Members of the Ukrainian American community and guests enjoyed their traditional Christmas Eve dinner on Sunday at the Ukrainian Homestead in Lehighton.

Approximately 50 people enjoyed a variety of dishes specially made for the occasion.

The Christmas Eve dinner has been a tradition in the area for many years.

“I think it’s great because it exposes people to the Ukrainian community and the different traditions,” Maria Prociuk, a volunteer with the program, said. “There are many different ways that people celebrate Christmas. This is just one way and it lets people know; it opens up people’s minds and conversations. And especially with everything going on in Ukraine showing all of our traditions.”

The menu included kutia, a dish made from boiled wheat, honey, poppy seeds, nuts and fruit. The dinner also included borshch (soup), holubtsi (cabbage rolls), pierogies, fish, and sweets like Christmas cookies and candies.

“Because it’s a Christmas Eve dinner, there’s no meat or dairy,” Prociuk said. “We don’t eat any meat or dairy on Christmas Eve, but we do on Christmas Day.”

The Ukrainian and Orthodox churches follow the Julian calendar. Their Christmas is celebrated on Jan. 7; however, the Christmas season continues beyond that. The dinner is normally celebrated between the Orthodox New Year’s Day (Jan. 14) and Epiphany.