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Originally, winter festivals were mainly a celebration of the harvest from the previous year: a moment of reflection, expressions of gratitude, and hopes for another prosperous year. In 988, Prince Volodymyr the Great of the Kyivan Rus - the medieval state centered around current-day Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital - was baptized, marking the beginning of Christianity in the region. Like in other Slavic cultures, the roots of Christmas celebrations in Ukraine reach back before Christianity itself. Berezowski/Anadolu via Getty Images Ancient heritage A Christmas tree close to the front line, amid intense fighting, near Bakhmut, Ukraine, in December 2023. As a folklorist and ethnomusicologist, and a native Ukrainian, I am particularly interested in how “koliadky” – Ukrainian carols – reflect the realities of the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine. No matter what the calendar says, though, many Ukrainian traditions will continue as best as they can amid the fighting. The decision to switch dates for Christmas and other holidays is one more way to assert Ukraine’s cultural and political independence from Russia since Moscow’s troops invaded the country in February 2022. 7, in keeping with the Julian calendar that most branches of the Orthodox Church use to determine fixed-day religious celebrations.

Traditionally, Orthodox Christians in Ukraine have celebrated on Jan. 25 to be the official date for celebrating Christmas. In 2023, after years of debates, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukranian government both declared Dec. This year, despite the raging war, people in Ukraine will continue celebrating Christmas – but not without politics.

Online casino games live best ukraine war