The Orthodox Church of Ukraine has been celebrating the Nativity of Christ for the third year according to the New Julian calendar.. This year, the OCU will hold a Christmas all-night vigil on the eve of the Nativity of Christ in St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv. It will be available to watch online on several platforms..

The service will begin at 17:00. The Christmas all-night vigil will be led by the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Epifaniy.

The online broadcast will be available on the official Facebook pages of the OCU and Metropolitan Epiphanius. Also, the service from 16:45 will be broadcast on the YouTube channel of the OCU and the TV channel "

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An all-night vigil is an evening service that takes place on the eve of especially revered holidays.. It traditionally precedes the celebration of the Nativity of Christ..

Christmas Eve in the Christian tradition is associated with the biblical legend of the rising of the Star of Bethlehem. It was she who, according to the Gospel, announced the birth of Jesus Christ to the world.

Traditionally, on Christmas Eve, believers abstain from eating until the first star appears.. After this, the family sits down to a festive meal, which consists of 12 Lenten dishes, among which kutia and dumplings occupy the central place.

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In folk tradition, the father of the family began the meal by throwing a spoon of kutya to the ceiling. It was believed that if the grains stuck, the year would be fruitful.

This evening, plates and kutya were left on the table for deceased relatives and those who could not be at home. Also, a didukh was placed in the house - a sheaf of rye or wheat, which symbolized well-being and memory of the ancestors.. After dinner, the family headed to the temple for a festive service..

“When we proclaim again and again the truth of the birth of Christ the Savior, glorifying Him not only with words, but also with good deeds, we become familiar with an event of enormous historical and spiritual significance. With this we testify to our faith in the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, in the triumph of the Kingdom of God where violence and untruth reign today,” Metropolitan Epiphanius emphasized.

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine switched to the New Julian calendar from September 1, 2023. Therefore, for believers of the OCU, the dates of all non-transitional Orthodox holidays have changed - now they are celebrated 13 days earlier.