What to do on Christmas Eve and Christmas. Fortune telling on Christmas Eve the night before Christmas. What to do for Orthodox Christians on Christmas Eve before the Baptism of the Lord - traditions and rituals

Every year on January 6, Christmas Eve is celebrated. This day, on the eve of the Nativity of Christ, when the Nativity Fast ends, like Christmas itself, has its own traditions and characteristics. Find out how to properly spend such an important day, what is not, and what can and should be done on Christmas Eve January 6, 2019.

On this day, one is supposed to fast, prepare festive meals and put in order clothes. You can't celebrate Christmas in black - it was considered a bad sign to come to a feast in sad clothes. After the first star lights up - this means that Jesus Christ came into the world - you can start the holiday.

On Christmas Eve, they always started caroling - young people went from house to house, accompanying their arrival with carols and begging for food and money from the owners. There was an interesting ceremony: on this day it was customary to gather in the parental home. In the evening, they laid the tables, then the whole family went out into the yard and looked at the stars.

Peering into the sky, they determined the guiding line, and already by the signs of Christmas night they determined the future harvest, wondered about well-being and the future. If the night was starry, it was believed that the cattle would give a good offspring, and there would be a lot of berries and mushrooms in the forest.

Undoubtedly, the main dishes on the table on this holiday were kutya and sokyvo.

Before starting the meal, the owner walked around the hut three times with a pot in which there was kutia. When he returned, he threw a few spoons of porridge into the courtyard, thereby appeasing the spirits, then invited frost to the kutya through the open door and asked him not to destroy the crops. By tradition, ceremonial cereals were eaten from a common bowl, leaving little for the poor wanderers.

On Christmas Eve, it was not worth leaving the house, because the cattle would have to look in the forests and swamps. To weave on this day meant to please misfortune.

They baked pancakes, and the first pancake was necessarily carried to the barn, broke it through the sickle and left it to the barn - so that this spirit would not steal the sheep's six. On this day, they did not feed poultry, so that chickens and geese would not dig up the garden. Manure burned in every courtyard so that the parents would keep warm in the next world.

Christmas Eve is the first day of a very long Orthodox holiday complex called Svyatki. In fact - preparation for all the upcoming holidays. That is why it was important to spend this day right.

Fast. Christmas Eve is the end of one of the longest (40 days) fasts, so it was necessary to endure it with honor to the end. Moreover, on January 6, from the very morning until the end of the festive Liturgy, it was impossible to eat anything at all. That is, approximately until three o'clock. And then it was still impossible to relax - right up until Christmas, modest dishes were seriously limited.

Go to church. Especially the pre-holiday Liturgy and Vespers. Still, no more effective way to tune your spirit in the right way has been invented. Tellingly, this Liturgy has existed almost since the 4th century from the birth of Christ and has practically not changed since that time.

Fortune-telling, as usual, was undesirable, but quite acceptable. Especially those that took place on the night from 6 to 7.

Carol. It was from the evening of Christmas Eve that this business could be dealt with officially. But how - this is already a topic for a separate article, since each Orthodox country had its own special traditions in this regard.

But it was possible to follow the folk signs. Still, this is not fortune-telling, but the quintessence of folk wisdom, which is extremely rarely wrong. So if the night before Christmas was clear and starry, then the summer will be generous.

Prepare gifts. Still, the coming Christmas is a family holiday, of which gifts are an integral part, especially from the point of view of children.

A lot of snow, a lot of frost and deeply frozen ground - to a rich harvest of bread.
If on January 6 the paths are black (the snow is loosely covering the ground or has melted), there will be a good harvest of buckwheat.
On Christmas Eve, the sun shines brightly - by the green year.
Snow on the ground is like manure for crops.
What is the frost on the trees that day, this will be the color on the bread.
How many days before Christmas the frost will happen, so many days before Midsummer (May 21) the weather will be favorable for spring crops.
If frost occurs before Christmas Eve, then bread must be sown before Peter's day (July 12), and if frost appears after Christmas Eve, then you can sow after Peter's day.
Starry sky on Christmas night - for an excellent harvest of peas.
If the stars in the sky shine on the night of January 6-7, there will be a lot of mushrooms and berries.
If there are few stars in the sky, then there will be few berries too.
The milky way is dim - to bad weather. If the Milky Way is bright and full of stars - sunny weather.

According to the church ordinance on the days of the co-workers - the Holy Father and the Holy One - the Orthodox Church is prescribed to eat contemporaneously.

How to use it:

1 cup wheat grains
100 g poppy seeds
100 g walnut kernels
1-3 tablespoons of honey
caxap to taste
optionally a handful of dried fruits.

