Ukrainian Orthodox Christians Celebrate Christmas In December For The First Time
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Orthodox believers attended a Christmas vigil at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv on December 24. This is the first year Ukraine is officially celebrating Christmas in December. While Orthodox Christians in Russia and some other countries mark Christmas in January, some Orthodox churches observe the holiday in December. In 2019, the Constantinople Patriarchate confirmed the autocephaly -- or institutional independence -- of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, a move that angered Moscow.