Never feel sorry for missionary kids during the holiday season, if they play their cards right, they get to celebrate twice as many holidays. According to the Gregorian calendar (the religious calendar of the Orthodox church) December 19, is Saint Nicolay's day. (Yes, the same bearded guy that the West calls Jolly ole' Saint Nick). In Russia and Ukraine St. Nicolay brings gifts to children in the night, and places them under their pillow or in their boots (yes, boots, it snowy here). It just a small gift, sometimes even just a candy bar or a bag of M&M's, this year our kids each got a pair of woolen mittens, we believe in practicality (proletarianism dies hard). St. Nick's day is sort of the kick off of a holiday season which will last until January 14 (which is according to the Gregorian calendar New Year's day)
I remember the Christmas I was pregnant with our first son William, I had a little bit of a nervous breakdown. It was already December 23 and we hadn't put the tree up yet. Traditionaly the tree, which is refered to here as "the New Year's tree, is put up somewhere around December 30. (Ukrainian Orthodox celebrate Christmas January 7th). So I walked into the office where my husband was working hard at the computer (okay, okay, he was playing a computer game) And I burst into tears, between the sobs I somehow communicated that our son was going to celebrate Christmas on December 25th just like any God-fearing Evangelical, and we had to get that "Christmas tree", I remember emphasing the word Christmas tree, up right now! It was our first preganacy and Andrey was still pretty intimidated by my bulging belly and hormonal roller coaster. So although rather confused he begin digging out Christmas decoration and helping me get everything set up. And that was when we both realized that we were going to have to figure out how we, as a family were going to celebrate holidays. So here is our holiday schedule that so far seems to be running smoothly and keeping everyone happy.
December 5, Laura puts up the CHRISTMAS TREE!
December 19, Andrey's parents purchase the St. Nikolay gift and pass it on to our kids (hence woolen mittens)
December 25 we wake up at the crack of down (which thank goodness is about 7:30am here) and open lots of presents from US grandparents waiting for us under the tree. We have a christmas lunch usually with other expats
December 31 big New Year's party at our house, with friends and a visit by Ded Moroz (Father Frost, the soviet answer to replacement to Christmas and Saints was a grandfather that brought presents on New Year's eve)
January 7, and aquiet traditional Ukrainian dinner with Andrey's extended family. Not to mention usually another small present from grandparents
Luckily I don't have quite as many mood swings as I did six years ago. And although Andrey and I have come to a cultural compromise, we know the hardest task is still ahead. That's the task of passing on a spiritual understanding of all these holidays, and the task of introducing our kids to a God who isn't bound by cultural traditions or religious calandars.
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