DAY 1035 RUSSIAN AGGRESSION
On December 24, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Workers of Archival Institutions.
Christmas Eve (Eve of the Nativity of Christ); Feast of the Holy Fathers; Feast of Saint Eugenia the Martyr.
Day of Workers of Archival Institutions of Ukraine
This day was established by a decree from Leonid Kuchma in 1998. The Library and Archival Department, at that time the first state body for managing archival documents, was created in the early 20th century and has been operational since 1917. Since 1999, this organization has been known as the State Committee of Archives of Ukraine.
Archival institutions in the country hold over 60 million units of various types of documents. More than 700 archives are concentrated in different cities across the nation. Currently, the total number of employees in such institutions exceeds 5,000.
Also on this day:
1903 - The first registration number for a car was issued in the UK - the plate number A1 was given to the Duke of Russell, brother of philosopher Bertrand Russell;
1908 - The first international air show opened in Paris;
1914 - A German plane dropped a bomb on the English city of Dover, marking the first aerial bombing in history;
1982 - The prototype of the world's largest serial cargo aircraft, the An-124 "Ruslan," made its first flight.
1997 - The first concert of the band "Mandri" took place, and this day is considered the founding date of the group;
2004 - The Ukrainian satellite "Sich-1M" (Earth remote sensing satellite; the 2nd in the "Sich" series) was launched into orbit.
Born on this day:
180 years since the birth of Yevgeny Ieronimovich Zhelekhovsky (1844-1885), a Ukrainian lexicographer, folklorist, educator, public figure, and creator of phonetic spelling;
110 years since the birth of Kyrylo Yaremovych Tsependa (1914-2003), a Ukrainian conductor and music figure;
100 years since the birth of Daniil Panteleevich Bednoshiya (1924-1989), a Ukrainian artist;
50 years since the birth of Oleksiy Oleksandrovych Senyuk (December 24, 1974, in Teližyntsi, now in the Bila Tserkva district of Kyiv region), a participant in the Russo-Ukrainian War and Hero of Ukraine. He was killed on February 27, 2022, as a result of an enemy airstrike. He is buried in the city of Nosivka in the Nizhyn district of Chernihiv region.
Church holiday:
On December 24, according to the new church calendar, Christmas Eve is celebrated, the eve of the Nativity of Christ.
According to biblical tradition, over 2,000 years ago on Christmas Eve, the Bethlehem Star appeared in the sky, heralding the arrival of the Savior to the world.
The Orthodox Church conducts a special service in honor of the Nativity Eve. Traditionally, believers prepare 12 lean dishes on this evening, corresponding to the number of Christ's apostles. Among them, kutia and uzvar made from dried fruits must be present on the table. Kutia is a lean porridge made from wheat (or barley, and less frequently, rice or millet) mixed with poppy seeds, raisins, nuts, and honey.
Feast of Saint Eugenia of Rome
Saint Eugenia of Rome, whose memory is celebrated on December 24, was known as the daughter of the prefect of Egypt, Philip, who, although a pagan, maintained contact with Christians.
Her father taught Eugenia all the knowledge he possessed, making her well-educated: she read well in Latin and Greek. Eugenia had an excellent memory - everything she heard once never faded from her mind.
Once, among numerous manuscripts, Eugenia discovered the writings of the Apostle Paul. After reading them, she decided to embrace Christianity. The saint entered a monastery and moved with her entire family to Rome.
It was there, for her attempts to convert women and girls to the Christian faith, that Eugenia of Rome was sentenced to death, an event that occurred in the mid-3rd century, just before Christmas Day.
Name days: Nikolai, Sergey, Eugenia, Claudia.