Holidays and feasts based on the liturgical calendar should be celebrated according to the new calendar – Victor Yelensky

Following the decision of the OCU to switch to the Revised Julian calendar on September 1, 2023, those fixed-date holidays based on the liturgical calendar should now be celebrated according to the new calendar.

Viktor Yelensky, Head of the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, made the relevant announcement during a briefing at the Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform. 

In particular, he explained how the new calendar would settle the issue of holidays that fall on October 14, and these are the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Ukrainian Cossacks Day, and the Day of the Defenders and Defendresses of Ukraine.

“The Ukrainian Cossacks Day, the Day of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, and Ukraine Defender Day are intentionally matched with the Holy Intercession, not vice versa. This way, these are holidays to be celebrated annually, not in order to honor a day of October 14 or any other date but to celebrate the Intercession of the Theotokos feast day. The Intercession will now fall on October 1. And obviously, the churches will appeal, if they have not done so until now, as far as I know, to the President of the country, to the Verkhovna Rada, with a request for two holidays based on the liturgical calendar date, namely the Holy Intercession and the Day of St. Volodymyr’s Baptism of Rus to be celebrated according to the new calendar.”

As a reminder, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) has officially announced its decision to switch to the Revised Julian calendar on September 1, 2023. Thus, on May 24, a meeting of the Council of Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Ukraine was held, where the issue of switching to the new calendar was considered.

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news