The war in Ukraine has affected even the date of Christmas, the Italian agency ANSA writes on Tuesday, citing Agerpres. This year, the percentage of Ukrainian Christians who celebrated Christmas on December 25 and therefore no longer wish to celebrate Christmas on January 7 – the date traditionally used by Orthodox Old Believers – has increased this year. In addition, from 2023, Christmas in Ukrainian calendars will be only December 25, ANSA reports.

Christmas in KyivPhoto: AA / Abaca Press / Profimedia Images

According to various traditions in the country, Christmas was still celebrated in Ukraine either on December 25 – according to the Gregorian calendar, or on January 7 – according to the Julian calendar.

“But in the end, many families celebrated both days,” said Monsignor Vitaly Kryvytskyi, bishop of the Latin Rite Catholic Church of Kyiv, because Christian families are often mixed between Latin Catholics, Greek Catholics, Ukrainian Orthodox and Orthodox under the Patriarch of Moscow.

The war accelerated this process. This Christmas may be the last when it can be celebrated in Ukraine on the same day as the Orthodox in Russia, on January 7, as a measure to ban this Church due to accusations of collaboration with the Kremlin is being discussed.

The Greek Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, which separated from the Patriarch of Moscow, decided to start the process of unifying the celebration of Christmas on December 25.

During the meeting on December 24, representatives of the two Churches also discussed the date of the next Easter, an even more important holiday for Christians, which, due to different calendars, is almost not celebrated by Catholics and Orthodox. at the same time. The next date is expected to be celebrated on the same day in 2025. However, the Orthodox world, which also distanced itself in other countries from Russian Patriarch Kirill, a friend of Putin and a supporter of war, already at the beginning of the month began to celebrate Easter on the same day as Catholics.

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