A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Monday, January 2, 2012

Think The Holidays are Over? Not in the Middle East

Today marks a US federal holiday since New Year's Day fell on a Sunday; having had the whole week off last week, January 3 marks the first day back at work. So the holidays are over. But wait! Let's look at what's still to come in the Middle East:

January 6: Eastern Christmas Eve (December 24 under the Julian Calendar, 13 days later than the Gregorian)
January 7: Eastern Christmas
January 14: Amazigh New Year 2962 (Julian New Year under the traditional North African Agricultural calendar.)
January 19: Feast of the Theophany (January 6 in Julian; equivalent to the Western Epiphany or Twelfth Night); in some Eastern churches considered a greater feast than the Nativity.

So who said the holidays were over?

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