Verkhovna Rada again wants to make Catholic Christmas a day off

On November 16, the Verkhovna Rada can vote on the introduction of an official day off for Catholic Christmas, December 25. This was said at the conciliatory council on November 13 by Parliament Speaker Andrei Parubiy, reports Ukrayinska Pravda.

The corresponding bill No. 2149 was submitted for consideration by the chairman of the Committee for Culture and Spirituality, Nikolai Kniazhitskiy. "It is proposed to make December 25, Christmas, a day off, like January 7. Because in Ukraine there are many Roman Catholics and Protestants who ask to make this day a day off. And we have the support in this room," he said.

Parubiy said that the bill on "December 25" was added to the agenda on November 14.

"This is due to the fact that factions were able to hold discussions on this issue," he said and added that if there is a positive decision of the factions, "on Thursday, we will be able to pass it among the first questions."

Earlier, on November 3, 2016, a group of deputies signed a bill to introduce an official day off on December 25, for Catholic Christmas, and the Ukrainian National Memory Institute suggested celebrating Christmas as a traditional holiday on the Julian calendar on December 25 (not a day off).