Originating from generations long past, pre-Christianity, the Ukrainian vinok is a crown lovingly and longingly handmade of flowers, wax, vines, ribbons, greenery, and a headband-like paper backing. 

First worn as a symbol of fertility by young women eligible for marriage; vinoks were placed in the water during a village-wide celebration (the solstice holiday, Ivan Kupala) and floated across the water towards the eligible men waiting eagerly on the other shore.  Whichever man caught a maiden's vinok would become her husband within the year.  Though not how the ritual was intended, eligible bachelors were known to jump headfirst into the murky, coursing water after the vinok of whichever woman they most desired--yet another historical testament to the unbridled power of a woman's kindness, creativity, intelligence, and beauty. 

In recent generations, the Ukrainian vinok is a symbol of celebration, of pride in oneself and one's origins. Particularly following Russia's 2014 invasion of Crimea and subsequent 2022 incursion of additional sovereign Ukrainian soil, it has become a worldwide symbol of resilience in the face of war and tragedy. 

In short, the vinok is a powerful marriage of creativity, beauty, and intense work required to materialize a positive future for everyone. 
After all, it takes a village...