Ukrainian Unity Day 2024 in Ukraine

Ukraine’s Unity Day marks the anniversary of the unification of eastern and western Ukraine in 1919. It is celebrated on January 22 every year.

Is Ukrainian Unity Day a Public Holiday?

Ukrainian Unity Day is not a public holiday. Businesses have normal opening hours.

What Do People Do?

Unity Day activities include:

• People carrying national flags creating a human chain across bridges to symbolize national unity.
• Concerts to celebrate Unity Day.
• Political protests or demonstrations.

Some people lay flowers on or near monuments dedicated to famous Ukrainian political activists who fought for the country’s unity and independence.

Public Life

Unity Day is an observance and not an official public holiday in Ukraine.

Background

The story behind Unity Day dates back to January 22, 1919, when eastern and western Ukraine was united through the “Treaty of Unity”. Historically, up until 1919, these halves – Ukraine's People Republic and West Ukrainian People Republic – often belonged to different empires.

Symbols

Many Ukrainians show their country’s flag to celebrate Unity Day. It is a banner of 2 equally sized horizontal bands of blue and yellow.

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.