You cannot eat meat and animal products on January 6, and on some days fish, wine and vegetable oil, because the Nativity Fast is still going on. On January 7, all bans are lifted.
On Holy evening, 12 lenten dishes are needed on the table, according to the number of the apostles. Fewer meals are not recommended.
One of the main prohibitions of Christmas is the fact that none of the dishes should be left untouched.
You cannot remove food from the table until the very beginning of Christmas on January 7th.
As with other religious holidays, you cannot work. Women are not allowed to sew, wash, clean, take out the trash from the house. For men, go hunting or fishing. This should be done ahead of time before the holiday.
In no case should you guess at Christmas. For this there is a special period from the 12th day of Christmas time to Epiphany.
On the holy holiday of Christmas, one should not swear, use foul language, especially at the table.
It is not customary to dine before the rising of the first star - a small snack is allowed only for children.
And one of the main prohibitions is that we must not forget about mercy and help those who, for whatever reason, are deprived of festive joys.

Christmas Eve is usually called Christmas Eve. Usually, Christians spend this evening in church, turning with prayer to God. For a long time, the most important thing to do at Christmas has been a thorough cleaning of the house. Christmas and Easter are those holidays that have been prepared with great care. On the eve, the dishes and floors were polished to a shine.
As well as today, a Christmas tree was considered a traditional decoration of the house. This is an invariable attribute of all New Year's holidays. What people of different Christian denominations do at Christmas is a little different. For example, among Catholics it is customary to hang pine wreaths on the front doors, or to decorate the walls with them.
Each holiday has its own symbols. Christmas trees, angels, and a donkey have become such attributes of Christmas. Of course, the most important symbol of this holiday will be a nursery with a baby. After all, Christmas itself is the birthday of Christ. For most Christians, candles are invariably lit. This adds a sense of mystery to the holiday. In addition, candles are analogous to the sun, they symbolize the light of Christ.
Speaking about what to do for Christmas, one cannot fail to mention the rich festive table. This holiday is preceded by a fast, during which all believers eat and do not allow any excesses in food. On January 7, at Christmas, the fast ends. Therefore, on this holiday, rich tables are laid and guests are invited. On such a day, it is considered necessary to treat all people who do not have the opportunity to celebrate the holiday so widely. You can not refuse food to any of the travelers passing by or from those who knocked on the door. This does not mean that Christmas is not Just you can endure a treat to everyone who needs it.
What do children do for Christmas? Many of them (and sometimes not only children, but also adults) go from door to door and recite Christmas poems or sing Christmas carols. They treat the owners with kutya - sweet rice porridge and congratulate them on the holiday. For this, the owners present them with sweets and money and treat them to pies and other delicious food.
Usually on this holiday it is customary to visit relatives, especially the elderly. It is necessary to wish them a Merry Christmas and inquire about their health. As a rule, food gifts are presented at Christmas. Be sure to carry kutya, sweets, jams and pickles. You can also give a toy, if it is a child, or some kind of winter accessory.
Christmas festivities are the most fun. Children and adults go sledding, play snowballs and have fun with all the heart. People go to visit each other, set rich tables. Everyone does this at Christmas.
But there is another holiday that precedes Christmas. It is a New Year. Considering that Christians have a fast at this time, those who keep it celebrate this holiday not so noisily. The rest are having fun on New Year's Eve. Many people wonder what to do for the new year? The answer is simple. Have fun. Call on your imagination and ingenuity to help you. Come up with contests with good prizes. Invite your friends over and set the table.

The greatest delight of the New Year's holidays, of course, is caused by children. What children do for Christmas and New Year if they don't have fun! This is the time for gifts and delicious treats, as well as outdoors and communication with peers. Therefore, New Year is the most favorite holiday for children. For adults, these are also desires and accomplishments. Usually this holiday is associated with new beginnings and even with a new life. Everyone makes wishes to the chimes and believes that they will definitely come true. In addition, this is a great occasion to see old acquaintances and relatives. These holidays can also be great with your family.

Christmas Eve is celebrated on January 6 (December 24, old style) each year. On this day before Christmas, the eve, or the eve of the holiday, Orthodox Christians are preparing for the great day.

Christmas Eve ends the 40-day Christmas (Filippov) fast. On this day, the main preparations for Christmas are made.
Other names of the holiday: Holy Eve, Somad, Eve of the Nativity of Christ, Kolyada, Christmas Eve.
The eve of the holiday is colloquially called Christmas Eve, or Nomad. This name comes from a special dish made from wheat, nuts and honey - sochi.
The tradition of eating this dish on the eve of Christmas was born in memory of Daniel and the three youths who, according to the Gospel, "ate from the seeds of the earth, so as not to be defiled by a pagan meal."
Christmas Eve Story
In the Orthodox Church, the celebration of the eve of the Nativity of Christ was established in the 4th century. In the 5th-8th centuries, sacred chants were written, which are used for Christmas services. At that time, the Royal Hours were celebrated in churches. At them it was customary to proclaim many years to the tsar, his house, and all Orthodox Christians.
The name of the holiday comes from the word "sychivo" or "sip". Both of these dishes were prepared on Christmas Eve. Juice consisted of soaked grains of wheat or barley, to which the juice of poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, mustard seeds, and nuts was added. Sochni - bread cakes in which holes were made for the eyes and used for fortune telling. They looked at the street through the mask. It was believed that if a good person passes, then the year will be successful, and if a bad one - on the contrary.

