War in Ukraine: In protest – orthodox Ukrainians celebrate Christmas in December

publishedDecember 26, 2022 at 1:18 p.m

Ukraine war: Break with Russia – Orthodox Ukrainians bring their Christmas celebrations forward

Traditionally, Orthodox Christians, who make up almost 70 percent of the Ukrainian population, don’t celebrate until January. The premature festival is a religious break with Russia, where most people are also Orthodox.

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Orthodox Christians traditionally celebrate Christmas on January 7th. But in Ukraine in 2022 more people than probably never before celebrated the birth of Christ on December 25th.

AFP

It should be a sign of protest against the religious leadership in Russia.

AFP

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church has belonged to the Moscow Patriarchate since the 17th century. After the Russian invasion, which began in February 2022, she completely broke away from Moscow.

AFP

That’s what it’s about

• Contrary to orthodox custom, some Ukrainian churches celebrate Christmas on December 25 this year.

• Usually, Orthodox Christians celebrate the festival on January 7th.

• The early Christmas celebration represents a protest and a break with religious leadership in Russia.

With church bells ringing and chanting, Orthodox Christians in Kyiv attended Christmas services on Sunday – in a defiant break with the religious leadership in Russia, which celebrates Christmas in two weeks. The decision by some Ukrainian churches to celebrate Christmas on December 25 rather than January 7, as is customary among Orthodox Christians, underscores the rift between the official churches in Kyiv and Moscow, which the war has deepened.

“Have forgotten they were our enemies”

In her own words, churchgoer Olga Stanko supports any measure by which Ukraine distances itself from Russia. She thinks the change of the Christmas date is overdue, she says. “The war brought us so much suffering,” says the 72-year-old. Almost in tears, she tells that her son is deployed near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, where the fighting is currently the most fierce. «We forgot they were our enemies, we were so gullible. And now we’re at war here.”

According to a survey by Interfax-Ukraine, almost half of the Ukrainian population is in favor of bringing the holiday forward – up from 26 percent in 2021. However, 31 percent still oppose it.

Secession from Moscow progresses

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church has belonged to the Moscow Patriarchate since the 17th century as a branch of the Russian Orthodox Church. Parts of it broke with Moscow in early 2019 as a result of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its support for pro-Russian separatists in the Donbass region in the east of the country. In May, after the Russian attack on Ukraine, she completely broke with Moscow.

On Sunday morning, the faithful sit tightly packed in a church near St. Michael’s Monastery. In his sermon, High Priest Mykhailo Omelyan apparently addresses the power and heating outages caused by Russian attacks, which are affecting millions of people across the country.

“The people who sat in darkness saw a bright light, and the light has dawned on those who are in the land and in the shadow of death,” he says, adding, in a harsh allusion to the Russian attackers: “Not everyone accepts the light that has shone… There are those people who love darkness more than light, because their deeds are devilish.”

In front of the church, a burned-out Russian tank commemorates the war, and air raid alarms sound for 25 minutes during the service.

Christmas is also celebrated on January 7th

There will also be a service for those who still celebrate on January 7th. “In my opinion, this is a transition phase. There are a few things that we cannot radically change overnight,” he adds. It will take a few years for the December 25 celebrations to catch on. “Indeed, we must remember that we are not celebrating the date but the event – the birth of our Savior,” he says.

Omelyan points out that the loud demands for a complete abolition of Christmas celebrations on January 7 do not correspond to the will of all or most of the faithful Ukrainian Orthodox. Exact figures are not available, but only a “minority” of churches held Christmas services on Sunday. “A really big part of society wants to continue celebrating on January 7th,” he says.

Are you or someone you know concerned about the war in Ukraine?

Here you can find help for yourself and others:

Questions and answers on the war in Ukraine (State Secretariat for Migration)

Outpatient clinic for victims of torture and war SRKTel. [phone]

fear of war?tips from Pro Juventute

Consulting offer (German, Ukrainian, Russian), by Pro Juventute

Free advice for children and youth in Ukrainian

Offered HandWorry Hotline, Tel. 143

For Youthadvice for children and young people, Tel. 147

Registration and information for host families:

Swiss refugee aidTel. [phone]

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(afp/bho)