How Christmas holidays were celebrated in Rus'. Natasha's personal diary...
Today, as in the old days, Christmas is the most long-awaited day of the year not only in Russia, but also in other countries. Therefore, let's remember the history and main traditions of this Christian holiday.
How and when is Christmas celebrated?
Christmas is the day when the son of God Jesus was born, who came to our mortal world for the salvation of human souls. On the territory of Russia, it begins to be celebrated on January 6, as soon as the first star shines in the heavens, the symbol of the one that appeared over Bethlehem to notify the earthly people of the miracle that has happened.
Families, immediately after the church liturgy, which turned into the evening service, gathered at a common table and began the long-awaited meal, which was always accompanied in Rus' by many traditions and rituals. For example, on Christmas Eve you can only eat Lenten dishes, where boiled rice and wheat with dried fruits, honey and various nuts were held in special esteem. This delicious dish is popularly called sochivom, which is why the pre-Christmas evening itself is usually called Christmas Eve.
Orthodox and Catholic Christmas
It was customary to place a bundle of hay or straw under the tablecloth as a symbol of a manger, similar to the one where the Virgin Mary laid her newborn child. One more interesting sign it was to install some kind of large iron object under the table itself, so that those sitting at it could take turns placing their feet on it. Since this metal has long symbolized strength and strength, people believed that in this way they preserved their health.
The day after Christmas Eve, those observing the Nativity fast will finally be able to treat themselves to real delicacies. A traditional dish in Russia and in many other countries is goose baked until golden brown and seasoned with apples, all kinds of pickles, pickled fruits and vegetables, cold chicken, a variety of pies and pastries. By the way, the housewives tried to prepare as many goodies as possible for this day in order to give them to guests and those who went to caroling.
The children were looking forward to, of course, cakes and honey gingerbreads, decorated with shiny multi-colored icing, as the main treat. Not long ago, our compatriots adopted the tradition of baking fragrant ginger cookies and preparing aromatic punch with cinnamon and other spices from Westerners. These “overseas” recipes carry a special holiday spirit and good mood.
Festive decor for Christmas
As has already been said, people who profess Catholicism celebrate the Nativity of Christ on December 25, even among our closest Belarusian brothers this date is recognized as a public holiday, because a significant part of the inhabitants of Belarus are Catholics. Already on this day, it is customary for them to decorate the Christmas tree, decorate their home with New Year's crafts, and give each other gifts. Orthodox Christians do not have such a custom, if only because the green beauty has been decorating homes since the New Year.
The classic colors of Christmas are red, white and green, representing the warming flames of fire, snow, and evergreen spruce branches. Despite the fact that this range of shades came to us from Europe, it is successfully complemented by door wreaths, candlesticks, various bouquets, socks for gifts and other cute little things that are familiar to US residents. All these newfangled decorative elements today can be quite skillfully combined with the festive attributes of the past; the main thing is to show a little imagination, and your home will become truly cozy and sincere.
Celebrations, signs and traditions
In the past, on Christmas itself and in the holy week following it, people had fun, walked and glorified their savior Jesus Christ. Particularly popular were the games of dressing up and practical jokes, as well as the singing of ritual songs - carols. In every region of our country there are traditional entertainments, the most famous being “Blacksmith”, when a mummer “reforged” old people into youth, forcing them to crawl under a large bench covered with linen, and “Fanta”, where participants had to fulfill all the orders of the game leader. The following games were also popular: “Sticks” - something like winter football, with branches instead of sticks, and with wooden balls instead of a ball; “King of the Hill”, according to the rules of which the “King” must stay on top of the hill and not allow himself to be pushed; “Taking the snow fortress” - the first team defended the snow “fortress”, the second team attacked.
Fortune telling is not inferior to songs and humorous entertainment - mystical, but no less fascinating. For the most part, they were of interest to young ladies who wanted to quickly find out details about their betrothed. For example, a boot thrown outside the gate could indicate the side from which the groom should appear to the girl. Melted wax was also used for rituals; it was poured into water and the future was predicted from the intricate figures that formed.
There are many beliefs associated with the holiday of the Nativity of Christ, for example, if it fell on a Sunday, people expected a truly fruitful summer next year. They also believed that if the celebration falls on Monday or the weather is simply warm on that day, the winter promises to be mild and the spring rainy, which is also good for growing various crops. A snowstorm on Christmas Eve means a successful season for beekeepers, and a starry sky means a noble litter of livestock.
Prohibiting signs also have their place; violation of them was punished especially severely in peasant families. Sewing and doing any handicraft on Christmas was considered to lead to early blindness; hunting for animals - unfortunately, it was also not allowed to wear a clean shirt - according to ancient beliefs, this foreshadowed a hungry year.
