National Day of Luxembourg- 23 June

Luxembourg's National Day is originally the birthday celebration of the country, the Grand Duchy, which began on the birth of the Grand Duchess Charlotte, on 23 January. Because they didn't want to celebrate the national day in winter, they postponed the national celebrations to June 23. This date remained unchanged even after her regime ended.

The celebrations all over the Grand Dukes begin on the evening of the National Day, on 22 June. In the capital, Luxembourg City, the festivities begin with festive ceremonies for the exchange of guards at the Grand-Ducal Palace around 4:00 pm.



In the evening there are torchlight parades in the capital. The public areas and narrow streets of Luxembourg turn into a huge open-air party with free concerts, DJs and dancing around the city. Local food stalls such as hot dogs, potato fritter, Luxembourgian beer and wine are also opened and offer plenty of options.

Later at night there is a fireworks show from Adolphe Bridge.

The next day, on National Day (June 23), the day begins with an official ceremony, followed by a military parade that begins at the train station. In the afternoon there is a teh daum (a psalm of thanksgiving and early Christian prayer) in Notre Dame Cathedral. 

In honor of Luxembourg's National Day, here are some interesting facts about it: 

Luxembourg is the smallest country in Europe in terms of population - it has about half a million people.   

Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in the world in terms of size - its territory is only 2,586 square kilometers.   

Although Luxembourg is such a small country, it is one of the richest countries in the world. Its per capita GDP is the highest in the world and its unemployment rate is the lowest in the European Union. 

Luxembourg gained independence from the French Empire on 9 June 1815.

Most Luxembourgers speak 3 languages:

 Luxembourgish, French and German. The official language in Luxembourg is Luxembourgish. 

Every year, about one million tourists visit Luxembourg (more than the citizens who live there). 

According to TripAdvisor website, the attraction that attracts the most tourists in Luxembourg is its American cemetery. This is a military cemetery that was first established during World War II and was chosen as one of the 12 permanent American cemeteries in Europe during this war. Many cavities buried in temporary burial sites were transferred to it.

40% of Luxembourg's population is immigrants who came mainly from Portugal.

The smallest wage gap between men and women is found in the state of Luxembourg and stands at only 4.9%!

The capital city of Luxembourg is named as the name of the country, Luxembourg.

The national motto of Luxembourg is "we strive to remain who we are" -  "Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sinn" (Luxembourgish).

Luxembourg won the Eurovision title five times. In 1961, 1965, 1972, 1973, and 1983. Not a bad achievement for a country so small.

June 23 is also Let It Go Day

Iceland Day - June 17

Iceland National Day is an annual holiday in honor of the founding of the Republic of Iceland celebrated on June 17, 1944.

This date also marks the end of the centenary of Danish rule in Iceland.

Iceland is an island nation in the North Atlantic Ocean, located between Greenland, Norway and Scotland, northwest of the Faroe Islands.

Iceland is among the least densely populated countries in the world. Its area is 103,000 square kilometers, but its population is only about 358,780 people, half of whom live in the capital Reykjavik.

The holiday date was chosen to also celebrate the birthday of Jón Sigurðsson, a central figure in Icelandic culture and leader of the 19th century Icelandic independence movement.

Iceland National Day celebrations

Icelanders celebrate the national day in processions in urban areas, with traditional clothing, against the backdrop of Icelandic folk music and waving Icelandic flags. After the official ceremonies that include speeches of course, the joyous celebrations begin, with lots of music, food and drink and great joy.

Women dressed in traditional Icelandic attire in the capital Reykjavik (Source)

In honor of Iceland's National Day, here are some interesting facts about it:

Iceland has a good football team, which qualified for the international finals of Euro 2016 and reached the quarterfinals. In the summer of 2017, she qualified for the 2018 World Cup. The current ranking of the Icelandic national team in FIFA's ranking list is 40th in the world, as of April 4, 2019. This is a good achievement for a country with so few people. Icelanders also have a unique sport Called "Glíma" - a type of wrestling that originated in Viking.

