The explanatory note attached to the law said that it aims to “abandon Russian tradition”, including that of “imposing the celebration of Christmas” on January 7, and cited the “incessant and successful struggle of Ukrainians for their identity”. and “the desire of all Ukrainians to live their lives with their own traditions, holidays”, fueled by Russia’s aggression against the country, which has lasted for 17 months.
Last year, some Ukrainians already celebrated Christmas on December 25, in a gesture that represented separation from Russia, its culture and religious traditions.
The law also moves Ukrainian State Day from July 28 to July 15, and Defenders of Ukraine Day from October 14 to October 1.
The Russian Orthodox Church, which claims sovereignty over Orthodoxy in Ukraine, and some other Eastern Orthodox churches continue to use the old Julian calendar. Christmas falls 13 days later on that calendar, that is, on January 7, than on the Gregorian calendar used by most churches and secular groups.
The Catholic Church first adopted the modern, more astronomically accurate Gregorian calendar in the 16th century. Since then, Protestants and some Orthodox churches have aligned their own calendars to calculate Christmas and Easter.
Ukraine’s religious landscape has been fractured for years. There are two branches of Orthodox Christianity in the country, one aligned with the Russian church, although it enjoys wide autonomy, and the other completely independent from it. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the separate branch of the Russian Orthodox Church, announced earlier this year that it would adopt the revised Julian calendar, which marks Christmas on December 25.
Last year, its leaders allowed believers to celebrate the holiday on December 25.
FOUNTAIN: Associated Press
