Orthodox Church of Ukraine decides to celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 as per Gregorian calendar

The autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) has charted history by deciding to celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 as per the Gregorian Calendar like the Roman Catholics. This decision was taken by the Council of Bishops on May 24 in an apparent act of defiance towards the Russian Orthodox Church. The Council almost unanimously voted to follow the Gregorian calendar for the Solemnity of the Birth of our Lord instead of celebrating it on January 7 like many other Orthodox communities while Easter and other major feasts like the Feast of the Trinity will be celebrated as per the old Julian calendar. The new changes will come into effect as of September 1 which marks the onset of the new ecclesiastical year. Orthodox believers in the war-torn nation belong to the autocephalous OCU and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, which is loyal to the Russian Church. As per the Gregorian calendar, the Orthodox feast of St Nicholas the wonderworker will be observed on December 6 and OCU believers will join their Catholic brethren in celebrating the feast of Epiphany on January 6. The council of bishops of the OCU said in a decree that the decision to switch calendars regarding the celebration of Christmas was made because the Julian calendar is of secular origin and has no spiritual importance. It is also a powerful reminder of the association with the Russian Orthodox Church. “In the modern realities of the existence of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Ukrainian society, especially in connection with the aggressive Russian war against Ukraine, the demand for a change in the calendar increased significantly,” they said. However, the prelates said that for centuries the Julian calendar was the symbol of resistance to the Latinization efforts and after the communist takeover, it was a sign of resistance. But with the socio-cultural change in Ukraine, it is time for a revamp, they said. The bishop said that these days, people consider the Julian calendar as being a vestige of the Russian connection rather than a symbol of Ukrainian nationality and culture. Therefore, it was a timely decision to affirm Ukraine’s spiritual identity by switching to the Gregorian calendar while preserving the traditional Easter. Read more…