As the Orthodox tradition goes, Christmas in Ukraine falls on Jan. 7. The day starts with church services all over the country followed by concerts and festive games in city and village central squares. People in western Ukraine tend to show more consideration for ancient traditions by donning traditional clothes and singing carols. In the Carpathians, villagers went from home to home caroling despite deep snow in the rugged environs. They must be admitted in every home and treated with food or money because their songs are believed to bring luck.In Lviv, residents carried a Christmas star in remembrance of the stars, which guided the Magi to the place where Jesus was born. In Chernivtsi, carolers donned various costumes for a traditional vertep or a street theater involving religious and secular themes. In Kyiv, the folk festival devoted to religious winter holidays is still on in the Mamayeva Sloboda open air museum with the next event scheduled for Epiphany on Jan. 19. Photos by AP, Unian, Ukrainian Photo
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