Most Christian faithful celebrate Christmas on December 25 to mark the birth of Jesus Christ.
The celebrations on this special day which falls on different days of the week, follow the Gregorian calendar, which was adopted in 1582.
However, some Kenyans celebrate Christmas on January 7 every year to mark the birth of Jesus Christ.
This fete is celebrated by Kenyan Orthodox Christians who follow the Julian calendar.
Kenyan Orthodox Christians follow the Julian calendar and mark the festival on January 7 instead. In other countries, it is known as Old Christmas.
"Our heartfelt wishes to all those celebrating Orthodox Christmas in Russia and abroad, including Kenya," the Russian Embassy in Kenya wrote on Saturday, January 7.
Just on December 25, Orthodox Christians also gather in different places of worship where they present their precious gifts to honour the birth of Jesus.
Other Kenyans throng Uhuru Park and other social places to celebrate their Christmas on January 7. Other leaders who subscribe to this religion share gifts with the less fortunate.
They also decorate their houses with flowers and other ornaments to mark the special occasion.
History
Pope Gregory XIII, in 1582 decided to standardise Christian holidays by introducing the Gregorian calendar, which put the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25.
The Orthodox Church split into its own branch of Christianity during the Great Schism of 1054, following years of increasing tensions over religious and political differences.
As a result, Orthodox Christians chose not to adopt Pope Gregory’s new calendar and continued to adhere to the Julian calendar.
Besides the Orthodox church, the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates Christmas on January 6, along with the Epiphany (the revelation that Jesus was God’s son).
The difference in the Christmas celebrations has also been blamed for the escalation of the rift between Russia and Ukraine.
