The Christian holiday of Christmas is celebrated with reverence both in families of the Orthodox and Catholic faiths. The origins go back more than two thousand years ago, in distant centuries, when the Most Pure Virgin Mary gave the world her son, Jesus Christ. Catholics celebrate the event in December, while the Orthodox do it on the night of January 6-7. But Russia (in the majority) is an Orthodox country, so the Russian people are interested in the question, what do Orthodox families do at Christmas? Baptized Russia always celebrated this holiday cheerfully. She even decorated the Christmas tree, right up to the revolutionary events, which temporarily deprived the country of holy holidays. To the great joy of the Russian people, a little later, they began to dress it up again.

The meaning of the holiday What is done at Christmas? From January 6 to January 7, a night service is held in all churches of Russia, dedicated to the birth Jesus Christ. V old days people did not sit down at the tables with food until the first star appeared in the firmament. At present, we see this tradition only in the fact that many Russian families sit down at the table on the 7th, after a big service. On the night before Christmas, you can make a wish, which must certainly come true. The Christian holiday of the Savior's birth coincided with the pagan Christmastide, which is why it is always associated with carols and girlish fortune-telling. Christmas is the beginning of 12 Christmastide days, of which every day was lived cheerfully and beautifully. Christmastide ended with Epiphany (January 18).

Ancient traditions and customs of Christmas

Information about what exactly the inhabitants of Russia did for Christmas and what could not be done has reached the present day. The first Christmas days, people laid tables, treated them, everyone had to be surrounded by care and love.

At night, during the service, you had to thank for what you have, pray for what you lacked and be sure to remember the people who had left. In Russia, it was believed that they prayed side by side on this night, and the service for them was conducted by the late priest. In the early days of Christmas time, it was imperative to pay tribute to those who needed and deserved it:
The first day was devoted to visiting parents, as well as relatives and distant relatives within reach. The young people always stayed with their parents for a holiday after the service.
On the second day, people visited the weak, old and sick, brought them treats, kutya.
The third day was dedicated to orphans, they were treated, given gifts, played.

They did not even forget about those who fell out of decent society, but these were already later days.
After observing the traditions, it was allowed to start festivities and fun. In Russia, there was a belief: "As you spend Christmas days, your year will pass."
That is why people tried to spend their time as joyfully as possible: they rode sledges, triplets. On the main square, merry games were arranged, they sang songs, danced in circles and came up with various games and fun. People of the older generation visited each other, congratulated, gave small gifts, usually edible.

What shouldn't be done at Christmas? Traditionally, on January 7, certain things were prohibited. It was impossible:
swear, swear, wish evil on someone (even in jest);
hunt, butcher domestic animals;
to clean the house, wash the floors, fix and do household chores (the house should already be clean by this time);
swim (this must be done in advance);
comb your hair, weave braids;
fortune-telling and bewitching (more on that below);
to engage in love affairs.

Fortune telling and conspiracies as part of history

What else did you do for Christmas and Christmastide days? The answer is simple - they were guessing. These days, the church categorically forbade fortune-telling, considering this "action" a great sin. But holiness and the divine principle did not eradicate the pagan spirit, customs and rituals from the Russian people. Young girls gathered and divined for grooms, fortune-telling for married people was strictly forbidden. The girls tried to find out the names of the betrothed, the number of children, the presence of love and wealth in marriage. Christmas fortune-telling took place in the house or in the bathhouse, the girls had to be barefoot, simple-haired, in nightgowns, so this kind of tradition was forbidden for men. It was imperative to take off the pectoral cross, because fortune-telling was equated with a great sin. In many families, it was strictly forbidden. Another tradition is conspiracies. Many older women on Christmas Eve read conspiracies and asked to give their families health, prosperity and well-being.

Merry Christmas Carols

Christmas carols were and remain no less entertaining. Of course, in our time, it is more difficult to carry out such a ceremony, since it appeared a large number of cities. In rural areas, especially when it comes to pre-revolutionary times, carols were a colorful and beloved rite of passage for both children and adults. Carollers, carrying bags of millet, millet and other grain, went from yard to yard. They showered the owners and their houses with cheerful exclamations and wished them happiness, wealth, health and fertile land. For instance:

"We sow, we sow, we sow, we wish piety."

People wished each other harvest, children, wealth, peace and all the best. In response, the owners treated them to festive food - lush bread, rolls, pies. It was impossible not to treat the caroling man, the owners of the courtyard, who drove away the caroling people, were considered greedy, and the act did not bode well for them. Today, throughout the entire Christmas week, children go to their homes and apartments, recite poems, chants and receive candies and other sweets for their labors.

Currently in every Russian family love and celebrate this event. In the evenings, young girls continue to guess at their betrothed, and count the number of future children. On the night before Christmas, all of Russia makes wishes. Young people meet in the central square, and cultural institutions organize various events and competitions for people of all ages. The city administration decorates the Christmas tree, makes slides and labyrinths so that the holiday is massive.

Reduced only holidays since currently the weekend starts at New Year's feast... Two days after meeting this have a bright day like Christmas, people go to work. But after the first working week, they are happy to celebrate the Baptism of Rus, which used to end Christmas festivities.

Nowadays, much attention is paid to gifts. Buying and giving gifts at Christmas has become a modern tradition. The idea was quickly picked up by commercial structures and today we see not only New Year's, but also Christmas gifts on the shelves.

The name Christmas Eve comes from the word "sychivo" (wheat grains soaked with seed juice). It was customary to treat yourself to juice on Christmas Eve after the appearance of the first star. The tradition of fasting "to the first star" is associated with the legend of the appearance Bethlehem star that announced the birth of Christ. On Christmas Eve, at the end of the liturgy and at the evening service, a candle is brought out to the center of the church, and the priests sing the troparion to the Nativity of Christ in front of it.

