A priest from Kharkov told us when to celebrate Christmas in Ukraine.

All Ukrainians know when Christmas is – according to the new calendar, which the OCU switched to on September 1, this holiday is celebrated on December 25. However, some believers want to celebrate the birth of Christ according to the old style – January 7. found out when Christmas in Ukraine should be celebrated so as not to sin.

When is Christmas 2023 – exact date

According to the new calendar that Ukraine now lives by, Christmas will come tomorrow – December 25, just like in all European countries. It is believed that the New Julian calendar is more accurate than the Julian calendar, according to which Christ was born on January 7. That is why the OCU switched to a schedule where the holidays are “shifted” 13 days back.

Suspilne Kharkov gives the thoughts of Father Viktor Marinchak about celebrating Christmas.

For us, December 25 according to the New Julian and Gregorian calendar is the first day when a day begins to be added and becomes longer by a minute. That is why the church at one time chose this day as a symbol of the birth of the Sun of Truth, Jesus Christ. The sun is born on the new year and ours is born. And in prayers he is called simply the sun and the sun of truth. And he is born on the day when a moment is added, that is, the still small sun, the newborn sun of the new year.

Father Victor focuses on the fact that all believers celebrate the holiday on the same day – just according to different calendars. Now we want to connect in one calendar. And this corresponds to the symbolism of Christmas, the symbolism of the newborn sun. That is why the decision was made to switch to the New Julian calendar, so that on December 25 the Nativity of Christ would be celebrated together with the entire civilized world.

Is it possible to celebrate Christmas in Ukraine twice?

Father Victor says that there is nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas in Ukraine 2023 on December 25, but then it will turn out that believers who celebrate the holiday on January 7 will already celebrate Christmas in Ukraine 2024 – since according to their calendar, Christ will be born after the New Year .

From December 25 to January 6 is the winter holiday period. December 25 is the Nativity of Christ, and January 6 is Epiphany, this is the baptism of our Savior Jesus Christ. When these two holidays were combined and celebrated on one day. And the general name was Epiphany, because Christ appears after being born. Whether he appears to the people when he comes to be baptized, that is why this holiday is called Epiphany. And he combined both the event of Christmas and the event of the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan.

That is, every Ukrainian decides for himself what date Christmas is, but the priest hopes that over time people will get used to it and will put up the Christmas tree on December 25th. For now, there is nothing wrong or wrong with celebrating Christmas 2023 and Christmas 2024 – celebrating the holiday on both dates twice instead of once.