Unsolicited art critique: Proportions are off in panels 2 and 3. The girls' torsos are usually 1.5x the height of their head, but in those panels they're about 1.2x to 1.1x. Looks weird.
For a while Russians had 2 weeks mandated as state holidays after New Year. It includes Orthodox Christmas and old style New Year. In my family, we celebrated them, but without gifts, just with a family and friends dinner. And I always assumed that grandfather frost and santa was the same guy.
if Alek is Russian she'd celebrate new years instead of Christmas (Christmas is a purely religious holiday) waiting for Ded Moroz (grandfather frost) and snegorochka (snow girl). to come instead.
@What the Hell: "pagan" isn't a religion, it's a blanket term with a synonymous meaning to "Infidel".(pretty much both are able to be summed up as "not from X religion") it was pretty much made to target others who didn't follow the "major" religion. (like in the Salem witch trials for example)
@Eldar Kulmuhametov: yeah, instead in USSR kids were taught to believe in grandfather Frost, who's a ripoff of catholic Santa. Original grandfather Frost was quite evil pagan spirit (before USSR). So Russians has an equivalent of Santa. But Russians wait for gifts not at Christmas, but New Year.
Dang I cant think of anything that is incredible inflammatory to say, that means I cant press the troll now button. Unless Im trolling how meta Im getting in a comic struggling with meta.
I am so glad someone said something in the photo notes because I am oh-so-very tired and my head was overthinking everything to a silly degree. I thought that the last panel was supposed to be an annoyed Jo when, years and years later, that's what a teenage Maggie looks like and still believing.
And....
1) Why Alec celebrates Christmas on 24th-25th? Russians celebrate it 7th Jan
2) RUSSIANS DON'T BELIVE IN SANTA!!!!! WE DON'T HAVE SANTA IN RUSSIA!!! MUHAAHAHA
So, in former USSR, unless you are Catholic, Protestant or Greek Orthodox, either of which is very rare, 25th of December is just a regular day. Christmas are on 7th of January, are a holiday but as far as I understand, are only really celebrated in tight religious communities.
New Year, instead of being just a partyday, serves also as a family holiday with presents, which Ded Moroz - "Grandpa Frost" - leaves almost exclusively under the tree, so there are no socks. He also still keeps a somewhat distinctive look and always appears together with his granddaughter.
As for Santa, parents lying to their children isn't cute: he's fine in stories and songs, where he belongs, but lying about presents taint the affection of the season. Classmate wants a 3DS, but doesn't get one? Don't worry, it's just proof that poor people are inferior beings!