The national bird of Iceland is the puffin, a sea parrot, which obtains its food mainly by diving into the sea. Papin has a large beak that turns red or orange during the breeding season, and at the end of the season it sheds it and is left with a more modest beak. In Iceland it is customary to eat the sea parrot and its eggs.

Image by Mario Liebherr from Pixabay

The official language of Iceland is Icelandic, which evolved from Old Norse, the language of the Vikings.

Iceland has no family names. They use patrons, the name of the father and then add the name of the son or daughter. Sometimes they use matrons (the mother's name). All first names they give to their children must be approved by a national naming committee that does not usually approve foreign names.

Iceland is the first country in the world to have served as a declared (and gay in general) lesbian prime minister. Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir served as Prime Minister of Iceland from 2009 to 2013.

The summer days in Iceland are very long and the light lasts until midnight. In winter, the Northern Lights appear in Iceland, the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) illuminate the sky in colors ranging from green to red and blue.

Many tourists come to Iceland to see its wildlife: huge glaciers and waterfalls (like Dettifoss Falls), volcanoes and geysers. In recent years, tourism has also developed in Iceland during the winter season, and tourists come to the hot baths and snowmobile rides on the glaciers.

Dettifoss Falls, the most powerful waterfalls in Europe (Source)

Iceland has also been producing good pop and rock music since the 1980s. Among the artists who have received international recognition coming from Iceland are the singer Bjork, the rock band Sigur Rós, the band Múm, the singer Emilíana Torrini and the band Of Monsters and Men.

June 17 is also Apples Strudel Day

Liberation Day in the Netherlands- May 5

Every year on May 5, the Netherlands celebrates its liberation from Nazi occupation during World War II (Dutch: Bevrijdingsdag).

The Dutch people were largely liberated by the First Canadian Army, aided by British troops, a Polish Armored Corps, and American, Belgian, Dutch, and Czech troops. Other parts of the country, especially in the southeast, were liberated by the Second British Army, which included American, Polish and French air forces.

On May 5, 1945, Canadian commander Lieutenant-General Charles Foulkes and Oberbefehlshaber Niederlande commander-in-chief Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz reached an agreement on the surrender of German forces in the Netherlands  at Hotel de Wereld in Wageningen. One day later, the surrender document was signed in the auditorium of Wageningen University, located nearby.

 Hotel de Wereld, Wageningen

After the liberation in 1945, the day of liberation was commemorated every five years. In 1990, May 5 was declared a national holiday, the holiday of liberation that is celebrated every year.

On May 4, the Dutch hold the "Dodenherdenking", a day of remembrance for people who fought and died during World War II and the Dutch wars in general.

The Dutch gather near monuments all over the country and hold memorial ceremonies. One of the most famous memorial ceremonies is held near the National Monument in Dam Square in Amsterdam and at the Waalsdorpervlakte in the dunes near The Hague, where more than 250 Dutch opponents were murdered by the Nazis.

At eight o'clock in the evening there are two minutes of silence.

The next day, May 5, the liberation celebrations begin. All over the Netherlands there are music festivals, parades of war veterans, fireworks and big celebrations. 

In honor of the day the Netherlands was liberated from the Nazis, here are some interesting facts about the Netherlands:

During World War II, the percentage of Jews deported or murdered in the Netherlands was the highest among European countries. Investigations conducted after the war revealed that many of the civilians collaborated with the Nazis. In the Netherlands, however, there were the most Righteous Among the Nations who assisted the Jews.

The Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, used to get to work by bike! Even when he is hosted in other countries, he always prefers to get from place to place by bicycle.

More than a quarter of the Netherlands is below sea level. Half of the Netherlands is less than one meter above sea level. Schiphol Airport is 4.5 meters below sea level.

The Dutch are the highest people in the world. The average height of Dutch men is 1.84 meters and that of Dutch women is 1.70. Scientists say this is due to a combination of genes, nutrition and well-being. Others say it is because of the milk they consume in abundance.

