During 10 months, Ukrainians have experienced daily pain of losses, fear of shellings, anxiety for future. However, despite the war, life continues: unusual, abnormal, but even so it should carry good, warm moments.

In anticipation of traditional winter holidays, people wonder if they should celebrate it. You can find the answer to this question in yourself. If you feel reluctance, resist the idea that you can celebrate something during the war: don’t do something against your will.

It’s important to remember that ability to rejoice is one of basic emotions of a person, it’s emotion that gives incentive to fight further. It’s important to preserve such traditions as decorating Christmas tree or exchanging gifts.

When a person gets into a crisis or experiences traumatic events, the first thing is to “take” him out of the situation, at least for a short time. It’s an opportunity to immerse in pre-holiday commotion that gives a person the opportunity to briefly distract from problems.

By creating and maintaining holiday traditions together with the child, you build support that allows to adapt to new present and get warm memories in which there is joy, toys, smell of tangerines, peace and no worries. It’s possible to reduce “internal tension” that negatively affects health, psychological state.
It’s important that holidays be appropriate to circumstances. It’s necessary to remember that there’re people near you who’ve lost loved ones or become homeless. During celebration, don’t neglect feelings of people around you-don’t turn on loud music, don’t use fireworks. To maintain psychological health, it’s necessary to respect your own interests and interests of others, accepting manifestations of their emotions with understanding and respect.

ADRA Ukraine, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany (German Federal Foreign Office — GFFO), provides psychological support to people who find it difficult to cope independently with traumatic experience as a result of the war.

Pre-registration for a free consultation: +38 095 276 04 91