Date of the celebration of the Ascension of the Lord and Trinity for Ukrainians in 2025

Changes in the OCU holiday calendar in 2023

In 2023, most church holidays were shifted after the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) calendar reform.

Among the exceptions that remained unchanged are Easter and its associated dates. Astronomical rules determine this most significant Christian holiday, which always falls between April 4 and May 8.

This year, Great Lent will begin on March 3 and end on April 19. The Cheese Week preceding Lent will last from February 24 to March 2, and on this day, Cheese Sunday is celebrated, which fell on March 2. Then, a week later, Palm Sunday will be on April 13, and Easter will be celebrated on April 20. In another 40 days, on May 29, we will celebrate the Ascension of Jesus Christ and the feast of the Holy Trinity will be held on June 8.

The changes also affected other dates. Christmas is celebrated on December 25, the Protection of the Virgin on October 1, and St. Nicholas Day on December 6. These important holidays have moved 13 days earlier due to the astronomical inaccuracy of the “old” Julian calendar.

We would like to remind you that traditional Easter customs need to be discussed in the context of preserving Ukraine’s cultural heritage. It is also important to remember the significance of Easter, which will become especially historic in 2025.