An essay on the theme of the Bright holiday of Christmas. Christmas traditions. Christmas traditions The brightest holiday

To our great regret, the swiftness and dynamism of modern life, the heavy workload of people with pressing matters and problems that constantly have to be solved, do not allow us to pay sufficient attention to the celebration of traditional national holidays. But for all that, even today there are many families who respect the traditions of our people, which have evolved over the centuries. And these families are in the majority.

For more than one century, our people have been celebrating such a dear holiday for our souls as New Year, Christmas and Easter. These are the biggest holidays and therefore they do not pass unnoticed by any of our compatriots. But if almost everyone celebrates the New Year at the festive table with their families and at the same time does not adhere to any traditions, then each of us tries to celebrate Easter and Christmas as the traditions of our people require. On Easter we always go to church, and our mothers or grandmothers bake cakes and make Easter eggs. But most of all I like the holiday of the Nativity of Christ, which I like most of all to celebrate with my grandparents who live in the village.

Modern Russian families meet and spend winter holidays in almost the same way, and it is rather difficult to write an interesting story about them. We began to forget about the ancient traditions of celebrating the Nativity of Christ, and today few people know how our people celebrated these days before. Therefore, I want to tell you about how the New Year holidays are held in the family of my grandparents, who have respected Christmas traditions all their lives and strictly observe them. I really like to go to them to have a rest, the rest during the winter holidays is especially interesting. I really like how Christmas is celebrated in the village, a holiday that is held there in a special way and is not at all similar to how it is celebrated at my home.

The Nativity of Christ is a New Year's holiday filled with sincere benevolence, national wisdom and mysterious magical beauty. Despite the scientific and technological progress, it is still not outdated in its traditions and expressive forms, which have survived to our time almost unchanged. We all know well what carols are, and each of us probably knows at least one of them. But if in large cities the celebration of Christmas is limited to the arrival of several discharged children at the apartment, reciting festive poems and a family dinner, then in the village they prepare for this holiday in the morning.

Already at dawn, my grandmother lights the stove, and she does it with twelve logs. The number twelve symbolizes the number of disciples of Jesus Christ and is of great importance at Christmas. Having melted the stove, grandmother begins to prepare festive dishes, the number of which should also be twelve. I know that all dishes will be tasty and satisfying, and the main one will be kutia, from which the festive family dinner will begin.
While grandmother is preparing to eat, grandfather is busy in the yard. He brings impeccable order everywhere, because he believes that not only people, but also animals should meet the Holy Evening in the cleaned rooms. In addition, the grandfather checks to see if there is anything left in the yard that he borrowed from the neighbors. It is believed that before Christmas all borrowed things should be returned to their owners. Having finished with all the business, the grandfather brings into the house a tied sheaf of rye, which symbolizes a good harvest and prosperity in the family.

Nativity. There is not a single holiday that would be so rich in ancient customs, rituals, signs. Christmas is the most magical and joyous holiday. On this day, January 7, a mysterious baby was born - the savior of all people - Jesus Christ - the son of God. From December 25 to January 7 of the following year, Russian ceremonies were held - Christmastide, bright days. These were the days of fun on the eve of the Holy Celebration - the Nativity of Christ.

Our family is small: grandmother, mother and me. We love this holiday very much and we start preparing for it in advance. Christmas is a holiday of light and spiritual purity. Therefore, we start preparing for the holiday with cleaning the apartment. From the fact that the apartment becomes cleaner and brighter, from the joy of joint work, our souls brighten. By December 25, a Christmas tree in a festive decoration appears in the house. According to the tradition that appeared in our family when my mother was little, each family member makes a paper Christmas angel for the Christmas tree - a symbol of Christmas. On the wings we write wishes to each other, which we read on Christmas night. A few days before Christmas we go out for holiday shopping. We try to buy everyone a gift that we have dreamed of for a whole year, the bought gifts are kept secret and are placed under the tree on the eve of Christmas.

The most solemn and mysterious day is Christmas Eve - Christmas Eve. This year, the boys of the neighborhood gave us a surprise that day. In the evening the doorbell rang. The mummers stood on the threshold. They had a star in their hands. Their faces shone with joy, their eyes glittered fervently. They congratulated us on Christmas, wished us health and sang together: “On the eve of Christmas, Kolyada came. On snowdrifts. She walked, laughing and having fun, to both friends and strangers. "

We invited the boys into the house, gave them tea with sweets and, having thanked them according to the old Russian tradition, added sweets to their bag.

