- Much of Ukraine switched to December 25 to celebrate Christmas in 2023.
- Ukraine’s Orthodox Church broke away from the Russian tradition of celebrating on January 7.
- Across the country and on the frontlines, Ukrainians have been celebrating.
In 2023, much of Ukraine switched the day it celebrates Christmas, in a rebuke to Russia.
Ukraine’s Orthodox Church used to celebrate Christmas on January 7, aligning with the Church in Russia and other eastern countries.
But after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the church moved to allow its churches to choose to celebrate on December 25, aligning with the West.
Here’s what that looked like:
In Kharkiv, a group sang carols in a main square on December 24.
In early 2022, much of the wider Kharkiv region was occupied by Russian forces, until they were pushed out by Ukraine’s lightning fall counteroffensive of that year. The city itself underwent heavy shelling.
Lieutenant-General Serhii Naiev, one of Ukraine’s most senior officers, posted a video of a Christmas Day visit to troops in northern Ukraine.
He said in a Telegram post that he brought a gift of medical supplies for the unit’s combat medic, and sweets for everyone else.
