Saturday, January 14, 2023

Saturday

ORTHODOX NEW YEAR

Acts, Chapter 15, Verse 9

He made no distinction between us and them, for by FAITH he purified their hearts.

This verse is about the Jewish practice of circumcision. Were the Greek Christians required to be circumcised? The apostles determined that the leaders should not put obstacles to commitment. They should ask only the compromises needed to enable Christian Jews to associate in table fellowship with non-Jewish Christians.^{^[1]}

Are you circumcised or uncircumcised? Today we might divide ourselves as the early Christians did: Are you a democrat or a republican. At this point what does it matter; no matter the election results we must have faith that God’s purpose will be done. We must purify our hearts and render unto Caesar our heartfelt determination to serve the Nation by living our catholic beliefs within the political system with a willingness to compromise wherever possible except in matters the breech the covenant of God.

Orthodox New Year^{^[2]}

Orthodox New Year is celebrated as the first day of the New Year as per the Julian calendar. Orthodox New Year is a celebration of the year to come. It is often referred to as Old New Year, and is celebrated by Orthodox churches in Russia, Serbia, and other Eastern European countries on January 14. Although most countries have adopted the Gregorian calendar, where New Year's Day is January 1, the Orthodox Church still follows the Julian calendar, which places Christmas on January 7 and New Year's a week later.

· Russian Orthodox churches in the United States hold church services often with festive dinner and dancing to celebrate the holiday. The traditional dishes include meat dumplings, beet salad, pickled mushrooms, tomatoes, and cucumbers along with vodka.

· Orthodox Serbians also celebrate Old New Year, which is sometimes called the Serbian New Year. Many Serbians Orthodox churches hold services, followed by dinner, and dancing.

· Although the Old New Year is a popular holiday for many practicing the Orthodox faith, it isn't an official holiday.

· Macedonians, including those living in the United States, also celebrate Old New Year's with traditional food, folk music, and visiting friends and family.

· Many Russians enjoy extending the holiday season by including Orthodox New Year in it.

Orthodox New Year Top Events and Things to Do

· Enjoy a dinner dance at Orthodox Church with native cuisine folk music.

· Learn to cook some Russian or Eastern European dishes. One of the most important Russian dishes during the holiday season is kutya, a porridge made of grain, honey and poppy seeds. It symbolizes hope, happiness, and success.

· Rent a movie Dr. Zhivago (1965). It depicts some of the lavish parties held during the holidays right before the Russian Revolution. The film is based on the 1957 novel by Boris Pasternak.