Why Russian Christmas is celebrated on January 7 instead of December 25

Russian Christmas is actually celebrated on January 7 and not on December 25. This is because the Russian Orthodox Church still uses the Julian calendar for its religious observances. The difference in calendars, the reliance on religious tradition, and the history of the Soviet era are the reasons for Russian Christmas being almost two weeks later than in most Western countries. So the theology and the history of the church have a great influence on the traditions of Russian Christmas.

Russian Christmas and the role of the Russian orthodox church

Russian Christmas is reflective of the Russian Orthodox Church's strong emphasis on tradition and the continuation of early Christian practice. Although the Russian state had already adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1918 after the Bolshevik Revolution, the Church was the only one that still used its own religious calendar. The church authorities claimed that changing the calendar would mean changing the liturgical cycle, and it would also cut the link with the past since Orthodox Christianity is one of the oldest Christian traditions.

The Old Julian Calendar is based on a calendar system developed by Julius Caesar in 45 BC. Early Christians used it, such as in Kievan Rus when it became Christian in 988. The Gregorian Calendar was established in 1582 AD by Pope Gregory XIII to correct the astronomical errors of the Julian Calendar and was compared to the Old Calendar and used until it was accepted by most of Western Europe. The Russian Orthodox Church did not accept this reform and continued to use the Julian Calendar for religious purposes. In the present day, the Julian Calendar is off by 13 days from the Gregorian Calendar, so December 25 in the Julian Calendar corresponds to January 7 in the Gregorian Calendar. This is why Russian Christmas is celebrated on January 7.

During the Soviet era, Christmas was actively discouraged by the state, and as part of the Anti-Religion Policies of the Soviet Government, Christmas was effectively removed from the public sphere. Instead of Christmas celebrations, New Year Celebrations became the primary celebration in Russia. All of the ceremonies of Christmas (gift-giving, decorated trees, and family gatherings) were incorporated into New Year's Day, and as such, Christmas was culturally visible much less than New Year's.

After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Christmas rebounded, and January 7 was designated as a national holiday; however, Christmas is still recognized more for religious than celebratory purposes. Christmas observances centre around Church Services, fasting prior to Christmas itself, and quiet family dinners as opposed to large public celebrations.

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