UUARC’s Christmas Joy program brings orphaned children from Eastern Ukraine together with host families in Western Ukraine to celebrate a traditional Ukrainian Christmas.
Through Christmas Joy and the winter Know Your Native Land (Piznaj Svij Ridnyj Kraj) program, children have the opportunity to experience Ukrainian holiday customs, spend time with families, and learn more about their country’s cultural and religious traditions. UUARC has historically allocated $8,000 annually to support these two programs.
For many participating children, the visit offers their first experience of Christmas celebrated in a traditional Ukrainian home. Families gather for Sviata Vecheria, the Christmas Eve Holy Supper, traditionally featuring twelve meatless dishes, including kutia, a ceremonial dish made with wheat, honey, and poppy seeds. Other customs include singing Ukrainian Christmas carols known as koliadky, attending church services, and displaying the didukh, a sheaf of grain symbolizing the harvest, family, and remembrance of ancestors. These traditions introduce children to customs that have been passed down through generations of Ukrainian families.
Through Christmas Joy, orphaned children also receive gifts from St. Nicholas (Sviatyi Mykolai), an important figure in Ukrainian Christmas traditions. The program extends assistance to elderly Ukrainians and families experiencing financial hardship by distributing food parcels containing ingredients for a traditional Christmas Eve dinner. These deliveries help recipients prepare holiday meals at home while preserving the customs associated with Ukrainian Christmas.
Support Christmas Joy
For more than 80 years, UUARC has provided humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians through donations, community partnerships, and volunteer efforts. Financial contributions help support programs that provide holiday gifts, food parcels, and opportunities for orphaned and disadvantaged children to experience Ukrainian Christmas traditions.
Make a Donation | Contact Us
United Ukrainian American Relief Committee (UUARC)
215.728.1630 |
UUARC@uuarc.org