How is the church service on Christmas Eve?

The Christmas Vigil (evening church service) lasts approximately three hours. Then the liturgy is served, and after the service comes the celebration of Christmas. People greet each other with the words "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays." If Christmas Eve falls on a Saturday or Sunday, then the festive Vigil is served on Friday. On Christmas Eve itself, the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is served, and on Christmas Day, in this case, the liturgy of St. Basil the Great is celebrated.

How do you fast on the eve of the Nativity of Christ?

According to the church charter, the Typikon, fasting is prescribed until the end of Vespers. Those who receive communion at the night liturgy, according to church tradition, must abstain from eating for at least six hours before communion. On Christmas Eve, it is customary to abstain from food until the first star appears. The custom of fasting "to the first star" is associated with the legend of the appearance of the star of Bethlehem, which announced the birth of Christ. According to the Gospel of Matthew, the star informed the Magi about the birth of the king of Judah. The star marked the Nativity of Jesus, it is customary to call it the "Star of the Nativity" and the Star of Bethlehem - after the place of His birth.

Christmas Eve Traditions

According to Russian traditions, on Christmas Eve the whole family fasted, and only with the first star did everyone sit down at the table, on which, among other lenten dishes, there must be kutia, as well as compote (uzvar) or jelly; in prosperous families the table was also decorated with figured marmalade. In some regions there is a tradition of baking animal figurines for the holiday. In the evening, closer to midnight, carols began with songs and carols.

What is a nativity scene?

The Nativity scene (the original meaning is a cave, a hidden place) is a representation of the scene of the Nativity of Christ by means of various arts (sculpture, theater, etc.). V Russian Empire, especially on the territory of Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, was widespread "nativity scene" - the people's puppet show representing Christmas scenes, sometimes also involving human actors. The main decoration of any (large or small, with sculptures or actors) den is a manger with the baby Jesus, and the main characters are the righteous Joseph with a long beard, the Holy Virgin Mary and King Herod. In addition, magi, angels, shepherds with sheep and various animals (for example, an ox and a donkey, which, according to legend, warmed Jesus with their breath) may be present in the nativity scene.

Christmas traditions

• How to decorate your home for Christmas

It is desirable that the apartments have Christmas symbols: the star of Bethlehem, an angel and a nativity scene. In the form of a star you can make Christmas decorations, and angels can be easily cut out of paper and pasted over with sparkles and decorated with ribbons. The nativity scene is more complicated. In the old days in families from different materials made caves in which figures of the Holy Family and animals were located, and at the entrance - shepherds and magi. A simplified version can be used today. Basket is covered spruce branches, and an icon of Christmas is placed inside it.

• Spend Christmas with your loved ones

Exactly at midnight, January 6-7, solemn services will begin in all Orthodox churches. And it is customary to spend the whole day on January 7 with loved ones, to present them with gifts. Mercy is considered a Christmas tradition. You can visit a sick person, treat a neighbor of a respectable age or children from a large family.

• Give meaningful Christmas gifts

Thinking about what to give for Christmas ... Remember, Christmas is a holiday that reminds of the most important thing in a person's life: about God, faith, love. Gifts that are presented to loved ones are usually selected with a spiritual meaning. This can be, for example, a book that will help a person find answers to important life questions. However, any gift can be supplemented by investing in it a good lesson from a spiritual book. Moreover, good gift there will be fancy sweets for Christmas. And toys for children.

• Christmas table

Christmas dishes are unusual and difficult to prepare. If you are deciding what to cook for Christmas, take note of the dishes our ancestors prepared. Here are some traditional Christmas food and drink recipes. By preparing these dishes, you will receive Christmas menu in the Russian style.

What to cook for Christmas

In Russia, salads were practically not prepared, pickles were served as a snack in winter: mushrooms with onions, sauerkraut, pickled apples ... And of course, various pies - with fish, meat, mushrooms.

Rybnik pie for Christmas

1 pack of yeast dough
500 g fish fillet
2 tbsp butter
Salt pepper

How to make a fish pie for Christmas:
1. Defrost the dough and roll it out (you can also use homemade yeast dough, then it will take about half a kilo).
2. Cut the layer in half. Put the whole fish on one half.
3. Season with salt and pepper, cover with a second layer, pinch the edges and bake in the oven.
4. Fish Christmas cake tastes great both hot and cold.

Chives with millet porridge for Christmas

2 cups of flour
1 glass of milk
Salt
2 tbsp butter
Filling:
1 glass of millet
2 glasses of water
2 cups milk
2 tbsp butter
Sugar, salt

How to cook Sochen for Christmas:
1. Mix the ingredients for the dough, knead it.
2. Divide the dough into balls and roll out a thin cake from each. You can trim the edges with a knife to keep the cake flat.
3. Fry the tortillas in a dry frying pan.
4. Cook millet porridge. First you need to cook in water, and then add milk. Put butter, salt and sugar in the porridge. You can darken the porridge a little in the oven.
5. Melt butter, grease ready-made cakes with it, put the filling on them and fold in half.

Christmas goose with sauerkraut

1 small goose
800 g cabbage
4 onions
0.5 tbsp. l. caraway
salt
butter

:
1. Wash the goose, rub inside and out with salt and caraway seeds.
2. Stew the sauerkraut with butter and onions in a saucepan, covered.
3. Stuff the goose with this cabbage and fry on a baking sheet, pouring a little broth on it and pouring it over the goose. Then goose fat will melt - you will water it. For more recipes for cooking goose in the oven, see the link.

