Lol. And so has everyone else!

Santa has left the building.  ;-)

Well, if it was a raffle for tickets for the Sochi Winter Olympics, I just hope everyone stays safe ... by all accounts, there's going to be some major security issues there.  :-/

Thanks Janet for the christmas info, now it makes sense especially with santa sticking around the week after the 6th !

The raffle only included women and each woman was given a packet that contained papers and what look like it might of been a t-shirt.

Okay, if this is truly in Armenia, then here is the Christmas mystery solved. Armenians fast for 1 week before the birth of Christ, usually eating just 1 light meal a day. On Christmas they all go to church for the birth of Christ.  The real celebration starts on Jan 6 When the Wise Men came with gifts for the baby, and everyone goes to church again.  For 1 week following the 6th every day is considered Christmas.  That is why you saw the decorations coming down so late.

Maybe it was some sort or raffle for Olympic tickets. Probably a lot left over due to all the people canceling for fear of terrorism.

Well it's not a concert or a show going on here, instead names are being picked out of a box and each of those people are going up on the stage, talking with an MC and then pulling a new name out of the box and that person comes up and does the same.

So far it's only women being picked and each one of them has a fur coat on :)

Janet there's quite a few people gathering and sitting in the bleachers. It looks like some kind of a show/concert is going to happen soon.

Looks like workers are putting up a stage platform. Wonder whats up now?

N Q, I saw all those kids. You don't think they were bringing toys back to exchange them? LOL

Mira Bilis, that was a strange collection of foods. I know you like your food links. I'm amazed at how many there are but I tried food.com after you mentioned it, very good.

Yes, thanks MD ... that was a very interesting link - it makes sense of all the Christmas decorations hanging around so long in Russia etc. (and I loved the 12 foods!  ;-D  )

PS. thanks for the link, it was interesting reading :)

It's really strange MD that they celebrated on the 7th and santa stuck around till Jan 12. What's stranger is that there were a couple days after the 7th where there were more kids visiting santa then before their christmas.

Hi N Q, It seems January 7th is Christmas Day for Russian Christians. Seems odd that this has been here so long.

http://russian-crafts.com/customs/christmas.html

Yesterday they started packing up the christmas stuff so either they celebrated christmas on the 12th or they just left it up long after christmas along and got santa started on next years gifts :)

I'm still on my santa watch :)

It's almost 5pm their time and santa is still there but there are very few kids stopping by to see him today.

Santa is still here !

I'm not aware either of any way of private messaging on here.  It might be worth contacting the admin (Flemming?) and asking that question.  (Use the 'about/contact' link at the foot of this page.)  :-)

Maybe this mall keeps its Christmas display up until Easter ... I know there are Christmas stores in this country that stay open all year round. 

Hi N Q. I think it's their Christmas today. Mira Bilis and I thought 6th or 7th. I googled and thought it was the 7th. Having said that, it wouldn't be my idea of how to spend Christmas, queueing!

It looks like they must celebrate christmas on the 18th here because Santa is still there and there's a very long line of kids there today.