Ukraine customs
Ukraine (Ukraine: У РА А) is a country named after its ethnic group. It is located in eastern Europe, bordering Russia to the east, the Black Sea to the south, Belarus to the north, and Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova to the west. The national area is 603,700 square kilometers. The total population is 45.55 million (2013 statistics), of which the main are Ukraine, followed by Russians and Jews, and Belarusians and Moldavia account for a small proportion.
There are 24 prefectures, 2 municipalities directly under the Central Government, and 1 autonomous republic (Autonomous Republic of Crimea (joined Russia on March 18, 2014 and was not recognized by Ukraine and the national society)), with a total of 27 first-level administrative regions. The capital is Kiev (Kyiv). The currency is "ruble". The official language is Ukraine, and Ukraine and Russian are commonly spoken.
is very simple, humble, easy-going and good at conversation; the language is civilized and polite, and the world is enthusiastic and straightforward; social relations are very trustworthy and honest, giving people an impression of being contacted; the number "thirteen" is generally taboo, and "Friday" is even more disliked. They also taboo black, believing that black is the color of death, and only use black when encountering something regretful. Their traditional concept is very annoying about the left hand. Think that no matter what you do, using your left hand is impolite, and using your right hand is a sign of friendliness.
They like decorative art, are very interested in interior decoration and decoration, appreciate various flower and bird patterns and various gorgeous colors, and very appreciate the design of China's dining tables. They generally love red and believe that it is an upward color and can inspire people.
Ukraine men wear shirts and trousers; outer covers and shoulders. Women's traditional clothing is mostly streamlined and unique in style: usually only a wool skirt is covered with a tight-fitting petticoat, with various patterns on the petticoat; the upper body is worn with a sleeveless shirt of dark red, green or blue velvet or wool. The front of the coat is partially overlapped, open on the left, and fastened with buttons; the feet are worn with red boots; some hang several strings of colored beads or necklaces around their necks.
This unique dress adds a lot of folk flavor to weddings in Ukraine. For Ukraine, there is a whole set of customs, from matchmaking, blind dates, engagement to weddings. There is a full-time matchmaker who often uses "You have strange goods at home, I have buyers on hand" as an opening statement to find out the tone. If the woman's parents agree to the marriage, they walk around the table three times with the matchmaker, cross the statue, and then discuss the matchmaking.
Before the official marriage of Ukraine people, the husband's parents would come to the wife's home with a tray of steamed buns in both hands and gather with the in-laws to conduct final negotiations on the marriage of their children. If the woman is unwilling to marry, the girl will put a big pumpkin in front of everyone to express her "refusal to marry", and the man's parents will quietly resign. This is called "Dingding Day".
On the day of the blind date, the matchmaker took the young man and his parents to the girl's house. After meeting, the girl's mother brought a bowl of honey water. If the young man drank it in one gulp, it means that he was in love. Otherwise, he would only touch the cup with his lips. After meeting, they agreed on a betrothal gift. The betrothal gift generally includes jewelry, clothes, furniture, daily necessities, etc.
Ukraine people are accustomed to hugging and kissing on the cheek when meeting. Especially when relatives and friends meet, they have to kiss the cheek three times. The elder kissed the junior on the forehead. If a man and a woman shake hands, they generally have to wait for the woman to reach out first. The man should be gentle when holding the woman's hand, do not shake the other's hand hard, and do not ask the woman's age.
According to the traditional customs of Ukraine, when addressing people, only those who are very familiar with each other or who do not need to show respect can be called by their first names. Otherwise, the names of their fathers should be added. Moreover, in the communication of Ukraine, the usages of "you" and "you" are relatively complex and strict, and sometimes they are exactly the opposite of the usages in China.
Generally speaking, among family members and friends who are close to each other, addressing "you" implies intimacy, friendliness and carelessness. Calling "you" to elders and strangers implies respect and politeness. Sometimes, after talking for a while, people you have just met will quickly change their names to "you", indicating that you have become friends and don't need to be restrained or polite.
Under normal circumstances, when greeting and talking, Ukraine people can praise people's appearance, dress, figure and demeanor, but not their physical condition. Don't say things such as "You are in good health" or "You are so healthy that you are not sick." Such flattery, which is different from China people. Because in the habit of Ukraine, such words are not allowed to be said, and people feel that saying them will have the opposite effect. Ukraine people are very fond of saying praises such as "You are very young" and "You don't look old", and people are happy to listen.
Ukraine people have a good tradition of "women first" and are accustomed to being humble to women no matter what occasion they are. They have a strong sense of time and are accustomed to making appointments on time, believing that this is a matter of diplomatic courtesy.
Ukraine people also love flowers. Whether they are birthdays, festivals or ordinary guests, flowers are indispensable. Generally, flowers are sent in odd numbers, because Ukraine people believe that odd numbers are auspicious and even numbers are unlucky. They only send even flowers when someone dies. That is, 2 or 4 branches, usually carnations and tulips.
Ukraine people eat bread, vegetables, meat and dairy products as their main foods; they like to eat white bread, dough bumps, pancakes, pork, and salted fish; they also like to eat locally made sweet dumplings (filled with milk residue, potatoes, peas, cabbage, etc.), and also like to drink local black tea soup. They like Russian Western food and also like Chinese food. It is customary to use knives and forks as tableware during meals. Jews in the country do not eat pork or scaleless fish.
When entertaining guests, the dishes are rich, and the guests will also be asked or inquired in advance about their requirements and taboos. We are very disciplined when dining, and we do not walk around casually, make irresponsible remarks or speak loudly during the meal. I also don't want to hear the sound of table guests chewing food while eating, because I think this is unrefined. If someone beats the dishes with a knife and fork, they will be stopped in time.
Ukraine people particularly like to drink tea, and even the turbulent situation cannot be covered. In Kiev's recently turbulent Independence Square, those who had earlier joined forces to overthrow Yanukovych's government, as well as those Ukraine who were concerned about when Russia would invade militarily, sat in tents. Many people held a cup of hot Ukraine specialty tea in their hands and took a sip from time to time to ward off the cold.
For a long time, Ukraine people have formed a unique tea drinking custom: due to climate and diet, Ukraine people prefer to drink tea with strong flavor, black tea is the first choice, followed by green tea, scented tea, fruit tea, grass tea, etc. Nowadays, they like China's green tea more and more. In addition, many varieties such as Pu 'er, Tieguanyin, and white tea in China have become new riches in people's eyes. If you give local people a box of good tea from China, they will surely find a treasure and happily take it back to share it with relatives and friends.