My Winter Holidays

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” It means that every person needs a rest after hard work.

For winter holidays are shorter than summer ones. They began on the 29th of December and lasted a little bit more than 2 weeks. Oh, they were great! I like to have a nice rest from school. I like winter holidays for a great number of holidays and celebrations we have in Ukraine during this festive period.

We had a school New Year’s party on the 28th of December. It was a modern music show with songs, dances and games. It was a café party with various treats. We were given different sweets: biscuits, fancy cakes, candies and chocolates, pastries, tarts and even an English pudding. Then we had a disco.

So, we celebrated New Year’s Day on the eve of the 31st of December. The 1st of January is the New Year’s Day. My mum and I made a cake and some salads. My brother decorated the New Year’s Tree and my dad bought much sweets and mandarins. We had a holiday supper with my family, met New Year and listened to the president’s speech.

After that I went to the centre of my town to celebrate New Year with my friends. So, we met at 1 a. m. by the New Year’s tree. There were lots of people there. We danced, watched a concert and greeted each other on the coming New Year. It was great.

The 6th of January is the Holy Supper’s Eve. My mum and grandma cooked 12 dishes…
The 7th of January is Christmas in Ukraine. It’s the day when Jesus Christ was born.
The 14th of January is the Old New Year in Ukraine. It’s a day when boys visit houses and sow with wheat corns, oats, rye and barley the houses wishing good health, happiness and gladness all-the-year-round. But on the Eve of the Old New Year groups of children change their clothes, paint their faces or put on masks and go from house to house singing schedrivky. (They’re special Christmas songs in Ukraine). In such a way children glorify the birth of Christ. They’re given money or sweets or something good to eat for that.

The Jordanian Holidays are celebrated from 19th of January to 21st of January. They last for 3 days. It’s the day of Christ christening. The Evening before the Jordanian Holidays is called the second Holy Evening. So, people make kutia again and the dishes are analogical to the first Holy Evening.

On the 19th of January water is blessed in the rivers ponds and lakes. People also go to the church to bless water which symbolizes youth and health. This year winter holidays were cold, snowy and frosty. But cold weather can’t keep children indoors. It was so great to ski, sledge and skate. Some children played snowballs or hockey. The others went to the skating-rink to skate or sledge. I enjoyed small boys and girls to ride happily on the sledges and then made snowmen. But when the weather was nasty or very cold my friends came to my place. We watched films, played computer games, listened to music and sent New Year’s emails to our friends. Sometimes I stayed at home. Then I read a book or enjoyed being home along.

I also didn’t get up early. I stayed in bed long and listened to lovely music and relaxed. In the evening I spent an hour or two getting ready to school. Sometimes my family received guests. So then we had a nice Christmas evening with tasty supper.

I must say holidays passed very quickly and I’m at school again. We should start school. As the old proverb goes says “Christmas comes but once a year”. So we must study again to gain knowledge, to become more educated and intelligent.