NBU presents commemorative coin “Spirit of Christmas” featuring didukh

Obverse side of the commemorative coin "Spirit of Christmas". Photo: NBU

The National Bank of Ukraine has presented a new commemorative coin titled “Spirit of Christmas” with a denomination of 10 hryvnias, the National Bank reported on its Facebook page.

Speaking at the presentation of the commemorative coin, the Governor of the NBU, Andrii Pyshnyi, noted that the straw didukh is a traditional attribute of Ukrainian Christmas. For this reason, the obverse of the coin features a straw didukh at the center, with a straw angel at its base. The background is divided into two parts adorned with stars, one of which is the Star of Bethlehem – a 1.5 mm diamond is set at the center of this star.

The reverse depicts a traditional pre-Christmas meal of a Ukrainian family, whose members are identified with the heavenly bodies: the father’s halo symbolizes the moon, the mother’s halo the sun, and the children’s halos the stars. Before the family stands a table with twelve dishes and garlic – described as “a talisman against evil spirits”.

The statement notes that from ancient times Ukrainians “on the eve of Christmas, on Christmas Eve, placed a didukh in their homes – a guardian of the family and prosperity, a symbol of the harvest and the spirit of ancestors”.

The coin is made of 925 sterling silver. The weight of the precious metal is 31.1 grams. The mintage of the commemorative coin is up to 15,000 pieces.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that euro coins featuring Orthodox saints were issued in Bulgaria.

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