Not long ago, Pittsburgh was a community divided into many ethnic enclaves. While these ethnic neighborhoods might not be intact today, Christmas is a time of year when the many different ethnic traditions of Pittsburgh are celebrated in their own ways.
Italians will celebrate Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, while those of Polish descent will pass around a wafer called oplatki, similar to a communion host.
The borough of Carnegie has still retained much of its ethnic character, and the many Orthodox Christians living there will follow the Gregorian calendar to celebrate Christmas Day on January 7.
– Paul Furiga, WordWrite Communications