The Netherlands is a very flat country. Its highest point is the Vaalserberg Hill, which is only 322.7 meters high, and is located at the eastern end of the country in the province of Limburg. You could say that Holland is as flat as pannenkoek (pancakes in Dutch).

Because Amsterdam soil is a thick layer of sludge and clay, all buildings are built on wooden pillars mounted on an average 11-foot-high sandy layer. The Royal Palace in Dam Square is built on no less than 13,659 wooden pillars.

The Netherlands is known for the extensive tulip fields of its tulips. Many tulip flowers and tubers come from the Netherlands. However, the origin of the tulips is not from the Netherlands. The first tulip tubers were brought to the Netherlands from Turkey, when it was discovered that the Dutch soil was very good for growing them.

The Netherlands leads in the number of home births. In many countries it is customary to give birth in a hospital. Not in the Netherlands: About 30% of all Dutch births take place at home.

The Dutch love coffee. After the Scandinavians, the Dutch are the biggest coffee drinkers in the world. They drink no less than 140 liters of coffee a year on average. 3.2 glasses a day!

86% of Dutch people speak English as a second language. All Dutch children learn English in school. If you visit Amsterdam, you will find that you can speak to almost everyone in fluent English.

The Netherlands is the largest exporter of beer in the world. In 2001, Dutch breweries exported 1.3 billion liters of beer abroad. Half of them were shipped to the United States.

Flag of the Netherland

May 5 is also International Midwives' Day

Euro Day - January 1

January 1 is Euro Day, the currency used in 19 European countries, out of the 28 EU member states.

On December 16, 1999, the name "Euro" was officially adopted for the single currency, and it began to exist on January 1, 1999.

For more than 30 years, European leaders have planned to issue one currency to the entire continent. After long and difficult negotiations, and much opposition from Britain (which to this day uses its own currency, the Pound Sterling), the currency was finally born in 1999 and is currently used by some 343 million Europeans in Austria, Estonia, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Greece , Luxembourg, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Portugal, Finland, France and Cyprus.

The name of the currency is adapted in each country to the pronunciation of the word Europe in the language used. In Germany, for example, the continent is called "Europa" and therefore the currency is called "Euro". In Italian and Spanish they also say "Europa" and the currency is called "Euro". In Russian they say Yevropa and the currency is called Yevro. In English, the currency is called "Euro" after the continent "Europe".

How to celebrate Euro Day?

Today is a perfect day to learn about the currency, which in the future will be used by more countries. One can also learn about the culture of the European countries that use it and their previous currencies.

January 1st is also Polar Bear Plunge Day and Bloody Mary Day

Finland Independence Day - 6 December

Finland is a country in northern Europe, in the region of the Nordic countries that also includes Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. It borders Russia to the east, Norway to the north and Sweden to the northwest. In the southwest of the country is the Baltic Sea.

From the Middle Ages to the early 19th century, Finland was part of Sweden. In 1809 the Russian Tsar Alexander I conquered Finland from Sweden and annexed it to the Russian Empire as "Grand Duchy".

Russian rule lasted until Imperial Russia underwent the October Revolution of 1917 which brought an end to Tsarist rule. Finland saw its opportunity to negotiate sovereign independence and the Finnish parliament declared its independence on December 6 of that year.

In Finnish, Finland's name is Suomi. The name Finland originates from the Swedish language that has been the prevailing language in the country since Sweden's invasion of it in the 12th century.

The climate of Finland is characterized by cold temperatures of the Arctic region. The Baltic Sea and its many lakes moderate the cold a bit. The country is mostly flat, with small hills and its surface is low.

Finland is home to about 5.5 million people, as of February 2021. The capital of Finland is Helsinki.

Finland's Independence Day is celebrated on December 6 every year. This is a very patriotic day because on this day the independence of the country declared on this date in 1917 is respected, as well as the events of World War II in which Finland almost lost its independence again.

How do you celebrate Finnish Independence Day?

