Christmas may officially be over in most of the world, with abandoned trees lying sadly on the road waiting to be collected and decorations quietly stuffed back in their box for another year.
But in Russia and other Orthodox Christian countries, Christmas is celebrated today in accordance with the Julian calendar which the rest of the world ditched for the Gregorian calendar 500 years ago.
Like those who celebrate on the 25th food is central to the festivities, with sweet porridge made from grains and goose cooked in sour cream among popular dishes.
So while the thought of another big meal may be enough to make anyone groan, on the plus side there is the extended holidays, which for most Russians start on new year’s day.
Here’s how Russians have been enjoying the holiday, with the political elite leading the way.
Elite celebrations
Just like on his birthday, Vladimir Putin was seen enjoying a festive game of ice hockey in the winter Olympic resort of Sochi on Christmas eve (6 January).
Then he attended midnight mass in Turginovo in the Tver region, 90 miles from Moscow, reportedly in the cathedral where his parents were baptised in 1911.
The Kremlin’s official Christmas message later commended the Orthodox church and other Christians for their “responsible service” to Russian society.
The powerhouses of the church and the state have become increasingly aligned during Putin’s tenure.
In Moscow the prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, joined the Patriarch Kirill for a Christmas day liturgy in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, that once played host to Pussy Riot’s punk prayer.
The patriarch, who is the head of the Orthodox church, marked the day by offering his support to Russia’s bombing campaign in Syria, which he said was protecting the nation from “terrorism”, AFP reported.
Elsewhere
Celebrations were in full force across the post-Soviet world. In Belarus army recruits lined up to kiss the cross on a freezing day in the capital, Minsk.
In Georgia, thousands took the streets of Tbilisi for a Christmas day procession.
And in Kiev, the head of Ukraine’s Orthodox led the Christmas eve celebrations.
Back in Russia
But it’s sure to be a less than happy Christmas for the long haul truckers who have been camped out in a frozen Ikea car park to the north of Moscow since 3 December.
They are protesting against road tax but have been all but ignored by state media, Radio Free Europe reported.
For Protesting Russian Truckers, A Christmas Far From Home https://t.co/Eiz4fuC0xo via @RFERL pic.twitter.com/KiMZozmnzA
— tom balmforth (@BalmforthTom) January 6, 2016
The protests are said to be dwindling though some of the remaining truckers their families join them for the celebrations. Earlier in December Russian rock legend Yury Shevchuk had paid a morale-boosting visit.
Twit-Christmas
Elsewhere the Russian internet (aka RuNet) celebrated online, posting twitter cards.
Happy Orthodox Christmas! https://t.co/8n7obvZYlu pic.twitter.com/yZx5Zxvyjb
— The View East (@thevieweast) January 7, 2016
Congratulations on the occasion of the Orthodox Christmas! pic.twitter.com/GcEtHH5qOv
— MFA Russia (@mfa_russia) January 6, 2016
And we’ll end on a bit of Christmas cracker trivia:
Did you know that Russian Orthodox Church 'Old Believers' consider the shaving of one's beard a severe sin? pic.twitter.com/j3pSgewE9x
— Captain Fawcett (@CaptainFawcett) January 7, 2016
