Christmas falls on a different day in the Orthodox Church
because they still observe the traditional Julian calendar
, which has the original dates for Christian celebrations before the Gregorian calendar was introduced. This means that, technically, Orthodox churches still observe Christmas on December 25.
When did Greek Orthodox change Christmas?
So the Orthodox Church rejected the Gregorian calendar and continued to rely on the Julian calendar. It stayed that way for centuries, and the calendar drift continued for Orthodox churches. By
1923
, there was a 13-day difference between the two calendars, putting Orthodox Christmas 13 days after December 25.
Why do Greeks celebrate Christmas on 25th?
Unlike other countries that are part of the European Union, Greece still has the true meaning of such
a holiday as the Nativity of Christ – the birth of Jesus Christ
. The date of this holiday is determined following the Gregorian calendar, so it falls on December 25th.
Why did Church celebrate Christmas December 25th?
Thus it appears that the Christian Church chose to celebrate the birthday of its Founder on the twenty-fifth of December in order
to transfer the devotion of the heathen from the Sun to him
who was called the Sun of Righteousness….
Who decided 25 December should be Christmas Day?
The church in Rome began formally celebrating Christmas on December 25 in 336, during the
reign of the emperor Constantine
. As Constantine had made Christianity the effective religion of the empire, some have speculated that choosing this date had the political motive of weakening the established pagan celebrations.
Why is Orthodox Christmas different than Catholic?
Firstly, the difference between Orthodox and Catholic Christmas is
quite simply an issue about dates
. … Therefore, while the West celebrates the birth of Christ on the 25
th
December (according to the Gregorian Calendar), the Orthodox Church, in accordance with the Julian Calendar, celebrate Christmas on the 7
th
January.
Which countries celebrate Orthodox Christmas?
For countries like
Egypt, Greece, Russia and Ukraine
, Orthodox Christmas Day is a public holiday. While it’s not a holiday in Canada, many Orthodox Christians throughout the country also celebrate the day.
When was Jesus actually born?
The date of birth of Jesus is not stated in the gospels or in any historical reference, but most biblical scholars assume a year of birth
between 6 and 4 BC
.
What the difference between Orthodox and Catholic?
The Catholic Church believes the pope to be infallible in matters of doctrine.
Orthodox believers reject the infallibility of the pope and consider their own patriarchs, too
, as human and thus subject to error. In this way, they are similar to Protestants, who also reject any notion of papal primacy.
What calendar is Greek Orthodox?
All Eastern Orthodox churches base their liturgical calendar on
the Julian calendar
, but some use the Revised Julian calendar. It was introduced in 1923 to bridge the gap between the Julian calendar used by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Gregorian calendar used by the rest of the world.
Is December 25 a pagan holiday?
Though December 25 is the day Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the date itself and several of the customs we’ve come to associate with Christmas actually evolved from
pagan traditions celebrating the winter solstice
. … “In ancient Rome there was a feast called Saturnalia that celebrated the solstice.
Why is the 25th of December called big day?
25 December is ‘big Day’ because
it’s the day when Jesus Christ took birth
and hence Christmas Day is observed all around the world this day.
Is Christmas God’s birthday?
But was Jesus really born on December 25? The short answer
is no
. It is not believed Jesus was born on the day Christmas is globally celebrated. … The holiday was celebrated as the Roman pagan solstice, or “birthday of the unconquered sun,” which began on December 17 and ended December 25.
What does God say about Christmas?
Jesus said in John 4:24
that true worshipers of God obey Him in spirit and in truth
—which means according to the truth of God’s Word (John 17:17). Many know Christmas is pagan but insist on continuing to celebrate it. Some will answer that it means so much to the children and that it brings families together.
What happened on 25th December in history?
1776:
George Washington crossed the Delaware River
In desperate need of a victory, General George Washington, the future first president of the United States, led his 2,400 strong army in a dangerous and bold operation across the icy Delaware River during the night of the 25th of December, 1776.
What does the Bible say about holidays?
For Christians, as per the Church Epistles,
there are no prescribed “holidays
.” Every day is to be a special day as we live for the Lord. That is not to say that it is wrong to celebrate the birth of Christ, or his Resurrection. Such remembrances can be very meaningful.
