Christmas mail, shopping, a large themed excursion, a Christmas tree as a gift and a mournful carol: this year, Lviv will host events filled with light, memory and unity.
This year, the main attribute of Christmas in Lviv will be the Christmas star. It is a symbol of light, hope, and invincibility that shines even in the darkest of times, uniting hearts and souls.
This was reported by the Lviv City Council
The Christmas period in Lviv traditionally begins with the opening of the main Christmas tree of Lviv, which this year will take place on 5 December at 18:00. The tree will traditionally stand on the square near the Opera House. It was brought to the city by the Pidvorny family from the village of Birky, Yavoriv district. The tree is 16 metres high. It will be decorated with illumination and an anti-tank hedgehog.
On St Nicholas Day, 6 December, a special Christmas post office will open in Lviv in a special place. The post office will be located in the Bandinelli Palace (2 Rynok Square), where the classic European-style post office was founded in the 17th century. In this special place, Lviv residents and visitors will be able to buy unique Christmas cards and send them to any corner of the world, thus supporting the “Squires” collection. On the opening day of the post office, a special redemption of the Letter to St Nicholas art postage stamp will take place. By the way, the postcards that will be sold at the post office are the copyright works of Ukrainian and foreign artists and photographers: as part of the charity event, they will donate their works to the city. The Lviv Tourist Office is still accepting artworks inspired by Lviv and Christmas, details are here.
On 20 December, at 17:00, the city’s Christmas market will open on Rynok Square. Lviv’s Christmas shop has been a staple of the city for 10 years. It was once made by Anton Lubiy, a master woodworker and lead singer of the band Yoryi Klets, who is now defending Ukraine in the fight against Russia. The shop scene consists of seven two-metre-high figures carved from poplar, which were painted by children from Lviv, and there is also a cradle with a baby Jesus and angels on the shop’s facade.
As usual, on Christmas Eve, 24 December at 12:00, the main Lviv grandfather will be installed on Angels Square near the Garrison Church. The four-metre-high Christmas symbol is renovated every year by the craftsmen of the Klymentii Sheptytskyi Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life to delight Lviv residents and visitors during the holidays. The opening of Didukh in Lviv traditionally starts with a procession from the City Hall. Representatives of the authorities and clergy, defenders of Ukraine, young carolers, etc. will join the event.
Christmas in Lviv is not complete without the Big Koliada festival. This year’s Big Koliada is named after the Poltava version, and will feature 34 groups from Lviv and the Lviv region, as well as from different parts of Ukraine. The festival will last 18 days, from 25 December 2024 to 12 January 2025, and will end with a final gala concert at the Church of the Holy Eucharist of the UGCC (3 Muzeiana Square).
This year’s novelty will be a large Christmas tour. Especially for the holidays, Lviv’s best guides have created a new themed tour route through the city’s central streets. Several groups will go around the city at the same time to learn a lot of interesting things and to have a good time, taste tea and goodies. The tour will be available for 160 people in two days. Christmas tours of Lviv are scheduled for 26-27 December. The information about signing up for the tour will be announced additionally on the Lviv City Council website and Lviv.travel.
Lviv residents and guests of the city are also invited to the Christmas Prayer performance on the north side of Rynok Square and the Christmas concert and performance Dzherelia. Carol” in the courtyard of the City Hall. The events will take place on 27 December at 17:00 and 18:30 respectively.
Remembering those who gave their lives for Ukraine: this year, a mournful carol will be performed at Lychakiv Cemetery. In this way, together with the families of the fallen defenders of Ukraine, on the last Saturday of December (28 December), they will thank those who made it possible to celebrate Christmas at home at the cost of their own lives.
The festive period will end on the penultimate day of the year, 30 December, with the event that Lviv residents have already missed – the traditional Flash of the Christmas Star festival. As part of the festival, a procession of stargazers will be held in the city centre.
We would like to add that Lviv’s cultural institutions have also prepared events dedicated to Christmas. The full list of events and their times will be published later.
Lviv City Council: h