On Christmas night, we gathered at the festive table, lit candles. Everyone read the written wish and received a long-awaited gift. Then we watched the solemn Christmas service from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. It is extraordinarily beautiful and exciting. I really wanted to attend such a festive service in one of our churches. Next year, my grandmother and I will definitely try to go to the service and, together with other Orthodox Christians, celebrate the Nativity of Christ.

The holiday is over. But in the heart of each of us there will be a Christmas mood, the hope that our dreams and wishes will come true, that we will all be healthy and happy. After all, for the sake of our salvation, the Son of God came to earth, whose birth is celebrated in our family.

Competition of creative works of students

educational institutions of the Krasnodar Territory

"The bright holiday of the Nativity of Christ."

Nomination "Poetic creativity (poetry, prose)".

Municipal budgetary educational institution

secondary school No. 11 of the village of Novograzhdanskaya

Vyselkovsky district

The brightest holiday.

The writing

Snadina Anna,

8th grade students

MBOU SOSH number 11

Leader

Russian language and literature teacher

Ghimpu Lyubov Vasilievna

Art. New civil

The star has lit up! Christ was born!

And the world lit up with love!

Let happiness enter every home!

Happy Merry Christmas!

The Feast of the Nativity of Christ is one of the most important Christian holidays dedicated to the remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ. Already in the 4th century, the entire Christian world celebrated the Nativity of Christ. In Russia, this holiday is celebrated from January 6 to January 7.

Nativity of Christ also has a very interesting and tragic story that my grandmother told me on the eve of Christmas.

2000 years ago, in the small town of Bethlehem, an unprecedented event took place - the Infant God, the Son of God Jesus Christ, was born into the world. Arriving on earth, he was not greeted with honor, nobility and wealth. He didn't even have a cradle, like all children, and He didn't even have a place to live. The Divine Child was born in Bethlehem, where the Blessed Virgin Mary and her husband Joseph went from Nazareth to the population census announced by the Roman emperor Augustus. Houses, inns and hotels in Bethlehem were overcrowded with people who came for the census, and Mary and Joseph found shelter only in a cave-den, where shepherds drove their flocks in bad weather. There the Savior of the world was born and, swaddled, was laid on straw in a manger where animal feed is placed. The first guests of the divine baby were not kings and nobles, but simple shepherds, to whom the Angel announced the Nativity of Christ: “I proclaim to you a great joy that will be to all people: for now a Savior was born to you in the city of David, who is Christ the Lord! And here is a sign for you: you will find the Swaddling Baby lying in the manger. " The shepherds were the first to hasten to bow to the newborn Savior. At this time, with gifts to the King of the World, the Magi came from the east. They expected that soon the great King of the World should come to earth, and a wonderful star showed them the way to Jerusalem. The Magi brought gifts to the Child: gold, incense and myrrh. These gifts had a deep meaning: they brought gold as a tribute to the King, incense as God, and myrrh as a person who must die. But there was a person in the world who wanted death for the Savior. King Herod, who saw in the Infant God a pretender to the royal throne, ordered to kill all boys up to two years old in Bethlehem and its environs. Herod hoped that the Son of God would also be among those killed. Then 14 thousand babies were killed, who are considered the first martyrs for Jesus Christ. Therefore, on Christmas days, the church honors the memory of the holy Innocent Babies of Bethlehem.

This story really excited me. Then my grandmother advised me to read the book “Bible Stories for Children”. I was seven years old then. Since then, I have not parted with this book. I was also very lucky with my family. All relatives love folk holidays, especially the New Year and try to spend it according to Russian traditions.

My family not only celebrates New Years, but also Christmas. We love this holiday very much. On this day, my great-aunt was born. I am going with my parents to congratulate her. Then my mother and I prepare a festive dinner, which should have at least twelve dishes, according to the number of the apostles: sochivo, Olivier, stuffed turkey and other dishes, but, of course, kutia with raisins becomes the main one. In the evening, relatives come to us: grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles and other close people. Everyone brings gifts and their own kutya, which we must definitely try, after which we sit down at the festive table to have supper.

On festive Christmas, even unfamiliar children come to our house to sing Christmas songs. We always listen to them attentively and present them with sweets and other sweets.

The longest celebration of Christmas is Sweden, where it is celebrated for a whole month, the holiday in this country begins on December 13 and ends on January 13. Christmas is definitely celebrated with the family, where they arrange a festive dinner, where they feast on pork meat. And the children are not waiting for Santa Claus, as is customary in Russia, but for the Christmas gnome, who, according to popular belief, lives underground in every house.

