What is Christmas: the history of the holiday, traditions. Christmas traditions of Ancient Russia

The history of Christmas for children

Khamidulina Almira Idrisovna, primary school teacher, MBOU progymnasium "Kristina", Tomsk.
Purpose: This material will be of interest to teachers, educators in preparation for the Christmas holidays.
Target: Introduction to the history of Christmas.
Tasks: to develop interest in the history of the emergence of the Christmas holiday, to cultivate respect for folk traditions.
Before Christmas
Valentin Berestov
"And why are you, my stupid baby,
Nose pressed against the glass
Sitting in the dark and looking
In an empty frosty haze?
Come with me there
Where the star shines in the room
Where bright candles
balloons, gifts
Decorated Christmas tree in the corner!
"No, soon a star will light up in the sky.
She'll bring you here tonight
as soon as Christ is born
(Yes, yes, right to these places!
Yes, yes, right in this frost!),
Eastern kings, wise magi,
To praise the Christ child.
And I have already seen the shepherds through the window!
I know where the barn is! I know where the ox is!
And the donkey walked along our street!
One of the main holidays of Christians, the second after Easter, is considered Nativity, which is celebrated on January 7. On this day, an amazing event took place - the Son of God Jesus Christ was born. In an old cave intended for a stall, among straw and hay scattered for bedding and feed for livestock, far from permanent residence, among strangers, on a cold winter night, in an environment devoid of not only earthly grandeur, but even ordinary convenience - the God-Man was born , Savior of the world. He came to earth to save our souls.
Our Lord, Jesus Christ, was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary during the time of Emperor Augustus in the city of Bethlehem. Augustus ordered a national census to be made. The Jews had a custom of conducting national censuses by tribes, tribes and clans, each tribe and clan had its own specific cities and ancestral places, therefore the Blessed Virgin and Righteous Joseph, as descended from the family of David, had to go to Bethlehem (city of David) to add their names to the list of Caesar's subjects.
In Bethlehem, they did not find a single free place in the city hotels. But in the middle of the midnight silence, when all mankind was enveloped in the deepest sleep, the shepherds, who were on night guard at their flock, heard the news of the Nativity of the Savior of the world. An Angel of the Lord appeared before them and said: “Do not be afraid: behold, I bring you great joy, will be for all people, as if today the Savior was born to you, Who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David, ”and the humble shepherds were the first to bow for the sake of saving people to the One who descended to“ the servant of the eye.

In addition to the angelic gospel, the Nativity of Christ was announced by a miraculous star to the magi "star-talkers".

There was no holiday more cheerful and spacious in Russia than Christmas. The feast of Christmas itself anticipates a six-week fast. The evening of the previous day is Christmas Eve, and it is he who is celebrated. On Christmas Eve, everyone fasts until evening, until the first star appears. January 6 is the last day of the Nativity Fast for the Orthodox. This fast is also called Phillipov, and it lasts 40 days. The main goal of the Advent is to spiritually cleanse a person in order to celebrate Christmas with a pure soul. The rules of abstinence prescribed by the Church during the Nativity Fast are just as strict as the Peter's Fast. Meat, butter, milk, eggs are prohibited. In addition, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of Advent, fish, wine, and oil are forbidden by the charter, and food without oil is allowed only after Vespers. On other days - Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday - it is allowed to eat food with vegetable oil. Fish during the Nativity Fast is allowed on Saturdays and Sundays and great holidays, for example, on the feast of the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, on temple holidays and on the days of the great saints, if these days fall on Tuesday or Thursday. If the holidays fall on Wednesday or Friday, then fasting is allowed only for wine and oil.
The table on which the food is served is covered with straw or hay. This is reminiscent of the manger in which the Savior was placed. The most important dishes on Christmas Eve are kutya and vzvar. Boiled grains of wheat or barley were used to make kutya, later it was made from rice; from apples, pears, plums, raisins, cherries and other fruits boiled in water, they prepared a boil. 12 days after Christmas last Holy days (Christmas). In the evening around Christmas, carolers go and sing songs about how Christ was born. The main purpose of caroling is to wish happiness, wealth and a good harvest. Sometimes carolers carry a star with them as a reminder of that star.
Christmas- the day of reconciliation, kindness, peacefulness, the day of the glorification of Christ. Church services are held everywhere on Christmas Eve. All the candlesticks are burning, the chandelier is burning, the choir performs the doxology.

