A La Carte (October 1)
4 hours ago

Yes, that's right. Today is Christmas . . . at least on the "old" calendar. In much of the world where the Eastern Orthodox church (and it's many variations) is the norm, Christians hold to the January 7th observance of the birth of Christ. In these cultures, the celebration is more of a solemn, religious experience and is not accompanied with the materialistic bent that has grown up around December 25th. (Often, as in my beloved Ukraine, this is left up to Grandfather Frost at New Year's)
So, may the blessing of the Christ visit you today.