Celebrating Christmas on January 7 is a holy tradition that should be kept because it's the most correct way to celebrate the feast, a group of Orthodox Christians told a press conference at IPN on Tuesday, January 6. They expressed their worries that this millenary tradition is threatened in Moldova.

“The uniqueness and trueness of the Old Calendar is proved by God himself through heavenly wonders because it's precisely by this calendar that the miracles of Orthodoxy happen, especially the lighting of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem on Easter”, said Ghenadie Valuta, head of the “Pro-Ortodoxia” Association.

“While respecting the rights of a minority in our country who celebrate the feast according to the New Calendar on December 25, we have to understand that Jesus Christ wasn't born twice, but only once”, stressed Valuta. He said that Christmas on December 25 has become more of a commercial holiday and its spiritual side is forgotten.

“It's important to rally the whole society, families, kindergartens, schools and civil society to promote the Christmas on January 7”, said churchgoer Natalia Cojocari. According to her, it's wrong to give up local traditions and the writings of the Holy Fathers in order to switch to a calendar that is imposed only because it is modern.

Fellow believer Petru Curciuc said that in his family and community Christmas is celebrated on January 7 since the old times.

Orthodox Christian churches in Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland and others from the Mediterranean region follow the Revised Julian Calendar and celebrate Christmas on December 25. Orthodox Christian churches in Russia, Serbia, Jerusalem and others haven't accepted the new calendar and celebrate Christmas on January 7, according to the Julian Calendar.