Recently, many "responsible" persons have come up with proposals to "postpone" the celebration of the Nativity of Christ to December 25th. There is only one argument - "we will do it as in civilized countries." And what, in fact, is this paradox?
In fact, it is this argument that shows the complete absence of any knowledge of the history of the issue. The only thing they can "show off" comes down to accusations against the Bolsheviks, who in 1918 switched to the Gregorian calendar, and Christmas "turned out" on January 7th according to the new style.
Our people have already become convinced of the complete failure of these "responsible" persons, but ambiguities remain. And now we will solve this "unbearable" riddle.
So let's formulate the question: why, in fact, the whole of Europe celebrates Christmas on December 25, and we - on January 7?
In order to answer this question, it is necessary to understand the differences between the Julian, Gregorian and New Julian calendars. To do this, consider some episodes of church history:
Date of Christmas
Every mother remembers the day and hour of the birth of each of her children. Naturally, the Mother of God told the apostles about this day - this is December 25th. The Lord Jesus Christ was born when there was a Julian calendar on earth, developed by a group of Alexandrian astronomers and introduced by Julius Caesar from January 1, 45 BC.
If we talk about written sources, then December 25 as the day of the "birth of Christ in Bethlehem of Judea" is first mentioned by the Roman chronograph of 354, based on a calendar dating back to 336.
How to properly celebrate Christmas. What can't be done. Christian traditions and customs. Notes for Christmas. How to say Merry Christmas.
On the night of January 6-7, the entire Orthodox world celebrates Christmas - one of the most important Christian holidays.
This is a holiday that symbolizes renewal. After all, it was the birth of Christ that proclaimed a new, bright era for mankind. It is no coincidence that a new chronology was even established - from the Nativity of Christ.
The birth in the flesh of Jesus Christ from the Virgin Mary is one of the miracles revealed by the Lord to mankind. Therefore, on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, everyone expects a miracle and prays that next year was better and happier than the outgoing one.
This bright holiday in Orthodoxy is one of the master's twelfth holidays and is preceded by a 40-day Christmas fast.
The celebration of Christmas begins on January 6 with the appearance of the first star in the sky. As you know, after the birth of Jesus, the first of the people to bow to him were the shepherds, who were notified of this event by the appearance of an angel. According to the Evangelist Matthew, a wonderful star appeared in the sky, which led the magi to the baby Jesus.
When to celebrate Christmas - January 6 or 7?
The day before Christmas, January 6, is Christmas Eve. On this day, until the “evening star,” that is, until dusk, according to the Charter of the Church, they did not eat at all, they could only drink water or tea. In our time, it is difficult to fulfill such a strict fast. Try, especially if you did not fast during the Christmas fast, to make a small sacrifice to the Lord - refrain from meat and dairy products, from fish (even from at least one thing, including sweets) this morning. Interestingly, there was a historical joke when Count Suvorov did not eat anything during dinner with Catherine II before Christmas. When she asked why, the courtiers explained that it was impossible to reach the first star. The Empress called the servants and bestowed an order - "a star to Count Suvorov."
In fact, in the Charter and the saying “it is impossible until the first star” does not mean the appearance of heavenly stars, but the singing of the words of the troparion in the church, prayers in honor of the feast of the Nativity of Christ, where the word star is mentioned.
“Your Christmas, our God of Christ, shone to the world as the light of reason: in it the servants of the stars (magicians) learned to worship You with a star, the Sun of Truth, and to know You, Coming from the height of the East. Lord, glory to Thee."
That is why on Christmas Eve it is advised to fast until the evening Christmas service, visit the temple, and then break the fast at the festive table.
This is not as difficult as it seems: after all, many people spend December 31 in this way, forced to fast: the wife does not have time to eat in the kitchen, and the family, looking into the refrigerator, hears from her mother: “Don’t touch it, it’s on New Year!" But fasting on Christmas Eve on the eve of Christmas has a deeper meaning, a spiritual purpose that is different from just “creating a festive mood”. Looking forward to Christmas, it is worth paying more attention to meaningful preparation for the holiday, rather than dinner. Prepare, for example, for Confession and Communion by prayer and remembrance of sins. Confess the day before, because on the night of January 6-7 and even on the morning of January 7, churches are crowded. It will be difficult to confess, but to take communion is a doubly holiday, a double grace.
If you do not plan to take communion, read the Gospel aloud, with the whole family, or tell the children about the worship of the Magi, about the singing of the Angels and the joy of the shepherds, looking at the Christ Child, the King of the World, humbly lying in a manger. The writer Ivan Shmelev wrote about the traditions of preparing for Christmas and festive pre-revolutionary customs in his amazing novel “The Summer of the Lord”, written on behalf of a child. You can also read the Christmas chapters from it yourself on Christmas Eve.
All about Christmas
Christmas Eve is called Christmas Eve. In Russian, the name comes from the word "sochivo". It means soaked grains of wheat - the prototype of the well-known kutya. Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas Eve on January 6th.
On Christmas Eve, an All-Night Vigil is served with Great Compline, during which prophecies about Christmas are sung and read.
Around midnight, Matins begins, which is performed according to the order of the great holidays. On it, fragments of the Gospel of the Nativity are read and the canon "Christ is born ..." is sung - one of the most beautiful canons in Orthodox worship. Next, serve a festive Divine Liturgy St. John Chrysostom.
