As Orthodox Christians celebrated Christmas

• As Orthodox Christians celebrated Christmas

Christmas is one of the most important Christian holidays. January 7th, millions of Orthodox Christians throughout the world celebrate Christmas.

Christmas Eve in Cairo. Egypt - mostly Muslim country, but thousands of local Christians flocked to the church on the night before Christmas.

The Coptic Patriarch Theodore II, chapter most numerous Christian churches in the Arab world. St. Mark's Cathedral in Cairo, Egypt.

Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. However, the meeting of Christmas for Orthodox Christians is happening on the "old style" - on 7 January.

Why Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7 and Catholics December 25?

In 1582, the Western Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar. New calendar ( "new style") began to use Western Europeans, while the Julian calendar continued to operate in Russia. In 1918, the Gregorian calendar was introduced in Russia, but the Orthodox Church does not recognize this, and continued to use the Julian calendar ( "old style").

These days, the Julian calendar is behind the Gregorian by 13 days. Therefore, Catholics and other churches who live in the Gregorian calendar, celebrate Christmas on the night of December 24 to 25, and the Orthodox Church - on the night of 6 January 7, which corresponds to the 24-25 December according to the Julian calendar. The difference between the two styles is increased by 1 day every 100 years. Christmas in Ukraine. Cooking festive Christmas dinner for the protesters on Independence Square in Kiev.

Kosovo. The main attribute of the Serbian Christmas - oak branches. On Christmas Eve, they burn. This - a symbol of warmth, which God gives to people that they have warmed their souls.

The burning of oak branches on Christmas Eve in Belgrade.

Herman, Metropolitan of Volgograd and Kamyshin arrived in the Kazan Cathedral in Volgograd, Russia.

Christmas in Volgograd.

Christmas in Bethlehem. The members of the Orthodox clergy expected the Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III. Bethlehem - a holy city for Christians, the second in importance after Jerusalem.