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Orthodox Believers Prepare for Their Christmas - January 6-9
Wednesday 06 January 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, January 6 (TASR-SLOVAKIA) - Members of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Slovakia are preparing to celebrate their Christmas holidays, which fall on January 6-9 according to the old Julian calendar (so-called because it was introduced by the Roman emperor Julius Caesar).
Around 50,000 people, mainly in eastern Slovakia, are officially registered as Orthodox believers. Most of them celebrate Christmas Eve, or 'viliya', on January 6, and celebrate the birth of Christ on January 7 rather than on December 25, which is the date according to the Gregorian calendar, which was introduced under Pope Gregory XIII in 1582.
During the day of January 6, families prepare for the evening with a meal consisting of traditional dishes such as sauerkraut soup (kapustnica), honey and garlic. Following this meal, the faithful gather in churches for midnight mass.
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