I sometimes, still use IRC, mostly in Freenode. However sometimes I enter in Bulgarian IRC Network UniBG via IRC access node irc.spnet.net Problem is by default irssi does not recognize Cyrillic so Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian and other Slavonic languages are unreadable. Same goes also for Chineese, Arabic and other "unstandard" characters. Hence from to make irssi support cyrillic, I had to launch it once:
linux:~$ irssi
And then type in it:
/set recode_fallback cp1251
/set recode_out_default_charset cp1251
/set recode_transliterate off
/set recode_autodetect_utf8 on
/set term_charset utf-8
/exit
linux:~$ irssi
After next irssi Launch Cyrillic displays proper Cyrillic letters.
Today is third day of Nativity and as this year I'm celebrating Christmas feast with Serbian and Orthodox Church feast, it is also the 3rd day of Christ's birth for me too 🙂
On 6-th against 7-th January eve Nativity is celebrated in following nation wide Orthodox Church patriarchates:
Russian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church
Ukrainian Orthodox Church
Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem (Patriarchate of Jerusalem)
Moldovan Orthodox Church
I'm eager to find as much as possible, about the Orthodox Church worldwide. So I took the time to collect the Church Hymns (Troparions and Kondaktions) which are sung in each of patriarchate Churches celebrating on 6th against 7th. Hopefully my little article will help other Orthodox Christians who want to know more how other nation-wide "sister" Orthodox Churches are celebrating Nativity's feast, as well as hear the identical Orthodox Church hymn performed in other languages.
An Arabic Christmas Carol (Byzantine Hymn of the Nativity) – Nativity Troparion in Syriac (Arabic)language
Byzantine Hymn for Nativity (in Arabic) ترتيل بيزنطي للميلاد المجيد
There are some other Christians part of the Oriental Orthodox Christian Churches celebrating Christmas on 6-th against 7-th of January, those who I know of are;
Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
Armenian Apostolic Church
Ethiopian Orthodox Church (under the patriarchate of Coptic Church of Alexandria)
This two Churches areclose to Eastern Orthodox Church in teaching, but are not in official eucharistic communion. Probably there are also other Christian Churches celebrating on 6-th against 7-th of January and maybe I'm missing some Orthodox Church. I personally know a person from the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. Lets hope by the prayers of the Holy Theotokos Virgin Mary and all saints, soon the Oriental Orthodox Churches will come back and recognize decisions taken by Holy Fathers on 7 Orthodox Church ecumenical councils and then we all joyful sing together united in the faith of the Holy Apostles our Lord Jesus Christ's Nativity hymn !
If you happen to be reading my post and you belong to another Orthodox Church patriarchate I forgot to mention or don't know about, please drop a comment to which Church you belong and put a link to your Church sung Troparion and Kontakion. Let us together rejoice with the joy of Angels and the wise East Magis who came to venerate the birth of King of Kings with gifts and gold.
Troparion (Tone 4) Your Nativity, O Christ our God, Has shone to the world the Light of wisdom! For by it, those who worshipped the stars, Were taught by a Star to adore You, The Sun of Righteousness, And to know You, the Orient from on High. O Lord, glory to You!
Kontakion (Tone 3) Today the Virgin gives birth to the Transcendent One, And the earth offers a cave to the Unapproachable One! Angels with shepherds glorify Him! The wise men journey with a star! Since for our sake the Eternal God was born as a Little Child!