L Sass
Cathlete
Ok - brief background. My MIL doesn't like me. The reasons don't really matter. I was raised Baptist. MIL was raised Presbyterian. FIL was raised Russian Orthodox. The only Russian Orthodox holiday we all celebrate differently is Easter
We always do Christmas Eve at my in-laws home and there are a lot of people there. We start with dinner and then exchange gifts.Last year when I asked what I could bring, she told me an appetizer and a cookie tray. I did. Appetizer was my bacon bleu cheese dip with crackers and veggies. When we arrived and I set it out she saw that there was bacon in it and told me I should not have done that because there was meat in it. Asked if I should take it away - she said no, leave it out. I did tell everyone there was meat in it, and they all ate it - no one said anything. Asked DH why you cannot eat meat on Xmas Eve - he didn't know. My MIL keeps EVERYTHING to herself. (Eg, she had eye surgery last week and told NO ONE except FIL. Her sons never knew she was going in for anything.)
So last night we were with them and I asked what I could bring. Of course, appetizer and cookie tray. Learned my lesson last year. So I asked if I can bring spinach balls. She told me yes, as long as there is no meat in them. I asked why you cannot eat meat on Christmas Eve and she told me "well it's lent of course." (It was so matter-of-fact that I felt really stupid.) I truly did not know this (and DH now tells me he didn't know either) so I did a quick google search on the russian orthodox lenten periods. All I found was that lent comes before each of the major holidays. We do not celebrate orthodox Christmas.
I feel so stupid. Can anyone tell me how long this lenten period goes? My spinach balls do have eggs in them - should I not make them? I really don't want to make my MIL angry, but I know that she has this pent up anger to me anyways because I have not learned all of the nuances of this religion.
Lorrie
www.picturetrail.com/lsass
We always do Christmas Eve at my in-laws home and there are a lot of people there. We start with dinner and then exchange gifts.Last year when I asked what I could bring, she told me an appetizer and a cookie tray. I did. Appetizer was my bacon bleu cheese dip with crackers and veggies. When we arrived and I set it out she saw that there was bacon in it and told me I should not have done that because there was meat in it. Asked if I should take it away - she said no, leave it out. I did tell everyone there was meat in it, and they all ate it - no one said anything. Asked DH why you cannot eat meat on Xmas Eve - he didn't know. My MIL keeps EVERYTHING to herself. (Eg, she had eye surgery last week and told NO ONE except FIL. Her sons never knew she was going in for anything.)
So last night we were with them and I asked what I could bring. Of course, appetizer and cookie tray. Learned my lesson last year. So I asked if I can bring spinach balls. She told me yes, as long as there is no meat in them. I asked why you cannot eat meat on Christmas Eve and she told me "well it's lent of course." (It was so matter-of-fact that I felt really stupid.) I truly did not know this (and DH now tells me he didn't know either) so I did a quick google search on the russian orthodox lenten periods. All I found was that lent comes before each of the major holidays. We do not celebrate orthodox Christmas.
I feel so stupid. Can anyone tell me how long this lenten period goes? My spinach balls do have eggs in them - should I not make them? I really don't want to make my MIL angry, but I know that she has this pent up anger to me anyways because I have not learned all of the nuances of this religion.
Lorrie
www.picturetrail.com/lsass