
New Dates and Traditions: How Ukraine is Changing the Calendar of Church Holidays from September 1, 2023
From September 1, 2023, after the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church decided to transition to the new Julian calendar, religious events in Ukraine are observed 13 days earlier, according to the new Julian calendar. Therefore, certain religious holidays now have new dates.
In particular, starting from December, we will now celebrate Christmas on December 25. We also get used to the fact that the dates of St. Nicholas Day (December 6) and Malanka or New Year's Eve (December 31) have changed.
Below is a list of religious holidays in December according to the new Julian calendar.
December 1 – St. Prophet Nahum.
December 2 – St. Prophet Habakkuk.
December 3 – St. Prophet Zephaniah.
December 4 – St. Great Martyr Barbara, Venerable John of Damascus.
December 5 – Venerable and God-bearing Sabbas the Sanctified.
December 6 – St. Nicholas.
December 7 – St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan.
December 8 – Venerable Patapius.
December 9 – Conception of St. Anne.
December 10 – Holy Martyrs Menas, Hermogenes, and Eugraphus.
December 11 – Holy Martyrs Minas, Victor, and Vincent. St. Theodore the Studite, Spanish Venerable.
December 12 – Venerable Spyridon the Wonderworker.
December 13 – Holy Martyrs Eustratius, Auxentius, Eugene, Mardarius, Orestes; Holy Martyr Lucy the Virgin.
December 14 – Holy Martyrs Thyrsus, Leucius, Philemon, Apollonius, Ariadne, and Callinicus.
December 15 – St. Hieromartyr Eleutherius; Venerable Paul; St. Stephen.
December 16 – St. Prophet Haggai.
December 17 – St. Prophet Daniel; Holy Three Youths Ananias, Azarias, and Misael.
December 18 – St. Martyr Sebastian and those with him.
December 19 – St. Martyr Boniface.
December 20 – St. Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer.
December 21 – St. Martyr Juliania.
December 22 – St. Great Martyr Anastasia.
December 23 – Ten Holy Martyrs of Crete.
December 24 – Christmas Eve, St. Venerable Martyr Eugenia.
December 25 – Christmas.
December 26 – Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos; St. Hieromartyr Euthymius.
December 27 – St. Apostle Stephen, the First Martyr and Deacon.
December 28 – Holy Martyrs burned in Nicomedia.
December 29 – Holy Infants, killed for Christ in Bethlehem.
December 30 – St. Martyr Anysia.
December 31 – Venerable Melania the Roman; Holy Righteous Joseph the Betrothed, David the King, and James, the Brother of the Lord, New Year's Eve.
The celebration of religious holidays in Ukraine is distinguished by a wealth of traditions and rituals. People usually attend churches for worship and adhere to customs associated with the holidays. Wishing you a pleasant winter and happy holidays!
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