BELARUS

Skakun Ekaterina
Lähetetty: 16. joulukuuta 2006 12:34
Vastaanottaja: Koulu Mankkaan
Aihe: Christmas time

Dear friends!
The students of our gymnasia 171 are happy to participate in your project.
This is what one of my students wrote. Maybe it will be interesting for
you to learn about the Christmas traditions of Belarus.

"My dear Colleagues!

My name is Yana and I'm 13 years old. I live in Belarus and I would like
to tell you about our winter holidays.
Most people in Belarus are Orthodox, but there are still some people,
which are Catholic. There are two main directions of faith in Belarus. All
difference in them are that Catholic went on new calendar, so Christmas of
Orthodox and Catholic always goes in difference of two weeks (Catholic
before Orthodox), Easter goes in difference of one-two weeks on dependence
of Moons calendar and Orthodox cross oneself from right to left, and
Catholic the other way - from left to right. So in most schools of Belarus
winter holidays begin at 25th of December (Catholic Christmas) and
finishes on the first Monday after 7th January (Orthodox Christmas). So
we have two weeks to have a rest.
As for me, I'm Catholic. So in the first day of holidays I have a
Christmas
I like Christmas very much. We have many different traditions.
At the 24th December I with my parents and brother drive to my
grandmother and grandfather who live in Grodno. My aunt with her husband
and her children (my cousins) do the same. We have a solemn dinner in the
evening of 24th of December and share each other some bread with picture
of body of Jesus Christ. After that we watch TV, play different games,
etc. At 10 o'clock my brother Paul (which is 8 years old) and our cousin
Julia (which is smaller than Paul for year) go to bed. I with my cousin
Stas (which is elder than I for 3 years) can go to bed when we want at
this day. At last if we are really tired we go to bed and fall asleep very
quickly.
In the morning of the next day, 25th December, we always run to Christmas
tree. There are always presents for each of us under it. We wish each
other with Christmas and try not to quarrel at this day. At the next day
we usually drive at home and begin to prepare to the New Year.
New Year we usually celebrate with our friends. We all happy at this day
and go to sleep at 5-6 o'clock in the morning at 1st January.
Probably it's all what I would like to tell you. I hope to get a letter
from you with you story how you celebrate Christmas.

Best regards.
Yana."
But to tell the truth Christmas time is not only the time for fun, it is
also the time for thought and for taking care of other people. The
students of our gymnasia visit kindergarten for deaf children bringing
presents and organizing parties for them.