Bottom line
Despite the fact that on Christmas evening on the streets of modern cities you can rarely find cheerful crowds of carolers, girls have stopped looking in the mirrors in the twilight, trying to see their groom in them, and even despite some differences in the celebration, Russians continue to honor old traditions . For all of us, Christmas should invariably be associated with the brightest day of the year, with magic, miracles and, of course, with home comfort and unshakable family traditions.
Christmas is a bright and kind family holiday, which brings together the closest people. Christmas is celebrated noisily and cheerfully at the festive table. On this holiday, everyone gives each other gifts and believes in magic. However, not all Christmas customs established in ancient times have survived to this day. On Christmas Eve, people were supposed to fast on Christmas Eve, have a rich feast on Christmas Day, and celebrate Christmastide with songs, round dances, and games the day after Christmas. During the Christmas festivities, they had a lot of fun, rode down slides, dressed up as various evil spirits, scared children and girls...
The religious meaning of the holiday has become important for today's Russians. During the Christmas holidays Orthodox people attend church where Christmas services are held.
Since 1991, Christmas Day has been declared a holiday. On Christmas night, Russian federal television channels broadcast a solemn service from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
Once upon a time, Christmas in Rus' was celebrated on December 25, just as Christmas is celebrated until the New Year in today's Europe. They looked forward to the holiday and prepared for it in advance: they cleaned up the houses, decorated the Christmas trees, and prepared various holiday treats. At the beginning of the 19th century, Christmas tree markets opened in the cities and villages of Russia, where you could choose a green beauty and buy Christmas decorations and Christmas gifts. The Christmas tree was decorated with children's toys, candles and sweets, which were then distributed to the children. These features of the celebration have become part of Russian traditions.
The change in the time of celebrating Christmas was due to the fact that at the beginning of the 20th century our church refused to switch to the Gregorian calendar, which resulted in a temporary discrepancy between the celebration of Christmas among Christians and Catholics (Christians celebrate Christmas 13 days later than Catholics). Orthodox churches (Russian, Georgian, Serbian, Bulgarian...) use the Julian calendar, where December 25th corresponds to January 7th of the Gregorian calendar.
The exact date of the appearance of the first Christmas tree in Rus' is not known. Literary sources say that the custom of putting up a Christmas tree was brought to Russia future wife Nicholas I (1796 - 1855), Princess Charlotte of Prussia. There is an assumption that the first Christmas tree was put up for Christmas by Germans living in St. Petersburg in the 40s of the 19th century. Consequently, the first tree was a Christmas attribute.
According to the third version, the tradition is to dress up Christmas tree came to Russia from the Petrine era.
By the end of the 19th century, the Christmas tree became the main decoration winter holidays.
There was also a time when decorating Christmas trees was banned in Russia. Due to the war with Germany in 1916, the Christmas tree was banned by the Holy Synod. The Bolsheviks who came to power also showed disdain for the Christmas tree as an alien idea. During the years of Soviet power, many celebration traditions Orthodox Christmas turned out to be lost.
The tradition of decorating the Christmas tree returned to Russia in 1935. The tree has turned from a Christmas attribute into a New Year's one. People began to decorate the Christmas tree in the Soviet style with a five-pointed star on the top.
The tradition of decorating the Christmas tree with a seven-pointed star, which, according to the Gospel, symbolized the star that led the Magi to the newly born baby Christ, is a thing of the past.
With the change of eras, attitudes towards Christmas traditions changed. With the advent of Soviet power, the holiday became significant New Year, the tradition of celebrating Christmas was forgotten.
After the breakup Soviet Union New Year remains a traditional family holiday.
Only Orthodox believers celebrated Christmas.
Today is Christmas - one of the main Christian holidays (the second most important holiday after). It is celebrated according to the old Julian calendar on January 7th.
Christmas was preceded by a forty-day strict fast (from November 28 to January 6), during which they abstained from almost all food. Meat, eggs, lard and dairy products were excluded from the diet. Food lovers sometimes broke the main fast, saying “fast is not a bridge, you can go around it,” but on the eve of Christmas, as a rule, they observed moderation in food.
The strictest day of the Nativity Fast fell on January 6th. They made do with “sochivom” (hungry kutya) boiled wheat (barley and rice steamed in water) with honey. Hence the name - “Christmas Eve”. Before the first star (symbol of the Star of Bethlehem), no other food was served on the table.
Fasting required not only abstinence from food, but also adherence to rules of conduct. According to John Chrysostom, “true fasting is withdrawal from evil, curbing the tongue, putting aside anger, taming lusts, stopping slander, lies and perjury.”
On Christmas Eve, according to custom, they completed all their work by lunchtime and went to the bathhouse before dark. After dinner we went to the all-night service at church. We celebrated Christmas in new clothes.
Particular importance was attached to the Christmas table. A new tablecloth was laid on the table, under which a bunch of hay or straw was placed (symbol of the manger where Jesus Christ was born). According to Russian traditions, the treat consisted of 12 dishes: kutia, jelly, jellied fish, pancakes, boiled pork, side of lamb with porridge, roast pig, goose with Antonov apples, duck with cabbage, pies, pickles.