What is Christmas Eve?
Where did the name of this holiday come from? It turns out that from the word "soothing" - this is a dish that was specially prepared on this day for treating all the household. For this, the hostess soaked boiled cereal grains (wheat, barley, lentils, rice) in seed juice (poppy, almond or nut). The dish turned out to be lean. No oil was put into it. It was only allowed to add a spoonful of honey to make the food more nutritious. Sometimes it was replaced by kutya. People used to drink on this day in imitation of the biblical prophet Daniel. This parable refers to the Old Testament times. The pagan Julian the Apostate, wishing to poke fun at the believers fasting people, ordered all the food in the market to sprinkle the blood of animals sacrificed to idols. Then the prophet Daniel ordered his young novices to eat soaked grains and dried fruits. In this way, the believers were able to avoid accepting the defiled pagan meal.
Christmas Eve Traditions and Rites
Main traditions January 6 - 12 meatless dishes are prepared, the main of which is kutia; go to visit with treats; guess; use a talisman ("didukh").
- On Christmas Eve, Orthodox Christians attend church services: all-night vigil and liturgy.
- From the very morning, the hostesses carry out a thorough cleaning, throw out the trash, after which they begin to prepare a festive dinner. Traditionally, 12 meatless dishes are served at the table.
- In some houses, it is customary to pay special attention to the decoration of the Christmas table. The housewives cover it with a new tablecloth, under which they put a bunch of hay - a symbol of the manger. At the corners of the table, banknotes and cloves of garlic are placed, which symbolize the health and well-being of family members. An ax is placed under the table, on which the sitting people put their feet in order to have good health and spirit. Compositions of candles and fir branches are placed in the center.
- The meal begins with a prayer in which they glorify Christ, ask for prosperity and happiness for all present. First of all, they taste kutya, after which they proceed to the rest of the dishes.
- On Christmas Eve in the villages, young people gather in large companies, decorate their faces, put on fancy costumes, go home and sing carols. An important attribute of such an action is the Star of Bethlehem, which is made of colored paper and ribbons, and an icon is placed in the center. In ritual songs, it is customary to glorify Jesus Christ, the family of the owner of the house. Caroling people are presented with sweets, pastries and money.
- On the night of January 6-7, fortune-telling is widespread among young people.
- On Christmas Eve, you should ask for forgiveness from people who have been offended, forgive all your enemies.
Signs and sayings for Christmas Eve
- What the weather is on January 6, so will December.
- If on Christmas Eve the sky is abundantly strewn with stars, then a rich harvest should be expected this year.
- On the eve of the Nativity of Christ, it is customary to light candles in the house or light a fireplace in order to attract prosperity and good luck to the house.
- You must not wear old dark-colored clothes for a festive dinner, otherwise the year will pass in tears and difficulties.
- An even number of people must be present at the festive table. If it is odd, then the hostesses put one extra set of appliances.
- On Christmas Eve, you need to go outside and look at the sky. If you see a shooting star and make a wish, then it will certainly come true.
- If a blizzard broke out before Christmas Eve, the bees will swarm well.
- On a holiday, a wax candle was put on a table with a white tablecloth and lighted with the words: "Burn, candle, righteous sun, shine to the little souls in paradise and to us, alive, warm our mother earth, our cattle, our fields." If the light burns cheerfully, it means that the year will be successful and fruitful, if it blinks and trembles, you will have to tighten your belts tighter.
- On a holiday, frost on the trees - for good bread.
What you can eat on Christmas Eve
January 6 is the strictest day of the 40-day Nativity Fast. Believers are allowed to drink only water. For a meal, you can take after the ascent of the first star in the sky, after which it is allowed to eat soothing - wheat grains boiled in honey or boiled rice with raisins. In the folk tradition, it is customary to serve other lean dishes for dinner.
What not to do on Christmas Eve
Work is prohibited on the evening of Christmas Eve. On this holiday, you cannot quarrel and sort things out. It is not allowed to eat until the first star appears in the sky. You can't be greedy on this day.
Festive dinner
According to popular custom, the hostesses put 12 meatless dishes on the table, which personify the 12 apostles. The main dish is kutia (sochivo). It is cooked from whole grains of rice or wheat, with the addition of poppy seeds, honey, walnuts, dried apricots, prunes, and raisins. Also served on the table are baked fish, vegetable salads and stews, mushroom soup, lean borscht, donuts, pies, dumplings, cabbage rolls with mushrooms, pickles. For dessert, they eat rolls with poppy seeds and nuts, honey cakes, gingerbread cookies, berry and fruit jelly, apples baked with honey and nuts.
The traditional Christmas drink is an uzvar made from dried fruits and honey. The combination of kutya and uzvar on the tables is a symbol of the eternal life, birth and death of Jesus. No alcohol is consumed at dinner on Christmas Eve.

