Cultures/History

While Christmas Day on the Julian calendar is celebrated on January 7, 2018, celebrations began on St. Nicholas Day, December 19, 2017, and will end on the Epiphany, January 19. Much joy was experienced during the lighting of the main Christmas tree in Kyiv's St.

With Orthodox Easter to be celebrated on May 1, Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church, 739 N. Oakley, is holding a two day Spring Bazaar to benefit victims of war in the Ukraine.

Seventy years ago on January 27, 1945, Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Oswiecim, Poland, was liberated after five years of atrocities. Today delegations from over 30 countries honored those lost and remaining.

Since the start of the Kremlin’s campaign to take over Crimea in March, there have been false myths generated and broadcast by the Russian propaganda organization to give Putin the “license” to torment Ukraine and many other countries. 

Celebrated on the last Monday of May, Memorial Day, once called "Decoration Day," is a day to commemorate those who have died in the military services. 

Dick Durbin, Illinois' Senior Senator, addressed a large crowd hosted by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America Illinois Division at the Ukrainian Cultural Center, 2247 W. Chicago Ave., just hours after returning from the Ukraine on Sun., Mar. 16. 

UPDATE:
 Chicago Public Schools will be open due to snow days.

This year Mar. 3 is the day when Illinois and particularly Chicago and Cook County, where there are large populations of Poles, celebrate.

It is a confusing holiday because there is not consistent business closing "rules."

In fact, there were about a dozen St. Valentines, plus a pope! While it is believed that the St. Valentine recognized by the Roman Catholic Church died around 270 A.D., there is confusion around which of two men it really was. 

At the roll out of a new website Fri., Sept. 13, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn began a month-long celebration of Latino Heritage. A different Latino “Trailblazer of the Day” will be featured.