This winter, World Central Kitchen delivered thousands of Kutia Kits throughout Ukraine, bringing one of the country’s most meaningful Christmas traditions to families living through war.

Kutia is a traditional wheat-berry dish prepared on Christmas Eve as part of Sviat Vechir, the sacred family dinner that begins Christmas celebrations in Ukraine. It represents remembrance, gratitude, and hope — values that feel especially vital for families facing displacement, loss, and ongoing uncertainty.

For many Ukrainians, preparing kutia is a moment of pause and connection. It brings families together at the table, creating a sense of unity and continuity even when daily life has been disrupted. In wartime conditions, the ability to cook and share this familiar dish offers more than nourishment. It restores dignity, anchors families in tradition, and preserves a feeling of home.

In the town of Zolochiv, holiday traditions endure quietly, shaped by loss but sustained through community.

Tamara has prepared kutia for as long as she can remember. Before the war, it was always part of her family’s Christmas. Her husband loved making it — a ritual he returned to year after year. Now, the community has become family. 

“Many people have left,” Tamara says. “But those of us who stayed have become very close. We gather together — neighbors, families with children. We visit one another, go from house to house.”

In the village of Bilohirka, the WCK team met Iryna. She lives with her husband and two children. Her family fled the village during the occupation and later returned home after Bilohirka was liberated. When she speaks about coming back, her eyes fill with tears. The village she loved was almost entirely destroyed. Today, only a handful of houses and families remain.

Before the war, Iryna’s life revolved around her home and land — a garden, animals, and daily routines.

“I used to herd cows,” she says. “Now I look after chickens that I received from the WCK team.”

When the WCK team arrived with a Kutia Kit, Iryna’s thoughts turned to something familiar. She pictured taking out her makitra — a clay bowl passed down from her grandmother — and preparing kutia the way her family always had, slowly and with care. She was surprised to see honey in the kit. This year, there was none to buy. The land was too dry; the acacia and sunflowers never bloomed as they should have.

Iryna still holds on to hope. She believes her village will be rebuilt and filled again — with people, with children’s laughter, and with life.

During a holiday rooted in togetherness, WCK’s Kutia Kits help ensure that, even amid war, families can gather, remember, and celebrate what endures.

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