Ukraine moves Christmas Day in snub to Russia

Ukraine has moved its authoritative Christmas Day authorities vacation from 7 January to 25 December, the latest determination aimed astatine distancing itself from Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelensky signed into instrumentality a parliamentary measure that aimed to "abandon the Russian practice of imposing Christmas celebrations".

In caller years, Kyiv has been cutting religious, taste and different ties with Russia, aligning itself with the West.

This process escalated pursuing Russia's full-scale penetration successful 2022.

Mr Zelensky signed the measure connected Friday - 2 weeks aft it had been passed by Ukrainian lawmakers.

The authorities besides moves different 2 authorities holidays, Day of Ukrainian Statehood, from 28 July to 15 July, and the Defenders' Day, which commemorates equipped forces veterans, from 14 October to 1 October.

Moscow has truthful acold made nary nationalist comments connected the issue.

For centuries, archetypal imperial Russia and past the Moscow-dominated Soviet Union had tried - but ever failed - to wholly power Ukraine.

This included the imposed authorization of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) implicit Ukraine's churches.

But successful 2019, the precocious formed Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) was granted independency by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the caput of the planetary Orthodox Church.

The determination provoked a furious effect successful the ROC, which is openly defending President Vladimir Putin's penetration of Ukraine.

Until this year, the OCU - similar respective different Orthodox churches, including the ROC - celebrated Christmas Day connected 7 January, successful enactment with the Julian calendar.

But the OCU has present officially switched to the more-precise Gregorian calendar utilized successful astir parts of the world.

In caller years galore Ukrainian worshippers person been joining the OCU, and the bulk of them are present apt to beryllium celebrating Christmas connected 25 December.

There volition besides beryllium those marking Christmas twice.

At the aforesaid time, millions inactive travel the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), the different established subdivision with parishes each implicit the country.

The UOC officially declared a divided from Moscow successful 2022 - but a fig of its clerics person precocious been prosecuted for pro-Russian activities.

The UOC says determination is nary grounds to enactment the charges of collaboration.

Ukraine's determination to determination Christmas is the latest measurement by the state to region itself from its north-eastern neighbour.

Cities and villages each implicit Ukraine person precocious seen renaming of their streets linked to Russian and Soviet humanities figures.

Similarly, a fig of monuments person been taken down, and Russian films made aft 2014 banned successful Ukraine.

Those measures followed Russia's amerciable annexation of Ukraine's confederate Crimea peninsula successful March 2014.