Pancakes, presents and St. Nicholas: Ukrainian newcomers celebrate the holiday season

Ukrainian newcomer families celebrated the holiday season on Saturday with an event that included pancakes, presents and a visit from St. Nicholas.

The Greatest Gift and Pancake Breakfast took place at the Ukrainian National Federation’s (UNF) hall in Winnipeg following a month-long toy drive that received more than 1,000 toys.

“[The event’s] been embraced, we have over 100 volunteers. It’s just been wonderful,” said Tony Zerucha, event co-chair, in an interview on Saturday.

“It’s just captured the heart and everybody was just right now on board, you didn’t have to ask.”

According to volunteer Nadia Medynska, the event helped the newcomer families navigate the holidays in Winnipeg.

“Allowing the kids to get some presents, take a pic with St. Nick, and just doing a little but of holiday cheer,” she said in an interview on Saturday.

A total of 330 kids and their families came out to celebrate St. Nicholas Day, enjoy a holiday feast, and receive some gifts.

The kids even got a chance to meet St. Nicholas, who said he’s glad the newcomer families are safe in Winnipeg.

“A lot of these people here, their husbands and their fathers are still battling in Ukraine, so we had to treat these children with gifts so that they’ll be happy,” St. Nicholas said.

Medynska said the best part of the event was having the community come together.

“The most important thing today is that we’re all Ukrainian, and it doesn’t matter if we’re from Ukraine abroad or from Ukraine [but] born and raised here, we all have the same connection and love for the holidays,” she said.

“To extend a helping hand to someone – if they’re new to Canada or not – is part of the Ukrainian culture, the Ukrainian narrative that we all share.”

Zerucha said it’s “just been wonderful” to give these families normalcy, fun, love, and a chance to gather together.

“When St. Nicholas came in, the kids were just jumping. It was like pistons going off…The parents see their kids happy, the parents are happy. There’s lots of tears of joy,” he said.

 The remaining gifts will be donated to newcomer families who couldn’t make it to Saturday’s event.