How to make it syrupy?
Our great-grandmothers knew what to cook for Christmas Eve. These ancient recipes for preparing Christmas meals have not been forgotten. And today, any housewife, if desired, will be able to cook juicy.
Here is the recipe for this dish:
- 1 faceted glass of wheat grains.
- 100 g of poppy seeds.
- 100 g of walnut kernels.
- 1 or 2 tablespoons of liquid honey.
- A little sugar.
Put the wheat grains in a wooden mortar and pound with a pestle until the shell of the grains comes off. In this case, you need to add a little warm boiled water to the mass. Then the husk is removed by washing the grains. Wheat is poured with water, put on fire and boiled until tender. It turns out a crumbly porridge. In a wooden mortar, pound the poppy in the same way until poppy milk appears. Add it to the porridge, put honey, sugar there and mix thoroughly. At the end, crushed walnut kernels are placed in the mass. It's juicy ready.
Festive service in the church
On the Eve of Christmas and Epiphany, a service is performed, consisting of the Great (Royal) Hours with the reading of the Gospel, a short succession of the "Pictorial" ones, during which the priests read the entrance prayers and vestments on the pulpit, and the Great Vespers with the reading of paremias in conjunction with the Liturgy of Basil the Great, on Epiphany Christmas Eve, at the end of the liturgy, after the prayer outside the ambo, the Great Blessing of Water is performed.
If Christmas Eve (both Christmas and Epiphany) falls on Saturday or Sunday, then the service of the Royal Hours with the Pictorial and Great Vespers is postponed to Friday, and in this case the Liturgy is not added to them (that is, the Liturgy is not performed on Friday in principle), on Christmas Eve itself, in this case, the liturgy of John Chrysostom is served (blessing of water on Epiphany Eve is still performed), and on the holiday itself (Christmas or Epiphany), in this case, the liturgy of Basil the Great is performed.
Birthday January 6
Eugene, Claudia, Innokenty, Nikolay, Artem, Sergey.

06.01.2013

Christmas Eve, or Christmas Eve, is one of the holidays that have been banned for many years. Therefore, it is quite natural that the traditions of celebrating Christmas Eve are largely forgotten by many. In fact, Christmas Eve is a noisy and cheerful holiday, comparable to the New Year.

From time immemorial, it was customary to celebrate the night before Christmas with the family, while an occasional guest and even a beggar could be seated at the table. It is unnecessary to arrange a magnificent celebration on Christmas Eve, but you still need to be ready for the visit of unexpected guests.

On the eve of Christmas, it is customary to cook a dish of wheat, rice, barley, peas, decorated with raisins, honey, dried apricots, poppy seeds, called kutia. This dish is accompanied by izvar, a drink made from dried fruits. Kutia and Izvar are considered traditional Christmas dishes, as each of its ingredients symbolizes something special. For example, a grain of wheat is a symbol of resurrected life, and honey personifies sweet life and health. On the night before Christmas, it is advisable to eat only light food, not drinking alcohol. According to old legends, on the night before Christmas, there should be at least 12 dishes on the table and the number of guests should be even.

After distributing gifts, the whole family can go outside to play snowballs, launch fireworks, ride a slide and sing funny songs. When leaving the house, bring something from food for stray animals - they say that they also need to be congratulated on Christmas.

Since ancient times, the belief has been preserved that on the night before Christmas two forces dominate: good and evil. Whichever of them a person leans towards, she will perform miracles with him on this magical night. It is believed that the power of good calls for the celebration of the birth of Christ at the Christmas table, calls people to sing carols, festive chants, and the evil power gathers all kinds of evil spirits, witches and devilry for the Sabbath. In the evening, “kolyada” - young people in disguise, begins to walk around the villages. They knock on houses, sing songs and honor the owners. The thresholds of houses are usually sprinkled with grain, which indicates that the carols wish the owners wealth and good luck. For this, the owners should treat the singers with various delicacies, cookies, sweets.

