Christmas Traditions in Ukraine: Meal

Hello to everyone! European Christmas season is just over, but the Ukrainians are in the heat of the final Christmas preparations. The celebration is mostly associated with the traditional Christmas Eve Supper that is called Sviata vecheria in Ukrainian language. All Orthodox Christians in Ukraine wait for this evening, because it symbolizes the end of the severe Lent, so Christmas Eve Supper is considered to be the last Lenten meal. Christmas Eve Supper is believed to be a very solemn and touching custom, so if you are going to visit your Russian lady in this holiday and would be invited to this celebration, you will not regret it. Christmas Eve Supper in Ukraine is definitely worth seeing (and tasting, of course)!First of all, you should know that Christmas Eve Supper in Ukraine consists of 12 to 13 meatless dishes representing Christ and his twelve Apostles. This meatless Christmas cuisine tradition is practiced in almost all the Slavic countries. Dishes may vary from region to region and from family to family: Eastern-Ukrainian Christmas supper differs from the Western Ukrainian one a lot. And the second you should know that you may probably be hungry all the day till the evening when the first star appears in the sky. Ukrainian children have to look for the first star and cry starting the Holy Supper. The supper traditionally starts with a prayer, the Our Father as a rule.

The first dish is traditionally so-called kutia, a kind of sweet pudding, made of grain, poppy seeds, honey, and raisins, nuts (almonds, walnuts or hazel nuts) or rice. This dish symbolizes prosperity and wealth of the coming year, so you should taste it. In several regions the Christmas supper begins with the blessed bread that shared with all the family members. It also means the wish to be wealthy and healthy in the next year as well. Beet borsch or sauerkraut soup, boiled and fried dumplings filled with several variants like mushrooms or fried cabbage, cabbage rolls, baked or stewed fish, pickled herring and mushrooms, stewed beans are among the most common and favorite Christmas traditional dishes. Dried fruit compote (uzvar in Ukrainian), oaten jelly, fruits and nuts, doughnuts, sweet tarts and pastry cooks filled with sweet jam are usually for dessert. The Christmas supper is usually held under candle lights that symbolize the Star of Bethlehem. People sing Christmas carols and have a quiet peaceful evening praising and glorifying God’s birth.

The First New Year Day

Hello and a very Happy New Year to everyone here! Today is New Year’s Day! We hope 2014 will be a perfect year for you, your families and relatives, your friends. May the year of 2014 be bright and colorful, full of happiness and health, joy and wealth in your life! May this year make your dreams come true! If you are dreaming about true love and a wonderful life partner, it’s time to start your new life with a loving and gorgeous Russian lady right now. We wish you to be successful in overcoming this romantic challenge!
What are the winter Christmas holidays like in Ukraine? The day of January 1^st is traditionally considered to be “a hard day”. The Presidential speech, toast raising, Christmas gifts and presents’ opening, fireworks in the sky are over. People were eating, drinking (a lot of!!! It’s a quite national sporting here), singing, dancing and having fun the whole night long. So the first of January is traditionally believed the day of rest after celebrating. In the late afternoon the Russians visit their friends and relatives in order to wish them a happy new year. It’s a time for partying, going to restaurants, visiting more and more friends, family indoor activities (New Year is a mostly family holiday in the countries of the former Soviet Union).
Besides that, there is an interesting New Year custom in Ukraine. Children in costumes travel from house to house in order to congratulate lodgers with the New Year and Christmas holidays. They go from house to house carol-singing; wish all that is best on earth and sprinkling wheat grains the lodgers so that they would have wealth and health in the new year. The lodgers are expected to give children copper coins (cash and banknotes are also welcome), cakes and candies. In fact, this custom is something like trick-or-treating in the USA. So don’t be surprised if the doorbell rang and some children appeared in the doorway would begin to carol. They just want to wish you a happy New Year!

Things Russian Brides to Do in New Year

Hello to all and everyone! The whole planet is ready to celebrate the New Year of 2014 tomorrow. And there are some things to know about Russian’s celebration of this holiday. In fact, New Year is considered to be the most favorite holiday in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Russians and Ukrainians believe this holiday the most magical and wonderful in the year. Well, never mind – they ever celebrate it twice! Russian people celebrate New Year’s Eve on both December 31^st and January 13^th (so-called Old New Year), in accordance with the Gregorian and Julian calendars. They prepare for the celebration in advance, buy food, New Year gifts and presents, do up their houses and discuss their outfits very carefully. A popular Russian tradition says that how you celebrate New Year's will dictate the course of the next 12 months. In other words, it means that a successful year’ beginning makes the whole year good. So that is why the Russians and Ukrainians try to dress in fashionable new outfits, to set a good table abundantly spread with tasty things and to make generous presents.

