Festivals reflect us as mirrors.

Let's see them from students'eye.

FESTIVALS AND HOLIDAYS IN UKRAINE.

FROM THE EYES OF THE PUPILS OF EDUCATIONAL COMPLEX #31

OUR TEAM'S PRESENTATION

DWELLING ON THE THEME OF FESTIVALS AND HOLIDAYS

It is well-known that festivals and feasts are widely celebrated in all cultures. They reflect artistic, cultural, historical, agricultural and other traditions and lifestyles of our communities. Sometimes they coincide in different cultures, sometimes differ and have national peculiarities.

So, our project  “Festivals reflect us as mirrors. Let’s see them from students’ eye” is a good chance to share our customs and and traditions, to learn better each other, and in such a way to build bridges between our nations, schools and pupils.

Independence Day of Ukraine

First of all, I want to present one of the main holidays of our country, which reflects our national customs and traditions - Independence Day of Ukraine.

Independence Day is a public holiday. It is marked every year on August, 24. Generally Independence Day is celebrated with a military parade held in Kyiv, the capital of our country.

Independence Day in Ukraine is a huge celebration that sees crowds of people in folk costumes, with some waving the Ukrainian flag.

Other Independence Day events may include: fireworks, outdoor exhibitions, concerts, free public markets and fairs, circuses, sporting events. There are many celebrations across the country to mark Independence Day, with some continuing for days after August 24.

                                                          Illia Rudas

The Day of the National Flag of Ukraine

23, August is celebrated as the Day of the National Flag Of Ukraine.

The first ceremony of rising of the modern Ukrainian flag took place on August 24, 1990 in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Two years later this flag was adopted as the national flag of independent state of Ukraine. However, Flag Day is observed on August 23, because August 24 is Independence Day in Ukraine. In order to omit double celebration, Flag Day was moved.

Two colours of the flag are symbolical for us, Ukrainians. Blue stands for the sky and yellow is for field of wheat. Meanings of the colours have nothing to do with original reasons of their adaptation, however, evocation of landscape certainly formed our conception of a state flag.

Mariia Skrypnyk

The Vyshyvanka’s Day

On the third Thursday of May we widely celebrate the Vyshyvanka’s Day. In our country vyshyvanka, an embroidery shirt, is used as a talisman to protect the person wearing it. This holiday is widely popular not only in our country. It is intended to unite all Ukrainians over the world, regardless of religion, language they speak or their place of residence. 

It is a flash mob holiday, which is not attached to any public holiday or feast day.

On this day many Ukrainians wear vyshyvankas to demonstrate adherence to the idea of national identity and unity and to show their patriotism.

In our Educational Complex we have a special day of vyshyvanka. It has already become a tradition for our teachers and pupils to wear the embroidery shirts on Fridays and holidays.                                                    Tania Reznichenko

Victory Day

Victory Day is one more very popular holiday in Ukraine. It is celebrated as a public holiday on May 9 to commemorate the defeat of the Nazis in the Second World War. 

The holiday celebrations include official greetings to war veterans, a public display of Ukraine’s armed forces, presidential speeches, concerts featuring Ukrainian pop stars singing popular wartime songs, evening firework displays. Victory Day also includes a moment of silence to honor war victims, as well as people laying flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

See the pictures of Victory Day's celebrations in our school,

This year we celebrated the 72nd anniversary of the Victory over Nazism in Europe. For residents of Kropyvnytsky it was a Day of memory and reconciliation. It was celebrated as a public procession, in which took part more than four thousand inhabitants of our city.

Vlad Obrezha

Christmas in Ukraine

My most favourite holiday of the year is Christmas. I usually celebrate this holiday twice. At school during our English lessons we speak about Christmas and celebrate it on December, 25. We usually make Christmas cards and sign them in English, learn English songs and poems, devoted to this holiday. My classmates and I like to sing the song “Jingle Bells” and recite a poem “Oh, Christmas Tree!” in English.

But the real Christmas celebrations begin on January, 7 for my family and me. This is the day when Christmas is celebrated in my country. I love to decorate Christmas tree with many decorations and coloured lights. We make or buy Christmas cards and presents for our relatives and friends.      

The Christmas Eve is called in Ukraine ‘Sviaty Vechir’ (Holy Evening). People usually cook some tasty foods for this evening. There should be at least 12 different dishes on the table. There should be ‘Kutia’ by all means among them. ‘Kutia’ is the ritual Ukrainian food. It is prepared from cooked wheat and special syrup containing diluted honey, grated poppy seeds, raisins and sometime swalnuts.  In my family we also like to decorate the table with ‘Didukh’ -a sheaf of oats or wheat of special shape: with four legs and numerous little bundles. It symbolizes prosperity for the next year.

