Orthodox Christmas wishes for family

Рождество Христово

00 days

Christ is born. Merry Christmas
С Рождеством Христовым!
Христос народився!
Καλά Χριστούγεννα
መልካም ገና

136 wishes · 5 languages · 2 photo designs · Updated October 2026

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Orthodox Christmas wishes for 7 January: Christ is born messages for family, friends and colleagues in English, Russian, Ukrainian, Greek and Amharic.

136 wishes · 5 languages · 2 photo designs · Updated October 2026

Orthodox Christmas wishes for family (12)

Christ is born. Glorify Him. A blessed Orthodox Christmas to my dear family.
After forty days of fasting, the table is full and so are our hearts. Merry Christmas, family.
May the star of Bethlehem shine over our home on this holy night of 7 January.
Mom, Dad, thank you for every Christmas Eve of candles, quiet prayers and that first star at the window.
Merry Christmas from [Your name] and family. May the Christ child bless your home with peace.
To my brothers and sisters near and far, we share one holy night and one prayer. Merry Christmas.
May Grandmother's kutia and Grandfather's blessing stay at the heart of our Christmas for many years.
Wishing my family a Christmas of warm bread, candlelight and long talks after the Liturgy.
May the peace of this holy night stay in our home through the whole new year.
The church bells are ringing, the snow is falling, and we are together. That is Christmas to me.
May the Nativity bring our family health, patience and joy in every season.
Twelve dishes on Holy Eve and one empty chair for the guest God may send. Merry Christmas, family.

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About Orthodox Christmas

Orthodox Christmas, the Nativity of Christ, is kept on 7 January by churches that follow the old Julian calendar, where 25 December falls on 7 January. They include the Russian, Serbian, Georgian, Ethiopian, Eritrean and Coptic churches and the church in Jerusalem.

It follows a forty day Nativity fast. On Christmas Eve, 6 January, families wait for the first star, then share a meatless supper: in Ukraine and among many Slavic families twelve dishes and kutia, a sweet wheat dish; in Serbia the badnjak oak branch is burned. Then comes the night Liturgy and the joyful feast the next day.

In Ethiopia, Genna is marked with white clothes, an all night service and a special game of ganna. Coptic Christians in Egypt end their fast after midnight Mass. Greek, Romanian and Bulgarian Orthodox churches, and most Ukrainian churches since 2023, keep Christmas on 25 December while still keeping the old Easter date.

How people celebrate Orthodox Christmas

Forty day Nativity fast
Waiting for the first star on Christmas Eve
Twelve dish Holy Supper and kutia
Night Liturgy
Carols (koliadky)
Badnjak in Serbia
White clothes for Genna in Ethiopia

How to wish well

The traditional greeting is Christ is born, and the reply is Glorify Him. In Ukrainian, Khrystos narodyvsia and Slavimo Yoho.
Ask friends which date they keep. Greek and Romanian Orthodox friends celebrate on 25 December, many others on 7 January.
Light jokes about the end of the fast and the feast are fine; keep the prayers and the Nativity respectful.
Sending wishes on the evening of 6 January, Christmas Eve, is warm and welcome.

Questions about Orthodox Christmas

When is Orthodox Christmas 2027?

Orthodox Christmas is on 7 January 2027, with Christmas Eve on 6 January.

Why is Orthodox Christmas on 7 January?

Many Orthodox churches still use the Julian calendar for feasts. Its 25 December now falls on the Gregorian 7 January.

What do you say on Orthodox Christmas?

Christ is born! and the reply Glorify Him! In Russian, S Rozhdestvom Khristovym; in Greek, Kala Christougenna; in Amharic, Melkam Gena.

Which countries celebrate Christmas on 7 January?

Russia, Serbia, Georgia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt (Coptic Christians), Belarus, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Moldova and Kazakhstan, among others.

Do all Orthodox Christians celebrate on 7 January?

No. The Greek, Romanian, Bulgarian and Cypriot churches, and since 2023 most Ukrainian churches, keep Christmas on 25 December.

What is Genna?

Genna, or Ganna, is Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas, kept on 7 January with an all night service, white clothes and family feasts.