Christmas: how to celebrate, the Christmas table and folk traditions. One holiday, but two dates: why do Catholics and Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on different days? Fortune telling on logs
It is known that the full moon has a powerful physical and emotional effect on people and changes their behavior. And vice versa - the celestial object itself on such days is susceptible to the flow of human desires. Therefore, if at the moment of the full moon (and especially the Supermoon) you direct the resulting energy in the right direction, there is a high probability of a positive effect.
Today we will talk about how and what time to make a wish on the Supermoon on March 9, 2020 to acquire or get rid of something.
It is believed that on the waxing Moon one should make a wish for acquisition, and on the waning Moon - to get rid of something.
The exact time of Supermoon 2020 is the moment at which the lunar phase changes from waxing to waning. In March, the Supermoon occurs on March 9, 2020 at 20:50 Moscow time.
You should make a wish for an acquisition during a period of time that begins 30 minutes before the exact moment of the Supermoon and ends 5 minutes before the event: from 20:20 to 20:45 Moscow time. And desires aimed at getting rid of something are “accepted” from 20:55 to 21:25 Moscow time.
Also you should pay attention to the visibility of the full moon. The better the Moon is visible, the higher the likelihood that your wish will come true. Therefore, in case of partly cloudy weather, it is necessary to wait for acceptable visibility of the lunar ball (within the permissible period of time).
That is, what time to make a wish on the Supermoon on March 9, 2020:
* For purchase - from 20:20 to 20:45 Moscow time.
* For deliverance - from 20:55 to 21:25 Moscow time.
How to make a wish:
You need to calm down, throw all thoughts out of your head except “that one,” and then imagine the object of your desires (or event) in as much detail as possible in the present tense(as if you already possess this item or event already happens to you).
In Christian churches, the holiday is celebrated with solemn services. Part of them is an all-night vigil, when the clergy glorify Christ. This holiday among Orthodox Christians is the second most important after Easter. On this day, it is customary for Christians to say, turning to each other: “Christ was born!”, “Let us glorify him!”
The 40-day fast of Christmas (Korochun) ends the day before. Believers break their fast and participate in 12-day festivities. Everyday celebrations are accompanied by fortune-telling, caroling, and performances by mummers. Christmas Eve ends the Christmas fast, so the rules of fasting apply to it: you cannot eat meat, eggs, or dairy products. If Christmas Eve falls on Saturday or Sunday, then you can drink a little wine. Contrary to some statements, you can drink water.
On Christmastide, you cannot get married, hunt, or kill animals. Folk beliefs on January 7 prohibit sewing, washing, putting on old things, washing, sweeping up trash, and telling fortunes (you can tell fortunes on the other days of Christmastide). A woman should not be allowed to be the first guest.
In Russia, the main non-church Christmas ritual remains caroling. This tradition dates back to pagan times, when during Christmastide they tried to please the gods, who, being satisfied, would help throughout the year both in the field and in the hut. Caroling includes singing holiday songs (carols), dressing up as animals: bull, bear, goose, goat, etc. Caroling was accompanied by fortune telling and puppet shows. The Church disapproves of caroling, considering it a relic of paganism and superstition.
Christmas - great holiday, a solemn day for all Christians. On this day, God himself, the Savior of the world, incarnated into man. It is surprising that in the Holy Scriptures there is not a single indication that the day the Messiah was born is church holiday or some special day. In those days, birthdays were not celebrated at all. And the ancient Church did not celebrate Christmas. The birth of Christ was celebrated on the day of Epiphany.
Surely everyone knows the story about the Magi who came to worship the King of the Jews after seeing a star in the East. But the Magi themselves were not Jews. What did they believe? Why did the Birth of the Savior become a great holiday for them? Why did they prepare special gifts, which included oil for embalming the dead - myrrh?
How is fasting related to casting out demons in the Bible? Did Christ himself fast?
When do Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas - December 25 or January 7? Did you know that the first Gregorian calendar "missed" 10 days on purpose?
How to understand what happens at a festive service on Christmas? What are troparion and kontakion? We have analyzed in detail the composition of the service for Christmas.
Why is it customary to decorate a spruce tree at Christmas? Isn’t it a secular thing? new year tradition, having roots in paganism? Did the spruce stand next to the Christmas manger? Which Christian was the first to decorate a spruce tree?