The All-Night Vigil is a liturgical service that consists of Vespers and Matins, which received these names according to the time of their performance. Before the holidays, morning and evening services are combined into the so-called "all-night vigil", that is, a prayer that continues all night. Such a prayer happens only twice a year - at Christmas and Easter. Before Christmas in all-night vigil they do not serve Vespers, but Great Compline: it is performed after Vespers served on Christmas Eve, hence the name.
What to cook for Christmas:
It is customary to put 12 dishes on the Christmas table, and Kutya decorates the table. Lent ends on January 6 and Christmas Eve begins.
Each hostess prefers her own recipe for cooking Kutya. There are a great many recipes. The simplest: they take the cereal and soak it overnight, then boil it until cooked and add all sorts of sweets. So, for example, you can take rice, honey and marmalade, as well as millet poppy and honey, some even cook kutya from barley and millet groats. You can add marmalade or candied fruits to Kutya.
According to folk omens so that your loved ones are happy and healthy for a whole year, on the feast of the Nativity of Christ on January 7, ask the oldest family member to treat all relatives with milk. Bringing milk to someone, he should say every time: “The Lord was born, the people were baptized. Be cheerful and healthy. Amen".
Do you know what other signs and beliefs exist for Christmas?
All signs for Christmas come true - keep an eye on it. If a person in a drunken state is the first to show up at your house, the whole coming year will be in noise and quarrels. If a woman crosses your threshold first, then this is to gossip and failure. If a man or a boy - to well-being. If an old man or an old woman - to a long life. If a bird knocks on your window - to amazing news. If a beggar or a beggar comes to you - to loss and need. If several people appear at once - to rich life.
If a man comes to you on Christmas morning, wear plain clothes that day, if a woman - a colored dress, so that the whole year goes well.
Ask God for Christmas what you really need. Ask seventy-seven times and you will be given. Whoever asks God for something on Christmas at three o'clock in the morning, it will be given to him.
In the old days, there was such a belief: when a family sits down at the table on Christmas eve and when the first star appears, it starts to dine, that is, to eat, then an unmarried girl or an unmarried guy from this family, taking the first non-lean piece in his mouth, should keep it on his tongue and do not swallow until, going out into the street, he accidentally hears some name from people passing by. It was believed that the groom or the bride would have the same name. People say that this sign has come true more than once.
Cucumbers will be firm and crunchy if you pickle them on the exact day of the week that was Christmas this year. For this purpose, a good housewife keeps in a secluded place the salt taken on Maundy Thursday.
You cannot lend on Christmas Eve anything that is connected with fire, for example, flint, matches, a lighter, a bucket of coal or firewood, etc., otherwise misfortune will befall you.
In that family where there is no peace and harmony, on Christmas night they put a bucket in the cold, and in the morning they put it on fire and said: The ice will melt, the water will boil, And (so and so) my soul will ache. This water was given to the husband to wash, served in the form of tea or soup, and also washed her husband's linen in it. There was no case that holy Christmas water did not help a woman's misfortune.
Never sew, wash your hair, wash or lend on the three-day holy holidays, otherwise you will make yourself tears and poverty. The three-day holy holidays are Christmas, Easter and Trinity. These holidays are celebrated for three days.
On the eve of Christmas, in the old days, food was taken out and left for needy people or treats were distributed - it was believed that in this way all deceased ancestors who did not have time to eat before their death satisfied their hunger. I'm going after festive feast they did not clear the table so that the souls dead relatives ate the festive food, and for this they will pray for you.
Anyone who sprinkles salt on January 11 will shed tears all year. Whoever sleeps for a long time today will sleep his memory. If a cat lambed on this day, then the owners will soon face various problems. If on this day a man enters the house first, then in the coming days we should expect severe frosts. On the twelfth of January, the master must go to the crossroads, cross it and shout out the name of the patient, after which he will definitely recover.
On Christmas Eve, bread, salt and money are not borrowed from home, otherwise all good things will go past your hands. Do not cut hair and do not spin wool. Do not wash or boil clothes. Those who believe in all the dirty work) ’by this day should finish on Maundy Thursday, and whoever “pulls” dirt on Christmas Eve will sit in it all year for this.
A good, good omen, if during the Christmas feast a domestic cat sits under the table, this means that no one will die this year from all those sitting at the table.
You can’t sit at the Christmas table in mourning, that is, in black clothes - you’ll call trouble.
If on Christmas night you look out for a flying star in the sky and make a wish, then it will surely come true.
On Christmas Eve, bread, salt and money are not borrowed from home, otherwise all good things will go past your hands. Do not cut hair and do not spin wool. Do not wash or boil clothes. Believers must finish all the dirty work by this day, and whoever “pulls” dirt on Christmas Eve will sit in it all year for this.
If on this bright day a dog howls in your yard, then be in trouble. To get rid of it, you need to immediately go up to the dog, untie it and say: “As the rope does not hold you, so the trouble would not hold on to my house!”
If two people come to you on Christmas morning, then there will be no death, divorce and separation in your house for a year.
If someone spills or breaks something in your house on this day, then the whole year will be restless for your family.
If a person going to church at Christmas stumbles, then in twelve years, day by day, he will fall ill. To prevent this from happening, you must immediately say: "I'm not going to the devil, but to God, He will save me."
