Holidays are approaching. Christmas and New Year. What's the difference between them? New Year and Christmas: common, differences and hidden meaning
The Nativity of Christ is one of the main spiritual Orthodox holidays, which is celebrated on December 25 by Catholics and January 7 by Orthodox Christians.
In both religions, Christmas Eve is celebrated - the evening on the eve of Christmas night (Jesus was born exactly at night - hence the other legend about the Star of Bethlehem.) The name in Russian comes from the word sochovo - wheat grains moistened with berry juice or honey. The holiday of Christmas itself is the date of breaking the fast - liberation from fasting and surrender to gluttony.
What is the difference between Catholic and Orthodox Christmas?
date
The discrepancy between the celebration of the Nativity of Christ by the Western and Eastern churches is explained by the different chronological systems adopted by them. After the new Gregorian calendar was drawn up in the West, Catholics and Protestants began to celebrate Christmas two weeks earlier than the Orthodox. We draw the attention of our readers to the fact that there is actually one date, and the difference is in the calendar.
Catholics even call the Christmas tree a Christmas tree. It is placed on the eve of the holiday - December 24 - when the day of Adam and Eve is celebrated in the Western tradition.
Divine service
In Orthodoxy, one Christmas service is accepted, which lasts until the morning, and in which Great Compline, Matins and Liturgy are combined.
Catholics have three separate masses - at night, in the morning and in the afternoon. This symbolizes, as it were, the birth of the Savior in the bosom of the Father, in the womb of the Mother of God and in the soul of every person.
Photo: www.russianlook.com / Christmas is the main holiday for Catholics.
Attitude to the holiday in society and in the church
Orthodox Christmas is a spiritual, church holiday, not a family one. Fasting is very strict - every believer must restrain himself and work hard, spiritually and physically, in order to eventually reward himself with the opportunity to celebrate and rest. Biblical events related to Christmas are commemorated in churches five days before Christmas. The church service itself proceeds in the same way as several centuries ago - all the traditions of those times are observed from year to year. At the same time, Easter is revered more than Christmas. That is, for the Orthodox it is more important that Christ was resurrected, and for Catholics - that he was born.
For Catholics, Christmas is their favorite family holiday. Church services for other Bible events take place after Christmas, starting on January 1st. Fasting before Christmas is "weaker" than the Orthodox one - it is allowed to relax. The church service itself is adapted to the modern world and simplified.
Catholics have a lot of different dishes for Christmas, but the main thing is still a goose with apples. Orthodox Christians focus on the festive table on Christmas Eve, when 12 lenten dishes are put on the table. For a festive Christmas table, we recommend baking, a step-by-step recipe for which is published on the AiF-Krasnoyarsk website.
Obligatory dishes that should be on the table of an Orthodox on Christmas are syrupy and boiled. Juice is prepared from wheat grits or rice with the addition of honey, dried fruits, nuts. A broth is a compote made from dried fruits.
Christmas table. Photo: www.russianlook.com
At Christmas, Catholics give everyone a gift. By tradition, no one should be left without a surprise - neither a relative nor a good friend. In the Orthodox tradition, there is no such attention to gifts, although children are traditionally gifted with gifts.
Who is the main character of the holiday?
If the Orthodox honor, of course, the born Christ, who was born, then among the Catholics the main "figurant" of the celebration is Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus, whose duties include giving gifts to children. At the same time, Santa Claus himself does not come to children with a sack of gifts, like the Russian Santa Claus. He hides gifts in his socks at night, hangs them over the fireplace, and he himself disappears unnoticed into the chimney. In this custom, Christian and pagan rites are intertwined, and not all priests have a positive attitude towards this almost pagan saint.
The material was prepared using publicly available sources.
Most of us this year, as well as last, on New Year's and Christmas, will gather with relatives and friends at the festive table. We will give each other gifts and wish a Happy New Year and Merry Christmas. But what is really behind these two holidays? Explains the permanent expert of the "Club LIFE", theologian Fyodor Raichinets.
