I am sure that many of the Orthodox beginners know that although Local (Autocephalous) Orthodox Churches are identical in faith, beliefs, doctrines, very similar in traditional approaches to the outward expression of their faith, might have, however, different methods to accommodate contemporary needs of their members and different ways to address special requirements of the time.
Today I would like to say a few words about different calendars within One, Holy, Catholic (Universal) and Apostolic Church.

There are Orthodox Churches that in their liturgical life follow "Old Calendar", which is actually Julian calendar; and there are churches that follow "New Calendar", which of course is Gregorian calendar, the one we all use as civil calendar. Well, to tell the truth, no Orthodox Church follows only ‘their' calendar. Most of the time we use, of course, ‘our' calendar; but, sometimes we ‘sample' calendar of our different-calendar sister church.
How is that? Actually, this is done on a more-less regular basis at certain times and seasons.
Orthodox Churches that follow Julian calendar, for example, will likely have special services in the beginning of the New Year and, yes, many would have them on January 1st according to the Gregorian calendar. Some will repeat same service on January 14 of Gregorian calendar, which is January 1 of Julian calendar. Some parishes in North America might even selectively celebrate both calendars in order to add more convenience to the inconvenient working or personal schedules of their faithful. ‘New calendarians' never celebrate the Feast of the Feast - The Resurrection of our Lord (Pascha) on a new calendar, but always together with the ‘old calendarians'. Even within one Autocephalous Orthodox body you might find parishes that celebrate same feasts on the different dates of the civil (read Gregorian) calendar.
Therefore, newcomers, converts and beginners need to know which calendar is being used in their Orthodox parish. Just ask your fellow parishioners or approach your priest and he will gladly explain the situation. Sometimes it is good to know that in projection onto Gregorian or civil calendar your parish or church celebrates Nativity of Jesus Christ (Christmas) on January 7 and not on December 25, Epiphany on January 19 instead of January 6, and the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross on September 27 instead of September 14. Yes, this thirteen days difference is present if you try to project both calendars onto either one of the two. However, in their own calendars all Orthodox Churches celebrate Christmas on December 25, Epiphany on January 6 and the Elevation of the Cross on September 14, etc. So, we all are unanimous in our special celebrations.
Also, if you are just a beginner, a convert or a prospect, you need to keep in mind that there are people who prefer one calendar over the other basically because of what they are used to from their childhood or because of the always pleasant convenience.
Why do we have these different approaches to the same matter in this already complicated life?
Local (or National) Orthodox Churches are called "Autocephalous" because they are self-ruled. It's simple to remember. What makes Local Church Autocephalous is a different topic. However, each canonically autocephalous Church has all authority to make their own decisions with regards to their administrative and educational work being always guided by the decisions of the previous councils. In this case, they have the power to put into practice whatever calendar they want based on the needs and desires of their members.
Some people would take this calendaring issue to a fight, but I think that our brotherly love helps us to be what we need to be in our situation without neglecting the needs of the people of the Local Church and by remaining in the frames of the Orthodox Faith even if we occasionally ‘taste' what our Canonical Orthodox sister-churches have on their tables.

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