60% of Ukrainians consider traditions important for society: Christian holidays are among the core values
Most Ukrainians consider traditions to be an integral part of social life, and Christian holidays are among the most important ones. This is evidenced by the results of a study conducted by the Zagoriy Foundation and the Center for Social and Marketing Research “Socis.”
Traditions in Ukrainian society
According to the survey, 60% of Ukrainians consider traditions to be important for society. More than 3,000 respondents from eight historical regions of Ukraine took part in the study.
Kyiv and Prykarpattia, regions where customs are actively reproduced in family and community life, proved to be the most influential centers for preserving traditions.
Christian holidays as a reference point
The most significant holidays for Ukrainians are Easter (95.2%) and Christmas (94.6%). Also highly rated are Defenders of Ukraine Day (88.1%), Independence Day (87.4%), and Trinity Sunday (84%).
Religious holidays are especially revered in the Carpathian region and in smaller settlements, where faith and tradition remain strongly intertwined.
Rituals and traditions
The most common rituals remain memorial services (94%), baptisms (91.3%), and weddings (90%). They have deep spiritual roots and reflect important stages of human life in the light of the Christian faith.
Most Ukrainians recognize the family (83.7%), school (46.4%), and the Church (41.3%) as the main bearers of traditions. This shows that spiritual and cultural education is most effective when the family and the religious community work together.
Faith and identity
The survey showed that 74.9% of Ukrainians believe in God, and another 15.6% recognize the existence of a higher power. Although regular church attendance remains low (14.8% weekly), most Ukrainians attend religious services at least several times a year.
The study also showed that 59.1% of Ukrainians speak exclusively Ukrainian at home, and 75.7% of respondents confirmed that they have their own family traditions.
The survey results show that despite the challenges of war and globalization, Ukrainians remain faithful to their spiritual and national traditions. Christian holidays and rituals unite families and society, shape national identity, and remind us of values that transcend time.