New Year: traditions
For the last few years, I have been celebrating the New Year with my friends, with my family - this is a kind of tradition that is already scary to abandon. Since we are celebrating in an international family, we celebrate the New Year four times: first in Georgian time, then in Russian, then in Kiev, and, finally, in European time.
New Year is always associated with summing up. Looking back, we reflect on what we did and what we shouldn't have done. As well as about what they did not do, but were going to do. And this is a careful attempt to look into the future.
I have two feelings associated with the future - hope and fear: the hope that it will be better, and the fear that what was planned will not work out.
If we talk about the connection between these holidays, then the chronology is correct, when Christmas precedes the New Year. The holiday of Christmas is the holiday of the Epiphany, and when it comes earlier than the calendar New Year, then at this final time it is good to look back and look into the future from its perspective. The New Year should be treated differently than Christmas, and Christmas should be filled with new meanings so that we get to the bottom of what we celebrate.
Christmas: the essence
Christmas is generally not an easy holiday. Imagine an image of a felled tree with a new twig growing on it. Or imagine dry, splintered earth from which grass emerges. What are these images about? That Christmas is, first of all, a holiday of hope. But where does this hope come from? Where there are no prerequisites for it. There is a dead tree cut down that did not bear fruit, and it was cut down, but life appears there. A fragile, vulnerable life that can be broken, trampled, crushed. But if this life is preserved, it may reveal something for you that will help radically transform your own life. I would like this holiday to become a holiday of hope for us, which appears where there is no reason for it.
Hope is associated with the fact that we do not expect any global transformations, and each of us is taking a small step towards the imaginary future that we want for ourselves. And we take this step, risking, perhaps, a lot or even all.
In the born Jesus Christ, I see the embodiment of who God is and how His image is embedded in me. And I see the path and life that leads to God.
Personal Steps to Christmas
The first step is not to be lazy and not afraid discover gospel stories the way they talk about Christmas.
According to the Holy Scriptures, religious holidays always took place in the family. So, it is very important not to be afraid to discover old forgotten meanings for yourself and your family in a new way.
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The second step is important, having discovered these meanings for yourself, immediately not to lose, do not close.
And third - you need dare to embody them... It is risky because good is always risky and unpredictable. You can predict evil, but by doing good, you cannot predict how it will return to you. But no matter what it turns out to be, you run the risk of doing good further, because it is good.
To plunge into the Gospel Christmas, discover It for yourself and bring it to life - these are the three steps I would advise everyone on the eve of this holiday.
The Nativity of Christ is considered one of the main holidays of Christians. Catholics celebrate Christmas on December 25, and Orthodox Christians on January 7, in a new style. The discrepancy in the date of the celebration is due to the system of chronology according to the Gregorian and Julian calendar.
In Palestine 2000 years ago, an order was received from Rome to rewrite all the inhabitants. Everyone was to appear in the city where his family began by the appointed day of the census. Therefore, Joseph, having put Mary on a donkey, went with her to Bethlehem. The road was long and they were tired. And in the city, where by this time a lot of people had already gathered, all the houses were occupied. And Joseph took Mary to a cave, where in winter the shepherds drove the cattle from the bad weather. At this very time, in 5508 from the creation of the world, the hour has come for the birth of a son to Mary. The Virgin Mary, who from that time began to be called the Mother of God, gave birth to a baby without torment and suffering, she herself wrapped him in swaddling clothes and put him in a nursery - a feeding trough for sheep. This is how a great event for humanity happened - the birth of the son of God Jesus Christ.
The first to know about this were the shepherds, who received the message from the Angel. And the shepherds hastened to worship the Infant God. At the same time, the Magi (ancient sages who study the stars) also went to the baby. They saw a new unusual star appear in the sky and realized that the expected Messiah was born. The Magi, who followed the wonderful star that showed them the way, brought the baby gifts: gold, incense and myrrh, which had a symbolic meaning. Gold was brought as the King, incense as God, and myrrh - oil, which in those distant times carried out the rite of anointing the dead, as a person who would have to die.