The number 12 was considered sacred, as it corresponded to the number of faithful apostles of Christ and the number of holy days. Every dish was supposed to be tasted. An even number of people were present at the festive meal. In case of an odd number, an extra device was installed.
Kutya was supposed to be washed down with “brew” (thick compote or jelly made from dried fruits).
All guests who entered the house were invited to the Christmas table.
They were especially happy to greet the beggar. They believed that Christ could enter in his image.
In Rus' there was a custom - dressed in fur coats inside out, knock on houses, sing carols with good wishes owners, glorify the Lord. It was believed that the year would be successful if children came with carols on Christmas Eve, scattering cereals at the gates or doors of the house. Cereals symbolized prosperity.
For their work, carolers received various treats.
On the night before Christmas, the girls told fortunes. Their fortune telling was related to the search for a betrothed. The most common fortune telling is throwing a felt boot over a fence. The toe of the felt boot should indicate the side where the betrothed lives.
The girls were interested in many things: whether they would be poor or rich when married, whether their husbands would be greedy or kind, whether they would get married or remain “girls.”
Why do people believe in Christmas fortune-telling, and what is the most magical time of year? The ancient history of the Slavs explains a lot.
The change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar led to a discrepancy between the previous holidays and the current ones, although the meaning of the holidays did not change.
According to pagan legends, the day of the winter solstice corresponded to its own deity - Karachun (god of death). Karachun sent pestilence to livestock and caused serious illnesses.
The arrival of the deity of peace and holiday - Kolyada (December 25) means the triumph of life over death. Kolyada defeats the evil of Karachun, restoring peace and tranquility on earth.
Since ancient times, Kolyada has been approached for help by wives and mothers who wanted to protect their sons and husbands from attacks by hostile tribes, unmarried girls, and peasants who asked for next year’s harvest...
It is believed that the New Year is the beginning of peace and prosperity.
Christmas time was considered a period of activity of deceased ancestors. The tradition of Christmas fortune-telling is associated with the fact that the souls of ancestors on these days show responsiveness to the requests of their descendants. People believe that the souls of their ancestors will tell them the right path and help them do right choice.
Fortune telling is a fun pastime and you shouldn't believe in it.
On Christmas Eve, several onions are placed in water. Attached to the bulbs male names. They say that the onion that shoots its arrows will be the first to indicate the name of the betrothed.
Before going to bed, the girl eats something salty, making a wish: “Betrothed, mummer, come to me and give me something to drink!” A young man who gives water in a dream will become her betrothed.
A newspaper or sheet of paper must be crumpled without looking into a shapeless mass, placed on a flat plate and set on fire.
Carefully bring the burnt newspaper to the wall to examine the shadow of the remaining ash. The shape of a shadow is believed to predict the future.
On Christmas night, a girl can see her betrothed. She needs to remain alone in the room, light a candle between two mirrors and look into the “corridor of reflections” from where the groom should appear.
Christmas, which coincided with Sunday, foreshadowed a fruitful summer, a good honey harvest, Christmas, which coincided with Monday - snowy winter and rainy spring.
On Christmas it was forbidden to sew and knit. Those who dared to break the ban were threatened with blindness.
It was forbidden to work: washing, washing, spinning...
It was supposed to celebrate Christmas in a new shirt (an old but clean shirt promised a bad harvest)
Hunting for animals and birds from Christmas to Epiphany was prohibited, as it could bring misfortune to the house.
Christmastide begins with Christmas and lasts until Epiphany. According to Christmastide traditions, which have pre-Christian roots, our ancestors glorified the Sun on Christmastide. Today Christians praise Christ with solemn songs.
On Christmas holidays, the owners invited guests to their homes and organized various street celebrations.
Many traditions associated with the celebration of Christmas have been forgotten. Not all housewives adhere to culinary traditions. Nowadays, it is not customary to fast, dress up, walk around the yards with carols, or invite many guests to Christmas.
The main Christmas tradition is alive today - forgiveness, the manifestation of mercy and kindness. We gather in a family circle or among close people, show hospitality and generosity, forgive old grievances, enjoy life and wish each other happiness and goodness.
I hope that my article will be useful to those who are concerned about preserving traditions. After all, age-old traditions and customs should become our lifestyle, our way of thinking, the main connecting bridge between generations.
History of Christmas celebrations in Russia
In Rus', the holiday of the Nativity of Christ began to be celebrated in the 10th century, when Christianity spread across Russian lands. Christmas merged with the ancient Slavic winter holiday in honor of ancestral spirits (Christmastide). Therefore, the “Yuletide” rituals have been preserved in the Christmas holiday.
Christmas Eve
The day before Christmas is called Christmas Eve or Nomad. Christmas Eve comes from the word “sochivo”, which literally means “vegetable oil”. Porridge with vegetable oil and vegetables was also called Sochivom. On the eve of Christmas, people were supposed to only sleep away and not eat any food all day until dusk, that is, until the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem. After all, it was under this star that Jesus Christ was born.
