th Sunday after Easter/Pascha as marked by Catholics and most Protestants
• Whit Monday — Monday after Pentecost
• Trinity Sunday - First Sunday after Pentecost
• Feast of Corpus Christi (Catholic Feast) - Thursday after Trinity Sunday
• Holodomor Memorial Day — Final Saturday of November

See also

• Christmas in Ukraine

Notes and References

1. News: В Україні з'явився ще один вихідний: 14 жовтня – День захисника України. Урядовий Кур’єр. 2017-11-16.
2. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-international-womens-day-rights-march-kyiv/29087163.html Women Demand Equal Rights In Kyiv March
3. News: http://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/news-42008437. uk:Рада зробила 25 грудня вихідним днем. 2017-11-16. BBC Україна. 2017-11-16. uk.
4. News: Victory Day Celebration On May 9 Canceled In Ukraine. Ukrainian News Agency. 30 May 2023. 30 May 2023. English.
   News: Rada sets Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism on May 8. Ukrinform. 30 May 2023. 30 May 2023. English.
5. Web site: 2023-07-14 . Parliament changes dates of Christmas, Statehood Day, Day of Defenders . 2023-07-14 . . en.
6. Web site: 2023-07-29 . Ukraine moves official Christmas Day holiday to Dec. 25, denouncing Russian-imposed traditions . 2023-07-31 . AP News . en.
7. https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-defense/3332825-day-of-defenders-and-defendresses-of-ukraine-celebrated-today.html Day of Defenders and Defendresses of Ukraine celebrated today
8. Web site: 16 November 2017 . Ukraine seeks distance from Moscow with new Christmas holiday . 2017-11-16 . m.digitaljournal.com . 17 November 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171117065016/http://m.digitaljournal.com/news/world/ukraine-seeks-distance-from-moscow-with-new-christmas-holiday/article/507753 . dead .
   News: 2017-11-16 . Рада зробила 25 грудня вихідним днем . en-GB . BBC Україна . 2017-11-16 .
9. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-poroshenko-december-25-public-holiday/28886838.html Poroshenko Signs Law Declaring 25 December Public Holiday
10. Web site: Public Holidays in Ukraine. 25 February 2023 . 8 March 2024. Embassy of Ukraine in the Kingdom of Denmark. English.
    Web site: Olena Burceva. From iPhone to the end of the war: what do women in Dnipro want on March 8th. 8 March 2024 . 8 March 2024. Informator. Ukrainian .
11. News: RFE/RL . Orthodox Church Of Ukraine Approves Calendar Switch In Widening Diversion From Russia . en . RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty . 2023-07-20.
12. Web site: Orthodox Church of Ukraine finally adopts new calendar . 2023-07-31 . english.nv.ua . en.
13. Web site: HISTORICAL DECISION: THE UGCC IN UKRAINE SWITCHES TO A NEW CALENDAR . 2023-07-20 . Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church . en.
14. Web site: Zelensky Introduces Proposed Draft Law to Change Holiday Dates . 2023-06-29 . Get the Latest Ukraine News Today - KyivPost . en.
15. Web site: Stambaugh . Konstantin Toropin,Alex . 2023-07-29 . Ukraine moves Christmas to December 25, distancing itself from Russian tradition . 2023-07-31 . CNN . en.
16. News: . 2023-07-28 . Ukraine moves Christmas date to 25 December in snub to Russia . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-07-31 . 0261-3077.
17. News: Ap . 2023-07-29 . Ukraine Moves Official Christmas Day Holiday To December 25 . en . Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . 2023-07-31.
18. Web site: Volodymyr Paniotto. Press Releases and Reports – Attitude of Ukrainians to Public Holidays and in Particular to March 8 . 7 March 2024. 8 March 2024. Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. English.
19. http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/271853.html Ukrainian Navy to celebrate its holiday on first Sunday of July – decree
20. Book: Reif, Joe. The Global Road Warrior: 100 Country Handbook for the International Business Traveler. Joe Reif. 781. 3. World Trade Press. 2001. 1-885073-86-0. 2015-11-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20160204213432/https://books.google.com/books?id=3NJt5Un2AEAC&pg=PA781&dq=Ukrainian+%22Navy+day%22&hl=nl&sa=X&ei=46oIT6PvJcKAOojRxZsB&ved=0CEMQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Ukrainian%20%22Navy%20day%22&f=false. 2016-02-04. live.
21. Book: Ukraine Intelligence & Security Activities and Operations Handbook. 250. International Business Publications, USA. 2009. 978-0-7397-1661-8. 2015-11-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20160511133159/https://books.google.com/books?id=AsQzDd41doAC&pg=PA250&lpg=PA250&dq=Ukrainian+Navy++August+1,+1992&source=bl&ots=yJuER86KK2&sig=bCgBoY4nj2wTJXZMp0piUt8MwuQ&hl=nl&sa=X&ei=O68IT9fTGY3m-gaxoPXGCw&sqi=2&ved=0CEUQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Ukrainian%20Navy%20%20August%201%2C%201992&f=false. 2016-05-11. live.
22. Web site: День десантників вирішили перенести. Українська правда. 27 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180113232044/http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2017/11/8/7161138/. 13 January 2018. live. dmy-all.
23. Web site: Указ Президента України №380/2017 від 21 листопада 2017 року "Про День Десантно-штурмових військ Збройних Сил України" . 2017-11-21 . president.gov.ua . Адміністрація Президента України . 2017-12-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171201032136/http://www.president.gov.ua/documents/3802017-23058 . 2017-12-01 . live .
24. News: Poroshenko: 469 Ukrainian paratroopers killed in Donbas amid war. UNIAN. 2017-12-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042554/https://www.unian.info/war/2254451-poroshenko-469-ukrainian-paratroopers-killed-in-donbas-amid-war.html. 2017-12-01. live.
25. http://www.unian.net/eng/news/news-350150.html Festive fireworks and salutes to take place in 9 cities on Sunday
26. https://www.unian.info/m/society/2282449-ukraine-marks-armed-forces-day-video.html Ukraine marks Armed Forces Day (Video)
27. https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-society/3089706-day-of-remembrance-of-ukraines-defenders-marked-today.html Day of Remembrance of Ukraine’s Defenders marked today