I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, but my great grandparents immigrated from the Ukraine in the midst of WWII as refugees (humanitarian), which makes me a third generation immigrant.

They brought many characteristics of Ukrainian culture back to Canada including....

Clothing

Typical cultural clothing in the ukraine is called Vyshyvanka, which is typically handmade, and is designed with different coloured threads and beautiful designs, mostly floral. Vyshyvanka is an everyday clothing item, and is customized for different events (e.g. a funeral) 

Religion

Ukraine is a mainly Orthodox Christian country, which has played an essential role in Ukraines history, including causing multiple conflicts/war. Religion is an extremely important part of Ukraines culture, and is part of daily life in Ukraine.

Food

Ukrainian food is very incredibly diverse, but all traditional food shares common features like mostly plant based dishes made with different types of grain. Some of the most popular ukrainian dishes in North American include perogies and chicken kiev. 

Music

Folk music is Ukraine's most predominant genre, and remains highly popular among the Ukrainian culture. It was often accompanied by a cappella and instruments like a bandura (a stringed instrument of the lute family

Traditions

Ukraine has an impressive amount of diverse traditions, especially when it comes to holidays like easter and christmas. Ukrainians partake in activities like caroling and gift giving, but they also have some more unique traditions. For example, Ukranians celebrate a holiday called Masnytsia (meaning butter week), which practically means that all the food they eat during that week consists of mostly cheese and butter in order to pay respects  to Jarilo, the god of the sun.

Language

The main language spoken in Ukraine is Ukrainian, but there is also a large amount of Ukrainian citizens that speak many other slavish languages like Polish, Yiddish, Rusyn, Belarusian, Romanian and more.

Art

Ukrainian art has changed and evolved over the years, but is based off of folk art. Embroidery and intricate designs are very popular in traditional ukrainian art. Patterned eggs (usually decorated for easter), were developed in the Ukraine, and then westernized when the tradition spread to europe.

Customs & etiquette

Some of the most common Ukrainian etiquette  includes never wasting food, especially bread, and if you aren't going to eat it you need to give it back to the earth (e.g. to animals outside). Another example of common etiquette is when an event that you are hosting is ending, you need to signal people to leave with a toast, called Na Konya. This is seen as a polite way to end a night.

Push Factors

Reasons why my family decided to emigrate from Ukraine.

My grandparents had plans to raise a family and start a life together, but due to the ongoing conflicts and serious wars in the Ukraine, they knew they couldn't stay if they wanted to have the life they dreamed of. 

Safety

Lack of food/supplies

Due to the war, food and medical supplies were scarce, which made it incredibly difficult to survive, nonetheless make a family. 

Job opportunities

The economy during the time of the war was inadequate, which also meant that there was a lack of job opportunities. This made it hard to support yourself or your family.