In Bulgaria, Christmas is called "Koleda". The kind grandfather who brings gifts is called "Uncle Koleda". It arrives after midnight on Christmas night, December 24-25. Together with him, after midnight, the folk custom "koleduvane" is carried out - groups of young men in festive national clothes walk around and sing "songs of the song". They wish every home health, prosperity, fertility. The housewives give them nuts, prunes, dried apples, bacon, feta cheese, specially baked pretzels, which are called "kolachata bellies". Koleda is always celebrated exclusively in the family circle; it is believed that on this night there should be no lonely people and everyone tries, no matter how far they are, to go to their relatives and prepare at least a small present for everyone.

Christmas in Italy is celebrated on December 25, it is the most important Catholic holiday for its inhabitants in every city. In no country is Christmas religious tradition so sacred as here. As a rule, in the central square and in churches, special nurseries are set up, where they show the scene of the birth of Christ. In Italian it is called Presepe. The main figure of any, even the smallest household Presepe, is Mary, Joseph and Jesus. In the Vatican, such figures are made in full height, which gives great importance to this tradition. An interesting fact is that in Italy more attention is paid to the creation of a manger, and not to decorating pines or Christmas trees. The Italian Santa Claus is called Babbo Natale; it is he who presents gifts to everyone and delivers delicious dishes. Christmas is the most delicious Italian holiday, so the Christmas table is worth mentioning separately. It is very different from our Slavic one: you can see ordinary pasta on it, but seasoned with festive shrimp or mussel sauce. Stewed lobsters, fried conger eels or tuna and salmon steaks may also be present on the table. Traditionally, the Christmas menu should consist of dumplings in broth, stuffed meat, sweet rolls or Milanese cake. Traditionally, on these holidays, the family gathers not only to exchange gifts, but also to remember how fun it is at the family table.

Christmas is the most important holiday of the year for any French family, so they prepare thoroughly for it, a whole month in advance. Whatever the religion, no one remains indifferent to this holiday. It is especially important for children who find their gifts by a Christmas tree decorated with sparkling lights. The celebration of Christmas in modern France stretches for a whole month. Starting from December 6, on the day of St. Nicholas, it comes to an end only on January 6 - the day of the King or, as the French call it, the day of Epiphany. This period is the most joyful and enjoyable of the year for both adults and children. During this period, an atmosphere of celebration, warmth and kindness, as well as sincere hospitality reigns in France. Christmas dinner "Revailon", held under a decorated Christmas tree, is a purely family affair, with a consecrated traditional menu, which must certainly feature seven dishes: soup with sage and garlic, spinach or cod, green and black olives, fried fish, cauliflower, celery in anchovy oil, snails, goose liver is a traditional delicacy. The process of exchanging postcards with wishes of a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year is mandatory.

I love Christmas very much - it is a wonderful holiday not only for children, but also for adults. In everyone's heart there will be a Christmas mood, the hope that our dreams and wishes will come true, that we will all be healthy and happy.

The holiday of Christmas is one of the brightest holidays. He brings to every home the hope for happiness, for the fulfillment of desires, for getting rid of misfortunes and troubles. In the Christian world, this day marks the birth of Christ the Savior, who brought people healing from diseases, forgiveness of sins, fulfillment of the most cherished desires.

More than two thousand years ago, in the small town of Bethlehem, not far from Jerusalem, the Virgin Mary, Joseph's wife, gave birth to a boy who was named Jesus, which means "Savior" in Hebrew. Long before the birth of the Child, the heavenly angel told Joseph: "And she will give birth to a son, you will give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." According to legend, Jesus Christ was born at night - this event was announced by the first, brightest star in the sky, which showed the way to the Magi to the birthplace of the Divine Child. This is what the Bible says about the birth of Jesus Christ. And since then, on January 7, the entire Orthodox world has been celebrating the Nativity of Christ.

