Why do some Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7?

It’s the same Christmas, December 25, counted on an older calendar.Many Orthodox churches still use the Julian calendar, which now runs 13 days behind the one on your wall, so their December 25 lands on our January 7. Russian, Serbian, Georgian, Coptic, Ethiopian and Eritrean Christians are among those who celebrate then. Other Orthodox churches, including Greek and Antiochian churches in America, celebrate on December 25.

1 · MindWhy the date is different

In 1582 much of Europe switched from the old Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar we use today, to fix drift against the seasons. Many Orthodox churches kept the Julian calendar for church feasts. Today the two are 13 days apart, so December 25 on the Julian calendar is January 7 on ours. The gap grows to 14 days in March 2100, so starting with the Christmas of early 2101, those churches will celebrate on January 8.

Who celebrates when, according to AP and Al Jazeera:

January 7: the Russian, Serbian and Georgian Orthodox churches; the Ukrainian Orthodox Church historically tied to Moscow; and the Coptic, Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox churches.
December 25: most Greek Orthodox churches, plus the Romanian and Bulgarian churches. In the U.S., that includes the Greek and Antiochian archdioceses and the Orthodox Church in America. They use a “Revised Julian” calendar for Christmas, drawn up at a 1923 Orthodox meeting.
A recent change: in 2023 the Orthodox Church of Ukraine moved Christmas to December 25. Many Ukrainian families still keep January 7.

Coptic and Ethiopian churches keep their own ancient calendars, and their Christmas date also lines up with January 7.

How it’s kept:

A fast first. The Orthodox Church in America says a fast of 40 days comes before the feast. Coptic Christians break a 43-day fast on Christmas.
Christmas Eve. Many Ukrainian families hold Holy Supper with 12 meatless dishes, starting when the first star appears (on December 24 or January 6, depending on the family’s church). Serbian families burn a young oak branch called the badnjak and pray for a good year.
Church through the night. In reports from Minnesota PBS and Denver’s 9NEWS, Ethiopian Orthodox church members describe Genna services that run from evening into the early morning, followed by a big community meal.

What each tradition or community says

Orthodox Christians

It’s not a second Christmas. It’s the same feast of Jesus’ birth, kept on the church’s traditional calendar. Among Eastern Orthodox Christians, the greeting is ‘Christ is born!’ and the reply is ‘Glorify Him!’

Ethiopian and Eritrean Americans

In a 9NEWS Denver interview, leaders of the Taste of Ethiopia Heritage Foundation called it ‘two Christmases, one heart’: they celebrate December 25 with their neighbors and January 7, called Genna, as a homecoming with their own community.

Families with both

Kids in many Orthodox homes get Christmas cheer twice: once at school and on TV in December, and once at church in January. In the same 9NEWS interview, community leaders said Aurora Public Schools agreed to excuse Ethiopian and Eritrean students on January 7, since families spend the night before at church.

2 · HeartWhat it feels like

If a coworker is still in Christmas mode in January, now you know why. For them, the season may just be starting, after weeks of fasting.

It’s a good reminder that the people around us keep time in different ways, and that the same celebration can look different from one family to the next.

Same Christmas, different calendar. If your neighbor is just getting started on January 6, wish them a merry one.Neighbor Radio

3 · HandsHow to be a good neighbor

Say it. “Merry Christmas” on January 6 or 7 is welcome. If your neighbor is Eastern Orthodox and you want to try the traditional greeting, “Christ is born!” is answered with “Glorify Him!”

Mind the fast. Before Christmas many Orthodox Christians don’t eat meat or dairy. At a holiday lunch in December, have something plant-based on the table.

Give some grace on January 7. A coworker may have been at church until 2 a.m. Flexibility that day is a real kindness.

Don’t assume. Not every Orthodox Christian celebrates on January 7. Ask, “When does your family celebrate?”

This weekIf you know someone from an Orthodox church, ask whether they celebrate on December 25 or January 7, and send a note on their day.

Plain wordsWhat do these words mean?

Orthodox: For Christians: the Eastern Orthodox churches (Greek, Russian, Ethiopian and others). For Jews: the most traditional branch of Judaism. The word means “right belief.”
Grace: A gift you didn’t earn. Christians use it for God’s love and forgiveness, given freely, not as a reward.

All the plain words

Four questions to take with you

From the story of the Good Samaritan, the stranger who stopped to help. We call it the Good Neighbor Test.

Did they see? Or look right past?
Did they stop? Even when it was inconvenient?
Did it cost them? Time, money, comfort, reputation?
Did they treat the person like a person? Not like a label?

Try it on: a family still celebrating when everyone else has taken the tree down. Who would you want to notice?

Quick questions

Is Orthodox Christmas a different holiday?

No. It’s the same feast, December 25, counted on the older Julian calendar, which falls on our January 7.

Do all Orthodox Christians celebrate on January 7?

No. Many, including most Greek Orthodox churches and the Orthodox Church in America, celebrate on December 25.

What do I say?

‘Merry Christmas’ is fine. Among Eastern Orthodox Christians, the traditional greeting is ‘Christ is born!’ with the reply ‘Glorify Him!’

What is Genna?

The Ethiopian Orthodox name for Christmas, celebrated on January 7 with services that often last through the night.

Sources and research

How this answer was made

Fact-checked October 15, 2026 against Orthodox Church in America, AP, Al Jazeera, Ahram Online and Kyiv Independent. Written in plain words by the Neighbor Radio team. Every fact is checked against what each community says about itself, in its own official sources, plus a neutral reference. Part of this community and something doesn't sound like you, or spot a mistake? Tell us. We read every note and fix mistakes.