For many Ukrainians living in Ireland, this Christmas will mark the fourth spent far from their homeland, as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues to cast a long shadow over family life, faith, and tradition.
Despite the sorrow, Ukrainian communities across Ireland are marking the feast, holding fast to faith, tradition and prayer. In Sligo, parishioners of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) are organising liturgies, caroling, and cultural events as they prepare to celebrate the Nativity.
Zoriana Fedorenko, the wife of Fr Taras Fedorenko, described how profoundly Christmas has changed since leaving Ukraine.
“When we left Ukraine, everything changed. For me, the Christmas season is first and foremost family — my mother’s home, the family circle, when relatives gathered from all corners of our country. Before, it was very joyful, full of emotions that were shared among everyone,” she said, recalling traditions such as carolers and vertep performances, a distinctive form of Ukrainian folk theatre. “Here, of course, this does not exist,” she added. Still, she said she tries to recreate elements of Ukrainian Christmas life in Ireland, especially for children.
“The children come to us for the traditional Chrismas Eve supper,” she said. “On the one hand, it is one of the most joyful holidays for us as Christians — the birth of our Savior. But we are human, and our humanity cannot be taken away from us.”
She spoke openly of the emotional weight carried by Ukrainian families abroad.
“Anxiety, worry, stress from being far from home, from knowing that there is a brutal war of survival going on there… How can one celebrate under such conditions?”
Last year, the Sligo parish organised caroling visits around the town, an initiative they plan to repeat again this Christmas. On December 27, the Sligo church choir is scheduled to take part in a joint performance of Ukrainian Christmas carols at the Cathedral in Letterkenny, alongside choirs and ensembles from across Ireland.
For parishioner Tanya Gryshchenko, the emotional toll of the prolonged war has dulled the festive spirit.
“The mood is like everyone else’s — there is none at all. The longer the war lasts, the less joy there is with each passing year,” she said.
She described efforts to preserve tradition through food and prayer, even when ingredients must be sought in Polish or Lithuanian shops. Family gatherings, once central to Christmas in Ukraine, now take place over video calls.
“At Christmas, one wants to go home the most,” she said.
Gryshchenko has also adopted new customs in Ireland, sewing decorations, baking cookies, and preparing gifts for Irish friends. Yet the sorrow remains.
