Christmas is one of the most important Christian holidays; in Russia it is always celebrated on January 7 according to the new style. What are the traditions, customs and signs of the holiday in Rus'.

January 7, 2018. Christmas worship came to Rus' in the 10th century, after the official introduction of Christianity. Almost 200 years after this, before the holiday itself, or was established.

Even the ancient Christians established the pious custom of fasting before important holidays. The need to feel the greatness of the event was reflected in the desire to limit the most natural human needs. A strict one-day fast is still maintained on the eve of Christmas and Epiphany and is called Christmas Eve or Evening, from the custom of eating in the evening of this day (after the first star) sochivo-cooked cereals with honey.

Strictly speaking, the symbol of the first star is a candle, which is taken out on Christmas Eve at Vespers, which is served immediately after the liturgy, so you can eat after the end of the morning service. However, a stable tradition has developed of a single meal on Christmas Eve at nightfall, when the first star can be seen in the sky. After all, on the eve of Christmas, you want everything to remind you of the upcoming celebration.

Christmas - folk traditions, customs and signs of the holiday

At the end of December and beginning of January, the pagan Slavs celebrated the pagan holiday of the “solstice”. The sun turns to summer, and winter to frost, they used to say in Rus'. Probably because the sun was considered weak at that time, just beginning its path to summer, and the custom of dressing up—hiding one’s face under a mask—to hide from unkind spirits seeking to destroy the origin of life was strengthened. In addition, during these days the pagans held games, fortune telling, there were many rituals and signs, all of this was associated with the cult of fertility - the desire to appease the natural gods and not allow them to destroy the emerging new life.

All these festivities were called caroling. There are several opinions about the origin of this word. Most likely, it has the same basis as the word “wheel” - the root “colo”. Many scientists associate the “wheel” with the word “good”, that is, “sunny” (the solar circle rolls across the sky like a wheel), which again draws our attention to the holidays of the solar cycle.

Christmas - folk traditions, customs and signs of the holiday

After the adoption of Christianity, in Rus' they preferred not to suppress by force the remnants of paganism, as in Western Europe, but to fill the established form with new content. Therefore, the Church never put pressure on people’s consciousness by external force and did not cancel caroling these days. Old traditions gradually degenerated into new ones. Carols became a ritual of going from house to house with the Christmas star and nativity scene to glorify the born Savior and to ask for God's grace to the houses where carolers were received.

The Church made sure that during the celebration of the Nativity of Christ the line between Christianity and paganism was not crossed, although sometimes it was very thin. If the glorification of the born Child of God as the giver of every good for people was in the foreground, then the Church was with those who found Christ.

Christmas - folk traditions, customs and signs of the holiday

However, fortune telling at Christmas time has never been welcomed by the Orthodox Church. A kind of fortune-telling also includes many signs when well-being is associated with doing or not doing something, some special clothing and chance encounters. This has nothing to do with the holiday of the Nativity of Christ. It should be noted that work on Holy Days, which can be postponed, does not have any consequences for a person. But they are not blessed by the priesthood - in such great holiday, like the coming into the world of the Savior of all people, we must celebrate, rejoice and glorify God, putting aside all earthly affairs and worries.

Christmas - folk traditions, customs and signs of the holiday

But weather signs, based on many years of observations of nature, were in no way denied by the Church.

Clear weather and starry skies at Christmas foreshadowed the birth of livestock and a good harvest of vegetables and mushrooms next summer and autumn.

Heavy snow on Christmas Day indicates that a good wheat harvest should be expected. In addition, this is a good sign for the beekeeper - the bees will safely overwinter and hatch.

But if there is a thaw on the holiday, then you have to wait for a cold spring and, therefore, a poor harvest of vegetables.

In a merry round dance winter holidays January is circling us. One of the main events of the month is the Nativity of Christ, which is preceded by Christmas Eve, and then - until Epiphany - Christmastide lasts.

We will not dwell in detail on the history of the appearance of the Messiah, because this is discussed in detail New Testament. As for the exact date of birth of the Son of God, it is unknown for certain. There are many versions on this matter, supported by various facts (scientists often talk about September 12 BC).

Orthodox Christians have been celebrating this day on January 7th for many centuries. Each era has made its own contribution to the celebration traditions, resulting in an intricate kaleidoscope of beliefs, rituals, rites and signs. We invite you to familiarize yourself with a small selection of the most interesting and important of them.

