Ukraine's new Christmas Day unites Catholic-Orthodox family

Catholic believer Lesia Shestakova and Orthodox believer Oleksandr Shestakov, who prepare to celebrate Christmas together at the same day for the first time, speak to Reuters journalists at their home, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine December 21, 2023. Ukrainians celebrate their first Christmas according to a Western calendar after lawmakers passed a law to make December 25 the official Christmas Day in Ukraine instead of January 7. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian couple Lesia Shestakova, a Catholic, and Oleksandr Shestakov, an Orthodox believer, will for the first time celebrate Christmas together on Dec. 25.

Ukraine, like Russia, officially observed Orthodox Christmas on Jan. 7 according to the Julian calendar until Kyiv passed a law earlier this year shifting the date to Dec. 25 in line with other Western European countries.