Mid-November reminds us that miracles are just around the corner. ✨ The air is filled with soft light and the aromas of cinnamon, honey, and fresh apples. Can you already feel the holidays approaching? 😊

The Ukrainian Christmas table features 12 dishes 🕯 - one for each month of the year - so that every month is filled with happiness, health, and joy. Among them is kutia 🍯 - wheat with honey, poppy seeds, nuts, and dried fruit. One spoonful of kutia preserves the memory of generations and the warmth of home.

And for dessert, my favorite baked apples with honey 🍏. Hot, soft, with a golden crust and fragrant cinnamon inside. Sometimes nuts are added, and an ordinary fruit turns into a little winter miracle. Do you like such desserts?

On Christmas Eve, the lights are not turned on until the first star appears ⭐️. This symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem and invites light into the home.

Another beautiful tradition is to place a sheaf of wheat or straw under the tablecloth 🌾. This attracts prosperity and protects the home. Have you ever heard of this custom?

And, of course, carols 🎶. Children and adults sing songs, wishing health and happiness to the owners of the house. Even if you don't participate personally, their sound creates a special Christmas mood. Have you ever heard carols?

❤️ I really want to spend these evenings with my loved one - creating our own traditions, decorating the house, laughing at little things, and just being together. Small rituals turn the holiday into real magic.

What Christmas traditions do you have? What dishes, rituals, or customs are especially dear to your heart? 🎄

With warmth,
Olga