Traditional Ukrainian Christmas festivities start on Christmas Eve, which is celebrated on January 6, as reckoned by the Julian calendar. The Christmas celebrations end on January 19, the date of the celebration of the Baptism of Jesus, known in Ukraine as Vodokhreschhe or Yordan.

Last October, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine announced that it would allow the faithful to celebrate Christmas on December 25, instead of the usual date of January 7.

Consequently, this year, most Ukrainians are expected to celebrate Christmas on December 25 while the Russians will stick to the Julian calendar.

During our Christmas celebrations, we suggest you pause a moment to think about the fate of the brave Ukrainians, especially those who are fighting the invaders and the millions of residents who suffering in the dark without power and heat deep in the heart of winter.

Last October’s fundraiser showed that you all really care about their fate. To help Nataliia Shkilniuk and her two daughters, Veronika and Emma, who fled from their home in Zaporizhzhya, in southern Ukraine, we collected 16100$, most of it from Dunany residents. Big thanks are in order.

Let us encourage our governments to do even more to support Ukraine in those difficult times. As you might be aware, Putin has weaponized winter. Many Ukrainians are without electricity and heat; this in a country where winters are as cold as here in Dunany.

Let us also as individuals, contribute as much as we can afford to the NGO’s operating in the country who work hard to alleviate the fate of it’s population.

Here, we can count our blessings.

2022 was, indeed a very good year even though many of us could not avoid a COVID episode.

Members of your Board of Directors, Bonnie, Lois, Brian, Johanne, Lynn, André, Diane, Alex and myself wish you wonderful moments at Christmas time and a New Year in great health.

This picture of our Church taken by Robert Percy and enhanced by Google will remind you of the best moments we spent together as a strong and vibrant community.

Now that the worst of the pandemic seems to be behind us, Christmas Eve Services will be celebrated this year. At 4 PM for the young folks with Jim Finch and at 8 PM for adults with Hugh Mitchell and the Dunany Glee Club.

Glory to Ukraine!