What else could one write about on Christmas Eve if not the church? I’ve never been a religious person myself, but I do love history, including the history of the church. So today, instead of just a short note about churches in Cyprus, as a true armchair historian, I’ll start from afar.
As is well known, Christianity derives its name from Jesus Christ, who was a Jew and preached his teachings in his native lands, which at the time were part of the vast Roman Empire. Opinions about Jesus himself and who he really was as a person may vary (for more on this, I highly recommend the book Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth). However, it is well documented that Christianity was initially intended exclusively for Jews. No other nations or pagans were deemed worthy of it.
Moreover, when one of the apostles began introducing non-Jews to Christianity, he was initially almost ostracized, criticized for his actions. And yet, Christianity would never have become a global religion had it remained exclusively Jewish.
Christianity’s early expansion primarily targeted Greek-speaking populations, and one of the closest Greek settlements to Judea was the island of Cyprus. Renowned for its copper production, Cyprus was a prosperous trading hub connecting Asia and Europe. Initially, the Christian message on the island was directed exclusively at Jewish residents, but over time, other nations began to embrace the new faith. Among the most active missionaries were the apostles Barnabas and Paul. Barnabas, in particular, is considered the founder of the Cypriot Christian Church.
According to legend, Barnabas and Paul even managed to convert Sergius Paulus, the Roman proconsul of Cyprus, to Christianity. This makes Cyprus the first country in the world to have been governed by a Christian ruler.
Christianity continued to spread, and later the Cypriot Church became part of the Byzantine Christian Church. However, it gained autocephaly (self-governance) in the 5th century. (As an aside, the Byzantines didn’t call themselves “Byzantines”; they referred to themselves as Romans, but that’s a story for another day.)
In 1054, Christianity split into the Roman Catholic Church, based in Rome, and the Orthodox Church, centered in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul).
Long before this schism in the late 10th century, Christianity had firmly taken root in Kievan Rus, particularly during the grand Christianization. Over time, churches continued to fracture into smaller sects—Protestants in England, Old Believers in Russia, and so on. Some regions gained autocephaly, while Byzantium ceased to exist, losing its leadership role. Today, the Orthodox Church has several branches. The Russian Patriarch wields significant influence over churches in former Soviet states (Ukraine recently gained autocephaly, but Belarus remains under the Russian Patriarch). Meanwhile, in the Mediterranean, the Greek Orthodox Church is dominant. Cyprus is associated with it but retains its autocephalous status, often referred to as the Cypriot Orthodox Church (though I’m no expert in these details—I’m just an armchair historian).
For Cypriots and Greeks, the church is an integral part of life. In the post-Soviet countries, church attendance has often become a performative act in recent years, but in Cyprus, it’s simply a part of life from birth. Baptisms are taken very seriously, the role of a godparent is far from symbolic, and most people genuinely feel responsible for their godchildren. Celebrating one’s name day is often more important than a birthday.
At the same time, there’s far less pomp. You can encounter priests anywhere, and while their profession is highly respected, they don’t come across as lofty figures—they’re just ordinary people. Occasionally, you might even meet Russian-speaking priests, although the churches themselves are not Russian.
Clergy members hold significant influence in Cypriot society. For example, the first president of the independent Republic of Cyprus was Archbishop Makarios III, the head of the autocephalous Cypriot Orthodox Church.
The church’s opinion carries weight in government decisions, and the Archbishop’s voice can significantly sway policies. For instance, during the COVID-19 lockdowns, the Archbishop addressed his congregation.
Cypriot churches are also quite wealthy. While I haven’t counted their money, it’s well-known that the church owns substantial stakes in banking, produces wine and beer under the KEO brand, and possesses extensive land and real estate.
Yet, despite this, there’s a lack of formality. Church rules are much simpler than those in the Russian Orthodox Church. Everything feels more human, more connected to the people. Perhaps that’s why the people respond with such devotion.
The church buildings themselves are stunning and architecturally diverse. In the mountains, you can truly sense the ancient history of these structures, understanding that worship has been held there for centuries. Despite my usual skepticism toward the church as an institution, I find this aspect of life in Cyprus quite harmonious.
Since I started my post with Christmas, I’ll finish with the same holiday. In post-Soviet countries, it has become customary to refer to “Orthodox Christmas” (meaning January 7) and “Catholic Christmas” (meaning December 25). However, this terminology is incorrect. The distinction arose because the Russian Empire and the rest of the world used different calendars for a time. Originally, everyone celebrated Christmas on December 25, but in Europe, this was according to the Gregorian calendar, while in the Russian Empire, it was according to the Julian calendar. Over centuries, differences in calculations caused the calendars to diverge, and now the gap between them is approximately 14 days. When the Bolsheviks decided to switch to the Gregorian calendar in the Soviet Union, the church opposed the move. As a result, the Russian Orthodox Church still considers Christmas to fall on December 25 according to the Julian calendar, which corresponds to January 7 in the Gregorian calendar today. (Incidentally, if the Julian calendar is maintained, Russian Christmas will need to be celebrated on January 8 by the year 2100.) On the other hand, Russians now have two New Year celebrations: the regular New Year and the Old New Year, due to this same calendar difference.
However, not all Orthodox countries adhered to the Julian calendar. This is why both Greece and Cyprus still celebrate Orthodox Christmas on December 25. So calling this date “Catholic Christmas” is inaccurate, even though it has become a habit.
And with that, I’ll wrap up. Merry Christmas! Καλά Χριστούγεννα!