New Year is considered to be mostly a time of family, so many Ukrainian and Russian ladies celebrate this holiday with family and friends. They decorate Christmas trees and their houses with candles, wreaths, lines of colored bulbs. There is a popular belief that the gifts are delivered by Father Frost (Ded Moroz in Russian) and his granddaughter Snow Maiden (Snegurochka) and put under the Christmas tree. So that is why Russian girls used to feast till midnight with their families. People have a great time, drink champagne, eat Salad Olivier (or Russian salad known all over the world and believed New Year must on a feast table) and see old popular New Year movies as The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!, The Carnival Night and The Magicians.

Usually, people spend the New Year’s Eve dinner at home with their extended family. Only after midnight, when the New Year has begun, will young people head out to parties and nightclubs with friends. Late near midnight there is the Presidential speech on TV, and people raise glasses while listening to the chimes and fireworks. While the main country’s clock is counting down, Russians or Ukrainians make their wishes and then drink champagne so their wishes would come true. It is believed that if you make a wish while listening to the chimes it will definitely come true.

Winter in Ukraine. The Most Beautiful Places to See

Ukrainian winter is various and remarkably beautiful. It is quite mild and snowy, especially at the northern and western part of the country. Here are located the most beautiful places of winter Ukraine where you may spend your unforgettable holidays with your lovely Ukrainian lady!

1. One of such magic winter places is Lviv, splendid city in the west of the country. Its miraculous festive ambiance, open and friendly people, a lot of amazing sights with their special mystic history, various excursions (including fascinating costumed night tours) will suit all tastes. If you have never been in Lviv, this winter is the best time to visit it!
2. The other famous and beautiful places of winter Ukraine are ski and SPA resorts of Carpathian Mountains, such as Bukovel, Slavsko, Dragobrat, Tysovets. You will be fond of fabulous landscapes, well-equipped ski tracks and developed service of these places. You may also visit another, smaller and cheaper but not less picturesque than previous resorts, like Yaremche, Kosiv, Beskid, Synevir, Yavoriv. Don't miss a chance to look at Synevir, the greatest and the most beautiful lake of Carpathians. These holiday centers are a incredibly beautiful and romantic.
3. Another beautiful winter place, full of special Ukrainian spirit, is Ivano-Frankivsk, picturesque city that is surrounded with Carpathian Mountains. Cozy ethnic restaurants called “korchma”, delicious national dishes, concerts of ethnic musical ensembles, sincere open-hearted people, wonderful landscapes will be a good reason to come back here!
4. Ukrainian balneological and SPA resorts are quiet and magically beautiful in winter. If you don't like crowd and prefer calm walks along snowy parkways hand in hand with your lady, give preference to such places as Truskavets, Morshin, Svalyava, Myrgorod, Polyana, Kuyalnik.
5. Winter Crimean Mountains and southern coast of Crimea are also worthy of your attention! Deep colors of cold ungovernable stormy sea, picturesque mountain landscapes, rocks with a lot of snow, evergreen trees and plants will present you pleasant memories of winter Crimea!
6. Another wonderful winter Ukrainian place is city Chernivtsi, surrounded by forests of Bukovina. It is famous by its unique culture and arts, by its architecture and museums. Here is located the residence of metropolitans of Bukovyna, present Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, amazing palace that, seems, imitates ethnic embroidery of this region.
7. Ukrainian castles covered with snow are really grand and unforgettable! Castle of Lutsk, Vorontsovsky palace, Akkerman fortress, castle Palanok, Kamyanets-Podilsky fortress, Olessky castle, Kirill Rozumovsky palace, Khotyn fortress, mansion of Kachanovka, Bakhchisaraysky palace, Zolochivsky caslte, Livadiysky palace will share with you their secrets and mysterious history!
Visit Ukraine this winter, spend your holidays with your Ukrainian girlfriend and discover this breath-taking snowy country!

Cheering Up: Important and Useful in Relationship

Ukrainian girls are surely simply the best and the most beautiful in the whole world. They have wonderful and caring character. But no one is protected from being in bad mood. She may be bothered by problems on her work, or by some unpleasant situation which has happened between you, or simply by bad weather. Remember that she always supports You when something happens. So, if something happens to her, You will probably want to cheer up Your Slavic lady!

