WINTER HOLIDAYS IN UKRAINE

Ukrainians have their own customs and traditions, holidays and festivals. And I want to tell you about winter  holidays in Ukraine.

The New Year holiday is widely observed in Ukraine. We usually get together, have a big dinner and make big plans for the future. The children decorate the New Year tree with toys and col­oured lights and wait for Father Frost and Snow Maiden. When the clock strikes twelve, everybody drinks champagne, gets presents and says to each other “Happy New Year”.

Another great holiday which comes after the New Year is Christmas. Ukrainian people start celebrating this holiday on the 6th of January. Actu­ally it starts in the evening with the Christmas Supper. It is a custom to cook twelve dishes for this supper: kutya, borshch, varenyky, holubtsy with buckwheat, salted fish and others. The main thing is that there should be no meat in any of these dishes. All the members of the family should be at home and it is for­bidden to quarrel during this day. No one at the table can eat till the first star appears in the sky. It symbolizes the beginning of Christmas holiday which will last for three days. A prayer is obligatory before Christmas Supper. This day is the beginning of Christmas time which will last almost the whole month and is known by the singing of praise songs and special per­formances about Christ's birth which are called “Vertep”. People also go in groups singing “Kolyadky” (special Christmas carols) every­where — in the parks, in the streets, they may come to any house and sing for those who live there and the hostess is supposed to invite them to the ta­ble or give some money. In Ukraine people do not exchange presents on this holiday as in Great Britain and many other countries.

Module 7 “Celebrities”

Perks (benefits), acquisition (property), to maintain, to take a peek (look at), indulgence, to jet (fly), secluded (quiet and private), to soak up (enjoy), devastation (destruction and damage), spree, relief, income, donation, salary, arise, infinite (great), to shatter (break into small pieces), flick through sth (turn the pages), come across, raise money, raise children, a liar, a cheat, loan, notorious, reward, to earn, to invest, to gain, to win,  to hesitate, particularly, special effects, stunt man, ridiculous, community, ratings for the show,  to zoom in (of a camera), a fashion shoot (professional photographs), fuss, expensive, firefighter, suggestion, jewellery, announcement, advertisement, commercial, publicity, stare, gaze (look steadily because you are interested or surprised), glance, start, watch, spectator, yell, audience, onlooker, intrusion on the privacy, unacceptable, to violate (disturb and not to respect sb’s privacy), gloomy,   curious, intelligent, to expose oneself to a danger, selfless, to satisfy the inner need, to risk one’s life, tough, noble, trend-setting, in the limelight (in the centre of public attention), ambitious, competition, fame, to justify, to expose to, fundamental, to be in the spotlight (get attention), to defy (refuse to obey), to wage (begin and continue a war), flaw (mistake, fault, weakness), public concern, emulate, elaborate, remarkable, encourage, contribute, petite (small and thin about women), swag bag (gift bag), coupon, confess, hire, moat (a deep wide channel that was dug around the castle), boast, relieve (help),  to spot (notice, see)