Ukrainian Christmas celebrated in Oslo

On Saturday, January 9, 2010, the Ukrainian community, in the city of Oslo, Norway, celebrated Ukrainian Christmas. It has already become a tradition of the local Ukrainian community to meet together at Christmas time. Two features made this year’s meeting special: first of all, the Divine Liturgy in the Ukrainian language and in the native rite at the Catholic Cathedral of Saint Olaf, which took place for the first time and is the beginning of the organization of church life of the community in Oslo. For the future the Apostolic Exarchate for Ukrainians Catholics of the Byzantium Rite in Germany and Scandinavia plans Divine Liturgies monthly for the faithful in Norway. On the appointment of the Apostolic Exarch, Fr. Ivan Machuzhak, Chancellor of the Apostolic Exarchate, will minister for the community. The second feature of the holiday was the performance of the opera of Mykola Gogol: “The Night Before Christmas.” Afterward, the community celebrated with traditional Ukrainian dishes and with the singing of Christmas carols.  The Ukrainian community of Norway, which organizes different events to support and form a community of Ukrainians who live in the country, has been active in Norway for over five years. Mrs. Lily Popil' Grubber and Mrs. Natalia Rafn Christensen are the organizers and active members of the community. Mrs. Iryna Sabor, a cultural attaché of the Embassy of Ukraine in Norway, famous translator, and expert of Norwegian culture, language, and history, also strives to bring a large contribution to the life of the community. Thus, there were organized events for the commemoration of the Victims of the Holodomor, and other events in order to spread knowledge about Ukraine among the local population. According to the statistics, in Norway reside over 2,000 Ukrainians. They originate from different corners of Ukraine and are good carriers of traditions and ideas of Ukraine. In the general prayer and in the meeting it was possible to feel this atmosphere of Ukrainian Christmas. The feast of Christmas in the Christian understanding is the beginning of new life; it is the beginning of our salvation. It is hoped that for the Ukrainian community in Norway this year’s Christmas became the beginning of a new Christian and national conscious community of faithful.    The next Divine Liturgy in the Ukrainian language in Oslo will take place on February 7, 2010, at 2 p.m., in the Saint Joseph Church. More detailed information at:
Apostolic Exarchate in Germany and Scandinavia
Ukrainian community in Norway
Embassy of Ukraine in Norway

Chancellery of the Apostolic Exarchate