In this article we tried to collect for you answers to the most important questions for a Christian about the holiday of Christmas, interesting facts and cards with which you can congratulate your loved ones.
Christmas: the history of the holiday
So, let's turn to the history of the celebration of the Nativity of Christ. It would seem that everything is simple here. This day is described by the evangelists; undoubtedly, for a Christian, the birth of the Heavenly King, the incarnation into man, the opportunity to ask for forgiveness of sins and eternal life is a great holiday. It's not that simple. As we have already said, the Scriptures do not talk about celebrating Christmas. And even more so, there is no particular promise to decorate the tree or give each other gifts.
The story of the Nativity of Christ is described in the Holy Scriptures, but the celebration of this event appeared later. Christmas is one of the twelve great holidays of the Orthodox Church. In our tradition, they are usually called the twelve holidays; these are the great celebrations of the Church that follow Easter. Birthdays were not celebrated in Jewish tradition, which is hard to believe modern people, and there is no promise in Scripture of a special celebration. The first mention of Christmas dates back to the 4th century. In 360, the Roman bishop Liberius mentioned the feast of Christmas. In the 2nd century, the Birth of Christ was talked about on the day of Epiphany. The Feast of Epiphany celebrated three great events at once - the Birth of Jesus, the bringing of gifts and Baptism. In the old missals, Christmas is called “Winter Easter”; the Resurrection of Christ was a consequence of Christmas. All church practice was formed around them. This holiday is dedicated to the earthly life of Christ. Our Savior was born not in a luxurious castle, but in a barn where cattle were sheltered from bad weather. A piece of Jesus' manger is supposedly kept in the Roman temple of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, and that year the emperor ordered a census of newborns. The Mother of God and Joseph were from the family of King David. There was no place for them in the city hotels on the road to Bethlehem, so the Savior of the World was born next to the stable, and the Infant of God was placed in a cattle feeder - His first manger. The shepherds who were guarding their flocks nearby were the first to learn about the miracle that had taken place, as the Gospel of Luke says. On a starry night, the Angel of the Lord appeared to them to announce Great Joy, “for today a Savior has been born to you in the city of David.” Together with the Angel, a large heavenly army also appeared, crying “Glory to God in the highest!” The first to worship the Lord were ordinary people, and ordinary people became the first preachers of Christ. The angel said to them: “Do not be afraid: behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people, for today a Savior has been born to you, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David,” and the humble shepherds were the first to be honored to bow down for the salvation of people to Him who descended to the level of a “slave’s face.” " What did these words mean? Before the Birth of Christ, God had never incarnated before. Having taken upon himself the sins of the world, Jesus gave people hope for Salvation, commanding his disciples, first of all, to love. The Apostle Paul said that death would be gain for him, because in the body he was separated from the true source of life - Christ.
The Magi Melchior, Balthazar and Gaspar (in the Latin tradition) saw the Star of Bethlehem in the East and also understood that this meant the birth of the Savior of the world. They most likely came from Persia. Despite the fact that the Magi were pagans seeking the truth, the sun of truth was revealed to them. In those days, astronomy was often combined with astrology and pagan practices, so in the modern understanding, the Magi were something like magicians. Although the Persians and Jews believed that they believed in One God and perceived each other favorably, the Magi, of course, could not be considered God's chosen people. They brought their gifts to the Divine Infant (gold - a sign of royal power, incense - a sign of the priesthood and myrrh (spicy incense) - they anointed the bodies of the departed with it, a symbol of the fact that Jesus Christ would die and rise again. Zoroastrian teaching about the Saoshyants (three saviors who will teach people of the Good Faith) echoed the teaching about the Messiah. The appearance of the Magi on the day of the holiday meant that the Savior came not to one people, but to all people.
Why did the Son of God become man? God has opened ways of salvation for us. The essence of man united with the Divine essence. Jesus took on man to heal humanity. He brought us the amazing gift of grace and all we need to do is accept this gift worthily and righteously. The appearance of God in the flesh is a sacrifice that atoned for all the sins of mankind. And not only past, but also future sins. Theophan the Recluse writes about “adoption” by God the Father through God the Son: “The Spirit of God makes sons - by regenerating everyone? Not all, but only those who believed in the Lord, decided to follow Him in everything, and for the sake of these dispositions were accepted into God’s favor, as if destined to be sons.”
