Block «A new joy that had never happened before. Christmas»

The art of cutting ornaments, various patterns, figures and scenes out of paper has been known in Ukraine since the seventeenth century. In the nineteenth century, vytynanky (paper-cuts) became an integral part of Ukrainian folk culture and life. They decorate houses, churches, public buildings and are widely used as amulets and gifts. Vytynanka “Carol” (2019, 2024) by the Honored Artist of Ukraine Nataliia Aksenenko, which is reproduced in the Christmas issue of Ukrposhta, tells about the tradition of the holiday: the girls with the Star of Bethlehem sing carols, glorifying Jesus Christ, the Three Magi bring gifts to the Newborn Child of God - gold, frankincense and myrrh, the costumed “goat” (a character of the Christmas nativity play) is driven from house to house, wishing the owners a bountiful harvest and prosperity, and Ukrainian soldiers meanwhile defend our freedom and independence, our holidays and traditions, and fight for peace for Ukraine. The name of the postal issue is the words from the most famous Ukrainian carol, “Nova radist stala” (New Joy Has Come), as this festive song has been uniting Ukraine for hundreds of years. After decades of Soviet bans, the carol was performed publicly in Kyiv's St. Sophia Square in 1991.