There are two ways to address Santa Claus in the Ukrainian tradition: He can be called Svyatyy Mykolay (also spelled Sviatyij Mykolai), which means Saint Nicholas, or Did Moroz, which means Grandfather Frost.
If you are planning a visit to Ukraine at Christmas, it might be a good idea to learn a little more about who visits children and presents them with gifts. Since most Ukrainians are Eastern Orthodox, most of the country celebrates Christmas Day on January 7 according to the Orthodox religious calendar.
Because traditions differ from region to region and family to family, it may be Svyatyy Mykolay or Did Moroz who visits the children for the Christmas holidays in Ukraine, and he may visit on Saint Nicholas Day, Christmas Eve. or both.
Ukrainian father Frost
Like Ded Moroz from Russia or Father Frost, sometimes called Grandfather Frost, Did Moroz is a Christmas figure who brings gifts to children on New Year’s Eve. It is the equivalent of Santa Claus in the American tradition. Moroz wears a high-heeled fur coat, a semi-circular fur hat, and felt boots on his feet. He has a long white beard. He walks with a long magic staff and sometimes he rides a carriage. Moroz is usually accompanied by his granddaughter, Snihuronka, also known as the Snow Maiden, who wears long silvery blue robes and a furry cap or snowflake wreath.
The origins of the character of Did Moroz predate Christianity as a Slavic wizard of winter, in some books he is the son of pagan Slavic gods. In Slavic mythology, Frost is known as a snow demon.
Saint Nicholas in Ukraine
Saint Nicholas Day, or Svyatyy Mykolay, is a celebration of one of the most important saints in the country. It is time for charity. The Ukrainian president generally issues a statement wishing Ukrainians and Ukrainian children a happy Saint Nicholas Day with a warning to remember the less fortunate on this day.
In predominantly Orthodox nations, Saint Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 19, which is when Svyatyy Mykolay is most likely to make an appearance in Ukraine due to the majority of Ukraine’s population associating with the Eastern Orthodox Church. . Ukraine has a decent-sized Roman Catholic population, so if you visit Ukraine on December 6, you might hear about Svyatyy Mykolay visiting children with gifts that day, based on the Roman Catholic calendar.
Ukrainian St. Nick is usually dressed in a red bishop’s robe and hat. He is accompanied by angels, or sometimes an angel and a demon, who are reminders of both the good and the bad in a child’s behavior. This is the day he distributes gifts to children. You can also leave a switch or willow branch under a child’s pillow to warn them to behave their best. The Sviatyij Mykolai tradition is also associated with the onset of cold weather.
