A Christmas Matter

Christmas is one of the most important holidays celebrated by Christian peoples. Catholic Christians, Protestants, and a significant portion of Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25th every year. Another segment of Orthodox Christians in countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Belarus, Serbia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia, and Montenegro celebrate it on January 7th, that is, two weeks later. Due to this difference, debates arise every year before this holiday regarding when it is appropriate to celebrate Christmas or on which date Jesus Christ was born. The Roman Church decided in 337 to officially celebrate December 25th as the birthday of Jesus Christ. Although the Bible does not specify the exact date of Jesus' birth, it remains a controversial topic among Christians. 

In reality, these confusing debates that lead many people astray stem from a technical issue regarding the two different calendars used by Christian churches (the Julian calendar, adopted by Julius Caesar in 45 BC, and the Gregorian calendar, adopted by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582). However, Orthodox Christian churches did not accept the calendar proposed by Pope Gregory XIII, viewing it as a political tool of the Catholic Church. In 1923, upon the initiative of the Patriarch of Istanbul, it was decided to replace the Julian calendar, which was considered outdated, with the "Revised Julian calendar." However, this decision was not accepted by many Orthodox churches. Therefore, today, Christian churches in the world use 3 different calendars: Gregorian, Julian, and Revised Julian. Yet, despite this technical detail, the subject of celebrating Christmas has become a politicized issue, especially in former Soviet countries that are Christian.

During the USSR era or immediately after its collapse, there were no debates regarding changing calendars or celebrating Christmas on December 25th. However, with the rise to power of pro-European, i.e., anti-Russian, parties in countries like Moldova and Ukraine, debates over changing calendars have increased. Thus, they are gradually continuing to celebrate Christmas twice a year, both on December 25th and January 7th.

CHRISTMAS IN UKRAINE

However, the Ukrainian example is quite significant in this regard. In 2017, for political reasons, Ukraine began celebrating Christmas twice.  The then-Speaker of Parliament, Andriy Parubiy, declared that the new Christmas law "freed Ukraine from the Russian mental occupation and returned it to the family of free nations." Although the changing of the date of Christmas was discussed before the war, the war accelerated this reform. The new church calendar of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine came into effect in Ukraine on September 1, 2023. In this calendar, the date of Christmas is December 25th, and January 7th is no longer a religious holiday or a day off. We must state that this reform signifies a major rupture between the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which had been under the influence of the Russian Church for several centuries, and the Russian church. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, through a decree he signed, says that this change is a way of "abandoning the legacy of the Russians who celebrate Christmas on January 7th." Ukraine's changing of the Christmas date means moving away from, or even breaking away from, Russia, Russian culture, and Russian traditions. This reform is also a form of protest by Ukrainians against Russia. While debates about Christmas continue, a year ago, Vladimir Putin, at the suggestion of the Russian Patriarch, ordered his army to observe a 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine for Orthodox Christmas, allowing them to celebrate the holiday.

Although there is a technical issue with the calendar used by Christian churches, politicians have over time turned this issue into a political matter for their own interests. Many Orthodox Christians are told that they should not celebrate Christmas on the same day as Catholic Christians, that is, on December 25th.

Older generations say, "We are used to celebrating Christmas on January 7th," "I have known that the birth of Jesus is celebrated on January 7th for as long as I can remember." Younger generations of Orthodox Christians in big cities prefer to celebrate Christmas on December 25th with their friends or families. However, they visit their parents in their hometowns on January 7th. They celebrate it twice, saying, "Only God knows the true date of Christmas; to avoid sinning, believers should celebrate Christmas twice (on both dates)." 

Despite technical and political disagreements, the majority of Orthodox Christians in former Soviet countries are not against celebrating Christmas twice a year. Because Christmas means being happy by spending more time in the lights, with joy, with family, loved ones, and friends. Even though politicians want to divide people, Christmas is a holy holiday for Orthodox Christians, regardless of which church they belong to or which calendar they follow.

On this occasion, I celebrate the holiday of all Christians who celebrate Christmas.