Our old friends from "December 31th Express", Mykola Ivanovych and his daughter Olga, as well as the staff in the restaurant car, Pavlivna and Petrovych, are working on the service. By a strange coincidence, the retired conductor and his daughter, who is the train manager, end up on the same train. Now, they will have to get along, not only as father and daughter, but also as manager and subordinate.
Anna and her son Matvey are in a hurry to catch the special train. They are expecting Matvey’s father, a military ocer, to join them along the way, but there is a change of plan and he is not allowed to go. The young boy is disappointed, but he makes a wish while gazing up at the star on top of the Christmas tree. Later, the soldiers will come to rescue the Christmas train, which is stuck in the middle of a field, and Matviyko will meet his father, believing this to be a real Christmas miracle.
Among the other passengers is Andriy, a high-flying radio station executive. Due to a malfunction in the “UZ” system, two tickets have been sold for the same seat, and Alisa and Karina, two former classmates, get on the same train. Alisa’s friend assures her that this coincidence represents an opportunity for her to take revenge on Karina for humiliating her at school, and advises her to win AndrIy’s heart.
An ocial from the Ministry of Culture is traveling in one of the compartments. He is personally accompanying a children’s group to a performance, and at the last moment he finds out that the concert has been canceled. Now, with no idea how to break the news to the children, he’s angry at the whole world, and at the conductor in particular.
Some other passengers on the train also begin to experience some fairly unexpected situations. In the end, though, everyone is convinced that there is always room for a miracle on Christmas Eve.
During the celebrations, a Christmas Vertep, involving carol-singing with some essential props the Goat and the Star is performed in the carriage. After all, the Christmas star is a symbol of joy and happiness: it brings the news of the birth of Jesus to the world. It is the appearance of the first star that signals the beginning of Christmas. The train driver, dressed as St. Nicholas, thanks the children from the Vertep for their carols by giving them plush-toy goats.
During this special trip, the train sta decorate the Christmas tree, replacing the old five-pointed Soviet star on top with a new eight-pointed one. And the passengers share how they celebrate Christmas with their families. We will learn why it is customary to have 12 dishes on the table, why kutia is so important, and how it is prepared in dierent regions of Ukraine.
This is a story about the most important Ukrainian holiday of all, which teaches us to gather the whole family around the table and unite, no matter what.