On Christmas Eve, you need to closely observe nature. If the sky is abundantly strewn with stars, it is snowing, or there is a lot of frost on the trees, then the year will be rich, profitable and satisfying.

The girls are looking forward to Christmas night to find out their future. Christmas fortune-telling is considered the most truthful, especially if it is done exactly at midnight.

Fortune-telling by the ring is considered a favorite girlish fortune-telling. For him you need half a glass of water, a thin woolen thread through which a wedding ring is pulled. The ends of the string should be tied together and the wedding ring should be held above the water in a glass. Then you need to say the following words: "Ring, ring give me an answer, will I marry at how old?" The ring begins to swing and knock on the walls of the glass. It is necessary to count until the ring stops by itself.

Three bean pods, hidden under a pillow on Christmas Eve, will tell you what a girl's married life will be like. If in the morning she pulls out a full pod first, life will be like a full bowl. Empty - the other half will be mean, and the middle half will be average.

To entertain guests, you can tell fortunes from a biscuit. When baking, you can put pennies and sweets or fruits in any cake. Whoever gets a coin in the pie will have a profitable year, who has a sweet filling - a carefree life.

It so happened historically that the bright holiday of Christmas is closely intertwined with pagan Christmas festivities. Traditions are intertwined and it is already impossible to understand what came from where. But this does not prevent us from preparing for the holiday with pleasure and waiting with trepidation for the night before Christmas.

The day of intensive preparation for the feast of the Nativity of Christ is considered to be Christmas Eve - the eve of the great holiday that begins on January 7 for Orthodox Christians.

According to the Gospel tradition, when the Roman emperor Augustus, who ruled Judea, announced a population census and everyone had to register exactly where they came from, righteous Joseph went with the Blessed Virgin Mary betrothed to him to his hometown of Bethlehem. There were no empty seats in the hotel, so Joseph and Maria found shelter in a cave, where they drove their pets (in Old Slavic - nativity scene). The Savior was born in this den. The Mother of God put the baby in a nursery. The first to worship the incarnate God were the shepherds, notified by the Angel. After them came the Magi (Eastern sages-pagans), who learned about the miracle that had happened by the appearance of an unusual star in the sky. This star led the Magi to the place of Jesus' birth and therefore is called Bethlehem.

It is customary for Orthodox Christians to spend Christmas Eve - the night before Christmas - in the church for prayers. Preparing for the Christmas holidays, one important rule was strictly observed in Russia - carefully cleaned the house. Well, maybe not as thoroughly as for Easter, but all the same they scrubbed the floors, rubbed pots and pans to a shine, cleaned the silverware. Houses and churches at Christmas are decorated with fir trees and coniferous branches, symbolizing eternal life, and the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree is associated with the image of a paradise tree teeming with fruits. The traditional Christmas colors are red and green, and you can rely on them to create a festive mood. Favorite symbolism of the holiday - angels, donkeys, nursery with a baby, star of bethlehem... It is customary for Catholics to hang Christmas wreaths made of straw and pine needles on walls and doors; we have more Christmas tree bouquets that have taken root. Candles should be present in the decoration of the house. They give a special comfort and charm to the whole atmosphere of the New Year's holiday, symbolizing the Sun, and Christmas candles - the light of Christ. In Russia, for the New Year and for Christmas, special thick candles were made, which were lit in the evening and burned until the end of the next day.

Although Christmas is a purely family holiday, it is considered a great sin to refuse treats to disadvantaged people who happened to be nearby... Of course, calling them to the home table may not be worth it, but it’s not hard to take a few pies and a handful of sweets to the nearest church. Or handing out chocolates to the neighbors' kids is also not a burden. Especially elderly relatives should call and inquire about their health. Traditionally, edible gifts were presented at Christmas, not only in the Orthodox, but also in the Catholic world: homemade sweets, jars of pickles, and cakes are also suitable. Any toys and souvenirs, winter accessories like mittens or scarves and other little things are suitable from inedible.

The 40-day Christmas fast (28.11-6.01), intense prayer brought Orthodox people closer to the great celebration. According to strict rules, believers are advised to refuse food until the first star. Only with the appearance of the first star - the symbol of the star of Bethlehem - can you taste the juicy(a lean dish most often made from wheat or rice with honey and fruit). Hence the name of this day - Christmas Eve. Juice was called not only porridge and all lean food, but also juice; or, as they used to say, "milk" of different seeds: poppy, hemp, sunflower, mustard, nut, almond and others. This "milk" was used to season cereals during the 40-day Philip Lent before Christmas and on Christmas Eve.

Insofar as Fasting ends on January 7 and you should probably break your fast on a grand scale. There should be plenty of meat, fish, wine and sweets on the Christmas table. Traditional dishes for this holiday are jellied meat, dumplings, baked pig with horseradish, cabbage soup, pies with meat, rice or jam. Before a gala dinner, they used to serve "fat kutya" - loose rice or wheat porridge with raisins and honey, poured with melted butter.