Do not buy ropes on January 8, on the second day of Christmas, so that there will never be hanged or strangled people in your family. Do not cook or eat jelly on this day, so as not to invite the deceased to the house.
On the ninth of January, on the third day of Christmas, do not chop wood until sunset.
On the ninth of January, be sure to visit your godfathers and parents.
A child who takes his first steps on January 10 will be healthy, beautiful and live a long life.
If a sick person sneezes loudly on the third day of Christmas, he will soon recover and live for a long time. If a person who is seriously ill talks about pancakes or horses that day, then he will soon depart to another world.
On Christmas and three days after the holiday, you should not darn, sew, embroider and knit.
On the tenth of January, do not put dough or sourdough.
On the eleventh of January, do not give your husband a towel, otherwise he will begin to dissolve his hands.
After you knock on the door or call on January 11, do not immediately open it. Wait until they knock or call a second time, otherwise you will invite illness into the house.
If you sew on this day, do not bite the thread, otherwise you will lose a tooth.
Whoever sleeps for a long time today will sleep his memory.
If a cat lambed on this day, then the owners will soon face various problems.
If a man enters the house first on this day, then severe frosts should be expected in the coming days.
On the twelfth of January, the master must go to the crossroads, cross it and shout out the name of the patient, after which he will definitely recover.
One should not sin on the Great Holidays: Christmas, Easter, the Annunciation and the Trinity, as this always ends in impotence.
Whoever loves to eat brains and does so on the Great Holiday will lose his mental faculties.
If Christmas falls on a Monday, then many men will die that year. If Christmas coincides with Tuesday, an even number of guests are called to the table so as not to invite poverty into the house. If the Nativity of Christ falls on a Saturday, then many old people will die this year before the next Christmas.
If the midwife was called to a woman in labor and she gave birth to a child on Christmas, then the midwife would never take even a penny for her labors, moreover, she was obliged to become a godmother to the baby. This custom was never violated, the old people knew: whoever takes money for childbirth will spend it on a coffin for himself.
In that family where there is no peace and harmony, on Christmas night they put a bucket in the frost, and in the morning they put it on fire and said: “The ice will melt, the water will boil, and (such and such) my soul will ache.” This water was given to the husband to wash, served in the form of tea or soup, and also washed her husband's linen in it. There was no case that holy Christmas water did not help a woman's misfortune.
Whoever slaughters cattle on Christmas Day will die in three years.
On January 7, in the cold, jump out into the street lightly and, as soon as goosebumps appear on your body, say: “There are a lot of pimples on my skin, so that I also have so much money.”
The New Year holidays are over, you can return to light salads again ... No matter how! Soon, well christmas table- rich and abundant. Today the Land of Soviets will tell you how to make a Christmas menu.
Christmas marks the end of Christmas. The last day of this post, January 6, is especially strict - you can not eat or drink before the first star. Of course, this applies only to believers who have fasted. But you can look at it from the other side - why not arrange a fasting day for yourself on the eve of the holiday? After New Year's salads with mayonnaise, the body will definitely thank you!
But won't the festive meal seem too heavy after a day of abstaining from food? Not at all. The point is that there is two Christmas parties- on Christmas Eve (Holy evening) and on Christmas itself, January 7th. The Christmas table on Christmas Eve is Lenten, so there is nothing to worry about, Lenten dishes are not so difficult for the body. But on Christmas itself, you can eat meat.
On Christmas Eve they sit down at the table after the first star- it reminds us of the Star of Bethlehem, which announced to the shepherds the birth of Jesus Christ. This evening, the Christmas menu is not complete without a splash. By the way, these Christmas dishes are not only tasty, but also healthy. Think about it - maybe you should include kutya in your daily diet? This sweet wheat (or rice) porridge may well replace "bourgeois" muesli.
The table on Christmas Eve should be plentiful - no less 12 Lenten Meals(it is believed that they symbolize the 12 apostles or 12 days of Christmas). What can be included in the Christmas menu for the Holy evening? If it seems to you that there are only one or two lean dishes, you are mistaken. On Christmas Eve, you can serve a variety of soups (lean borscht with mushrooms, cabbage soup), cereals (buckwheat, peas), a variety of fish and mushroom dishes, lean pies and pancakes, cabbage rolls with rice, dumplings with cabbage, caviar. All dishes, except for soups, are usually eaten cold so that the hostess does not have to rush between the kitchen and the festive table (very prudent, by the way).
Dinner on Christmas Eve is leisurely, lasts about 3-4 hours - so you can have time to taste each dish a little bit, and not overeat too much. And you should definitely try - this is another christmas tradition.
And on January 7, at Christmas, the Christmas table is rich meat dishes. The Christmas menu can include fried or baked poultry (for example, a duck with cabbage or a goose with apples), a pig stuffed with buckwheat porridge (or at least chicken), lamb side with porridge, boiled pork, ham, jelly and homemade sausage. In addition to meat dishes, the Christmas menu often includes jellied fish, pancakes (now no longer lean), a variety of sweet pies and gingerbread.
At Christmas, it was customary to bake carols - small products of their unleavened rye dough. They could have the most different fillings. They ate them themselves and treated them to those who came on the evening of January 7. Another christmas dessert- Guryev porridge. This is a sweet semolina porridge flavored with nuts, dried fruits, candied fruits and jam and baked in the oven. Fatty, high in calories, but delicious! You can afford once a year. Moreover, there is no strict recipe for Guryev porridge - why not show culinary imagination?
