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Important dates and events in December

#UWC news
November 30,2022 752
Important dates and events in December

Bidding adieu to 2022, Ukrainians in Ukraine and Ukrainian communities worldwide are preparing to celebrate important dates and anniversaries. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for the events of the rest of this challenging year.

December 1 is the 31st anniversary of the All-Ukrainian referendum on the independence of Ukraine.

On December 1, 1991, during the All-Ukrainian referendum, 90.92% of respondents gave an affirmative answer to the question: “Do you confirm the Act of Proclamation of Independence of Ukraine?”. The All-Ukrainian referendum produced the Act of Proclamation of Independence of Ukraine, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada – the legal force that made it possible to assert that the Soviet Union as an object of international law ceased to exist, and a new independent state – Ukraine – appeared on the political map of the world. On December 1, 1991, the all-Ukrainian referendum was held the same day as the first presidential elections of Ukraine, and Leonid Kravchuk became the president of the newly independent Ukraine. 

December 3 – 300 years since Skovoroda’s birth

Ukrainians are celebrating the 300th anniversary of the birth of Hryhoriy Savych Skovoroda – an outstanding Ukrainian educator, philosopher, poet, and teacher. This year, the Hrigoriy Skovoroda National Museum in Bogodukhiv district, Kharkiv Oblast, was destroyed by a direct hit by a Russian missile on the night of May 7. Incredibly, the sculpture of Hrigoriy Skovoroda in the Museum survived the attack. “The world was trying to catch me, but it didn’t,” said the thinker Skovoroda in his time – obviously, this also applies to russians’ missile attacks.

December 6 – Ukraine’s Armed Forces Day

Ukrainians and the world will salute Ukrainian defenders on the 31st Ukraine’s Armed Forces Day on Tuesday, December 6. The celebration relates to adopting the Ukrainian Law “On the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” which occurred on December 6, 1991. The date is also associated with December 6, 1919,  the First Winter Campaign of the Active Army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, otherwise known as the beginning of one of the glorious pages of the Ukrainian military. 

December 9 International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of Victims of the Crime of Genocide and Prevention of this Crime

On this day, we remind the whole world about the tragedy of the Holodomor of 1932-1933 in Ukraine, caused by the criminal policy of Stalin’s totalitarian regime, which took the lives of millions of Ukrainians. The UWC is grateful to all states that have already recognized the Holodomor as a genocide of the Ukrainian people; the UWC calls on the world to stop the Russian terrorist state and today’s genocide of the Ukrainian people.

December 10 – International Human Rights Day

On this day, the world celebrates International Human Rights Day, which was established on December 4, 1950,  at a meeting of the UN General Assembly, marking the anniversary of the adoption by the Assembly of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

December 12 – Ukrainian Ground Forces Day

The Ground Forces of Ukraine are the most numerous independent type of armed forces of Ukraine, designed to conduct combat operations mainly on land. According to their purpose and the scope of the tasks assigned to them, they play a decisive role in the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ fulfillment of functional tasks both in peacetime and wartime.

December 14 – Commemoration of the Chornobyl NPP accident consequences’ liquidators Day

On this day, Ukraine celebrates the Commemoration of the Chornobyl NPP accident consequences’ liquidators Day, also known as Liquidator’s Day.

December 15-16 – Meeting of the European Council

The leaders of the European Union will meet in Brussels for a two-day meeting of the European Council. The summit will begin at 15:00 (16:00 Kyiv time) with an opinion exchange among the leaders and the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. After that, around 16:00 (17:00 Kyiv time),  President Zelensky will address the EU leaders via video from Kyiv. As part of the ongoing war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, the leaders are expected to discuss the involvement of Iran, against which restrictive measures have been introduced. 

December 19 – St. Nicholas Day and the International Day of Aid to the Poor

On this day, Orthodox Christians and Catholics celebrate the Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Saint Nicholas was a benefactor and a magician. On the night of December 19, the day of his memory, he delivers gifts to children, greets them with winter, and blesses them for good deeds.

December 22 – Day of Ukrainian Diplomatic Service Employees

Every year on this day, the Ukrainian World Congress salutes the diplomatic service representatives and thanks them for their essential role in protecting the national interests and security of the Ukrainian state, as well as the interests of Ukrainian citizens on the territory of other countries.

December 25 – Christmas, per the Gregorian calendar

On Saturday, December 25,  Gregorian calendar Christmas is celebrated by the Catholic Church, Protestant churches, and most local Christian Orthodox churches. Although most people in Ukraine celebrate Christmas on January 7, the number of those who celebrate this bright holiday on December 25 is growing yearly.

In addition, the following worldwide Ukrainian organizations will celebrate their anniversaries in December: The Women’s Association for the Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine, Inc. – 55th anniversary of its foundation; the Spanish Ukrainians – 76th anniversary.