Christmas in the orphanages of Zaporizhzhya

From January 12 to 16, 2009, “Christmas celebrations in the orphanages and children’s institutions of Zaporizhzhya” were organized by the social center Rays of Light [Prominnya] (city of Zaporizhzhya) with the support of the local charitable fund Good Hope, the community of Saint Michael the Archangel of the city of Zaporizhzhya (UGCC) and students of educational institutions of Zaporizhzhya and the Lviv Region. The action was conducted in four children’s institutions of the city and region, and more than 350 orphans participated The purpose of the event, according to the organizers, was first of all to share the joy of Christ’s Nativity with children and workers of children’s institutions, to experience together with them one of the biggest Christian holy days, and also to teach them about the Christmas customs and traditions of our people. No less important, in the opinion of the organizers, was their desire to gather local young people around the need for spiritual and moral support of orphans who live in the state institutions of the city and region. Regarding the celebration itself, important is the fact that the children played a role in organizing the action. “We planned the program of celebrations,” said the coordinator of the Rays of Light social center, Nazar Krayivskyj, “in such way that every child directly played an active role in it. Children at their own choice divided into groups: one prepared kutya [a traditional wheat dish], others put on a Christmas play, some learned carols, and others made a nativity scene. After the work in groups there was a general celebration with kutya and fried dough balls, the didukh [wheat stalk], and carols and greetings. Thus the children shared with each other the experiences obtained in the groups… With such a method we succeeded in creating a very warm, truly family atmosphere.” As a memento of the joint celebration every child received as gifts a book of carols and an icon of Christmas, and the institutions which took part in the action received symbols of the holiday: a wheat stalk and a Christmas candle, together with a CD with Christmas carols performed by Ukrainian singers and books on Christmas themes.  No less important is the fact that the action is not one time only and took place for the second year in a row. (We recall that more than 160 orphans participated in last year's celebrations.) And the organizers do not intend to miss the “Christmas celebrations” next year, also!“ “And although such measures,” as the volunteers of the Rays of Light center assure, “require heavy financial costs, we are sure that next Christmas there will be people who absolutely will support us in this important business!” In the future the organizers also plan to increase the number of institutions participating in the action, and also to join to the celebrations children from large and poor families. It should be mentioned that the founders of the Rays of Light social center are graduates of the Ukrainian Catholic University and Christian youth of Zaporizhzhya, and the directions of its activity are help for homeless children and youth and support for  the educational and professional-technical programs in the children’s institutions of this region.

Information Department of the Rays of Light Center