Independence Day was first celebrated in 1919. Initially Independence Day was a festive event with patriotic speeches and special church services.

Recently, the Independence Day celebration has become a more lively event and Finns have five special traditions for celebrating this day:

Candles - The Finns place special candles in blue and white, the flag colors, usually two, near the window. This tradition began in the 19th century and is said to be reminiscent of the period when two candles were placed in a window as a sign to Finnish soldiers that the house would offer them shelter and hide them from the Russians.

2. War graves - Many Finns visit the cemetery and light candles so that the whole area sparkles beautifully. In all the big and small cities, war graves and memorial stones are visited by city officials and sometimes there is a candle parade of students or children, which pays homage to the graves.

3. Watch the 2017 film Tuntematon sotilas (The Unknown Soldier), directed by Aku Louhimies, based on a novel by Väinö Linna, which depicts World War II in Finland.

4. Blue and white - The blue and white colors of the Finnish flag are proudly displayed in shop windows and bakeries that make cakes with a blue and white icing.

On Independence Day there are no special dishes, but most people have a more fancy dinner. Many bake gingerbread or tart and plum tart cookies which are seasonal treats especially before Christmas.

5. Watching the reception for Presidential Independence Day. At 19:00, the official Independence Day celebration begins with a Gala (‘Linnan juhlat‘ ) at the Presidential Castle in Helsinki, which is televised. 

Some interesting trivia facts about Finland

Finland has 179,888 islands and 187,888 lakes.

The only common English word taken directly from Finnish is 'sauna'.

There are more saunas than cars in Finland. It is estimated that there are 2,000,000 saunas in Finland, for a population of 5.3 million!

Finland is sometimes mistakenly included as part of the Scandinavian region. This is not true because Scandinavia is a geographical area that includes only Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Finland belongs to the Nordic countries and the correct term for the territory that includes Scandinavia and Finland is Fennoscandia.

If you want to visit Finland, the cheapest month to visit it is July and the most expensive is January.

Northern Finland is part of a region called Lapland.

If you want to watch the Northern Lights in Finland, you should visit the village of Luosto, located north of the Arctic Circle in Finland, between September and March.

Happy Independence Day Finland - Hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää!

Happy Independence Day Finland - Hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää!

December 6 is also Miners Day and Constitution Day in Spain

Saint Andrew's Day, Scotland's National Day - 30 November

Scotland is a region in the north of the British Isles, covering a third of it and under the sovereignty of the United Kingdom. In the Scottish Gaelic language, Scotland is called Alba.

St. Andrew was one of the twelve apostles of Christ. He was born in Bethsaida next to the Sea of Galilee. He is considered the patron saint of Scotland and the Scottish town of St Andrews is named after him. He was crucified in the Greek city of Patras on an X-shaped cross, hence the shape of the Scottish flag.

Flag of Scotland

November 30 is St. Andrew's Day and for this reason it is Scotland's national holiday. This day is an official holiday in Scotland, and is celebrated with performances of Scottish culture, traditional Scottish food and music. In the city of St. Andrews and other cities the festivities continue for a week.

Scotland is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain which also consists of Wales, England and Northern Ireland. Although Scotland has been part of the UK for over 300 years, it has a separate legal system. Since 1999 Scotland has had a separate Parliament legislating on internal affairs. In 2014 there was a referendum on whether to remain part of the United Kingdom or become an independent state and 55% of Scots preferred to leave the situation as it is and stay in the kingdom.

The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh. It is also the second largest city in Scotland. The largest city in Scotland is Glasgow, which was once one of the most important industrial centers in the world. 

Scotland's maritime territory includes large parts of the North and North Atlantic Oceans and is home to significant EU oil reserves. Because of this, cities like Aberdeen rose to prominence which is the third largest city in Scotland and is also called the "oil capital of Europe".

Scotland's national dish is huggies, a stew made from chopped offal of lamb (lungs, liver, heart), mixed with onions, oatmeal, kidney fat, spices, salt and spinach, which are used as a filling in the stomach.  