In the place where God came into the world, there is now the Basilica of the Nativity of Christ. The basilica was founded by Equal-to-the-Apostles Empress Helena. The basilica operates continuously, the building of the basilica suffered from wars and fires. There is a cave under the basilica, its location is marked by a silver star with fourteen rays. This is the birthplace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hegumen Daniil Pilgrim is the first to describe the Cave of the Nativity in Russian. This happened at the beginning of the 12th century.
The day before Christmas is Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is the “door” that opens the gates to Christmas.
Until Christmas Day, a great holiday, people observe the Nativity Fast. Fasting in the life of a Christian takes up one third of the year. On these special days, Christians try to get in touch with timelessness, Eternity. Believers imitate Christ, because Christ fasted. One must try to become like Christ not only in food, but also in spiritual life. We empathize not even with the holiday of Christmas itself, but with the appearance of Christ in the world, with the fact that God became man. Fasting is a time of purification in spiritual life and one of the main spiritual activities of a person. The holy saints of God fasted, as there are numerous references to in Scripture. Many Holy Ascetics spent their entire lives in strict fasting. Jesus spoke about the need for fasting to the Apostles. When the Apostles asked why they were able to cast out demons from a possessed person, Jesus replied that this race can only be driven out by fasting and prayer. Prayer is for the soul, and fasting for the body are important deeds for a Christian. Preparatory Christmas post. We are preparing for the Nativity of the Lord, the day of the great holiday; such a holiday should be celebrated with spiritual purity. To prevent Christmas Day from becoming an ordinary day, fasting is observed, a person repents of sins, so that the soul accepts this holiday.
Symbols of the Nativity of Christ
On the eve of Christmas, on Christmas Eve, festive dishes are prepared - sochivo and kutia. The word “Christmas Eve” is precisely associated with the preparation of sochi. These are dishes made from steamed cereals with honey. They eat only once on Christmas Eve, after the festive service.
The main symbol of the 
Christmas, of course, remains the Christmas tree. It occupies a special place in the Orthodox tradition, we will talk about it in detail.
The symbols of Christmas still remain the Sacred Gifts - gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Another important symbol of Christmas is the Star of Bethlehem. People have always looked at the stars and admired the view of the night sky. But the Star of Bethlehem occupies a special place. This is the star that led the wise men with gifts to the cradle of Jesus. Its rays pointed the way to the birthplace of the Savior. It is believed that after this the Magi themselves accepted Christianity and preached Christ. In houses this star is attached to the top of the Christmas tree. The eight-pointed star is also present on the icon of the Mother of God “The Burning Bush”. Previously, it was installed on the domes of the first churches. The story of the star from the East was described by the Evangelist Matthew. The Magi knew the map of the starry sky well and believed that stars were not just cosmic objects, but also signs that told about the destinies of people. The Pentateuch of Moses contains the prediction of the prophet Balaam. This man did not belong to the people of Israel; he was of pagan origin. He declared " new star from Jacob,” so the Magi were waiting for a special star to appear in the East. The worship of Jesus by the pagans, the Magi, suggests that all times and peoples, all earthly kings will sooner or later bow before Christ.
The angel and bells remind us of the announcement of the Birth of the Lord to the shepherds. The ringing of bells glorifies the Lord.
In many countries, it is customary to light candles at Christmas. Their light symbolizes the Divine radiance of the joy of the Nativity of Christ.
Christmas traditions vary depending on different countries. Accordingly, the symbols of Christmas may be different. The tradition of the Nativity scene has taken root in Russia. A nativity scene is the cave of the Nativity; it is made with one’s own hands and installed in churches, city squares and in the homes of believers. The nativity scene “came” to Russia from the Middle Ages Western Europe. In those days they actively fought against pagan traditions and rituals. Many Christians, due to their weakness, participated in the festival of the god Mithras, the pagan god of the Sun. This refers us to the history of the establishment of the Christmas holiday itself. Christmas Day coincided with the Solstice, which also had some symbolic connotations. The Church began to celebrate Christmas separately from the day of Epiphany in order to replace pagan holidays with Christian holidays.
