On Orthodox Christmas

On the way home from Christmas Eve dinner with relatives, my host family pointed out to me what appeared to be Orthodox carolers. They wore traditional clothes and carried candles. They were lovely, but they were obviously something special.
I thought again what it might be like if the biggest holiday of the year were secular. Most religions have a special holiday of light during the dark months (Hannukah, Saturnalia, Christmas, St. Lucia's Day and I'm sure there are others). It gives people comfort to light candelabras, wreaths and trees in the depths of winter; it reassures them that the night will end. It also gives the solace of celebration in company and the continuation of rituals.
But if the holiday were only secular, then where would your traditions come from? Your songs wouldn't be hundreds of years old, or sometimes in the ancient language of worship. Instead, they would come from fortunate popular musicians, who would get a ton of radio play once a year, and from movies about the holiday, which also would become a tradition to watch. The traditions for decorating your house would be adopted from those of other lands, which have deep roots of a religious nature there, but not here.
I realized that I was describing Christmas in America about halfway through that list. There are many people for whom the words 'In excelsis Deo' might as well be Greek and an orange pierced with cloves is just a waste of fruit. Instead of 'Karnivalnaya Noch,' they watch 'It's a Wonderful Life' and sing 'Jingle Bell Rock.' I won't begrudge them this; a winter without light would be dismal. But I can't help thinking how lonely it must be, to celebrate in a void. Though New Year's is a holiday with mostly young rituals, Strana is otherwise chock-full of folk history. There is no way to forget who your people were and are. Even if you don't know about your own family, the story of the land surrounds you, and here, the land and the people are almost one.
The same cannot be said of America. Sometimes, reading about Massachusetts Bay Colony, I can say, "Yes, that was my family." But as an American, I am in the minority in my ability to say that. It's lonely as a people without history; and this probably is why I cling so to pomanders, carols and red envelopes (not entirely related to Christmas, but I like them). They give roots and continuity.

Sunday, 7th January, 2007