Area Orthodox Christians who adhere to the Julian calendar will celebrate Christmas on Saturday.

While many Christians may have taken down their lights and trees, Orthodox Christians are preparing to observe the birth of Jesus Christ.

The Julian calendar, which was in use at the time of Christ’s birth, differs from the Gregorian calendar by 13 days.

The discrepancy dates to the days of Julius Caesar, for whom the Julian calendar is named.

Before Caesar, calendars had been based on the moon. Caesar’s new calendar was based on the sun, which was considered to be a more accurate guide.

Orthodox Christians are eagerly anticipating the celebration, said the Very Rev. Protopresbyter Frank Miloro of Christ the Saviour Cathedral, 300 Garfield St. in the West End section of Johnstown.

Miloro said all Orthodox jurisdictions, regardless of ethnic nationality, use the same Christmas greeting of “Christ is born,” to which is answered “glorify him.”

“The greeting takes one far beyond

simply saying ‘merry Christmas,’ which is fine, but ‘Christ is born’ makes it perfectly clear that the holiday is a religious ex-

perience before anything else,” Miloro

said.

The celebration takes place not only in the church but in the homes as well.

Fasting for Christmas Eve on Friday is strict, and no meat or dairy products may be consumed.

“This is typical for the day before while preparing for a great festival,” Miloro said.

“The 12 dishes served on Christmas Eve are representative of the 12 apostles.”

The meal may include soups, cabbage, pierogi, sauerkraut, nuts, fruits, bread that does not contain any dairy products, and wine for the toasting of good health.

“The foods are emblematic of both the sweet and the bitter of life,” Miloro said.

They are served at a meal called Holy Night Supper, which is traditionally not eaten until after dark and the first star appears in the sky.  

At the beginning of the meal, the Christmas story is retold by the head of the household, and a special Christmas bread is broken and shared.

In some homes, straw might be put under the table to represent the manger in a stable, and a white linen cloth covering the table is a reminder of the swaddling clothes of the Savior.

These customs began in Europe centuries ago.

“They are still practiced to remind us that age-old traditions, which speak to the spirit of the inner person, are not irrelevant or obsolete,” Miloro said.

“They are a reminder that life has more meaning than just the consumption of material goods.

“The fasting traditions help people feed their souls. They also are physically and spiritually cleansed.”

In the absence of the late Metropolitan Nicholas Smisko, who passed away in March, Miloro will lead all the Christmas services at Christ the Saviour Cathedral.

He has prepared parishioners for Christmas by preaching a series of Advent sermons.

“On Christmas, I will speak about the ‘Big Finish,’ during my sermon,” Miloro said.

“For a few hours on Christmas Day, people stop talking about the economy, about politics, about the stock market, about the recession and about war. For a few hours people exchange their gifts and talk about the prince of peace.”

The Very Rev. C. Michael Simerick, pastor of St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church, 971 St. Clair Road, Johnstown, said other than certain ethnic traditions

– whether they are Serbian, Greek or Russian – the meaning of Christmas is the same as all other religions celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

“Advent is not a celebration but a time of fasting and spiritual enlightenment,” he said.

The weeks of advent fortify the faithful to worthily celebrate the nativity of the Lord.

Each priest agreed that people must look past the bright lights associated with Christmas trees and house decorations and concentrate on the divine light – the birth of the Son of God.

Orthodox Christmas services



-- Christ the Saviour Orthodox Cathedral, 300 Garfield St., Johnstown: Nativity Compline at 10:30 p.m. Friday followed by Christmas carols sung by the cathedral choir and Christmas Liturgy at midnight; Christmas Liturgy will again be celebrated at 9 a.m. Saturday.



-- St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church, 971 St. Clair Road, Johnstown: Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, 10 a.m. Friday and the blessing and burning of the Yule Log (Badnjak) at 7 p.m., followed by Christmas vigil, Compline and Matins at 8; Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, with Christmas Day Great Vespers at 7 p.m.



-- SS. Peter & Paul Orthodox Church, 141 Hoffman Farm Road, Windber: Great Compline for Nativity at 8 p.m. Friday; Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, Saturday.

Click here to subscribe to The Tribune-Democrat print edition.

Click here to subscribe to The Tribune-Democrat e-edition.