As we approach the end of the modern liturgical Christmas season, it seems a good time to reflect on the many traditions we share with family, friends, and loved ones at the end of one calendar year and the beginning of the next.

For many in Appalachia (and those with roots in the region), numerous Christmas traditions are rooted in practices handed down from generations who observed what we now call “Old Christmas” — Jan. 6 on the Gregorian calendar we currently use.

From tapping trees to welcoming the ghosts of our ancestors, Old Christmas beliefs and superstitions still inform much of mountain culture, and several present-day practices have evolved from these beliefs.

For our January 2026 New Wineskins we welcome the new year with a conversation about Old Christmas, the holiday traditions we find meaningful in our own lives, and how connecting with them connects us with our ancestors and the “great cloud of witnesses” in which we exist.

Please join us this Sunday, Jan. 4, in the Virtual Theology Pub powered by Zoom to learn more about Old Christmas and how its practice still influences our own spiritual lives.

6:00pm ET: Happy Half-Hour (informal meet & greet time)
6:30pm ET: Presentation & conversation begin

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Check out this week’s discussion video

Click here to view this week’s discussion video on YouTube

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