Carols and family reunions: how Ukrainians celebrate Christmas

In the winter, Ukrainian calendars are full of red dates, but since ancient times, the most important holiday for Christians has been Christmas.

This is reported by “ Pryamiy “.

It is believed that on this day Jesus Christ, who became the Savior of mankind, was born, descending to earth to atone for the sins of all people. After his birth, a bright light emanated from the Star of Bethlehem, announcing the good news.

The bright glow became a guide for the wise men of the East, who brought generous gifts. This is how the tradition of exchanging gifts on the holiday arose.

It is also customary to glorify Jesus Christ at Christmas. For this, boys and girls go from house to house and sing songs – carols. In festive songs, they glorify the Savior and the light that came after darkness.

The process of caroling is not just singing in a group, it is a theatrical performance that has its own mandatory attributes. During the caroling, someone carries a Star of Bethlehem, someone carries a bag of gifts, and someone rings the bells.

This process began from the moment the first star rose, a symbol of the birth of Jesus Christ, and continued until late at night.

An important tradition for Christmas is meeting with family – traditionally, families would go from house to house, but they wouldn’t stay long, because they had to visit all their relatives.

Unlike the festive table on Christmas Eve, where the food was lean, on Christmas Day, meat dishes were served, as well as dishes with milk and eggs, because Lent was already over.

In general, Christmas is a symbol of hope, peace, love, and spiritual rebirth, as well as a time for good deeds, family unity, mercy, and kindness.

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