Even if many Christians did not organize pagan holidays, even becoming unwitting participants in the feast, they harmed their souls. So one might think that there is no significant difference between the veneration of Christ and the veneration of other non-existent gods. The Church had to either excommunicate the “half-pagans” or come up with a way to establish a real Christian holiday, reminiscent of the fact that Christ the Savior came to us. Despite the fact that there were undoubted benefits in separating Christmas from the feast of Epiphany, a number of theologians believe that there were certain disadvantages for Christians in this. Christmas has become less closely associated with the appearance of God in the world. Blessed Theodoret of Cyrus said: “...The real God and the Son of God, having an invisible nature, when he became man, became visible to everyone”.
In those days, not only church choir singers, but also parishioners took part in Christmas celebrations. A statue of the Virgin Mary was placed on a special table above the throne. A boy from the church choir, portraying an Angel, announced the birth of the Messiah. And the priests portrayed the Bethlehem shepherds. After the announcement they entered the altar. This was followed by a small performance on a Biblical theme, which was called “Nativity Scene”, and in Western Ukraine just “Nativity scene”.
In Europe in the 16th century, such mysteries were performed by puppet theaters. Such theaters had decorations reminiscent of the decorations of today's Christmas nativity scenes. They were cut out of paper, wood, and sculpted from clay. Nowadays, nativity scenes are often simply installed at the entrance to a temple or home.
Catholics and Protestants also make Advent calendars. Advent is the four weeks before Christmas. Small gifts are left in such calendars for children.
Why do different churches celebrate Christmas dates?
Many people wonder when to celebrate Christmas - December 25 or January 7? In some countries, for example, in Moldova, both days of Christmas are widely celebrated - according to the old and new styles. This is due to the religious diversity in the country. In Russia, celebrating Christmas is also becoming a tradition.
In the ancient world there was no single calendar. Julius Caesar was one of the most enlightened people of his time. He realized that there was a need to create a calendar. The Julian calendar was established by Julius Caesar, as follows from its very name. Greek science of that time already knew that the Earth makes a full revolution around the sun in 365 days and 6 hours. In fact, these are not entirely accurate figures - for 365 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes. Julius Caesar demanded that the calendar combine Roman names and Greek scientific discoveries. This calendar, like the Gregorian calendar, has 12 months, leap years, 365 days a year. An additional day appears every four years. Unfortunately, the 11 minute discrepancy became critical. So in 128 years a whole extra day would appear on the calendar. In 1582 it became obvious that it was necessary to develop new calendar. Pope Gregory XIII introduced a calendar, which is called the Gregorian calendar, which has fewer leap years. Years that are divisible by 100 but not divisible by 400 began to contain 365 days. Why did the controversy arise if the new calendar was perfect? Ten days were deliberately omitted from it. Countries adopted the new calendar at different times, which led to several confusions regarding important historical dates.
This question is not as clear-cut as it seems, and it’s not just about calendars. Today our Church lives according to the Julian calendar, although in some countries the Gregorian calendar is considered the most accurate. The difference between these two calendars is in the calculation. The Julian and Gregorian calendars are a matter of theology. After the October Revolution, the Julian calendar was considered “obscurantist”; all secular holidays are celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar; in 1923, under pressure, the Church tried to switch to new style, but the Russian Orthodox Church remained faithful to Julian. Catholics and Protestants celebrate Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar, as do a number of Orthodox Churches abroad.
We know quite accurately the date of conception of the mother of John the Baptist, Elizabeth (September 23, old style). We know that when Zechariah left Jerusalem, we know that in the sixth month after the conception of John the Baptist, an angel appeared to the Most Holy Theotokos. This day became the day of the Divine Conception of Jesus Christ. We cannot know the exact date, but we can calculate that the Birth of Christ occurred in the middle of winter.
