trying to explain to foreigners that russia's flavor of "religiousness" is visiting a church once a year for easter and saying "god" as an interjection
@halva i didn't know russians didn't celebrate christmas that's so interesting considering that former soviet union (specifically lithuania is the one i know about lol) do celebrate christmas, is it the difference between catholics & orthodox christians?
@autumn baltic republics just considered themselves under occupation so they went to pre soviet ways pretty much as soon as it was possible
technically russian orthodox christians also celebrate on a different day (Jan 7th) compared to... everyone else, basically, since the russian orthodox church uses the julian calendar
winter holidays also usually extend to include Jan 7th because of this but like, not a whole lot of people actually celebrate it if at all lol
like new year's replaced christmas in its entirety here over the 70 some years, same with pretty much every other secular holiday. the only religious holiday people here actually celebrate en masse is easter, and it's ironically the one without a state holiday attached
the only holiday arguably as important as new year is victory day (9th of may) and it's as secular as a holiday can possibly get
@halva that's crazy because in the UK it does have a state holiday attached with days off of work but i don't think anyone British celebrates it in a "traditional" way other than maybe buying chocolate easter eggs and gathering the family/friends round
