Christmas in Ukraine

Christmas in Ukraine
Also calledUkrainian: Різдво, Rizdvo
Observed byChristians, many non-Christians
TypeChristian, cultural
SignificanceCommemoration of the nativity of Jesus
CelebrationsGift-giving, family and other social gatherings, symbolic decoration, feasting, etc.
ObservancesChurch services
Date
FrequencyAnnual
Related toNativity Fast

In Ukraine, Christmas celebrations traditionally start on Christmas Eve, which is celebrated from December 24 to January 6, the date of the celebration of the baptism of Jesus, known in Ukraine as Vodokhreshche or Yordan, according to the Gregorian calendar and Revised Julian calendar by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), the Catholic Church in Ukraine (including the Latin and Greek Catholics) and Ukrainian Protestants.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (except for the Romanian parishes)[1] and some parishes of the OCU celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar, so the Gregorian holidays last from January 6 to January 19.

Christmas was largely erased from the Ukrainian calendar for much of the 20th century due to the Soviet Union's anti-religious policies, but many of its traditions survived and are being revived again. In 2023, for the first time since 1917, Christmas Day in Ukraine was officially on December 25.

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