Orthodox Christians observe Christmas on January 7
Balkan (January 07, 2026) — Millions of Christians, including those in Eastern Europe and across the Arab world, such as Palestine and Egypt, are celebrating Christmas today.Eastern Orthodox Christians mark Christmas on January 7, with Christmas Eve on January 6, in line with the Julian calendar, which runs 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar.
Orthodox Christians around the world observe Christmas on Jan. 7, following the Julian calendar. A traditional greeting shared on this day is: “Christ is born! Glorify him!”
Christmas Day commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, who was born in Bethlehem.
Christmas on January 7 is not because they believe Jesus was born on a different day, but because they are using a different calendar.
The difference in the timing of Christmas stretches back to 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII ruled that the Catholic Church should follow a new calendar, called the Gregorian calendar, to replace the less accurate Julian calendar.
The Julian calendar, which was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, overestimated the solar year by 11 minutes, causing the seasons to eventually drift out of place.
Where the Julian calendar loses one day every 128 years, the Gregorian calendar loses one day every 3,236 years, making it a much more accurate approximation of a true solar year.
To get back on track, the world had to essentially skip 10 days to make up for the missing time that had accumulated over the 15 centuries.
While most of the world adopted the new Gregorian calendar, many Orthodox and Eastern Christian churches have stayed with the Julian calendar to maintain their traditions.
