Most Ukrainians have switched to celebrating Christmas on December 25 — survey
More than half of Ukrainians have successfully adapted to the new church calendar and now celebrate Christmas on December 25.
In contrast, only 18% of respondents continue to celebrate the holiday according to the old calendar—on January 7—while one in five citizens opts for a compromise and celebrates on both dates.
Overall, 51% of those surveyed have officially switched to December 25, while 21% of respondents reported that they celebrate the holiday twice—on December 25 and January 7.
At the same time, 9% of respondents do not celebrate Christmas at all, and 1% were undecided.
Oleksiy Antypovych, co-founder and CEO of Rating Group, called these results very revealing for society.
He noted: “One of the issues that serves as a watershed in religious consciousness is when Christmas is celebrated. 51% indicated that they celebrate on December 25. In my opinion, since the new calendar was introduced quite recently, these are excellent indicators of support for this decision. It is characteristic of all denominations.”
An analysis of the geographical factor shows that Christmas on December 25 is most often celebrated by residents of Ukraine’s western regions, where 68% of respondents gave this answer.
In Kyiv, support for the new calendar date stood at 59%, and in the central regions, at 51%. In contrast, in the south of the country, 37% of respondents celebrate on December 25, and in the east, only 24%.
It was in the eastern regions that the highest proportion of those who remain loyal to January 7 (29%) or celebrate twice (27%) was found.
Interestingly, sociologists found no significant difference in views between city dwellers and rural residents. Christmas on December 25 is celebrated by 52% of residents of regional centers, 51% of residents of other cities, and 49% of residents of Ukrainian villages.
Similar, consistent figures were also recorded among different age groups—there, support ranges from 47% to 52%.
The fewest supporters of the new date are among people aged 30–39 (47%), while the highest numbers are among young people aged 18–29 and citizens aged 40–59 (52% each).
These figures were revealed by the results of a recent survey conducted by the sociological group “Rating Group.”
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