Orthodox Christmas Cakes in Sydney: Celebrating on January 7

Not every Sydney Christmas happens on 25 December. Roughly 535,000 Australians identified as Eastern Orthodox Christian in the 2021 Census — 2.1% of the population. Most of them celebrate Christmas on 7 January instead, following the older Julian calendar (ABS Census 2021, via Orthodoxy in Australia). If you're ordering a cake for an Orthodox Christmas gathering, Num Num's Bakery makes every cake 100% eggless as standard, from either Harris Park or Riverstone.

Sydney's Orthodox community is genuinely sizeable and varied. Greek, Russian, Serbian, Macedonian, Ukrainian, Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodox Christians all mark the day, often at churches across Western and South-Western Sydney. Whatever your background, the practical question is the same: where do you find a cake everyone at the table can actually eat, without checking an ingredients list first?

That question comes up a lot in the run-up to January. A conventional cake shop can usually make something egg-free if you ask well ahead of time, but the result is often an afterthought rather than a proper recipe. We built the entire menu around going without eggs from day one, so there's no substitution to request and no compromise on texture.

When Is Orthodox Christmas Celebrated in Sydney?

Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on 7 January in the Gregorian calendar most of Australia follows, because many Orthodox churches still calculate their liturgical year using the older Julian calendar. The Julian calendar now runs 13 days behind Gregorian dates, so 25 December on the Julian calendar lands on 7 January by the calendar on your phone.

Not every Orthodox church uses the Julian date. Some, including parts of the Greek and Romanian Orthodox churches, follow a revised calendar that aligns with 25 December. Russian, Serbian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Coptic, Ethiopian and Jerusalem Orthodox churches generally keep the older date, which is why Sydney effectively has two Christmas seasons in close succession every year.

The 2021 Census recorded around 535,000 Eastern Orthodox Christians in Australia, 2.1% of the population, alongside 424,750 people reporting Greek ancestry and 94,997 reporting Serbian ancestry (ABS Census 2021, via Orthodoxy in Australia). Sydney's Orthodox parishes, including St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Fairfield, hold services and family gatherings on 7 January every year.

Why Do Some Sydney Christians Celebrate Christmas Twice a Year?

Sydney is home to significant Greek, Russian, Serbian, Macedonian and Coptic communities, several with churches in Western and South-Western Sydney. St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Fairfield has served the local Russian community for close to fifty years. Greek Orthodox parishes hold major services across the city every January too (Greek Australians, ABS 2021 Census data).

For many families, 7 January isn't a smaller, second-tier celebration. It's often the bigger one. Extended family travels for it, church services run long, and the feast afterward is the main event of the season.

Which Communities Celebrate Orthodox Christmas in Sydney?

Greek and Serbian ancestry account for two of the largest groups linked to Sydney's Orthodox Christian community. 424,750 people reported Greek ancestry and 94,997 reported Serbian ancestry in the 2021 Census (ABS Census 2021, Greek and Serbian Australians). Those ancestry figures aren't the same as the religion count. Not everyone with Greek or Serbian heritage identifies as Orthodox, and Orthodoxy isn't confined to those two backgrounds. Together, though, they show how deep the community's roots run in Sydney.

Russian, Macedonian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodox communities add further depth. Sydney's Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodox congregations, concentrated partly around Western Sydney, mark their own January services and family gatherings, often alongside broader Blacktown-area multicultural celebrations.

What all these communities share, regardless of language or country of origin, is the same date. It's also the same underlying idea: a long fast ends, family gathers, and the table fills with the richest food of the year. A cake that everyone can eat without a second thought fits naturally into that.

What Makes Orthodox Christmas Different from December 25?

Many Orthodox Christians observe the Nativity Fast, a 40-day period before Christmas that traditionally limits meat, dairy and, in its strictest form, eggs. When the fast ends on Christmas morning, the feast that follows is often the richest meal of the entire year — a deliberate contrast after weeks of simpler eating.

