Pождество

"Author's Note: Christmas Chapter in July! Why? Because the way I wrote this story it makes sense. And with the hot or lack of hot weather, it makes a cute story to celebrate 162 day until the 25th Christmas and 175 days until Russian Orthodox Christmas! (Yes the title is Christmas in Russian). Sorry if this chapter is kind of a mess, it took a lot of editing and changes as I deepened my research for this chapter. If there are errors please tell me so I can fix them. The * section is Violetta's dream. I would like to thank Murpdog98 for the follow and favorite. An apology to X. . Shipper.x.X, I thought that I typed you name right but I check the last chapter to find the name gone for the most part. Stupid mouse pad deleting paragraphs that I have to retype! I'm sorry I'll reread my comments more carefully next time! However, like I said in the beginning of this story, I kept my promise, Russia will be making his star appearance in the next chapter! YAY! Comments, reviews, and ideas would be nice, da! (^J^)

Over the next months, her parents had teached their children some Russian. Over Christmas they went back down to Naples to visit family and friends. Her father thought it would be a better idea if they flew to Naples rather than driving. They arrive in Naples on 17 of December and in their nine days stay the celebrated Christmas like they normally would if they still live there. Full of singing Christmas carols, church services, walking and buying cribs from the Via San Gregorio Armeno, and a huge fish feast on Christmas Eve. The reunion of Italian lifestyle was nice until they had to go back. The one thing that surprised her was that many Russian did not seem to celebrate Christmas when they did.

27 December

"Don't they celebrate Christmas, Papà? They don't have as many cribs as Naples did." she questioned her father when they came back from Naples.

"Yes, dear they celebrate it at a different time then we do. They recently adopted the 25th as a Christmas holiday. They do not start their Christmas celebration until December 31th and continue it until the 7th of January." Her father replied. "In fact within a couple of we will start to see some of the celebrations starting to commence."

"Oh Papà! Can we celebrate a Russian Christmas? I think it will help me adapt to the new culture! Please Papà, Please?" she pleas.

"I don't see a problem with that." he smiles. "However we need to prepare quickly since we do not have any ingredients at home or know how to celebrate a Russian Orthodox Christmas. But…" he hesitates. "I'm sure a little grocery shopping and some advice from the internet and neighbors will fix that problem."

"But wait, what about Epiphany?"

"We can still celebrate it along with the Russian Christmas." He then turns to her with eyes of knowledge, "In fact they have something similar to Epiphany but slightly different. Actually Epiphany is based of the Russian tradition." With his reply her eyes were full of happiness and joy of celebrating the holidays again. She always loved winter holidays for some reason. They finally get home and unpack their vacation attire and begin to quickly research for their first Russian Christmas.

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6 January

Violetta awakes to a snowy morning as she looks out to balcony. Today we start a new tradition. This will be so much fun. She springs out of bed and runs to the kitchen to see her mother in the kitchen. Normally on Christmas Eve, her mother would spread the whole day cooking and preparing for a feast. However she was not making anything. "Hey Mamma, why aren't you making a Christmas Eve feast?"

"Oh honey, for a Russian Christmas Eve we fast until we see the first star in the sky. And the dishes are pretty easy to make." She explains and a groan of disappointment arises from Violetta's stomach. "But you do not have to fast all the way until then." Violetta knew what a fast was she tried every year to take part in the Easter fast, but she could never make it past 12 hours of it.

"Are you and Papà fasting?" She asks and her mother gives a nod of approval. "Then I am too."

"Alright," her mother replies with a sigh. "But if you cannot do it any longer then please eat something please." Violetta gives her mother a hug and then runs up to her room to draw the hunger away.

Drawing has always been her favorite pastime and she was surprisingly good for a girl as young as she was. While in Naples her father paid for her to have drawing lessons, and since then her skill has improved as well. She easily spends the day drawing until her mother called her downstairs.

"Violetta, come downstairs please." Her Mamma calls again, which snaps her out of her daze. "We are going down to Moscow for the celebrations." Explains her mother as she help puts Violetta's coat on.

"I thought that we will do some caroling, go to church, and then come home for the first star and the feast." Her father explains the plan as the family goes out to the car. The car ride to the city was cold but this did not stop her spirit and excitement from rising. They arrive in the city and see multiple groups of children in masks singing door to door receiving treats for their Christmas cheer. "It's a Russian tradition called Kolyadovanie. Children go around caroling with masks on and they receive goodies." he whispers to her.