Roast moose or wild boar

1.5 kg of elk or wild boar meat
150 g lard
2 cups sour cream
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1.5 cups vinegar
1 liter of water
2 large onions,
3 bay leaves
8-10 peppercorns, salt to taste

How to make a roast moose and wild boar for Christmas:
1. Bring water to a boil along with seasonings, remove from heat and add vinegar.
2. Wash the meat, remove the veins, cut into large cubes and put in the marinade. Leave on for 2-3 days.
3. Remove the meat from the marinade, dry it, stuff with lard, salt and flour.
4. Heat the oil, fry the meat in it until crusty. Transfer to a saucepan or portion pots.
5. Pour a glass of water into a frying pan, let it boil and pour over the meat. Add sour cream and a spoonful of flour there.
6. Add chopped onion to the meat, cover and simmer over low heat or in the oven until tender.

Pork belly stuffed with cabbage and apples

In the old days, they served porridge with pork legs, but we propose to make brisket with cabbage and apples for buckwheat porridge. It will turn out very juicy.

800 g pork
400 g cabbage
5 apples
1 tbsp. l. butter
1 onion
Salt and pepper

How to cook pork belly for Christmas:
1. Chop fresh cabbage, salt and squeeze. Add sour, finely chopped apples, butter to the cabbage, mix.
2. Wash the pork brisket, chop the bones in several places, cut a large hole between the bones and the meat with a knife.
3. Put prepared minced meat there, sew up, place in a frying pan or baking sheet, sprinkle with finely chopped onions, add 3 tablespoons of water and fry in an oven preheated to 200 C until tender.

Goats (curly gingerbread)

1 kg of rye flour
1 glass of honey
2 cups sugar
2 glasses of water
100 g butter
Cinnamon and cloves on the tip of a spoon

How to cook goats for Christmas:
1. Mix honey, sugar and water. Boil them until dark brown and the thickness of the syrup.
2. Cool slightly, add oil, spices and flour. Stir and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
3. You can roll bundles out of the dough and make figures from them, or you can thickly roll out the dough and cut the figures using a stencil or molds.
4. Bake in a hot oven for 10-12 minutes.

Souffle, custard in Russian

500 g of any berries
½ glass of water
2 cups sugar
5 proteins

How to make a soufflé for Christmas:
1. Make puree from berries, add water and cook.
2. Add sugar (about the same as the puree).
3. Beat the whites into a stiff foam. Add to puree.
4. Put the mashed potatoes in a baking dish, put in a not very heated oven for 30 minutes.
5. Serve as desired, garnish with whole berries and mint leaves.

Sbiten

To prepare sbitnya you will need:

5 l of water
250 g honey
700 g jam
1 tsp each. spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom)

How to cook sbiten for Christmas:

1. Boil water, add honey, jam and cook for 10 minutes. Mix.
2. Add spices and cook for another 10 minutes.
3. Serve sbiten hot.

Fortune-telling for Christmas and Christmastide

Christmas is one of the brightest and celebrations in Christianity. It is believed that it should be celebrated with family, relatives and friends. In addition to the feast, fortune-telling is usually done on this holiday. This is very interesting activity which even children can take part in.

The two weeks of winter break coincide with the Holy Days, which begin on January 6th and end on January 19th, when Orthodox world celebrates Baptism. The ancestors were sure that Christmastide - the best time in order to know the future. On any of these days, fortune-telling is considered the most faithful, prophetic.

Here are examples of the most interesting fortune-telling for children that diversify Christmas evenings... In addition, many fortune-telling is also useful for children - they develop imagination, as well as the ability to count and read.

• Christmas divination with rice grains

Fill a bowl with rice. Ask yourself a question or make a wish and put your palm in the dish. Count how many grains of rice will stick to your palm. An even number is a negative answer, an odd number is a positive one.

• Christmas divination with tangerines

For this fortune-telling, you will need as many tangerines as people want to know the future. Each child makes a wish or asks a question, which can only be answered with the words "yes" or "no". After that, everyone peels their fruit and counts the number of slices. If there is an even number of them, it means that the wish will come true, an odd number means that the wish will come true after some time.

• Christmas divination by the Holy Book

For this fortune-telling, you need to take a book and, without opening it, guess aloud the page number and the line above or below. Then you should open the page and read the text on the hidden line - it is the Christmas prophecy. If the line does not bear much resemblance to a mystical prediction, parents will have to come up with what it really means. After all, the baby should not remain upset.

• Christmas fortune telling with walnut shells

Prepare a wide bowl and pour water into it. At the edges of the bowl, attach the words written on pieces of paper: "luck", "happiness", "wealth", "unexpected acquaintance", "travel", "changes in life", " a pleasant surprise"," Win ". Walnut shells, according to the number of participants, are launched into the float. To distinguish between the shells, you can put multi-colored cake candles in them. After all the shells are on the water, the participants carefully begin to blow on them, trying not to overturn. The overturned shells drop out of fortune-telling. What inscription the boat will stick to - that will happen to the child in the coming year.

• Christmas ice fortune telling

Pour water into a bowl or saucer and put it out in the cold on Christmas night. When morning comes, carefully study the ice with your child: if it rears up - coming year it will be kind if it froze exactly - the year will be calm, if it went in waves - there will be both happiness and small troubles.

• Fortune telling with wax on the brownie

This fortune telling is suitable for the smallest. First, you need to show the children the pictures on which the brownie is depicted, tell about his character. Tell us about the traditions: the brownie was appeased by showing him food for the night, and when moving to another dwelling, they lured him into an old shoe to take with them, because this creature has long been considered the protector of the house.

