How internally displaced Ukrainians will celebrate Christmas in Lviv shelters
Preserving traditions and creating the magic of Christmas together. Internally displaced Ukrainians in shelters in Lviv are also preparing to celebrate Christmas in a traditional way.
Traditionally, a Christmas tree will be decorated and a Christmas shop will be set up in the modular town of Mariapolis in Sykhiv, which will open on Christmas Eve. Salesian Father Andriy Platosh will lead a joint prayer. Carols will not be forgotten. Residents will sing the most famous carols together, and afterwards everyone will go to dinner with their families.
In the shelters on Ternopilska Street and in Velyki Hrybovychi, residents will also decorate their space with Christmas and New Year’s attributes. On Christmas Eve, the rectors of the nearby churches will hold a joint prayer in each of the shelters, followed by dinners.
In the week before Christmas, during all the preparations for Christmas, a donut-making workshop will be held for the residents of the modular town and the shelter on Ternopilska Street.
“Christmas is a very cosy family holiday, a time when each of us believes in miracles and wants to spend as much time as possible with our families. Today, Lviv has become a big family for many Ukrainians whose homes were destroyed by Russia. Together we preserve traditions, bake donuts, sing carols and decorate Christmas trees to create a unique Christmas atmosphere in our shelters. We invite you to share with us the joy of the birth of the little Jesus,” says Volodymyr Holovaty, director of the Social Support Centre.
By the way, 97,333 internally displaced Ukrainians are officially registered in the Lviv community, and a total of 1,347 people live in the city’s shelters. The largest number of people live in the modular town on Sykhiv – about a thousand. The city constantly takes care of them and makes sure that they have a sense of home and everything they need for a full life.