What is traditional Christmas in Ukraine like?

People gather in their local squares to sing carols. They listen to Ukraine’s famous choral groups and watch vertep performances (puppet theatre and drama). Strangers and friends alike are greeted with Veselykh Svyat (Happy Feasts).

At home, the trees are lit, and the dining tales decorated with didukh (a sheaf of wheat stalks). Expect borscht, stuffed cabbage leaves and filled dumplings – meat, eggs and milk will not normally be eaten until Jan. 6. A common dish is kutia, a kind of boiled wheat pudding, mixed with poppy seeds and honey, although sweet-toothed people like me prefer verhuny, which are pastries cooked in oil and seasoned with sugar powder). Wash it down with Uzvar, a traditional Ukrainian Christmas drink made with dried fruits and berries: apples, apricots, plums, raisins, and/or sour cherries. Don’t fret, serious drinkers, Vodka-Horilka is available, and it is potent.

So how is Christmas celebrated in Ukrainian cities in the second year of the war?

There will be no street gatherings, no bright lights, no puppet shows, and no carolling. The Christmas markets in Kyiv’s Sofiivska Square have been cancelled, though a large Christmas tree was erected on Dec. 6. In some of the metro stations used as bomb shelters, efforts were........

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