Ukraine celebrates Christmas on December 25 for first time in a snub to Russia
In a break from Russian tradition, Ukraine has picked a new date to celebrate Christmas. It officially observed Orthodox Christmas on January 7, but a new law has shifted the date to December 25.
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FollowUkrainian Orthodox Christians attended services on Sunday as the country for the first time celebrated Christmas on December 25, after the government changed the date from January 7, when most Orthodox believers celebrate, as a snub to Russia. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine stated, "All Ukrainians are together," in a Christmas greeting made public on Sunday night. "We all celebrate Christmas together. On the same date, as one big family, as one nation, as one united country."
Christmas Eve services were performed in the Cathedral of the Nativity, adorned with fir trees and a nativity scene, in the southern Black Sea port city of Odesa. Attendees lighted candles and prayed as priests dressed in gold robes conducted the service.
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"We firmly think that Christmas should be celebrated with everyone on the planet, not only in Moscow. That's the new message, in my opinion," said Olena, a parishioner whose son serves as a front-line medic.
Most eastern Christian churches use the Julian calendar, where Christmas falls on January 7, rather than the Gregorian calendar used in everyday life and by Western churches.Â
A bill relocating the holiday to December 25 was signed by Zelenskyy in July, citing the opportunity for Ukrainians to "abandon the Russian heritage of imposing Christmas celebrations on January 7".
The change of the date is a result of hurried efforts to eradicate remnants of the Soviet and Russian empires following the invasion. Renaming streets and demolishing monuments are two other actions. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine formally broke away from the Russian Orthodox Church over Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.Â
Ukrainian Christmas traditions include a dinner on Christmas Eve with 12 meatless dishes including a sweet grain pudding called kutya. Celebrations also include singing carols called kolyadky, carrying decorations in the shape of stars and performing nativity scenes.
