He is the first North American pontiff to be elected leader of the Catholic Church
In countries that adopted the Gregorian calendar, like Bulgaria and Greece, priests will often throw crucifixes in rivers and lakes on the day of the Epiphany.
Then, men will dive into the cold water to retrieve the cross. The ceremony is meant to symbolize Jesus' baptism.
While Orthodox Christian countries in Europe use the Gregorian calendar, the faithful often revert to the Julian calendar for the religious festivities.
Across the Western Balkans, predominantly amongst Serbians, Orthodox Christians mark Christmas Eve morning by going to the woods to chop down part of an oak tree, commonly referred to as a badnjak.
According to the Julian calendar, the New Year is between January 13 and 14, with the day of the Epiphany taking place on January 19.
In Orthodox Christian countries in Europe, the custom of exchanging gifts on New Year's Eve stems from the communist era. Back then, authorities believed a more secular holiday would take precedence over a religious one.
The All-Night Vigil involves the celebration of Matins, the hour which is traditionally observed at midnight.
In Ukraine, the period between January 6 and 19 is a time for vertep, a puppet theater street performance based on the nativity.
Vertep is accompanied by singing and dancing, and has links to pagan, pre-Christian traditions.
Sources: (Euronews) (CNN) (Time)
The badnjak is then brought home, with most of it set on fire. A branch with leaves is used for decoration.
This miscalculation is actually leading the gap to fall more and more out of sync with the solar year as the centuries pass.
Christmas is celebrated on January 7 in Ethiopia, with women wearing a thin white cotton garment called a netela. On Christmas Eve, Ethiopian Christians attend an overnight church service, usually starting around 6 pm and finishing at 3 am.
Christmas Day on January 7 starts with a visit to church. Some Orthodox Christians prefer to go to a midnight mass on Christmas Eve.
It is traditional to greet friends and family with "Christ is born!" and reply with "Glory to him!" or "He truly is born!"
January 6 is also the day the three wise men appeared in Bethlehem following Jesus' birth. This is most notably celebrated in Spain as El día de Los Reyes Magos.
The January 6 celebrations are not to be confused with the day of the Epiphany, which is celebrated by Christians following the Gregorian calendar to mark the physical manifestation of Jesus.
The almost two-week gap was caused by a slight miscalculation when the Julian calendar was first implemented.
For now, starting on January 6, Orthodox Christians, both in Eastern Europe and Ethiopia, traditionally fast until the first star appears in the night sky, symbolizing the birth of Jesus.
The Julian calendar is a solar calendar that was implemented in 46 BCE by Julius Caesar. It's a whole 13 days later than its Gregorian counterpart.
As a result, Orthodox Christmas will eventually fall on January 8 by the year 2100.
However, Orthodox Christians, excluding the Greek Orthodox Church, which adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1923, and Ukraine, still use the Julian calendar to this day.
The reason for the Gregorian Reform was to make sure that Easter, the Church's most important festival, always fell around the spring equinox in response to a gradual time drift that was occurring under the Julian calendar.
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar, which is the calendar Catholics and Protestants use to celebrate Christmas on December 25.
In some parts of the Orthodox world, one of the staple foods is kutia, a cold porridge-like dish made out of whole wheat, poppy seeds, raisins, walnuts, and honey.
The Orthodox Christmas Eve meal is traditionally meat- and alcohol-free, usually consisting of 12 dishes representing the 12 apostles.
Contrary to Western Christmases, it's not customary to give presents in the Orthodox tradition.
However, Orthodox Christians usually hand out gifts on December 19, Saint Nicholas Day, or on New Year's Eve on December 31.
Orthodox Christianity is the most common form of Christianity in the Middle East, with a majority living in Egypt and the Levant. The night before Christmas Day, on January 6, a church service takes place until midnight. After the service, people share a specific type of bread called qurban. The bread is marked with 12 dots, symbolizing the 12 apostles.
In Ethiopia, people line up surrounding a church and begin a long, looping procession around it. The holiday attracts pilgrimages to the 11 Lalibela Churches.
For much of the Western world, Christmas is celebrated on December 25, according to the Gregorian calendar. However, Orthodox Christians follow the Julian calendar and have their Christmas on January 7 instead. Almost two weeks after their Western counterparts have already feasted and rung in the New Year, the Julian calendar marks the birth of Jesus Christ on a different day.
Indeed, for several countries in Europe, including Ukraine, Serbia, Montenegro, Russia, Belarus, parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and African countries such as Egypt and Ethiopia, January 6 is Christmas Eve. In Ukraine in particular, even though a lot of people still celebrate Christmas on January 7, the country has changed the official date of celebration to December 25 since 2023.
Intrigued? To learn more about Orthodox Christmas, click on and check out this gallery.
Merry Christmas! (At least in these countries)
Millions of Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas in January
LIFESTYLE Holidays
For much of the Western world, Christmas is celebrated on December 25, according to the Gregorian calendar. However, Orthodox Christians follow the Julian calendar and have their Christmas on January 7 instead. Almost two weeks after their Western counterparts have already feasted and rung in the New Year, the Julian calendar marks the birth of Jesus Christ on a different day.
Indeed, for several countries in Europe, including Ukraine, Serbia, Montenegro, Russia, Belarus, parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and African countries such as Egypt and Ethiopia, January 6 is Christmas Eve. In Ukraine in particular, even though a lot of people still celebrate Christmas on January 7, the country has changed the official date of celebration to December 25 since 2023.
Intrigued? To learn more about Orthodox Christmas, click on and check out this gallery.