Happy holidays from Enjoy The Wood!

Dec 26, 2022 5 min read

By EnjoyTheWood Team

Greetings from the ETW team in Ukraine and around the world,

With Christmas and New Year's just around the corner, we think of our relatives, friends, and colleagues, of those we love and cherish, and those who are less fortunate and need our support.

For Ukrainians, just like the people in many other countries, Christmas is an important, even magical tradition. It is a time when a whole family gets together and shares a big holiday meal. Adults catch up with each other and kids enjoy their treats.

This year’s holiday is different as the war is still raging on - a lot of families are separated, lives are uprooted, and a lot of homes will not be able to host family dinners. Millions became refugees and lost their homes. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian brave men and women changed their homes for trenches to defend peace. Many have lost their lives or suffered injuries.

Yet, amidst the darkness and despair, we saw the light. We have learned that we are not alone in this fight as incredible support from around the world has been pouring in. Thank you so much for standing with Ukraine!

As 2022 draws to a close, we wish you and your families a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year! We encourage you to spend time with friends and family, keep them close. Be patient. Don't hold back. Tell them you love them. Care for each other and for the people around you.

Be gentle with yourself. Reach out if you need help. Stay positive and stay safe. We hope 2023 will bring much success to you, and most importantly, peace in Ukraine and in the world.

In conclusion, we would like to bring you a few words of wisdom and holiday wishes from Maryna and Igor Fostenko, the founders of Enjoy The Wood:

Maryna: What I feel and how I feel this year is largely influenced by the war in my country and there is no hiding from it. We have a lot to learn from our brave defenders and to share with the world. Believe in your strengths, the good will always triumph over evil and the light will win over darkness. In the face of the greatest challenges and when everything else seems to be failing you, find the strength to keep love in your heart and warmth in your soul. May the miracle of these holidays bring all of us to hope for better times.

Igor: From our family to yours, Merry Christmas! Someone might think that now is not the right time to celebrate, because our country is at war - there is no light, no water, and no heat. But if we take a look back in history, we will see that Jesus Christ was not born under the best of circumstances either. At that time, the people of Israel were under Roman occupation. They were paying heavy taxes to the Romans. Jesus was born to save the people, not only from slavery but also from sin. My faith has saved me through the darkest of times. I am thankful to Jesus for the wonderful gift of being born and saved. In 2023, Ukraine will win and will be a free country. This is my biggest wish. When we are true to ourselves and to our country, great things can happen. God bless. Slava Ukraine!