Winter seems made for colourful festivals and joyful mass folk celebrations! Christmas carols, nativity plays, festivals of wine, mulled wine, music, New Year fairs - winter festivities in Transcarpathia lift the spirits, are incredibly invigorating and paint grey, cold everyday life in warm, vivid colours! It could not be otherwise, for this region is renowned for its local colour, its distinctive Transcarpathian cuisine, its unrivalled tastings, eco-produce, theatrical performances and authentic traditions.
It just so happens that in Transcarpathia they love to hold festivals. Each year, according to experts’ estimates, up to 200 mass folk celebrations take place here! And it makes no difference - be it winter or summer, the people of Transcarpathia celebrate at any time of year. The Uzhhorod Excursion Bureau invites you to attend the many winter festivities amid the snow-covered picturesque Carpathians, in the wonderful cosy old towns and villages of the region.
Winter festivities in Transcarpathia in December
A genuine «brand» of the region for around 20 years now has been the grand Parade of Little Nicholases in Uzhhorod, which tourists come from all over the world to see. Hundreds of little and grown-up Little Nicholases walk along the central streets of ancient Ungvar, sing New Year and Christmas songs, offer festive greetings and give sweets to every passer-by. Afterwards everyone gathers on Teatralna Square to light the city’s main Christmas tree. It is from this day that the New Year and Christmas fairs officially begin in Uzhhorod. In particular, for Saint Nicholas Day the literary exhibition-fair «Book Nicholas» also opens here.
Every year, in the most Hungarian corner of Ukraine - in the town of Berehove - on the eve of Catholic Christmas the festival of Christmas nativity plays takes place. It is an incredible, fairy-tale spectacle that astonishes with its theatrical stagings and sincere Christmas stories, costumes, sets, traditions, the actors’ performances, entertainments, contests and interactive events, and gives a wondrous festive atmosphere of Christmas.
Winter festivities in Transcarpathia in January
Winter - is the season of hot, aromatic mulled wine, and the most delicious spicy sunny drink will be prepared for you at the grand festival «Chervene Vyno (Red Wine)» in Mukachevo. Every year this most «wine» celebration in the country takes place on the eve of the Old New Year, having begun back in 1996. Winemaking in Transcarpathia began to be cultivated as far back as the 11th-12th centuries. Today this sunny region can take pride in a great variety of unique sunny drinks that have no equal anywhere in the world. During the festival, guests can expect not only tastings of wine from the region’s best winemakers, hot mulled wine and distinctive Transcarpathian cuisine, but also a rich entertainment programme, contests, performances, and fairs of Transcarpathian souvenirs and eco-produce (cheese, honey, piknytsia (homemade sausage), fruit preserves).
You will have a unique chance to hear genuine Transcarpathian carols, see a real Transcarpathian nativity play and a vivid Christmas theatrical show during the festival of carolling groups «Transcarpathian Nativity» in Uzhhorod and Khust.
Winter festivities in Transcarpathia, as the festival «On the Snowy Slopes of the Carpathians» in the village of Syniak in the Mukachevo district shows, - are also an incredible festive active holiday! Traditionally, at the «Syniak» sports and tourism complex, unforgettable fun contests in orienteering and alpine skiing will take place.
Merrily, joyfully and very colourfully, the Khust region festival «Epiphany Bathing» is held in the village of Nyzhnie Selyshche. The programme of the festivity includes - carols, dancing, a tasting of Transcarpathian wine, Carpathian eco-cheeses made at a local cheese dairy using Swiss technologies, a fair selling Transcarpathian souvenirs, including wickerwork items from the craftsmen of the village of Iza.
Be sure to visit the festival of Hungarian culture in Berehove! For into this most Hungarian little town of the country flock brilliant Hungarian musicians and ensembles. The local theatre stages unique plays and performances. The event’s programme is very rich; in particular, many celebrations take place by the memorial to the Hungarian poet Ferenc Kölcsey.
At the end of January, another festivity unique in Ukraine will take place in Transcarpathia - the festival of the gentesh (hog butchers) in the village of Hecha in the Berehove district. The gentesh - are the pig butchers, so these celebrations will most appeal to lovers of meat dishes. The festival grows more spectacular and more colourful each year, with gentesh from various Transcarpathian villages taking part, demonstrating their professional skill before the public (not for the faint of heart!) . The highlight of the event - is a contest of culinary teams not only from Transcarpathia, but also from neighbouring countries. Awaiting you are tastings of wine, liqueurs and palynka, delicious dishes of Transcarpathian and Hungarian cuisine - hurka, piknytsia (sausage), lard and bograch.
Winter festivities in Transcarpathia in February
Don’t worry if you didn’t manage to make it to «Chervene Vyno (Red Wine)» in Mukachevo ! Especially for you - a three-day wine festival in the country’s very wine capital - Berehove . On the town’s central square the district’s best winemakers will present their unique sunny drinks, created according to old family recipes. The festival’s programme includes - an exhibition-fair of winemaking equipment, a tasting of Transcarpathian wine and Hungarian cuisine a lottery, contests, a photo exhibition, folk songs and dances. As well as the initiation of new members into the knights of the Wine Order of Saint Wenceslas.
Traditionally, Lent is preceded by the All-Ukrainian Ball of the Slovak National Minority - «Fašiangy Ball» in Uzhhorod, which is intended to revive the folk Slovak-Transcarpathian «fašiangy» (Shrovetide) traditions and entertainments. During this event, a concert of Transcarpathian and Slovak artistic ensembles and singers takes place, a wonderful ball is held, and a lottery is drawn.
On every second Sunday of February, in the town of Zhdeniievo in the Volovets district, the sports festival «Winter Patterns of the Volovets Land» is held. Guests and participants of the event make merry and compete in alpine skiing. The programme is very rich: there are ski races, relays, quests, contests, a lottery and other joyful winter entertainments.
For Saint Valentine’s Day, in Uzhhorod an atmosphere of true romance reigns - here they celebrate the flash-mob festival «Day of Love on the Bridge of Love». On 14 February, on the Uzhhorod pedestrian bridge, couples in love hang padlocks, make compositions of balloons decorated with bows, create installations about love and hold contests with «valentines».
In the Hungarian villages of the Uzhhorod region, for the winter festivities in Transcarpathia, they hold colourful Hungarian carnivals, the «Farsang balls». The programme includes - a costumed procession, traditional games and contests, a theatrical show, balls and dance evenings, a tasting of Hungarian cuisine .
In mid-February, in Uzhhorod they see winter off in grand style at the gastronomic festivals «Maslianytsia» and «Uzhhorod Palacsinta». A rich cultural and entertainment programme, a tasting of Transcarpathian dishes , wine , honey, palacsinta (pancakes) with a variety of fillings, prizes for the brave who climb the greasy pole, surprises for children, themed photo zones, contests, the burning of the effigy of winter Mara, charity events - all of this guarantees a wonderful winter mood!