For fortune-telling, you need to take a small saucer, pour milk or water into it and put it near the threshold. Then a candle should be melted in a metal bowl, while saying: "Brownie, dear owner, come quickly, drink some milk, talk about fate." The melted wax must be poured into cold milk, and then determine which shape is obtained. Each figure can be attributed to some hidden meaning: stars - to interesting events and holidays, a cross - to sadness, a flower - to joy, an animal - to the appearance of a new friend, a line - to travel. Wax grapes mean good luck and happiness in the coming year, a mushroom prophesies health and longevity, a dragon - the fulfillment of desires and the achievement of all goals. The silhouette of the month predicts profit, the bell - good news, the leaf warns of envious people and ill-wishers.

Remember that during Christmas and Christmas fortune-telling, together with children, in all predictions, you need to look for only a positive meaning.

Tradition animates fire family hearth and create cozy atmosphere in the House. The family is the place of the physical and spiritual formation child. Each family member should feel comfortable in home, which is sometimes called " small homeland". Family life gives food to children's fantasies and emotions. Toddlers want to participate in all family matters, holidays, to feel the joy and excitement of their expectations. Christmas in the family is real holiday, which is loved by both adults and children. Let's talk about how Christmas is celebrated and how to make it fun.

Christmas is celebrated as a holiday that comes from childhood

Holidays are loved by both adults and children, especially Christmas. There is something magical and mysterious about him. Vivid memories from childhood - gifts, fun, old people's stories about the birth of the Savior and twelve lenten dishes on the table:

• ochivo - dry cereals steamed in water;
• kutia with honey;
• uzvar;
• herring, fish, vegetable snacks;
• red borsch with ears, lean soup with mushrooms;
• juicy and pies with butter and cabbage;
• poppy rolls, mint gingerbread, honey cakes;
• cranberry jelly, dried fruit compote;
• apples, nuts.

Collecting these scraps of childhood memories and trying to connect them into a whole, modern people understand that their knowledge of Christmas is extremely small. The Day of the Nativity of Christ is one of the brightest and good days a year, this is a holiday that has always been celebrated in Russia on a special scale. There are many mythical stories associated with the celebration of Christmas. The modern generation does not know well all the old Christmas rituals, ceremonies and traditions and cannot always reproduce them correctly.

How to Celebrate Christmas at Home - Whole Family at One Table

The whole family gathers to celebrate the holiday on the evening of January 6th. This time is called Christmas Eve. The concept of Christmas Eve comes from the name of the traditional Christmas dish - sochiva.
In the very center of the festively decorated room, a large round table... All family members sit down for him and lead casual conversation O good deeds... It becomes warm and cozy in the house, as well as in the heart, because this holy evening has united close souls. According to custom, on Christmas Eve, it is not recommended to touch food until the first star appears in the sky.

Late in the evening, adults go to church for a church service, while the children stay at home and prepare to celebrate the birth of the Savior in a cheerful, bright and beautiful way. On the streets, everyone praises Christ and congratulates each other. Young people visit neighbors with a nativity scene and chants. Khristoslavs are showered with ringing coins, treated with gingerbread, pies and sweets. People enjoy listening to carols and singing along.
The main attribute of the celebration is a fluffy forest beauty decorated with bright garlands and toys - a Christmas tree with candles. After the feast, when the whole family tastes kutya, children can look under the tree and enjoy their gifts.
Celebrating Christmas in keeping with ancient customs brings warmth, love and faith to the home. It teaches people to be open, generous and responsive, introduces the history and culture of their ancestors and makes them cherish family traditions.

How to have fun celebrating Christmas - Christmas games with kids

No one slavic holiday did not do without fun games, fun and entertainment with friends and girlfriends. At Christmas gatherings, gentlemen and young ladies competed among themselves, showed off their intelligence and wit, noticed their betrothed.

Now you know how to celebrate Christmas at home with your family. We hope you enjoy this holiday.

Good afternoon, friends, noisy New Year night festivities, firecrackers, phone calls friends and acquaintances. And another holiday has come - a quiet, family, blissful - the Nativity of Christ. The article is devoted to Christmas traditions and customs, which have been forming for many centuries and have become an integral part of this holiday. You will learn how it was customary to celebrate Christmas in Russia - with family and closest people, how the entire Orthodox people prepared for it. These traditions and signs that have survived to this day will help you plunge into Holy holiday Nativity of Christ. And observing all the divine canons associated with the arrival of this have a wonderful holiday, prosperity, luck and happiness will appear in your home! Before learning how to celebrate Christmas, a little reminder - the calendar of holidays from Christmas January 7 to Epiphany - January 19.

Christmas calendar

Christmas Eve - January 6. On the eve of Christmas Eve, January 6, was the last and strict day of fasting! If you are fasting, then treat yourself on Christmas Eve only without oil - nuts, vegetables, fruits, and herbs. In the evening, go to the Christmas service at the temple or watch it on TV.

Christmas Day - January 7th. Christmas is a great day for Orthodox Christians! According to tradition, it is customary to spend it in the circle of loved ones, as well as attend church. Celebrate the holiday for family table and go to the church for the Christmas service (check the schedule in your parish).

Christmastide - January 7-18. On Christmastide it is customary to guess (about this - you will find out in the next article of Your Raisin, follow the announcements). After all, it is believed: it is at this time that the curtain of the future can be lifted. In addition, on Christmastide days, according to tradition, you need to help the poor and the weak. Therefore, do not bypass such people, help them.

Epiphany - January 19. On a holiday, be sure to go to church for holy water. In addition, it is customary for Epiphany to plunge into an ice-hole. But the priests assure: in order to be cleansed of sins, it is not necessary to dive into the ice-cold water. It is enough to sincerely repent and come to the church for confession.

