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Today is Old New Year in Russia! Yes… that’s an unofficial Russian holiday. You see, 14 January is 1 January on the Julian Calendar that the Orthodox Church uses. Therefore, many people (including many non-religious sorts) hold a second New Year celebration on that day. A leftist friend of mine emailed me:
People are abandoning the Fast less and less at New Years. There are Communist New Year’s Parties where (out of respect for Believers) a table groans under the weight of delicious Lenten delicacies… lobster, shrimp, oysters, herring, caviar, savoury Persian and Caucasian vegan treats, Lenten pirozhki, stuffed grape leaves, falafel, and so much more. Plus, there’s an open bar of the best champagne, vodka, and Cuban & Haitian rum. Of course, they have a table full of meat and dairy items for secular people. However, those Comrades who observe the Nativity Fast can keep both the letter of the Church’s law and, with moderation, its spirit.
That’s why many keep the Old New Year… it allows them to have the meat n’ dairy delicacies that they abstained from on 1 January (many Orthodox Christians abstain until 7 January, the Julian date for the Nativity). Then, there are the party animals, for whom any excuse will do for a shindig.
To the Old New Year! Lift a glass and cheer!
BMD
Voices from Russia 
Happy Indifference Day
Tags: cartoons, editorial cartoons, Fourth of July, Holiday, holiday time, holidays, Holidays and Observances, Independence Day, Independence Day (United States), political commentary, politics, Ted Rall, United States, USA
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Just in time for the US Independence Day on 4 July, Gallup’s Monday release suggests Americans may be putting their pride to the side during the national holiday. In the research company’s recent 18-year history of surveying Americans on their pride, 2018 resulted in the lowest numbers for the “extreme” category, which is a dramatic drop from the peak of 70 percent in 2003. The numbers also reveal that the idea of American pride is dropping at the fastest rate within the Democratic and liberal communities. Does this mean fewer sparklers at the annual BBQ or something much worse for the future of the USA?
4 July 2018
Sputnik International
https://sputniknews.com/cartoons/201807041066020559-gallup-poll-extreme-american-pride/