Christmas in Ukraine
25/12/25, 03:00
On December 25, Christmas enters the Ukrainian home quietly and with dignity—together with the winter sky, the light of a candle, and a sense of an ancient order.
It is a moment when ordinary time slows down, and the space of the home fills with meanings passed down from generation to generation. This celebration brings together family, community, and the memory of the land itself.
The festive evening begins with the appearance of the first Star of Bethlehem in the sky, the sign that the Christmas supper may begin. The table is set with fasting dishes, as the period before Christmas is one of abstinence. Kutia, uzvar, and dishes made of grains and honey are deeply connected to the earth and to agricultural tradition. On this evening, people remember their ancestors—those who handed down the home, the fields, and the family’s living memory. The house is adorned with a didukh—a sheaf of grain placed in the most honored, sacred corner of the home. The didukh symbolizes bread, abundance, and the presence of the family lineage in the house during the feast. That night, the hosts await ritual visitors, opening their home to song and the spoken word.
It is for this purpose that carols are sung—ritual Christmas songs praising the birth of Christ and offering blessings to the household. Carolers go from house to house, singing and proclaiming wishes of prosperity and protection. They often dress as animals or symbolic figures—bears, horses, devils, angels—wearing masks and costumes. Such transformation is linked to ancient ideas of renewal and the transitional time of the year, when changing one’s appearance and role allows the power of words to enter the home.
A special part of caroling is the Dance of the Goat, performed by a young man in disguise. The Goat moves through the house, touches objects, dies, and comes back to life. It embodies vital energy and fertility. Its movements are meant to “awaken” the space of the home, ensuring that the coming year will be generous and fruitful.
Today, Christmas in Ukraine is lived through during wartime. On the front lines, soldiers greet the holiday far from home. People in the rear send them gifts, treats, letters, and children’s drawings—signs of warmth and care from the home they protect. Thanks to these defenders, Christmas light remains in Ukrainian houses. And as long as carols are sung, as long as memory and dignity endure, Christmas in Ukraine continues.