How to prepare for Christmas - Orthodox traditions and customs

How to celebrate Christmas? For Christmas, which came on January 7, as well as for Christmas, the entire Orthodox people in Russia always carefully prepared. Because these are the two most important events in the life of any Christian. Even a move new history and we lead our chronology from the Nativity of Christ. This holiday was preceded by fasting, which lasted more than a month (40 days). In addition to dietary restrictions, which led to spiritual cleansing and the body itself, the house was also cleansed - put in complete order.

The Orthodox traditions of the Nativity of Christ in Russia were observed from year to year and consisted of preparing the dwelling for the holiday and putting it in full order, preparing festive dinner, visiting the church with the whole family for a divine service dedicated to the Bright holiday of the Nativity of Christ.

How to prepare your home for the holy day?

It is customary to celebrate the Nativity of Christ in a clean and comfortable home. On the eve of the great holiday, hover in the apartment perfect order... Get rid of not only dust and dirt that are visible to the naked eye! Clean out trash from under cabinets, sofas, etc. And also free your home from all unnecessary things. Ideal option will distribute unnecessary things to poor people (collection points are located in many churches).

Home decoration is part of the tradition before Christmas, so after you finish cleaning your home, decorate the rooms with figurines of angels or stars, which symbolize a bright holiday. Place candlesticks with candles or beautiful compositions of them - let their fire bring light and joy to your home!

How to prepare spiritually for the holiday

In the tradition of a bright holiday, it was to meet it with pure thoughts and a heart free from offenses. Therefore, if you are currently in a quarrel with someone - and take a step forward, even if the blame for what happened does not lie with you. Leave all grievances in the past and have time to ask for forgiveness from those for whom you are guilty!

How to prepare a festive table

The forty-day fast ended on Christmas Eve, the name of which was given by the ritual food, which is accepted on that day - it is syrupy.

The first dish on the festive table, which is used to break the fast after the end of the Nativity Fast, is sochivo or kutia. This is a porridge that is cooked from cereals and generously flavored with spices and sweet seasonings. If you want to follow the original traditions, then try at least a spoonful of this treat! Your Zest posted the recipe for this Christmas food, you can pick it up.

By the way, according to popular belief, if you start your Christmas meal with kutya, peace and quiet will reign in the house!

Advice: it’s good if you take kutya and cahors with you to the church service - then the priest will consecrate them during the service.

Church service on the night before Christmas

In the harsh January frosts, the souls and hearts of all Orthodox believers are warmed by a piercing bell ringing, which is heard from churches in Holy christmas- Jan. 7! He notifies us that Christ has been born! On the eve of the great celebration in all the temples of the country there are holiday services- beginning on January 6, no later than 22:00. Divine services usually last until the early morning.

On Christmas night, traditionally the whole family went to church for services and together they greeted one of the most important Christian holidays... The temples were decorated ahead of time with fir and pine branches and a manger was erected - a prototype of the cave in which, according to legend, Jesus Christ was born.

If your health allows you, be sure to go to church, light candles, pray, and feel how God's grace will descend on you ... For some it will become a pacification, for others - hope for the best!

Advice: if for some reason you cannot get on evening liturgy, go to the service in the morning - January 7, which starts at 10:00. In your church, at the place of residence, it may start at a different time, check in advance.

Don't you have the strength to stand the festive service? Then go to the temple at least for a little while. And pray sincerely!

Festive meal after service

After the service, they began festive meal, and the owner of the house always opened the door or window wide open, inviting frost and wind to taste the treats in order to appease them for the future.

Christmas table decorated beautiful tablecloth, under which they always put some straw (as a memory of the manger of little Jesus). As mentioned above, the Christmas meal began with kutya - porridge flavored with sweet spices: honey, dried fruits, nuts, poppy seeds ... In addition to the main dish, there was a place on the table - jellied meat with horseradish, whole baked poultry, fish or pig. Most often, the hostesses prepared Christmas.

All these dishes symbolized the unity of the family in the coming new year!

The table was bursting with different kind dishes and snacks:

• piglets stuffed with buckwheat porridge;
• hare baked in a pot;
• porridge stewed in pumpkin,
• all kinds of salads and cold snacks;
• homemade pies and honey cakes;
• red beet borscht.

Exactly 13 dishes were placed on the table - this ritual number was strictly observed. Moreover, the number of eaters for festive table should be even, if one was not enough - an extra device was put on the table. During the meal, all eaters had to taste each dish, the main of which was sychivo or kutia. This porridge was prepared from rye and wheat, barley and buckwheat, peas and lentils and was certainly seasoned with honey. Kutya dressed with raisins, cream, almonds and spices was also considered "rich". Kutya was usually washed down with "broth" or a sweet thick compote, which was boiled from berries and dried fruits.

A special sign - a guest for good luck

There was a long-standing custom - according to who entered the house first at Christmas (man or woman), the future was determined. If a man entered, especially a dark-haired one, the year will be successful, and if it is a woman, then there will be no luck in the year.

Christmas signs: what's forbidden

Our ancestors strictly adhered to Christmas signs and prohibitions. What cannot be done on Christmas, January 7 - on this holy day:

• Needlework is not allowed. It is believed that the one who sews in this big holiday, can cause blindness on yourself or someone close to you.
• You can’t tidy up the house and bother about the housework. So, according to popular belief, there is a danger of attracting evil spirits into the house. Therefore, order was restored on Christmas Eve. And on the holy day they only celebrated!
• You cannot offend anyone, get drunk or overeat without measure! This is a great sin on a holiday!
• You can’t lend, otherwise you’ll be in debt all year.