In the old days, when the clock struck midnight, everyone exchanged gifts, congratulated each other, made wishes. It was believed that at Christmas the sky opens up to the earth, and the forces of heaven fulfill everything planned, while the wishes must be necessarily good.
For the first time, they began to decorate a Christmas tree for Christmas in Germany in the 16th century. On Christmas Eve, the Christmas tree was placed in the church choirs and decorated with apples. As time passed, other decorations were added, each of which made sense. Fruits symbolized redemption, unleavened dough cakes - communion, apples - fertility, eggs - well-being and harmony, nuts - the incomprehensibility of Divine Providence. In memory of the star of Bethlehem, the top of the Christmas tree was decorated with an eight-pointed star, which showed the way to the Magi who went to bow to the newborn Savior. Candles and lanterns were symbols of the stars and bonfires that illuminated the path of the shepherds on that Holy Night. The bells on the Christmas tree reminded of those that the shepherds hung to their sheep. Gradually, believers replaced spruce branches in their homes with whole trees, decorated in the manner described above.

God's tree
G. Heine
bright star rays
The sky is blue.
- Why, tell me, mom,
Brighter in the sky of stars shine
On Christmas night?
Like a tree in the mountains
Lit this midnight
And diamond lights
And the radiance of radiant stars
Is she all decorated?
- True, my son, in God's sky
On the night of the present saint
Christmas tree lit for the world
And full of wonderful gifts
For the family, she is human.
Look how bright the stars are
Shine the world there, far away:
Holy gifts shine in them -
For people - goodwill,
Peace and truth are for the earth.

Christmas is one of the brightest and most beautiful days of the year. Perhaps, no other holiday has such a rich and mysterious history. And, perhaps, no other holiday brings together representatives of different religions and nationalities so strongly.
The origins of the Nativity of Christ are hidden in an even more ancient holiday, Theophany, which was dedicated to the birth of the baby Jesus. Epiphany Day began to be celebrated in the second century in Egypt. By the 4th century, the tradition had spread to the eastern countries, and a century later it also came to the West. It is curious that the Day of Theophany was dedicated to three events in the life of Jesus: his birth, the appearance of the Magi with gifts before him, and baptism in the Jordan River.
Christmas as a separate holiday began to be celebrated only at the end of the 5th century.
According to the Gregorian calendar, Christmas falls on December 25th. It is on this day that the holiday is celebrated by representatives of the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. The Orthodox Church still does not recognize the Gregorian calendar, so Christmas is celebrated according to the New Julian calendar, two weeks later, on the night of January 6-7.

Christmas events

All the events of the birth of baby Jesus, a descendant of King David and the Messiah, are described in detail in the Gospel of Matthew. In his gospel commentary, New Testament scholar Barclay claims that Mary and Joseph, the parents of Jesus, were on their way to Bethlehem for the census. Unable to find a place in the hotel, they decided to spend the night in a cave, not far from the city. When Mary went into labor, Joseph ran to the city for help. But, returning with the doctor, he saw that his wife had already given birth. Thus, a man was born who became the central figure of Christianity.

Symbols of the Nativity

The birth of a new Prophet and King of Judea was announced to the whole world by the Star of Bethlehem, which showed the Magi the way to little Jesus. Some researchers claim that the Star of Bethlehem is Halley's comet, which swept through the sky on the night when Jesus Christ was born. That is why the Star of Bethlehem is one of the main symbols of the holiday and can often be seen on icons depicting the baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
Another important attribute of the holiday is the Christmas tree. When the king of Judah learned of the birth of Jesus, he ordered that all male babies born that day be killed. Mary, saving the baby Jesus from death, goes to Egypt. For the night they hid in a cave, and the entrance to it was closed with spruce branches. That is why spruce is still a symbol of Christmas, because spruce branches saved the life of little Jesus.

Who celebrates Christmas?

Christmas is celebrated by representatives of the Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches. For Muslims, Christmas is a completely different holiday that lasts 7 days. Today, Christmas is an official holiday and a day off in many countries of the world, including Russia.

Christmas is a special holiday. And even people who have never crossed the threshold of the church are enthusiastically preparing for its celebration. And for true Christians, this is one of the most significant church holidays. According to tradition, the holiday is celebrated on a grand scale. But few people know why the Orthodox celebrate Christmas on January 7th. Since there are other dates for the holiday, and Christmas falls on different dates for Catholics and Orthodox.

The story of the miraculous birth of God's baby is well known to every believer.

The Holy Virgin Mary gave birth to him, without experiencing torment and fear. The event took place in Bethlehem. This city in the kingdom of Octavia, where at that time the census of the entire population took place, belonged to the family of David.

Therefore, all who belonged to this oldest family were forced to appear for the census. The Virgin Mary and her husband, the righteous Joseph, were no exception.

Despite the pregnancy of the wife, who conceived immaculately, the family came to Bethlehem in the evening.