That context matters for cake. A dessert made without eggs isn't a strict requirement for the feast day itself, since the fast has already ended by then. But it does mean nobody at a mixed table has to ask which dessert is "the safe one." Everything on our menu already qualifies.

What Eggless Cakes Suit an Orthodox Christmas Table?

From our order data around the Christmas and New Year period, Ferrero Rocher, Tiramisu, Black Forest and White Forest are the most requested flavours for Orthodox Christmas gatherings. They're rich, indulgent choices that fit the post-fast feast mood. Classic Chocolate and Vanilla remain popular too, especially for households with younger children.

Popular Flavours for the Season.

• Ferrero Rocher — premium, indulgent, our most requested flavour for Orthodox Christmas.
• Tiramisu — coffee-forward and sophisticated, a strong fit for an adult-heavy table.
• Black Forest & White Forest — elegant cherry-cream combinations for a festive centrepiece.
• Chocolate — dense, rich, universally loved. Our most-ordered flavour overall.
• Vanilla — classic and crowd-pleasing, works well alongside richer options.
• Red Velvet — visually striking, a strong choice for a festive dessert table.
• Rasmalai — for households blending Orthodox and South Asian traditions.

See the full Our Cakes page for all 15 flavours with photos and sizing. Every cake on that page is eggless — there's no separate eggless section because the entire range qualifies. If you're planning a bigger gathering, check the Locations page to pick whichever shop suits your travel plans on the day.

How Do I Order a Cake for Orthodox Christmas in Sydney?

From our experience around the festive season, ordering ahead is the single biggest factor in avoiding disappointment. Both 25 December and 7 January fall within the same six-week stretch that includes New Year's Eve, so our order book fills quickly.

1. Browse the flavours: Check the Our Cakes page for the full menu with photos. Shortlist two or three flavours and we'll help you choose on the call.
2. Message us on WhatsApp: Send your order to +61 425 697 725 with your chosen flavour, cake size, any custom design brief, and preferred pick-up date.
3. Give at least 48 hours notice: Every cake is made fresh to order. Around 7 January, we recommend 4–5 days notice for custom designs or larger cakes.
4. Confirm and collect: We'll confirm your order with a WhatsApp message. Collect from either Harris Park or Riverstone, whichever is closer to your gathering.

Not sure what size to order? The Order Online page has a sizing guide. For an extended-family gathering of 25–30 guests, a 10-inch round or a two-tier arrangement is typically right. For a smaller household dinner of 8–10 people, an 8-inch round is usually enough, with room for seconds.

Some households mark both 25 December and 7 January, and travel between two family gatherings on the same day. If that's you, let us know at the time of ordering. We can time your pick-up slot around your schedule rather than the other way around.

Are Eggless Cakes Suitable for Fasting and Dietary Traditions?

Egg-free baking removes one animal product some Orthodox fasting traditions avoid, but we are not a certified fasting-compliant kitchen and we don't claim to be. Egg is one of the eight priority allergens tracked in Australia, according to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). That's the specific claim we can make with confidence: no eggs, anywhere, in any recipe.

Our cakes contain dairy — milk powder and butter — so they are not suitable for strict fasting periods that also exclude dairy, and they are not vegan. If a specific fasting rule applies to your gathering, check with your parish and let us know when you order, and we'll be upfront about exactly what's in your chosen flavour.

What we can say plainly is this: the kitchen has never used eggs, in any recipe, on any piece of equipment, in any batch. That's a verifiable operational fact, not a marketing claim, and it's the same standard whether you're ordering for 25 December, 7 January, or any other date on the calendar.

• Egg allergy sufferers — the entire kitchen environment is egg-free, removing cross-contamination risk from other products.
• Guests avoiding eggs for any personal reason — no separate menu or special request needed; it's the entire range.
• Vegan or strict-fasting guests — our cakes contain dairy, so they don't suit a fully plant-based or dairy-free fasting requirement.

Frequently Asked Questions