At this time, King Herod, who was afraid that the newly-appeared Infant of God would later claim the royal throne, for the King himself was not a Jew, ordered to kill all boys under the age of two in Bethlehem and its environs. He hoped that the Son of God would also be among those killed. 14 thousand babies were killed, and they are considered the first martyrs to be tortured for Jesus Christ. Hence the name Christmastide, which lasts 12 days from January 7 to January 18. The first week is called holy, and the second, in memory of the babies killed on those terrible evenings.
The Feast of the Nativity of Christ was first introduced in the 4th century by the Constantinople Church, and then spread throughout the Orthodox world. The purpose of its establishment is to remember and glorify the birth of the Lord in the flesh from the Blessed Virgin. In Russia, the tradition of celebrating Christmas appeared in the 10th century, after the adoption of Christianity. Christmas, like many other holidays at the time, absorbed both Christian and pagan traditions.
The celebration of the Nativity of Christ is preceded by a forty-day Nativity Fast, which began this year on November 15 in the old style or on November 28 in the new style. Fasting always ends on January 6 on Christmas Eve. According to the monastery charter, on this day it was supposed to taste a ritual, ritual, lenten dish, soaked - soaked and boiled grains of wheat or rice, often with honey, as well as beans, peas and vegetables. The name of the holiday comes from these dishes. Food and drink could not be consumed until the first star, symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem, which once led the Magi to the cradle of the infant Christ.
On Christmas Eve, the Slavs attached great importance to dinner, which had to be a family one. In the old days, the table was sprinkled with hay, a tablecloth was laid, a dish with syrup was placed in the center of the table, and around - other dishes, of which there should have been exactly twelve (according to the number of the apostles). In addition to sochiv, on the festive Russian table there were pancakes, aspic, fish, jelly, suckling pig or lamb side with porridge, roast, ham, boiled pork, homemade sausage, goose or duck with Antonov apples, duck with cabbage, pies and honey cakes, carols, vzvary and other dishes, taking into account the family's capabilities.
A solemn divine service was held in churches during these festive evening hours. Despite the church origin of the holiday, it has been customary to carol on Christmastide in Russia from time immemorial: to dress up, arrange funny games, go home, wake up sleeping, congratulate everyone on the way with the turn of the sun for the summer, and later, after the adoption of Christianity, Merry Christmas, joke and to sing songs. When the carols were invited to enter the house, they said: “God bless the house and everything in it — cattle, stones and wood! Let everything in it be in abundance! " According to custom, it was required to present those who came with gifts and treats. The carols ended with general fun, roller coasters and a general feast.
The word Kolyada is of pagan origin. Kolyada symbolized the worship of the Sun, which bestows fertility and joy. A great many holiday carols have come down to us. Their stories reflect the entire centuries-old history of this holiday. In carols songs they sang about natural phenomena - the sun and the month, wished each other a rich harvest and happy marriages. There were carols telling about the birth of the Infant Christ, about the Magi and about Herod, as well as glorifying famous princes and national heroes ... But they are all united by one goal: to give a good mood to everyone, remind them of the great holiday and instill in everyone hope for the best. future.
It was customary to light bonfires on Christmas Eve. This tradition among the Slavs, as well as among other peoples, was associated with ideas about the revival of the Sun and the beginning of a new solar year, about the victory of light over darkness, as well as with the cult of deceased ancestors. It was on this night, before Christmas, according to popular beliefs, that two forces reigned: good and evil. And each person himself decided which of the two to choose. The good force called to carol and glorify the birth of Christ at the festive table, and the evil one gathered witches for the Sabbath.
It is believed that it is on the "holy" days that the future can be most accurately predicted. Christmas divination is varied and numerous and passed from generation to generation. Christmas divination was carried out at different times of the day: some in the evening, others at midnight, and still others when they are getting ready for bed. The fortune-tellers took off their body crosses, all amulets, loosened their hair, untied all the ties and knots on their clothes: all this was supposed to help communicate with the spirits of the dead.
When girls wondered, they were, as a rule, interested, first of all, whether they would marry next year or remain "in girls", whether they would be rich or poor. Therefore, a lot of fortune-telling is associated with the search for the betrothed. Today, Christmas divination is often not taken seriously. Nevertheless, if the girl wanted to know her fate for real, without deception, then she had to decide to communicate with the other world, and such meetings, as it was believed, could end in death.