Another unique Scottish dish is a deep-fried March or Oreo snack that can be found at eateries.

The most popular drink in the country is the whiskey and carbonated drink called Irn Bru which according to the polls is sold much more than both cola and Pepsi.

Huggies (Image Source) 

Why you should travel to Scotland?

Scotland is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. It has more than 790 islands of different sizes, it has long beaches with lots of bays that create amazing fjords, lots of lakes, ancient castles and lots of hills and green mountains.

Scottish Cows (Image Source) 

Castle in Edinburgh

Scottish soldiers parade with Scottish skirts and flutes (source)  

In Scotland you will find The Hobbit House, designed by Stuart Grant. Grant began designing the house in 1984, when the house was tiny, and he was poor. Since then he has improved and added and designed the house non-stop. Today the house looks amazing and he is happy to live in it. This comfortable home has two bedrooms, an office, a bathroom, kitchens, a fireplace and a small creek in the yard and Grant says he is not a fan of Super Tolkien and it is a coincidence that the house looks like Bilbo Baggins' house. The house is not a tourist site, Grant lives there with his wife, but they are willing to accept visitors if contacted in advance. Location: Tomic Village, Scottish Highlands, North West Scotland.

 Source of photos and more photos 

November 30 is also Computer Security Day

National Unity & Armed Forces Day in Italy - November 4

November 4 is the anniversary of the signing of a ceasefire agreement, called the 'Armistice of Villa Giusti', which ended the battles between Italy and Austria-Hungary at the end of World War I.

Villa Giusti is located in Padua in northern Italy and is known for having signed the armistice agreement on November 3, 1918, and is therefore also called the "Armistice Villa" (Italian: Villa Armistizio). The armistice agreement entered into force 24 hours later, on 4 November.

In this agreement the Austro-Hungarian forces surrendered to Italy after being defeated at the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, and it was an important part of the decision to end World War II shortly afterwards, on 11 November.

Following the victory Italy annexed to itself some important parts of Austria, such as the port city of Trieste and South Tyrol.

Hotels in Trieste, Italy

A castle in the port city of Trieste in northern Italy

style="display:block"
data-ad-format="fluid"
data-ad-layout-key="-g7+t-3o-an+x9"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-8152220688286833"
data-ad-slot="7257876051">

The Trieste Stock Exchange Building

How do Italians celebrate Unity Day and Army Day?

On November 4 and a few days earlier, visitors begin to pay their respects in Italy by visiting and laying flowers at the monument to the Italian unknown soldier (Milite Ignoto) at the Altare della Patria in Piazza Venezia, Rome. The First World and Vittorio-Veneto, the site of the last and decisive battle between the Royal Italian Army and the Austro-Hungarian Army.

Redipuglia War Memorial

The President of Italy and the Minister of Defense convey to the Italian Armed Forces a greeting and gratitude on behalf of the entire country.

The Quirinal Palace has a guard exchange ceremony, a ceremony that takes place only on two other days of the year: the Tricolor Day celebrations (January 7) and Republic Day (June 2).

style="display:block"
data-ad-format="fluid"
data-ad-layout-key="-g7+t-3o-an+x9"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-8152220688286833"
data-ad-slot="7257876051">

Guard exchange ceremony at Piazza del Quirinale

Italian military forces usually open their facilities to the public and allow visits to naval military units. In the military buildings that are open to the public, weapons exhibitions and exhibitions on the subject of the First World War are held. Sports and gymnastics demonstrations by soldiers are also often held.

In the squares of the great Italian cities, concerts of military bands are held, and many celebrations are held in each city in front of its monument to the fallen.

November 4 is also  Use Your Common Sense day and Unity Day in Russia

Austria's National Day- October 26th

Austria celebrates its Independence Day, the day it was liberated from the foreign forces that took over it after World War II: France, the United States, England and the USSR, on 26 October 1955.

