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Ukraine celebrates on December 25 for the first tim
Daily Express
|December 26, 2023
MILLIONS of Ukrainians celebrated Christmas on December 25 for the very first time yesterday.
The main Orthodox church has traditionally observed the holiday on January 7, following the Julian calendar - which Russia also uses.
Most Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians, but in July this year, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bill into law making December 25 the official Christmas holiday as the nation adopted the Western, Gregorian calendar.
The move, which had the full backing of the church, marked another step by Kyiv towards eradicating all traces of Russian influence in the country as it continues to fight Moscow's invasion.
And it was the first time since 1917 that Ukrainians have celebrated Christmas on December 25.
This story is from the December 26, 2023 edition of Daily Express.
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