They say that on Christmas night it is imperative to wear something new, and if there is none, then at least one piece of white. In addition, it is known that right after Christmas comes Christmastide, when you can dress up in all sorts of carnival costumes.

Until the first star on Christmas Eve, they usually sit in silence and think... Fortunately, in winter, the first star in the sky appears quite early, at about half past five in the evening. Then you have to sit down at the table, have a drink, have a snack and go out into the street in an amicable way - sing songs, play snowballs and ride a sled. Fiery fun such as fireworks and fireworks and bypassing neighbors in order to invite them to have fun are encouraged.

In the churches in the evening hours there was a solemn service, and those who did not go to the service were preparing for the rising of the star at home. By this time, all family members were dressed in a festive way and got together, the table was covered with a snow-white tablecloth, served with the best dishes, cutlery, and filled with traditional dishes... There were 13 dishes, an even number of people had to sit at the table. In the case when an odd number was collected, one free device was fed. Under the tablecloth, hay was spread over the entire surface of the table, symbolizing the hay on which the newborn Christ lay in the manger. The table was decorated with spruce branches, candles, ribbons. In the center of the table was a composition of spruce branches, candles and other Christmas attributes. A lovingly decorated Christmas tree was installed in the corner of the room or in its center, a gift was placed under it for everyone present. In peasant families, in anticipation of the star, everyone read a prayer together, the elders told the children about the birth of Christ, about the wise men who brought gifts.

The children were eagerly awaiting the appearance of the first star, their joyful message about her appearance was the signal to start the meal. The meal began with a common prayer, then the most revered female family member (usually the hostess of the house) congratulated everyone on the holiday. For Catholics, the ceremony began with the exchange of a wafer - a symbol of bread, wealth and prosperity. The mistress of the house first shared the wafer with her husband, then with her sons by seniority, then with her daughters by seniority, with grandchildren and everyone else. This ceremony ended when all those present exchanged wafers, wishing each other a Merry Christmas, forgiving all offenses. It was a moment of universal reconciliation.

On Christmas Eve they cooked kutya for Orthodox Christians, Bigilia for Catholics... They cooked kutya from wheat, peas, rice, peeled barley. Seasoned with honey, poppy seed, hemp, sunflower or other vegetable oil. Grain was a symbol of resurrecting life, and honey or sweet seasoning meant the sweetness of the blessings of a future blissful life. Christmas kutya was prepared lean. But on the second day of Christmas they cooked "Baba's porridge", or "Babka's kutya". In ancient times, such porridge was usually brought as a gift to the house where a newborn was born. In contrast to the Christmas lean kutya, "grandma's porridge" was cooked by the "rich".

The order of food intake was regulated by strict rules: first, snacks (herring, fish, salads) were served, then red (slightly warmed up) borscht, mushroom or fish soup. Ears or pies with mushrooms were served with borscht, mushroom soup, and for the Orthodox juices - flour cakes fried in hemp oil. At the end of the meal, sweet dishes were served on the table: roll with poppy seeds, gingerbread cookies, honey cakes, cranberry jelly, dried fruit compote, apples, nuts.

At the table, everyone had to taste all the dishes prepared. The manifestation of their individual tastes was not allowed. Such a requirement is a good educational moment for children. The meal was non-alcoholic. All dishes were lean, fried and seasoned with vegetable oil, no meat base, no milk and sour cream. Hot dishes were not served so that the hostess was constantly at the table.

During the meal, a casual conversation was conducted only about good deeds. Despite the fact that it was a purely family holiday, it was considered necessary to invite lonely acquaintances, neighbors (regardless of their religion) to the table. Every occasional guest, including the beggar, sat down at the table. There was a belief that on this day God could appear in the form of a beggar. In general, all religious holiday traditions were aimed at strengthening humanism, a benevolent attitude towards each other and towards the environment. On Christmas Eve, the owner congratulated pets on the holiday, treats were brought out to homeless animals (a bowl of food was put on the porch, outside the threshold).

Then the funniest part of Christmas Eve began - the distribution of gifts. If there were children in the house, one of the household members changed into Santa Claus - Saint Nicholas. He also brought gifts in a bag. Distributing them, he expressed his wishes in accordance with the necessary requirements for the recipient. It was a good educational moment for children; in relation to adults, it was colored with a grain of joke. Generally most of the traditions and rituals of Christmas were aimed at fostering self-discipline in children, attention to those present, observance and participation in the ritual side, patience, endurance... This was one of the few cases when children sat down at the table with adults. As for gifts, it was a good custom to give them to each other, moreover, gifts made with your own hands were appreciated. They were elegantly decorated with colored paper, spruce twigs, ribbons. The content of the gifts should have been a surprise. Everything was covered with mystery and cheered up. The gifts unfolded immediately, joy and gratitude to the hostess and each other overwhelmed the hearts of everyone.