Christmastide is a gulba for two weeks!

After the meeting of Christmas on January 7, the holiday did not end there, and the real fun began. Christmastide! Twelve days a year, when you can do anything and how you want, without fear of punishment. As the saying goes, "winter for frosts, and a man for the holidays."

Bonfires were burning everywhere. Not just to keep warm - in this way people helped the sun to defeat the darkness. This custom has been preserved since pagan times, when fire symbolized rebirth, the beginning of a new life. Bells ringing too ancient tradition... People tried to drive away evil spirits with noise, shouting, ringing of bells. The custom has survived, but its meaning is somewhat different - bell ringing welcome and praise the birth of Christ.

They tried to dress up for Christmas. If there were a lot of new things, they measured everything - so that the whole year around in a rich fancy dress... They ate, as they say, from the belly. And everyone who entered the house had to be nourishingly fed and presented with money. But these days they did not take a loan, otherwise the whole next year sit in debt. And work these days was not supposed to - to have a rest like that!

Caroling is happiness to attract

Not a single Christmas Eve could do without carols in Russia. Have fun for the year ahead!

Young people dressed up in funny costumes, covering their faces with "mugs and haryami" (as various masks were officially called), wearing sheepskin coats inside out, going home caroling with songs and dances. The head of the company was "the maiden-fur-woman". It was she who carried the bag where the generous owners sent all kinds of food - bread, and pies, and sausages, and sweets. She then divided the booty for all cheerful company... For those who were not distinguished by generosity, they could wish every ailment in carol songs, or even scatter a woodpile, and prop the gates outside: these days such hooliganism was said goodbye.

It was believed that this way you can "nakoladovat" good luck, happiness, great harvest, etc. Agree, great fun! So why not resurrect a good old custom. And do not come to the houses of friends and acquaintances with perky songs. It will be fun for everyone! And with such a kind attitude, it will really be a stone's throw to good luck and happiness!

Christmas divination

After walking for a walk, in the evening they gathered for gatherings, where they drank and ate, told magical stories, and closer to the night the most interesting began -. Looking into the future is a dangerous, demonic business, and therefore it was allowed to guess only on these days, when the evil spirits, having emboldened, come close to human habitation. We tried to find out what the next year will be, fruitful or not very, calm or vain. The girls wondered about their betrothed - they went to listen under the windows, asked the name of the first person they met, dragged a log, threw out cards, poured tin or wax - there were so many ways that it was enough for all Christmastide. But few dared to do the right thing. Alone, without a cross, in an empty bathhouse, by candlelight, you could see the groom in the mirror, or you could also see the horned devil ...

Saint Basil's Day

And so the days went by - in satiety, merry festivities and various mischiefs. One of them stood out in particular. The first of January according to the old style (14th according to the new) was celebrated the day of St. Basil. They cooked porridge in a special way and always put a fried pig on the table.

It was believed that Vasily hides a month at night to prevent the witches from having fun at the Sabbath. We have this day turned into unique holiday- Old New Year. Not a single foreigner understands how something new can be old, but this does not prevent Russians from continuing to have fun, and TV channels from repeating the festive "Lights" for those who slept through them on New Year's Eve.

And all this reckless revelry lasts until January 19, when another great day comes - Epiphany. Then grace descends on earth, evil spirits are hidden, and each person can wash away - Jordan - all sins, voluntary and involuntary, committed in these two cheerful weeks.

How to sprinkle an apartment with holy water

Before you sprinkle the house, do the cleaning! Then fill a clean container with water. Keep in mind - this must be a vessel that has not been in contact with animals!

All dwellings are sprinkled with holy water, including indoor flowers and plants (they just need to be sprinkled a little, without watering the earth).

You need to act in the following sequence:

1. Dip right hand into the holy water and walk around all corners of the room, moving clockwise.
2. Then sprinkle the walls and floor.
3. During the ritual say out loud the words: "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen."
4. Then spray the rest of the rooms, bathroom, hallway, kitchen in the same way. But not a toilet! They don't sprinkle it with holy water!

How to drink holy water properly

All believers know that holy water on Epiphany days has a special power, and therefore on such days there are queues to the church. People stand with empty bottles and cans in order to stock up on holy water for a long time.

By your grace and healing properties holy water is equated to the holy water of the Jordan River, in which Jesus Christ was baptized. That is why people keep the water brought from the church all year round and use it on special occasions.

In addition to painting your home on a holiday, you can drink consecrated water several times during the day. And on other days it is better to eat it on an empty stomach. At the same time, they drink holy water during a serious illness, they take a sip when some important event is ahead.

In addition, she can paint all new things that appear in the house.

If, due to improper storage, holy water has become unsuitable for drinking, in no case should it be poured down the drain. It is necessary to take it out of the house and pour it into a place where a person's foot cannot walk, for example, into a stream, river, lake, pond or other body of water. You can water her bush that grows in a deserted place.

Folk calendar

Today you learned how to celebrate the bright holiday of Christmas, what traditions, customs, signs were associated with it in Russia. And at the very end - folk calendar with signs for the whole year and the birthday of those born on this day.

A clear and starry night promises safety and health to people this year, and vice versa. Soft snow falls - for the harvest, and if it's warm, summer will be rainy.

Severe frost and little snow on this day - to the harvest of bread, the health of animals and people; if it is warm and there is no snow - to a cold summer. "Vasiliev's night of a star - summer is berry".

The sky is clear on Feoktistov day, with a full moon - to a strong flood.

If a blizzard rages on that day, the same will happen on Shrovetide; if strong winds blowing from the south - that summer will be terrible.