"But what about alcohol?"- you ask. We answer. It is very undesirable to drink on Christmas Eve - the table is lenten, and alcohol will not be entirely appropriate. But the Christmas table on January 7 allows wine and even vodka. The abundance of fatty and satisfying food will help slow down the process of intoxication and not suffer from a hangover on January 8th.
Concerning Christmas table settings- here, too, has its own traditions. In the old days, hay was placed between the table and the tablecloth - it reminded of the manger in which Jesus was born. We will not strongly advise you to keep this tradition, making allowances for modern conditions. But it’s quite possible to adhere to another custom even now: you need to put only the most the best dishes and cutlery.
The Christmas menu is thought out, the Christmas table is set... it's time to invite guests! By the way, it used to be believed that on Christmas Eve there should be sitting at the table an even number of people. If the number of guests was odd, they put another device on the table, an additional one.
Merry Christmas to you! Even if you are not very interested in its religious overtones - use the occasion to spend this holiday with your family at the set table.
When is Christmas celebrated in Russia in 2019, January 6 or 7:
However, together with the New Year holidays, in total, Russians at the beginning of 2019 will rest for eight days in a row. Earlier we wrote in detail about the rest on new year holidays and when to go to work in January 2019.
In Russia, the Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar, and therefore Christmas 2019 is celebrated on the night from Sunday, January 6, 2019 to Monday, January 7, 2019.
The evening before Christmas is called Christmas Eve, it begins at the same time as the first star rises and marks the end of the Advent Lent 2018-2019.
Date of Christmas
Christmas is one of the most beloved holidays in our country, which is celebrated not only as an Orthodox celebration, but also as a secular event.
Although Christmas is not officially included in the list of public holidays, this day has a special status - the holiday is a public holiday at the federal level. The law on the transfer of days off does not apply to this holiday, however, in Russia, Christmas is included in the traditional New Year holidays from the first to the tenth (ninth) of January.
Christmas is a holiday with a long history, but it was not always celebrated at the usual time for us. Until 1918, Russia, along with most of the countries of Europe, celebrated on December 25, a week before the New Year. With the transition to modern chronology The holiday began to be celebrated in January. Due to the fact that the Gregorian calendar in our country was adopted much later than in other countries, there was a gap of 14 days in the celebration.
history of the holiday
AT Orthodox tradition Christmas is one of the twelfth holidays, literally topping this list. Although in Catholicism this holiday is considered the most important in the religious calendar.
Christmas is a holiday in memory of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the future Savior of all mankind. The story describing the biblical event is described in detail in the Gospel.
It started with the decree of Caesar on the census. Joseph, the husband of Mary, the future Mother of Christ, was from Bethlehem, and together with his wife went to his homeland. Arrived in the city, he could not find a place to sleep, and was forced to hide from the night cold in a barn where the sheep were housed.
Here the immaculate Virgin Mary gave birth to a Son, and the newborn baby Joseph laid in a manger on fresh straw. The shepherds were the first to greet the new Tsar, followed by the magi. Magi or Eastern sages set off on a journey in search of the Savior, following the star, today called Bethlehem. The star lit up exactly nine months before Christmas, at the moment Immaculate Conception when the Angel brought the good news to the Virgin Mary - today this holiday is called the Annunciation.
Christmas traditions
Today, Christmas and New Year are so closely connected and intertwined with each other that the traditions of one holiday are practically inseparable from the other. However, in fact, everything that surrounds us this winter weekend filled with warmth and light comes from the old Christmas, the one that was celebrated a century ago.
Christmas tree
The main sign of the holiday is the tree. It is she, the fluffy green beauty, who stands in every house, every apartment. Not only children, but also adults dress it up with pleasure - the glossy sides of the balls, the soft rustle of tinsel, the sparkling lights of garlands ... The tradition of decorating the Christmas tree was brought to Russia by Alexandra Fedorovna, the wife of Nicholas I. The first Christmas tree appeared in the empire at the end of 1817, on the eve of Christmas - grand duchess ordered to install a Christmas tree in private quarters for her children. By the way, even the most New Year's song about the Christmas tree - remember, "A Christmas tree was born in the forest" - was written just in time for Christmas.
Present
What is a Christmas tree without gifts? The tradition of putting boxes wrapped in elegant paper under fluffy green branches appeared in 1818 almost along with the Christmas tree. It was introduced by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, just like the custom of installing the Christmas tree itself. Moreover, gifts were prepared for all guests, and not just for the children of the emperor. Of course, this does not mean that early XIX no one gave gifts at Christmas, but until that year there was no tradition of putting them under the tree in advance.
What was customary to give in those distant times? Just like on Christmas 2019, there were no restrictions on the holiday of the century before last. A variety of things could act as a Christmas gift - from exquisite decorations to small trinkets.
Father Frost
Speaking of the Christmas tree, one cannot fail to mention one more character, traditionally standing under the Christmas tree, surrounded by a mountain of gifts. Santa Claus is a traditional Christmas character, much later, already in Soviet time, who has become a constant guest of New Year's matinees.
