Are you scratching your head and wondering what’s the full truth on why Russians Celebrate Christmas in January? Well, you’re not the only one. Large amounts of the population are unaware of this holiday fact for Russians.
How Many Russians Celebrate Christmas in January?
According to The Sun (UK News Company), 39% of the world’s Christians live in Russia. About 85% of them celebrate Christmas in January. This is interesting to note because other countries like Greece and Romania celebrate on December 25 with most of the world. Why? They adopted a revised Julian calendar all the way back in 1923. So why hasn’t Russia jumped on the bandwagon?
History of the Russian Orthodox Church
Essentially, the Russian Orthodox Church has chosen to abide by the 2,000 year-old Julian calendar that differs from the majority of the world. Stretching all the way back to A.D. 325, a group of Christian bishops wanted to standardize the date of Easter. This was the church’s most important holiday and as a result, they chose to base it on the Julian calendar. But there was one problem: the length of the solar year was off by 11 minutes. What did that mean? The Julian calendar became increasingly out of sync as centuries went on.
Proposed Solution to Calendar Woes
Rather than continue to follow this progressively incongruous calendar, Pope Gregory XIII proposed the Gregorian calendar in 1582. We can thank him for being able to celebrate Christmas on December 25. Most of the Christian world adopted the new calendar, but the Orthodox Church did not. Why? On July 16, 1054, Patriarch of Constantinople Michael Cerularius was excommunicated and started the “Great Schism.” As a result, two of the largest denominations in Christianity were created: the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox faiths. And this is the reason behind why the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates holidays like Christmas on a different day than the rest of the world. By 1923, there was a 13-day difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars.
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Importance of Cultural Awareness
Understanding the full truth on why Russians celebrate Christmas in January is important when dating Russian women. You can really cut down on misunderstandings and cultivate cultural awareness by researching Russian history. Russians Dating Online always wants you to have the best chance at creating a love story that will last a lifetime. Now that you know Christmas is celebrated on January 7, you can send your Russian lady a sweet holiday message!
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