When Is Christmas Celebrated In Russia

Celebrations carry on until orthodox christmas day on january 7th.

When is christmas celebrated in russia. This is because the russian orthodox church adheres to the julian calendar which is 13 days behind the gregorian calendar. The public holiday was re established in 1991 following the decades of suppression of religion and state atheism of the soviet union. Defender of the fatherland day. Christmas in russia occurs on january 7th according to the russian orthodox calendar.

Christmas became an official holiday and a non labor day in russia in 1991. January 7 through january 19 mark the dates for russian christmastide also called svyatki. Russian christmas is celebrated on the 7th of january according to the julian calendar. It was forbidden during the soviet era but nowadays many russians celebrate it with a meal and gifts for their loved ones.

After the russian revolution of 1917 the bolsheviks banned christmas celebrations. These days christmas is celebrated in russia with religious and traditional customs while new year s is still a big party celebrated with friends and family and washed down with shots of vodka. For example there is a 40 day lent preceding rojdestvo or christmas day. Lent period ends with the first star in the.

Some of the old russian traditions are still observed including the customary fortune telling on christmas eve which includes tarot. Christmas in russia рождество христово rozhdestvo khristovo is celebrated on 25 december julian calendar which falls on january 7th gregorian calendar and commemorates the birth of jesus christ. In russia the christmas holiday became the official celebration with the baptism of rus ordered by prince vladimir in the late 10th century. Christmas is a time for visiting family attending church services and enjoying a christmas feast.

Preceding the russian orthodox christmas new year s day is on january 1 and is often considered the more important holiday. Eclipsed by new year s celebrations russian christmas is somewhat less important than it is in other eastern european nations. Russian christmas entails many traditions and customs. Christmas in russia is most widely celebrated on january 7.

National vacations span from january 1st through 10th due to the proximity of the two holidays. Because the primary church in russia is orthodox christian and follows the old calendar for religious dates christmas is celebrated on the 7th. During the early mid soviet period religious celebrations were discouraged by the official state policy of atheism until 1936 but despite this. Celebrating the new year is a more important holiday in russia than christmas.

Currently the difference between the gregorian calendar and the julian calendar is 13 days. Many christmas traditions such as decorating a fir tree and giving presents turned into new year s traditions. Often russian christmas and russian new years are combined into a long winter celebration.