`heaven And Earth' 
Is Vintage Stone

Above, Rick Derringer Heads Up A Multi-talented Roster Of Musical Guests 
Including, Right, Dead Letters.

Friday, January 07, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A QUICK WORDS: RUSSIAN ORTHODOX
CHRISTMAS 





RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHRISTMAS &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Wilkes-Barre area has lots of older people who still like to celebrate
the old, traditional wayFather Alexis &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Rector of Christ the Saviour Russian Orthodox Church in Sugar Notch &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Christmas just starting for church &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Members of one Russian Orthodox Church stick with the old Julian calendar's
date for the observance of Christmas &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 By ROBERT SITTEN &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Times Leader Staff Writer &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 SUGAR NOTCH -- It's snowing, it's cold and although it's the first week of
January, it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Today is, indeed, Christmas Day for followers of the Russian Orthodox
Church. It's time for families to spread hay on the table, bring out the
garlic cloves and for children to sing Russian Christmas carols like "Nebo E
Zemlya" ("Heaven and Earth") in the streets. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For the Holy Supper on the Russian Orthodox Christmas Eve, "the garlic is
always indispensable," said Father Alexis he uses only one name , rector of
Christ the Saviour cq Russian Orthodox Church in Sugar Notch. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I've never seen a Holy Supper without it. The tradition is that every dish
on the table is sweet or sour, to represent life. Life isn't always sweet, and
then again it isn't always sour," Alexis said. "And it always has a lingering
effect." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The table at the Holy Supper traditionally has 12 different dishes, all
"fasting dishes" -- no meat or dairy foods, Alexis said. Bread is broken,
dipped in honey and passed around the table for everyone to take a piece. The
hay on the table represents the manger where Jesus Christ was born. Families
go to church for the vigil service afterward. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Most families celebrate Christmas at home, Alexis said, but the church
holds the supper and services for younger people, parishioners who don't have
families or those who would just rather go to church. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Father Alexis' parish is the only Russian Orthodox Church in the area that
celebrates Christmas according to the old Julian calendar, he said. The church
held its Holy Supper and the first All Night Vigil of the Christmas
celebration Thursday night. A morning liturgy service and evening vigil will
be held each day through Sunday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 During the Christmas celebration families will visit each other's homes,
eat and often exchange gifts, although gifts are traditionally given Dec. 19
on the Feast of St. Nicholas. "That way, we get the gift-giving part of
Christmas out of the way early. It frees up Christmas for the spiritual
meaning," Alexis said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Alexis said other orthodox churches in the area celebrate Christmas by the
new Gregorian calendar, but many of their members come to Christ the Saviour's
services. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The Wilkes-Barre area has lots of older people who still like to celebrate
the old, traditional way," he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Julian calendar, named for Julius Caesar, was used from his reign until
Pope Gregory XIII reformed it in 1582, according to the World Book
Encyclopedia. Russia did not adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1918, the year
after the Bolshevik Revolution. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Our church's official name is the Russian Church Abroad. We were founded
after the revolution in 1917, and we refused any kind of contact with the
church controlled by the communists. We wouldn't be permitted to use the new
calendar," Alexis said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Russian Orthodox Christmas traditions go back at least 1,000 years, Alexis
said, though nobody really knows when they began. Families in Russia often
celebrated secretly under communist rule, when religious expression was
forbidden. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Four or five years ago was the first time people could use the churches of
the Kremlin for Christmas celebrations, and those of course are the biggest,
grandest churches," he said. The communists allowed a secular celebration
centered around "Grandfather Frost" -- a version of Santa Claus -- that had no
religious connotation. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Christ the Saviour Russian Orthodox Church, 558 Main St., Sugar Notch, will
hold Divine Liturgy services at 9:15 a.m. and All Night Vigil services at 6:30
p.m. today through Sunday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 TIMES LEADER/BOB ESPOSITO &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Father Alexis, wearing a light-colored robe, passes out honey and garlic
Thursday night to start the Holy Supper on the Russian Orthodox Christmas Eve.
Today is Christmas Day for members of the Russian Orthodox faith, including
those at Christ the Savior Russian Orthodox Church in Sugar Notch, where
Father Alexis is pastor. A religious service followed the supper.

Russian Orthodox Christmas The Wilkes-barre Area Has Lots Of Older People Who Still Like To Celebrate The Old, Traditional Way.