But, unfortunately, there were no places in the hotel for the couple. And they had to seek refuge in the cold night in the caves. In the place that was intended for the cattle stall, many people have already found shelter.

But Mary and Joseph did not join them, but found a secluded corner for themselves. It was here that Mary began giving birth. The Virgin Mary gave birth to a beautiful baby who was destined to change the fate of millions of people. To warm the baby, a caring woman put him in a manger with sheep.

The shepherds were the first to know that the Savior had come into the world. They were informed about this by an angel descending to earth. The shepherds immediately went to bow to the baby.

But the rising Star of Bethlehem told the wise men of the East about the good news.

She showed the Magi the way to the cave, where they brought for the Savior a gift of gold and incense: frankincense and myrrh.

The news about the birth of the Savior was not joyful for everyone. It was predicted to King Herod that a boy who was born would bring him death. Therefore, he decided to find and kill the baby. Since he did not know the exact whereabouts of the boy, the king ordered that all male infants under the age of two be killed.

The Son of God managed to escape, but on the orders of Herod, 14,000 babies were killed.

They were martyred, not yet knowing that the sacrifice was made to the future Savior.

The Orthodox holiday of the Nativity of Christ has become for believers a reminder of the miraculous appearance of the Savior, of the beginning of a new era of faith and hope.

Ask your acquaintances, friends, when the Orthodox celebrate Christmas, and you will hear the statement that January 7, and the answer will be, oddly enough, not entirely correct.

After all, there are Orthodox churches that celebrate Christmas on December 25th. And there are not few of them, but 10 of the 15 that exist today.

In addition, there are Catholic churches that celebrate Christmas together with Orthodox Christians on January 7th. Why is there such confusion with the day of the Catholic and Orthodox Christmas.

To understand, you have to look into history.

And here, oddly enough, there is no definite answer, since the real date of the birth of Christ has not been established.

Familiar to many, January 6 was long celebrated as the Day of Epiphany, since this event was considered more important in the life of Christians.

When the question arose about the birth of Christ, it was calculated based on the date of the news of the conception of God, which falls on March 25 according to the old style.

In addition, on December 25, many Western countries celebrated a pagan holiday dedicated to the god Saturn.

It was convenient for the Roman church to proclaim Christmas on this date. Such a substitution helped to eradicate pagan holidays, more familiar to people at that time.

The Church of Constantinople joined the celebration of Christmas in the century.

Therefore, Orthodox Christmas was celebrated on December 25 for a long time. And this state of affairs remained literally until the beginning of the 20th century.

In Russia, at that time, a decision was made to switch to the Gregorian calendar, according to which European countries have been living for more than one year. But the church does not support such a decision.

Therefore, the church calendar of the Russian church is calculated according to the Julian calendar.

And the dates of the holidays have been preserved precisely in accordance with the old style.

According to the Gregorian calendar, the dates of the holidays have shifted by 13 days.

Therefore, it turns out that Christmas according to the Orthodox calendar is still celebrated today on December 25, but according to the Julian calendar, which corresponds to January 7 according to the calendar more familiar to the inhabitants.

These are parishioners of the Russian, Serbian, Georgian, Belarusian and Jerusalem Churches.

Since 2014, the Polish Orthodox Church has also joined them.

Together with them, Ukrainian Greek Catholics also celebrate Christmas, but against the backdrop of recent events, the question of postponing the date of Christmas celebrations has begun to be raised.

The date of the celebration of Orthodox Christmas also coincides with the day of the holiday for some Protestants who adhere to the Julian calendar. On the same day, Athos elders celebrate Christmas. So it is difficult to give an unambiguous answer on what date Orthodox Christmas is.

Orthodox Christmas: Celebration and Traditions of Orthodox Christmas

Christmas is an Orthodox holiday, and believers experience a meeting with Christ especially sharply and deeply on this day. This is the moment when the awareness of the roots and traditions of the celebration takes place joyfully and colorfully. The holiday gives warmth and faith, kindles light in the souls of people.

Before the birth of Christ, people were far from God and there was simply no opportunity to meet the Creator.

Therefore, God was forced to overcome the line that separates mortal and sinful people from eternal and joyful life, which was manifested by the appearance of God in the form of a man. He sent his son to the people, who was supposed to tell people about the Kingdom of God and lead them to faith. It is this meeting that the Orthodox celebrate at Christmas.

Orthodox fasting precedes the holiday - before Christmas, Christians adhere to Filippov or. Lent begins on November 28 and lasts until Christmas. The forty-day fast ends on Christmas morning.

The celebration begins on Christmas Eve. Families sit down to dinner only after the appearance of the first star.

