When is a Holiday not a Holiday? (what is a holiday, anyway?)

We have to ask ourselves this a lot here in Russia.

25 December is an ordinary working day (or rather more than ordinary as people try to cram in more stuff so they can take off earlier on 30 December…) here.

E keeps asking why it isn't Christmas here.  Here's the short version:

Different dates:
--The Russian Orthodox Church (and the Russian Empire) did not adopt the Gregorian calendar when other countries did.  (see the Wikipedia entry-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar)
--The USSR adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1918 (both as a break with the Russian church and the empire), but the Russian Orthodox Church still to this day uses the Julian calendar.  The civil calendar in Russian Federation is still the Gregorian calendar (same as the rest of the world).
--That means that the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on what in the Gregorian calendar is 7 January.

History:
--The USSR in abolishing religion abolished the celebration of Christmas, but knew better than to eliminate presents, parties and so forth.  They decreed that these celebrations would be tied to New Year's instead.  But since that meant bringing on the party a week earlier (from 7 Jan to 1 Jan), the population seems to have accepted it.

Celebrating:
--All Russians everywhere celebrate New Years by giving presents, sitting at home eating (and drinking), watching old movies on TV, calling friends wishing them happy new years, etc.

--Children dance around the New Year's Tree (Yolka), which looks a lot like what in the US we call a Christmas tree.  (Not usually stars on top, though).

--Presents are brought by Grandpa Frost (Ded Moroz), and his helper Snegurochka (Snow Maiden, in blue)

--If children want presents from Grandpa Frost, when they see him (school parties, New Years' events, etc) they usually have to recite a poem or perform something.

--Since the collapse of the USSR, the Russian Federation officially celebrates Russian Orthodox Christmas, and increasingly in a big way.  It's becoming very "trendy" to go to church for (Orthodox) Christmas (7 January), and very popular to wish people a good Christmas.

(but it still sounds odd to hear people say "For New Year's and Christmas" instead of the other way around)

--Everyone everywhere has official days off for all the days Jan 1 through Jan 8.  Exceptions include some (but not all) retail establishments, some (but not all) museums, concert halls, etc.  (People have to have _something_ to do for 8 days besides drink….)

So, this leads us back to the rather metaphysical opening.  What is a holiday, anyway?

Is it simply the day everyone has off from work?

Is it the day your own religion tells you to take a break from work?  (even if that is different from your host country?)

Is Christmas a day to be more religious?  (i.e., is it like a Sunday?)  If everything is closed, you don't ask whether you wish to shop on Christmas or not.  But when everyone else is working and shopping, do you make a conscious decision not to?

More anon...