On Christmas Eve, it was customary for all warring parties to put up. And during Christmas, our ancestors tried to take special care of the weak and needy. For example, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, on the eve of Christmas, from early morning secretly went to prisons and almshouses and distributed generous alms.
The feast of the Nativity of Christ merges with the celebration of the New Year. The history of celebrating the New Year has about 25 centuries. According to scientists, this custom was first born in Mesopotamia at the end of the 4th millennium BC.
Ancient peoples celebrated New Year in March. And only in 46 BC the Roman emperor Julius Caesar approved the beginning of each new year on January 1. Since then and to this day, all European peoples have been celebrating the New Year on January 1. In Russia, with the introduction of Christianity, chronology began either from March or from the day of Holy Easter. In 1492, Prince John Vasilyevich III approved - to count as the beginning of both church and civil years on September 1, when tribute, duties and various quitrent duties were collected. In 1698, the last New Year was celebrated in September. Peter I, ascending the throne, changed both the chronology and the ways of celebrating the New Year.
From 1700 to the present in Russia, chronology begins from the Nativity of Christ, and not from the day the world was created. Peter the Great issued a decree that from now on the New Year should be counted from January 1, and not from September 1, and ordered during the days of celebration "to make some decoration from the trees and branches of pine, spruce and juniper trees in front of the gate."
In Europe, there is a sign - do not put a spruce in the house before Christmas Eve. It was believed that a tree with candles and ornaments is a symbol of spiritual light and the grace of God. In addition to spruce decoration, it is customary to decorate the house itself with New Year's compositions and electric garlands. Jewelry is left until Epiphany or Shrovetide, and then thrown away or burned, because leaving jewelry for the next year is considered a bad omen.
There is a tradition that when the clock strikes twelve times on Christmas, the head of the family must open a window or door to let Christmas into the house. And may happiness and prosperity, kindness and mercy, care and love for one's neighbor, patience and wisdom enter your home along with this bright holiday. And all this will help us all to live the coming year in a happier and kinder world! Happy New Year and Merry Christmas, our dear readers!
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Christmas in Russia began to be celebrated in the 10th century, when Voronezh, as such, did not exist. The holiday date was December 25, as in other Christian countries. This tradition was associated with the ancient Slavic winter holiday in honor of the ancestral spirits - Christmastide. Christmas Eve was quiet and calm, and the next day the fun began. People walked the streets, sang songs, arranged round dances, dressed up in costumes. Carousels, tea and vodka tents were set up on city squares, and fairs worked.
New Year
At the end of the 17th century, an adherent of the European way of life, Peter I, postponed the New Year to January 1, as was customary in the west. From that time on, the New Year began to be celebrated after Christmas, as a minor holiday. Under the influence of Western traditions, Christmas also changed, for example, a Christmas tree appeared, and from the beginning of the 20th century, Santa Claus - an analogue of Santa Claus. Gifts then were given just for Christmas, and not for New Year. On the evening of December 24 and 25, a festive dinner was organized, especially for which they prepared a fried pig, a goose with apples, jellied meat and pies with berry and meat fillings. The New Years were celebrated at masquerade balls with fireworks.
A secular holiday instead of a religious one
In 1918, another calendar reform changed everything again - the authorities, following the example of Western countries, adopted a more accurate Gregorian calendar, and the Church retained the Julian calendar. As a result, there was a difference of 2 weeks, and the New Year was before Christmas. In addition, during the Soviet period, religious holidays were eradicated, so everything changed places - the secular New Year became the main one, and Christmas was semi-underground, so the Christmas tree, Santa Claus and other traditions gradually lost their meaning. But in 1935, after an article in the newspaper "Pravda", called "Let's organize a good Christmas tree for children!" Christmas trappings have become part of the holiday again, only now of the New Year. The Christmas tree has become a New Year's, like Santa Claus, who has a granddaughter Snegurochka. Salads were added to the table, including Olivier, and sparkling wine, which was customary to drink in the first minutes of the new year.
