Christmas in Ukraine

Abstract

Christmas is one of the most favorite holidays for Ukrainians because it is an opportunity to relax, spend time with family, and enjoy delicious dishes. This year, every holiday has a special touch. Since the beginning of the war, our values have changed, and all Ukrainians have one common dream – victory as soon as possible. However, the traditions that Ukrainians have followed from generation to generation should not be abandoned. Christmas is just one word, but it holds so much meaning, so many emotions, so much power. The power of Christmas is in its presence, in its effect on people. And the impact is nothing short of miraculous by any stretch of the imagination. For Ukrainian people right now, it primarily signifies the sheer fact of survival: we’ve made it to next year, and we managed to not only hold but fight back the devil. It’s also a sign of remaining human – that even in the hardest of times, the darkest days we, the Ukrainian people, don’t forget to honor our traditions, our heritage, the building blocks of our identity. Some people are surely going to say: why celebrate, why have time off? “There’s a war outside, go and fight, or do something for the war effort.” That’s quite a foolish argument. The power of such a holiday can’t be underestimated. That’s a recharge that all of us need. It gives us hope and the future to look forward to. Ukraine has a long history of immigration, its success is evident in how many Ukrainian diasporas there are in the world, and one of the things that made them so strong are traditions and culture. That’s the thing that allowed the Ukrainian people to remain Ukrainian people – to celebrate, to have a little moment of peace and happiness in the foreign environment, to live a little.