How The Light of Christmas celebration brought joy to military families in Lviv: A closer look at the festive workshops, performances, talks, and the support offered to veterans’ families

On December 7, Lviv hosted The Light of Christmas — a festive gathering for the families of military personnel and veterans. The event brought together over 90 guests from four different communities across the Lviv region. While kids enjoyed holiday-themed craft workshops, face painting, and a theater show, the adults joined a lecture on the history of Christmas and took part in a supportive session with psychologists. The celebration was organized by the Habilitation Center, the educational project for servicemen and their families Beloved, and the multiservice space for displaced persons Safe Place.

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A Festive Day for Those Who Serve and Their Loved Ones

The Light of Christmas event brought together the families of military personnel and veterans from Morshyn, Briukhovychi, Truskavets, and the Sheptytskyi community. More than 90 guests joined in the festive program, which featured creative workshops, guided tours, a theater performance, and lectures.

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Children’s Workshops and Activities

The kids had the chance to join in the holiday fun during the event:

• They made their own Christmas tree decorations from felt (reindeer, Christmas trees, gingerbread men),
• They painted Christmas cards in Procreate with support from Ampli and the Deeds4kids foundation,
• They got into character with face painting and played with angel animators.

Each participant received books and holiday gifts from The Old Lion Publishing House.

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Talks and Workshops for Adults

 Two key sessions were organized for adults:

• Uliana Yavna gave a talk on Christmas traditions in Galicia, where she explored the history of Christmas celebrations in Western Ukraine, traditional carols, holiday customs from the past century, and how they were reshaped after the Soviet occupation.
  
  
• A psychological workshop titled “How to Support a Veteran Without Harming Them?” was led by experienced professionals Maryna Pryshchepa (military psychologist and Air Force veteran) and Serhii Titarenko (psychologist and war veteran). They offered insights on helping veterans adjust to civilian life, recognizing signs of emotional burnout, and supporting their families.

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Theater Show and a Visit from Saint Nicholas

After a joint lunch at the 36Po restaurant, the participants set off on a tour of Lviv aboard the wonder train from the Lviv Tourism Office. Later, they visited the Lviv Puppet Theater.

There, they enjoyed the performance “Holiday Dreams,” which told the story of a brother and sister’s Christmas journey, filled with adventure and important life lessons.

The day ended with a visit from Saint Nicholas, who greeted the children, handed out sweets, and brought a touch of Christmas magic.

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Acknowledgments to Our Partners

The educational project for soldiers and their families Beloved extends its gratitude to the partners of the event:

• Habilitation Center
• The multiservice space for internally displaced persons Safe Place
• Ampli and the Deeds4kids foundation for the tablet drawing workshop
• The Old Lion Publishing House for supporting the selection of book gifts
• Lviv Puppet Theater for the performance and animators
• Lviv Tourism Office for organizing the tour on the wonder train
• The City Museum for providing a safe location in the shelter at Rynok Square

The Light of Christmas celebration was a key moment of support for military and veteran families. The organizers aimed to bring joy to the children, while offering adults the chance to relax, connect with like-minded people, and receive valuable information. Thanks to the collaboration of many initiatives, the event left warm memories in the hearts of all participants.