Ive just returned from China. They were celebrating the Chinese New Year there. Lots of people were dressed like dragons... What holidays are the most popular in Ukraine? What is your favourite holiday and why? How do you celebrate it?

The mostimportant holiday of the year is the New Year’s day. The main celebration isactually the evening of December 31. In Ukraine we usually celebrate it with friends andfamily in a festive atmosphere with lots of eating and drinking. Some of our relatives often dress up as Grandfather Frost and his grandaughter-helper Snegurochka. They always appear together and are part of the New Years celebration.We also give toasts for the new year. A few weeks before the NewYear most families buy a Christmas tree. Usually parents and relatives place  wrapped presents for children under the treein the morning of January 1st before the kids get up. A lot of fireworks andfirecrackers can be heard in the period of about December 25 to January 2,peaking at the New Year.