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Christmas
Orthodox Christmas (January 7)
Also called: Julian Calendar Christmas, Russian Christmas, Рождество
January 7 (fixed)
Eastern OrthodoxRussian OrthodoxEthiopian OrthodoxCoptic Orthodox
While most UK shops pack away decorations on Boxing Day, millions of Orthodox Christians are only just getting started — their Christmas falls on 7 January. Russian, Serbian, Ethiopian, and many other Orthodox communities follow a calendar introduced in Roman times that runs 13 days behind the modern one.
Christmas Eve often means a long church service, fasting until the first star appears, then a feast with family. Eden lists pilgrimages and tours to Greece, Eastern Europe, and Ethiopia where you can experience Orthodox Christmas firsthand.
At a glance
- Type
- major feast
- Date type
- Fixed (same date every year)
- Regions
- Eastern Europe, Russia & Slavic, Ethiopia, Global
- Themes
- Birth of Christ
- Liturgical colour
- White, Gold
- Public holiday
- Yes — in at least one country
Common questions
Orthodox Christmas (January 7) is observed on January 7 (fixed). Moveable feasts shift each year; fixed feasts stay on the same calendar date.
Orthodox Christmas (January 7) is a significant observance in the Christian year.
It is associated with Eastern Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox. It falls in the Christmas season of the liturgical year.
Yes — Orthodox Christmas (January 7) is a public holiday in at least one country (including RU, RS, UA). In the UK, check whether your nation marks it as a bank holiday.