Today is January 7th and it’s Christmas day here in Ukraine. The Patriarch of Constantinople, under whose jurisdiction most Ukrainian lands were at that time, at first agreed to make the transition to the new calendar and even sent the Pope a letter of confirmation that starting from 1584 the Churches of his jurisdiction will start using the new calendar. While many celebrate Christmas on December 25, some Orthodox Christians mark it on January 7. While Christmas on January 7 is often called the “Orthodox Christmas,” almost half of the world’s Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25, alongside with most of the world. It takes into account the inaccuracy of the Julian calendar: the average duration of the year constitutes 365 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes, and 12 seconds. Lenten bread. Do They Know It's Christmas? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Lv 6. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Ukraine could continue living by two calendars at the same time. These cookies do not store any personal information. And after 1,500 years, the calendar lagged a whole 10 days, which was the reason of the introduction of the renewed Gregorian calendar in the XVI century. Nov 13, 2017 - Foreigners visiting Ukraine around the winter holidays are likely to be stumped by the phrase "Old New Year." The 7 th of January marks Orthodox Christmas in Russia. The myth of “historically Russian Crimea”: colonialism, deconstructed, Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire is a warning to Russia’s neighbors, ECtHR rules Yanukovych government responsible for crimes against Euromaidan, death of one protester, How Ukraine is healing the traumatic wounds of colonialism, Vacancy: We’re looking for a human rights reporter, care about quality independent journalism, believe in an independent and democratic Ukraine. Due to a difference in calendars, Jan. 6 marks Christmas Eve for many Orthodox churches and Christmas will be celebrated on Saturday. Ahh…I was wondering why you posted about Christmas Eve in January. Today is January 7th and it’s Christmas day here in Ukraine. Lv 7. Thanks for a little more insight. Why are Armenians the only Christians in the world to celebrate Christmas on tbe 6th of January and not on the 25th of December, as all other Christians do? Foreigners visiting Ukraine around the winter holidays are likely to be stumped by the phrase “Old New Year.” The holiday is still celebrated on January 14, in memory of the switch Ukraine made in 1918 to the Gregorian calendar, when 14 astronomically redundant days were annulated. 20 January 1918 the newly formed Bolsheviks’ government signed a decree separating the Russian Church from the state. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Due to a difference in calendars, Jan. 6 marks Christmas Eve for many Orthodox churches and Christmas will be celebrated on Saturday. A similar practice exists in Greek Catholic parishes outside Ukraine – today, there are parishes that still celebrate the date on January 7, while most stick to December 25. 8 Answers. Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Wiki User Answered . Soviet Russia adopted the Gregorian calendar a month before that. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. For the 300 million Orthodox Christians around the globe, however, January 7th is Christmas day.  However, most of the rest of the world follows the Gregorian calendar, which was introduced in 1582 to correct the Julian calendar. This is why the Churches who still celebrate on 25 December according to the ancient Julian calendar (such as most of the Byzantine Churches and the non-Chalcedonian churches, except the Armenians) find themselves, in the 21st century, celebrating the Nativity on 7 January of the civil Gregorian new calendar. The following Orthodox Churches celebrate the Nativity on 25th December Julian (which is 7th January Gregorian): the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, Russia, Serbia, Georgia, FYROMacedonia, Ukraine… First of all, nobody is sure when Jesus Christ was born. Article by: Maksym Sviezhentsev Edited by: Yuri Zoria On 23 June 1978, a Soviet police officer came to the house of a Crimean Tatar Musa Mamut to escort him to a meeting with a prosecutor. The main difference between the two calendars is how leap years are calculated. After gaining it’s independence in 1991 Ukraine … Christmas is a day celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, who many Christians believe is the son of God. Painting by Viktoriya Protsiv. Two holidays like in Moldova, Belarus, Albania . I’ve received a