This article, "Tomorrow is Easter . . . right?" by Mirko Petricevic, says Christian Orthodox followers celebrate Easter the same day with catholics and protestants this year.

http://www.therecord.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=record/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1175920449518&call_pageid=1024322088745&col=1024322217916

Thanks for the correction and the link! A very interesting freak occurence this year, maybe it portends something . . .

LaRu's Original quote: "As with Christmas, Russia chooses to go its own way on Easter and the Orthodox holiday does not coincide with the Western one...."

LaRu's Revised quote: "As with Christmas, Russia chooses to go its own way on scheduling Easter and the Orthodox holiday does not usually coincide with the Western one, but this is a year of rare unity. Perhaps it will start a trend!"

The Russian Orthodox Church CONTINUES to celebrate Christmas according to the Julian Calendar. So what? Your insinuation is a very negative one, as if Russia chooses to go against the West, instead of just following its ancient traditions. Also, Orthodox and Western Pascha (called Easter by most in English) happen to COINCIDE this year! This happens every few years, and it is not a rarity at all.

Once again, "Russia chooses to go its own way on scheduling Easter" is quite an ignorant remark. The great majority of Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Pascha together, at the same time, as they have for almost 1,700 years, according to the ancient canons of the 1st Ecumenical Council (held in 325 AD). This also goes for Greek Orthodox, Romanian Orthodox, Polish Orthodox, etc., etc. etc. (Finnish Orthodox being the main, and perhaps only exception). Again, this is related to the use of the Julian Calendar. BTW, the Revised Julian Calendar is actually more accurate than the Gregorian Calendar.

It would be nice if you would get your facts straight, not put a negative spin on almost all things Russian, even when they have nothing to do with Putin, politics, etc.

SLAVA:

It would be nice if you didn't characterize those who disagree with you as engaging in "spin." You think it's fine for Russia to celebrate Christmas and Easter at a different time than the West, we don't. We think it's bad. We're entitled to our opinion, and just because you disgree with it doesn't make it spin. You are engaging in exactly the type of rhetoric you purport to condenm, and that's hypocrisy. We can't stand hypocrisy.

You've got to be kidding me ! I don't characterize what you wrote as being "spin" because I disagree with you. I characterize it as spin because that is what one must logically conclude, looking at the facts of your remarks. I also can't stand hypocrisy, and your "holier than thou" comments condemn you for "engaging in exactly the type of rhetoric you purport to condemn, and that's hypocrisy."

Think about it. Why is it "bad" that Russia, Ukraine, and several other mostly Orthodox countries celebrate certain holidays the way and when they have traditionally done so for centuries? What makes one way "good" and one way "bad"? Why not just accept that they are different? Without getting into the theological merits of one or the other, what difference does it make? Why should one conform and others not? Is this a religious inquisition? I understand opinions being expressed about questions about human rights, democracy, torture, etc. But to hide behind your "opinion" that celebrating Christmas on January 7th (Gregorian, Dec 25th Julian), for example, is "bad" doesn't speak too highly of your tolerance for diversity, which is a hallmark of democratic values. Did anyone mention hypocrisy?

In my opinion, your opinion is wrong (I won't even say bad).

SLAVA:

Hmmm, so let's see. Anyone who disagrees with you is either "spinning" or they are "kidding". Or else they don't "think." Have we got that right?

You talk just like the Politburo. They were always right right up until the time that they no longer existed.