Polish President Karol Nawrocki congratulated Orthodox Christians on Christmas Day

Polish President Karol Nawrocki, together with his wife Marta Nawrocka, sent greetings to the Orthodox faithful of Poland on the occasion of Christmas, celebrated on January 7. In their address, the presidential couple emphasized the spiritual significance of the holiday and the long tradition of respect for the Orthodox community in Poland, despite its relatively small number.

According to the press service of the head of state, the congratulatory message to the hierarchs and Orthodox Christians was delivered on January 6, 2026. It contains heartfelt wishes for peace, joy and spiritual comfort. “At this special time, we express our heartfelt thoughts and best wishes to all followers of the Orthodox Church and the Eastern Churches in Poland. May your hearts be filled with joy, peace and love during the Christmas meal, which begins with the beautiful custom of exchanging prosphorae,” the message reads.

Karol and Marta Nawrocki emphasized the worldwide spiritual significance of Christmas. “May the miracle of the Savior’s birth, which forever changed the fate of the world, illuminate your life and bring good to your homes, families, parishes and religious communities,” they stressed. The congratulations ended with the Gospel words: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will”, as well as wishes for a blessed, peaceful and joyful Christmas and the coming New Year.

It is worth noting that congratulating Orthodox believers on Christmas by the head of state is a well-established tradition in Poland. This happens every year, despite the fact that the Orthodox make up only about 1% of the country’s population.

Recall, earlier we reported that on January 6, 2025 on the official website of the President of the Republic of Poland was published congratulations on Christmas, which the head of state Andrzej Duda addressed to the Primate, clergy and believers of the Polish Orthodox Church. Most of the POC celebrates Christmas on January 7, the old style, in connection with which the President of Poland congratulated Orthodox Poles on the eve.

In turn, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who congratulated Ukrainians on December 25 on the Gregorian calendar, did not react in any way to Christmas on the old style. Neither on January 6 nor on January 7 did the official mass media of the Office of the President of Ukraine react in any way to the fact that one third of the country’s population celebrates this holiday according to the Julian calendar.