Festive service
The greatness of the holiday is reflected in Christmas. On this day the prayer “To the Heavenly King” is read. This is what we call Christ, honoring Him as Lord God. This prayer is not read only during the period from Easter to Pentecost and many divine services are opened to it, not just holiday ones. Next comes the litany and hymn “God With Us.” This hymn reminds us of the prophet Isaiah, who 700 years before the birth of Christ announced the coming of the Savior of the world, born of a Virgin. He described the events of His earthly life, death and resurrection. This is followed by the song of Simeon the God-Receiver, which speaks of the bringing of the Divine Infant to the Jerusalem Temple, which traditionally took place on the fortieth day of life. At the festive service on Christmas Day, the Irmos, the title of the Christmas canon, is sung. There are nine songs in the canon, the beginning of the ninth song (irmos) is the thread connecting the Old Testament with the New Testament. He says that it is better for us Christians to love silence. Many preachers cannot find words to convey the essence of the mystery of the Birth of Christ. The service is held in Church Slavonic. Hymnography Ancient Rus' and Byzantium is huge. As we know, all services take place on a daily basis. On the eve of holidays, morning and evening services merge into one “all-night vigil.” Such services occur only twice a year - at Christmas and Easter. The Patriarchal Christmas service takes place in the Russian Orthodox Church, when the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addresses the flock.
Matins of the Nativity is sung at night. This night we hear the Angel's song: Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, good will toward men. This is gratitude to God for being incarnate and saving us. We also hear polyeleos, verses from these psalms glorifying the mercy of the Lord. Next comes majesty, a short song praising God. The composition of the festive matins includes a sedate and sedate antiphon. The antiphons imitate the choir of angels praising the Lord. The names refer to the way these chants are performed. So the Antiphons are sung alternately. Next comes the prokeimenon, which precedes the reading of a passage from Scripture dedicated to the Nativity of Christ. This is followed by the Gospel stichera, explaining the words of Scripture.
Troparion and Kontakion for Christmas
The troparion and kontakion for Christmas are the most important components of the divine service. They are created by Christian poets - hymnographers. The troparion and kontakion are not just prayers, but also explanations of the essence of the Christmas holiday.
Troparion for Christmas
Kontakion for Christmas
Christmas tree: Orthodox meaning
The spruce has always been a symbol of Christmas. This is due to the fact that Herod ordered the killing of all the babies, fearing for his position, when the Magi reported that the King of the Jews had been born, meaning the Savior. It is believed that to save Jesus, Mary and Joseph closed the entrance to the cave with spruce branches.
Why was Herod so afraid? In the time of Jesus, everyone was waiting for the coming of the Messiah. He was expected as a powerful King, whose enemies would be defeated. Jesus, as we remember, was born not in palaces, but in a stable, and His first manger was a bowl for feeding livestock. Herod was not a deeply religious Jew, so the coming of the Messiah interested him only from the point of view of political ambitions. Not only was Herod not a descendant of David, and, therefore, his position as an official ruler was already precarious, but it was not he who accepted Judaism, but his grandfather Antipas, because the Hasmonean Kingdom of Judah demanded it. Antiparus, Herod's father, seized the royal throne by cunning and force. He himself became a victim of betrayal and deceit. Herod punished the traitors and ascended to the kingdom. Power passed from hand to hand. By taking the granddaughter of Hyrcanus II as his wife and reconstructing the temple, Herod tried to strengthen his position. But, being a cruel and suspicious man, he later killed his wife and three sons, suspecting them of conspiracy. Against the backdrop of these events, wise men appeared in Jerusalem demanding to show them the King of the Jews, and they clearly did not mean Herod. After this, he ordered all the babies to be killed. This terrible event was one of Herod's worst crimes.
In Europe for a long time There was a legend that when the trees brought their gifts to the Infant God - fruits, the spruce had nothing to offer him, and she modestly stood on the threshold of the stable, not daring to approach. Then Jesus smiled and extended his hand to her. But this story belongs, rather, to good fairy tales.
There was another version of this tale: it said that two other trees, palm and olive, did not allow the spruce to come to Christ, mocking it. Hearing this, the Angel of the Lord decorated the modest tree, and she entered the manger of the Divine Infant in all her majesty. Jesus rejoiced at the tree, but she was embarrassed, and not proud, because she remembered that an Angel dressed her, and she owes her transformation to him. For its modesty, it was the spruce that became the symbol of Christmas Day.
In Russia, the tradition of decorating a spruce tree for Christmas came only in the 18th century. By the way, in many countries, this tradition also became late: in England, France and America, only in the middle of the 19th century did spruce for Christmas become a widespread practice.
The spruce tree is also dressed up New Year, but this is a secular tradition. For Orthodox Christians, spruce is, first of all, a symbol of Christmas. In Ancient Rus', spruce was not favored; it was a gloomy tree growing in a swamp.
