UKRAINE-SAINT NICHOLAS Western Ukrainians celebrate holiday festivities with own St. Nicholas

Record ID: 849034

  • Title: UKRAINE-SAINT NICHOLAS Western Ukrainians celebrate holiday festivities with own St. Nicholas
  • Date: 16th December 2014
  • Summary: PISTYN, WESTERN UKRAINE (DECEMBER 14, 2014) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** HORSE VEHICLE CARRYING FAMILY PASSING BY ENTRANCE AT ST. NICHOLAS' RESIDENCE BILLBOARD READING (UKRAINIAN) "RESIDENCE OF ST. NICHOLAS" EXTERIOR OF ST. NICHOLAS' RESIDENCE GROUP OF CHILDREN OUTSIDE RESIDENCE GUESTS ENTERING ST. NICHOLAS' RESIDENCE ST. NICHOLAS' FACE LETTER TO ST.
  • Embargoed: 31st December 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ukraine
  • City:
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAER9MN545X6975VBG70VJ30JIM
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  • Story Text: Western Ukrainians are celebrating the lead up to the winter holidays with their version of the Father Christmas figure - St. Nicholas - rather than Soviet-era Father Frost.
    Children from around the country are flocking to visit St. Nicholas at his residence in the village of Pistyn, in western Ukraine, ahead of the festival dedicated to the Orthodox saint.
    St. Nicholas's home in Ukraine was built in 2006 and is drawing large numbers of fans who wish to tell him of their good deeds throughout the year.
    Children write letters to St. Nicholas with elaborate drawings and decorations to make sure he knows what they most hope for.
    The legend of St. Nicholas, similar to that of Father Christmas, follows that well-behaved children are rewarded with gifts hidden under their pillows and inside their shoes on the Day of St. Nicholas, which is December 19.
    Ukrainians regards St. Nicholas as a guardian of children, soldiers and travellers.
    Despite his busy schedule, St. Nicholas recently took the time to speak to Reuters and praise Ukrainian children for their selfless requests this holiday season.
    "The most important of what children ask for is peace. Even children who are from here, from western regions, from central Ukraine say: 'St. Nicholas, we don't need presents, bring presents to those children who live in the east. Parents will buy us presents, so we will be fine. Pray for us, for Ukraine, for our soldiers,'" St. Nicholas said.
    "At the very beginning (children) knew Father Frost only. But within past years (children) know more about St. Nicholas. They know and ask: 'St. Nicholas, we don't need Father Frost. Bring us presents. We love you. We pray to you,'" St. Nicholas told Reuters.
    Organisers at the site say that everyday at least one thousand children visit the winter holiday figure in his home, leaving with presents and sweets.
    "(I asked for) a train under my pillow. I need a train with real rail-tracks," said young Andriy Detkov, whose family says they fled the embattled eastern city of Donetsk.
    Andriy's mother, Viktoriya Detkova, said this year was the first time her family had celebrated St. Nicholas Day.
    "He knew that St. Nicholas exists, but everything was for the first time. We wrote a letter for the first time, we learnt a poem for the first time. Everything was for the first time. We like it very much. Everything is truly Ukrainian. It's a very nice tradition," she said.
    The charitable cheer of the season extends to other parts of Ukraine too. In the city of Lviv a factory has been tasked with producing St. Nicholas's gifts this winter. The factory receives donations from local residents to prepare gifts that will be given out to orphans, children from needy families and those who have come from rebel-held eastern regions.
    "We will bring presents on December 18 in the evening. From 16.00 till 18.00 on December 18 we will give everything to volunteers. There will be around 300 bags. And there are 500 volunteers who will deliver presents to homes. And they will deliver all the presents as St. Nicholas's helpers from 18.00 to 21.00, in one evening," said Mykola Shved, a volunteer at the St. Nicholas Factory.
    Religious holidays were banned under the rule of the Soviet Union with New Year's Day taking centre stage in winter festivities. St. Nicholas gained in popularity in Ukraine after the fall of the Soviet Union, with many relishing having their own alternative to the Russian Father Frost.
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