The birth of the Son of God was in itself a miracle, therefore all people expect the most incredible miracles on this night. The night before Christmas is steeped in mystery and unpredictability. It is believed that at this time both dark and light forces rule over the world. There is a constant struggle between them - but victory remains for good. Any evil spirits, as if sensing their imminent end, are trying with all their might to prove themselves as “... and the devil, which the last night was left to wander around the world and learn the sins of good people. Tomorrow, with the first bells for matins, he will run without looking back, tail between his legs, into his den, "we read in Nikolai Gogol's" Night before Christmas ". To protect themselves from the intrigues of evil spirits, people put a clove of garlic on the table, made serifs with an ax on the threshold, saying: "Get lost, disappear, evil spirits!" Even in ancient times, the mystical halo of the night before Christmas inspired people to believe that on this night you can see your destiny. Therefore, Christmas fortune-telling is widespread among the people. From time immemorial, people believed that on the night of Christmas all ordinary objects became magical, endowed with magical powers. Mirrors, shadows from candles, circles on the water - everything acquired the ability to change shape and show a person vivid images of his future. If a person went to bed that night, having uttered a few words of the conspiracy, he must have dreamed of his fate. According to ancient beliefs, on this night from the well at a certain time it was possible to drink wine; if a girl brings water from three krinitsa in her mouth, then she will marry successfully.

Many folk rituals observed on Holy Eve and on Christmas date back to ancient times, when the worship of the "dying and resurrecting" gods was worshiped. Since ancient times, at this time, people celebrated the birth of God the Savior, awakening nature to a new life. Since then, many Slavic peoples have retained the custom of lighting a "live" fire at Christmas, the coals from which are able to protect people from diseases. Also connected with the customs of celebrating the turn from winter to summer is the tradition according to which the owner of the house brings a sheaf into the house on the evening before Christmas - a symbol of harvest and prosperity. This sheaf was called "kolyada", therefore an indispensable attribute of Christmas "carols" is a sheaf, used either in the fancy dress of the carols, or in the form of a separate sheaf, which is carried in the hands.

On the evening before Christmas, every home prepared kutya - a dish of rice, raisins, honey, which they treated guests or carried with them, going to relatives for a supper. Kutia is the main ritual food: as far as it is possible, as cool and rich as it is, the harvest is expected to be so rich, and there will be a lot of happiness and prosperity in the house. The hostess, getting ready to visit, puts money in her sleeve, takes a kutya and walks through the village. And the children loudly quack, moo, and cackle so that the family's household is fruitful and healthy. The first spoon of kutya was thrown onto the hives so that the bees would be found and carry honey, the second - on the snow so that the frost would not bring losses, then the kutyas were given to the chickens to rush. And then they carried it to the godfather and mother. The remains of kutya were left on the table for the night - for the ancestors who would come to visit the living from the other world.

During the festive dinner, there were to be twelve dishes on the table - necessarily lean ones. There were fish, borscht, dumplings, Greek dumplings, pies. Also obligatory were pies with cabbage, mushrooms, beans, peas, plums, apples, etc. Dinner could be started after the evening star had risen, and kutya was supposed to be the first to taste. In every house, they tried to sit down to dinner as early as possible - so that the harvest could begin earlier. This evening it was not allowed to drink from a bucket so that it would not rain during the harvest. Holiday songs were sung at the table, various Christmas stories were told, most often covered with mysticism and mystery. After supper, the owner always distributed a piece of each dish to the animals - cows, pigs, goats, horses - so that they would not be offended.

The morning of January 7 was marked by the joyful news of the birth of the Savior. Boys and girls walked around the village with songs and carols. They praised Christ in carols and wished health to the owners, their children, and the whole house. The owners had to throw sausage, bread, pies, money - who was rich in what, into the sack of the carollers. N. V. Gogol in his wonderful story "The Night Before Christmas" surprisingly accurately, brightly, colorfully conveyed the soup and the mood of the Christmas festivities: “Noisier and noisier were heard through the streets of songs and shouts. The crowds of the crowded people were increased by those who still came from the neighboring villages. The couples were naughty and furious.

Often a funny song was heard between the carols, which one of the young Cossacks immediately managed to put together. Then suddenly one of the crowd, instead of carols, let go of the generosity and roared at the top of his lungs:

Shchedrik, vedrik!

Give a dumpling,

A little porridge,

Sausage ring!

Laughter rewarded the entertainer. The small windows were raised, and the lean hand of the old woman, who alone remained in the huts with the dignified fathers, protruded out of the window with sausage in hand or a piece of cake. Couples and girls vied with sacks and caught their prey. In one place the boys, coming in from all sides, surrounded a crowd of girls: noise, shouting, one threw a lump of snow, the other pulled out a sack with all sorts of things. In another place, the girls caught the boy, substituted his leg, and he flew headlong with the sack to the ground. It seemed like they were ready to have fun all night long. And the night, as if on purpose, was so luxuriously glowing! And the light of the month seemed even whiter from the glitter of the snow. "

Essay on the topic: "The Miraculous Nativity of Christ"

4 "A" class MBU school No. 1, Togliatti, Samara region

Head: Lopatina Ekaterina Nikolaevna

Wonderful Nativity of Christ ... Wonderful - has many meanings - beautiful, long-awaited, captivating to the soul, and wonderful - a miracle. Indeed, this is a miraculous holiday, because the Infant appeared to the world - the Savior to atone for human sins.

