Святвечір
Svjatvéčir[sʲʋʲɐtˈʋɛt͡ʃʲir]
The Ukrainian for Christmas Eve is Святвечір (Svjatvéčir).
Meaning: day before Christmas Day (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The word joins the roots for holy and evening, so it means holy evening.
How does it change in a sentence?
It is written with a capital letter, as the name of a holiday.
How do you pronounce it?
It is romanized Svjatvéčir, with the stress on the second syllable.
When do people say it?
On Святвечір families gather for a meatless supper of twelve dishes, which begins when the first star appears in the sky. Since 2023 most Ukrainians mark it on 24 December. Before that it usually fell on 6 January.
Did you know?
- During the Святвечір meal, it is customary to leave an empty place setting at the table. This is intended for deceased relatives or unexpected guests who might visit on this holy night.
- In some Ukrainian households, the Святвечір table is covered with a layer of hay or straw to symbolize the birth of Jesus in a manger.
- The word вечір in Святвечір is a cognate of the English word 'vesper', which comes from the Latin for 'evening'.
Examples in context
- Ми чекаємо на Святвечір.My chekayemo na Svyatvechir.We are waiting for Christmas Eve.
- Святвечір це особливе свято.Svyatvechir tse osoblyve svyato.Christmas Eve is a special holiday.
- Я приготую вечерю на Святвечір.Ya pryhotuyú vecheriu na Svyatvechir.I will prepare dinner for Christmas Eve.
Example conversation
Dmytro and Mariia are discussing their holiday plans.
- Дмитро DmytroМаріє, ти прийдеш до нас на Святвечір?Mariie, ty pryydesh do nas na Sviatvechir?Mariia, will you come to our place for Christmas Eve?
- Марія MariiaТак, Дмитре, я обов'язково прийду.Tak, Dmytre, ya obov'yazkovo pryydu.Yes, Dmytro, I will definitely come.
- Дмитро DmytroМи приготуємо багато смачної їжі.My pryhotuemo bahato smachnoi yizhi.We will prepare a lot of tasty food.
- Марія MariiaЦе буде чудовий вечір!Tse bude chudovyi vechir!It will be a wonderful evening!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Святвечір, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