After spending a few hours of caroling and a bag full of treats later, they head to the Church of All Saints on the Swamp for a Christmas sermon. After the sermon Violetta notices that it was awfully dark outside. The street and city lights should be on by now. She thinks as she exits the church. Even the festive lights of Moscow were all gone. The people were using flashlights and lanterns as a light source "Mamma, Papà, It's all dark outside! There aren't even any street lights on!" she pointed out.

"Yes, it is so we can see the first star in the sky easily." Her mother replies as they head to their car to go back home.

They family gets home and set up the ballroom balcony to be able to see the stars appears. They cuddle each other in the blankets to keep warm as the look towards the sky in search of the first star.

After a few hours Violetta sees a small light in the sky. "Mamma, Papà, is that a star?" she asks making sure that it is not another airplane.

"Sì, sì, I believe it is." Her mother responds. As soon as her mother confirms Violetta's star, the lights of the trees in the red square come on. After a few more minute the lights slowly start to return.

"Alright, now let's go inside to warm up and have our feast." Papà speculated as her ushers his family into the warm house. As they walk into the dining room they see that the food was already set up and ready to eat. They say a prayer and start to fill their dishes with, kutya, mushroom soup, zakuski, ragu iz ovoshej, pirozhki stuffed with cabbage, meatless pelmeni, and pagach. Unlike their normal Christmas Eve Feast, there is no fish with the diner.

"Hey, why is there no fish with our Christmas dinner?" Violetta finally asks.

"Many Russian fast from meat from the end of November until after Christmas. That is why all of our food is meatless." Her father explained.

With diner finished and the dirty dishes stacked on the counter near the sink. The family goes to their Christmas tree to find present for everyone to open and enjoy. They all huddle together in the living room watching the fire, some Christmas specials, and the tree glittering in the background.

"Did you enjoy our Russian Christmas, dear?" Her father asks as she starts to fall asleep in his arms.

"Da Papà, it was fun!" She replies sleepily.

"Are you excited for school in two days?" Violetta cringes to the question. She did not want the go. She knew that she wasn't ready. She relied on more Italian that she did not believe she could fit in and make friends who spoke a different language that she hardly knows.

"Are you sure that I have to go now? Can't we wait a couple more months? I don't think that I am ready." She pleads.

Her father can sense her fear and hugs her. "You'll be fine. You have improved so much in the last six months that you are ready to start school again. I believe that you will succeed and do just fine."

She calms down to the hug. But the anxiety builds up inside of her. She lets out a sigh and tries to fall asleep Yeah I'll be fine in makings a complete fool of me and being lonely and friendless forever.

*Violetta was dressed in a pink dress that stopped just below the knee. It was a bit chilly out for the dress; however her fears and excitement made her extremely warm. She stood at a huge flight of cement steps that lead to just as large double wooden doors. Violetta climbed upwards on the snow dusted stairs, each step giving her more energy to continue. Finally she reached the top and opened both of the doors. "Ciao a tutti, io sono Violetta!" She shouted with her found confidence. But this feeling was short lived once the words spilled out of her mouth. The people started to tease her with Russian words she had no idea what they were saying and throwing things at her laughing. Mio Dio, What did I do? She screamed at herself. All that preparation, all the hard work, all of it gone to waste. I can't even tell what they are saying to me. She starts to curl into herself to protect from the objects, words, and the false reality of it all. She starts to feel something shaking her.*

Violetta wakes up in her bed her father hugging and lightly shaking her. She could feel the hot tears still rolling down her cheeks as she cries in her father's arms.

"Shhh, Shh, calmati. Era solo un sogno, un brutto sogno. 2" Papà hushed trying to calm her down. Her father's soothing voice calms her sobbing to a sniffling. "There, it's alright. Do you want to tell Papà about your nightmare?"

She shook her head no. She did not want to worry her father or relive her nightmare. You can't stay at home forever. You will have to go to school eventually. A voice in her head sneered.

Violetta know the voice was right. If she did not start school soon she would have to repeat the first grade with kids a year younger that she was. I don't want to make friends and then lose them as they move up. I have to face my fear, no matter how much it scares me.

"Do you want me to stay with you until you fall asleep again?" Her father questions. She nods and they cuddle until Violetta falls asleep again. This time her dreams she was surrounded by a field of huge sunflowers.

1. Ciao a tutti, io sono Violetta: Hello Everyone, I am Violetta.

2. Calmati. Era solo un sogno, un brutto sogno: Calm down. It was just a dream, a bad dream.