Men's Day in Ukraine

Many Ukrainians used to observe Men’s Day on February 23, until 2014, when the Ukranian president cancelled this day and moved a related celebration to October 14.

Is Men's Day a Public Holiday?

Men's Day is a public holiday. It is a day off for the general population, and schools and most businesses are closed.

What Did People Do?

Men’s Day gave people the chance to show appreciation and affection for men in Ukraine by giving cards and gifts and aranging social gatherings, special dinners and lunches for men.

Links to Defender's Day

Men’s Day had some historical ties to Defender of the Fatherland Day, which also used to be celebrated on February 23. This day focused on the achievements of military forces and veterans in Russia and the former Soviet Union, which included Ukraine.

President Changed the Date

However, on October 14, 2014, Ukranian president Petro Poroshenko announced that the Day of Ukraine's Defenders from now on will be held on October 14. At the same time, he declared February 23 as Defenders of the Fatherland Day invalid.

Other Countries Continue

Men’s Day is still celebrated in several other countries, and Ukrainians still celebrate Women’s Day.

Men's Day in Ukraine has not been observed since 2014.

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.