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Orthodox Christmas in Moscow
Celebrating with tears in the third year of war
I am celebrating this Christmas in Moscow, which makes it a highly unusual (and not entirely safe) experience. Christmas in Russia, unlike most other Christian churches, is celebrated after the New Year, on January 7. There are long historical reasons for this. The Revolution of 1917 not only changed the political system and the life of the entire country, it literally turned the tide. In 1918, the Soviet government issued a decree on the country’s transition from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar: after 31 December, 14 January immediately followed (the difference between the calendars is 13 days).
The Russian Orthodox Church did not support the reform and, along with some other churches, still celebrates Christmas according to the Julian calendar (December 25). That means, after the country switched to the Gregorian calendar, the date shifted to January 7. During the seven decades of Soviet rule, this holiday was practically banned.
Because of the atheist policy, the celebration of Christmas in the USSR became a symbol of spiritual resistance to the Communist regime — it was celebrated secretly…