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Saint Nicholas Day – The Day Kids Anticipate The Most

Posted on | by Olga Zhestkova
Saint Nicholas Day (Sviatyi Mykolai Day)

Most families in Ukraine observe the Eastern Orthodox religion.

Christmas is celebrated a bit differently among Ukrainians! Instead of Santa Claus, kids expect Saint Nicholas, or Sviatyi Mykolai as he is called in Ukraine.

Happy Saint Nicholas Day! Happy Sviatyi Mykolai Day!

What is Saint Nicholas Day?

Saint Nicholas (our Santa) is a kind man, known for his good deeds and acts of charity. He helps families most in need and is the patron saint of children. 

On the night of 5th December, it is said that Saint Nicholas will fill good children’s shoes with toys and gifts and they will find them on the morning of the 6th of December!

In Ukraine, Saint Nicholas, who is called Sviatyi Mykolai, visits all children during the night. Children wait for Sviatyi Mykolai to come and put a present under their pillows. 

Only the kind, nice children receive a treat from Saint Nicholas. The naughty children who do not listen to their parents and teachers may end up only getting a twig or a piece of coal under their pillows. 

This tradition is upheld in many countries to this day.

Did you know:

The American Santa Claus 🎅, as well as the British Father Christmas, derive from Saint Nicholas.

Fun facts about Saint Nicholas from Clever Hedgehog >>>

Free Coloring Pages For Kids – Free PDF Printables

Fun quest on Saint Nicholas Day. Free Printable PDF

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Fun fall activities with Clever Hedgehog
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Fun fall activities with Clever Hedgehog
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♫ Saint Nicholas Songs | Kids Songs

Saint Nicholas Day Crafts For Kids

Letter to Saint Nicholas crafts idea

Letter to Saint Nicholas crafts idea

Learn to draw Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas

Saint Nicholas Day (Sviatyi Mykolai Day)

Show Clever Hedgehog and Saint Nicholas how good you were this year. Draw a picture of the good things you did this year!

Share your creation with us on Instagram. Tag #stories_with_clever_hedgehog

Things To Be Thankful For On Thanksgiving Day

Posted on | by Olga Zhestkova
Thanksgiving clever hedgehog

There is a special day in November when people in the United States come together to give thanks for everything good in their lives. It is a day of Thanksgiving. 

Even though it’s not celebrated in Ukraine, we still have so many things to be thankful for.

Maybe one day soon, Ukrainians will celebrate the Ukrainian Thanksgiving Day too!

This year Clever Hedgehog is thankful for:

  • Family
  • Close friends
  • Good books  
  • Teachers
  • Music
  • Giving and receiving gifts
  • Learning new facts and traditions
  • Fuzzy socks
  • A good meal
  • A nice cup of hot chocolate
  • Rain boots and puddles to jump in
  • Nap time
  • Blowing bubbles

What things are you thankful for?

Use this printable worksheet to make a list of things you are grateful for

What is Thanksgiving and why it is celebrated?

Thanksgiving Day is an annual national holiday in the United States, which is often the busiest of the year, as families and friends gather together to express gratitude for the good things that have happened over the past year.

The story behind this festival tells us that the early settlers of the Plymouth colony planned a special meal to honor a good harvest 🍱 they had in 1621. They invited the Wampanoag tribe, who lived in the same area, to enjoy the meal together. The first Thanksgiving festival 🍽 lasted for 3 days!

Nowadays, as many people live in cities (not on farms) and family members live farther apart, Thanksgiving has become a time for families 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 to come together and give thanks for good things in their lives.

Thanksgiving for Kids:

Thanksgiving is a great time for children to learn about gratitude and giving thanks 🥰, to reflect on the things they are thankful for, and to express their gratitude to others; time to learn some family history and traditions, spend time with loved ones, and enjoy a delicious meal. 

Thanksgiving Day is a great time for children to experience the warmth and love of family and friends ❤️, and to create lasting memories.

Are you looking forward to helping with the Thanksgiving meal preparation? 

A pumpkin and a pumpkin pie 🥧 are symbols of harvest time, and pumpkin pie is usually prepared for Thanksgiving, so you can bake a pumpkin pie with your mom.

