Kyiv lights Christmas tree according to new calendar

7/12/2023 13:01

                Crowds flocked to one of Kyiv's most beloved squares on Wednesday to see the Ukraine's main Christmas tree lit up to mark Saint Nicholas Day according to a new calendar celebrating Christmas on Dec. 25.
        
        With their military locked in the 21-month-old war against Russia, it was the first time many Ukrainians marked the holiday under the new calendar - endorsed by the country's main Orthodox church to distance itself from practices in Russia.
        
        "Even during these difficult times we have the opportunity to come and see our Christmas tree in our capital’s centre," said homemaker Olesia Polyarosh.
        "Maybe not to celebrate, but to feel the Christmas spirit despite everything, that we still can mark it in our country."
        
        A cheer went up as the lights were switched on on the tree in the square just outside the 11th century St. Sophia Cathedral, while families sampled pancakes and mulled wine in adjacent kiosks.