As a Christmas character, Santa Claus appeared all in the same 19th century. Initially, he was a kind of Russian variation of the German Saint Nicholas, distributing gifts to children. For several years, the image of Santa Claus has changed and turned into the kind old man we know today, who brings a holiday to every home. Unlike the European or American Santa Claus, our native Russian Father Frost gives gifts to all children, not just those who have behaved well during the year.
Festive table for Christmas
Celebration of Christmas in Russia begins on January 6th with the rising of the first star, when the whole family sits down at the table with a gala dinner. But this evening you can only consume lenten dishes, which should be exactly twelve on the table, including juicy.
But the next morning, when it will be the 7th and the real Christmas will come, you can eat everything that was forbidden for the entire period of the Advent. In particular meat dishes, such as:
- aspic
- homemade baked sausage
- roast
- ham
- pate
- cabbage rolls with meat
- blood sausage
Sweet yeast pastries (pies) were especially popular, in the process of preparing which a secret was hidden. A coin was placed in one of the pies, and whoever finds it will have money all year round. Therefore, none of the family members turned away from the opportunity to taste sweets.
Traditionally, on the eve of the holiday, hay was laid under the tablecloth as a reminder that the Savior of the world was born not in the royal chambers, but in an inn in a barn in a sheep manger.
Christmas Orthodox Traditions
Christmas, like any other great church holiday, is rich in traditions and rituals that have come down from antiquity.
One of the main traditions of Christmas is caroling. Starting from the evening on the eve of the holiday, children and youth go from house to house and apartment, announcing with ritual songs about the birth of Christ. Also, carolers wish happiness and well-being to the owners of the house. For this, they are generously presented with sweets, pies and money.
In the villages, mummers go caroling with a nativity scene or with an eight-pointed Star of Bethlehem that they do on their own. It is worn by the eldest among carolers, who is called a star.
It is not customary for Orthodox Christians to celebrate Christmas alone, as this is a traditional family holiday. Children go to visit their parents, grandchildren go to grandparents, matchmakers visit each other. You should always have breakfast with your family, and only then go to guests and friends.
Since the post is already over, from that day on, booths, discos, fun and weddings began. The festive mood was added by the New Year tree, which was still showing off in houses and apartments.
Do's and Don'ts on Christmas Day
At Christmas, it is imperative to go to church and endure the entire morning service. On this day, you should greet with the words: “Christ was born” - “Praise him”!
On this day, you need to sing, walk and have fun, glorifying the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. But before you go to celebrate outside the house, the first thing you need to do is sit down at the table with your family.
Any purchase made on this day will be successful. If it is clothes, then it will be worn for a long time, and if it is kitchen utensils or a household item, but it will last longer than the manufacturer's stated period.
Of what cannot be done, it is worth noting the following:
- You can not go fishing and hunting. They say that from Christmas until Epiphany, nature itself protects animals, so you can’t kill them so as not to attract misfortune.
- You can not manage in the yard and in the house, as well as do household chores.
- You can not quarrel, swear and sort things out, and even more so at the table.
- Can't dress in old clothes. At least something in the outfit should be new.
- It is impossible to ignore requests for help if the poor and infirm have applied for it.
- Girls cannot tell fortunes, because fortune-telling is allowed only on Christmas time, which will begin the next day and last until Epiphany.
It is also said that one should not drink water at the dinner table, as this can attract bad luck that will last seven years. But nowhere in church rules and the statutes do not say this, therefore this conclusion is an ordinary superstition, which has nothing to do with religion.
Weather signs for Christmas
Christmas is a public holiday, which means it is a public holiday. In 2019, it falls on a Monday. In this way, Christmas will be celebrated in Russia for three whole days, starting on Saturday, January 5th.
Video about the traditions of celebrating the Nativity of Christ
All about Christmas
Christmas Eve is called Christmas Eve. In Russian, the name comes from the word "sochivo". It means soaked grains of wheat - the prototype of the well-known kutya. Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas Eve on January 6th.
On Christmas Eve, an All-Night Vigil is served with Great Compline, during which prophecies about Christmas are sung and read.
Around midnight, Matins begins, which is performed according to the order of the great holidays. On it, fragments of the Gospel of the Nativity are read and the canon "Christ is born ..." is sung - one of the most beautiful canons in Orthodox worship. Then the festive Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.
The All-Night Vigil is a liturgical service that consists of Vespers and Matins, which received these names according to the time of their performance. Before the holidays, morning and evening services are combined into the so-called "all-night vigil", that is, a prayer that continues all night. Such a prayer happens only twice a year - at Christmas and Easter. Before Christmas, in the all-night vigil they serve not Vespers, but Great Compline: it is performed after Vespers served on Christmas Eve, hence the name.
What to cook for Christmas:
It is customary to put 12 dishes on the Christmas table, and Kutya decorates the table. Lent ends on January 6 and Christmas Eve begins.
Each hostess prefers her own recipe for cooking Kutya. There are a great many recipes. The simplest: they take the cereal and soak it overnight, then boil it until cooked and add all sorts of sweets. So, for example, you can take rice, honey and marmalade, as well as millet poppy and honey, some even cook kutya from barley and millet groats. You can add marmalade or candied fruits to Kutya.
Also on the Christmas table it is customary to serve Uzvar - dried fruit compote.
On the very day of Christmas, believers celebrate and feast - they “break the fast”, it is already allowed to eat not only lenten, but also “quick” food.
