For centuries, Orthodox and Greek Catholic (Uniate) Christian Ukrainians have celebrated Christmas on 7 January, according to the Julian (Old) rather than the Gregorian (New) calendar. Since 2017, both 25 December and 7 January have been public holidays in Ukraine to acknowledge both calendars. In common with many other European countries, Christmas Eve is celebrated with a solemn meal comprising of twelve dishes which symbolise the twelve apostles. The meal is meatless and includes the...

For centuries, Orthodox and Greek Catholic (Uniate) Christian Ukrainians have celebrated Christmas on 7 January, according to the Julian (Old) rather than the Gregorian (New) calendar. Since 2017, both 25 December and 7 January have been public holidays in Ukraine to acknowledge both calendars. In common with many other European countries, Christmas Eve is celebrated with a solemn meal comprising of twelve dishes which symbolise the twelve apostles. The meal is meatless and includes the ritual dish of Kutya (poppy seeds, wheat and honey), followed typically by borscht, holubsti (stuffed cabbage leaves), varenyky (pierogi or dumplings), marinated herrings or another fish dish, pickled food and sweet treats such as compote (dried fruit stew).

The meal cannot be eaten until the first star appears in the sky, and a place is always set for any deceased member of the family. It is traditional to decorate the table with a diduk – a sheaf of wheat tied with a ribbon – as well as a ritual bread called a kolach, into which a candle is placed and lit when the meal begins. The meal begins with a prayer, and this is followed by the breaking of a bread called prosfora which is dipped into honey and passed around the table to wish everyone a sweet year to come. This is followed by the kutya and the other dishes. The family then attends midnight mass. Presents are not usually exchanged at Christmas this happens at St Nicholas Day instead (19 Dec).

On Christmas Day, people greet each other with the traditional greeting 'Christ is born', and attend church before celebrating with family and friends. Christmas carols are very popular, as is the tradition of carol singing. There are two types of festive songs in the Ukrainian tradition - koliady and shchedrivky - celebrating a range of religious and folk themes. The festivities continue with Malanka which marks Ukrainian New Year's Eve according to the old calendar on 13 January, and the Epiphany celebrations known as Vodokhreshchi (Blessing of the Waters) Yordan (Jordan) or Shedriy Vechir (Generous Evening) on 19 January. Both these festivals mix Christian culture with older folklore and traditions. Malanka combines the feast day of St Melania with an older, pagan ritual celebrating the goddess Malanka, and is celebrated with parties and performances of vertep plays featuring comic scenarios.

The UK diaspora usually celebrate with a party or a dance held at the local Ukrainian cultural centre. Epiphany recognises the baptism of Jesus Christ by St John the Baptist in the river Jordan, and in the UK diaspora this celebrated with a ritual meal similar to Christmas Eve and the blessing of houses with holy water by both Orthodox and Greek Catholic priests. In Ukraine, many people celebrate by going swimming, often in icy lakes or rivers. In Bradford, the Ukrainian community also celebrated Christmas with two community events - a carol concert and a community Christmas meal, known as Yalynka (Christmas Tree).

The Ukrainian Pontifical Minor Seminary was founded by Father Ivan Buczko in the aftermath of the Second World War who wished to continue the work of the Lviv seminary in the diaspora. The seminary had three locations. From 1951-1956 it was at Loury near Orleans in France [Institut Ukrainien St Jean Bosco La Chesnaye Loury (Loiret) / Ukrajins’ka Mala Seminarija sv. Ivan Bosko]. In 1956 it moved to Rome and was located at Villa Andrea Castelgandolfo until 1959. In 1959, it moved to Via Bocchea / Bocchea Street in Rome and was aligned with the major seminary. In the tradition of John Bosco, it focused on the education of children, and many boys from the UK Ukrainian diaspora were sent to Rome by their parents to attend the school. It had a daily middle school, in which students from all over the world study, under the care of the Salesians, which provides the seminary element of the school. The church education provided an insight into Ukrainian liturgical practices and customs. Not all the attendees became priests, but the school was nevertheless valued by the diaspora for the quality of its education. Perhaps the most notable alumnus of the school is Father Ewhen Nebesniak, who was born in Manchester. He was ordained as a priest and taught at the seminary, before transferring to the seminary in Lviv after Ukrainian independence in 1991. He has also served as a parish priest in various parishes in the north of England. By 1990, around 60 priests had been trained by the seminary, although its pupil numbers were higher as many boys did not take religious orders.