Weddings

Weddings traditionally take place in churches, the bride in white and the groom in black. Wedding celebrations are known to continue for days, even a week. They are accompanied by lively music and dancing, drinking and eating, and fellowship. Some particular wedding customs include:

• Before the wedding, the groom goes with his friends to the bride's house and bargains with "money' to get a bride from her family.

• When leaving the church, the bride carries a basket of candies or sweets to throw to children and the crowd

• The groom carries her down any stairs

• At the reception, the bride dances with each of the unmarried women present, and places a special veil on each of them. This veil symbolises that they are still pure, but that the bride hopes they will get married soon. She also throws her veil and the girl who catches it first will likely be the next to marry.

Traditional art form

Every aspect of ordinary life is transformed into an art form on special occasions in Ukraine. Pysanka, rushnyk, korovai, vyshyvanka and ochipok are examples that illustrate extensive decorative finishes used throughout.

Dress

For men, traditional dress includes Kozhukh, Kontusz, Żupan, Sharovary, Lapti. For women, traditional dress includes Vyshyvanka, Kozhushanka, Ochipok for married women, and Ukrainian wreath for unmarried girls.

Weaving and embroidery

Artisan textile arts play an important role in Ukrainian culture,^[3] especially in Ukrainian wedding traditions. Ukrainian embroidery, weaving and lace-making are used in traditional folk dress and in traditional celebrations. Ukrainian embroidery varies depending on the region of origin^[4] and the designs have a long history of motifs, compositions, choice of colors and types of stitches.^[5] Use of color is very important and has roots in Ukrainian folklore. Embroidery motifs found in different parts of Ukraine are preserved in the Rushnyk Museum in Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi.

National dress is woven and highly decorated. Weaving with handmade looms is still practised in the village of Krupove, situated in Rivne Oblast. The village is the birth place of two famous personalities in the scene of national crafts fabrication. Nina Myhailivna^[6] and Uliana Petrivna^[7] with international recognition. In order to preserve this traditional knowledge the village is planning to open a local weaving center, a museum and weaving school.

Vernacular architecture

Museum of Decorative Finishes in Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi

Different regions in Ukraine had their own distinctive style of vernacular architecture based on local traditions and the knowledge handed down through generations. The Museum of Folk Architecture and Way of Life of Central Naddnipryanshchyna is located in Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi. The open air museum contains 13 theme museums, 122 examples of national architecture, and over 30,000 historical cultural objects. The Museum of Decorative Finishes is one of the featured museums that preserves the handiwork of decorative architectural applications in Ukrainian architecture. Decorative finishes use ancient traditional patterns like the lozenge shape featured on the Pysanka Museum.

Culture of the United Kingdom

The culture of the United Kingdom refers to the patterns of human activity and symbolism associated with the United Kingdom and its people. It is informed by the UK's history as a developed island country, major power, and its composition of four countries—England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales—each of which have preserved distinct customs, cultures and symbolism.

As a direct result of the British Empire, significant British cultural influence (such as the English language) can be observed in the language and culture of a geographically wide assortment of countries including Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, the United States and the British overseas territories. These states are sometimes collectively known as the Anglosphere, and are among Britain's closest allies.^[4][5] As well as the British influence on its empire, the empire also influenced British culture, particularly British cuisine. Innovations and movements within the wider culture of Europe have also changed the United Kingdom; Humanism, Protestantism, and representative democracy have developed from broader Western culture.

The Industrial Revolution, with its origins in the UK, brought about major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation, and had a profound effect on the socio-economic and cultural conditions of the world. The social structure of Britain during this period has also played a central cultural role. More recently, popular culture of the UK included notable movements in music such as the British invasion and Britpop, while British literature, British cinema, British television and British poetry is respected across the world.

As a result of the history of the formation of the United Kingdom, the cultures of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are diverse and have varying degrees of overlap and distinctiveness.

The English language is the official language of the UK, and is spoken monolingually by an estimated 95% of the British population.^{[6][note 1]}