Ukraine marks its inaugural Christmas on December 25th

This year, Ukrainian Orthodox Christians are preparing to celebrate Christmas on 25 December for the first time. Traditionally, Ukraine has followed the Julian calendar, similar to Russia, which observes Christmas on 7 January. However, Ukraine has now adopted the Western calendar, also known as the Georgian calendar, for its Christmas celebrations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky changed the law in July, stating that this move would allow Ukrainians to distance themselves from the Russian heritage associated with celebrating Christmas in January. In a Christmas message, Zelensky emphasized national unity and declared that all Ukrainians would now celebrate Christmas together on the same date as "one big family" and "one united country." In capital city Kyiv, a married couple of different Christian denominations, Lesia Shestakova (Catholic) and Oleksandr Shestakov (Orthodox), celebrated Christmas together for the first time. Previously, they had celebrated separately with their respective parents. The couple attended the Sunday morning service at the city's Catholic cathedral, expressing their gratitude for the opportunity to worship together. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which recently became independent and held its inaugural service in 2019, has also switched its Christmas date to 25 December. This decision came after the church severed ties with the Russian Orthodox Church due to Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine. On Sunday, people across Ukraine lit candles and offered prayers to celebrate Christmas. In the western city of Lviv, where the impact of the conflict has been relatively minimal, children dressed in traditional attire sang carols and participated in festive processions on the streets. These events signify a shift towards a more unified Christmas celebration in Ukraine while embracing its own distinct traditions and culture.