The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology published the results of a survey of Ukrainians regarding the most important holidays. You can see the corresponding infographic below.
What holidays are the most popular among the population of Ukraine? (KMIS, February 2024)
The first thing that draws attention to itself: holidays from the Soviet past are losing their significance. During the last fourteen years, Victory Day – once one of the largest and most beloved holidays – has undergone the greatest deactualization.
Dynamics of the popularity of Victory Day (KMIS, 2010-2014)
The trends in celebrations that KMIS has recorded over the past ten years are also quite informative. They show that Ukrainians as a whole are losing interest in holidays. Even the New Year has lost its appeal almost twice during this time. Instead, national holidays – Independence Day of Ukraine, Constitution Day of Ukraine, Defender of Ukraine Day – are gaining importance.
Table D1. Dynamics in Ukraine as a whole from 2013 to 2024, %
Holidays are an indicator of the state of society, because its values, hopes, aspirations and respect for the past are connected with them. Currently, the system of holidays and commemorative dates is being completely rebuilt in Ukraine.
According to Ukrainian legislation, 11 public holidays in our country have the status of non-working days. For comparison: in Poland, the number of holidays involving weekends is 13, in Germany – 19. However, the content of what is celebrated, the traditions that surround the holidays, and the mood that accompanies all of this are much more important than the numbers.