Christmas and New Year are two holidays that are often intertwined with each other due to the fact that their dates are separated by literally several days. Even in congratulations, we do not always realize that they are essentially different celebrations and continue to perceive them as a whole. To avoid such mistakes, you should understand what is the difference between Christmas and New Year.
What is the reason for the appearance of the holidays and on what days are they celebrated?
Christmas
The earliest references to Christmas can be found in chronicles dating back to the 4th century. The emergence of the holiday is associated with the birth of Christ. This event in Russia has always been treated with special respect.
If we talk about chronology, in Russia until 1918, Christmas was celebrated before the onset of the New Year holiday. But after the transition to the Gregorian calendar (the church refused to switch to the new calendar and continued to live in the old way) Christmas began to be celebrated on January 7, after the New Year.
New Year
In many countries, it is customary to celebrate the New Year on the night of December 31 to January 1. The reason for this celebration is simple: they mark the end of one calendar year and the beginning of a new one.
It should be noted that these dates differ in different cultures, since different peoples live according to their own calendars. For example, in China, the New Year begins in March (moreover, several times), in India they are preparing to meet it in October, etc. In the same countries where the Gregorian calendar is used (for example, in Russia), the New Year begins 1 January.
How Christmas and New Year are celebrated
Christmas
Christmas is celebrated in accordance with many traditions. On the eve of the holiday, it is customary to carol. Carollers, gathering in groups, go around the houses, praise the owners, sing songs with good wishes and receive treats for this. Such ceremonial activities are believed to ensure a good harvest, livestock production and general well-being.
They try to spend the evening before Christmas with family and friends. It is customary to sit at the festive table after the first star appears in the sky, which reminds of Bethlehem, which showed the way to the place of Christ's birth. Treats should consist of 12 lenten dishes, according to the number of months in the year, the number of apostles and the main church holidays.
The dish of paramount importance is kutia (boiled wheat grains generously flavored with nuts and honey). For the preparation of modern kutya, more ingredients (candied fruits, raisins, poppy seeds) are used in order to give a better taste. Therefore, its original symbolic meaning is partially lost.
New Year
As for this holiday, there are no special traditions that should be observed. Celebrations can be held with the family and in cheerful noisy companies. It is customary to have fun with champagne, music, dancing and fireworks. The main rule is to celebrate the New Year as a good guest, which everyone has been waiting for and is now glad to see.
How to decorate housing
Christmas
On such a big holiday, everyone is trying to decorate their home in accordance with traditions. Be sure to decorate the Christmas tree, the top of which is decorated with a star symbolizing Bethlehem. A nativity scene is being built to reproduce the events of Christmas night. The lighted candles, which decorate the home, imitate the divine light that accompanied the birth of Christ, and the smells of myrrh and incense remind of the gifts of the Magi who came to see the Son of God.
New Year
This holiday gives freedom of imagination. Everyone decorates their own home at their own discretion. Of course, one cannot do without an elegant Christmas tree with New Year's toys. They began to install coniferous trees in houses in 1699 by the decree of Peter I. Otherwise, there are no restrictions: festive tinsel, confetti, streamers, candles, garlands and stunning New Year's smells of pine needles, citrus fruits, vanilla and chocolate.
Present
Christmas
The exchange of gifts on Christmas Day has a certain meaning: it is very important for Christians to visit and give gifts to the sick and disadvantaged. Particular attention is paid to children. Gifts for this holiday are chosen thoughtfully and carefully. Their task is to bring joy, revive faith in miracles, and touch the heart. Traditionally, Christmas is not complete without sweets, which are presented as gifts to children and adults.
New Year
Gifts for the New Year do not carry such a deep semantic load. They are most likely a pleasant surprise designed to add good mood to the holiday, as well as an indicator of attention.
The main thing
For all the festive paraphernalia, we forget about the main thing. If New Year is a merry holiday that closes the last page of the outgoing year and opens a new calendar sheet, then Christmas invites us to turn to God, to think about our mistakes, about good and evil, about our place in this world.