Christmas: traditions and customs

Christmas Eve is the day the fast ends. Dinner is served after the evening service, when the first star has already appeared in the sky. Traditionally, before a meal, all household members should try sochivo (other names for the dish: kutya, kolivo). There are many ways to prepare this delicacy. Previously, housewives simply steamed wheat grains and poured them with uzvar before serving. Nowadays, cooks improve the recipe at their own discretion, most often using the following ingredients: raisins, poppy seeds, nuts, honey. Some people add vanilla, caramel, candied fruits, and chocolate.

The total number of dishes on the table must correspond to the number of apostles - 12. According to the Church Charter, food must be hot, cooked on vegetable oil. Although many who break their fast forget about this nuance.

For those who are going to observe church traditions and customs at Christmas, here is a list of dishes suitable for festive table: dumplings with potatoes or canned cherries, fried or baked fish, pancakes, vinaigrette, a variety of pickles, potato pancakes and cabbage with mushrooms. Baking options appropriate for the occasion: gingerbread, pies, kulebyaka.

Christmas is the second most important (after the Resurrection of Christ) holiday. Temples are decorated in advance in a special way, using pine branches and fresh flowers (usually lilies and chrysanthemums), and real Christmas trees are also placed. The priests put on ceremonial golden vestments. The first service is held in the morning of January 6th - the royal hours, from 17.00 the all-night vigil begins, the next day at 10.00 - the festive liturgy, in the evening - the solemn service.

Believers exchange congratulations, and red lamps are lit in front of home iconostases.

Folk traditions and signs associated with Christmas Eve and Christmas

All the most important fairy-tale mystical things happen on the night before Christmas. Our ancestors believed that after 24.00 good and evil meet, but eventually balance is established.

The most important event of Christmas Eve is a gala family dinner. Orders in the house and outfits were put in place and prepared in advance. We have already mentioned the components of the menu for the Holy Evening, now let’s focus on vintage features serving.

According to tradition, the table was placed in the middle of the room, covered with an elegant white tablecloth, hay was spread under it, and garlic was placed in the corners to protect against evil spirits. A mandatory attribute of the holiday is a vessel with grain in which a lit candle is placed. It was impossible to put out the fire until it went out. The grains were not thrown away, but mixed into the seed.

The remains of dinner were not removed, but symbolically left on the table for deceased loved ones.

After dinner, the fun began - the mummers walked through the courtyards, singing sacred hymns or playful carols. It is customary to greet such visitors warmly, treat them and generously give them gifts.

The next day you can break your fast. In some regions it is customary to visit your mother-in-law or mother-in-law, in others - to visit your godparents. Household chores and bad thoughts are strictly prohibited on holiday.

And now a little about the signs of Christmas

To make the coming year nourishing and successful, feed your pet to its fullest.
On January 7th, a representative of the stronger sex must be the first to cross the threshold of the home, otherwise the women in the family will get sick.
Any find on this day will lead to great financial profit, any loss will lead to significant losses.
Clear weather and starry skies on Christmas night symbolize a bountiful harvest.
Accidentally stepping into excrement is a sign of great luck (and don’t be cunning, the first word is the key).

Fortune telling before Christmas

How to tell fortunes for Christmas. Let us first recall that, according to church canons, divination is an ungodly matter. There is also a belief that categorically prohibits unmarried young ladies from telling fortunes on the night before Christmas.

However, all these strict warnings usually do little to stop anyone. In Rus', people began to predict the future on Christmas Eve, a merry and interesting entertainment repeated every evening while Christmastide continued.

What will the year be like, and will the expected event happen in it? In order to find out the answer to this question, important words were written on pieces of paper, for example: “wedding”, “birth of a child”, “buying something”. They hid all this stuff under the pillow and went to bed. Before dawn, you need to get out of bed and pull out a prediction at random.

What will your husband be like? The girls had fun by launching a rooster into the room. Previously, various objects were laid out on the floor: money, coals, jewelry, grains, and a cup of water was placed. Whatever the bird chooses, so will the betrothed. It’s bad, if he shits himself, it means betrayal is inevitable.

Married couples bewitched the gender of their future children. To do this, they dipped it into a glass of water. wedding ring, left outside the window overnight. A prerequisite is frosty weather. The water should turn into ice, on the surface of which conclusions were drawn (the presence of tubercles means that a boy will be born, pits - a girl).

Figures symbolizing the future were poured out of wax and identified by the contours of burning paper.