Before that, on January 6, it is not supposed to eat. There should be on the tables, each of which has its own meaning and importance. Sochivo is considered the main dish, hence the name Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve begins Christmas time, which lasts another two weeks. Christmas time ends with another important holiday - Water Baptism, which is celebrated by the Orthodox on January 19 or January 13 according to the old style.

All night before Christmas there are festive services in churches. And on the morning of January 7, it is necessary to break the fast, as fasting ends.

Traditionally, rich tables are set for Christmas with, and,.

People congratulate relatives, relatives and just acquaintances on the holiday. Orthodox congratulations on the New Year and Christmas carry good thoughts and wishes of faith.

Churches and houses are necessarily decorated with coniferous branches and other Christmas paraphernalia. Be sure to put up a Christmas tree, which is supposed to be decorated with bright toys, tinsel, lights. This tradition is connected with the origin of the tree of paradise and the "paradise" apples on it.

The Christmas carols are especially interesting. Children and young people from the evening begin to go from house to house with good wishes.

In some villages, when the Orthodox celebrate Christmas, traditions of arranging nativity scenes have been preserved. Figures are attached to a wooden box. With the help of these figurines, the participants of the nativity scene show a biblical story related to the birth of Christ. They sing songs, read carols.

In gratitude, the owners thank them with sweets, sweets, sausage, money.

Be sure to give Orthodox gifts for Christmas. This tradition is associated with the wish of good, wealth, happiness to relatives, friends, dear people.

Gifts are placed under the Christmas tree or laid out in special boots and socks.

The holiday is always fun and joyful. With feasts, songs, dances, congratulations and gifts. Therefore, the Christmas holiday is very loved by both children and adults, and even by those who are indifferent or skeptical about Orthodox traditions.

Video: Orthodox stories for children

Watch the video cartoon about the Nativity of Christ

There is a day in the year when there is boundless joy in the world. It seems that the heavens are descending, and everything earthly is dissolved in them. In a single impulse, the angels rejoice and people rejoice. The reason for this joy was announced more than two thousand years ago by an angel to the shepherds of Bethlehem: “I bless you that today in the city of David the Son of God, the Savior of the world, was born.” This event laid the foundation for the salvation of mankind by the incarnate Christ.

The history of the holiday
It is known from the Gospel story that the Mother of God came to Bethlehem on the eve of the birth of the Son. Together with her betrothed Joseph, she participated in the census of citizens. Bethlehem is a small city, there were not enough places in the hotel for everyone. Therefore, Mary and Joseph stopped for the night in a cave. There were many such places in those parts - shepherds drove cattle there for the night. On the same night, Christ was born. The baby was placed in a manger - a feeder for livestock. The shepherds were the first to bow to the incarnate God.

The Magi also came to bow to the Savior. These wise men lived far to the east. They foresaw the birth of the Messiah, and when they saw a guiding star in the sky, they went after it. This star in Christian history is called Bethlehem. The Magi had to cross the borders of several states before they came to the poor Bethlehem manger. The sages brought gold, frankincense and myrrh as a gift to the Divine Infant.

These gifts that got the name "Gifts of the Magi" , have a deep symbolic meaning:
gold- symbolized as an offering to the King, because Jesus was incarnated to become the king of the earth;
incense- a priestly symbol, because by his earthly ministry Christ became the High Priest;
myrrh- they anointed the body of a dead person with it, in the Christmas story it became a symbol and an indication of the atoning sacrifice of Christ for all mankind.

For the first time, Christians began to celebrate this holiday only in the 4th century. Prior to this, the event of the birth of Christ was mentioned by the first Christians on the day of Theophany. Under the influence of Hellenic culture and beliefs, these two holidays were separated. Christmas significantly surpassed Epiphany in importance and almost immediately became the second Christian holiday after Easter.

In Russia, Christmas was especially expected. First they celebrated it, and then they celebrated the New Year. Therefore, it is customary for Christians to decorate Christmas trees for Christmas. In 1918, Russia switched to the Gregorian calendar. The Church continued and continues to live according to the Julian, old calendar. Because of this, the New Year comes first and only then Christmas.

Christmas Eve
The day before the holiday is called Christmas Eve. This is a very strict fast day. Christians try not to eat food until evening. The earth is preparing to welcome the Divine Child. But according to the modern tradition, you can fast only until the moment when, after the Liturgy of Christmas Eve, a candle is brought to the center of the temple and the troparion to Christmas is sung.


