Still up till at least the 15th!
Explanation: I was raised in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which adheres to an older (later/slower) church calendar. We celebrate 'Ukrainian Christmas' on January 7th, and 'American Christmas' on December 25th. Neither is a lesser celebration; they're both equally important.
As a child, 'American Christmas' centered around singing 'American' Christmas carols and enjoying traditional American foods (turkey, ham), the Tree, Santa, and the birth of Jesus Christ. 'Ukrainian Christmas' centered around singing Ukie songs (in Ukrainian), enjoying traditional Ukrainian foods, discussing the challenges that those of our ethnic and religious background faced, and, most prominently, being grateful for all food whatsoever (my US (citizen) grandparents lived through the Great Depression and we all knew people who suffered through the Holodomor). The birth of Jesus Christ was paramount as well, we always felt that you couldn't celebrate such a wonderful thing too much, and it was always spiritually good to rejoice as much as possible.
Keep in mind that I was born in 1969; the Cold War's social fallout was very much a part of my childhood - many accused me of being a Communist though too few took the time to actually confirm the fact that Ukrainian peasants didn't voluntarily submit to that system (such as my elementary school vice-principal who called my parents to tell them they had "Commie tendencies" and "your children will be closely watched" when he received our absence notes stating that we'd been absent on January 7th because we were celebrating a religious holiday). Gee thanks, Mr. S. - my Dad honored his VietNam draft notice and served 3 years; his father honored his WW2 notice and served for 5 years in infantry.
This post is to 'get to know each other'; as fellow campers, I think we'll all give our fellow folks the benefit of a doubt.
Sorry for the excess verbage; I'm just still upset by the stereotype. Orthodox traditions/ethnicities aren't synonymous with Communism - we're Christians, we just follow a slower calendar. We don't wish anyone harm regardless of whatever alliances maps happen to show.
Didn't intend to hijack the thread - just thought people might want to know why some folks keep their lights on longer than others (we get calls from the same neighbors each year).
I experience the best of both worlds. Again, sorry if I seem overzealous; I'll be glad to answer any questions anyone might have.
Back to the thread topic: Would you rather have your child spend their first year of college (away from home) in Atlanta or Savannah (in particular, which campus of the Savannah College of Arts and Design)?
Hijacking the hijacker ( ;D), that is very interesting, BirdLand, about the Orthodox traditions. Here in Georgia (the USA one), many people keep their lights up all year long, but that's another story..... Seriously, we all have traditions that are near and dear and that is what Holy-days are all about. I hope your children will pass those on through the generations.
As for "back to the thread": Atlanta offers diversity, culture, great food, plenty of sports and celebrity shows that a big city should. There are many educational opportunities in Atlanta as well as just about anything you need or want. The Savannah School of Design is near Georgia Tech, in close proximity to some museums and art/theater venues. Some areas of Atlanta are more crime-ridden than others, but housing is available in all price ranges and areas. MARTA (city train) runs downtown and the immediate urban communities but a car is preferred -- causing a lot of traffic!
I'm not sure what amenities and facilities are available in Savannah but there may be others on here who could give their opinion. We live about 45 mins. northwest of Atlanta and in between, there is a lot of things to do and see. I love living in Georgia and cannot think of anywhere else I would rather be (and we've lived all over the place).
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