Christmas on December 25th and January 7th: the calendar schism as a result of history and culture

The dates of Christmas celebration — December 25th and January 7th — are a vivid reflection of deep historical and culturally-religious divisions in the Christian world. This difference is not due to different theological interpretations, but rather to the use of different calendars: the Gregorian (introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582) and the Julian (introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 BC), which today is 13 days behind the astronomical year. Thus, December 25th in the "new style" (Gregorian calendar) corresponds to January 7th in the "old style" (Julian).

1. Countries celebrating Christmas as a national holiday on December 25th

This is the overwhelming majority of countries in the world with Christian traditions that historically belong to the Catholic and Protestant branches of Christianity, as well as a number of Orthodox churches that have switched to the New Julian calendar (which coincides with the Gregorian until 2800).

• Europe and America: Practically all countries in the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, countries in Latin America, Australia, New Zealand. Here Christmas is the main family holiday, combining religious content (masses, liturgies) and secular traditions (tree, gifts, Santa Claus).

• Orthodox countries celebrating Christmas on December 25th:

  • Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria: The local Orthodox churches of these countries switched to the New Julian calendar for movable feasts (including Christmas) in the 1920s, while keeping the Julian calendar for calculating Easter. This decision was made to synchronize with the civil calendar.

  • Constantinopolitan, Alexandrian, Antiochian and some other Orthodox churches also celebrate Christmas on December 25th according to the New Julian calendar.

Interesting fact: In Israel, December 25th is a working day, but is recognized as a day of rest for the Christian minority. In Lebanon, where there is a significant influence of Maronite Catholics, Christmas on December 25th is a national holiday, which is unique in the Arab world.

2. Countries celebrating Christmas as a national holiday on January 7th

This is primarily countries with a dominant influence of the Russian, Serbian, Georgian, Jerusalem Orthodox churches and a number of ancient eastern churches that continue to use the Julian calendar for the entire festive cycle.

• Russia: After the Soviet Russia switched to the Gregorian calendar in 1918, the Russian Orthodox Church retained the old style. January 7th is an official non-working public holiday in the civil calendar of the Russian Federation.

• Belarus, Ukraine: January 7th is also a national holiday. The situation in Ukraine is complicated by the schism within Orthodoxy: the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) has also allowed celebrating December 25th since 2023, but January 7th remains the main public holiday.

• Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia: The Serbian Orthodox Church adheres to the old style. Badnikidan (Christmas Eve) on January 6th and Christmas on January 7th are the main family holidays.

• Georgia: The Georgian Orthodox Church celebrates on January 7th.

• Moldova: With significant influence of the Romanian Orthodox Church (December 25th), the country has two Christmas celebrations, but January 7th remains a public holiday.

• Egypt, Ethiopia, Armenia: Here the tradition is different — this is the ancient eastern (non-Chalcedonian) churches. The Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church also use their own calendar cycle, and their Christmas falls on January 7th. The Armenian Apostolic Church usually celebrates Christmas on January 6th, together with the Epiphany.

Interesting fact: In Jordan and on the Palestinian territories (Bethlehem, Jerusalem), the Jerusalem Patriarchate conducts solemn Christmas services in the old style, on January 7th. This event attracts pilgrims from all over the world and is widely covered.

3. Countries with "double" celebration

In a number of countries with ethnically and confessionally diverse populations, both dates may be public holidays, reflecting a policy of respect for the traditions of minorities.

• Bosnia and Herzegovina: In different regions (the Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina), both December 25th (for Croatian Catholics and part of the Bosnians) and January 7th (for Serb Orthodox) are public holidays.

• In Belarus, there are two national holidays: December 25th and January 7th, reflecting the equality of Christian confessions and denominations - Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox, the policy of inter-Christian and inter-religious dialogue.

• Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan: January 7th is a national holiday, considering the significant proportion of ethnic Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians. December 25th is a working day.

• Ukraine (de facto): After granting the right to celebrate December 25th, the practice of "double Christmas" is forming in the country, especially in regions with different confessional composition.

4. Cultural traditions: differences in rituals

The date also affects the ritual aspect.

• For those celebrating on December 25th: The central event is Christmas Eve on December 24th (evening mass, family dinner). The main winter character is Santa Claus (or local analogues), giving gifts on the night of the 25th.

• For those celebrating on January 7th: The culmination is the nightly festive liturgy from January 6th to 7th. It is mandatory to fast until the appearance of the first star in the evening of January 6th, after which a festive meal is served (in Russia — kutia). Gifts are more often associated with New Year and Ded Moroz, who comes on December 31st. Christmas itself has a more church-family character, less commercialized.

Conclusion

The division in the dates of Christmas celebration is not just a calendar anomaly, but a living historical monument, reflecting the paths of civilization development, church decisions, and national identity policy. The map of celebrating Christmas on December 25th and January 7th is a map of the influence of the Roman and Byzantine Empires, a map of religious reforms and cultural resistance. In a globalized world, this difference is gradually fading (as in the case of allowing to celebrate December 25th in Ukraine), but it still remains an important marker of cultural and religious identity for millions of people. This calendar dualism vividly demonstrates how a technical solution (calendar reform) can for centuries determine the cultural landscape of entire peoples and states.

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