Jerlic Districts Prepare for Another Massive Christmas Holiday
Christmas Eve is only a day away, and that means the across the Imperium, the Jerlic are preparing for their most joyous days of the year. The Jerlic Districts, the urban centers for the unbelievers, every winter are decorated to the brim with Christmas joy. There will be ice skating, carriage rides, and hot chocolate served late until the night on Christmas Eve. In addition to a Christmas tradition that only takes place in Nyx. Numerous Jerlic stores will be open all Christmas Eve, including all night. But any and all items purchased are not for personal use, but rather donated to the less fortunate in celebration of the holiday. In is one of the most important business days (or nights) for Jerlic owned businesses across the nation, as people from all stratums stay up to participate.
Despite the fact that Christians in Nyx only make up a small part of the Jerlic minority, Christmas has become a flagship holiday for the entire stratum. Other religious groups rather than celebrate their own winter holidays separate have found ways to combined and adapt Christmas traditions to their own. As such, Christmas is less of a Christian holiday in Nyx, but rather a holiday for all not belonging to the Necrova.
This can be seen in a number of Nythymn Christmas traditions. Across the Jerlic, at the head of the dinner table is roast turkey rather than ham to accommodate for Jewish and Muslim dinner guests. The Prime Minister, head of the Jerlic Government, even goes so far as to yearly pardon two of the three turkeys presented for his own state dinner, all of which is either kosher or halal. The twenty representatives that form the Jerlic voice in the Imperial Assembly, spend the day volunteering at various Agni kitchens. Early Christmas morning, almost all Jerlic can be found in churchs attending non-religiously discriminatory Christmas mass. Several of these masses are even led by religious leaders not belonging to the respected church they are preaching in. Last year, the Grand Catholic Church of Erebyx' (the largest church in Nyx) Christmas mass was led by Rabbi David Feinman. Almost immediately after mass, all Nythymn take to the streets to watch the Jerlic Winter Parade, a celebration of the unique cultural identity the members of the nonbeliever stratum have in the Imperium. Finally, Jerlic retire to their homes to spend the rest of the day with family and friends.
Christmas has become such an important holiday in Nyx, that even many non-Jerlic stores and restaurants are closed on December 25th, to give both the Jeric and Agni workers a day off. The amount of donations and volunteering in Agni support charities reach their peak during the winter season, meaning this tends to be a great time for the lower stratum as well. As can be seen, the affects of the Christmas spirit have a far reaching touch across the Imperium, making this one of the most wonderful parts of the year.