On this evening Ukrainian children come around their neighbors  and friends with torches and sparcler, spreading grains and coloured seeds. They wish people good health and ask for some

donations. Also they perform some Christmas songs called in different parts of Ukraine ‘Koliadky’ or ‘Shchedrivky”.

We greatly love and respect our national Christmas traditions both in my family and at school.                                                                                            Nastia Nynkina

Ukrainian Easter

Easter is one of the most popular religious and national holidays in my country. It is a feast of Christ resurrection, which combines both pagan and Christian elements. We have very old and reach traditions of celebrating Easter.

This holiday is called “Velykden’” or “Paska” in Ukrainian. It is preceded by seven weeks of Lent. Easter preparations are made during the last week of Lent. Just before the end of Lent we mark Palm Sunday. 

We call it “Pussy Willow” Sunday.  I especially like the tradition, when piches of long brances of pussy willows are blessed during the Sunday mass, then they are passed out and after that young and old people go around hitting each other and saying:  

                    It’s not me hitting you, 

                   It’s the willow hitting you, 

                   In a week it will be Easter, 

                   Soon you will have a red egg. 

I usually help my mother and granny to clean our flat during the Pure (Clean) Thursday. We prepare all sorts of non-lenten food, but we do not eat it till Paska. Pasky are baked and eggs are boiled and coloured. In our family my granny usually bakes the tasty pasky, my mother and I colour or paint eggs. We like to talk and sing while decorating the eggs. I love these Easter preparations very much. They unite our family.

This year we have preparation for Easter even at school. There was a contest of Easter eggs and Easter baskets in it. And it was a great fun. 

Anastasiya Sokolova

The International Children's Day Celebrations in Kropivnytsky

International Children's Day is widely celebrated on 1, June in Ukraine. It is very popular in my city. Its celebration is always a great fun both for children and adults.

The festival "September Gems"

The festival "September Gems" annually gathers the best theatrical groups of Ukraine on the Kropyvnitsky land, which is a cradle of the Ukrainian National Theater. The main festive events are traditionally held on the territory of the state museum-reserve of Ivan Tobilevich "Khutir Nadia (“A Farmstead of Hope”). This year we’ll celebrate it for the 47-th time. My family and I often participate in this festival because I like to dance and my dance ensemble usually takes part in the concert that is conducted on "Khutir Nadia. 

Sophia Ruchkina

Conclusion

Thus, there are a lot of bright and interesting holidays and festivals in Ukraine. We, Ukrainians, like to celebrate them in a grand manner. In addition, each region and each city or village has its own festivals and celebrations. They all, as mirrors, reflect our history and culture , the soul of our people,its national characteristics. The festivals diversify and enliven everyday life of people, providing the opportunity to relax, to get inspiration and to show the elegance of Ukrainian traditions. Here we have told you only about some of them. 

The festivals imagery from the eyes of our pupils

OUR PROJECT OUTCOMES

1) e-book “Festivals in Ukraine” ( Follow the link: https://www.storyjumper.com/book/index/42345276)

e-book “Festivals in Ukraine”, 

2) Google Presentation “THE INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S DAY CELEBRATIONS IN KROPYVNYTSK https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IPncfUY_Kh61kz6GlWS9r7dPnZH10LQwRyfgA5UD-Dw/edit?usp=sharingYI”

3) YouTube Video “The Christmas and New Year’s Greetings” https://youtu.be/9FqB41b9U4M

4) Padlet ‘The Teams' Presentation "Let's Get Acquainted" 

https://padlet.com/seta22wild12/dw9bexzqe60o

5) The Celebration of Shevchenko's Birthday at Educational Complex #31 https://youtu.be/4KwGujeeGf

6) The School Contest ‘Spring Valtz’

https://youtu.be/pyi5NwHliuM

7) 5-V The School Contest ‘Spring Valtz’ https://youtu.be/R0rE2eG7yEE

8) Padlet ‘Easter Celebrations in Educational Complex #32

  https://padlet.com/seta22wild12/4ft6q2cri1u7

9) WORD CLOUD (Group Book)

https://www.storyjumper.com/book/index/38019806/Word-Clouds

10) Google Presentation “THE INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S DAY CELEBRATIONS IN KROPYVNYTSK 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IPncfUY_Kh61kz6GlWS9r7dPnZH10LQwRyfgA5UD-Dw/edit?usp=sharingYI”

FESTIVALS REFLECT US AS MIRRORS.

LET'S SEE THEM FROM STUDENTS' EYE.

FESTIVALS IN İZMİR, TURKEY

FESTIVALS IN İZMİR

Izmir has got so many big or small; regional, national and international festivals which are celebrated in its differerent villages, towns or regions of the city in different progress. They are the festivals which are not only regional products festivals, handicrafts festivals, plant festivals, vegetable festivals, fruit festivals, camel wrestling festivals, folk dance festival, theatre festival, poem festival, story festival, Culture and Art Festival, spring festivals as Novruz or Hıdırellez but also Izmir International Fair, International Puppet Festival, European Jazz Music Festival, International Short Film Festival,...

