The traditions of celebrating Christmas in Europe and Ukraine are almost identical and show that Ukrainians have long been part of the big European family. In particular, the tradition of Christmas processions with caroling stars also exists in Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Switzerland, and even Italy.
This is written by patron and co-author of the project ‘Know Your Ukraine’ Gnat Korobko in his blog on Censor.Net.
"The tradition of Christmas processions with stars also exists in Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Switzerland and even Italy. In Europe, it is considered very important because it preserves cultural heritage, teaches children compassion and unites society in winter. While in the Middle Ages it was a religious event, in the modern world it is one of the largest charitable events, involving millions of people across Europe. These traditions demonstrate that Ukraine has been part of the great European family since ancient times," wrote Gnat Korobko.
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He noted that with the support of the educational project ‘Know Your Ukraine’ and patrons, this year's Christmas procession took place in many communities across the country, even in the frontline city of Zaporizhzhia.
"In Ukraine, this tradition began to revive in 2006 in Lviv, and since 2013 in Kyiv. In 2025, the Christmas procession took place in many communities throughout Ukraine, even in the frontline city of Zaporizhia. This was made possible thanks to the educational project ‘Know Your Ukraine.’ We were pleasantly surprised by how many people from different communities in Ukraine, even those near the front line, wanted to join in and revive our ancient winter tradition. Thanks to them, the Christmas procession with caroling stars took place in Odesa, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, as well as in communities in the Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Khmelnytskyi, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions," said Gnat Korobko.
The patron emphasized the need to revive ancient traditions so that Ukrainian culture could supplant the remnants of Russian culture.
"We gave people the attributes and knowledge of this ancient tradition, and they did the rest. They gathered people, dressed them in costumes with elements of traditional clothing, and organized a parade in their city or village. Ukrainians love and value their traditions and culture. Now it is important to revive our Ukrainian traditions, show their roots, teach and tell about them. So that Ukrainian culture can replace the remnants of Russian culture. We must not only revive our forgotten traditions and rituals, but also teach children and adults to respect the heritage of their ancestors in order to preserve their own identity," - emphasized Gnat Korobko.
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‘Know Your Ukraine’ is an educational project about traditional culture, implemented by the Kolo Charitable Foundation, the Ivan Honchar Museum, the EdEra educational platform, and Ukrainian patron Gnat Korobko.