In the morning, on Christmas Eve, the ceilings and walls of the huts were washed, the floors were scraped, and they were rubbed with juniper. Then they steamed in a hot bath. And in the evening they started singing carols. They gathered in the villages big companies, they painted their faces, turned their clothes inside out, put Kolyada on a sleigh - a doll or a girl dressed in a fur coat white shirt, and sang ritual songs. Children walked around the village with a star made of a splinter and paper and sang under the windows (or when entering the house) carols- songs in which they praised and honored the owners, receiving gifts from them: candy, pastries, money.
Kolyada, Kolyada
Bring me some pie.
Won't you serve me the pie?
We take the cow by the horns.
And will you serve the pie -
Full yard belly.
On Christmas Eve, housewives prepared ritual food - kutya And brew.
Kutya is porridge, an obligatory dish when commemorating the dead, and vzvar is a drink brewed in honor of the birth of a child. The combination of kutya and vzvar is a symbol of the eternity of life, the birth and death of the Savior, the continuity of the human race. Kutya was cooked early in the morning from grains of wheat, barley or rice, simmered in the oven, honey, hemp and cow butter were added. The broth was prepared in water from dried apples, pears, plums, cherries, currants, blueberries, strawberries and other berries.
Wheat kutya with honey or linseed oil They placed them under the icons on hay as a sign of the birth of Jesus Christ in a manger.
They also baked on Christmas Eve juice. They made a mask with holes for the eyes and looked out into the street from the yard. At the same time, they made wishes for passers-by. Whichever person - good or evil - is the first to pass by, so will be next year. In the Russian North, on this day figurines of cows, sheep, and chickens were baked from wheat dough. Several were displayed in the windows for passers-by to see. The rest were put on the table to be given as gifts to family and friends.
In the evening we waited for the appearance Star of Bethlehem- only after this it was possible to start eating.
The table and benches were covered with straw or hay, which symbolized familiarization with the place and time of the Savior’s birth.
You weren't supposed to work on Christmas Eve. Young girls wondered. In different places, fortune telling was different.
On Christmas Eve, a kutya and a candle were placed on a table covered with straw and a tablecloth on top of it. They took a straw out from under the tablecloth and wondered: if it was long, good bread would be born, and if it was short, it would mean a bad harvest.
Folk signs and beliefs:
If the sky is strewn with stars on Christmas Eve, there will be a lot of mushrooms and berries in the forest.
Frost on the trees - to abundant bread.
On this night, the table legs were tied with rope to prevent livestock from escaping from the yard.
Christmastide
Started with Christmas Christmastide- holidays that lasted until Epiphany (January 19). All this time, Christmas rituals, fortune telling, entertainment, and mummers walking through the courtyards and streets took place. On Christmas Day, early in the morning, before dawn, the ritual of seeding the huts was carried out. The shepherd walked with a bag of oats and, entering the house, threw a handful of grain in all directions with the sentence: “For the living, for the fertile, and for health.”
Girls didn't tell fortunes at Christmas. There was a sign: if a stranger’s woman enters the house first, the women in that family will be ill all day. To avoid any troubles, the peasants observed fairly strict prohibitions. On Christmas Day it was forbidden to do household chores. It was impossible to sew, otherwise someone in the family would go blind. You can’t weave bast shoes, otherwise you’ll end up crooked. But you cannot hunt in the forest until Epiphany, because then a misfortune will happen to the hunter.
At noon the whole family went to watch the sun play. If the sun plays, the dark forces hide from it in the cracks. And if the evil spirits do get into the house, then on this day there is a short order with them - scald the corners with boiling water and sweep them with a nettle broom.
The father took his son to the barn to the barn with grain. Before that, the heir was solemnly dressed by the whole family. A sheepskin sheepskin coat was girded with an embroidered belt, a fur hat was put on the head, and felt boots were put on the feet. The father lifted his son over the sap with grain, wanting him to grow up faster and become an assistant on the farm.
Second day of Christmas, which is called the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, is dedicated to the glorification of the Mother of Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Glorifying the Mother of God, the Church remembers the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt. It was caused by the fact that King Herod, having learned about the Birth of Christ and the worship of the Magi, became angry and ordered all the babies in Bethlehem to be beaten, hoping to destroy the Savior as well. But an angel appeared to Joseph and ordered him to hide in Egypt. After the death of Herod, Joseph and his Family returned and settled in Nazareth.
Girls' fortune-telling and mummers' walking from that day they continued until Epiphany. Costumers in fur coats turned inside out, wearing masks or with faces stained with soot walked from house to house, singing songs and acting out various performances and scenes for an appropriate reward. Sometimes they took a horse or a bull with them.
