Ukrainians usually celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7, as do the Russians. But not this year, or at least not all of them. Some Orthodox Ukrainians have decided to observe Christmas on Dec. 25, like many Christians around the world. Yes, this has to do with the war, and yes, they have the blessing of their local church. The idea of commemorating the birth of Jesus in December was considered radical in Ukraine until recently, but Russia’s invasion changed many hearts and minds. In October, the leadership of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which is not aligned with the Russian church and one of two branches of Orthodox Christianity in the country, agreed to allow faithful to celebrate on Dec. 25. The choice of dates has clear political and religious overtones in a nation with rival Orthodox churches and where slight revisions to rituals can carry potent meaning in a culture war that runs parallel to the shooting war. Read more: A Christmas season without its traditional glow in Ukraine For some people, changing dates represents a separation from Russia, its culture, and religion. People in a village on the outskirts of Kyiv voted recently to move up their Christmas observance. “What began on Feb. 24, the full-scale invasion, is an awakening and an understanding that we can no longer be part of the Russian world,” Olena Paliy, a 33-year-old Bobrytsia resident, said. The Russian Orthodox Church, which claims sovereignty over Orthodoxy in Ukraine, and some other Eastern Orthodox churches continue to use the ancient Julian calendar. Christmas falls 13 days later on that calendar,, or Jan. 7, than it does on the Gregorian calendar used by most church and secular groups. The Catholic Church first adopted the modern, more astronomically precise Gregorian calendar in the 16th century, and Protestants and some Orthodox churches have since aligned their own calendars for purposes of calculating Christmas. The Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine decreed in October that local church rectors could choose the date along with their communities, saying the decision followed years of discussion but also resulted from the circumstances of the war. In Bobrytsia, some members of the faith promoted the change within the local church, which recently transitioned to being part of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, with no ties to Russia. When a vote was taken last week, 200 out of 204 people said yes to adopting Dec. 25 as the new day to celebrate Christmas. “This is a big step because never in our history have we had the same dates of celebration of Christmas in Ukraine with the whole Christian world. All the time we were separated,” said Roman Ivanenko, a local official in Bobrytsia, and one of the promoters of the change. With the switch, he said, they are “breaking this connection” with the Russians. “The church is Ukrainian, and the holidays are Ukrainian,” said Oleg Shkula, a member of the volunteer territorial defense force in the district that includes the village. For him, his church doesn’t have to be linked to “darkness and gloom and with the anti-christ, which Russia is today.” Read more: Russia scrubs Mariupol's Ukraine identity, builds on death In 2019, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church, granted complete independence, or autocephaly, to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Ukrainians who favored recognition for a national church in tandem with Ukraine’s political independence from the former Soviet Union had long sought such approval. The Russian Orthodox Church and its leader, Patriarch Kirill, fiercely protested the move, saying Ukraine was not under the jurisdiction of Bartholomew. The other major branch of Orthodoxy in the country, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, remained loyal to Moscow until the outbreak of war. It declared independence in May, though it remains under government scrutiny. That church has traditionally celebrated Christmas on Jan. 7.

BNP senior leaders exchanged greetings with the Christian community on the occasion of Christmas Day on Thursday, praying for turning Bangladesh into a welfare state removing darkness. They also cut a cake celebrating Christmas Day at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office. Speaking at the programme, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, "On this birthday of Jesus Christ, we should pray for unity to bring light removing the darkness so that we can build a welfare state." Read: Holding talks on EC without neutral govt pointless: BNP On behalf of BNP and its chairperson Khaleda Zia, he greeted the Christian community on the occasion of their biggest religious festival.

Montserrat Parello lost her husband eight years ago, and Christmas gatherings with children and grandchildren had helped her deal with her loneliness. But this year, the 83-year-old will be alone for the holiday at her home in Barcelona, due to the risk of infection from the coronavirus.

Even if you’re not behind the meaning behind Christmas, this holiday season is all about presents, festivities and gatherings with loved ones. Secret Santas and other gift exchanges are fantastic ways to break the ice, but there are a few more ways to exchange gifts while keeping things fresh. Here are some gift exchange ideas for you to try this Christmas.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam on Monday said that highest security measures would be taken to ensure smooth celebration of the Christmas Day and the New Year.

President Abdul Hamid on Wednesday called upon the people irrespective of religion, caste and creed to remain alert so that no-one can create anarchy using religion or through misinterpretation.

The Christian community is celebrating the Christmas Day in the country, as elsewhere across the world, on Wednesday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ.

The Christian community is set to celebrate the Christmas Day in the country, as elsewhere across the world, on Wednesday, to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.