Orthodox Christmas (Julian calendar)
7 January 2026 — A quiet light over the world. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate today!
Christmas falls on different dates because not all churches use the same calendar. Some Orthodox churches, among them the Russian, Serbian and Georgian ones, still follow the Julian calendar for their feast days. The Coptic Church in Egypt and the Ethiopian Church also celebrate Christmas on 7 January, but according to their own ancient calendars. In the 20th and 21st centuries it runs 13 days behind the civil Gregorian calendar, so their 25 December falls on 7 January. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church keeps Christmas on 25 December, following the Revised Julian calendar. In many places the feast is preceded by a fast, and Christmas Eve, 6 January, is marked by a meatless family meal, prayer and quiet. Believers then attend festive services, and homes fill with carols. Light is one of the most cherished symbols of the day: the Star of Bethlehem, candles and oil lamps speak of hope. Under the night sky this is a moment to look up at the distant lights that people have followed for centuries.
Flying across the sky: An ethereal, bluish-silver star figure made of luminous dots and fine lines, like a constellation drifting slowly across the sky, leaving a soft warm glowing trail
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