And the girls were guessing. They guessed differently every day, and whoever knew what methods guessed that way. For example, a girl secretly had to enter the woodshed at night and in the dark pick up the first log she came across. If the log is smooth, then the husband will be affectionate; if with bitches, then the husband will be angry and harmful. They put up a mirror. In front of him is a carafe of water. Candles were lit around the decanter. We looked in the mirror through the decanter: whatever someone dreams about will come true. Or they set fire to a sheet of paper on a plate in the dark. The girl stood between the burning flame and the wall. Whoever sees something on the wall will come true.
It was widely believed that from this day on, witches began to go berserk, devils staged their demonic fun, and they sought to harm people as much as possible. Witches fly on a broomstick and gather for their Sabbath. They steal the month from the clear sky and steal the stars from their pockets. In the dark, it’s easier for them to get around among people and do all sorts of nasty things to them. That’s why Orthodox Christians walk around in disguise, showing that the place is occupied and there is nothing for devils and any evil spirits to do here.
The third day of Christmas was called Stepan's Day. According to custom, on Stepanov’s day they cut stakes, placed them in the corners of the yard, sticking them into the snow so that evil spirits scare away. Stepan is seasoned in danger, therefore he is not afraid of any evil spirits and on this day he uses stakes to fence himself off from them. Stepan is associated with the image of a peasant farmer, and therefore a boy born on this day will be a kind, caring, zealous and strict owner. Even on this day, the whole village chose a shepherd, concluded an agreement with him, and arranged a treat.
Christmas table
Vzvar
Dried fruits - 1 kg,
granulated sugar - 300 g.
The broth differs from ordinary compote in its higher concentration.
Place the washed dried fruits in a saucepan, add sugar, add water 2-3 cm above the layer of dried fruits, bring to a boil and cook under a closed lid over low heat until tender.
Christmas kutia
Milk - 1l,
cream - 500 g,
water - 200 g,
wheat cereal - 300 g,
honey - 100 g.
Place the cereal in boiling water and cook until tender. After cooking, add milk, cream and honey, tightly close the pan with a lid and put in a warm place to “finish”, wrapping it in something warm (blanket, scarf).
Russian gingerbread
Flour - 500 g,
honey - 500 g,
sour cream - 0.5 cups,
milk - 1 glass,
egg yolks - 3 pcs.,
spices (cinnamon, nutmeg) - to taste,
soda - on the tip of a knife
Sochivo
Wheat grains - 1.5 cups,
poppy - 150 g,
honey - 5 tbsp. spoons
Peel the wheat grains, separate the shell from them and cook a liquid porridge from them in water. Sweeten to taste. Grind the poppy seeds in a mortar, thoroughly mix the poppy pulp with honey and add to the cooled porridge.
Mix flour with spices - cinnamon, nutmeg. Gradually add honey, sour cream, beaten yolks, pour in milk, add soda and knead the dough well. Roll out, but not thinly, and cut out the gingerbread cookies into the desired shape. Place on greased baking sheets and bake.
If desired, you can decorate with nuts and candied fruits.
Source: V.V. Freezing
Christmas in the first centuries
In ancient times, it was believed that the date of Christmas was January 6 according to the old style, or the 19th according to the new style. How did the early Christians arrive at this date? We consider Christ as the Son of Man to be the “second Adam.” In the sense that if the first Adam was the culprit of the fall of the human race, then the second became the Redeemer of people, the source of our salvation. At the same time, the Ancient Church came to the conclusion that Christ was born on the same day on which the first Adam was created. That is, on the sixth day of the first month of the year. Now on this day we celebrate the day of Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord. In ancient times, this holiday was called Epiphany and included Epiphany-Epiphany and Christmas.
However, over time, many came to the conclusion that the celebration of such an important holiday as Christmas should be assigned to a separate day. Moreover, along with the opinion that the Nativity of Christ falls on the creation of Adam, there has long been a belief in the Church that Christ had to be on earth for the full number of years, as a perfect number. Many holy fathers - Hippolytus of Rome, St. Augustine and, finally, St. John Chrysostom - believed that Christ was conceived on the same day on which he suffered, therefore, on the Jewish Passover, which fell on March 25 in the year of his death. Counting down 9 months from here we get to Christmas Christ's date December 25 (old style).
And although it is impossible to establish the day of Christmas with absolute accuracy, the opinion that Christ spent a full number of years on earth from the moment of conception to the crucifixion is based on a careful study of the Gospel. Firstly, we know when the Angel informed Elder Zechariah about the birth of John the Baptist. This happened during Zechariah's ministry in Solomon's Temple. All the priests in Judea were divided by King David into 24 orders, which served in turn. Zechariah belonged to the Avian order, the 8th in a row, the time of service of which was at the end of August - the first half of September. Soon “after these days,” that is, around the end of September, Zechariah conceives John the Baptist. The church celebrates this event on September 23. In the 6th month after this, that is, in March, the Angel of the Lord announced to the Most Holy Theotokos about the immaculate conception of the Son. The Annunciation in the Orthodox Church is celebrated on March 25 (old style). Christmas time, therefore, turns out to be the end of December according to the old style.
