The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-08
THIS IS GREEK /
CHRISTMAS DAI|
People of the Island Obserys
the Event in Merry.
Making.
SERMON Is DELIVERED
BY PRIEST OF THE FAITH
Residents of 0nce-Fampd
Land Observe Date of
the Nativity.

Greek Christmas was celebrated ;r
true Greek fashion Saturday morning
between the hours of and 70. ar ,ha
Greek church, Fonrth West and Fourth
South streets, under the supervision of
Rev. Parthenos Lymberopuos, Mora
than 1000 crowded into the little
church to partake of the holy commnn.
ion and hear the Christmas sermon
They came from Utah, Idaho and Ne.
vnda to join the Utah colony and drirt
in Greek fraternaksm the wine that
all Greeks love. This is the day Of
days for the Greek-the day when work
stops and everyone gives himself up 10
worshipiug and merry-making For
several days preceding Christmas GER
tain foods were not eaten, in prepara.
tion for the holiday.
Thousands of Greeks.
There are about 5000 Greeks in Utah.
and here is the Greek church and 4
tween Chicago and San Francisco.
hence Salt Lake is headquarters for a
large scope of country, maintaining
church and minister, who came d.
rect from Greece to preside over the
flock here.
This Sunday morning, between the
hours of S and ~, prayers will be said
for the souls OF all Greeks who have
died In Utah. Idaho or Nevada, and
at this time another collection will be
taken up, which will be for local church
work, while $500 collected Saturday
morning Will be sent to Greece.
Church Handsomely Decorated.
The new church is decorated in true
Greek style, impressing one as soma.
thing akin to orlenta!ism, with its mya-
TIC symbology. Wine is the Greek
drink, and from the time when the com.
mnnlon glass is passed around until all
Greeks go TO work it flows freely
Greek corporation for Utah, which
main films the church and cares for its
members according to Greek customs
and doctrine.
The Greeks still retain in part the
old Julian calendar, adopted IS B. ca,
which Is eleven days behind the now
style, or Gregorian calendar. When
Pope Gregory XIII. reformed the calen-
dar in 1882 the Greek church, includ-
ing all orthodox Catholic nations, kept
the Julian calendar, by which more
than ten minutes per year IS lost
amounting TO about one day in 100
years.
New Style Adopted.
w men tUe New SIN lie was GQOpL6u
the ten days which the Judiau system
was then behind, were taken from Oc-
tober IN 1882. between the 4th and the
18th Of the month, In the Julian cal
endar the first of the year came on
March %. The Greek church and her
people took up the changed first OF
the year, making January the first
month, but still retained the lost days
of the Julian system which now amount
to eleven days. This makes the Greek
calendar disagree thirteen days with
the Gregorian or New Style system,
bringing their Christmas January Z and
their New Year s on January 49, The
New Style calendar loses one day in
5000 years.
However, to the Greek Christmas is
none the less sacred because OF its be-
ing thirteen days behind, which is am
ply proved by visiting them On Janu-
ary I. The Greek, like other people,
has an extended period of vacation, ifl
he can afford ii, making his Christmas
but the commencement of about one,
weeks holiday, during which wine and
good fellowship rule supreme.