New Year, 1 January 2017

A happy new year to everyone.

One of the practical facts about a Ukrainian January that nobody warns a foreigner about: tonight does not end the season. It starts it. Christmas follows, then the old new year a fortnight later, then the water blessing.

Anyone who plans a business meeting for the tenth of January learns this once and never again.

I have come to like the length of it. A holiday period long enough that people actually rest, rather than two days of hurry followed by an immediate return.

A good year to your house, and enjoy the fortnight.