January 7 is Christmas Day for Eastern Catholic Churches and Orthodox Churches, which follow the Julian calendar. This change began when the Orthodox Church in Eastern Europe did not accept the Gregorian calendar reform of 1582. So, the traditional day of December 25 was pushed back two weeks.
Where is it celebrated?
It is celebrated in the Middle East, but also in the Greek-Ukrainian Catholic Church. Orthodox Christians who live in Russia, Belarus, Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia and others also celebrate it. The situation is special in Egypt, where the Catholics of Cairo and Alexandria, with the respective provinces, celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25, while those who live in Upper Egypt celebrate it on January 7, at the same time as the Orthodox…