The evening of this day is called Holy. It is traditionally held in the circle of the closest people. They sit down at the table with the first star. It symbolizes the Bethlehem, which led the Magi to the born Christ. Mistresses prepare twelve Lenten dishes for Holy Evening. Skoromnoe is allowed to eat only the next day. 12 is a symbolic number - this is the 12 months of the year, and the 12 apostles, and the 12 main holidays of the Church. The main delicacy is kutya. A little hay is placed under the plate with it as a reminder that Christ was not born in mansions, but in a poor manger.
Kutya- a dish of boiled grains, often wheat, with honey and nuts. Only since the 16th century, poppy seeds were added to it, and even later - raisins. Modern housewives add halva or sugar instead of honey. From this, the taste of kutya improves, but its symbolic meaning is somewhat lost. Since honey is the purest product on earth. And God, as you know, is given the best.

At the meal they drink uzvar. It is customary to cook lenten borscht for the holy evening, prepare salads with vegetable oil, dumplings with lean stuffing, pies, fish dishes.
Christmas celebration
In the Church, besides Easter, there are 12 major holidays. They are called the Twelve and the most important among them is Christmas. Celebrate it until Epiphany. That is, from 7 to 17 January. This period is called Christmas. Christmas is waiting for both adults and children. It brings a lot of joy, fun, sweets. A feeling of comfort and peace reigns in the house, and the heart is warmed by the hope that the future will definitely be bright.

Believers celebrate the holiday in the temple. On the night of Christmas, festive services take place in all churches. It is believed that you can not sleep - the night is special, Christ is born. It must be remembered that the Lord thanks a person for every, the smallest effort that he makes for Him. On this holiday, even the stars in the sky behave differently, and in the morning the sun plays with different colors.

Holiday traditions
There are many folk traditions associated with Christmas. Most of them are recognized by the Church. The day before, on Christmas Eve, they decorate the Christmas tree. Its top is crowned with a star - a symbol of Bethlehem. Candles on the Christmas tree are reminiscent of the unearthly light emanating from the cave in which Jesus was born. Boxes with gifts for all family members are placed under the Christmas tree. In addition to the Christmas tree, a nativity scene is built in houses and temples - a symbolic cave with the born Christ and voluminous figures of the people who surrounded Him.

The main event of the holiday is caroling. Everyone can carol - both adults and children. Previously, the cities had little resemblance to the current megacities, so people went from house to house and praised the born Christ, which is why they were called Christoslavs. Those who brought the good news to the house, it is customary to give gifts - sweets, fruits, money - whoever can.

On Christmas days, it is customary to visit each other and exchange gifts. It is very useful and right from a Christian point of view to visit the sick and suffering. Children especially look forward to this holiday. If you have the opportunity, give joy to a child from an orphanage or a sick boy or girl. There are not so few disadvantaged people in our time - one has only to want to do good to them. Be sure to attend church services.
But there are traditions that the Church categorically rejects as pagan. For example, divination. Foreseeing the future is a sin, because by doing so a person cuts off God's participation in his life and His care for himself. At any moment the Lord is free to change the course of events.
Christmas present

The magi who came to the newborn Christ with gifts laid the foundation for the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas, especially to children. In the mind of man, Christmas is a celebration of a dream come true. Therefore, you need to choose a gift carefully. It doesn't have to be expensive. For a person, the touch of a miracle in his life is important. Find out what the person you want to gift is dreaming about or dreamed about as a child. A gift does not always bring delight. Much more important is to touch the heart of a person, to make him believe in a miracle. Traditionally, sweets are given for Christmas. And not only for children.
Christmas is celebrated for a long time. The most important thing that any person should take away from these days is the very essence of the birth of the Holy Child, who gave his life to pay for our sins. Thus, he gave us the opportunity to correct our mistakes and make peace with God!

Signs for Christmas

Clear weather for the Christmas holiday promised a good harvest in summer and autumn.

If there was a thaw at Christmas, then this is a bad harvest.

A snowstorm on Christmas Day was a sign of a good harvest of wheat and a good sign for a beekeeper.

If at Christmas the sky was starry, then the year will be fruitful for mushrooms and berries, and a large offspring of livestock was also expected in such a year.

Well, if the Christmas holiday was warm, then they were waiting for a cold spring.

If it snowed that day, and even with flakes, this is for a good harvest of bread.

And there is another sign that is trusted even now, that is, how you spend Christmas, this will be the year. Therefore, people have always tried to spend Christmas in love, peace and prosperity, with a generous Christmas table. There should have been 12 Lenten dishes on the table, then the whole year there would be prosperity in the house, and the year would be generous.

In no case should one quarrel on the day of the Nativity of Christ, since the whole year can be spent in disagreement.

