Ukrainian Orthodox Christians attended services on Sunday as the country for the first time celebrated Christmas on December 25, after the government changed the date from January 7, when most Orthodox believers celebrate, as a snub to Russia.

“All Ukrainians are together,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a Christmas message released Sunday evening.

“We all celebrate Christmas together. On the same date, as one big family, as one nation, as one united country.”

In the southern Black Sea port of Odesa, churchgoers prayed and lit candles as priests in gold vestments held Christmas Eve service in the Cathedral of the Nativity, decorated with fir trees and a nativity scene.

“We believe that we really should celebrate Christmas with the whole world, far away, far away from Moscow. For me that’s the new message now,” said one smiling parishioner, Olena, whose son is a medic on the front line.

“We really want to celebrate in a new way. This is a holiday with the whole of Ukraine, with our independent Ukraine. This is very important for us,” she told AFP.

‘Abandon Russian heritage’

Most eastern Christian churches use the Julian calendar, where Christmas falls on January 7, rather than the Gregorian calendar used in everyday life and by Western churches.

Zelensky signed a law in July moving the celebration to December 25, saying it allowed Ukrainians to “abandon the Russian heritage of imposing Christmas celebrations on January 7”. 

The date change is part of hastened moves since the invasion to remove traces of the Russian and Soviet empires. Other measures include renaming streets and removing monuments.

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine formally broke away from the Russian Orthodox Church over Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

‘Join civilised world’

The political rift has seen priests and even entire parishes swap from one church to another, with the new Orthodox Church of Ukraine growing fast and taking over several Russia-linked church buildings, moves supported by the government.

On Sunday evening, worshippers packed St Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv — the headquarters of the new independent church — for a Christmas service led by the primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Yepifaniy.

Ukrainians around the country voiced support for the Christmas date change.

“We wanted to support what is happening in Ukraine now. Because changes are always difficult, and when these changes occur, more people are needed to support it in order for something new to happen,” said Denis, a young man attending church in Odesa.

At Kyiv’s Golden-Domed Monastery, Oksana Krykunova said that for her, after the invasion, it was “natural to switch to the 25th”. 

She added: “I just visited my parents — my 81-year-old mother and 86-year-old father — and they accepted it absolutely (normally).”

In the western city of Lviv, which has been little damaged by the war, Taras Kobza, an army medic, said “we have to join the civilised world.”

Tetiana, a singer in a traditional music group called Yagody (berries), agreed: “I’m very happy that we are finally celebrating Christmas Eve and Christmas together with the rest of the world. It’s really cool.”

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has also opted to hold Christmas services on December 25.

But the historically Russia-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church is keeping the January 7 Christmas date. This church claims to have cut ties with Russia because of the war but many Ukrainians are sceptical.

Under the Soviet Union, atheism was encouraged and Christmas traditions such as trees and gifts were shifted to New Year’s Eve, which became the main holiday.

Ukrainian Christmas traditions include a dinner on Christmas Eve with 12 meatless dishes including a sweet grain pudding called kutya. 

People decorate homes with elaborate sheaves of wheat called didukh. Celebrations also include singing carols called kolyadky, carrying decorations in the shape of stars and performing nativity scenes.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Flight operations at Delhi airport were affected today as dense fog brought down visibility in some parts of the national capital to zero. Passengers have been advised to contact their respective airlines for updates on their flights

The mercury dipped to 9.4 degrees Celsius, as reported by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Delhi. The visibility in various parts of the capital plummeted to a mere 125 meters, causing widespread disruptions to daily life. The National Capital Region (NCR) also bore the brunt of the thick fog, resulting in low visibility across most areas.

Fog (Visibility in m) reported at 0830 hours IST today, the 25th December over Airports
Delhi-Palam 00m
Amritsar-00m
Agra-00m
Gwalior-00m
Prayagraj-00m
Jaisalmer-00m
Delhi-Safdarjung-200m
Barapani/Shillong-300m @moesgoi @ndmaindia @DDNewslive @airnewsalerts

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) December 25, 2023

As the chilling cold tightens its grip on the national capital, residents sought refuge in night shelters across various parts of the city. Similar scenes unfolded in other areas, with locals gathering near fires in the Lodhi Road area to seek solace from the biting cold.

Visuals captured from key locations such as Lodhi Road, Munirka, RK Puram, and Ring Road near AIIMS revealed a dense layer of fog enveloping the surroundings.

The air quality in the national capital remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Monday. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) hovered around 400.

Flight operations were also affected in southern India as well with Vistara announcing the diversion of two of its flights. 

Flight UK897, originally scheduled to travel from Bangalore to Hyderabad, has been redirected back to Bangalore due to adverse weather conditions at Hyderabad airport. Similarly, Flight UK873, which departed from Mumbai en route to Hyderabad, has also encountered unfavorable weather conditions.

Days after his mimicry on Parliament premises raised a political storm, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee has said he is “helpless” if someone “does not understand humour” and does not have a “cultured mind” to appreciate mimicry.

Addressing a political meeting at his Lok Sabha constituency Serampore, Mr Banerjee said the first person to perform mimicry inside Lok Sabha was Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He then mimicked the Prime Minister while on stage. “He did that, we smiled. We did not take an exception.”

Mimicry, the Trinamool leader reiterated, is an art. “If someone does not understand art, what can I do? If someone does not understand humour, if someone does not have a cultured mind, if someone identifies himself as the target, I am helpless,” he said, without naming Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who has taken strong note of his act of mimicry.

“I can’t understand why you think it is about you, he’s crying from day to night. Why is he crying so much, like a child?,” the Trinamool MP said, and proceeded to mimic a child complaining to his mother about someone teasing him.

Mr Dhankhar had said the Trinamool MP’s “shameful” act of mimicry had pained him and that he had been insulted as a farmer’s son from the Jat community. He had also hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for filming Mr Banerjee’s act.

Hitting back at the Vice-President’s remark that he had been insulted as a farmer’s son, the Trinamool MP dared him to tell the people of the country how many days he had worked in a field. “I pray that crores of farmers in the country amass as much property as him,” he said.

“You say you are a farmer’s son. You wear a suit worth Rs 20 lakh. Many Indian farmers can’t even afford a blanket in this winter. So after rising to such a position, how many lakh blankets have you sent to their homes. Please tell the people,” he said.

“You say you are a farmer’s son. Then tell us, during your career as a lawyer, how many times have you fought a case for farmers? I have done it. I have fought cases for the poor for 40 years,” he said.

Mr Banerjee also questioned why the Vice-President had not supported Olympic bronze medallist Sakshee Mallikkh, who led the protest against BJP MP and former wrestling boss Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Ms Malikkh and other ace wrestlers have accused the BJP MP of sexually harassing women wrestlers. “You didn’t speak a word, why? Please answer” he said. “Just me, me, me despite being on such a high post.”

Accusing the Vice-President of trying to flatter the Prime Minister, Mr Banerjee said, “You choke the voices of the Opposition. And then you say Narendra Modi is the ‘Mahapurush’ of this century. It is clear how much you flatter him.”

Mr Banerjee had broken into the act of mimicry during an Opposition MPs’ protest on Parliament premises against the spree of suspensions, A total of 146 Opposition MPs have been suspended from the two Houses for ‘unruly conduct’ after they demanded a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the Parliament security breach.

The BJP strongly criticised the MP, calling his act of mimicry disrespectful towards the Vice-President. In a unique gesture, BJP MPs remained standing in Rajya Sabha for an hour to protest the act.