Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

"#DearTeachers,

"Some of your students may be requesting a day off to celebrate the Chag Milat Yeshu, also known as the Pope Gregory Rosh Hashanah, and is observed by Christian people as the #Christian #NewYear.

"Although Rosh Chodesh has already passed, #Christians do not observe our secular Rosh Chodesh. Instead, Christian people follow a #religious #calendar established by Pope Gregory, and the Pope Gregory Rosh Hashanah does NOT coincide with a new moon.

"(Christian #holidays are set according to the Pope Gregory Calendar, which is not a lunisolar calendar like the normal one, and is why most of their holidays move around the year.)

[...]

"This year, Pope Gregory Rosh Hashanah falls on Tevet 8-9. You may assume that since their Rosh Hashanah has two days, that it must be a two-day yom tov, like the secular Rosh Hashanah.

"Wrong!

"The Christian day starts in the middle of the night, so the Pope Gregory New Year begins in the middle of the night, on the night of Tevet 8th, then continues until the middle of the night on the 9th.

[...]

"Other Christians daven all night long for Christian Selichot as they prepare for the 'feast' of their prophet's bris.

"(Although it is called a 'feast' there is no seudat mitzvah in honor of the bris and the festive meal may consist of a variety of appetizers.)

[...]

"Secular Christians celebrate the yom tov, and the adjacent preceding holiday, Yom Saint Sylvester Ha'Kadosh, with parties and drinking until they can no longer differentiate between the old year and the new year.

[...]

"Like Yom Christmas, there are typically no morning services for Pope Gregory's Rosh Hashanah. The frum Christians have already davened all night and the secular Christians are hungover from their parties.

"Check http://GregCal.com if you need to know the exact date of Pope Gregory's Rosh Hashanah or any Christian holiday. It is a good resource for Christian holiday dates since they move around so much from year to year.

GregCal

[...]

"It is appropriate to require a note from their Christian rabbi if they will be absent for these observances.

"Kol tuv,
Principal Noga Jacobsen
Yochanan Cohen #PublicSchool
#MedinatAmerica"

-- JewWhoHasItAll (JewWhoHasItAll), 2022-12-29 [I tried not to spoil the best lines, because y'all should read the whole thing and enjoy those in the flow of the whole piece. Set down your beverage first though.]

[Something went wrong this morning and I had to re-do this entry. I had a longer comment that got lost. Argh.]