CHRISTMAS EVE RECIPES

HOW TO PREPARE KUTIA

Pour washed and sorted rice with water and bring to a boil.
Drain into a sieve, pour cold water over and cook again until tender in plenty of water.
Throw back on a sieve, cool and transfer to a bowl
Choose a glass of berries without jam syrup, add a little boiled water
Mix with rice, smooth the top with a spoon and lightly sprinkle with sugar
HOW TO PREPARE SOCIVO

SOCHIVO FROM RICE
Rinse one and a half cups of rice, boil in plenty of water until tender.
Drain on a sieve, cool
Grind one glass of nuts (almonds, walnuts) and add 5 - 6 tablespoons of honey, a little boiled warm water
Rinse one glass of raisins in several waters, boil
Mix everything, if you need to add more honey.
RICE SOCHIVO WITH DRIED FRUITS
Boil 1.5 cups of well-washed rice in a large amount of water, drain on a sieve, cool
Boil 100 g of dried fruits in sugar syrup (1.5 tablespoons of sugar per 2 liters of water), drain, cool
In a deep bowl, mix rice with dried fruits, add strained broth (broth)
HOW TO PREPARE CAROLS

These are small pies that were prepared specially for this day, these are very ancient products made from unleavened dough.
Carols were prepared necessarily from eight components - rye flour, water, curdled milk, milk, butter, sour cream, salt and filling.
The dough for them was prepared as follows - sift 2 cups of rye flour (or a mixture of rye and wheat flour), mix with a mixture of water, milk, curdled milk, sour cream in any ratio, 2 tablespoons of butter, salt.
Knead the dough, let it lie down for 30 minutes, roll it into sausages, cut into small pieces, make balls and roll pancakes with a rolling pin.
Put the stuffing on them, roll up and pinch the edges.
To make the crust soft after baking, grease with butter or a mixture of melted butter and sour cream.
Fillings for carols were made from cottage cheese, millet porridge, carrots, dried mushrooms, mashed potatoes.

On January 7, Orthodox Christians celebrate the feast of the Nativity of Christ. This is one of the most important Christian holidays, in terms of its importance it is the second after the bright holiday of Easter.

Its name speaks for itself - the Nativity of Christ - means the birthday of Jesus Christ the Son of God, who came into our world to save people's souls.

According to Christian beliefs, Jesus was sent by God to earth to atone for sins and save mankind. The day of his birth divided the history into “before” and “after”: from that moment the modern chronology began - “our era”.

Gospel story of the birth of Jesus Christ ^

In the small town of Bethlehem, not far from Jerusalem, the Virgin Mary was born into the family of pious parents. From the age of three she was brought up in the temple. When she left the temple at the age of 14, she made a promise to never marry and serve only God. The priests entrusted her to the 80-year-old old man, the widower Joseph of Nazareth, who had adult children, and Mary became the father's place.

Soon, the archangel Gabriel appeared in the house of Joseph, where Mary lived, and said to her: “You will give birth to a son and name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him a throne ... "

In the country of Judea then ruled King Herod, subject to Rome. By decree of the Roman emperor Augustus, a census began in Judea, and everyone had to take a census where their ancestors lived. Joseph and Mary left Nazareth for their parents' homeland, Bethlehem.

Due to the large concentration of people who arrived in the town, they were forced to take refuge outside the city, in a cave where shepherds kept their cattle in inclement weather. At night, the Virgin Mary gave birth to a baby - the Son of God. Mary swaddled him and put him in a manger where they put fodder for livestock.

The Bethlehem shepherds were the first to know about the birth of the Savior of the world. In the field where they pastured their flocks, an angel appeared in a bright light. He said to the frightened shepherds, “Don't be afraid! I proclaim to you great joy: today the Savior, who is Christ, has been born. You will find a baby in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.”

The shepherds found the cave and bowed to the baby lying in the manger, and then, joyful, returned to their flocks. On the eighth day after the birth of the baby, Joseph and Mary gave him the name Jesus, which means "God saves" or "Savior"

How to celebrate Christmas ^

Everyone is looking forward to the eve of the Nativity of Christ, called Christmas Eve, which ends with the holy night (December 24/January 6) all year long. By tradition, it is on Christmas Eve after the first star in the sky (in memory of the wonderful Star of Bethlehem, which announced the birth of the “divine child” to the whole world) that the strict Christmas fast ends, which begins on November 28 and ends on January 7.

Since the last day before the fast falls on the day of memory of the holy Apostle Philip, the fast itself is usually called Filippovka (Pilipovka). The Advent fast was established so that by Christmas people would be physically and spiritually cleansed by repentance, prayers and abstinence from food, passions, vices, insults, evil and other sins.

