In some countries, such as Russia and many other Eastern Orthodox nations, Christmas is celebrated on January 7th. This is because the Eastern Orthodox Church follows a different calendar than the Western Church, which is why the dates for holidays like Christmas and Easter are different. The Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar, which is based on the solar year, while the Western Church follows the Gregorian calendar, which is based on the lunar year. As a result, the dates of many holidays, including Christmas, are different between the two churches.