The Christian holiday of Christmas is celebrated with reverence both in families of the Orthodox and Catholic faiths. The origins go back more than two thousand years ago, in distant centuries, when the Most Pure Virgin Mary gave the world her son, Jesus Christ. Catholics celebrate the event in December, while the Orthodox do it on the night of January 6-7. But the country (in the majority) is an Orthodox country, so the Russian people are interested in the question, what do Orthodox families do at Christmas? Baptized Russia always celebrated this holiday cheerfully. She even decorated the Christmas tree, right up to the revolutionary events, which temporarily deprived the country of holy holidays. To the great joy of the Russian people, a little later, they began to dress it up again.
The meaning of the holiday
What do they do for Christmas? From January 6 to January 7, all churches in Russia hold a night service dedicated to the birth of Jesus Christ. In the old days, people did not sit at tables with food until the first star appeared in the firmament. At present, we see this tradition only in the fact that many Russian families sit down at the table on the 7th, after a big service. On the night before Christmas, you can make a wish, which must certainly come true.
The Christian holiday of the Savior's birth coincided with the pagan Christmastide, which is why it is always associated with carols and girlish fortune-telling. Christmas is the beginning of 12 Christmastide days, of which every day was lived cheerfully and beautifully. Christmastide ended with Epiphany (January 18).
Ancient traditions and customs of Christmas
Information about what exactly the inhabitants of Russia did for Christmas and what could not be done has reached the present day. The first Christmastide days people laid tables, treated them, everyone had to be surrounded by care and love.
At night, during the service, you had to thank for what you have, pray for what you lacked and be sure to remember the people who had left. In Russia, it was believed that they prayed side by side on this night, and the late priest was leading the service for them. In the early days of Christmas time, it was imperative to pay tribute to those who needed and deserved it:
- The first day was devoted to visiting parents, as well as close and distant relatives within reach. The young people always stayed with their parents for a holiday after the service.
- On the second day, people visited the weak, the old and the sick, brought them treats, kutya.
- The third day was dedicated to orphans, they were treated, given gif.webpts, played.
They did not even forget about those who fell out of decent society, but these were already later days.
After observing the traditions, it was allowed to start festivities and fun. In Russia there was a belief:
"As you spend Christmas days, your year will pass."
That is why people tried to spend their time as joyfully as possible: they rode on sleds, on troikas. On the main square, merry games were arranged, they sang songs, danced in circles and came up with various games and fun. People of the older generation visited each other, congratulated, gave small gif.webpts, often edible.
What shouldn't be done at Christmas?
Traditionally, on January 7, certain things were prohibited. It was impossible:
- swear, swear, wish evil on someone (even in jest);
- hunt, butcher pets;
- to clean the house, wash the floors, fix and do household chores (the house should already be clean by this time);
- swim (this must be done in advance);
- comb your hair, weave braids;
- fortune-telling and bewitching (more on that below);
- to engage in love pleasures.
Fortune telling and conspiracies as part of history
What else did you do for Christmas and Yuletide days? The answer is simple - at Christmas they used to guess.
These days, the church categorically forbade fortune-telling, considering this "action" a great sin. But holiness and the divine principle did not eradicate the pagan spirit, customs and rituals from the Russian people.
Young girls gathered and divined for grooms, fortune-telling for married people was strictly forbidden. The girls tried to find out the names of the betrothed, the number of children, the presence of love and wealth in marriage.
Christmas fortune-telling took place in the house or in the bathhouse, the girls had to be barefoot, simple-haired, in nightgowns, so traditions of this kind were forbidden for men. It was imperative to take off the pectoral cross, because fortune-telling was equated with a great sin. In many families, it was strictly forbidden.
Another tradition is conspiracies. Many older women on Christmas Eve read conspiracies and asked to give their families health, prosperity and well-being.
Merry Christmas Carols
Christmas carols were and remain no less entertaining. Of course, in our time, it is more difficult to carry out such a ceremony, since a large number of cities have appeared. In rural areas, especially when it comes to pre-revolutionary times, carols were a colorful and favorite ritual of both children and adults. Carollers, carrying bags of millet, millet and other grain, went from yard to yard. Showering the owners and their houses with cheerful exclamations, we wished them happiness, wealth, health and fertile land. For example:
"We sow, we sow, we sow, we wish piety."
People wished each other harvest, children, wealth, peace and all the best. In response, the owners treated them to festive food - lush bread, rolls, pies. It was impossible not to treat the caroling man, the owners of the courtyard, who drove away the caroling people, were considered greedy, and the act did not bode well for them. Today, throughout the Christmas week, children go to their homes and apartments, recite poems, chants and receive sweets and other sweets for their labors.
Christmas table
The table was set richly, the owners presented everything the best, after all, beforehand, Orthodox people experienced a fast that lasted 40 days. The fasting calendar does not change, but at different times the table was laid in its own way: some dishes left the life of the Russian people, some came. But, basically, they put:
- sbiten,
- honey,
- steamed vegetables,
- pies,
- kurniki,
- mushrooms,
- balls were rolled from sweet crumbs, it was a favorite delicacy of children.
Later, they began to make cookies, which were treated to the whole Christmas week. It is believed that Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol described the feast and festive festivities very well. It's right. But, do not forget that these are the traditions of one place: the Ukrainian farm Dykanka and the territory closest to it, as well as one time. Despite the general plot and the meaning of the holidays, in each region they made something of their own, made their own dishes, came up with their own games and calls.
But the main dish was and remains Christmas kutia. According to one version, kutia promised health and wealth: a lush, fragrant kutia was good, and a thin one that did not rise meant not a very good year. According to another version, on Christmastide week she was commemorated and treated to the people who had left. At the table set for the holiday, there must have been extra appliances. One way or another - kutia was a favorite, sweet and warming insides, dish on the festive table, from which to start and finish eating. There were many recipes that included seeds, dried berries, honey, cereals, and butter.
Modern traditions
Nowadays, every Russian family loves and celebrates this event. In the evenings, young girls continue to guess at their betrothed, and count the number of future children. On the night before Christmas, the whole country makes wishes. Young people meet in the central square, and cultural institutions organize various events and competitions for people of all ages. The city administration decorates the Christmas tree, makes slides and labyrinths so that the holiday is massive.
Only holidays have been reduced, since now the weekend starts with the New Year's feast. Two days after meeting such a bright day as Christmas, people go to work. But after the first working week, they are happy to celebrate the Baptism of Russia, which used to end Christmas festivities.
Nowadays, much attention is paid to gif.webpts. Buying and giving gif.webpts at Christmas has become a modern tradition. The idea was quickly picked up by commercial structures and today we see not only New Year's, but also Christmas gif.webpts on the shelves.
