Worshippers pray during the Christmas service in a church of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Kyiv on December 25, 2022. Photo: AFP
In break from Russian religious leaders, some Ukrainians embrace Christmas in December
- Some Ukrainian churches are observing Christmas on December 25 and not January 7, as is customary in Orthodox Christianity
- Ukraine had been under Moscow’s spiritual leadership since at least the 17th century, but part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church broke with Moscow in 2019
Worshippers pray during the Christmas service in a church of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Kyiv on December 25, 2022. Photo: AFP
