Orthodox Christmas: Why It Falls on January 7

If you have ever wondered why your Russian, Serbian, or Ukrainian neighbors put up decorations again after the New Year ball drops, you are not alone. Orthodox Christmas — celebrated on January 7 — is one of the most beautiful and misunderstood holidays in the Eastern Christian world. The answer to "why a different date?" comes down to one thing: two competing calendars that split apart more than four centuries ago.

Why do Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7 and not December 25?

The reason some Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7 is not because they believe Jesus was born on a different day, but because they are using a different calendar. That date works out to be December 25 in the Julian calendar, which pre-dates the Gregorian calendar. In other words, Orthodox believers are still celebrating on their December 25 — the world around them has simply moved on to a different timekeeping system.

What is the Julian calendar, and why does it differ from the Gregorian calendar?

The difference in the timing of Christmas stretches back to 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII ruled that the Catholic Church should follow a new calendar — called the Gregorian calendar — to replace the less accurate Julian calendar, which had been introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC and overestimated the solar year by 11 minutes, causing the seasons to eventually drift out of place.

Where the Julian calendar loses one day every 128 years, the Gregorian calendar loses one day every 3,236 years, making it a much more accurate approximation of a true solar year. To get back on track, the world had to essentially skip 10 days to make up for the missing time that had accumulated over 15 centuries.

Fast forward to today: the Julian calendar is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar, which means that December 25 on the Julian calendar actually falls on January 7 on our modern calendars. And the gap will keep growing: if the Orthodox Church continues to use the Julian calendar, the date of Orthodox Christmas will shift to January 8 in the year 2101, as the 13-day gap increases to 14 days.

Why did Orthodox churches refuse to switch to the Gregorian calendar?

While most of the world adopted the new Gregorian calendar, many Orthodox and Eastern Christian churches stayed with the Julian calendar to maintain their traditions. The reform was initiated by the Pope of Rome, and the Orthodox Church — which had formally separated from Rome in the Great Schism of 1054 — viewed adopting a papal decree as an encroachment on its independence. An additional concern was that the new calendar could cause the Jewish holiday of Passover and Easter to fall on the same day in some years, which was unacceptable to Orthodox Christians.

An attempt at compromise was made in the 20th century. Serbian scientist Milutin Milanković proposed a revised Julian calendar that shares its dates with the Gregorian calendar, and it was adopted by several Orthodox churches, including those of Greece, Cyprus, and Romania, which now celebrate Christmas on December 25. But other Orthodox churches, like those of Russia and Egypt, refused. This is why January 7 is also sometimes called Old Christmas Day — because it follows the old Julian calendar.

Which countries and communities celebrate Orthodox Christmas on January 7?

Orthodox Christmas is celebrated by approximately 260 million people worldwide, both in majority-Orthodox countries in Eastern Europe, like Russia and Serbia, and in communities in Ethiopia, Egypt, and elsewhere. The Orthodox churches of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Georgia, Jerusalem, and Poland all observe the Julian-calendar Christmas.

While Orthodox Christmas is more widely celebrated in Eastern European countries, Russian, Ukrainian, and Serbian communities in the United States who are followers of the Orthodox Church also wait until January 7 to celebrate their Christmas. There are Orthodox churches in the United States that recognize holiday dates according to the Julian calendar — for example, the Russian, Ukrainian, and Serbian Orthodox Churches.

In Russia specifically, home to 39 percent of the world's Orthodox Christians, people celebrate Christmas Eve on January 6 with services, and on January 7 they mark the birth of Jesus.

What is Sochelnik, and how is Orthodox Christmas Eve observed?

On January 6, many Orthodox countries including Russia celebrate Christmas Eve — also known as Sochelnik (Сочельник). The word comes from the Russian word sochivo — literally a liquid made from soaking wheat grains, used as a butter substitute since no animal products are allowed during the holiday.

In the Orthodox tradition, nothing is eaten or drunk on Christmas Eve until the first star appears in the sky — symbolic of the great star that led the Magi to the newly born Christ. After the church services, families return home for the Holy Supper, a traditional Christmas Eve meal consisting of 12 dishes that commemorate the Twelve Apostles.

