The Russian Christmas

I found this little article on the internet explaining the Russian Christmas which is celebrated on January 7 (Thursday).

Christmas celebration in Russia is not as widely followed as in Western countries in favor of the New Year celebration. Christmas is celebrated on the 7th of January (which corresponds to December 25 in the Julian Calendar). The tradition of celebrating Christmas has been revived since 1992, after decades of suppression by the communist government. It is centered on the Christmas Eve "Holy Supper", which consists of 12 servings, one to honor each of Jesus' apostles. The Russian traditions were largely kept alive by shifting some of them, including the visit by gift-giving "Grandfather Frost" and his "Snowmaiden", to New Year's Day. Many current Russian Christmas customs, including their Christmas tree, or "yolka"(spruce, sometimes pine instead of it), were brought by Peter the Great, after his western travels in the late 17th century.

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