In general, the holidays of the Christmas cycle begin on January 2, on the day of Ignat. The girls carefully tidy up the house. By January 4, the day of Anastasia, the house should be festively cleaned. It is on this day that everything is prepared for the preparation of the future festive dinner. Often a pig was pricked on Anastasia, that is, they carried out a “fresh”. And, in the end, - the culmination of the holiday - Christmas Eve or, in other words, Rich Kutia (January 6).

On the eve of the Nativity of Christ on January 6, it is customary to sit down at a generous but fasting table. One of the main traditions of celebrating Christmas is Holy Evening. After putting things in order in the house, twelve festive dishes are prepared in honor of the twelve apostles.

Our ancestors cooked borscht, fish, cabbage, dumplings and pies with apples (cabbage), as well as other Lenten dishes on Christmas Eve. According to tradition, only when January 7 comes, meat can be put on the table. So homemade sausage, boiled pork, ham, stuffed goose, duck or piglet, jelly, gingerbread, etc. were served on the table.

• It is not customary to have breakfast and lunch on January 6, only children are allowed a light snack.
• It is necessary to sit down at the Christmas table with the appearance of the first star. The Holy Evening begins with a prayer and the lighting of a Christmas candle. In the company of the whole family, including babies, the owner of the house blesses the dinner.
• According to tradition, each member of the family should be at home this evening, and you should not be late for the festive table, since it is believed that you will wander all year round.
• During dinner, you can not leave the table and talk loudly.
• The festive table should amaze with its diversity, but we must not forget that fasting is still ongoing, so lovers of a glass will have to wait a bit.
• None of the dishes should be left untouched.
• You can not clear the table until Christmas on January 7th.

• The main dish on the table of this evening is, of course, kutya. Throughout all the holidays, up to Epiphany, kutya should stand in the most honorable place in the house.
• After the dinner was over, the children carried the dinner to their godparents, the adults prepared for the evening church service.
• Only the girls, who always want to know about their fate, had no peace. The evening gradually ends and a magical Christmas night begins, during which you can’t sleep, as you can “sleep through” all the happiness.
• On the morning of January 7, people joyfully greet with the phrase “Christ is born!”, And in response they hear - “We glorify him!”.

What not to do at Christmas

• Under fear of all sorts of troubles, on Christmas it was impossible to bend, weave or sew anything.
• The legs of the dining table were tied to each other with a rope so that the cattle would not run away from the herd.
• The remains of the evening meal were taken out of the fence - "so that the wolves do not harm the peasant cattle."
• A folk proverb says: Whoever slaughters cattle on Christmas Day will die in three years.
• You cannot lend on Christmas Eve anything that is connected with fire, for example, flint, matches, a lighter, a bucket of coal or firewood, etc., otherwise misfortune will befall you.
• Never sew, wash your hair, wash or lend on the three-day holy holidays (Christmas, Easter and Trinity), otherwise you will make yourself tears and poverty.
• On Christmas Eve, bread, salt and money are not borrowed from home, otherwise all good things will go past your hands.

• Do not cut hair and do not spin wool.
• Do not wash or boil clothes.
• Believers must finish all the dirty work by this day on Maundy Thursday, and whoever “pulls” dirt on Christmas Eve will sit in it all year for this.
• You can’t sit at the Christmas table in mourning, that is, in black clothes - you’ll call trouble.
• If on this bright day a dog howls in your yard, then be in trouble. To get rid of it, you need to immediately go up to the dog, untie it and say: “As the rope does not hold you, so the trouble would not hold on to my house!”.
• Do not buy ropes on January 8, on the second day of Christmas, so that there will never be hanged or strangled people in your family.
• Do not cook or eat jelly on this day, so as not to invite the deceased to the house.
• On the ninth of January, on the third day of Christmas, do not chop wood until sunset.

What to do for Christmas

According to popular beliefs, in order for your loved ones to be happy and healthy for a whole year, on the feast of the Nativity of Christ on January 7, ask the oldest family member to treat all relatives with milk. Bringing milk to someone, he should say every time: “The Lord was born, the people were baptized. Be cheerful and healthy. Amen".

On the eve of Christmas, in the old days, food was taken out and left for needy people or treats were distributed - it was believed that in this way all deceased ancestors who did not have time to eat before their death satisfied their hunger.

• After the festive feast, the food was not removed from the table, so that the souls of dead relatives would eat the festive food, and for this they would pray for you.
• In that family where there is no peace and harmony, on Christmas night they put a bucket in the frost, and in the morning they put it on fire and say: “The ice will melt, the water will boil, and [so-and-so] soul will ache for me.” This water is given to the husband to wash or in the form of tea / soup, and also wash the husband's linen in it. Holy Christmas water always helps a woman's trouble.
• Ask God for Christmas what you really need. Ask seventy-seven times and you will be given. Whoever asks God for something on Christmas at three o'clock in the morning, it will be given to him.
• If on Christmas night you look out for a flying star in the sky and make a wish, then it will definitely come true.
• On January 7, in the cold, jump out into the street lightly and, as soon as goosebumps appear on your body, say: “There are a lot of pimples on my skin, so that I also have so much money.”

