Ukrainians take Christmas measures: – This is a major development

The war is taking its course in Ukraine, even at Christmas time.

Several fierce battles were reported on 25 December, and from early in the morning the air traffic alert went off in several places in the country.

Since the war broke out in February, Ukrainians have turned away from previous traditions that have been similar to traditions that Russians also have.

One of the traditions is that Christmas Eve is celebrated on January 7, which is common practice in the Russian Orthodox Church.

Changes Christmas celebration

In Ukraine, the Russian Orthodox Church has sovereignty over the Orthodox Church in the country. Because the Julian calendar is used in the Russian Orthodox Church, Christmas falls 13 days later than in other parts of the world that follow the Gregorian calendar.

For several years, the Orthodox churches in Ukraine have discussed whether they should change when Christmas is celebrated. But in October this year it was finally decided by the Synod of the Orthodox Church that the local church rectors could choose the date together with their members.

The final decision is said to have been made as a result of the war, and thus a strong reluctance to be associated with Russia.

Thus, many people in Ukraine celebrated Christmas on 25 December this year. The news agency writes, among other things AP.

– Great development

In Bobrovytsia, 200 out of 204 members of the local church voted to change the Christmas celebration.

– This is a major development because for every year we have celebrated Christmas on a different date than the rest of the Christian world. We have always been separated. Roman Ivanenko from Bobrovytsia tells AP.

According to the news agency, several people in the city have defied the flight alert that echoed across large parts of the country. Several people gathered for mass in the city’s churches.

Nowhere in the city was attacked.

– No enemy can take the holiday from us because the holiday is in our soul, said Ivanenko.

– What is ours is ours

Anna Datskiv is also one of those who have switched to celebrating Christmas on 25 December.

The Wall Street Journal spoke to her at home in Ukraine while she cooks traditional Ukrainian Christmas food.

– What is theirs is theirs. And what’s ours is ours. This war has shown that Russia was unable to overcome the difference between them and us, she adds the newspaper.

According to The Wall Street Journal, it is nothing new that Ukraine is changing traditions and customs that were introduced by Russians. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine has favored things like the Ukrainian language and Ukrainian war heroes. But after the annexation of Krym in 2014, this change has only accelerated.

Last year, a priest in one of the country’s churches predicted that the change to celebrating Christmas on December 25 would take at least ten years, according to the newspaper. But this year, the desire to celebrate Christmas at the same time as the rest of the Christian world has doubled.

Not everyone is positive

But even though there has been a very sharp increase in those who now celebrate Christmas many weeks earlier, not everyone is as happy about the change that is now taking place.

In the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is affiliated with the Russian capital Moscow, there are several who will continue to celebrate Christmas on 7 January.

The church has previously been accused of helping Russia in the war, according to The Wall Street Journal. Among other things, several priests are said to have been accused of offering spiritual help. Some have even been accused of sharing the coordinates of Ukrainian soldiers with Russia.

It has therefore been proposed by some Ukrainian politicians to ban all religious affiliations with Russia.