Christmas in Ukraine 

What is traditional Christmas in Ukraine like?  

People gather in their local squares to sing carols. They listen to Ukraine’s famous choral groups and watch vertep performances (puppet theatre and drama). Strangers and friends alike are greeted with Veselykh Svyat (Happy Feasts).  

At home, the trees are lit, and the dining tales decorated with didukh (a sheaf of wheat stalks). Expect borscht, stuffed cabbage leaves and filled dumplings – meat, eggs and milk will not normally be eaten until Jan. 6. A common dish is kutia, a kind of boiled wheat pudding, mixed with poppy seeds and honey, although sweet-toothed people like me prefer verhuny, which are pastries cooked in oil and seasoned with sugar powder). Wash it down with Uzvar, a traditional Ukrainian Christmas drink made with dried fruits and berries: apples, apricots, plums, raisins, and/or sour cherries. Don’t fret, serious drinkers, Vodka-Horilka is available, and it is potent. 

So how is Christmas celebrated in Ukrainian cities in the second year of the war? 

There will be no street gatherings, no bright lights, no puppet shows, and no carolling. The Christmas markets in Kyiv’s Sofiivska Square have been cancelled, though a large Christmas tree was erected on Dec. 6. In some of the metro stations used as bomb shelters, efforts were made to put up decorations. Choral groups perform underground. In basements across the country, candles are lit, food is eaten, and traditional songs like Heaven and Earth Today Rejoice, are sung. Electricity is limited (about four hours a day), but people cook and are kept warm by wood-burning stoves (some provided by my friend Tenby Powell).  

Climate change affects Ukraine too, and this winter they can expect heavy snow, larger storms and higher seas. It has already begun. It means that neither Russia nor Ukraine can advance far on the frontlines, so Russia resumes its attacks on towns and cities.  

Russian missile attacks will be aimed at railway hubs, oil refineries and electricity transmitters. Often it will be targeting residential areas. It’s all an effort to break the will of the Ukrainian people. There was a lull for 52 days in spring; many sources claim that Russia was building up its resources to attack in winter. Currently, Moscow has about 585 missiles, with a range of more than 500 kilometers, according to Major General Vadym Skibitsky, a representative of Ukrainian Defense Intelligence. These are the missiles often used in infrastructure attacks on Ukraine. The spring pause also allowed Russia to replenish the AS-23a KODIAK missiles before resuming Christmas attacks against Ukraine. 

In many cases, damage to civilian areas is a result of falling debris from intercepted missiles. Although much less destructive than allowing a missile to strike its target, debris from intercepts can still kill, maim, start fires and damage property. Last Christmas, about 20 percent of Russian missile attacks got through the air defenses, and caused extensive damage, and loss of life. The Ukrainians are better prepared this year but expect casualties.  

At least 483 children have been killed, 1,000 injured and 1,500 orphaned in Ukraine. The long-term mental health costs to children of exposure to warfare produces a diverse range of suffering that includes posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic stress symptoms, sleep problems, anxiety, depression and panic disorders. 

Expect Russian President Putin to make a Christmas message in January about seeking a ceasefire and peace deal, as he did last year. He is still angry that the Ukrainians switched to celebrating Christmas on Dec. 25, rather than the Russian Orthodox celebration of Jan. 7. His message is totally disingenuous, aimed at his domestic audience. The war is not popular in Russia, and he has is seeking re-election; though he is the only real candidate, he desires a large turnout. 

How do the people of Ukraine feel?  

Most are tired but defiant.  

Oleh Mazuriak, a 75-year-old cardiologist, says, “We’re surviving, and we’re not giving up. Somehow it will work out.” Halyna Bolokan, a school director, is building a school bomb shelter, saying, “I am using strength to put a smile on my face.” Sixty-two-year-old retired teacher Alexander says, “This is our land. Go f..k yourself, Russians! We will stay here.” Pashchenko Denys, 22, says, “The war is ongoing. But Kyiv continues to live”. 

They cannot afford to give up, and the West should not give up on Ukraine. President Zelensky met with President Biden and U.S. House leaders on Dec. 13. The following day, Russia fired a barrage of missiles at Kyiv, injuring 53, including six children. The president offered $200 million in military drawdown aid. Congress has already left for their holiday break without an aid bill. 

On Christmas Day in Kyiv, it is forecast to be -1 degrees and cloudy. But still the missiles will rain down. To quote my Ukrainian friend, Denys Davydov, “I wish you peaceful skies wherever you are.” 

Patrick Drennan is a journalist based in New Zealand, with a degree in American history and economics.