Christmas traditions and signs ^

These days were considered special, since the still fragile, unbaptized world was inhabited by spirits ready to tell people about the future, about their fate. Therefore, since ancient times, Christmas time was accompanied by fortune-telling, following signs and magical rites.

caroling

From December 25, guys with a star made of paper and a nativity scene walked for a whole week. A arshin-sized star was made of paper, painted and lit from the inside with a candle. Nativity scene - a two-tiered box in which wooden figures depicted scenes related to the birth of Christ.

Arriving under the windows of the house, they first sang the troparion and kontakion for the holiday, and then the grapes; meanwhile, the star revolved incessantly in a circle - Having sung grapes, the owner and hostess were congratulated on the holiday, and finally, they exclaimed to the glory of God, thereby asking for food. Then the owner allowed one of the worshipers to enter his house and gave him money.

mummers

Mummers went from house to house. Fortune-telling and other amusements were arranged. Everyone dressed up - young and old, men and women. They dressed up as a soldier, a peasant, a gypsy, a mistress, a coachman, etc.

• Married and young women went disguised to other villages, indulging themselves in what in ordinary times was considered reprehensible and even very indecent.
• In order not to be recognized, the face was either painted with soot, or mustaches and beards were glued from tow, or homemade masks were put on.
• Necessarily among the mummers were a bear with a guide.
• In the evenings, with an accordion and a balalaika, the mummers went to visit friends and relatives, sang, danced, called the hosts.

carols

"Carols" were also called cookies, which were baked in the form of figurines of animals and birds - "cows", "roes", etc.

• The largest "carol" was taken to the barn and left there until Epiphany.
• On Epiphany, they crumbled her into holy water and fed the cattle so that they would not get sick, be fruitful, know the house.
• The Komi-Permyaks kept bread "kozulka" until Baptism in a shrine, and then they also fed it to animals, which this or that "kozulka" depicted.
• The rest of the "carols" were awarded to mummers and carolers who came to the house for their songs.

Signs

There are a lot of Christmas signs:

• If the weather is good at Christmas, snow is for the harvest year; the day is warm - the bread will be dark, thick.
• If Christmas is in the new month, then the year will be lean.
• At Christmas, a snowstorm - the bees will swarm well.
• What is the weather after Christmas, the same will be after St. Peter's Day (July 12).
• At Christmas, it was believed that it was not good if a woman (from strangers) entered the house first - the women in that hut would be ill all year.
• At Christmas, they usually put on a nice, clean shirt, but not a new one, otherwise don't wait for the harvest.
• It was considered great luck for the whole year if a sheep brought a lamb on Christmas night. Sheep were generally revered in Christianity in memory of the birth of the baby Jesus, who was born in the shepherds' cave and was placed in a sheep's manger.

When is Christmas celebrated

The celebration of the Nativity of Christ among the Orthodox occurs after the Catholics due to differences in the calendars: the old Julian and the new Gregorian. It is generally accepted that the Gregorian calendar more accurately reflects the movement of the Earth around the Sun, therefore it is more consistent with the change of seasons and seasonal changes in temperature.

• Calendar reforms, however, like the calendars themselves, were initially perceived by people in a religious context. The discussion of the "new style" took place in 1563 in the Reformed Western Church at the Council of Trent.
• The use of the new calendar was prescribed by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, and it is with this man that the name of the calendar itself, the Gregorian, is associated. Pope Gregory XIII made an offer to support his innovation to all Christian sovereigns.
• When the offset of dates was corrected in 1582, 10 days were immediately added, due to which, after October 4, the 15th immediately followed.

The society did not immediately accept the new calendar, as at first they perceived it as an incomprehensible papal idea. It was not until the 18th century that the Gregorian calendar was adopted by Protestant countries. The Orthodox, on the other hand, adopted the new calendar at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, and for many, such a transition to the “Catholic” chronology seemed almost an apostasy.

Today, the Gregorian calendar is perceived by us as a conventional conventional calendar. In our country, the Soviet government introduced a new style, but the Russian Orthodox Church, remaining in the old calendar, deliberately did not want to obey the laws of the non-Christian state in those days.

Therefore, it so happened historically that we celebrate public holidays, such as February 23, March 8 or May 1, according to the new calendar, and we observe religious holidays, as well as fasts, according to the old calendar.