Almost 800 participants, dozens of festive master classes and creative performances — these were the results of the tenth Open Festival of Nativity Scene Performers and Carol Singers ‘Christmas Bells’, which is held annually in Donetsk Oblast with the support of the Donetsk Oblast State Administration.
The festival was organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Donetsk Regional State Administration in conjunction with the Donetsk Regional Educational and Methodological Centre for Culture and lasted from Christmas to Epiphany this year. Representatives of 33 territorial communities of the Donetsk region, as well as creative groups from the Poltava, Rivne and Volyn regions, took part in the events.
The festival featured a wide range of traditional Ukrainian winter holidays. Participants and spectators took part in master classes on making Christmas stars, didukh and spider amulets, witnessed caroling, shchedruvannya and posivannya, as well as modern instrumental, choreographic and vocal performances on Christmas and New Year themes.
The Christmas Bells festival once again confirmed the importance of preserving and promoting Ukrainian traditions, strengthening cultural unity among communities, and supporting spiritual values, especially in today's world. The organisers express their sincere gratitude to all festival participants for their active participation, creative initiative, and preservation of folk customs.