Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25?

Day 1,861, 13:01 • Published in Ukraine Ukraine • by uaporsche
Українською.



The history of Christmas reveals quite a bit of controversy. For one, the date of Christ's actual birth is unknown. It is not recorded in the Bible.

Much of the contention stems from the pagan customs (f.e. the largest night of the year)associated with the origins of Christmas.

It is believed that the first celebrations of Christ's birth were originally grouped together with Epiphany, one of the earliest feasts of the Christian church observed on January 6 or the following day - January 7 (acording to the Julian calendar).

After the Gregorian calendar was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII by a decree signed on 24 February 1582 the Christmas Day was changed.



The motivation for the Gregorian reform was that the Julian calendar assumes a discrepancy with the real time in a drift of about three days every 400 years. At the time of Gregory's reform there had already been a drift of 10 days since Roman times, resulting in the spring equinox falling on 11 March instead of the ecclesiastically fixed date of 21 March, and moving steadily earlier in the Julian calendar. Because the spring equinox was tied to the celebration of Easter, the Roman Catholic Church considered this steady movement in the date of the equinox undesirable.

The Gregorian calendar was adopted initially by the Catholic countries of Europe, with other countries adopting it over the following centuries.

(civil calendar changes from Julian to Gregorain)

Because Protestants and Eastern Orthodox Christians did not recognize the authority of the Pope, many European countries did not follow the Gregorian reform, and maintained their old-style systems (in the religious calendar). Eventually other countries followed the reform for the sake of consistency, but by the time one of the last adherents of the Julian calendar in Eastern Europe changed to the Gregorian system in the 20th century, they had to drop 13 days from their calendars, due to the additional difference between the two calendars accumulated after 1582.

Today, the immense majority of Christian denominations and faith groups celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25.

However, in Russian Othodox Church, Ukrainian Orthodoxes and Greek-Catholic churches, Serbian, Georgian, Jerusalem, Coptic, Ethiopian Orthodox Churches the Christmas Day is on January 7.

In the Church of Armenia Christ borns on January 6.

Recently was announced that Ukrainan church leaders are talking about celebrate Chistmas with the rest of the Christian world on December 25, like other orthodoxes churches of Romania, Greece, Bulgaria do.



It is inquisitive how Ukrainian catholics (1,5 Million People) celebrate Christmas (however this is usually also between Ukrainian Greek-Catholics):

"We exchange wafers, like Polish people do, reserve one sit at the table, like Judes do in Easter Eve, mystery plays (Vertep) became usually like in Italy in the Middle Ages, we have the German Christmas tree..."

Another quote: "The Catholic Church in wester Ukraine is consider Polish, however this is false" (bishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki)





To all our Allies and Enemies, brothers and sisters in Christ:





"Carol of the Bells" is a popular Christmas carol, composed by Mykola Leontovych with lyrics by Peter J. Wilhousky. The song is based on a folk chant known in Ukrainian as "Shchedryk". Wilhousky's lyrics and the English name are copyrighted, although the original musical composition is not.