Orthodox Christians Globally Observe Christmas on Separate Dates Due to Calendar Differences

Orthodox Christian populations spanning numerous countries marked the Nativity on January 7 this year, diverging from the December 25 celebrations recognized by much of the global Christian community. This discrepancy stems from the adherence of many Eastern Orthodox churches, including the Russian Orthodox Church and other related communions, to the long-standing Julian calendar, which trails the Gregorian calendar — used by Catholic and Protestant denominations — by thirteen days. Additionally, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and certain Oriental Orthodox communities, distinct but sharing many practices with Eastern Orthodoxy, also maintained the January 7 commemoration. Contrastingly, Eastern Orthodox groups aligned with the Greek tradition employ the revised Julian calendar, which effectively corresponds with the Gregorian calendar, leading them to observe Christmas simultaneously with Western churches on December 25. Central to this difference is the conceptualization of December 25 as the date of Christmas or the Feast of the Nativity. While consensus exists on December 25 as the designated day, the calendars used differ — prompting the same date to fall on January 7 in churches that follow the Julian calendar. Historically, the early Christian church within the Roman Empire established its liturgical calendar based on the Julian system. However, as centuries passed, misalignment with the solar year emerged, prompting Pope Gregory XIII in the sixteenth century to institute a calendar reform. The Gregorian calendar remedied the drift by discontinuing days and refining leap year calculations, eventually adopted by Catholic, Protestant, and secular institutions worldwide. Eastern Orthodox churches, however, largely retained the Julian calendar through the early 20th century. In 1923, an inter-Orthodox conference adopted a revised Julian calendar that closely mimics the Gregorian calendar. Subsequently, many Orthodox churches within the Greek, Romanian, Bulgarian, and other contiguous traditions transitioned to this calendar, updating their Christmas observance to December 25. Conversely, major Orthodox bodies such as the Russian Orthodox Church, the largest Eastern Orthodox communion, continued observing Christmas on January 7 according to the original Julian calendar. Other churches, including Serbian and Georgian Orthodox communities, maintain the same practice. Within Ukraine, practices vary; some congregations have adopted December 25 celebrations, while others persist with the January 7 schedule. Another distinct practice occurs in the Armenian Orthodox Church, which observes Christmas on January 6. In North America, Orthodox Christian Christmas observances differ among jurisdictions. Greek and Antiochian Orthodox parishes celebrate the holiday on December 25. Meanwhile, certain Slavic Orthodox groups, including Serbian and certain smaller Russian churches, hold celebrations on January 7. Orthodox Christmas festivities commonly revolve around worship and ceremonial rites. Traditions vary by community, but often a principal worship service is held on the preceding evening. For example, Serbian Orthodox services may begin with an outdoor ritual involving the burning of an oak branch or sapling, accompanied by a vocal proclamation of Christ's nativity. The variations in calendar adherence and liturgical tradition underscore the diversity within global Orthodox Christianity and signify the cultural and religious distinctions influencing the timing of Christmas celebrations. These differing observances impact not only religious schedules but may also affect social and economic activities connected to the holiday period within various communities.