Halloween in Ukraine

According to the legend, on the 31st of October, souls of the dead roam the streets. Some Ukrainians claim that Halloween is alien. However, it’s only the name that has been borrowed. So when was Halloween actually invented in Ukraine? Remarkably, a few centuries ago people largely celebrated the so-called Veles or Velesova Night. It was believed to be the night, when ancestral spirits and their descendants united, while the border between the world of the dead and the earth was becoming thinner. On the Veles Night souls of the dead family members visited their descendants blessing the family. It should be mentioned that walking barefoot over the embers was a powerful ritual in order to be liberated from evil forces.

At present, Halloween celebrated in Ukraine seems to be a controversial issue attracting hype. On the one hand, you won’t find the special date in the calendar, on the other hand, we have already had certain national customs related to the holiday. More youngsters tend to hold the festival on All Saints’ Day.

Therefore, the common question is “what could be expected or how exactly is Halloween celebrated?” If you live in a metropolitan city or a capital, you will be able to attend a theme party or a concert. Some people prefer to wear fancy dresses, painting faces full of makeup and baking festive pies or cookies, looking disgusting and tasting adorable at the same time. How exactly do they prefer to celebrate typical Halloween?

A wide variety of fabulous parties are offered by almost all cafes, clubs and restaurants in Ukraine. It is a great chance to wear a daunting costume of a vampire, witch or monster and enjoy one of the spookiest evenings. Elegant decorations with lights and pumpkins are created by numerous cafes and shops. Moreover, plenty of Halloween dishes could be found on the menu.

While Chernihiv and Odessa remain pretty conservative, that is why most of the people usually don’t flash their fancy dresses, in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Lviv it’s likely to see all the madness spilling to the streets. For instance, it’s the Western city that is considered the most European one. Here you can meet trick-or-treating kids and adults showing off their cute character clothes. You might become a “victim” of inoffensive amusing tricks and have a unique opportunity to “come to the dark side”.

Furthermore, a vast number of bars all around Ukraine alters their menus adding a magnificent flavor and gets out the cobwebs. Even if you seem to be too old for trick or treating, nevertheless, you might be involved in various fascinating activities.