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For Ukrainians spending their first holiday season away from home, this year’s Orthodox Christmas celebrations have been muted, focused on prayers for an end to the war in their homeland.
Natalia Kohanova and her young son Mykhailo Kohanov arrived in Brandon, Man., in mid-June — escaping the Russian invasion that devastated their hometown of Irpin and joining the large Ukrainian community in southwestern Manitoba.
Their new home has been decorated modestly with Christmas items donated by the community and friends.
“All the decorations on our Christmas tree – everything is like a gift from Canada. They think about us, they support us and every time they think about what we need,” said Kohanova. “It’s very beautiful for us.”
She shares the house with three other displaced Ukrainians – 19-year-old student Kateryna Sofishchenko, Hanna Prykhodko and their eight-year-old son Illia.
In Ukraine, Kohanova and her family usually celebrate Christmas in December and Orthodox Christmas on January 7. But this year, she says it’s hard to find a reason to feel festive.
“We can’t … celebrate because my parents and [Mykhailo’s] my grandmother and grandfather are now in Ukraine,” he said.
“We’re thinking about family,” he said. “I know that [my] parents are shot every day, and we work to not think about it.”
He spent the holidays thinking about the war, praying and hoping that his loved ones would stay safe.
Sofishchenko, who is from Kyiv, came to Brandon in August, as late as possible because he wanted to be with his parents, who stayed behind. He currently attends Assiniboine Community College.
His family does not celebrate Orthodox Christmas or Christmas, he said, but always hosts a big feast to celebrate the New Year with his grandparents; the highlight will be a special traditional dish, to put it is usually served at the beginning of the 12-course Orthodox Christmas meal.
Sofishchenko and his friends had a simple holiday celebration with smaller meals. She said it can be difficult to plan because of the boredom of adjusting to life in Canada, work and school.
They agree that it will be very strange because of the challenging year and the constant war.
“I’m not in the Christmas spirit,” Sofishchenko said. “When I think about home, it’s really sad.”
Being away from home during the holidays has been a lonely experience.
Before coming to Canada, Sofishchenko spent months in Denmark and Germany, and at times, home feels like a distant memory. He said even when he was at home, he knew his holiday spirit would be dampened by Russia’s continued aggression.
“It’s still pretty stressful, you know all these rocket launches and stuff,” he said.
“It’s not front home, because home is a safe place.”
The Ukrainian-Canadian Congress estimates about 11,000 Ukrainians have settled in Manitoba under emergency travel measures that began last year. More than 70 have settled in Brandon with the help of Tryzub, a congressional branch that primarily helps newcomers.
Kohanova praised Tryzub for its community support and the many events and fundraisers it holds to benefit Ukraine. He said the event is important because Tryzub helps bring communities together and ensures that people can connect even outside of Ukraine.
“They are very good people because they know what we are feeling and they help us,” Kohanova said.
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