🧑🏼‍🍳 This is Clever Hedgehog’s favorite recipe 🍜 for pumpkin pie. Follow the cooking instructions in this video:

Thanksgiving Crafts and Activity For Kids

Thankfulness Tree | Easy Thanksgiving Craft For Kids

Easy DIY Thanksgiving Turkey Card

How To Draw A Turkey Stack For Thanksgiving

Thankful / Gratitude craft – Paper Plate Spinner

Share your creation with us on Instagram. Tag #stories_with_clever_hedgehog

Coloring Pages For Kids – Free Download

Thanksgiving greeting card for kids, Fun fall activities with Clever Hedgehog
Thanksgiving greeting card Download
Fun fall activities with Clever Hedgehog
Things to be thankful for Download
Fun fall activities with Clever Hedgehog
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♫ Let’s be Thankful | Kids Songs

Clever Hedgehog loves the Fall!

Posted on | by Olga Zhestkova
Clever Hedgehog loves the Fall!

Fall, also known as autumn, is a wonderful time of the year when the weather starts to cool, and nature transforms into a colorful wonderland. There are lots of fun activities to enjoy with family and friends. It’s a time for pumpkins and warm drinks, and it’s definitely a season that Clever Hedgehog looks forward to!

Do you know what Clever Hedgehog likes to do this season? The same cool things that you can enjoy too:

Changing Leaves: One of the most exciting things about fall is that the leaves on the trees change colors. They go from green to all sorts of shades like red, orange, and yellow. How many leaves of different colors can you find?

Crisp Air: The air in the fall feels cooler and crisp. It’s a great time to put on your favorite cozy sweater and go for walks or play outside. How does the cold air feel on your face? Your hands?

Pumpkin Picking: Fall is the season for pumpkins. Families often visit pumpkin patches to pick out the perfect pumpkin to make a delicious pumpkin soup or for carving into a spooky or funny Jack-o’-Lantern for Halloween. Do you want to carve a face into a pumpkin for Halloween?

Jumping in Piles of Leaves: When the leaves fall off the trees, you can rake them into big piles and then jump into them. It’s super fun and makes a big, crunchy mess!

Cozy Reading: Fall is a great time to snuggle up with a good book.  You can read stories about the season and imagine all the fun adventures you may have outside.

Clever Hedgehog suggests you reading these stories:

Autumnal Crafts 

5 Easy Fall Crafts for Kids

Beautiful Leaf Craft Ideas for Kids

Clever Hedgehog’s friend on Instagram @aleksandrapushinababenko shared a photo of her creation with us

Share your creation with us on Instagram. Tag #stories_with_clever_hedgehog

Share your costume picture with us on Instagram with the hashtag #stories_with_clever_hedgehog

Halloween: Fall has some exciting holidays like Halloween. Halloween is all about dressing up in fun costumes and going trick-or-treating for candies. 

Halloween is all about having fun and using your imagination. It’s not meant to be too scary, just a little spooky and a lot of fun! So, get creative with your costume, collect lots of treats, and enjoy the excitement of Halloween!

How to Draw a JACK-o-LANTERN for Halloween! | Step-by-Step Pumpkin Drawing

Do you know if animals can choose their own costumes for Halloween?

See this hilarious book >>>

Halloween Songs

Free Printables About Fall – Download your PDF copy

Fun fall activities with Clever Hedgehog
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Fun fall activities with Clever Hedgehog
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Fun fall activities with Clever Hedgehog
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Free Printable Fall Fun Pack

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♫ Songs about Fall

♫ Songs about Fall in Ukrainian

First Day of School with Clever Hedgehog

Posted on | by Olga Zhestkova
1 вересня, День знань, перший дзвоник, back-to-school,

The first day of school is always so exciting!

Did you know that the first day of school 🏫 in Ukraine is called Knowledge Day? 📚

The school year starts in all Ukrainian schools on Knowledge Day 📚 (on September 1)! 

Knowledge Day is very exciting for all children – and especially for kids who start the first grade! This is the first time they meet their teacher and new classmates.

There is a special celebration 🎉 in schools on Knowledge Day when 11th-graders 🧑‍🧒 (the oldest students) take the first-graders by the hand and lead them into the school for the first time.

There are so many things you will learn in your school. New books, friends, and teachers will be there to greet you! 