Traditional on the Christmas table are a variety of pork dishes: jelly, roast pig, stuffed pig head, hot. Baked poultry and fish, fried and baked meat in large pieces are also served on the Christmas table, since the design of the Russian oven made it possible to successfully cook large-sized dishes. Finely chopped meat and offal were boiled in pots along with traditional porridge. Various pies are also stuffed with meat: kalachi, cheesecakes, koloboks, kulebyaks, kurniks, pies, etc. Casseroles and pancakes are prepared. In addition to meat fillings, a variety of vegetable, fruit, mushroom, fish, cottage cheese and mixed fillings are prepared.
Folk traditions of celebrating Christmas time from Christmas to Epiphany are rooted in the Slavic customs of celebrating the winter solstice. The obligatory attributes of the holiday were dressing up (dressing up using skins, masks and horns), caroling (visiting houses by a group of fellow villagers who performed “favorable” sentences and songs addressed to the owners of the house, for which they received refreshments), carol songs, or carols, youth games and divination.
Christmas time began on Christmas Eve with a dinner with Christmas kutya and porridge, a pie with pretzels, even for the holiday they baked animal figures from wheat dough, which decorated tables, windows of the hut and sent them as gifts to relatives and friends.
When the family gathered at the table, the elders remembered the year - everything good and bad in the past year, informs Rosregistr.ru. At the end of the meal, the children took part of the remaining kutya to grandparents, as well as to the poor, so that they could celebrate Christmas. In some areas, food and tablecloths were not removed from the table until morning, believing that the souls of the deceased parents would come to the table to also eat.
Then the mummers, dressed in sheepskin coats with wool up and animal masks, in order to be unrecognized, arranged dances in houses and on the streets, played skits and entire performances. At the end of the 17th century, the crib theater penetrated from Poland to Russia: scenes about the birth of Jesus Christ and other plots were played in a special box-crib with the help of dolls.
echoes pagan beliefs manifested themselves in the fact that it is customary to guess at Christmas time. In some villages, straw was burned at Svyatki - according to legend, the dead ancestors at that moment came to warm themselves by the fire. The Church, not approving witchcraft superstitions and pagan rites, assimilated "harmless" customs, and they organically entered the life of the people.
By Christmas, the owners always cleaned the house, washed in the bath, laid a clean tablecloth, stocked up new clothes, which they put on at the beginning of the day, and invited lonely people to Christmas dinner. But in some places, superstitions associated with the holiday were also widespread: they did not drink at breakfast plain water, since it was believed that a person who drank water on Christmas morning would be thirsty all summer.
What not to do at Christmas:
Under fear of all sorts of troubles, on Christmas it was impossible to bend, weave or sew anything. legs dining table they tied each other with a rope so that the cattle would not run away from the herd. The remains of the evening meal were taken out of the fence - "so that the wolves do not harm the peasant cattle."
A folk proverb says: Whoever slaughters cattle on Christmas Day will die in three years.
You cannot lend on Christmas Eve anything that is connected with fire, for example, flint, matches, a lighter, a bucket of coal or firewood, etc., otherwise misfortune will befall you.
Never sew, wash your hair, wash or lend on the three-day holy holidays (Christmas, Easter and Trinity), otherwise you will make yourself tears and poverty.
On Christmas Eve, bread, salt and money are not borrowed from home, otherwise all good things will go past your hands. Do not cut hair and do not spin wool. Do not wash or boil clothes. Believers must finish all the dirty work by this day on Maundy Thursday, and whoever “pulls” dirt on Christmas Eve will sit in it all year for this.
You can’t sit at the Christmas table in mourning, that is, in black clothes - you’ll call trouble.
If on this bright day a dog howls in your yard, then be in trouble. To get rid of it, you need to immediately go up to the dog, untie it and say: “As the rope does not hold you, so the trouble would not hold on to my house!”.
Do not buy ropes on January 8, on the second day of Christmas, so that there will never be hanged or strangled people in your family. Do not cook or eat jelly on this day, so as not to invite the deceased to the house.
On the ninth of January, on the third day of Christmas, do not chop wood until sunset.
What to do for Christmas:
According to folk beliefs so that your loved ones are happy and healthy for a whole year, on the feast of the Nativity of Christ on January 7, ask the oldest family member to treat all relatives with milk. Bringing milk to someone, he should say every time: “The Lord was born, the people were baptized. Be cheerful and healthy. Amen".
On the eve of Christmas, in the old days, food was taken out and left for needy people or treats were distributed - it was believed that in this way all deceased ancestors who did not have time to eat before their death satisfied their hunger. After the festive feast, the food was not removed from the table, so that the souls of dead relatives would eat the festive food, and for this they would pray for you.
In that family where there is no peace and harmony, on Christmas night they put a bucket in the frost, and in the morning they put it on fire and say: “The ice will melt, the water will boil, and [such and such] soul will ache for me.” This water is given to the husband to wash or in the form of tea / soup, and also wash the husband's linen in it. Holy Christmas water always helps a woman's trouble.
Ask God for Christmas what you really need. Ask seventy-seven times and you will be given. Whoever asks God for something on Christmas at three o'clock in the morning, it will be given to him.
If on Christmas night you look out for a flying star in the sky and make a wish, then it will surely come true.
