Valentine's Day 2024 in Ukraine

Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many countries worldwide, including in Ukraine, on February 14. It is viewed as a romantic day and a time when people show feelings of love, affection, and appreciation to their loved ones.

Is Valentine's Day a Public Holiday?

Valentine's Day is not a public holiday. Businesses have normal opening hours.

What Do People Do?

Valentine’s Day is viewed as a romantic day for many people. Some people take their partners out for a special Valentine’s Day meal. It is also common practice to buy flowers, chocolates, cards, jewelry, and other gifts to express feelings of affection.

Public Life

Valentine’s Day is an observance and not an official public holiday in Ukraine. It is a busy time for many shops that sell flowers, chocolates and other Valentine’s Day related products. Some restaurants are fully booked on this day.

Background

Valentine’s Day can be traced back to a story of St Valentine, a Roman priest who was martyred on or around February 14 in the year 270 CE. How he became the patron saint of lovers remains a mystery but one theory is that the church used the day of St Valentine’s martyrdom to Christianize the old Roman Lupercalia, a pagan festival held around the middle of February. It is believed that part of a relic belonging to St Valentine was in Ukraine during the 1900s and is now kept in a church in Sambir, western Ukraine.

Symbols

Hearts, cupids’ arrows, and flowers – which symbolize love and romance – are often displayed in shops and public places during Valentine’s Day in Ukraine.

About Valentine's Day in Other Countries

While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.