PUPPET FESTIVAL

11th Izmir International Puppet Days

This year 40 puppet theatre companies from 20 countries performed 42 shows 176 times at 45 indoor and outdoor venues. The festival would welcome art enthusiasts with a colloquy alongside 3 exhibitions. A total of four workshops two of which for professional performance artists and two of which for children, would enrich the festival program. There were exciting hours at the puppet show contest amongst elementary schools. For the eleventh time, World’s one of the most recognized puppet festival was in Izmir.

CAMEL WRESTLING FESTIVAL

The Camel Wrestling Festival is in Selcuk, on the Aegean coast of Turkey. At the beginning of each year, dating back over 2400 years ago, a female camel is paraded in front of the male participants to get the festival blooming. This is rather unique and odd tradition. Throughout the event, bets are placed on camels who will try to wrestle each other to the ground with their long necks. At each match, depending on attendance, there are usually extra activities such as a village band or food stalls.

CHERRY FESTIVAL

A Cherry Festival has been organized in the village of Balcılar since 2011. The Agriculture – 0900, Napoleon and Burlat cherries produced by 1,100 producers on 850 hectares in the Balcılar, Osmanlar, Alankıyı, Çınardibi, Dernekli, Çamlıbel, Sögütören, Kızıloba, Sarıyurt, Hisarlık, Kızılkeçili, Alanköy and Lütuflar neighborhoods are mostly exported as there is no agricultural pesticide residue on them. The Balcılar Cherry Festival includes competitions, concerts and local foods.

ANCHOVY FESTIVAL

This is one of the important cultural festivals designed to re-enact the traditional festive practices of the Black Sea Region villages, town or cities,. The people who come from The Black Sea Region sing and dance Horon together to enhance the efficiency of their collaboration. Horon is distinguishing traditional dance of the Black Sea Region. The festival culminates with anchovy, the Laz patty, black cabbage wrap which are famous for its traditional food in the Black Sea.

SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

The International Izmir Short Film Festival, has become one of the most important short film festivals in Turkey. Within the framework of the competition program, fiction, documentary, animation and experimental films from all over the world compete in national and international categories and the winners are awarded with Golden Cat awards. Along with the competition program, short film panorama program presents carefully selected films from the world and screenings are supported by Q&A sessions, pannel discussions and workshops to the benefit of artists and audience, creating an important meeting point between film makers and the audience.

JAZZ FESTIVAL

The Izmir European Jazz Festival organized every year since 1994, aims to bring together masters and lovers of Jazz in attempt of generating feelings of love, friendship and peace. In the days Turkey’s EU membership started to be worded more often, what started as The “Izmir European Jazz Days” expanded both in content and duration to become The “Izmir European Jazz Festival”.Performers and bands with their experimental and electronic works constitute the finest examples of European Jazz.The festival offers a panorama of what's going on with jazz in Europe, an historical perspective and the latest discoveries by musicians rarely if ever heard in Turkey.

CULTURE AND ART FESTIVAL

Izmir Foundation for Culture Arts and Education (IKSEV) was founded in 1985. The Foundation has aimed to research and study, to support, create, protect and preserve culture and arts.

Owing to the enthusiastic work and uncompromising efforts of The Izmir Foundation for Culture, Arts and Education, Izmir, a 8000 year old city, known as the cradle of civilization, no doubt shall in the future, be remembered as “The City of Culture & Art”.

The Foundation organizes The International Izmir Festival in the mid of June-July annually since 1987; the Izmir European Jazz Festival in every March since 1994, 

HANDICRAFT FESTIVAL

It consists of over 30 different branches of Turkish traditional handicraft such as kilims, taling, fabric weaving, udder baby, waiving, pottery, ceramics, applique, ebru, wooden handicrafts and others. Their artists from Izmir and different cities come together to make a fascinating exhibition and teach Turkish traditional handicrafts to the younger generations.

HERB (PLANT) FESTIVAL

Wild edible plants take centre stage in Alaçatı(İzmir) plant and food festival

The colours, smells and tastes of wild food diversity dominated the stalls of vegetable and wild herb sellers from all over the Aegean Region at the Alaçatı Herb Festival in Western Turkey.The festival represents a first-rate opportunity for the Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition Initiative (BFN)* which is coordinated by Bioversity International, and firmly embedded in our vision that agricultural biodiversity nourishes people and sustains the planet.

XXth The International Flower Festival in Bayındır

When flower cultivation started to become a source of revenue in Bayındır a flower festival started to be organized at the end of every April since 1998 to promote the district and provide an opportunity to local producers. They create with hundreds of varieties of flowers, utilize this opportunity to market their products. Throughout the festival there are concerts, performances, competitions and similar events creating a very colorful festival.

FLOWER FESTIVAL