At first, this belief apparently prevailed in the West. And there is a special explanation for this. The fact is that in the Roman Empire, on December 25, there was a celebration dedicated to the renewal of the world - the Day of the Sun. On the day when the daylight hours began to increase, the pagans had fun, remembering the god Mithras, and drank themselves into unconsciousness. Christians were also captivated by these celebrations, just as now in Russia few people safely pass through the New Year celebrations that fall during Lent. And then the local clergy, wanting to help their flock overcome adherence to this pagan tradition, decided to move Christmas to the Day of the Sun itself. Moreover, in the New Testament Jesus Christ is called the “Sun of Truth.”
Do you want to worship the sun? - Roman saints asked the laity. - So worship, but not the created luminary, but the One who gives us true light and joy - the immortal Sun, Jesus Christ.
Victory of the new holiday
The dream of making Christmas a separate holiday in the Eastern Church became urgent by the middle of the fourth century. At that time, heresies were rampant, which imposed the idea that God did not take a human form, that Christ did not come into the world in flesh and blood, but, like the three angels at the Oak of Mamre, was woven from other, higher energies.
Then the Orthodox realized how little attention they had hitherto paid to the Nativity of Christ. St. John Chrysostom’s heart especially ached about this. In a speech delivered on December 20, 388, he asked the faithful to prepare for the celebration of Christmas on December 25. The saint said that in the West, Christmas has been celebrated for a long time, and it is time for the entire Orthodox world to adopt this good custom. This speech won over the wavering, and over the next half century Christmas triumphed throughout the Christian world. In Jerusalem, for example, on this day the entire community, led by the bishop, went to Bethlehem, prayed in a cave at night, and returned home to celebrate Christmas in the morning. The celebrations lasted eight days.
After the new Gregorian calendar was compiled in the West, Catholics and Protestants began to celebrate Christmas two weeks earlier than the Orthodox. In the 20th century, under the influence of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Christmas began to be celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar. Orthodox Churches Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. Together with the Russian Church, Christmas in the old style is celebrated by the Jerusalem, Serbian, Georgian Churches and the monasteries of Athos. Fortunately, according to the late Patriarch of Jerusalem Diodorus, “Old Calendarists” make up 4/5 of the total number of Orthodox Christians.
How Christmas was celebrated in Rus'
Christmas Eve - Christmas Eve - was celebrated modestly both in the palaces of Russian emperors and in the huts of peasants. But the next day, the fun and revelry began - Christmastide. Many people mistakenly consider all kinds of fortune-telling and mummers to be among the traditions of celebrating Christmas. Indeed, there were those who told fortunes, dressed up as bears, pigs and various evil spirits, and scared children and girls. To be more convincing, they made it from various materials scary masks. But these traditions are pagan relics. The Church has always opposed such phenomena, which have nothing to do with Christianity.
True Christmas traditions include glorification. On the feast of the Nativity of Christ, when the good news for the liturgy was heard, the patriarch himself with the entire spiritual synclite came to glorify Christ and congratulate the sovereign in his chambers; From there everyone went with the cross and holy water to the queen and other members of the royal family. As for the origin of the rite of glorification, we can assume that it dates back to deep Christian antiquity; its beginning can be seen in those congratulations that at one time were brought to Emperor Constantine the Great by his singers, while singing the kontakion for the Nativity of Christ: “The Virgin today rewards the Most Essential.” The tradition of glorification was very widespread among the people. Young people and children walked from house to house or stopped under the windows and glorified the born Christ, and also wished the owners goodness and prosperity in songs and jokes. The hosts gave treats to the participants of such congratulation concerts, competing in generosity and hospitality. It was considered bad manners to refuse food to the praisers, and the artists even took large sacks with them to collect sweet trophies.
In the 16th century, the nativity scene became an integral part of worship. This was the name of a puppet theater in the old days that showed the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. The law of the nativity scene prohibited the display of dolls of the Mother of God and the Infant of God; they were always replaced with an icon. But the wise men, shepherds and other characters worshiping the newborn Jesus could be portrayed both with the help of dolls and with the help of actors.
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Nativity image
Over the centuries, legends, folk spiritual poems and traditions have been added to the brief Gospel stories about the Nativity of Christ. It is in this ancient apocryphal literature that one finds detailed description den (cave) in which the Holy Family was housed, and speaks of the wretched conditions that accompanied the birth of Jesus Christ.
These folk ideas were reflected in icon painting and in popular popular prints, which depicted not only a manger with the Holy Child, but also animals - an ox and a donkey. In the 9th century, the image of the painting of the Nativity of Christ was finally formed. This painting depicts a cave, in the depths of which there is a manger. In this manger lies the Infant God, Jesus Christ, from whom radiance emanates. The Mother of God reclines not far from the manger. Joseph sits further from the manger, on the other side, dozing or thoughtful.
