Coca-Cola, Santa Claus and corporate parties. To the discussion on the date of Christmas celebration

Every year, Ukraine is increasingly imposed unusual ways of thinking, motivating these innovations with the Pro-European course of the state. Recently, the Ukrainian Parliament has started the procedure of consideration of the bill to make December 25 a public holiday. Let me remind you that on December 25 the Christians of the Western rite and some Orthodox Churches celebrate Christmas.

I would like to notice that I have nothing against Christians of the Western rite, so I’m convinced that they, as well as the Orthodox, have the right to a day off to celebrate major feasts. I would like to focus on another thing in this article, drawing attention to the fact that in the intra - and Church-related environment two topics have been actively discussed for the last two years: the celebration of Christmas on December 25 "with the entire civilized world..." and the celebration of Christmas twice a year, according to Orthodox and Catholic traditions.

I would like to express my view on the matter in the hope that it will be useful to those who are still confused about this issue. It's really important, because, as strange as it may sound, such manipulations regarding the date of celebrating Christmas cause rather ambiguous reaction with Orthodox Christians.

Can Christmas be the subject matter of disagreement?

First it should be explicitly recognized that no one knows the exact date of the Christmas. Moreover, in professional circles there are disputes that the world has deviated from the year of birth of the Messiah. According to estimates of various scholars, Jesus Christ was born on June in the year 7 year B.C.

As for the difference between the celebrations of Christmas by the Christians of the Western and Eastern rites – the whole point is that the former use the Gregorian calendar, the latter – the Julian. The Gregorian calendar is also called the "new style". This "new style" is also relevant to a number of Local Orthodox Churches of the world.
We cannot say for sure why some Orthodox Churches have moved away from the Julian calendar, but this is most likely based on the mentality that is inherent in the States, where they are located. Although these Churches still have eastern identity, the impact of Western Christian culture forces them to make certain reforms, at least regarding the calendar.

I’m deeply convinced that in spite of all the above mentioned arguments, the discussion around the celebration date of the birth of Christ is absolutely meaningless. First, Christians of either Eastern or Western rites do not celebrate Christmas even in accordance with the time of the year, when the Event itself actually happened.

Secondly, we need to take into account the factor of traditions and people’s adaptation to such aspects. If Orthodox Christians who live in Western environment, the change of the Christmas date to December 25 has not become a big problem, the Christians of East Slavic mentality take similar novelties with caution. Therefore, imposing such an initiative at the highest level will definitely be met with opposition and protest.

Thus it turns out that by itself the date of the birth of Christ cannot be defended in principle, but the tradition of the church, which is inherent in this or that state, should remain unchanged. And if in the territory of the former Kievan Rus Christmas has always celebrated on January 7, there is no point trying to deny this fact with all sorts of novelties. First of all because of real people (numerous in our case) who stand behind any tradition. If nobody cared for the tradition and held on to it, it would disappear by itself. For example, as the pagan divination on Christmas Eve or the feast day of Apostle Andrew to which fewer and fewer people resorted.

«Qui prodest? » or the true origin of new initiatives

The first thing I am disturbed by in this story is the desire to do everything as "in the civilized world." That is, it is not about the actual achievements of civilization, which are the foundation of society, but about the so-called "civilized choice," the main issue on the agenda at present.

Among these "benefits of civilization", I personally see a trivial change of polarity of perception. In other words, moving the date of the Christmas celebration in Ukraine to December 25, or celebrating Christmas twice (on Dec.25 and Jan. 7) is an element of globalization processes aimed at subduing and getting to think like proponents of globalization want. We are forced to call black white and white – black.

If you think about it – what is it for? Is there any problem that in Ukraine for centuries Christmas has been traditionally celebrated on January 7? Do you feel negative about it? I don’t. There is no problem, and it would not be any if it were not inspired at the highest level, actually creating one more reason in the society for division and disputes.

Unfortunately, Ukraine is gradually going through this process, every year changing the date of celebration of various holidays. For example, May 9. Who was bothered with celebrating the Day of Victory over Nazism on this day? I want to say that, fortunately for the initiators of this change, the people who might object to them in this situation are left very few. If such an initiative had been put forward 20 years ago, the resistance would have been enormous.

Today, the process of changing the dates of public holidays is called "de-communization." Some priests call Christmas celebration on January 7 the "dark Middle Ages", urging to copy the entire "civilized world." Is there a need for this? What for? To be identical to those beyond the Bug?

Personally, I do not want to become an accomplice of these "novelties". I do not want to do "as in the entire world". Why? Because this "entire world" breaks my consciousness, my self-identity. It makes me keep silent about gay parades, calling it a "tolerance." It makes me accept euthanasia and the right of LGBT representatives to adopt children. "This world" is destroying something valuable and spiritually kindred to me. Something that "that world" will never understand, because for them Christmas is Santa Claus, "Coca-Cola" and corporate parties. "That world" has forgotten who we honour and celebrate on Christmas Day, so I do not want to have anything to do with "that world" in this regard.

Read also