On January 7, in the cold, jump out into the street lightly and, as soon as goosebumps appear on your body, say: “There are a lot of pimples on my skin, so that I also have so much money.”
Notes for Christmas:
♦ If a person in a drunken state is the first to show up at your house, the whole coming year will be in noise and quarrels. If a woman crosses your threshold first, then this is to gossip and failure. If a man or a boy - to well-being. If an old man or an old woman - to a long life. If a bird knocks on your window - to amazing news. If a beggar or a beggar comes to you - to loss and need. If several people appear at once - to a rich life.
♦ If a man comes to you on Christmas morning, wear plain clothes that day, if a woman wears a colored dress, so that the whole year goes well.
♦ When the family sits down at the table at Christmas and when the first star appears, it starts to dine, then an unmarried girl or an unmarried guy from this family, taking the first non-lean piece in his mouth, should keep it on his tongue and not swallow until, going out into the street, accidentally will not hear any name from people passing by. It was believed that the groom or the bride would have the same name. People say that this sign has come true more than once.
♦ Cucumbers will be firm and crispy if you pickle them exactly on the same day of the week as Christmas this year. For this purpose, a good housewife keeps in a secluded place the salt taken on Maundy Thursday.
♦ It is a good, good omen, if during the Christmas feast a domestic cat sits under the table - this means that no one will die this year from all those sitting at the table.
♦ If two people come to your house on Christmas morning, there will be no death, divorce and separation in your house for a year.
♦ If someone spills or breaks something in your house on this day, then the whole year will be restless for your family.
♦ If a person going to church at Christmas stumbles, then in twelve years, to the day, he will get sick. To prevent this from happening, you must immediately say: "I'm not going to the devil, but to God, He will save me."
♦ On the ninth of January, be sure to visit your godfathers and parents.
♦ A child who takes his first steps on January 10 will be healthy, beautiful and live a long life.
♦ If a sick person sneezes loudly on the third day of Christmas, he will soon recover and live for a long time. If a person who is seriously ill talks about pancakes or horses that day, then he will soon depart to another world.
♦ On the tenth of January, do not put the dough or sourdough.
♦ Don't give your husband a towel on January 11th, otherwise he will start to loosen his hands.
♦ Don't open the door immediately after your doorbell knocks or rings on January 11th. Wait until they knock or call a second time, otherwise you will invite illness into the house.
♦ If Christmas falls on a Monday, many men will die that year. If Christmas coincides with Tuesday, an even number of guests are called to the table so as not to invite poverty into the house. If the Nativity of Christ falls on a Saturday, then many old people will die this year before the next Christmas.
♦ If a midwife was called to a woman in labor and she gave birth to a child at Christmas, then the midwife would never take even a penny for her labors, moreover, she was obliged to become a godmother to the baby. This custom was never violated, the old people knew: whoever takes money for childbirth will spend it on a coffin for himself.
Merry Christmas greetings:
♦ Merry Christmas! Happy bright day!
Let this day be lucky in everything!
Let joy look into your house,
The car is new - in the garage,
Profitable work - to the house,
And there are a lot of kids in it!
♦ Let the Christmas miracle
Give you warmth
May it never be bad
Meet every day with kindness!
♦ The star of goodness and magic lit up ‒
Merry holy Christmas!
God bless and people help!
May the starlight in the soul not fade away!
May the house be filled with happiness and wealth!
Love, health, peace! Merry Christmas!
♦ Let the night sparkle with magic,
A flock of snowflakes is rushing up.
We congratulate you on Christmas,
We wish you smiles, joy.
The flow of divine love
Let it flow with wonderful light,
And the Lord bless you
Health, happiness and success!
♦ We wish you a Merry Christmas
Smiles, sincere laughter,
Good health, success
And a lot of good things.
Let the blood play in the heart
And the joy lasts forever.
And may they be with you forever
Hope, faith and love!
♦ Merry Christmas
And I want to wish from the bottom of my heart
So that life is full of happiness,
So that adversity and sorrows do not know!
I wish you to be fulfilled
All your hopes and dreams
To pure love and tenderness
You can always enjoy!
♦ May the bright holiday of Christmas
Everything you dreamed about will come true!
May there be a lot of joy, goodness in the house,
And let the heart not know sadness!
I wish you many fabulous miracles,
The warmth of love, spiritual purity!
And let the snowflakes fall from the sky
Keeping the peace of heavenly beauty!
♦ It's Christmas again ‒
Forces of Heaven triumph!
On this day Christ came
To save our world from evil.
Glory to Him forever
Conqueror of darkness!
Congratulations with all my heart
With this great joy!
♦ Candle flicker warms the house
And sparkles with gold
When a magical Christmas
The Lord will come to light!
He gave his life for us,
Must remember this
And what bequeathed to the people -
Perform diligently!
May you keep your peace
From shutters to threshold
enduring love,
Simple faith in God!
♦ A star lit up - Christ was born -
And the world was lit up with love!
May happiness enter every home!
Happy bright Christmas!
♦ Christ has come to us today,
To teach love to people.
Friends, let's celebrate
And let's get a little better!
♦ Let the snowflake ring,
announcing birth,
And fill with delight
Your mood!
After all, today is Salvation,
Love celebration ‒
Saint comes
Christ Christmas!
♦ When the snows cover the ground,
And Christmas will come again
Raise a glass for happiness
For peace, for friendship, for love!
