In the midst of a war back home, Ukrainian families find some joy in their first Christmas in Ottawa.
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Ukrainian Christmas falls on Jan. 7, according to the Julian calendar, but this additional party was important, he said, to share the joy of the holidays with people who are lonely and those who are struggling. “We’re just very worried,” Terenyak said. She and her husband have pleaded with their parents to come to Canada, if only for the winter, but to no avail. “They just don’t want to move. They’re protecting their house and land.”
The Terenyaks were able to leave Ukraine together because they have four children. However, Ukrainian fathers with one or two children had to remain to defend the homeland and help keep the country going. As a result, most newcomers to Canada are elderly people, women on their own, or women with children, Soltykevych said.
“It’s a crazy story,” Piatkovska said. “Thank God they are all alive. My family members are in a safe place.”
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