In the old-style calendar (not yet corrected), Christmas is celebrated on January 7. Also, the Orthodox Christians of the old rite celebrate the transition to the new year on the night of January 13 to 14.
Serbs from Timișoara celebrate Christmas. Archive PHOTO Ștefan Both
For 15 centuries, all of Christendom used the Julian or old-style calendar, offset by 13 days from the official calendar.
It was also used by the Holy Fathers at the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea (325), when calculating the date of Easter. A correction of this calendar took place on February 24, 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII made the reform , removing ten days from the calendar so that October 5th became October 14th. Since then the calendar was called “Gregorian” or “new style”.
In 1923, at the Inter-Orthodox Council in Constantinople, the majority of the Orthodox Churches decided to abandon the Julian calendar and adopt a new calendar. The straightened calendar, used by the Orthodox following this meeting, was called neo-Julian or Constantinopolitan, Agerpres recalls.
But not all autocephalous or national Orthodox Churches participated in the Constantinople meeting (1923). That is why the calendar adjustment adopted on that occasion remained to be introduced by each Orthodox Church on the date it wishes, in order to avoid the tensions that could have arisen following a strict imposition in this regard.
The correction of the calendar from 1924 was nevertheless adopted by most Orthodox Churches, but a few of them remained with the uncorrected Julian calendar. Among the Orthodox Churches that did not make this change are: the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Russian Church and the Serbian Church, as well as the Monasteries of St. Mount Athos, with the exception of Vatopedu, they are called “old style”, because they celebrate Easter and all holidays according to the old calendar, i.e. according to the “old style”.
Astronomers noticed that this calendar was lagging behind
The old calendar was not changed, but straightened, for it badly needed straightening. This calendar was drawn up by the pagan philosopher Julian Sosigenes of Alexandria, in the year 44 before the coming of the Lord, by order of the emperor of Rome, Julius Caesar. This calendar was drawn up and placed at that time according to the equinox, which was on March 24 and September 24. But after drawing up this calendar, the ancient astronomers noticed that this calendar lagged behind the celestial calendar by one day and one night every 300 years, says Father Cleopa Ilie (Saint Cleopa from Sihăstria).
So it is clear that since the time of the Holy Apostles, Christians no longer adhered to the Julian (old) calendar equinox, which, as we have seen, was lagging behind. So the Holy Fathers of Nicaea make the first correction of the Julian calendar – as the Holy Apostles did before them – and the equinox of March 24, finding it three days before their arrival, they fix it on March 21 where it was then, says Father Archimandrite Cleopa.
“They all decided to correct the Julian calendar and bring the equinox from March 8 to March 21, as it is now”
In Constantinople, in 1923, representatives of the Orthodox Churches gathered in a synod.
“There, researching with the fear of God and thoroughly the issue of the Julian calendar and seeing that by correcting it no harm is done to the dogmas, the Church canons and the ordinances of the Holy Fathers, and that by leaving the calendar behind, from March 21 to March 8 , violates the order established at the Holy and Great Ecumenical Synod of Nicaea, they all decided to correct the Julian calendar and bring the equinox from March 8 to March 21, as it is now”. (“Father Cleopa speaks to us”)
The decision was received by all the Orthodox Churches that took part in the synod, and it follows that each Church will correct the calendar when it finds the right time. Thus, in 1924, on March 10, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Church of Greece set the calendar. Then, one by one, the Patriarchate of Alexandria, the Patriarchate of Antioch, and in 1924, in October, straightened the calendar and the Romanian Orthodox Church.
“And we celebrate Holy Easter together with Christians who keep the old style from other countries, for the unity and peace of our sister Churches, which have not yet corrected the calendar, such as the Russian Church, the Church of Jerusalem, etc. Because that’s how the agreement was made in Moscow, in 1948, at the Pan-Orthodox Synod, where almost all the Orthodox Churches were present, through their representatives”.
