Kyiv, Ukraine
Reuters
Ukraine’s main Orthodox church said on Wednesday it had decided to switch to a calendar in which Christmas is celebrated on 25th December, a move that distances it from Russia.
Ukrainian Christians, a majority of whom are Orthodox, have traditionally celebrated Christmas on 7th January alongside other predominantly Orthodox Christian countries such as Russia, which invaded Ukraine last year.
A stork sits on the cross of an Orthodox Church of Ukraine church, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in the village of Hrabivtsi, Vinnytsia region, Ukraine on 23rd April, 2023. PICTURE: Reuters/Gleb Garanich/File photo
“This question arose with new impetus as a result of Russian aggression,” the Orthodox Church of Ukraine wrote in a Facebook post announcing the change away from the Julian calendar.
“Nowadays, the Julian calendar is perceived as connected with Russian church culture,” it said.Ukraine’s main Catholic church, which considers about one in 10 Ukrainians to be worshippers, announced a similar change in February.
The OCU said it would use the Revised Julian calendar from 1st September, the start of the liturgical year. It said parishes would have the option to celebrate according to the old Julian calendar if they wished.
A Ukrainian Government poll last December showed 59 per cent of the more than 1.5 million respondents supported moving Christmas celebrations to 25th December.
Ukraine’s culture minister has previously expressed support for the switch in calendars, describing it as “appropriate to the demands of our time and public opinion.”