It happened two thousand years ago. In the small town of Bethlehem, on the night of January 6-7, the Infant God was born into the world. Many prophets had long awaited his appearance and knew that he would be from the lineage of King David. It was ordained by God, because God is all-encompassing love. He loves everyone without exception: good and evil, rich and poor. And so that people live in peace and harmony - God sent his only begotten Son to earth. And how wisely it was conceived to come into the world as a Man from birth.

He was born in a cave, on the way to the city of Bethlehem, where his mother - the Blessed Virgin Mary and her husband Joseph went to the population census announced by the Roman emperor Augustus. He did not even have a cradle, swaddling him, he was laid on straw in a nursery where the shepherds put food for the animals. And all this is not accidental. By this, the Lord shows us what meekness and resignation was in these holy people - the Virgin Mary, Joseph, the Savior himself. And the first guests of the Divine Child were not kings and nobles, but simple shepherds to whom the Angel announced the Nativity of Christ. This is how it is written in the “Law of God”: “I proclaim to you a great joy that will be to all people: for now a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, has been born to you in the city of David! And here is a sign for you: you will find the Swaddling Baby lying in the manger. " At this time, with gifts to the King of the World, the Magi came from the east. The star showed them the way, and having brought them to the cave, it stopped. The Magi brought gifts to the Infant: gold, myrrh and fragrant incense: "And they laid down their precious gift before the Infant, going down the valley, And departed to their country with humble longing, according to God's word." This is how it is described in F. Glinka's poem The Adoration of the Magi. These gifts also have a deep meaning: gold was presented as the King, incense - as God, myrrh - as a person who is also facing trials. The name of the Baby was named Jesus, which means the help of God, or the Anointed One, since he was from the lineage of King David. This name is a short symbol of the Christian faith. These events show us that illiterate shepherds and educated scientists are all wise men for Christ, all are equal and desirable. And isn't it a miracle that Jesus Christ went his way on earth, starting with the Baby in swaddling clothes, thereby showing how close he is to us. He, too, ate his mother's milk, and he too was teething. His mother also sang lullabies for him, she also worried about him when he was somewhere far away. From the Bible for children, I remember such an incident when, at the age of twelve, Jesus got lost, returning home from a holiday. The Virgin Mary and Joseph became very agitated, not finding him nearby. Returning back for him, they found him talking with wise priests. He taught them in parables and everyone crowded around listened to him attentively. Ordinary people then did not even suspect that the God-man was in front of them. They only marveled at his intelligence and ease of communication. By this, the Lord God showed all people what they should be, how worthily they should carry through life the image of God, the image of Jesus Christ.

It can be said many times that the feast of the Nativity of Christ is a miracle of miracles. It carries such mystery, silence and light. There is such a very good belief that angels descend to earth on Christmas night. But no one notices them, because everyone is in a hurry about their business. And at night, when everyone is asleep, little winged angels fly into the houses. Nothing hinders them - neither closed windows, nor walls, nor a roof, because they are also God's. And in every house they leave gifts, or simply scatter them like silver dust around the apartment. And these are not simple gifts, you cannot see them, but you can feel them. Someone lacks health, someone lacks luck, joy, and if a person sincerely wishes this with a good heart, the Angels will definitely give it to him. You just need to believe, because it was not for nothing that Christ, the Savior of the world, was born. This is the salvation of a person if the soul is always happy and love reigns in it.

And I always feel the mystery of the holiday, being on Christmas night at the festive service in the church. Candles are burning, it smells of fragrant incense, the choir is singing and it seems to me that these are Angels, as small as the born Christ in a cave, with glowing halos they light the lights. The priest in a beautiful white robe, symbolizing the purity of the Infant, evenly waves the censer and many people with calm, joyful faces - they all came, like magi, to bow to the newborn Infant. And after the service you go out into the street, and in the night sky thousands of stars are scattered across the sky and in every star there is a wish that we all made. Everyone congratulates each other on the holiday, someone is joking, someone is singing, the children are laughing fervently. It seems the whole living world, all nature glorifies the birth of Christ. And we all want to be kinder, live according to God's commandments, learn to love and never offend anyone. And to little Jesus to whisper: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIST!"