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The majority of Orthodox Christians use what is now called the "Old" Calendar, which was the original Calendar of the whole Church, both east and west. When Pope Gregory intriduced the so-called "New" or "Gregorian" Calendar in the west, the days were shifted 15 days forward.

According to the "Old" Calendar, the Birth of Christ is celebrated on December 25th, which is January 6th by the "New" or Gregorian Calendar.

Tsarist Russia used the "Old" Calendar before the communists took over in 1917 in the so-called October Revolution. The event took place in November according to the Gregorian Calendar, but according to the "Old" Calendar, it was still October.

In 1920 or so, the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople (Istanbul), was pushing for changes in the Orthodox Church. I am not sure what his reasons were, but allegedly being a Freemason his motives must be viewed with suspicion. All of his proposals were aimed at making the Eastern Orthodox Church "appear" more "western." Thus, he proposed clean shaven priests, the use of Anglican "dog-collar," and the use of the Gregorian Calendar.

Some Churches (Greek, Romanian, Bulgarian etc.) accepted the so-called New Calendar since then, and some of their priesthood sport a distinctly "western" look.

While by far most of the 15 or so Orthodox Churches in communion with the EP use the New Calendar, by far the largest Orthodox group, the Russian Orthodox Church, and some smaller ones, such as Serbian, etc. have retained the Old Calendar in Church use.

It is important to note that Pascha (aka "Easter") is celebrated by ALL Orthodox Churches according to the Old Calendar, which determines the day of Pascha based on the Jewish lunar and Roman solar calendars. The importance of this is that the central feast of the Church is celebrated by all Orthodox Chirstians on the same day regardless which Calendar they use, and that the occurrence of Pascha is never before the Jewish Passover, but always the first Sunday following the Passover, for historical accuracy.

So, the use of the New Calendar is a sore spot from the perspective of Orthodox unity, but at the same time the provisions were made to assure that the Calendar does not divide us or that it does not corrupt our theology and tradition, although the reasons for the New Calendar in Church use remain a mystery to me.

Christ is born! Magnify Him!