Video - how to celebrate Christmas

For Christians all over the world, the bright holiday of the Nativity of Christ has a warm, touching character, and is beautiful family holiday, permeated with an atmosphere of universal harmony and love.

According to the rules Orthodox Church on Christmas Eve (January 6) and Epiphany (January 18), the meal is prescribed only once - after the Divine Liturgy. At the meal, the rules of the Church ordain to taste syrupy. And if Christmas Eve falls on Saturday or Sunday, then it is allowed to eat food “with oil. But cheese and those like it, and fish, and nothing daring to eat, ”that is, you can eat lean food with butter, but not cheese and fish. The main dishes on the table on Christmas Eve are soothing and boiled.

According to old custom, the table was sprinkled with hay in memory of the nativity scene and the manger, and then it was covered with a snow-white tablecloth. In the center of the table was a dish with syrup and a boil.

Juice is the main thing a traditional dish christmas eve. It was first mentioned at the beginning of the 12th century in the chronicle "The Tale of Bygone Years".

Traditionally, it was juicy prepared from 1 glass of wheat grains, 100 grams of poppy seeds, 100 grams of kernels walnuts and 2 tablespoons of honey with added sugar to taste. Usually, refined grains were boiled in water and made a crumbly lean liquid porridge, to which were added walnut kernels, dried fruit and honey. Juice was also made with raisins and honey.

In the old days, it was made more often from wheat, less often from barley. The grains were pounded in a mortar, but so as not to crush them, but only to peel them off. At a later time, they began to make sokivo from rice. Originally, sychivo was prepared with honey or well-fed (diluted honey). In even more later times poppy milk (steamed and mashed poppy seeds), raisins, as well as chopped nuts and sugar syrup began to be added to the sochivo.

It is necessary to distinguish between juicy and kutya. Kutia (in memory of the deceased) is prepared exclusively from wheat and honey, and in sochivo (which is prepared in honor of great holidays and in memory of saints), other ingredients are also added: nuts, raisins, dried fruits, and the like.

The broth was prepared from dried berries and fruits, boiled in water and sweetened with honey or sugar.

The products from which the juicy is prepared have symbolic meaning... The grain is a symbol of the resurrected life. Honey is a symbol of the joy of eating heavenly goods. The rest of the ingredients of sochiv - poppy seeds, raisins, dried fruits, etc. - are symbols of our sacrifice to God, our tithe.

The so-called "lean milk" gives strength. To prepare it, you need 200 grams of any nuts and 3 glasses boiled water, sugar to taste. It is necessary to crush the nuts in a mortar, gradually adding water, then strain through cheesecloth and squeeze the crushed nuts dry. Finally, add sugar to taste.

Why are Christmas trees decorated at Christmas?

Many families set up Christmas trees for the Christmas season. This custom is based both on the words of the prophet Isaiah about the Savior: “And there will be a branch from the root of Jesse, and the branch will grow from his root” (Isaiah 11: 1), and on the words of church hymns in honor of the event of the Nativity of Christ: “A rod from the root Jesse, and the flower is from him, Christ, from the Virgin. ”

Decorating dry branches of Christmas trees with lamps and sweets instructively shows that our nature, a barren and lifeless branch, only in Jesus Christ - the source of life, light and joy - can bring spiritual fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, mercy, faith, meekness, abstinence (see: Gal. 5, 22-23).

Celebrating the Nativity of Christ

The Day of the Nativity of Christ has since ancient times been ranked by the Church as one of the great twelve feasts, according to the Divine testimony of the Gospel, which depicts this event as the greatest, most joyous and wonderful. “I proclaim to you,” says the Angel to the shepherds of Bethlehem, “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. And suddenly there appeared with the Angel a large army of heaven, praising God and crying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will in men! " (Luke 2, 10-14).

The Orthodox Church proclaims about the greatness of the feast of the Nativity of Christ: “Thy Christmas, Christ our God, ascend the world the light of reason: in it, those who serve as a star learn to bow to Thee, the Sun of Truth, and lead Thee from the height of the East; Lord, glory to Thee. "

On the last day before the holiday, the eve of the Nativity of Christ (Christmas Eve) is celebrated, testifying to the special importance of the upcoming celebration, for the eve is only before the most important holidays.

In the Orthodox Church in the evening, the hours are celebrated, called the royal ones, because for a long time tsars were present at this divine service, worshiping the newborn Tsar of kings.

The Royal Hours begin and are performed with the Royal Doors open, in the middle of the church, in front of the Gospel placed on the analogue, as if to signify that now the Savior no longer lurks, as it once did in the darkness of the den, but shines to all nations. Before the Gospel, incense is burned, in remembrance of incense and myrrh, brought by the Magi to the newborn Christ.

The very day of the Nativity of Christ in the flesh, the most important and most solemn, is called “Pascha” in the liturgical books of the Orthodox Church, a three-day holiday. On this day, according to the voice of the Church, “all kinds of joy are filled. Angels rejoice in heaven, and men rejoice: all creation is playing for the sake of the Lord's Savior in Bethlehem: as all the idolatrous flattery and Christ reigns forever. "

The Church begins and expresses her spiritual joy on the day of the Nativity of Christ with prophetic consoling singing at Great Compline, which begins the all-night vigil: “God is with us. Understand, you nations, and obey, as God is with us. " The great joy of the Church on the feast of the Nativity of Christ stems from the grateful remembrance of the condescension and unity of God with man, about which the gospel readings are preached at Matins (Matthew 1: 8–25).

In ancient times, the vigil lasted all night. “From the night we glorify Thee, Human-loving man,” says St. Cosmas Maiumsky in the canon for the Nativity of Christ.

The Divine Liturgy on the feast day was decided to be performed "at the time of labor for the sake of the vigil."