It was on this night before Christmas, according to popular belief, that two forces dominate: good and evil. Whichever person adhered to, she worked miracles with him. One invited to sing carols and glorify the birth of Christ at the festive table, and the other gathered witches for the Sabbath. In the evening, a kolyada (gate) went from house to house - guys in disguise in turned-out fur coats and with animal masks on their faces. They magnified the owners, not sparing generous words. Signs: "If it is snowy on Christmas Eve, there will be a harvest for bread." It was believed that on this day, the last before Christmas, snowfall is a sure sign of the prosperity of the economy in the new year. And if it's frosty that day, there will be advice and love in the family. Of course, these signs and prejudices are just "echoes" of pagan celebrations and traditions that have nothing to do with the essence of the great Christian holiday.

The feast of Christmas, according to the teaching of the Church, symbolizes reconciliation of man with God... This is one of the days when we experience an encounter with God with the greatest depth and joy. Christmas foreshadows the redemptive feat of Christ and the renewal of human nature, afflicted by the fall of the forefathers.

Traditions of celebrating Orthodox Christmas in the countries of the world

Among the peoples of Europe, the days of Christmas celebrations coincided with the twelve-day cycle of pagan festivals dedicated to the winter solstice, which marked the beginning of a new life and the renewal of nature (Saturnalia among the Romanic peoples, winter Christmastide among the Russians, kolyada among the Ukrainians, etc.). Therefore, in different countries, the Christmas holiday has absorbed many of the rites and customs of these festivals. These include carols - costumed processions with a star and chants, an evening meal on Christmas Eve, consisting of 12 lenten dishes. Ukraine

In Ukraine the celebration of Christmas begins on Holy Evening - January 6th. The evening meal on the eve of Christmas is accompanied by many traditions and rituals. On the eve of Christmas, the church prescribed a strict fast - the whole day before Christmas, believers were not allowed to eat or drink. Supper on Holy evening was for them the first meal that day - it was the end of the 40-day pre-Christmas fast. One could sit down at the table with the appearance of the first star in the sky, in memory of the Star of Bethlehem, which announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds.

The main dishes for the Ukrainian Holy Evening are “kutya - wheat or rice porridge with honey, poppy seeds and raisins, and uzvar - dried fruit compote. In total, there should be 12 lenten dishes on the table on Holy Evening, among which in the old days they cooked lean borsch with mushrooms, peas, skits, fish dishes, dumplings with cabbage, buckwheat porridge, cabbage rolls with rice, lean pancakes, mushrooms, pies.

On the first day of Christmas - January 7, they hardly visited. Only married children (with a daughter-in-law or son-in-law) had to visit their parents in the afternoon, they said that they were taking "dinner for grandfather." For a long time in Ukraine on Christmas caroling - singing carols. Carols - the majestic ritual songs of the winter cycle - are popular in modern Ukraine as well.

Christmas fortune-telling is also common among young people. In Ukraine, it is believed that it is on the "holy" days that the future can be most accurately predicted. Therefore, girls take advantage of the moment and try to predict their fate.

In Belarus As in Ukraine, Orthodox Christmas is celebrated as a public holiday. Christmas Eve or the Eve of the Nativity of Christ is celebrated on January 6th. The name "Christmas Eve" comes from a special food prescribed for this day by the church charter - soycha: soaked and boiled grains of wheat or rice, often with honey, as well as beans, peas and vegetables.

According to tradition, the Christmas Eve dinner is a lavish but lenten 12-course dinner in honor of the twelve apostles. On this day, upon arrival from the temple after the morning service, believers refrain from eating until the first star appears in the sky, which symbolizes the star that ascended over Bethlehem at the time of the birth of Christ.

On the night of January 6-7, Christmas services are held in Orthodox churches. Traditionally, since pre-Christian times in Belarus, January 6-7 - First Kolyada - the end of the six-day fast, the beginning of holidays and evenings. This holiday is known to everyone under the name "Big kutia", which was celebrated in honor of the winter solstice (December 24, old style).

The second kutia (Generous or Rich Kutia) was celebrated a week later, in anticipation of the New Year on December 31, old style. The third Kutya completed the Kolyada holidays on January 6, according to the old style. Russia

It looks like a celebration of Christmas and in Russia... Christmas is preceded by Christmas Eve. According to the monastery charter, on this day, it was supposed to eat only boiled wheat (or rice) with honey at the meal. The name of the holiday comes from this dish.

