I love to leave my Christmas tree up as long as possible, usually through Russian Christmas.  I was born on Russian Christmas Eve or the Feast of The Epiphany.  January 7th is Christmas in 15 different Eastern Orthodox churches and 16 counties including Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, Georgia and Macedonia.

My friends of the Eastern Orthodox religions would often joke that celebrating Russian Christmas was great because they could get all the clearance deals! I have a huge respect for tradition and the freedom to celebrate various traditions.  We are very lucky to have that freedom living in the United States.

So why is Christmas celebrated on January 7th?  According to International Business Times, "the difference in dates goes back several centuries to when Pope Gregory XIII established the Gregorian calendar in 1582. The Gregorian calendar has become known as the “Western calendar” and is internationally followed by many governments with Christmas celebrated December 25th."

"The Gregorian calendar was introduced to correct the Julian calendar that was created under the rule of Roman leader Julius Caesar and dates back to 46 B.C. Not all religions have switched over to the Gregorian calendar, which accounts for celebrations on January 7th.

Traditions are wonderful and if you are celebrating Christmas today, we wish you a Merry Christmas!

 

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