Traditional Christmas Greeting: "Veselykh Svyat"
Location: Central Europe
Tree Type: Traditional

Decorations:
- The spider webs represent the legend of the spider web.
- The embroidery on the balls represents the traditional designs used to embroider linens and clothing in Ukraine.

Traditions:
Most Christians in Ukraine belong to the Orthodox Church and so celebrate Christmas on January 7 according to the old Julian calendar. They begin when Saint Nicholas' Day comes on December 19. He visits each town and home accompanied by the angels who assist him in quizzing children on their catechism and bringing them presents of toys and sweets.

Christmas Eve, or the Holy Night, brings with it the meal known as Holy Super, Sviata Vecheria. Hay is spread underneath the table to remind Ukrainian families of Christ's birth in a manger, and an extra place is set for the deceased loved ones who may come to partake of the Christmas joy. When the first star, the Star of Bethlehem, appears in the sky, the family gathers around the table to begin the Holy Supper.

The father of the household circles the table with a sheaf of wheat stalks called the didukh. The didukh symbolizes all of the family's ancestors and is positioned near the holy icons for the remainder of the season. The meal that follows always has 12 main dishes and no meat, as a way of remembering Jesus' 12 apostles and observing the pre-Christmas fast. The most important and traditional dish is kutia, made from boiled wheat mixed with poppy seeds and honey. With it comes uzvar (a drink containing 12 different stewed fruits), varenyky (dumplings filled with cabbage, potatoes, or prunes), holubtsi (stuffed cabbage), borsch (beet soup), and many varieties of fish.

Caroling is a popular way to spend the hours after supper in Ukraine. Ukrainians have two types of carols for the Christmas season: the koliady which are sung on Christmas Eve and Day, and the sochedrivky which are sung for Epiphany. Carolers often go from door to door with a star on a long pole to represent the Star of Bethlehem.

Christmas trees in Ukraine have one very unique ornament that accompanies the lights and candy that most put on them. Legend tells that one family was too poor to adorn their tree, so it stood bare when they went to bed on Christmas Eve. The household spiders heard their woes and came together to spin intricate webs as decoration. In the morning, the sun's rays turned the spider webs into silver and gold. To remember this miracle, Ukrainians decorate their trees with spider webs to this day.