few questions about why Ukraine doesn’t celebrate Christmas on December 25th, so here’s an explanation for you. I also had the privilege of preaching on Christmas Eve. Christians in … Russian history saw many twists and turns. Here’s a recipe for Kutia http://www.food.com/recipe/ukrainian-christmas-kutya-kutia-107817. This is the world’s most popular article on the topic. Archimandrite Christopher Calin, dean of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection, explained why so many Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas later than most other people. Why Does Russia Celebrate Christmas On January The 7th? All Christian countries were using it starting from the IV century AD. Instead communist government tried to substitute Christmas with the holiday of New Year. According to the Pope’s innovation, 15 October came right after 4 October in 1582 in order to correct the Julian calendar’s error. Not one word. Their Christmas traditions are unique and can be traced back to ancient times, although, the Ukrainians now, follow their ancestral traditions with a modern outlook. The give presents for New Year and actually for New Year there's a bigger celebration than for Christmas in these countries. Christian Orthodox Church, the most popular confession in Russia and Ukraine, celebrates Christmas on 7 January. Living Room Furniture says: November 24, 2010 at 1:44 am How I wish I could go there. Many Orthodox Christians fast before January 7, usually excluding meat and dairy products. Last year, a draft bill on making 25 December a state holiday alongside 7 January had been registered in parliament, and now came the vote. Read more: Why does Ukraine celebrate Christmas on January 7, not December 25? Ukraine is one of the countries of the dominant Orthodox Christianity where the secular calendar is the same as the Gregorian, but whose church still uses the old, or the Julian Calendar. And you can also vote for future articles, suggest topics, and keep in touch with the team. The holiday is still celebrated on January 14, in memory of the switch Ukraine made in 1918 to the Gregorian calendar, when 14 astronomically redundant days were annulated. Nowadays, the Russian Orthodox still follows the old calendar and all Russian Orthodox believers celebrate Christmas on January 7th. Currently the old Julian calendar is thirteen days behind the newer Gregorian calendar, thus Christmas comes on January 7th, exactly 13 days after December 25. The new calendar was quickly picked up in secular life, but the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Ukrainian and several other Churches, never adopted it. However, it’s possible to ignore the “extra” days, as they were ignored the last few times, but that would mean essentially that the Julian calendar just becomes the Gregorian + 14 days, negating its astronomical essence. Any tips? Thus the years 1800 and 1900 were not leap years although they are divisible by 4. The traditional Christmas customs of Ukraine add color and significance to the winter festival of Christmas, and Ukrainian Christmas on January 7th is usually a peaceful and quiet event. The exact day and year of Christ’s birth … ... It’s very nice to celebrate Christmas in Ukraine. 8 Answers. In the West we use the Catholic-created Gregorian calendar, which was introduced by Pope Gregory in … Many countries around the world celebrate national holidays; Ukraine is no exception. However, parts of the Orthodox Church never made the switch, and still live by the older Julian calendar. Jan 7, 2019 - Why Do Some Christians Celebrate Christmas on January 7? But sooner or later, moving the date of celebration of Christmas would be inevitable – if the Church continues living by the Julian calendar, the “extra” minutes will lead to an “extra” day starting from 2100, and Christmas would have to be celebrated on January 8, not January 7. They did an amazing job, just check out a few of the videos below. Traditional Ukrainian Christmas festivities start on Christmas Eve, which is celebrated on 6 January, as reckoned by the Julian calendar.The Christmas celebrations end on 19 January, the date of Epiphany, or Yordan in Ukrainian, by the Julian calendar.. As of 2017, 25 December, Christmas day by the Gregorian calendar, became an official government holiday in Ukraine. That means that every 133 years the Julian calendar falls behind by a day. Answer. Merry Ukrainian Christmas! Orthodox Christians in central and eastern Europe and other parts of the world celebrate Christmas on January 7. 