What do people do on these dates?

People in Russia celebrate Christmas Day with activities such as having a family dinner, attending a Christmas liturgy and visiting relatives and friends. There is a 40-day Lent preceding Christmas Day, when practicing Christians do not eat any meat. The Lent period ends with the first star in the night sky on January 6 – a symbol of Jesus Christ's birth. Many Orthodox Christians go to the church to attend a Christmas liturgy that evening.  The first star also signals the start of the Christmas dinner. For many secular Russians, Christmas Day is a family holiday but it is not as important, for many families, as New Year's Day. Many people visit friends and relatives, as well as give and receive presents, on January 7.