MOSCOW, January 6. /TASS/. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia began the night Christmas service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

On January 7, Orthodox Christians around the world celebrate one of the most important holidays: the Nativity of Jesus.

Due to the pandemic, sanitary rules and restrictions introduced in the spring of 2020 continue to operate in churches and monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church, including the mask regime and social distance.

On January 7, Christmas is celebrated by the Russian, Georgian, Jerusalemite, Polish, and Serbian Orthodox churches, the Athos monasteries in Greece, as well as the Eastern Catholic Church and the Old Believers. The Roman Catholic, Protestant, and ten Orthodox churches (including the Church of Antioch, the Church of Alexandria, the Church of Cyprus, the Bulgarian Church, and others) mark the date earlier, on December 25. The reason is different denominations adhere to different calendars: Julian or Gregorian.

Christmas tradition in Russia

The holiday is preceded by a strict 40-day fast, which lasts from November 28 to January 6.

On Christmas Eve, the festive liturgy is served in all churches. At the end of the service, a lighted candle, symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem, is brought out and placed in the middle of the church.

Christmas kicks off a 12-day season commonly referred to as Christmastide or Yuletide. According to the Orthodox canons, believers should offer prayers glorifying Jesus Christ. In the folk tradition, Christmastide has always been a time of festivities, outdoor games, and performances by mummers, fortune-telling, as well as caroling.

The Christmas period ends with the feast of the Epiphany on January 19.