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January 6th: Orthodox Christians Celebrate Christmas Eve

by Yuliya Talmazan | January 6, 2010 at 04:25 pm

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On January 6, 300 million Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas Eve. Worshipers in countries like Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Macedonia, Serbia, Greece and Bulgaria celebrate the Great Feast of the Nativity on January 7. Armenia is one of the exceptions, celebrating Christmas Day on January 6.

The difference in dates between Catholic and Orthodox Christmas comes from the fact that countries practicing Orthodox Christianity kept on using the Julian calendar while Western countries switched to the Gregorian calendar. The 13-day difference between the calendars is behind the difference in dates.

Orthodox Christians fast for 40 days preceding the Nativity of Christ. The most strict fasting happens on Christmas Eve. Nothing is eaten on Christmas Eve until the first star appears in the sky. The traditional meal consists of 12 meatless dishes, but the central element of the celebrations on Christmas Eve is a sweet grain pudding called kutia. Many people attend the Divine Liturgy, the analog of Christmas Midnight Mass in Catholicism, were vespers are observed. A period of celebrations lasting eleven days called Svyatki ensues after the Christmas Day. Svyatki are a weird combination of both Christian and pagan traditions that stem from historical interconnections between the two religious philosophies in most Eastern European Orthodox states.

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Uwe Paschen

at 21:04 on January 6th, 2010

If we respected each others religions and believes we would have to respect one another's holy times as well.

Meaning that between all the religions practised and their respective holly days we would not be able to go to war any longer. :)

everchanging

at 22:34 on January 6th, 2010

Paschen, sounds great to me, yet -

Mankind has not yet learned from war or hence mankind would not still be having them...

Peace: comes from respect, respect not from demanding such or the expectation that it is a given - no, respect of and for peace comes from the equality that all humans are equal by essences of life, no less or no more than peace will find and hold ...

Everchanging