Poroshenko explains why he decided to celebrate Catholic Christmas

Addressing the Ukrainians on the occasion of Christmas, which has been enshrined by law as a holiday of December 25th this year, the President informed he would celebrate the Nativity of Jesus Christ twice.

"For the first time we have celebrated Christmas by the Gregorian calendar together with the majority of the Christian world, together with Europe," said Petro Poroshenko. “In no way do we encroach on the long-standing good tradition to celebrate Christmas on January 7. We appreciate this tradition and honor it. Choosing a calendar is the right of everyone, but the task of the state is to guarantee such a right and provide a possibility of choice. Personally, I have decided to celebrate this holiday twice."

Metropolitan of Zaporozhye and Melitopol Luke stated that the policy-makers who voted for the new state holiday of Christmas on December 25 were not motivated either by religious beliefs or the protection of human rights, since it is an anti-Orthodox political project.