The decorated tree is an echo of paganism. In those days, people endowed nature with human, if not divine, properties. According to legends, forest spirits lived in coniferous trees. To save their homes from evil spirits, people dressed up forest beauties, trying to appease them. Attitudes towards coniferous trees, by the way, were constantly changing. They either kept evil spirits within themselves or guarded the home. However, at all times, spruce has been endowed with mystical properties.
In Europe of the 15th-16th centuries, references to decorating spruce were first found. It is believed that the custom of decorating a spruce tree in the Christian tradition was discovered by Martin Luther, the founder of Protestantism. He placed candles on the branches of the fir tree to show the children the symbol of the Lord’s love and mercy - the beauty of the heavenly stars on the day when the Lord became incarnate and came down to people. Peter I “brought” the decorated spruce to Russia, but initially it was placed only in drinking establishments, and the decorated tree appeared in homes already in the 19th century. In the house of Emperor Nicholas I in St. Petersburg there was a decorated Christmas tree.
A little later, the spruce appeared as an illustration for the book “The Nutcracker” by Hoffmann, which indicated a tightly rooted tradition of decorating the spruce for Christmas. Already in 1916, the Holy Synod saw German influence in the tradition and banned it, and in 1927, after an anti-religious campaign, the Christmas tree was classified as a “relic of the past”...
Now the evergreen spruce, also reminiscent of eternal life, is experiencing a rebirth. In 1935, spruce returned to government agencies, but returned, alas, as a secular symbol of the New Year. It was decorated with a red star on the top. It is known that during the years of the fight against God, people decorated the spruce secretly in their homes. People began to remember that this, first of all, is a symbol of the Nativity of Christ.
Merry Christmas
Your loved ones with vintage Christmas cards.
Dates of Christmas:
About the Nativity of Christ on Pravmir:
About the Nativity of Christ: the history of the holiday
- Bishop Alexander (Mileant)
- Protodeacon Andrey Kuraev
- Archimandrite Iannuariy (Ivlev)
- Prot. Alexander Shmeman
Christmas calendar
Hymns and service of the Nativity of Christ
- Nikolai Ivanovich Derzhavin: and
Christmas carols and songs
Video
Christmas in the family: traditions and customs
Christmas icon
- Hieromonk Ambrose (Timrot)
Sermons
- St. Basil the Great
- St. John Chrysostom
- St. Leo the Great,
Christmas is the main Christian holiday that is associated with the birth of Jesus Christ. Celebrated in more than 40 countries around the world. The roots of this holiday go far into antiquity, but it is important to this day. The celebration takes place in the family circle over traditional dishes.
Story
The date of celebration is not related to the real date of birth of Jesus Christ. The first mention of the celebration was recorded in 336, when the Roman Church established the feast of the Birth of Jesus on December 25 according to the “Fiocal Calendar”. This date is associated with the pagan holiday “Birth of the Sun of Truth.”
Around the same time, in the churches of the East, Christmas was associated with the Epiphany and it was called Epiphany. The celebration took place on January 6 until the 6th century. The Armenian Church still celebrates Christmas in this interpretation.
According to medieval tradition, it is believed that Christ died on the day of his conception. The date indicated in the Gospel is March 25. If you count 9 months from it, you get December 25th.
Traditions
The celebration of this bright date is associated with the purification of the human soul and body, finding harmony with nature. To do this, you need to fast for 40 days, thereby purifying yourself both physically and spiritually. The meaning is to remove sins from oneself through prayer and abstinence in food. This tradition is associated with being reborn like Jesus Christ and continuing to live renewed.
After freeing the soul from the burdens of life, it is necessary to fill it with new, clean energy. There are traditions for this – “sowing” and “caroling”.
On the night before Christmas, people dress up in traditional decorations and deliver kutya to their homes, singing carols wishing happiness and prosperity to the residents of the house. In return, the mummers receive money or goodies. And in the morning on the day of the holiday, it is necessary to scatter grains of wheat, millet or rice in the corners, thereby sowing prosperity in the house.
On Christmas it is customary to set a rich table. It is believed that the dishes will feed good spirits with energy to fight evil demons and protect the inhabitants of the house from harm.
