On the night of December 24-25 in Nizhny Novgorod, a celebratory vigil was held in honor of the birth of Christ. Afterwards, church ministers treated parishioners to a gala supper. The advent of the first star in the Christmas Eve sky marks the end of the strict fasting period.
In more than 100 countries worldwide, Christmas for Catholics and other denominations is declared a public holiday.
As opposed to Catholicism, which celebrates Christmas on December 25th, the Orthodox services are held on January 7th in the Gregorian calendar. Orthodox Christmas is one of the most important religious holidays in Russia.
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