Ukraine Moves Christmas Day In Snub To Russia

Ukraine has moved its official Christmas Day state holiday from 7 January to 25 December, the latest move aimed at distancing itself from Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelensky signed into law a parliamentary bill that aims to “abandon the Russian heritage of imposing Christmas celebrations”.

In recent years, Kyiv has been cutting religious, cultural and other ties with Russia, aligning itself with the West.

This process escalated following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Mr Zelensky signed the bill on Friday – two weeks after it had been passed by Ukrainian lawmakers.

The legislation also moves another two state holidays, Day of Ukrainian Statehood, from 28 July to 15 July, and the Defenders’ Day, which commemorates armed forces veterans, from 14 October to 1 October.

Moscow has so far made no public comments on the issue.

Ukraine’s decision to move Christmas is the latest step by the country to distance itself from its north-eastern neighbour.

Cities and villages all over Ukraine have recently seen renaming of their streets linked to Russian and Soviet historical figures.

Similarly, a number of monuments have been taken down, and Russian films made after 2014 banned in Ukraine.

Those measures followed Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukraine’s southern Crimea peninsula in March 2014.

BBC