To begin with, You will have to be attentive. Her changes in mood may be not too noticeable at the beginning, but the sooner You understand that something is wrong – the better. She will surely show You the signals that she needs cheering up. As soon as You see this – show Your interest in her state. Try to be extremely polite while talking to her, as she may be irritated. Ask her about her day and about the reasons of her behavior. Your lady will surely appreciate a good listener by her side, and will probably tell You everything, so You will at least know how to act next. Besides, such conversation will make you both much closer and your love will strengthen.
One of the best ways to cheer someone up is humor. Joking is great, especially if You are good in this, but be careful. If You choose not too correct moment, Your girl may think that You are mocking at her problems. On the other hand, everyone appreciates a person who can make you smile when everything is really bad.
Remember all her favorite things she likes to do. Going for a walk or to some cafe. You surely know such places, or you may try something new. Such step will also pull her out of sadness. Finally, You may make a little present to her. This can be anything she likes – from typical sweets to some really expensive things. Nevertheless, each girl will appreciate a good listener much more than a guy who prefers to shove a bunch of flowers to make her keep silent instead of showing that her inner world is really important to her, and he is ready to take care of her every moment of her life in any situation.

Happy Boxing Day!

Hello and Happy Boxing Day to everyone! We hope Santa was kind to you this year, and you are ready for a long-distance shopping run in honor of Boxing Day. Yes, today is Boxing Day, and we don’t know exactly now why it is called so. Generally, many people have even no idea of the real historical meaning of this name. This day falls on December 26 and has nothing to do with the sport of boxing, in contrast to popular conviction. However, this holiday is a perfect chance to get rid of bad presents you opened under your Christmas tree, lol. Above all – don’t throw off the boxes!

Boxing Day is traditionally associated with the United Kingdom, but today this holiday is observed all around the world, especially it concerns the Commonwealth countries. Have you ever thought about its name? The most common theory concerns on the old tradition when servants were working all the Christmas Day. Landlords and landladies thought it their duty to give the servants “Christmas Boxes”, and so the servants got the free day after Christmas to spend it with their families. As time went by, another “Boxing” tradition appeared – servicing personnel as porters, postmen, doormen were received their gift boxes this day in acknowledgment of their work during the year. There is another theory concerning church boxes. Such boxes placed in churches in order to raise contributions opened the next day after Christmas. This custom is closely associated also with the feast of St. Stephen’s day.
But however that may be, there is no doubt that Boxing Day is one of the most favorite holidays in the year. This day is considered to be after Black Friday the greatest shopping day. They say that Boxing Day is known as a day when “one can splash his Christmas cash”. And, actually, it's a day when almost everywhere there are crowds, traffic jams, and shopping-shopping-shopping! So, if you have not yet chosen the gift for your gorgeous Russian lady, it’s time to buy it – there are great sales. Finally, remember your favorite sports! Football fans wait for the favorite team matches, as this day is very important one in the sporting calendar. So get comfortable and enjoy several reasons together to joy!

The Christmas tree: What Kind of You Have Got?

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: 

the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. 

Burton Hillis

Merry Christmas to everyone! Fill up your life with passion, love, peace and happiness! Special words for special people, you see. What does Santa put in your stocking? Hope it were useful things that would bring joy to you. How are you doing today? And though Christmas is a time to share this glorious holiday with family and friends, we hope you’ve got the time between traditional Christmas delicious meals and excellent Christmas pastime to visit out site. Beautiful Russian ladies are just preparing to the winter holidays in the state of great excitement and agitation. Last minute shopping, corporate Christmas and New Year parties, choosing a perfect combination for Christmas outfit – it takes usually a lot of time! And, besides, there’s Christmas tree decoration.
During the whole holiday season, the Christmas tree plays the main role in your home. So it would be properly decorated. But have you ever thought about the real origin of Christmas tree?  In fact, the Christmas tree as one understands it today originated in Germany. But the Germans borrowed it in turn from the Romans, who got this custom from the Egyptians and the Babylonians. Actually, there are no accidents in life and the choice of a tree happens for a reason too. A long time ago, trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people. Such trees were believed to keep away evil spirits in many countries. Christmas trees were long considered to see as pagan symbols and not accepted by most Christians. This custom became extremely popular after 1846, when Queen Victoria with Her family were sketched standing at royal Christmas tree.
There are different annual fashionable trends on Christmas tree decoration. Handcrafted ornaments from old sheets of music and ancient manuscripts, lace ribbons and vintage ornaments make your Christmas tree traditional and solemn. One and two-colored trends are still popular – “patriotic” trees in red, white and blue; royal trees in shades of gold and bright red; “crystal” trees in silver and navy blue, decorated with bubbles and ribbons only. Shabby chic trees become more and more fashionable, in pale pink and white colors, decorated with hand-made shabby ornaments. Blooming Christmas trees, decorated with traditional poinsettias, garden roses, pale magnolias and hydrangeas, never go out of date. But whatever Christmas tree you have got, all that really matters is love, peace and happiness under it.