Millions of Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas not on December 25 but on January 7. The countdown above shows the days until the next January 7 in your time zone. The date is not a different feast or a separate tradition: it is the same December 25, counted in the older Julian calendar that several Orthodox churches still use for their church year.
Why January 7?
In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar to correct the slow drift of the Julian calendar against the seasons. The Julian calendar adds a leap day every four years without exception, which makes its average year about 11 minutes too long. By the 16th century it had fallen ten days behind; Catholic countries dropped those days and adopted the new calendar, Protestant countries followed over the next two centuries, and Eastern Europe and the Middle East mostly switched for civil purposes only in the early 20th century.
Many Orthodox churches, however, kept the Julian calendar for church feasts. The gap between the two calendars is currently 13 days, so December 25 in the Julian calendar falls on January 7 in the Gregorian calendar used by everyday life.
The date will move in 2101
Because the Julian calendar keeps a leap day in 2100 while the Gregorian calendar does not, the difference grows to 14 days from March 2100. From then on, Julian December 25 falls on January 8 β so Orthodox Christmas for the 2100 season will be celebrated on January 8, 2101.
Who celebrates Christmas on January 7?
Churches that follow the Julian calendar for fixed feasts include:
- The Russian Orthodox Church
- The Serbian Orthodox Church
- The Georgian Orthodox Church
- The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the monasteries of Mount Athos
- The Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt
- The Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo churches, where Christmas is called Genna (Ethiopia uses its own calendar, in which the feast also falls on January 7 in most years)
- Many Orthodox communities in North Macedonia, Montenegro, Belarus, Moldova and Kazakhstan, and diaspora parishes of these churches worldwide
Other Orthodox churches β including those of Constantinople, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria and Antioch β adopted the Revised Julian calendar in the 20th century, which matches the Gregorian calendar for fixed dates until the year 2800. They celebrate Christmas on December 25. In 2023 the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church also moved Christmas to December 25, and Ukraine made December 25 its official Christmas holiday.
The Armenian Apostolic Church is a separate case: it celebrates the Nativity together with the Baptism of Christ on January 6 (or January 19 in the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which follows the Julian calendar).
Countries where January 7 is a public holiday
| Country | Christmas holiday |
|---|---|
| Russia | January 7, inside the long New Year holiday period |
| Serbia | January 7 |
| Georgia | January 7 |
| Egypt | January 7 (Coptic Christmas) |
| Ethiopia, Eritrea | January 7 (Genna / Lidet) |
| Belarus, Moldova | Both December 25 and January 7 |
| Kazakhstan | January 7 |
| North Macedonia, Montenegro | January 7 |
| Ukraine | December 25 since 2023 (previously January 7) |
How Orthodox Christmas is celebrated
The Nativity Fast
Orthodox Christmas is preceded by a 40-day fast that begins on November 28 in the civil calendar (November 15 in the Julian calendar) and ends after the Christmas Eve liturgy. Meat and dairy products are traditionally avoided. Coptic and Ethiopian Christians keep a longer, 43-day fast.
Christmas Eve, January 6
The evening of January 6 is the main family occasion. In Russia it is called Sochelnik, after sochivo, a dish of wheat or rice with honey and poppy seeds; by tradition the meal begins when the first star appears. Serbian families bring in the badnjak, an oak branch burned or displayed on Christmas Eve, and on Christmas Day share Δesnica, a round bread with a coin baked inside for good luck.
Night services
Long church services run late on January 6 or overnight into January 7. In Egypt the Coptic Christmas liturgy is held on the night of January 6, and in Ethiopia worshippers dressed in white attend all-night services before the Genna feast.
After Christmas
The season continues with the "Old New Year" on January 14 (January 1 in the Julian calendar), still marked informally in Russia, Serbia and elsewhere, and with Theophany β the Baptism of Christ β on January 19.
Same feast, two countdowns
In families and countries where both calendars are in use β Belarus and Moldova officially, and many diaspora households in Western Europe and North America β the holiday season can stretch from December 25 to January 7 and beyond. For the Western date, see the main Christmas countdown; for how dates and time zones differ worldwide, see Christmas by time zone and Christmas around the world.
Frequently asked questions
When is Orthodox Christmas?
January 7 in the Gregorian calendar, which corresponds to December 25 in the Julian calendar. The eve is celebrated on January 6.
Why do some Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7?
Their churches use the Julian calendar for religious feasts. The Julian calendar is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar, so Julian December 25 falls on Gregorian January 7.
Do all Orthodox churches celebrate on January 7?
No. The churches of Constantinople, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria, Antioch and, since 2023, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine celebrate on December 25 using the Revised Julian calendar.
Will Orthodox Christmas always be on January 7?
No. From March 2100 the difference between the calendars grows to 14 days, so Julian December 25 will fall on January 8, starting with the celebrations in January 2101.
Last reviewed on October 4, 2026.
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