The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-08
GREEKS CELEBRATE \
SAv|0R'S NATAL DAN
Citizens of Ancient Nation Still
Recognize the 0ld-Time
Calendar.
SERVICES HELD AT
THE GREEK CHURCH
Customs Observed in the Old
Grecian Days Still Hold 4
Coed Today.

In ancient Greece, January Z vae:
celebrated as Christmas Recopnizina
the old custom, the Greeks resident IL
Salt Lake City celebrated the natal dad
OF the Savior of Mankind Friday. Ths
lncnngruity' In the dates between thc.
Grecian Christmas and that of the Other
civilized nations is explained by tbs
fact that the Greeks still adhere 10 the,
old Julian calendar. Anglo Saxons and,
calendar. The old Julian calendar anfcl
dates the birth of Christ by some forty..
nvc years. II was Pope Gregory who,
III l3S2, made fine change in the calenl
dar; but the Greek still remains trne
10 the old reglmc-hc cannot leave tho
old customs-and whether he is right
or wrong is not a question at issue.
Greek Christmas his wear was the
quictest ever held in Salt Lake Citv,
and each succeeding year finds the GELD
bration less on this date. The Grcekd
in this country. in most part. have de.
clarcd their intention of becoming Amcr'
lean citizens and are gradually draw.
ing away from the customs of their nal
tive land, But there were large nuu,!
ber who celebrated Christmas FRIDAY
and the night before rs they have al.
| Why's done,
Celebration of the Day.
Toe celebration of the day begsn
| Thursday at midnight. aud at that fine
services were held in the Greek church
on Third South street. Here were gath
cred Greeks from all paris Of Utah. n
is estimated that at least 1000 came
10 Salt Lake City for the celebration
Each Greek who attended the service
I ItT,,rg gI.,,s ,a1 L H.. Z
loug candle, and the light gwen Of
by these candles was the only illumi!
nation IL the church. There are nd
seats IN the church. Those who ad
there to worship remain standing dur,
ing the entire service, which on Chris,
mas eve lasts about two hours. The
| Christmas day service begins at
o clock III the morning and continue<
until 1880 O'Clock p. m. N
No Business Transacted
There was but little or no busIness
| transacted in the Greek quarter of Sal
Lake City Friday, although Greeks bayI
| ing places of business uptown kept opeA
as usual. In the Greek quarter there
were some stores open, but generally
the business district was closed and th(
residents spent the day in feastiug and
| celebration. The coffee houses were
| filed to their capacity and the muslI
clans played the selections of thelr ma
! tive land.
/ Several wears ago the celebration q
! Christmas in Greek town was ihe oq
cason Of much shooting and noise, buI
this year not firearm WAS discharged
Next Friday viii he the Greek NeV
Year, and on that day. as with Arnefb
cans, there will be the usual celebra'
! ton.
nb, Nn11 (,lepder
The calendar used by tho Greeks Il
| the result of n reform started forty
| FIVE wears before Christ by Julius Caesai
in the method of computing time IN
| this calendar tho twelve months and th<
number of days each were arraugcq
| as at present: but the year commcnce9
on March ~ and contained 500 DAYS an0
! 6 hours. These extra hours make an
extra dav in every four years. and ar
| cordjnclv Il dav was ipterpolated aftef
February 2S every fourth year whic1
! is called biseXtile. or leap year; LIN
+; calendar continued in use until loSz
| reformation The Julian year was founq
| TO be too long by eleven minutes a1q
! teu seconds. which amounts to a da{
! in about $50 years, An error, tnerc
! fore. of ten DAYS had occurred. and "
| that year ten days were struck out fro"
thc mouth of October and the day neN
after October i. 1852. was reckoned fne
! 18th. a
To provide against a like error y
was ordained that IN three centuries ou
of the four the last year Shonld M
be leap year There is sui an
ror in The GrcgoTlan calendar, put
small that il VIII not amount TO aa
| in 5000 wears. The new-style caleudn
was adopted in England and Americ4
and other nations. excepting GreeeN
in 1852. but the Greeks still hold tofn
old Julian calendar.