According to the decree signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the end of July last year, Ukraine is preparing to officially celebrate its first Christmas on December 25, and not on January 7, as is currently the case in Russia. An opportunity for Kiev to break with Moscow a little further.
Published on: December 24, 2023 – 2:26 p.m
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This is a first since 1917. In the midst of the war against Russia, Ukraine is preparing to officially celebrate Christmas on December 25th, rather than two weeks later (on January 7th), as had been tradition until then – and as was Orthodox Russians do (according to…). with the Julian calendar used in Russia). A direct consequence of a law issued on July 28 by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky formalizing the postponement of Christmas celebrations from January 7 to December 25.
“The Ukrainian people have long been subjected to Russian ideology in almost all spheres of life, including the Julian calendar and the celebration of Christmas on January 7,” says the explanatory note to the text of the law approved by MPs. However, the text continued: “The successful struggle (…) for one's identity contributes to the consciousness and desire of every Ukrainian to live his own life, with his own traditions and his own holidays.”
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The decision to postpone Christmas is part of a series of measures Ukraine has taken in recent years to distance itself from Moscow. It is “the continuation of a significant cultural shift in the country – the latest attempt to eradicate Moscow's influence in Ukraine,” states the BBC website. He continues, believing that “the adoption of the Western Gregorian calendar is also a sign of Kiev's continued desire to join Europe.”
“We see that this Ukrainian company really wants to stand out from its Russian neighbor,” Emmanuelle Chaze, France 24 correspondent in Kiev, said on Saturday. However, the latter reminds us that last year many Ukrainians had already made the decision to switch to the Gregorian calendar and celebrate Christmas on the night of December 24th to 25th. “But here it is ratified, especially by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which also changed its calendar for the first time.” “This is therefore the first time that Ukrainians officially celebrate Christmas,” explains Emmanuelle Chaze on December 25th.
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The gap within the Orthodox world is growing
Last July's law also highlights the gap that has been widening between the churches of Kiev and Moscow for several years. A divide that was further exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which was under Russia's religious supervision for several centuries, was declared autocephalous and independent of the Moscow Patriarchate in 2019. Five years after Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, a real “split” emerged within the Orthodox world, with the beginning of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
In May 2022, the Ukrainian Church loyal to Moscow also declared its independence in response to the support of the war by the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill.
Read also: Patriarch Kirill, a very political leader of the Russian Orthodox Church
A handful of Orthodox churches around the world, including those in Russia and Serbia, still use the Julian calendar for their religious celebrations rather than the Gregorian calendar, which was introduced in the late 16th century under Pope Gregory XIII. was designed – and the papal bull “Inter”. Gravissimas”.
Under the Soviet Union (USSR), authorities advocated atheism, and Christmas traditions such as Christmas trees and gift-giving were moved to New Year's Eve, which became the main holiday and is still observed for many Ukrainian families.
On Christmas Eve, Ukrainians have a tradition of sitting at the table in the evening with twelve meatless dishes, including “Koutia”, a dessert made from boiled wheat grains, honey, raisins, crushed walnuts and poppy seeds.
With AFP