In the book “Four Menaions” by Dmitry Rostovsky it is reported that an ox and a donkey were tied to the manger. According to apocryphal legends, Joseph of Nazareth brought these animals with him. The Virgin Mary rode a donkey. And Joseph took the ox with him in order to sell it and use the proceeds to pay the royal tax and feed the Holy Family while they were on the road and in Bethlehem. Therefore, very often these animals appear in drawings and icons depicting the Nativity of Christ. They stand next to the manger and with their warm breath warm the Divine Infant from the cold of the winter night. Also, the image of a donkey allegorically symbolizes perseverance and the ability to achieve a goal. And the image of an ox symbolizes humility and hard work.
Here it should be noted that the manger in its original meaning is a feeding trough where feed for livestock was placed. And this word, associated with the birth of the Infant of God, became so ingrained in our language as a symbolic designation of children's institutions for infants that no atheistic propaganda could remove it from use.
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History of spruce decoration
The custom of decorating a Christmas tree came to us from Germany. The first written mention of the Christmas tree dates back to the 16th century. In the German city of Strasbourg, both poor people and noble families decorated their spruce trees with colored paper, fruits and sweets in winter. Gradually this tradition spread throughout Europe. In 1699, Peter I ordered to decorate their houses with pine, spruce and juniper branches. And only in the 30s of the 19th century, Christmas trees appeared in the capital in the houses of St. Petersburg Germans. And they began to put up Christmas trees publicly in the capital only in 1852. By the end of the 19th century, Christmas trees became the main decoration of both city and country houses and in the 20th century they were inseparable from winter holidays. But the history of the Christmas tree in Russia was by no means cloudless. In 1916, the war with Germany had not yet ended, and the Holy Synod banned the Christmas tree as an enemy, German idea. The Bolsheviks who came to power secretly extended this ban. Nothing should have reminded of the great Christian holiday. But in 1935, the custom of decorating the Christmas tree returned to our homes. True, for the majority of non-believing Soviet people, the tree returned not as a Christmas tree, but as a New Year's tree.
“Sugar son of the venerable Khavronya, a snout the size of a fist, a hooked tail - come and get hold of happy holiday“- Moscow traders, flushed from the frost, once shouted invitingly. “But the pikes are toothy, tasty, big-mouthed - grab a dozen by the tails for a good dinner!” However, there was no particular need to praise the product - on Christmas Eve there were more than enough buyers. Before the holiday, the houses were thoroughly cleaned: the floors were polished until they shined, the vestments on the icons were cleaned, elegant lamps were placed, and snow-white, starched curtains were hung on the windows. New light carpets with a fancy pattern of blue flowers, door handles were polished for a long time with bunches of dry mint and elderberry and wrapped in rags so that they would not have time to be “captured” before the holiday.
In the evening before Christmas, on Christmas Eve, they prepared sochivo - porridge from wheat grains, flavored with honey, and an aromatic drink - a brew of dried pears, apples and plums. Treats were placed under the icon on a pile of hay in memory of the infant Christ, born in a manger on the hay, they waited for the first star to appear in the sky and had a modest dinner (the forty-day fast of Christmas ended only the next morning). And after a simple meal they went to church for the festive service. Having stood the all-night vigil, they returned home and “let in” the Christmas tree. The forest beauty, languishing in the cold passage, was carried into the upper room with honor and decorated with sweets, gilded nuts, gingerbread cookies and toys. Products for the festive feast were always stocked up in advance: two or three pork carcasses, carp, pike, carp and all kinds of poultry were stored in cold cellars for several days. The Christmas table, covered with a crisp snow-white tablecloth, was simply bursting with an abundance of dishes: delicious suckling pig with buckwheat porridge, ruddy ham, fish aspic, aromatic jellied meat flavored with horseradish, goose with apples, elegant pies with elm, vegetables or berries, a variety of pickles and honey gingerbread roe.
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On the frosty winter days from Christmas to Epiphany (January 19), called Christmastide, festive gluttony alternated with unbridled fun: riding down the mountains on huge clumsy sleighs and ice skates, playing snowballs, fist fights and, of course, the famous carols. The name of this fun comes from the name of the pagan god of feasts and the world of Kolyada. In Rus', young people and children especially loved caroling: after looking forward to the evening and dressed in animal skins or funny outfits, cheerful groups went home to ask for treats and money.
