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Next: 7 Jan 2027

Orthodox Christmas

Christmas on 7 January in churches that keep the Julian calendar: a fast, Holy Supper of twelve dishes and carolling.

Christmas in Russia: Marché de Noël de la place Rouge et magasin Goum à Moscou (Russie).
Photo: Gzen92, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

When is Orthodox Christmas in 2027?

Orthodox Christmas 2027 is on Thursday, 7 January 2027. Other years: 2026, Wednesday, 7 January 2026; 2028, Friday, 7 January 2028.

About Orthodox Christmas

Many Orthodox churches, including those of Russia, Serbia, Georgia, Ukraine and Ethiopia, still follow the Julian calendar for the feast days, so Christmas falls on 7 January. A forty-day fast comes before it. On Christmas Eve, a Holy Supper of twelve meatless dishes, one for each apostle, begins at the first star, with kutia, a sweet wheat and honey porridge, as the central dish in Ukraine and Russia. In Serbia a yule log, badnjak, is brought in and burned on the eve, and straw is scattered on the floor. Services at midnight are crowded. Children go carolling from door to door with a star, singing koliadky in Ukraine, and in Georgia the Alilo procession walks through the streets of Tbilisi.

Orthodox Christmas dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

YearOrthodox Christmas date
2026Wednesday, 7 January 2026
2027Thursday, 7 January 2027
2028Friday, 7 January 2028

What is eaten

  • kutia
  • borscht
  • pirohy
  • uzvar

Traditions of Orthodox Christmas

KoliadaThe carolling tradition.

Also part of it, and being written: Kutia (The wheat and honey dish of the Holy Supper.), Badnjak (The Serbian yule log.), Alilo (The Georgian Christmas procession.).

About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Christmas in Russia" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly EveryParampara

Every week: one tradition from somewhere new, what is being celebrated around the world this week, and one idea explained.