[No Truce With Kings]

Best thing that ever happened to my family was when the nearest Orthodox church proved to be an old calendar church. That means they use the old Julian calendar for the church calendar. While it does not affect Easter, it does mean that Christmas is on a different day than the Western Christmas. Dec 25 (Old Style) is Jan 6 (Gregorian).

At first we were dismayed. But you know what -- it separates the religious from the secular aspects quite nicely. And by doing so it forced us to concentrate on the religious aspects of the holiday.

Next we began following the custom of partying *after* Christmas (the twelve days) rather than before. (This actually makes sense if you think about it. When expecting a child do you have the big celebrations before or after the child is born? After, of course. And what is Christmas but the birth of Christ.)

It is so much nicer. Divorced from the secular celebration we have ditched the Saturnalia aspects of the American Christmas. And gift giving now fits within our budget, because the gifts are no longer the focus of the holiday. Further, by fasting (abstaining from meat and dairy) and praying before Christmas we enjoy the post-Christmas celebrations so much more. As American Christmas has become one big food fest from Thanksgiving to Christmas, this means I actually lose a few pounds before Christmas now, and do not gain it back in the partying afterwards, because that goes on only twelve days.

My bet is that most of you will think we are crazy, but as I say, we enjoy this so much more. And I don't get the holiday blues anymore.

[mlmr]

My bet is that most of you will think we are crazy, but as I say, we enjoy this so much more. And I don't get the holiday blues anymore.

No I dont think you are crazy. We have Orthodox friends. Wonderful denomination! Ohhhh. All that standing though!!

[dsutah]

I don't think it's so crazy! I've often thought that it would be so nice to give my family a little something every day until Jan. 6. It's tempting! Because as I mentioned to someone in another post of mine, around here it's "Eat, drink, and be merry; because tomorrow it's 'Valentine's Day'!

If you go into the stores after Christmas, you'd never think we just celebrated Christmas at all! Decorations are gone, Christmas music in the stores and radio are gone, etc.. It's like a long, fast, exciting, wild ride from Halloween to Christmas Day, then it comes to a screeching halt the day after!

[glory]

I don't think you are crazy, we happen to extend the Christmas season into January. However we celebrate advent so there is much to celebrate prior to Christmas as well as the day and after.