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It was customary to generously reward carolers who sang songs and mischievous ditties. However, there were also tight-fisted owners who tried to get rid of intrusive visitors with a couple of bagels or sweets - in response, the quick-tongued guests wished the misers in the new year to get “devils in the yard, and worms in the garden” or to harvest a wheat harvest “completely with empty ears of corn” " To force the procession to take back the “best” wishes, the greedy people had to fork out cash. On Christmas days, not only children caroled, but also animals. Trained bear cubs were taken around towns and villages - the toptygins performed complex dance steps, played the harp, and then bowed and walked around the audience with a hat, standing for a long time near those who skimped on the reward. In these holidays They also loved to tell fortunes - Christmas fortune-telling was considered the most truthful. “I want a betrothed - a handsome man and a dandy, long curls, high morocco boots, a red shirt, a gold sash” after reading old conspiracy, modern girls They will certainly be surprised and even slightly indignant. Well, who, pray tell, could need such a curly-haired fashionista? But it was precisely this kind of life partner that their peers once dreamed of - on Christmastide, the girls cast a spell and told fortunes “for their betrothed,” spreading wheat grains on the floor near the stove. They brought a rooster into the house, and not just an ordinary one, but one black as pitch - if the “prophetic” bird pecks all the grains, then the groom will probably show up soon. And if the cockerel refuses the treat - alas! - It’s useless to wait for your betrothed in the new year. Wax fortune telling was especially popular - melted wax was poured into a bowl of water, and then the resulting figures were examined: a heart - for “amorous affairs”, a pitchfork - for a quarrel, a medallion - for wealth, and a donut - for lack of money.
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From time immemorial, Christmas in Rus' was called a holiday of kindness and mercy, which called first of all to take care of the needy and the weak. In Moscow and other large cities, they organized charity balls and auctions, set tables with “sovereign” pies, pretzels and decanters of “bitters” for the poor, and gave gifts to orphans and the sick. However, those days are long gone, but the old Christmas traditions are still alive today. But it’s unlikely that anyone would think of caroling from home today - it’s much better in honest company to enjoy the same “son of the venerable Khavronya,” pies and other goodies, and then read to the guests the Christmas advice written on an old postcard: “So that you don’t eat the food.” It’s getting heavy, get the sleigh - it’s fun to fly down the hill, we’ll start hugging.”
Star towers
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(6 servings)
Chop the onion and clove of garlic, finely chop the papaya pulp and 250 g of crab meat and mix the ingredients. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste, season with 2 tbsp. l. lemon juice and 6 tbsp. l. olive oil, add a couple of drops of Tabasco hot sauce and a pinch of sugar and mix the salad again. Tear 200 g of green salad leaves into pieces with your hands and place them on a plate. Cut stars from 12 slices of toast bread, place half of them on lettuce leaves, decorate stars with crab mixture, cover with remaining toast and top with another layer of mixture.
The holiday of the Nativity of Christ is considered one of the most important in our country. church holidays and is celebrated widely and cheerfully. But over time, traditions and even the time of its celebration constantly changed.
In Rus', before the introduction of a new calendar and, as we now say, a “new style” of chronology, Christmas began to be celebrated on December 25 together with Europe. We know that Europe still lives according to the calendar that was established in time immemorial, and celebrates Catholic Christmas until the new year. It’s not like that now: first the New Year, and then Christmas.
Winter has always been considered in Rus' the most cheerful and carefree time of the year. There were few strict fasts at this time, and people could have fun to their heart's content. Preparations for the winter were always made in summer and autumn. Therefore, in winter, all that remained was to get supplies from the cellars and celebrate the holidays that were on winter period Enough has fallen out. Most of them all occurred in December.
Until the first star...
A few days before Christmas, a pig was always slaughtered, because it was customary to eat pork on the holiday. But before the holiday, they tried not to eat meat, because the Nativity Fast lasted, the strictest day of which was considered Christmas Eve, on which people usually go hungry. It was possible to eat only when the first star, called the Star of Bethlehem, lit up in the sky. According to biblical legend, it was the appearance of the first star in the evening sky that informed the Magi that the Savior Christ had been born. 
According to tradition, the youngest members of the family had to wait outside for the star to appear, and then run into the house and tell the elders the good news. Often the whole family was outside waiting for the star to appear. There was a sign according to which the first person to see a star would be lucky whole year. If the sky was covered with clouds, then, of course, no one waited for them to disperse. They just waited for darkness and sat down festive table, which was prepared for several days before the holiday.
How Christmas was celebrated in the old days
But, despite the hungry day, no one immediately pounced on food. First it was necessary to try “kutya” or “sochivo”. This was the name of a special dish, the constant component of which was porridge: earlier they used wheat porridge more often, now they used rice porridge. In addition to porridge, you could add anything you wanted to Sochivo. Raisins, dried fruits, sugar, honey, nuts, sweets, frozen and soaked berries were used. 
After everyone took communion and ate a spoonful of kutya, it was time for the main meal. There had to be thirteen dishes on the table. There had to be an even number of people sitting at the table. If it turned out that there was an odd number of people in the family, and no one came to visit, then one extra cutlery was placed on the table for the sake of quantity.
Bread and salt!
Both before and now they tell fortunes at Christmas. As a rule, young unmarried girls are into fortune telling, and most often they make fortunes about their grooms.