Christmas in Ukraine has changed its date according to the New Julian church calendar, but the holiday is celebrated in both the new and old styles.

Christmas is one of the main holidays in Christianity. It is based on the birth in the flesh of Jesus Christ from the Virgin Mary. This holiday is celebrated on the same day, but according to the new church calendar the date has shifted, but according to the old one it remains the same. When we celebrate Christmas in Ukraine 2023-2024, its history and traditions are in the material.

Christmas – the history of the holiday

The birth of Jesus Christ is known in sufficient detail. Thus, the righteous Joseph the Betrothed and his wife Mary, who was in late pregnancy, were forced to go from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Emperor Augustus announced a census, and all residents had to return to the city where they were from. In Bethlehem, the couple did not find room in guest houses, so they took refuge in a cave, which was a cattle shed. Joseph went to look for a midwife because Mary was about to give birth. But when he returned, his wife had already given birth – at that moment the cave was filled with a wondrous and very bright light. The Angel of the Lord was the first to notify the shepherds about the birth of the Messiah – they came to the cave to worship the Baby in the manger.

This cave is now one of the main Christian shrines – it is located in the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, which was built in the 4th century. In the cave there is an altar of the Nativity (it belongs to the Orthodox) and a manger chapel (belongs to the Catholics). The birthplace of Christ is marked in a marble slab on the floor – on it is a 14-pointed silver star. It symbolizes the star of Bethlehem – the same one that, after the birth of Christ, showed the way to the wise men from the East who went to see the King of the Jews.

The day after the birth of Christ, the family found a guest house in place, and on the eighth day the traditional circumcision took place. The Magi brought gifts to the baby – they will go down in history as the gifts of the Magi: gold, incense and myrrh. Gold symbolized royal dignity, incense – the divine origin of the child, and oil – future burial.

After the birth of Christ, a tragic event occurred: King Herod, hearing about the birth of the new King of the Jews and fearing for his power, ordered the death of all Bethlehem babies under two years of age. Jesus was miraculously saved: his family hastily went to Egypt and lived there until the death of ruler Herod.

What date is Christmas according to the new and old style?

Due to the transition of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine to the New Julian calendar, all dates of immutable holidays have shifted 13 days earlier. According to the new style, Orthodox Christians will celebrate Christmas on December 25 in 2023 (Catholic Christmas falls on the same date). According to the old style, Christmas is celebrated as before – January 7th.

Christmas on December 25 is considered a public holiday in Ukraine, but it is not a day off due to the martial law in the country.

What to do for Christmas

On Christmas Eve, a festive service is held in churches, followed by an all-night vigil and a solemn liturgy. The clergy traditionally dresses in white festive clothes – it symbolizes the Divine light.

On Christmas Eve, Orthodox Christians set a table of 12 Lenten dishes, the main one of which is kutia, but they sit down to the table only after the first star appears in the sky – the symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, which notified the Magi about the birth of Christ.

Christmas traditions go back centuries. On the holiday itself, December 25, believers greet each other: “Christ is born!” and answer: “We praise Him!” On the day when Christmas is celebrated, it is good to go to church and stand at the festive service, show mercy and give alms. Traditionally, on the holiday, it is customary to gather in the family circle at a rich table. Those who observed the Nativity Fast should break it gradually so as not to overeat. Also for Christmas you can invite those who, for some reason, cannot celebrate the holiday as expected.

It is believed that the more light there is in the house on this holiday, the more luck and blessings will come into life.

What not to do at Christmas

There are also a number of prohibitions on the holiday. On this day you should not:

• swear, swear;
• refuse help;
• borrow and lend;
• guess the future.

It is also believed that on this holiday one should not drive away a homeless person from the doorstep – according to legend, God himself may be in his guise.

On the bright holiday of Christmas, you should forgive your offenders and ask for forgiveness yourself.

Previously, we published the Orthodox calendar for January 2024 with holidays according to the new style.