Clever Hedgehog can’t wait to hear all about your adventures in school.

Free Printables About School

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But of course, schools around the world are different and have many different traditions. 

Starting elementary school 🏫 is a big deal in Germany too. 

Did you know that children in Germany receive special paper cones called Schultüte (“school cone”) 🎉 on the first day of the first grade? Their parents and grandparents present them with this large decorated cone filled with toys, chocolate, candies/sweets, school supplies, and various other special treats. 

Coloring and Activity Pages to Celebrate the First Day of School

Independence Day Ukraine coloring page for kids
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Coloring page for kids, Stories with Clever Hedgehog
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Coloring page for kids, Stories with Clever Hedgehog
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Free Printables About School – Download your PDF copy

Let’s travel to Ukraine

Join the Knowledge Day celebration in Ukraine

Be optimistic like Sophia Sanchez

Posted on | by Olga Zhestkova

Sofia Sanchez became a celebrity thanks to videos on social networks that went viral in the fall of 2016. She has a disease called Down syndrome. In her video she says that Down syndrome is “not scary”, and she glows with self-confidence and positivity.

And now photos of Sophia Sanchez grace the covers of magazines and the website of a clothing store. Her face appears on television talk shows and on the red carpet in Hollywood, and her videos on social networks receive millions of views.

Sophia was born in Ukraine and spent the first year of her life in an orphanage in Dnipro (Ukraine) until she was adopted by a couple from the USA.

Source

Cutest Kid Singer on Got Talent Ukraine

Posted on | by Olga Zhestkova

In 2010, the whole of Ukraine listened to Veronika Morska singing as she became a winner in the popular TV show “Ukraine Got Talent”

Watch the amazing Veronika Morska as she wows the judges with her amazing singing voice. What did you think about her audition?

In 2019, Veronika took part in the second popular show “Voice of Ukraine. Children”, where she reached the semi-finals.

Source

3-year-old Nazarko Says: “Stay Calm!”

Posted on | by Olga Zhestkova

A video of a 3-year-old Nazarko became popular overnight. And it all started when a friend of the family shared a video where the boy asks his mom to stay calm after seeing him spilling the flour all over the kitchen.

The video went viral with 8 million views and thousands of comments within weeks.

In social media, people call him “A Little Psychologist”, for his unique manner to tell his mother not to worry about the little things.

Source

A Cat with a “Mustache”

Posted on | by Olga Zhestkova

As for now, Mostaccioli is only 1 year and 4 months old, but she already has her own fans on social networks.

Turns out, cats can have mustaches as well. Mostaccioli was born with a mark just above her mouth that looks like a mustache and she’s a new candidate to win many hearts on the internet.

Her owner, Natalie, loves sharing some of the cutest photos of Mostaccioli on a dedicated Instagram account: @izanami.and.mostaccioli.

Source

Photo: @izanami.and.mostaccioli

Photo: @izanami.and.mostaccioli

Photo: @izanami.and.mostaccioli

The Bravest Dog named “Patron”

Posted on | by Olga Zhestkova

A two-year-old Jack Russel Terrier called Patron serves as a mine detection dog and mascot for the Chernihiv branch of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. He became a veritable Internet celebrity.

Yes, we love him, too ;-).

“Our Patron keeps his paws busy and is thankful to every one of you,” said the service in a Facebook post.

Patron first became known in 2022 and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded him the “Order for Courage” for his work.

Source 1, Source 2

Photo: via Wikimedia Commons

Photo: via Wikimedia Commons

Photo: via Wikimedia Commons

The Ukrainian Star Cat Stepan

Posted on | by Olga Zhestkova

Instagram photos (@loveyoustepan) of the Kharkiv cat Stepan gained popularity not only among Ukrainians but also among users of social networks all over the world.

Stepan is a Ukrainian cat that has gained international fame on social media due to his unique story and adorable photos. He is known for his affectionate behavior, which includes hugging and snuggling with his owners.

On May 18-19, 2023, the famous Ukrainian cat blogger Stepan took part in a Forum of the World’s Best Influencers and Bloggers in France. He walked the red carpet wearing a bow tie in the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

Source 1, Source 2

World Influencers & Bloggers Awards 2022 | WIBA |

Instagram: @loveyoustepan

Instagram: @loveyoustepan