Christmas is celebrated in this country on 7th January, not 25th December, know the secret of the game of dates in the calendar..!

Every year the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ is celebrated by the Christian community around the world on 25 December. But in some countries this festival is celebrated on 7 January. Among these, the names of Orthodox Christian countries like Russia, Ukraine, Serbia are prominent. So what is this difference? Why do these countries celebrate Christmas on January 7 instead of December 25? Let us know the reason behind this.

difference of calendar systems

This difference is mainly due to differences in calendar systems. In fact, this is not simply a cultural or traditional difference, but the result of changes in the calendar.

julian calendar

The Julian calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 BC. This calendar was used in Europe for about 1.5 thousand years. According to this there were 365 days and 6 hours in a year. Every 4 years, these 6 hours were added to form a leap year of 366 days.

However, astronomers later discovered that the actual length of the solar year is 365 days, 5 hours, and 49 minutes, which is 11 minutes shorter than the Julian calendar. This minor error was initially ignored, but over the years the difference started increasing and resulted in a difference of one day in 128 years.

Gregorian calendar

By the 16th century, the discrepancy between the calendar and the actual position of the Sun had become serious, reaching as much as 10 days. To address this, Pope Gregory XIII reformed the Gregorian calendar in 1582. There are 97 leap years every 400 years, whereas in the Julian calendar this number was 100. The Catholic countries of Europe immediately adopted it.

Why is Christmas celebrated on January 7 in Russia?

The difference came in Russia when the Bolshevik government changed the civil calendar to the Gregorian calendar in 1918, but the church kept its calendar Julian. Therefore, Christmas in Russia is celebrated on January 7, because December 25 is the same date in the Julian calendar.

New Year in Russia is celebrated on January 1, which is a civil holiday. At the same time, Christmas is celebrated on January 7, which is a church holiday. The day is celebrated as a religious holiday in Russian culture, and there are traditions of Christmas trees, gifts, and parties that have become part of the New Year holidays.

The difference in the date of Christmas is due to differences in calendar systems. The main reason for this change is the difference between the Gregorian calendar and the Julian calendar.