By the beginning of the new year, many people have already put the holidays behind them and are ready to go back to normal life; however, this cannot be said for people of the Orthodox religion, who celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7.

The holiday is different from the traditional Christmas holiday in the way that no presents are exchanged. Also, since the holiday is not widely celebrated, Winter Break is not scheduled to work around it.

“My parents let me stay home last year when [Christmas] was during the week, but this year it falls on a Saturday,” Meri Dodevska (11) said.

Most people of the religion celebrate both Orthodox Christmas and traditional Christmas. Food is a central part of this holiday, and most holiday menus contain beans, fish and a lot of bread.

“The food is my favorite part because it’s like a feast,” Meri Dodevska (11) said.

Despite the differences between Orthodox Christmas and traditional Christmas, both show that the holidays are a time filled with joy and spending time with family.