Published:
January 13, 2026
On December 19th, HUG (Help Ukraine Gothenburg) brought together the Ukrainian community and Swedish friends for a heartfelt celebration of Ukrainian Christmas traditions. The event welcomed families for a day filled with warmth, creativity, carol singing, and the celebration of cherished customs far from home.
Together with children, we dived into a magical world through the performance "Olesia and the Christmas Star" by Stockholms Improvisationsteater. The story followed young Olesia on her journey to find the missing Christmas Star and bring Christmas back to the people.
The performance was a truly warm, bright, and magical experience filled with children's laughter, sincere emotions, and the belief that Christmas always finds its way to people. The story reminded us how important it is to believe in kindness, light, and miracles.
Our heartfelt thanks go to the creative team — director and actors Yanina Zelenska and Roman Fanin, along with artist Volodymyr Tsarkov — for creating an atmosphere of genuine magic and wonder. A special thank you to author Yulita Ran, who joined our celebration and presented her children's books, including "Christmas Journey", that includes the tale of Olesia and the Christmas Star.
Saint Nicholas visited our celebration and brought gifts for children of all ages, filling the space with warmth, care, and wonder. The joy and excitement on the children's faces as they met Saint Nicholas and received their presents created truly unforgettable moments.
Continuing a cherished Christmas tradition, our community gathered for the third year in a row to pack gifts for children and defenders in Ukraine. We transformed our space into a real Gift Factory, equipped with wrapping paper, greeting cards, ribbons, and stickers — everything needed to bring light, love, and support through small acts of kindness.
Families, children, and friends worked side by side throughout the event, signing cards with heartfelt wishes and carefully wrapping presents. People brought gifts from home, and together we prepared them with care and intention. By the end of the evening, we had packed 212 gifts for children and 106 for defenders in Ukraine.
“The family format was really important to us because for Ukrainians, Christmas is above all a family celebration. We wanted to create that feeling of warmth, closeness, and belonging. That's what makes Christmas with HUG so special — it brings people together year after year.” - Alla Tangstad, youth program coordinator at HUG
The entire celebration was filled with creativity, laughter, curiosity, and warmth. We invited everyone to participate in creative workshops that connected them to Ukrainian Christmas symbolism and traditions — creating a Christmas star, decorations, and making traditional food together.
The Christmas star is not merely a decoration but a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem that announced Christ's birth. In Ukraine, carolers traditionally carried the stars from house to house, bringing joyful news and good wishes. At the workshop, we created our own unique stars, decorating them with traditional Ukrainian ornaments, bright colors, and ribbons — just as Ukrainian families have done for generations, putting a piece of their soul and festive spirit into each creation.
"Thank you for all the activities! Children had so much fun making Christmas decorations, and the whole atmosphere felt truly special." - Viktoriia, participant
Children enjoyed their own creative zones in the Creative Workshop, making festive Christmas decorations and postcards.
A special workshop introduced participants to one of Ukraine's most ancient traditions — preparing Christmas kutia. This ceremonial dish made from wheat, poppy seeds, and honey symbolizes eternal life, prosperity, and family unity. It is the first dish served on Christmas Eve.
Each ingredient carries deep meaning: grain represents immortality and rebirth, honey symbolizes a sweet life, and poppy seeds signify abundance in the home. We prepared authentic Christmas kutia in a makitra — a traditional Ukrainian mortar. It represents a symbol of the Ukrainian home, as great-grandmothers once used it to grind poppy seeds and grains, passing along the warmth of their hands and love for their families.
“Thank you for organizing the celebration. It was our first event with HUG, and my children absolutely loved it. Making kutia together was the best part of the day.” — Maria, participant
For Swedish participants, the symbolism of kutia was compared to rice porridge (risgrynsgröt) — both dishes carrying profound Christmas meaning in their respective cultures.
Scouts from PLAST Ukraine in Sweden arrived bearing the Bethlehem Light of Peace — a flame that originates in Bethlehem and is passed hand to hand by the international scout community. This light serves as a symbol that even in the darkest times, goodness continues to shine.
The Bethlehem Light creates a special pre-Christmas atmosphere for Ukrainians around the world, and receiving this tradition in the HUG space was a great honor. The flame brings hope and unity, reminding everyone that light can be shared and that together, we continue the traditions that sustain and inspire us.
Following the arrival of the Bethlehem Light, the main Christmas program started with singing carols. The shared candlelight, music, and tradition demonstrated that Ukrainian and Swedish Christmas customs have much in common — both centered on light, togetherness, quiet reflection, and care for one another.
After the carols, we gathered for a Swedish-Ukrainian feast with kutia, varenyky (Ukrainian dumplings), and other festive treats. We exchanged stories and Christmas traditions from both cultures, savored the delicious food, and enjoyed the warmth of this special day together.
"Ukraine and Sweden share many Christmas traditions: ritual Christmas dishes like kutia and risgrynsgröt, the vertep and Stjärngossar, the didukh and Julbock. Our Swedish friends don't just learn about Ukrainian traditions — they experience them with us: painting stars, listening to carols, witnessing the vertep. For Ukrainians, this openness and genuine interest from the Swedish community affirms that our culture is valuable and worth preserving." - Mykola Ivkin, event coordinator, HUG
We are happy that we managed to create an authentic family celebration, bringing people together and sharing the light of hope and kindness with everyone who joined us on this special day.
Our heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers, partners, families, and participants who filled the space with warmth and joy. In moments like these, we especially feel the strength of our community and the importance of being together.