Austria is a Central European republic bordering nine countries: Liechtenstein and Switzerland in the west, Italy and Slovenia in the south, Hungary and Slovakia in the east and Germany and the Czech Republic in the north.

The capital city of Austria is Vienna and its spoken language is German. Austria is a federal republic consisting of nine countries: Burgenland, Karinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Forarlberg and Vienna.

In honor of Austria's Independence Day, get interesting facts about it:

After World War II ended, Austria swore to keep its neutrality forever.

For this reason, Austria is part of the European Union, but not a member of NATO.

The official name of Austria is Republik Öesterreich, which means "Kingdom of the East".

Beethoven was not Austrian but German, but he spent much of his life in Austria.

Mozart, on the other hand, was Austrian. So are the composers Haydn, Schubert, and Strauss. Austria is famous for its music.

Hitler, too, was Austrian.

And Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Eisriesenwelt is the largest natural ice cave in the world. In German, the word means "world of the ice giants".

The Austrian flag is one of the oldest flags in the world. The origin of the design of the flag is the legend that in 1191 Duke Leopold V was injured in the battle and his shirt was filled with red blood. When he removed his sword, a white line was exposed in the middle, hence the colors and shape of the Austrian flag.

The Schönbrunn Palace ("the beautiful spring castle") in Vienna received its name from the spring that supplied it with water. The water must have had such fresh, refreshing taste that the emperors moved it to their table.

In 1552 the Habsburg prince brought back to Vienna from Spain an elephant, but he died in the cold climate shortly after.

When the artist Edwin Lipburger ran into a dispute with the authorities about building permits for his ball home, he decided to declare independence from Austria. In 1976 he declared his independence in his home in Vienna, Austria, and called it the Kugelmugel Republic. In 1979, Lipburger was arrested and sent to prison for ten weeks. In June 1982, the house was moved to Parter Park near the Hauptallee, surrounded by eight barbed wire fences. The only address in the Republic is "Antifaschismusplatz 2" ("Anti-Fascism Square 2"), which has since been officially adopted by the City of Vienna. Lipburger died in January 2015, but his republic was officially recognized and now has a population of over 650 non-residents. Today the Republic is run by the Government of Vienna and is considered a tourist attraction. The word "Kugel" means "bullet" in German and the word "Mugel" is an Austrian-German term for "bulge" or "hill."

Most of Austria is mountainous, covered by the Alps, and a quarter of its population lives in Vienna.

Among Austria's mountains there is Grossglockner, the highest mountain in Austria with a height of 3,798 meters. It is characterized by a summit in the form of the vertex of a pyramid.

The Krimmler Wasserfälle Falls are the highest waterfalls in Europe (380 meters).

After Luxembourg, Switzerland and Scandinavia, Austria has the highest number of Nobel Prize winners per capita (19 in all).

The world's largest emeralds (Emerald or Emerald) is presented in Vienna (2860 carats).

Despite the bitter experience with the elephant, Vienna is home to the world's oldest zoo, the Schönbrunn Zoo.

Austria has the oldest restaurant in the world. The St. Peter Stiftskeller restaurant in Salzburg is a restaurant / inn that opened in 803 AD, more than 1,200 years ago!

 St. Peter Stiftskeller restaurant

The central cemetery in Vienna has more than 2.5 million graves. This is more than the population of the city's life!

Not surprisingly, Alpine sports sites (Alpine skiing) are very popular in Austria.

Austria has been ranked continuously for several years as one of the countries with the highest standards in the world and Vienna is almost always at the top of the list of cities with the best quality of life in the world.

October 26 is also Pumpkin Day

Independence Day in the Ukraine- August 24

On August 24, 1991, Ukraine became an independent state from the Soviet Union.

The law that established its independence was put to a vote in a referendum, and more than 90% of the votes approved voted for independence. Ukraine's Independence Day begins to be celebrated on August 23, which is Ukraine's flagship day, and continues the next day with a military parade held in the capital, Kiev.

Ukraine is currently the second largest country in Eastern Europe (after Russia). It covers an area of 603,628 square kilometers and has a population of over 44.5 million people.

