Ukrainians have changed their attitude toward the May holidays: Labor Day and May 9 have lost their popularity
Ukrainians’ attitudes toward the May holidays have changed significantly in recent years. Labor Day on May 1 and Victory Day on May 9 are no longer among the most important holidays for most citizens.
This is evidenced by the results of a study by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), which compares data from 2010 to 2026.
In 2010, only 12% of Ukrainians cited May 1 as an important or favorite holiday. This figure remained unchanged in 2021. After 2022, support plummeted to 5% and has remained consistently low.
As of 2026, Labor Day is the least popular holiday among Ukrainians.
Significant changes have also occurred in attitudes toward Victory Day on May 9. In 2010, 58% of respondents considered it important. By 2021, this figure had dropped to 30%.
After 2022, support fell to 13%, and since 2024, it has stabilized at around 11%.
Sociologists attribute this to the impact of the full-scale war and the shift in the symbolic meaning of the date, which is used in Russia as an element of militarist propaganda.
According to a KIIS poll in January 2023, 62% of Ukrainians supported observing the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation on May 8. At the same time, 22% favored retaining Victory Day on May 9, and 6% favored observing both dates.
In subsequent years, as researchers note, the trend has shifted even further in favor of May 8, reflecting a general decline in the significance of May 9 in society.
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According to the survey results, 71% of Ukrainians do not believe that the current negotiations will lead to a lasting peace.