According to the great joy, brought to the world The Nativity of the Savior, the Church since ancient times has decided to celebrate the divine service on the day of the Nativity of Christ without kneeling, except for a thanksgiving prayer for the deliverance of the Fatherland from enemies, to allow fasting, no matter what day of the week the holiday happens, and all day church holiday accompany with church bells.

The solemn glorification of the Nativity of Christ after the service in churches is also transferred to the homes of believers. Like the Angels who proclaimed great joy to the shepherds of Bethlehem and sang praises to God, the priests begin to praise in the temple: “It has been decided to burn a candlestick and deliver it in the middle of the church; and the faces stand together in the midst of the temple and sing exclaiming: "Thy Christmas, Christ our God, ascend the world the light of reason" and so on. "

Since ancient times, Orthodox Christians have held the feast of the Nativity of Christ reverently. Likewise, we must avoid entertainment and amusements that violate the sanctity of the holiday.

Within the limits of the forefeast and the afterfeast, the feast of the Nativity of Christ lasts twelve days.

How to spend Christmas time?

The twelve days after the feast of the Nativity of Christ are called Christmastide, that is, holy days, since these twelve days are consecrated by the great events of the Nativity of Christ.

In the first three centuries of Christianity, when persecution interfered with the freedom of Christian worship, in some Eastern Churches the feast of the Nativity of Christ was combined with the feast of Epiphany under the general name of Epiphany. A monument to the ancient union of the Nativity of Christ and the holy Epiphany is the similarity in the performance of these holidays, which has come down to our times. When these holidays were separated, the celebration extended to all days between January 7 and January 19 (according to N.S.), and these days, as it were, constituted one holiday. People call these days holy evenings, because ancient custom Orthodox Christians stop their daytime affairs in the evening, in remembrance of the events of the Nativity and the Baptism of the Savior, which happened at night or in the evening.

The Church began to sanctify twelve days after the feast of the Nativity of Christ from ancient times. Already in Church Charter The Monk Sava the Sanctified (+ 532), which included even more ancient ordinances, it is written that on Christmastide days “there is no fasting, below kneeling, lower in the church, lower in the cell,” and it is forbidden to perform the sacrament of Marriage.

By the Second Council of Turin in 567, all days from the Nativity of Christ to the Epiphany were called festive.

During Christmas time, meat, according to the rules of the Orthodox Church, can be eaten every day (except January 18).

Starting from January 19 - the feast of the Baptism of the Lord - meat is allowed to be eaten on any day of the week, except Wednesday and Friday, for the Savior endured special torment on Wednesday (was put to torment) and on Friday (crucified on the Cross).

In “Domostroy” there are the following instructions regarding food on holidays: “On the Great meat-eater after the Nativity of Christ, the following is served to the table: swans and offal of swans, fried geese, black grouse, partridges, hazel grouses, piglets on a spit, aspic lamb, baked lamb, aspic pigs , pig giblets, chicken broths, corned beef with garlic and spices, elk ... chicken from skewers, giblets, jerky beef and pork, ham, sausages, stomachs, jerky geese, jerky chicken "...

The sanctity of these days and evenings is currently being violated by calls for a return to the customs of pagan festivals. From TV screens, on the radio, from newspapers, we are told that fortune-telling was adopted in Russia on Christmastide.

About traditions and superstitions

The Church, taking care of our purity, has always forbidden these superstitions. The rules of the sixth Ecumenical Council say: “Those who resort to wizards, or others like them, in order to learn something secret from them, in accordance with the previous paternal decrees about them, may be subject to the rule of six years of penance. The same penance should be subjected to those who make fortune-telling about fortune, fate, genealogy, and many other similar interpretations, as well as the so-called cloud-chasers, charmers, workers of protective talismans and sorcerers. Those who become stiff in this and do not turn away from these pernicious and pagan fictions, we determine to completely expel from the Church, as the sacred rules command. For what is the fellowship of righteousness with iniquity? What does light have to do with darkness? What is the agreement between Christ and Beliar? (see: 2 Cor. 6: 14-16). The so-called kalends (that is, the pagan celebrations of the first day of each month), Botha (the pagan celebration of Panu), Vrumalia (the celebration of the pagan deity Bacchus) and the popular gathering on the first day of March, we wish to completely remove from the lives of the faithful. Likewise, national dances, which can cause great harm and destruction, as well as in honor of the gods, whom the Hellenes falsely call, dances and rituals performed by men and women, performed according to an ancient and alien Christian rite, we reject and define: none of the husbands dress in women's clothing not typical of a husband; do not wear masks. Therefore, those who from now on, knowing this, dare to do any of the above, we command the clergy to be cast out of their sacred dignity, and the laity - to be excommunicated from the communion of the Church ”.

V Holy Scripture it says: “A woman should not have men's clothing, and a man should not dress in women's dress for everyone that does these things is an abomination to the Lord thy God ”(Deut. 22: 5).

Earlier, Orthodox governments in their laws forbade “on the eve of the Nativity of Christ and during Christmastide to start, according to old idolatrous legends, games and, dressing up in idol robes, dance and sing seductive songs along the streets”.

A completely different, pious custom, when on the Holy evening young people gather in groups and go from house to house to sing carols. Carollers carry with them the image of the Star of Bethlehem and a model of the den (cave) where Jesus Christ is born, and sing carols. Carols are festive songs, praises with the wish of happiness and prosperity to families, as well as prayer songs in which Jesus Christ was glorified. It is customary to present caroling people not only with money, but most often with delicious food - cakes with sweet filling, sweets, cookies, cakes and gingerbread.

Prepared by Sergey Shishkovsky