9 years ago. Merry Christmas! No, but I have a couple of traditional cookbooks and will now look for it. 1 … Why does the Russian Othordox Church celebrate Christmas on January the 7th? In it, Ukraine is following in the footsteps of other Orthodox countries. Sign up with your email address to be the first to know about new products, VIP offers, blog features & more. of the Euromaidan Press community: Make a monthly donation 2011-09-14 00:05:33 2011-09-14 … Favourite answer. Lv 6. This allows citizens to choose when to celebrate one of the largest Church holidays. Relevance. For as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help us stay afloat and do more.Â, Tags: Christmas, culture, religion, Ukraine. Christmas is a day celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, who many Christians believe is the son of God. Archimandrite Christopher Calin, dean of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection, explained why so many Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas later than most … Asked by Wiki User. Why some people celebrate Christmas in January Thanks to a decision made more than 400 years ago, not all Christians observe the … CAIRO - 7 January 2018: Around 37 percent of the Orthodox Christians, mainly in Egypt and Russia, celebrate Christmas on January 7, unlike the Catholics and Protestants who celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25. 2. The traditional supper on Christmas Eve is the cornerstone of a Ukrainian Christmas. I don’t have clue what you’re saying, but I’m impressed! The best explanation owes to the fact the Russians used the Julian ( named after Julius Caesar) instead of the more modern Gregorian calendar - and this colored their religious calendar as well. Serbian Christmas traditions are customs and practices of the Serbs associated with Christmas and a period encompassing it, between the third Sunday before Christmas Day and Epiphany.There are many, complex traditions connected with this period. In it, Ukraine is following in the footsteps of … For our Christmas Eve service we had our children participate. 1 0. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. This day is a public holiday in Russia and Ukraine. On 7 January, Coptic Orthodox Christians – who comprise 90 percent of Egypt's Christians – will break their 43-day fast and celebrate Christmas. You probably wonder why do Russians Orthodox people celebrate Christmas on January 7th? The word Christmas … This will become 8 January … The conservative part of society maintains, however, that this would mean eliminating the old, “real” Ukrainian (and church) traditions that are unique to Ukraine and eastern Christianity. 20 January 1918 the newly formed … At the same time, adepts of change stress that it makes sense for all Christians to celebrate Christmas at the same date and that it makes no sense to hold on to an astronomically outdated calendar. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Hope I could visit there someday. A Night of Faith: Ukrainian Christmas Eve, Carol of the Bells & the fight for national dignity. This year, a draft law on designating December 25 a state holiday alongside January 7 was submitted to the Ukrainian parliament. Having two state holidays would allow parishes to choose themselves what date to celebrate Christmas on. For most of America, Christmas was over nearly two weeks ago. … A visual example of the official date change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian. | Gospel Basics Sermon Series #6, 11 Quotes from J.C. Ryle That Will Stop You in Your Tracks, The Best/Worst Sermon Ever Preached at Steven Furtick's Elevation Church. During the Soviet time it was not officially celebrated in Ukraine. This calendar is still recognized by the world as the international standard. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Two holidays like in Moldova, Belarus, Albania . Why Do Some Christians Celebrate Christmas on January 7? When referencing our materials, please include an active hyperlink to the Euromaidan Press material and a maximum 500-character extract of the story. The Gregorian calendar does not add a leap day to most years that our divisible by 100. (select “make this a montly donation”). It celebrtates Christmas on December 25 but the calendar it uses is 13 days late. Some say based on astronomical position, Jesus must have been born in September. The Christmas dates around January 7 may vary among some churches. January 6th – Armenian Christmas Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Asked by Wiki User. Christmas in Ukraine is celebrated January 7 according to the Gregorian calendar as in most of other Orthodox Christian countries. Why not on December 25th? I love the Eastern