This year, Marina and her three children, who fled the front lines near Kupyansk, spent Christmas far from home.

Yet, with the support of the Polish humanitarian organization Humanosh Foundation, they were able to keep their traditions alive by preparing traditional Ukrainian meals and celebrating the season with their relatives, friends, and loved ones.

“This is how we usually do it in Ukraine. We have neighbours who are also brought here from Ukraine, so we prepare the dishes that we are used to, like kutya, borscht and fried cutlets,” Marina told TVP World.

“I still miss home and I miss it a lot because I still have friends there, all my memories are there,” said Viktoria, Marina’s daughter.

Christmas celebrations in Ukraine have been largely muted since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

However, Nataliia Bovko, a teacher from Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv, told TVP World that this year's festive mood is much improved.

“Our city is really beautiful, and we can see Christmas decorations everywhere,” she said.