St. Andrew's Day in Ukraine

St. Andrew's Day (Andrew's Day, Kalita) is a holiday of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which is celebrated in honor of one of the twelve apostles of Christ. According to church legends, the saint preached Christianity in Scythia and reached Kiev, where he placed a cross on one of the hills with the words: "Do you see these mountains? Believe me, the grace of God will shine on them".

Since September 1, 2023 the Orthodox Church of Ukraine switched to the New Julian calendar and the dates of all holidays that fall on fixed dates shifted 13 days earlier. Thus, December 13, the feast of St. Andrew on the new style is now celebrated on November 30. On the old one, the date remained the same - December 13.

The day is one of the holidays that begin the winter holiday cycle, in the Catholic tradition is considered the beginning of the pre-Christmas fast.

This is a day of the folk calendar, to which timed Andrew's rite "Kalita", the essence of which is the transfer of boys and girls into adulthood.