Orthodox Churches and I just want to know! The Julian calendar was introduced in 46 BC by Julius Caesar, hence its name. Being a patron means you care about quality independent journalism, believe in an independent and democratic Ukraine, and like to look deep. Although some people celebrate the Catholic Christmas on the 24th, as well as the so-called old New Year on the 14th of January, making the holiday cycle slightly bigger. Why does the Russian Othordox Church celebrate Christmas on January the 7th? The result is that the Gregorian calendar is ten minutes and 48 seconds per year shorter than the Julian calendar. Modern Furniture says: November 2, 2010 at 12:44 am The food was great and the celebration seems really good. Copyrights © 2017 SUKOFAMILY. Why are Armenians the only Christians in the world to celebrate Christmas on tbe 6th of January and not on the 25th of December, as all other Christians do? It’s on January 7th (but why?) Nuts and fresh dried fr… Top Answer. As a rule, society first celebrates both dates and then the new tradition replaces the old one. They vary from place to place, and in many areas have been updated or watered down to suit modern living. Wiki User Answered . Its citizens are off work from New Year’s Day to January 8 and observe their Christmas Eve by eating a 12-course dinner on 6 January, with a dish … 4 5 6. Have you tried Ukrainian Kuttya yet? This celebration reminds us of the baby in a Bethlehem manger whose 1,975th birthday we celebrate. Currently, the difference between the Gregorian calendar and the Julian calendar is 13 days. Religious holidays in Ukraine are determined by the Orthodox Church, which follows the Julian calendar, introduced by Julius Cesar in 45 BC. Starting in 2100, the difference will increase to 14 days, and Russian Christmas will thus be celebrated on January 8th from then onwards, until the next … 2020 Had Some Good Things Too! While many celebrate Christmas on December 25, some Orthodox Christians mark it on January 7. I love the Eastern Orthodox Churches and I just want to know! However, there is a 13-day difference between the new Gregorian calendar and the … The celebrations tend to begin at midnight on Christmas Eve, by which we mean January 6. Why not on December 25th? ... but some still use the Julian calendar and so celebrate Christmas on 7th January. Like in Russia, a 12-course meal is common in Ukraine to mark Christmas Eve. Last year, a draft bill on making 25 December a state holiday alongside 7 January had been registered in parliament, and now came the vote. Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth were the first to adopt the calendar. For most of America, Christmas was over nearly two weeks ago. Lessons from the history of the Ukrainian National Republic, All you wanted to know about Ukraine in one book and on one YouTube channel, A Ukrainian composer’s gift to the world of Christmas music, Ukraine gets two Christmases – December 25 and January 7, Celebrating Vodokhreshchа (Epiphany), the last of the Ukrainian Christmas and New Year cycle, Catholic priest reconstructs Ukraine’s prehistoric Christmas traditions, Forty eight hours of hell near Svitlodarsk, No Ukrainian should have a Soviet-style New Year’s tree, How the Soviets stole Ukrainian Christmas, “Neo-liberalism”: the Kremlin’s new favorite strawman. The Christmas dates around January 7 may vary among some churches. If you ask a Russian what they usually do on 25 th of December, they … And you can see some of the children’s performances below! Many of Russia's Christmas … Wow. Top Answer. Yes and no. I just saw the joy on their faces. It's all down to a difference in calendars. The work of Euromaidan Press is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation, © EUROMAIDAN PRESS But with time it turned out that this calendar wasn’t perfect: the Julian year was 11 minutes longer than the astronomical one. WHY DO WE OBSERVE CHRISTMAS ON JANUARY 6? Devout families will then return to church for the All Night Vigil. For most of America, Christmas was over nearly two weeks ago. In Ukraine, Christmas celebrations begin on 2nd January and Christmas falls on 7th of January. T understand a word they ’ re saying, but it ’ s on January 7 – which year! Vip offers, blog features & more calendar it uses is 13 days late countries! 20 January 1918 the newly formed Bolsheviks’ government signed a decree separating the Church. Also use third-party cookies that help us reach even more international readers of. Mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies will be celebrated on January and! 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