Christmas in December and Epiphany redefined: How the church calendar has altered the dates of winter celebrations.
Christmas in Ukraine has a new date following the church's calendar reform. Therefore, today, December 25, Ukrainian Orthodox and Greek Catholics celebrate the holiday alongside most countries worldwide. Baptism and several other winter holidays will also occur earlier.
RBC-Ukraine explains below how the festive dates have changed under the new calendar.
Why the Unified Date of Christmas in Ukraine is December 25
The majority of Christians around the world celebrate Christmas on December 25, and since last year, Ukraine has joined them.
The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) conducted a calendar reform on September 1, 2023, transitioning from the Julian to the New Julian calendar. As a result, the dates for nearly all holidays have shifted 13 days earlier. The reform did not affect the date of Easter and related "movable" holidays, which vary each year.
The necessity for calendar changes in the OCU was explained by the fact that the New Julian calendar is more astronomically accurate, and it has long been used by most local Orthodox churches.
Additionally, one of the main reasons for the transition was the desire to distance itself from the traditions of the Russian church, which follows the Julian calendar and celebrates Christmas on January 7.
Since last year, the date of Christmas in Ukraine has been officially set at December 25, and January 7 is no longer a holiday.
It is worth noting that since 2017, Ukrainians had two official Christmas dates, but in July 2023, the Verkhovna Rada decided to remove January 7 from the list of public holidays in the Labor Code.
Photo: Christmas service at the Lavra (Vitaly Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
It is also important to add that after the calendar change, the church did not prohibit celebrating Christmas on January 7 to avoid societal division and disputes. Church parishes and monasteries were permitted, if they wished, to hold Christmas services according to the old style during a specific transitional period.
When to Celebrate Baptism
For a long time, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord was celebrated on January 19. With the transition to the new calendar, the date has shifted to January 6.
This is a significant holiday in the Christmas cycle, commemorating the baptism of the Son of God in the Jordan River by John the Baptist.
Furthermore, the Feast of Epiphany falls on January 6. According to biblical tradition, after his baptism, Jesus revealed himself to the people as the Savior.
Photo: Blessing of water on Baptism (Vitaly Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
On Baptism, churches hold an all-night liturgy, which concludes with the blessing of water. A tradition of the holiday is to bathe in the blessed waters.
What Other Winter Holidays Have New Dates
As a result of the calendar reform, several winter holidays with ancient folk traditions have had their dates changed.
The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is now celebrated on December 26 (previously January 8). On this day, the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, is honored. Traditionally, special attention was given to pregnant women, who were gifted pies and sweets for an easy delivery.
The Day of St. Melania falls on December 31 instead of January 13. Historically, Ukrainians referred to this holiday as "Generous Evening" or "Malanka." During Malanka, a generous kutia is prepared, people dress up, and perform the "Goat" ritual while singing.
The Day of St. Basil will be celebrated on January 1 instead of January 14. According to folk tradition, on this day, young men and boys sow grain in homes in the morning.
Preparation used: OCU church calendar, publications from the OCU portal, Article 73 of the Labor Code, Law No. 3258-IX, information from Wikipedia.
Previously, we discussed why there will be no holidays for Christmas and New Year 2025 in Ukraine.
Also read about which other church holiday may change its date during the church's calendar reform.