January 10, 2008

Twin Christmases



[This commentary aired on Vermont Public Radio on the morning of January 10, 2008. Hear the podcast or streaming audio here.]

In February 1582, the Catholic Church, in the person of Pope Gregory the thirteenth, decreed a new, more accurate calendar to replace the Julian calendar, which had been in use since 45 BC. The revision meant dropping 10 days off the year, and Protestant countries resisted the change for a full century. Tsarist Russia, however, clung much longer to the less accurate Julian calendar, the temporal difference expanding with each passing century.

It wasnâ??t until February 1, 1918, three months after the Bolsheviks seized power, that Russia finally made the switch. By then, the Julian calendar was 13 days behind the Gregorian. So Russians went to sleep on January 31 and woke up on February 14.

As a result, there is a permanent wrinkle in Russian time.

Which brings us to the twin Christmases.

Soviet Russia may have switched to the Gregorian calendar in 1918, but the Russian and other Eastern Orthodox Churches did not. So, while Christmas in the West falls on December 25, Russian Orthodox Christmas is celebrated 13 days later, on January 7. Likewise, New Year's is not January 1, but January 14.

Now, this wasn't really a problem during the Soviet era, since Christmas and other religious holidays had been abolished. New Year's became the Soviet winter holiday, co-opting Christmas symbols. The Christmas tree, imported to Russia by Peter the Great, became the New Year's tree, and St. Nicholas became Father Frost.

But today, the Orthodox Church is resurgent in Russia. There is also increased contact with the culture and traditions of the West. Which means Russia starts shutting down for the holidays just before December 25 and doesn't really get going again until after January 14.

Needless to say, even party-loving Russians have a hard time holding up under the assault of a three-week-long celebration.

Interestingly, as Russia moves through this season of mirrored holidays, it is grappling with another dualism: two presidents. Vladimir Putin, who has reigned since 2000, has selected his heir apparent. Barring a miracle, the next Russian president will be Dmitry Medvedev, a lawyer, college professor, oil company chairman and first deputy prime minister who has been Putin's right hand man for the last 17 years. Medvedev, for his part, has said he will make President Putin his prime minister.

Democracy? Bah Humbug! The President of Christmas Past will become the Prime Minister of Christmas Future, and the Deputy Prime Minister everyone thought was a political Tiny Tim has been transformed into the Future President.

It's not clear at this point how power will be divided between the past and future presidents, whether Putin will in fact accept the diminished position of Prime Minister, or if this is just a ruse so he can step back into the presidency a few months later.

Clearly something will have to give. After all, it's one thing to have two Christmases - and quite another to have two... presidents.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
The Little Humpbacked Horse

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955