Ukrainians celebrated Christmas on 25 December for the first time following a change to the law which moved the festival from the Orthodox celebration on 7 January.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the shift in July claiming it allowed Ukrainians to abandon the Russian heritage of celebrating Christmas in January.
Ukraine had traditionally adopted the date from the Julian calendar – also used by Russia – rather than the Gregorian calendar.
In a Christmas message issued on Sunday night, Zelensky said all Ukrainians could unite.
"We all celebrate Christmas together. On the same date, as one big family, as one nation, as one united country," he said.
Lesia Shestakova, a Catholic, and Oleksandr Shestakov, an Orthodox believer, and two of their children used to celebrate Christmas twice: first with Lesia's parents in December and then with Oleksandr’s parents in January.
"There is finally a day in Ukraine which my husband and I can spend together in the cathedral and thank God that we are together, alive and in good health," Lesia told the Reuters news agency as the pair attended the morning service at the Catholic Cathedral of St Alexander in Kyiv.
Lesia and Oleksandr agreed that distancing the country from Russian religious and cultural traditions would help strengthen Ukraine even more.
"Everything Soviet-related – hammer and sickle, stars, idols and monuments are being destroyed," Shestakov said. "And now, on December 25, the country's rebirth will start, with new holidays."
The Orthodox Church of Ukraine, a new independent church that held its first service in 2019, has also changed its Christmas date to 25 December.
It formally broke away from the Russian Orthodox church over Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Quiet
As Ukrainians united for the day, Rula Ma'ayah, the Palestinian minister of tourism, highlighted the calm at the epicentre of the festival due to the conflict in Gaza.
"The whole world is celebrating Christmas this year but not Bethlehem, not the birthplace of our lord Jesus Christ," said Ma'ayah.
"Bethlehem is celebrating Christmas with sadness and sorrow because of what’s happening in Gaza and in all the West Bank, all Palestinian Territories.
“Like other years, we used to celebrate Christmas with joy and happiness with scouts and people coming from all Palestinian governorates and tourists from all over the world.
"Unfortunately this year, we’re receiving Christmas without tourists from the world and without Palestinians from other governorates because of the war on Gaza.”
Most years Bethlehem basks in its renown as the birthplace of Jesus. Pilgrims usually flock to the reputed location of the stable where he spent his first hours in Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity.
But with Israel's campaign in Gaza having killed more than 20,000 people according to Palestinian health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave, mourning has enveloped the area.
“Unfortunately this year, we’re receiving Christmas without tourists from around the world and without Palestinians from other governorates because of the war on Gaza,” lamented Ma’ayah.
(With newswires)
