Ukraine’s unique fortune-telling traditions

St. Andrew's Day traditions like boot-throwing and wax divination offer glimpses into love, careers, and the future. For Yelyzaveta, these rituals bring clarity and confidence for what's to come.

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It's midnight.

My girlfriends and I sit in a circle, our giggles echoing throughout the room.

The lit candles crackle softly, casting orange reflections of light across the walls.

We have prepared a ritual with wax, water, and rings, and we are making a list of male names. We are going to find out the names of our future husbands, and when we will get married.

In Ukraine, St Andrew’s Day, the night of November 30 into December 1, is seen as magical. People believe it can give them hints about their future.

During the Soviet Union era, divination or fortune-telling was strongly suppressed. People who engaged in it could face up to five years of imprisonment. The Soviets classified any activity related to religious rituals as a crime.

Nevertheless, the USSR's policy failed to destroy the desire of Ukrainians to predict the future. The popularity of the divination holiday is growing.

The full-scale invasion became a catalyst for Ukrainians to return to these traditions as a way of self-identification and a weapon against Russian aggression. For many, these traditions have become a way not only to feel connected to their roots, but also to support the spirit of resistance. It's not so much about magic as it is about cultural resilience and finding new meanings in old customs.

St Andrew’s Day is named after the Apostle Andrew, who, according to legend, was the first to preach Christianity in Ukraine. After meeting Jesus, he is said to have spread the gospel along the Black Sea, before coming inland – into Kyiv and on to Russia.

After the paywall: Yelyzaveta told us how she baked a traditional Ukrainian cake, how to tell your own fortune using Ukrainian traditions and she also told fortune with her friends and now knows what to expect in the future. If you want to know and tell your own fortune, subscribe!