Ukraine to Organize All State Holidays and Commemorative Dates: What Will Change.

According to ТСН: Ukraine is preparing to reform its festive, commemorative, and mourning dates. The main goal of this process is to create a unified national 'calendar' that reflects Ukrainian ideology.

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk emphasized that forming the new calendar is an important step for developing national ideology. He also noted that the country has already made certain changes, including moving the Christmas celebration to December 25.

'Any calendar dates are not just days on a calendar; they represent who we are and who is against us. Therefore, this is an important matter ideologically,' stressed Stefanchuk.

Reasons for the Reform: Chaos in Dates and Ideological Discrepancies

According to the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, the current holiday system is chaotic: some dates are established by presidential decrees, while others are set by parliament or government resolutions. This leads to overlaps between professional holidays and days of mourning.

Stefanchuk cited the example of changing the Memorial Day celebration, when it was moved to May 8, in line with European practice:

'I clearly remember when we changed Article 73 in the Verkhovna Rada and moved the celebration from May 9 to May 8 to honor the victims of World War II. These are important ideological aspects that we must organize,' noted Stefanchuk.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada also mentioned that the reform does not involve reducing days off or limiting citizens' rest. It is about organizing the holidays to avoid illogical overlaps.

'This is not about having fewer holidays. It is about organizing and creating a unified calendar map,' concluded Ruslan Stefanchuk.

When to Expect Changes

Ruslan Stefanchuk announced that a special working group has already been established to develop the relevant draft law. The next step will be a major meeting scheduled for December 26, with representatives from the President's Office, government, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Institute of National Memory, and civic activists. The result of this collaboration should be a law that clearly delineates state holidays, commemorative days, and days of mourning at the national level.

Volodymyr Zelensky has also expressed the need for new approaches to festive and special days in the calendar, emphasizing the importance of organizing this issue.

The implementation of a unified calendar of holidays, commemorative, and mourning dates can significantly simplify the organization of celebrations and enhance their significance in society. This is not only a step towards modern heritage management but also an opportunity to outline common values in the face of modern challenges.