Christmas.....So um..yeah..

[[THANATOS].AnGeL]

This has proven to be an interisting holiday season.

Bit of background.

Me. Russian Orthodox
New Hubby/Family. Catholic
Them. Christmas Dec. 25
Me. Jan. 7

So yeah. Call me holding on to something from ancient history but. One of the few things my family still holds from Russia is Christmas day. Which I am sorry but no American will ever have the chance to understand unless they were in communist russia. It was a day celebrated much in secrecy due to the government. Celebration of St. Nicholas the man is all that was allowed for obvious reasons of his Sainthood. However Christmas as Americans know it for the celebration was forbidden. Instead it was more focused on the 12 apposiles. And feasting

Well the gloves came off. I have been in Boston a good part of the month spending "Quality" time with the MIL once Sytrina got out of school. And I have always done Christmas 2 times for my kids. 1 for the western Christian celebration. And one for our family heritage. Now it is not suprising that I am far from a religious person. Faithful yes. I hate organized religion though. Christmas is a time to celebrate many things. Family, faith, friendship, love. But for me it is also a time to remember the past. Prior to the fall of the party. There was little beyond those 4 reasons to celebrate christmas. I remember 1 year as a child. Going back to Russia and on the 24th being told by store owners to leave because of my American Christmas spirit. Not because the didn't enjoy it but because it was forbidden.

That said. I was told by my close minded mother in law.

Why don't you just give up that old mindset of Christmas and just do it once like the rest of America. She really hated it when I pointed out that even her strong Armenian preferences were misplaced with American views of self centeredness. Since Armenians as a whole celebrate Christmas on the 6th Of January

You know what kills me about this woman the most?when I talk to older members of her family. They understand everything. The remember communist Russia and Armenia being part of it. It just kills me that someone so smart, educated, well traveled, and involved in the world can be so Idiocentric.

[[THANATOS].-Hades]

Religion + Politics + Cultural Identity = Confusion, anger, intollerance, etc.