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Why Ukraine moved Christmas to 25 December
Summary
A law signed on 28 July 2023 shifted the date of Christmas and other religious holidays in Ukraine, with the stated aim of leaving behind a Russian legacy.
What did it mean for Ukraine to move Christmas? On 1 August 2023, the question was fresh: days earlier, on 28 July 2023, the president signed a parliamentary bill amending the Labour Code to shift the celebration of Christmas in Ukraine from 7 January to 25 December.
The change also covered other state holidays whose dates are tied to religious observances. The stated purpose, as reported at the time, was to abandon the Russian legacy of imposing Christmas celebrations on Ukrainians.
The framing is the key point. The measure was presented not as a calendar adjustment but as a step away from Russian influence, placing a public holiday within the wider political break with Moscow.
A regional backdrop
Elsewhere, on 27 July 2023, Kim Jong-un met Russia's defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, and a Chinese delegation in Pyongyang to mark 70 years since hostilities ceased in the Korean War. Kim and Shoigu also attended an exhibition of North Korean ballistic missiles, which are prohibited by multiple United Nations resolutions that China and Russia endorsed.
The two developments are separate, but both show Russia's relationships being reshaped: Kyiv distancing itself in its holiday calendar, while Moscow's defence chief appeared alongside North Korea's leader.
