As part of its ongoing effort to distance itself from Russia, Ukraine has changed the date of its state-sanctioned Christmas Day holiday from 7 January to 25 December.
A parliamentary measure to “abandon the Russian heritage of imposing Christmas celebrations” was made legislation by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Kyiv has been severing its religious, cultural, and other links to Russia in recent years in order to align itself with the West.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, this process intensified.
The legislation was approved by Ukrainian parliament two weeks ago, and Mr. Zelensky signed it on Friday.
The legislation also changes the dates of two other official holidays: Defenders’ Day, which honours veterans of the armed forces, goes from October 14 to October 1, and Day of Ukrainian Statehood moves from July 28 to July 15.
Moscow hasn’t spoken out publicly on the subject yet.
Ukraine has been under absolute control attempts for centuries, first by imperial Russia and afterwards by the Soviet Union, which was ruled from Moscow, but with no success.
This includes the Russian Orthodox Church’s (ROC) imposition of rule over Ukraine’s churches.
The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual head of all Orthodox Christians, did, however, grant independence to the recently founded Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) in 2019.
The ROC, which has come out in open defence of President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, was incensed by the action.
The OCU, along with a number of other Orthodox churches, including the ROC, had previously observed Christmas Day on January 7 in accordance with the Julian calendar.
However, the OCU has since converted over to the more accurate Gregorian calendar that is used in most of the globe.
Since many Ukrainian believers have joined the OCU in recent years, the majority of them are now probably celebrating Christmas on December 25.
Additionally, some people may celebrate Christmas twice.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), the other well-established branch with parishes all over the nation, is still followed by millions of people.
On the most recent developments, the UOC has not made any remarks.
In 2022, it formally announced its break with Moscow, but a number of its clergy have since faced legal action for their pro-Russian actions.
According to the UOC, there is no proof to back up the allegations of collusion.
Ukraine’s coat of arms, the Trident, will replace the Soviet emblem on Kyiv’s Motherland Monument, one of the highest sculptures in the world.
The decision by Ukraine to rescheduled Christmas is the nation’s newest measure to distinguish itself from its northeastern neighbour.
Renaming of streets honouring Russian and Soviet historical personalities has lately occurred in cities and villages around Ukraine.
The removal of several monuments and the Ukrainian prohibition on Russian films released after 2014 are similar.
Following Russia’s illegitimate annexation of the southern Crimean peninsula of Ukraine in March 2014, certain actions were taken.