The centerpiece of that supper is kutya (кутья) — a simple porridge dish prepared with honey, poppy seeds, nuts, and dried fruits, symbolizing immortality, success, and happiness. Christmas Eve is anticipated by a strict Nativity Fast for forty days leading up to Christmas Eve, during which no animal products except seafood on certain days are allowed.

What traditional foods are eaten on Orthodox Christmas Day itself?

Once the last service is over, all the Lenten restrictions are lifted and the feast begins — kutia (porridge with dried fruits), roasted meat, all sorts of pirogi (stuffed pastries), and sweet treats fill the Christmas Day table. Holiday baking plays a central role: pryaniki (пряники — spiced honey cookies), varenye (варенье — whole-fruit preserves), and pastila (пастила — airy fruit confections) are beloved on the festive table. To drink, Russians have traditionally warmed up with sbiten' (сбитень), a hot drink made with spices and honey that was common before tea became popular in Russia.

On Christmas Eve, the special porridge called kutia — made of wheat or rice with honey, poppy seeds, and dried fruit — is served to symbolize abundance. Caroling is popular, and families attend church services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to celebrate the Nativity, with homes decorated with candles, evergreens, and sometimes small nativity scenes.

How does Orthodox Christmas relate to the Russian New Year and Christmastide?

Because the Soviet government suppressed religious holidays throughout the 20th century, Christmas and all church holidays were forbidden during Soviet times, but many people still celebrated them secretly — and many Christmas traditions became folded into one of the most popular Russian holidays: New Year. In 1935, the Soviets reinstalled the tradition of Ded Moroz (Дед Мороз — "Grandfather Frost," the Russian equivalent of Father Christmas) gifting presents to children, but on New Year instead of Christmas — and it has since become a central part of New Year tradition, making Christmas itself more of a religious holiday than a family one for many Russians.

After Christmas Day, the celebration continues. Christmas in Russia is followed by the Svyatki (Свя́тки — Christmastide), twelve days closely associated with traditions of fortune-telling and caroling, starting on January 7 and lasting until January 19, the Epiphany (Богоявле́ние). The New Year according to the Julian calendar falls on January 13–14, and the Epiphany, celebrated by Catholics on January 6, is observed by Orthodox Christians on January 19.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is January 7 December 25 on the Julian calendar?

Yes, exactly. Christmas remains December 25 in the Julian calendar. Because the Julian calendar is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar we use today, that Julian December 25 falls on our modern January 7. The date will shift to January 8 after 2100, when the gap widens to 14 days.

Do all Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7?

No. Orthodox churches that adopted the revised Julian calendar — such as those of Greece, Cyprus, and Romania — celebrate Christmas on December 25, just like Western Christians. It is the churches that retained the original Julian calendar, including the Russian, Serbian, Georgian, and Ukrainian Orthodox churches, that observe January 7.

What is the Nativity Fast, and how long does it last?

The Nativity Fast (also called the Filippov Post in Russia) is a 40-day period of fasting and prayer leading up to Orthodox Christmas. Observant believers abstain from meat, dairy, and in stricter practice even fish and oil on certain days, mirroring the spirit of Lent before Easter.

What is Sochelnik?

Sochelnik (Сочельник) is the Russian name for Orthodox Christmas Eve, observed on January 6. Its name derives from sochivo, a wheat-grain porridge that is the traditional first food eaten after the day-long fast ends when the first star appears in the evening sky. The evening includes a Holy Supper of 12 meatless dishes honoring the Twelve Apostles.

Is Orthodox Christmas a public holiday in the United States?

Orthodox Christmas Day is not a federal public holiday in the United States, so schools and most businesses remain open. However, large Russian-American, Ukrainian-American, and Serbian-American communities across the country — in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia — mark the day with church services, family gatherings, and traditional feasts.

What are some traditional foods served at an Orthodox Christmas feast?

The Christmas Eve table is meatless and centers on kutya (a honey-and-grain porridge), borscht, mushroom soup, and lenten bread. On Christmas Day, once the fast is broken, roasted meats, pirogi (stuffed pastries), Olivier salad, varenye (fruit preserves), and sweet baked goods like pryaniki (spiced cookies) are all enjoyed together.

Sources:
Al Jazeera — Why do 250 million Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7? (2026)
National Geographic — Why Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas in January (2024)
Russian Center of San Francisco — Celebrating the Season: Slavic Christmas and New Year Traditions (2026)
TimeAndDate.com — Orthodox Christmas Day