Ukraine shares land borders with 7 countries, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova.

The capital of Ukraine is Kiev, home to over 2.8 million people.

The official language of Ukraine is Ukrainian, and it is the dominant language spoken in the western and central cities and in many rural areas of the country. Most Ukrainian speakers know Russian as a second language. In the eastern and southern cities Russian is the most widely spoken language.

The meaning of the name in Russian is "border country" or "border area" and in Ukrainian the origin is "country".

The highest point in Ukraine is on the mountain Hoverla, at 2,061 meters, which is located in the Carpathian Mountains. The only other mountain ranges are the Crimean Mountains in the south.

Ukraine is home to the Pysanky, which are decorated eggs. These decorated eggs are often considered to be Easter eggs, but the Ukrainians created these beautiful eggs even before the time of Christ.

As of 2011, Ukraine was the third largest exporter of grain in the world and was formerly called the bread basket of the Soviet Union. The country also has many natural resource deposits that include iron, coal, gas, oil, manganese and other metals.

The currency in Ukraine is called the hryvnia.

The most serious accident in a nuclear power plant disaster at Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986, took place in the Ukrainian town Pripyat.

The Jews living in Ukraine suffered greatly from riots in the 19th century, by antisemitic gangs. During the Holocaust, about 1.5 million Jews were murdered in Ukraine. One of the most notorious places during the Holocaust is Babi Yar, on the outskirts of Kiev, where some 50,000 Jews and another 100,000 people were captured by Soviet prisoners, the mentally ill, gypsies and civilians accused of disorderly conduct.

In Ukraine there are many interesting animals including foxes, lynxes, wolves, wild boar, martens, beavers, otters, hamsters and geese. Carp, dennis and catfish are the common fish species, while the large white pelicans are native to the southwestern regions.

Ukrainian Klitschko brothers, Vitaly and Wladimir, both held as world heavyweight boxing champions.

Traditional Ukrainian dishes include the varenyky a and pierogi dumplings, borscht soup and famous specialties named after the capital city like Chicken Kiev and Kiev cake.

Hotel in Odessa, on the Black Sea coast

August 24 is also International Strange Music Day

Belarus Independence Day - July 3

Belarus is a country with borders with Russia to the east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west and Lithuania and Latvia to the north. In the past, Belarus belonged to the Soviet Union, and after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, in 1991, it became an independent state.

Some people call Belarus "White Rus'", but Belarusian historians oppose it, because "Russia" is a nickname for the Russian state whose capital is Moscow, while the word "Rus" is an ancient nickname for the Eastern Slavic country centered in Kiev and Belarus considers itself one of its heirs (along with Russia And Ukraine).

Belarus has no access to the sea. Mostly it is a plain with round hills, dense forests and picturesque villages, and in its south there are lots of swamps or swamps that have been dried up. One of the common sights in it is the appearance of the spruce or birch trees whose trunks are white and some claim that the name "Belarus" was given to it thanks to these trees.

The major cities in Belarus are the capital Minsk, Gomel or Homyel), Mogilev, Vitebsk, Grodno and Brest.

Belarus celebrates its national holiday on July 3 to mark its liberation in 1944 from Nazi German soldiers. In World War I, Belarus was one of the most severely affected Soviet regions by the Nazi occupation. A quarter of its residents, Jews and non-Jews, perished in the war. 209 of the country's 290 cities, more than 9,000 villages and 85% of its industry were destroyed by the Nazis. After the war ended, Belarus needed lengthy rehabilitation by the authorities.

For several years, Belarus celebrated its Independence Day on July 27 in honor of its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. But in 2006 the people were asked in a referendum whether they wanted to celebrate Independence Day on July 27 or move it to July 3, the day of liberation from occupation. The Nazi. 88% of people preferred to move the holiday to an earlier date.

A church in Minsk

Hotels in Belarus

July 3 is also A day without plastic bags and Air Conditioning Appreciation Day