Extract from ABC News
Christmas is different again this year for the many thousands of Ukrainian refugees in Australia, after a change in the date to "turn away from Russian orthodoxy", and a second year away from home and loved ones.
Key points:
- Ukraine passed a law in July changing the date of Christmas
- Father Simon Ckuj said it was a way for Ukrainians to turn their back on Russian Orthodoxy
- It's almost 700 days since Russia invaded Ukraine
After 670 days of fighting since Russia invaded Ukraine, the shelling and bombing has continued, including a mass Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Friday December 22 in a residential area, with some people injured.
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also been fighting a shift in world attention away from Ukraine due to the Israel-Hamas War, with the global spotlight on Gaza.
Sydney-based Ukrainian refugee Alla Storozhuk fled the war-torn country with her 16-year-old son Mykola and eight year old daughter Yeseniia a month after the Russian invasion last year.
She said her children were very upset and disappointed they could not be with their father Oleksiy, who is an army officer and fighting on the front line.
"It is terrible, Christmas is a family time and I have not seen my husband and our children have not seen their father for nearly two years," Ms Storozhuk said.
"At first we thought the war will be finished quickly and we have big hope for that, but as time passed — not that we have lost hope — but our waiting is changing.
"Our main wish this Christmas is for the war in Ukraine to end and our family to reunite again."
Moves away from Russia
There are more changes for the Storozhuk family this year, with the date for Christmas changed to move away from the Russian Orthodox tradition which uses the Julian not the Gregorian calendar.
In Sydney's west, Father Simon Ckuj, the parish priest of St Andrew's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Lidcombe, said it was the first time Ukrainian Catholics would celebrate Christmas on December 25.
"We have changed it because the church in Ukraine has changed both Catholic and Orthodox," Father Ckuj said.
"It is in a large part due to the war, with a desire by Ukrainians to be more integrated into European society."
Earlier this month, the European Union agreed to open accession negotiations with Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the agreement as "a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe".
Father Ckuj said the change to the date for Christmas was more about leaning towards the West.
"It is a very real way for Ukrainians to turn their back on Russian Orthodoxy. It is a way of expressing the desire for the Ukrainian people to celebrate with the Western world."
Vice president of the Ukrainian Council of NSW Andrew Mencinsky said the change had not been accepted by all – yet.
"The Orthodox Church in Ukraine is celebrating Christmas on the 25th of December," Mr Mencinsky said.
"But some of the Orthodox Church in Australia is still clinging to January 7, but that will change shortly."
He acknowledge that change takes time for some people.
"This is something their whole lives they have celebrated Christmas Eve on January 6 and Christmas Day on January 7.
"They all see the reason why, anything that we can do to get away from Russia and make ourselves more distinct is something Ukrainians embrace."
Ms Storozhuk said there was a glimmer of hope her husband would be able to visit Sydney for a two-week holiday in March next year.
Meanwhile, the mother of two said she was thankful to Australia for giving her family refuge and looks forward to celebrating Christmas like most Australians do.
"We really did not expect this would change in our lifetime, we plan to celebrate on December 25 as is customary in Australia," she said.
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