On the day before Christmas, food and drink could not be consumed until the first star. As soon as the star appeared in the sky, the pre-holiday supper began. The table was covered with a clean tablecloth, and they ate in solemn and strict silence. According to a long-standing tradition, there must be 12 dishes on the Christmas table.

From time immemorial, on Christmastide in Russia, it has been customary to dress up, arrange fun games, walk from house to house, wake up sleeping people, congratulate everyone they meet with the turn of the sun for the summer, and later, after the adoption of Christianity, Merry Christmas, joke and sing songs. The carols ended with general fun, roller coasters, and a general feast.

In Armenia Christmas is celebrated on January 6, and the Baptism of Christ is also celebrated on the same day. Preparations for Christmas begin on the evening of January 5, when the Christmas Eve Liturgy is served. On this day, believers light a candle in the church and carry it home to illuminate the house and prepare for the feast of the Nativity of Christ. The next day, January 6, the Christmas liturgy is served in the morning. Further, the feast of the baptism of Christ is carried out with the ceremony of blessing the water.

Traditionally, at Christmas in Armenia, rice pilaf with raisins, fish and red wine are served on the table.

In Georgia On Christmas Day, believers perform the Alilo procession in accordance with a tradition that has a long history. The main protagonists of the festive procession are those who carry the good news. They are dressed in white robes and with songs they notify all passers-by about the birth of the Savior.

In Serbia and Montenegro Christmas Eve, January 6, is called "Badnidan". Among religious holidays, it occupies an honorable second place after Easter, but among family holidays, Christmas for Serbs comes first. Nativity of Christ in Montenegro (the so-called Bozic) is a holiday for parents and children.

On this day, before sunrise, the head of the family and his eldest son, with a shot from a gun in front of the house, announce that they will go to the forest for the "badnyak". Badnyak is a log of felled young oak, which every Serbian family must have in their home during the Christmas holidays. The log is chosen of such a size and weight so that the head of the family himself, on his shoulders, can bring it into the house. According to tradition, it should burn in the family hearth during all three days of the holiday.

At dawn, the family members who stayed in the house kindle a fire and begin to roast a piglet specially fed for Christmas on a spit - "liver", women prepare Christmas cake, cakes and other dishes.

Dinner should be fast on the night before Christmas. At dawn, church bells ring, people put on festive clothes and go to church for the Christmas liturgy. After the service, a prosphora is taken into the house. All greet each other with the words: "Christ was born!", And in response they hear: "Truly was born!" This greeting is observed until the Feast of the Epiphany (January 19).

All family members are treated to hot rakia and dry fruits in anticipation of Christmas dinner. Then the owner brings the liver onto the table. The liver should bring health and well-being to the home. Sauerkraut, stewed cabbage with smoked pork meat, pie with kaymak, "prebranats" - boiled beans with vegetable oil and onions, etc. are served from the dishes to the table.

The culmination of the Christmas celebration is the refraction of pogachi, a homemade Christmas flat cake made from unleavened dough. In the morning, the hostess kneads the pie dough and puts a gold or silver coin into it.

The owner cuts off the left side of the liver, takes the heart out of it and distributes it piece by piece to all family members, who immediately eat it. Before dinner begins, the owner of the house lights a candle on the table, or a censer, and carries them around the icons and everyone present, and the children carry the censer around the house. Then everyone sings the festive troparion or Our Father.

Then it's time to break the pogachu. It is first twisted in a circle, then an incision is made in the form of a cross and wine is poured into the resulting cut, only after that it breaks. Everyone gets a piece of the pie, and the one in whose piece the coin is found will be happy for a whole year.

In cities where there are no open hearths, stoves and badnyak, small “bouquets” of oak branches tied with a bundle of straw are sold in the markets and on the streets before the holiday.

In Albania a significant percentage of the population in the country professes the Orthodox type of Christianity, so Christmas is celebrated quite widely. All the attributes characteristic of the holiday are present - a tree, gifts, feasts. The holiday is celebrated on January 7th.

Greek Christmas (Christogenna) has also absorbed popular superstitions and folk beliefs. Carols are common on Christmas Eve. Greek children go from house to house and sing songs announcing the coming of the Savior.

Christmas in Greece is celebrated with the family, the main part of the holiday is the plentiful table. According to Orthodox tradition, Christmas is preceded by a fast of several weeks.

Greece is one of the few countries that has its own malevolent Christmas perfume. Legend has it that callikanzaros, malevolent elves with an unpleasant appearance, bring chaos to the house for 12 days after Christmas. Protection from spirits is granted by burning incense or a small offering. Also in many families, a small wooden cross is decorated with basil and dipped in a flat bowl of water. According to legend, water becomes holy after this procedure, and then it is sprayed in the corners of the house to scare away evil spirits.