Aahhhh....Christmas is now officially over :) But it's January you say.... Russians (and other nationalities and religions) celebrate Orthodox Christmas on January 7th. Orthodox Christmas is celebrated 13 days later on account of the Julian calendar being currently 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar. In another hundred years or so, though, they will have slipped another day and will celebrate on January 8th. This is because the Julian year is 365 days whilst the Gregorian is ~365.25 days. As the years go on, the calendars get further and further appart (which is the reason for Gregory fixing the calendar in the first place — Christmas would eventually wind up in the Spring). Some people have asked if this is the same as Epiphany. Epihany is a different holiday ENTIRELY and commemorates the Magi’s visit of Christ. In the Western Church, it is celebrated on January 6th of the Greogorian calendar. Orthodox churches celebrate it on January 6th also, but it’s January 6th of the Julian calendar; again, on the Gregorian calendar it’s 13 days later, January 19th.
Although Russian Christmas was on January 7th, due to the fact that it was on a weekday, we just celebrated this past Sunday. My family on my mother's side is Ukrainian and I was brought up in the Russian Orthodox faith. Most of my family is not diligently practicing the religion any longer but we still enjoy the family traditions and they are made even more special now that Alexander is with us. So for the past 3 years we have hosted Russian Christmas. I made traditional Ukrainian borsht (which gets closer to my grandmothers every year) and pierogi's (dumplings filled with potatoes and cheese or sauerkraut and then fried). There was utter chaos at a few points with 7 adults and 4 young kids trying to exchange gifts and eat dinner :). But it was a lot of fun and hopefully these will be one of Alexander's fond memories growing up as some of my fondest memories are of my grandmother during these holidays. And next year hopefully there will be another little Russian to join in the chaos!!!!
Aunt Liz and I
Aunt Liz and I
3 comments:
Hi Laura!
First of all -- thanks for leaving a note for me! I am glad to "meet" you! Always good to meet another LHer. I am hoping for nothing but good things for you with Lorien. Moscow moves pretty quickly - so hopefully you'll have wonderful news soon!
Amy
Hi Laura, Sarah Shamel shared your blog with us in the Transition Group, I hope that's OK! I had no idea you were doing this and no idea why you had gone to Russia. But last night, before I heard why you had gone or read your blog, I had an amazing dream about you. I was journeying across a river to your house for a party. On the way, there were beautiful fireworks. I ran into some friends of yours bringing food. When I got there, I saw you with a baby carriage. I said hi, why do you have a carriage? You showed me a baby girl inside it. Then the party got postponed, and I found myself escortng your adopted son, who was a delightful boy between 7 and 10ish, in a horse-drawm carriage home to you. He spoke excellent English and was very bright, and very bent on getting to you as fast as he could! I was sorry to part ways with him when we arrived, but more beautiful fireworks followed! How is that for prescient? It has brought tears to my eyes reading your blog. (This is Lee Lewis, in case my name doesn't show up below.)
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