Steblyna Valeria, pupil of the 10- th form School of Bashmachka, Dnipropetrovsk region Teacher: Rybtsunyk A. M.

Lviv is one of the biggest city of Ukraine. It's old and beautiful. Lviv has got a lot of old buildings, neat streets and pretty people. A residents of Lviv celebrate Christmas on January, 7.

The preparations for the festival will begin in early December, when in the west side of Lviv (Market Square and Liberty Avenue) will be opened Christmas Fair. It is the first Christmas market in Ukraine and it offers Christmas gifts, traditional ceramics, linen items, original works of artists, various sweets, donuts, honey, mulled wine, hot chocolate and dumplings.

Traditionally, December, 19 (the St. Nicholas Day) are lit the main town Christmas tree that stands in front of the Opera House and festive illuminations. December, 25 (on the eve of Catholic Christmas) on the south side of Market Square, in front of the city hall the main shopka of the city (vertep, vertep chest) is set.

January, 6 (on Christmas Eve), the solemn procession led by the Mayor of the city, is starting from the Town Hall in Market Square to Liberty Avenue where the main city didukh is set.

Residents of the city are honored Christmas Eve and Christmas Day very much. Media say: "These are the only days when hotels are closed, and the visitor feels himself as an outsider." Lviv residents retain the traditions of the Holy Supper with twelve meatless dishes with led kutia uzvar and donuts. After dinner, most children begin to sing, walking from house to house. At Christmas, January 7, the verteps start walking around the city. They act as in the central part of the city and go from house to house too. After completion of the church worship services begin festivities.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!