UKRAINE

Leslie Schaefer

Background
Kiev-Capital
5th largest country in Europe
Summer temperatures 85 F
Winter temperatures 17-3 F
Constitution established in 1996
Ukrainian Anthem-Ukraines Glory and
Freedom Has Not Yet Perished
Ukrainian official state language
Russian is also common
Easter Egg originated in Ukraine

Culture
Dress
Comfort-lots of hills and cobbled
streets
Ladies tend to be very dressy
Dance
3 types
Religious, Social, and Story
Holidays
January 1 New Years Day
January 7 Orthodox Christmas
March 8 Womens Day
May 1,2 Labor Days
May 9 Victory Day
June 7 Trinity Day
June 28 Constitution Day
August 24 Ukrainian
Independence Day

Cont.
It is impolite to point with your finger. But if you must point,
it's better to use your entire hand instead of your finger
Remove shoes when entering someones home
Don't put your thumb between your first two fingers; this is a
very rude gesture
Be prepared to accept all food and drink offered when visiting
friends. Turning down food may be considered rude. (If you
find you cannot eat it all, keep something on your plate to
avoid having it replenished!)

Greetings
The typical greeting is a warm, firm
handshake, maintaining direct eye
contact, and repeating your name.
When female friends meet, they
kiss on the cheek three times,
starting with the left and then
alternating, while close male
friends may pat each other on the
back and hug.
To speak to a superior with one's
hands in the pockets or arms
folded across the chest is viewed
as disrespectful.

Meals
Borsch-beet soup
Ukrainians prefer to eat at home, leaving restaurants for
special occasions.
Meal times.
The main meal of the day is dinner, including soup and
meat, fowl, or a fish dish with a salad.
Restaurant bills normally include a 5 percent service
charge.

Gifts
Ukrainians exchange gifts with family and close friends
on birthdays and the Orthodox Christmas.
Name days (birth date of the saint after whom a person
was named) are also celebrated rather than birthdays by
some.
Gifts need not be expensive. It is the act of giving the
gift that is important, since it symbolizes friendship.
If you are invited to a Ukrainians home for a meal it is
polite to bring something; cake, flowers, or a bottle of
imported liquor.
Flowers should only be given in odd numbers and avoid
yellow flowers.
Gifts are generally not opened when received.

Business
For business, dress should be conservative. Men should
not take off their jackets unless asked.
An eight-hour day is considered a normal work day,
Monday through Friday. A lunch break is taken between
the hours of 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Most banks are open
without breaks, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.1p.m.
Meeting schedules are not very rigid in the Ukraine.

Summary
Ukraine customs and traditions absorbed the experience
of many generations of people who lived in the country
during its long history. Every new generation brings its
own vision of every day rules of life to follow.