Christmastide begins with Christmas, which lasts until Epiphany. During this period, various fortune telling is performed. In the old days, it was customary to invite lonely people and travelers to Christmas dinner as an expression of kindness. On this day, sewing, knitting, doing housework, and hunting are prohibited. There is a belief that on Christmas night the souls of dead people inhabit animals.
At this time, according to the Gospel of Matthew, the Magi (ancient sages) from the east came with gifts to the Infant God. They expected that the great King of the world would soon come to earth. Having seen an extraordinary star rising over Bethlehem at the moment of the birth of Jesus, the Magi (according to legend, their names were Gaspar, Melchior and Belshazzar) headed to Jerusalem to ask where to look for the Savior of the world. Hearing about this, King Herod, who ruled Judea at that time, became agitated and called them to him. He found out from the Magi the time of the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem - the possible age of the future king, whom he feared as a rival to his reign. Herod hypocritically asked the wise men to inform him of the place of birth of the baby, “so that I too could go and worship Him.”
Following the guiding star, the Magi reached Bethlehem, where they bowed to the newborn Savior and brought gifts from the East: gold, incense and myrrh. These gifts had a deep meaning: they brought gold as a tribute to the king, incense as a tribute to God, and myrrh as a person who was about to die (in those distant times, myrrh was anointed with the dead). Then, having received a revelation from God not to return to Jerusalem, they went to their own country another way.
The angry Herod, discovering that the wise men did not listen to him, sent soldiers to Bethlehem with orders to put to death all male infants under two years of age. The Gospel tells that Joseph, having received a warning about danger in a dream, fled with the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Child to Egypt, where the Holy Family remained until the death of Herod.
In remembrance of the birth (nativity) of Jesus Christ, the church established a holiday - the Nativity of Christ. The beginning of its celebration dates back to the time of the apostles. The Apostolic Decrees say: “Keep, brethren, the feast days, and, firstly, the day of the Nativity of Christ, which shall be celebrated by you on the 25th day of the tenth month” (from March).
In the first three centuries of the new era, during the persecution of Christians, in some churches the feast of the Nativity of Christ was combined with the feast of Epiphany on January 19 (January 6, old style) under the common name of Epiphany. The reason for this was probably the belief that Christ was baptized on the day of his birth.
Until the 70s of the 1st century, the overwhelming majority of Christians were Jews, and among them the question of the date of birth of the Savior was not raised, because it was generally not customary for Jews to know exactly their birthdays. The first attempts to establish the date of the Nativity of Christ and celebrate this day as one of the main Christian holidays date back to the 2nd-3rd centuries.
In 337, Pope Julius I approved the date of December 25 as the date of the Nativity of Christ. Since then, the entire Christian world celebrates Christmas on December 25 (the exception is the Armenian Church, which celebrates Christmas and Epiphany as a single feast of Epiphany). Russian Orthodox Church also celebrates the Nativity of Christ on December 25, but according to the old style - according to the Julian calendar (since the Russian Orthodox Church did not accept the calendar reform of Pope Gregory XIII), that is, on January 7 according to the new Gregorian style.
The Feast of the Nativity of Christ precedes the Nativity Fast, so that the soul of Christians is cleansed by prayer and repentance, and the body by abstinence from food. Lent begins on November 28 (November 15 according to the Julian calendar) and lasts until January 7 (December 25 according to the old style). The last day of the Nativity Fast is Christmas Eve, Christmas Eve, when the fast becomes especially strict and Vespers (evening worship) of the Nativity of Christ is served. For Christmas Eve, churches are decorated in a festive way - with spruce branches, garlands of flowers and lights.
Since the festive vespers have already been served, the all-night vigil begins with the joyful cry of the prophet Isaiah: “God is with us!” Matins is performed according to the rite of the great holidays. On it, for the first time, one of the most beautiful canons in Orthodox worship is sung in full: “Christ is born, glorify! Christ is in heaven, hide (meet)! Christ is on earth, ascend! Sing to the Lord, all the earth!”
The celebration of the Nativity of Christ concludes with the Divine Liturgy - a service at which the sacrament of Communion is performed.
The next day, the celebration of the Council of the Blessed Virgin Mary takes place. By combining Christmas hymns with songs glorifying the Mother of God, the church points to Mary as the person who made the Incarnation possible. The Feast of the Synaxis of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Christian tradition is the most ancient holiday in honor of the Virgin Mary, the beginning of Her church veneration.