Orthodox Christmas: Why it's celebrated by some believers 13 days after Dec. 25
by Peter Smith
Jan 06, 2024
3 minutes
While much of the world has Christmas in the rearview mirror by now, people in some Eastern Orthodox traditions will celebrate the holy day on Sunday.
Certain Eastern Orthodox churches, including those in Russian and other traditions, follow the ancient Julian calendar, which runs 13 days later than the Gregorian calendar, used by Catholic and Protestant churches as well as by much of the secular world for everyday use.
Other Orthodox, tradition and, now, some Ukrainian churches, celebrate Christmas on the same date as Western churches.
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