By Micah Jonah
January 7, 2026
Millions of Christians around the world, particularly in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, are celebrating Christmas on January 7. This includes communities in Russia, Serbia, Georgia, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Eritrea.
The difference in dates is not due to a belief that Jesus was born on a different day, rather because these churches follow the Julian calendar rather not the Gregorian calendar used by most of the world.
The Julian calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, overestimates the solar year, causing it to drift over time. When Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar in 1582, most of the world switched, but many Orthodox and Eastern Christian churches retained the Julian calendar.
Currently, the Julian calendar is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar, which is why December 25 on the Julian calendar corresponds to January 7 on the modern calendar.
Orthodox and Coptic Christians who celebrate Christmas on January 7 are estimated to number between 250 and 300 million, while the majority of Christians
around 2 billion celebrate on December 25.
