Ukraine moves official Christmas Day holiday in shift from Russian tradition

The law also moves the Day of Ukrainian Statehood to July 15 from July 28, and the Day of Defenders of Ukraine to October 1 from October 14

Iryna Pelekhata, whose husband and son were killed in the country’s war against Russia, is comforted by her younger son Maxym Pelekhatyi as they gather in Kyiv’s Independence Square (Jae C. Hong/AP)

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a law moving the country’s official Christmas Day holiday to December 25 from January 7 – the day the Russian Orthodox Church observes it.

An explanatory note attached to the law said its goal is to “abandon the Russian heritage”, including that of “imposing the celebration of Christmas” on January 7, and cited Ukrainians’ “relentless, successful struggle for their identity” and “the desire of all Ukrainians to live their lives with their own traditions, holidays”, fuelled by Russia’s 17-month-old war on the country.