As part of the process of Ukrainization in opposition to Russian influence, both the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) have celebrated Christmas this year according to the revised Julian calendar, on December 25, while the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which used to be under the Moscow Patriarchate but decided to become independent because of the war in Ukraine, will continue to celebrate 13 days later, on January 7. Since September 1, most OCU and UGCC parishes have switched to the new calendar for feasts celebrated at fixed dates (but not for movable feasts such as Easter). Moreover, in the summer the Ukrainian parliament decided that Christmas would be officially celebrated on December 25; since 2017, December 25 had already become a public holiday alongside January 7. The move represents a major political and cultural statement about breaking with the country’s “Russian heritage” and aligning with the West. But at the religious level, the results are more mixed. Regina Elsner (Münster University, Germany) remarks in Ukraine verstehen (December 23) that the change has not brought more unity among Ukrainian Christians. Indeed, while support for the new church calendar has grown among larger sectors of Ukrainian society, the most religious people among Orthodox believers tend to be more hesitant. Elsner writes that there is a risk that participation in Christmas celebrations on January 7 will be interpreted as a sign of weaker Ukrainian national feelings or even support for Russia, although there may be purely religious reasons for remaining attached to the traditional date.
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A survey on church and religion in Ukraine conducted in November by the Razumkov Center finds significant regional variations among Ukrainian Christians in reaction to the change of date, from high approval in the West (75 percent) to low approval in the East (28 percent). The date change is supported by 82 percent of the UGCC’s members, 62 percent of the OCU’s, and slightly more than 20 percent of the UOC’s. It has reverberations in the Ukrainian diaspora. Some Ukrainians in North America confess that they actually remain attached to the January 7 date as part of their tradition and distinctive identity. There are mixed reactions to the decision of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada to switch to the new calendar, with some parishes preparing to offer Christmas celebrations at both dates this year (CBC News, December 14). “Celebrating Christmas on January 7 in Canada is our way of preserving the rich Ukrainian traditions that have defined us for so long,” said Michael Bociurkiw, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council (The Globe and Mail, December 19). In an article published in Public Orthodoxy (December 21), Talia Zajac of Niagara University described her reaction. “I came to realize that it is mourning that I feel, a grief for centuries of tradition coming to an end in my lifetime. Having a separate calendar has been a long-held part of my identity as a Ukrainian Canadian.”
(Ukraine verstehen, https://ukraineverstehen.de; full report, in Ukrainian, of the Razumkov Center, https://razumkov.org.ua/images/2023/12/19/2023-Religiya-F.pdf; Razumkov Center survey, https://razumkov.org.ua/en/component/k2/attitude-of-ukrainian-christians-to-switching-to-the-new-julian-calendar-november-2023)
