Un-Orthodox: Why Ukraine snubbed Russia and moved Christmas

For the first time in Ukraine’s history, the date for celebrating Christmas has been changed from 7 January. This follows the Ukrainian parliament’s announcement earlier his year to move away from the Russian Orthodox Church tradition.

The Ukrainian community is Australia is divided on changing the date for Christmas. Source: Getty / Global Images Ukraine

Key Points

• In July, Ukraine moved the official Christmas date from 7 January to 25 December.
• While Ukrainian Catholic churches in Australia have adopted the new date, the Orthodox ones are still waiting for further instruction.
• Many Ukrainians see the change as a symbolic dissociation from Russia, rather than a change in religious ideology.

In a departure from tradition, many Ukrainians will now celebrate Christmas on the same day as most of the world does.

Sydney-based Ukrainian couple Vlad Guz, a marketing manager, and Sasha Soloviov, an Android developer, are getting ready for their first Christmas on a new date -- 25 December.

"I'm really glad that we are trying to get rid of the Soviet Union past that Russia made Ukraine follow many years ago," Guz said.

"Now Ukraine is having a direction [towards] the European Union and the Western world, so it's really cool that we have this tradition now in Ukraine."

Ukrainian couple Vlad Guz (left) and Sasha Soloviov are marking their first Christmas on 25 December. Credit: Supplied

The official Christmas holiday date was changed in July when the Ukrainian parliament voted to move away from what it called "the Russian heritage of imposing Christmas celebrations on 7 January".

Vasyl Myroshnychenko, Ukraine's ambassador to Australia, said this move was very symbolic of the country’s unification with the West.

"There's been an ongoing struggle for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to be recognised as independent from the Russian Church," he said.

"[The] Russian Orthodox Church within Ukraine has been used to subvert Ukraine internally by spreading propaganda but also being a source of intelligence officers who were concealed as priests."

Father Simon Ckuj from St Andrew’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, in Sydney’s Lidcombe suburb, said that he sees lots of support from within his community about changing the date.

"Generally, they are supportive even though we're changing thousands of years of history – people were used to celebrating on 7 January, so it will take time to get used to a new date.

"We'll have the services and everything we used to do on 7 January. At the end of the day, it's not the date that is celebrated, it's the event. And we'll follow all the traditions even though it'll be celebrated two weeks earlier than we used to," Ckuj said.

Ukrainian-Australian Oksana Kovalchuk is disappointed her Orthodox church will continue to celebrate Christmas on 7 January, while her family has planned to switch to 25 December. Credit: Supplied

However, not all Ukrainian churches in Australia have transitioned to the new date, with Orthodox churches still celebrating in January.

Ukrainian-Australian Oksana Kovalchuk expressed sadness that her Ukrainian Orthodox church will hold Christmas services on 7 January, even though her family will celebrate in December for the first time.

An archpriest from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Sydney, Father Michael Smolynec, said the church will observe the old date this year while waiting for further instructions.

“There are many parishes that keep the old calendar date in our diaspora, as well as the UK, the Western Europe Diocese of Germany and France along with the Canadian church and the American church," he said.

"We await future direction from our Metropolitan (church head). And in any case, we do not celebrate the date, we are celebrating the event that God became man and Christ came to give all a road to salvation. The most important thing is the unity of the Church.”

If it is the will of the people to celebrate in the future on 25 December, then let it be blessed.

Religion has played a strategic role in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Russian president Vladimir Putin upholds an interpretation of Orthodox Christianity which claims Russians and Ukrainians are one people who originate from the same Christian kingdom.

Olga Boichak, a sociologist and lecturer in digital cultures at the University of Sydney, said it's not only about religion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends an Easter Orthodox service at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow in April. Source: Getty / Contributor

"We know the Russian Orthodox Church is essentially an arm of the Kremlin. It is not just a religious issue, it's not just a cultural issue it's a national security issue for Ukraine.

It is a major step in ensuring Ukraine's sovereignty in this cultural realm.

An archpriest of the St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Sydney's Fairfield, Father Nikita Chemodakov, said they have some parishes from the Ukrainian community.

The celebration on a new date is not traditional for the Orthodox Church.

“A new faction of the Ukrainian Church, led by a new Metropolitan, separated from the official ancient Ukrainian Church because they believed it was too closely aligned with the Russian Church," he said.

"They adopted a new style. However, we are not affected by it, and we have some parishes from the Ukrainian community. But so far, no one has complained.”

“I feel really sorry that this [changing the date] is happening. We have always been a united church. But politics has interfered with the church, and it's a big pity. I hope it is temporary and will pass, and we will be united again."

Regardless of the date, it is going to be a bittersweet Christmas for many as the war in Ukraine approaches its second anniversary in February.