HOLIDAY – Free yourself from the traditions of the enemy. Ukrainians celebrate Christmas for the first time this Monday, December 25th, instead of January 7th, as was customary until then. It is a symbol of the country in the midst of war against Moscow and a way to distance itself. Two weeks later, on January 7, Orthodox Russians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
During the summer, while all eyes were on the counteroffensive to repel the Russian army, President Volodymyr Zelensky passed a law formalizing the postponement of Christmas celebrations from January 7th to December 25th. A move in a series of decisions Ukraine has made in recent years to distance itself from Moscow
“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 successful struggle (…) for one's own identity contributes to the awareness and desire of every Ukrainian to live his own life, with his own traditions, his own holidays.”
Gap between the churches of Kiev and Moscow
The law also highlights the gap that has been widening between the churches of Kiev and Moscow for several years and has been exacerbated by the Russian invasion in February 2022. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which was under Russia's religious supervision for several centuries, was declared autocephalous and became independent from the Moscow Patriarchate in 2019.
In May 2022, the Ukrainian Church loyal to Moscow also declared its independence in response to Russian Patriarch Kirill's support for the war.
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 designed in the late 16th century.
Under the USSR, authorities advocated atheism, and Christmas traditions such as Christmas trees and gift-giving were moved to New Year's Eve, which became, and still is, the main holiday 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.
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