While much of the Western world celebrates Christmas on December 25 as per the Gregorian calendar, Orthodox Christians, numbering between 250 and 300 million worldwide, observe this sacred holiday on January 7 following the Julian calendar – a distinction rooted in historical schisms and differing traditions.
Orthodox Christians, constituting 12 percent of the global Christian population, share core beliefs with other denominations but diverge in certain practices, including the timing of religious holidays. The divergence dates back to the Great Schism of 1054, leading to the adoption of separate calendars and the celebration of Easter and Christmas on distinct dates.
Historically, December celebrations are speculated to have links with pagan traditions of winter solstice festivities and the Roman Empire’s commemoration of the Sol Invictus, marking the return of longer days. The choice of December 25 for Christmas likely aimed to redirect celebrations from pagan roots, while some link it to historical narratives such as Jesus’ conception or Roman festivals like Saturnalia.
The majority of Orthodox Christians reside in eastern and southeastern Europe, including Russia, Ukraine, and the Middle East. The Coptic Orthodox Church is predominant in Egypt, with sizable communities in Ethiopia and other regions.
While the Roman church embraced December 25 as Christmas following its ascent as the official religion of the Roman Empire, the Orthodox Church retained the Julian calendar, anchoring its observance of Christmas on January 7. Subsets like Armenians, however, celebrate on January 6. Some Orthodox communities have shifted to a revised Julian calendar, aligning Christmas with December 25, as seen in Greece, Cyprus, and Romania.
Despite Christmas’s global acceptance, controversies surrounded its pagan associations, prompting resistance from various religious groups seeking to distance themselves from these customs. For instance, the Puritans in Massachusetts banned Christmas in the 17th century, while Scotland withheld recognition of the holiday for centuries post the Reformation.
The significance of Orthodox Christmas has been underscored by recent geopolitical tensions, notably in Ukraine, where a quest for ecclesiastical independence from Moscow intensified. This move, endorsed by Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, sparked a rift with the Russian Orthodox Church, fueling political disputes between Russia and Ukraine.
The divergence in recognizing Jesus Christ’s birth reflects the centuries-old fissures within Christianity and continues to influence religious, cultural, and geopolitical landscapes in contemporary times.
