MP says Christmas celebrations on 7 January will attract tourists
Christmas in Kyiv. Photo: Radio Liberty
Yevgeniya Kravchuk, deputy head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy and an MP of the “Servant of the People” party, said that Ukraine will not cancel the day off on Christmas, January 7. She said this in an interview with ICTV Facts.
The journalist asked Kravchuk if she sees any possibility of pushing the process of changing the calendar by the state by cancelling a day off on January 7 and making December 25 a day off.
Yevgeniya Kravchuk said that she does not see such a possibility yet and that she thinks this is the worst step on the part of the state, as these processes should happen in an evolutionary way.
"Besides, our Christmas on January 7 is full of its own meanings (12 Christmas dishes, Holy Night, carols). It does not have any imperial flavour, much less a Soviet legacy," said the MP.
"I think we can be interesting to the world by celebrating Christmas on January 7, we want tourists to visit us, too. This may be our specialty, including tourism. We will have an extended tourist season: when all the fairs in other EU countries are already closed, then ours continues after the New Year with its quite interesting ethnic flavour," she added.
As reported, OCU "metropolitan" John Yaremenko said that priests should convey to parishioners the ancient apostolic church rules, which, he said, teach the celebration of Christmas on 25 December.
Read also
OCU activist admits breaking into UOC church in Sloviansk
Oleksandr Onyshchenko said that the OCU held its first "service" at the Seraphim Church, which had previously been broken into by forcing the locks and doors.
Archimandrite Ioustinos, longtime keeper of Jacob's Well, dies in Jordan
Archimandrite Ioustinos (Mamallos), the keeper of Jacob's Well in Nablus, has died after a prolonged illness.
Pilgrim group from Kyiv Theological Seminary visits Mount Athos
KTS students are making a pilgrimage to the holy sites of Romania, Greece, Mount Athos and Italy.
UOC cathedral celebrates its patronal feast in Ternopil
The service in the cathedral of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia was led by Metropolitan Serhii of Ternopil, concelebrated by four hierarchs.
MinCulture marks centenary of Soviet-era reserve at Lavra's Refectory Church
Representatives of the Ministry of Culture presented awards to the Reserve's employees on the occasion of the anniversary at the Refectory Church of the Lavra.
Conference to mark 1700th anniversary of Christianity adoption held in Georgia
In Georgia, representatives of the Church and the state noted the defining role of Christianity in the country's cultural development.