And so that without grief and doubt
May you have many bright days!
Save comfort, family peace
And the respect of friends!
♦ Merry Christmas,
What is already knocking on the house!
Open wide the doors
You Love, Hope, Faith!
fur trees
Smell all over the house
Every needle
Whispers: "Merry Christmas!"
Let resentment and loss
Fly away like leaves!
Let luck enter the door
On the bright holiday of Christmas!
♦ Congratulations on Christmas!
May a miracle happen in your life!
May joy, inspiration and goodness
They will be able to live in your house!
♦ Today is Christ's birthday ‒
The good news is spreading across the planet!
I wish this Christmas
Consent and joy without end!
♦ C new year mood!
Happy New Year's Eve!
Happy New Year's Eve!
Merry Christmas!
Let everything be in order in the family,
And luck will be near!
May health be good
Happiness - bright, incomparable!
♦ Christmas has come to your house,
Happiness is all around!
Let smiles hover in it
And I also wish you:
Kindness and beauty
So that all dreams come true
Let health not fail
And let luck come!
We all love to celebrate Christmas every year. After all, this is perhaps the main holiday for all those who believe in Christ. Note that in terms of importance it is in second place after the Christian holiday of Easter. On this holiday, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was born. He was sent to this world to save mankind.
How and when should Christmas be celebrated?
In Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, it is customary to celebrate Christmas on the evening of January 6th. This day is also called Christmas Eve. The evening meal on January 6 takes place on Christmas Eve. In Russia, it is celebrated according to their traditions and rituals.
Where did the name Christmas Eve come from? The fact is that every year on January 6 you need to cook for festive table certain food: rice with fruit, marmalade, raisins or boiled wheat with honey and walnuts. This food is called sochiv. Hence the name of the holiday.
Especially believing Christians who systematically attend church eat only after the morning liturgy is over. All this time, believers do not take any food. Only when the first star appears in the sky, which symbolizes exactly the star that appeared over Bethlehem when Jesus Christ was born, you can sit down at the festive table. Recall that according to the Gospel, the first star was seen by the shepherds, some call them the wise men of the East. They (eastern sages - ed.) brought rich gifts and bows to Christ. Who were they really? known to God himself.
What food should be on the table at Christmas?
With the first star appearing on January 6, Christmas Eve can be considered to have begun. At Christmas, it is the festive dinner on Christmas Eve - the main culinary event that has been awaited for so long and prepared in advance.
There must be some fresh hay on the table. It symbolizes the birth of the Son of God. Also, the table should be covered with a snow-white tablecloth. It is also customary to put 12 different dishes on the table, which symbolize the number of holy apostles of Christ. And most importantly, all meals should be lean. That is, there should be no meat or fatty dishes.
On Christmas Eve, it is customary to serve fish, borscht (without meat), apple pies, sauerkraut, fruit.
However, when January 7 comes, you can eat meat dishes. A variety of sausages, baked pig, duck or chicken, gingerbread, boiled pork, or jelly are already served here.
A little about Christmas traditions
With the advent of January 7, that is, Christmas, it has long been customary to visit each other. However, this does not apply to married children. They should come to their parents in the afternoon, saying that they brought "grandfather's dinner."
As for the rest public holidays, namely from January 6 to January 18-19 ( Epiphany Christmas Eve) It has long been customary to take care of all the sick, hungry, poor and other suffering people.
Therefore, traditionally you can visit orphanages, orphanages, hospitals and even prisons. In the time of the kings, at Christmas time, the sovereigns dressed up as commoners in order to walk through prisons in order to give alms to all prisoners.
In every self-respecting family, the best treats should be prepared to thank the guests and relatives who came to the house.
caroling
Since ancient times in Russia, the process of caroling was also called glorification. This is a special tradition that is still honored at Christmas time. Young people dressed up and dressed up took with them a New Year's star made with their own hands, and went home with carol songs and dances.
They went caroling in all regions in Russia. In certain areas they made a festive performance, which is called a "nativity scene". It showed scenes from the Nativity of Christ. It was also customary to tell stories about good and wonderful events that happened to people during Christmas. These days people showed mercy, kindness and reconciliation.
How is Catholic Christmas different from Orthodox Christmas?
Orthodox celebrate Christmas after Catholics. It's all about the calendars. Namely: Catholics are repelled by julian calendar, and Orthodox - Gregorian. For some reason, it is generally accepted that the movement of the Earth around the Sun more accurately reflects the Gregorian calendar. The calculation of days according to the “new” style began to be discussed as early as 1563 in the West in the Council of Trent.
The new calendar was prescribed in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. Why is the calendar called Gregorian? To reinforce " new calendar” Gregory XIII asked all Christian sovereigns to celebrate Christian holidays according to his calendar. It is worth noting that, thus, starting from 1582, after October 4, it immediately became the 14th. That is, added 10 days.
Not all people immediately began to live according to the new calendar. Some thought that dad was up to something cunning and tricky. Protestant countries adopted the Gregorian calendar only in the 18th century.
We emphasize that now we perceive the Gregorian calendar as a completely ordinary calendar. Moreover, since the times of the USSR, it has been customary to celebrate May 1, February 23 and March 8 according to the new calendar. However, Russian Orthodox Church in those days she remained to live according to the old calendar and deliberately refused to adhere to the new calendar.
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