This is a true story I heard from a friend who went on a pilgrimage to Greece and the Holy Land some years ago:
Many years ago, before the Russian Revolution, there arrived in Jerusalem at the beginning of Great Lent a large group of Russian pilgrims. The Russians were soon easy to spot by the locals: they dressed simply, they spoke little and rarely smiled, they dutifully attended the Lenten services day and night. Come Holy Week, again their presence was noted. More services, longer services, if anything, the pilgrims\' demeanour became even more sombre.
At the Resurrection services, the churchbells erupted in ecstatic, festive peals, the pilgrims greeted each other with joyous cries of \"Khristos Voskrese\", the reply \"Voistinnu Voskrese\" was just as joyous. Their grinning faces shone brightly in the light of their candles.
The next day, all was quiet. But, in the early afternoon, the streets of Jerusalem were soon filled with drunken Russians .....
Yup. That\'d be right. All-or-nothing.
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