There are many more traditions, rites and rituals associated with Christmas. The nuances depend on the regions of residence and the degree of trust in folklore.

Christmas is one of the most important holidays for all Christians (after Easter), since on this day the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ. In Orthodoxy it is one of the so-called Lord's twelve holidays.

What date is Christmas

There are many signs and customs associated with Christmas - they were given Special attention. It was believed that as Christmas passed, so would the year.

As you know, the date differs among Catholics and Orthodox Christians due to the peculiarities of maintaining the calendar (which is why we also have the old holiday New Year, which is not celebrated anywhere else in the world). Christmas is celebrated on January 7th. Greek Catholics also celebrate Christmas together with Orthodox Christians.

Note that initially, from the end of the 2nd to the 4th century, Christmas was celebrated on January 6 - after the Baptism of the Savior, but later it was moved to December 25 due to the fact that it was on this day that the pagans in the Roman Empire celebrated the Birth of the Invincible Sun, that is, the day of winter solstice.

Christmas story

According to the Old Testament prophets, Christ was born in the city of Bethlehem in 5508 from the creation of the world.

The main and initial purpose of establishing a holiday is to remember and glorify the event of the appearance in the flesh of the Son of God. The Orthodox Church also established the solemn holiday of the Baptism of the Lord and called it the Epiphany, instilling the idea that on this day Christ did not become God for the first time, but only revealed Himself as God, presenting himself as One of the Trinity, the Son of God.

The holiday became a contrast to the rituals of the pagans. They also adopted the pagan custom of decorating trees. And also this holiday is accompanied by services and solemn chants. In the 4th century, Queen Helen, Equal to the Apostles, built a temple on the site of the Bethlehem cave, glorified by the birth of Christ.

Christmas Eve

The evening before Christmas or Christmas Eve (Holy Evening) has its own sacred meaning. On this day, one should observe a strict fast with complete abstinence from food until the first star, which symbolizes the Christmas star, which announced to the Magi about the birth of the baby Christ. On this day, first of all, it is customary for everyone to eat kutya, always at least a small spoon.

Traditions and rituals for Christmas

Since, like most holidays, Christmas adopted the traditions of paganism, we also find elements of the pre-Christian era among the traditions. In the old days, it was customary to sprinkle the table with hay and keep it there until the Generous Evening - this symbolized a good harvest. Later it came to symbolize that Jesus was born in a stable.

Lay a tablecloth on top, and in the center of the table place a dish with kutya and other dishes, of which there should be 12 according to the number of apostles. The food was plentiful, with meat dishes: pancakes, pies, pickles and dried berries, fried sausage, etc.

At midnight, everyone exchanged gifts, congratulated each other and made wishes. Christmas fortune-telling was common among girls. It was believed that at Christmas the sky opens to the earth, and the heavenly forces fulfill all their plans. All wishes made for Christmas must be good.

At Christmas it is customary to light more candles, lights, a fireplace - if you have one. Candles bring warmth and wealth into your home. If you have pets, then at Christmas you need to feed them abundantly - then the whole year will be satisfying and successful financially.

One special candle must be lit for deceased relatives - then they will help you attract good luck and prosperity in the coming year.

Christmas - great time for purchases, big and small. Buying something good for Christmas is a great omen and a sign that the purchase will serve you faithfully.

From Christmas until Epiphany, throughout all the days of Christmastide, certain prohibitions apply, which are determined by centuries-old ideas about the holiday as a stop of time, a certain temporary pause, during which one cannot engage in productive labor and everything that is associated with birth, beginning, development. Therefore, a significant part of the prohibitions concerns crafts related to spinning, sewing, knitting, weaving, braiding, that is, everything related to thread (rope). The thread is a symbol of life and destiny.

On Christmas, you can't do any cleaning or housekeeping chores. This day is created for peace and joy. It’s even better if you don’t clean up until January 14th (the next day of the old New Year). All garbage collected on January 14 should be taken outside and scattered to the wind, or burned. According to signs, after this no evil spirits will bother you for a whole year.

You can't swear on a holy day. He who swears takes away the hope of salvation from his ancestors.

There is a widespread belief associated with the arrival of the first guest. If you are inviting guests over for Christmas, see who enters your home first. If a woman enters first, then the women of your family will be sick all year.

Christmas rules also applied to clothing: on Christmas, another tradition has long been followed: to wear only new clothes. Not clean, washed, but new, not yet worn. And don't sit at the Christmas table dressed in black. Our ancestors believed that such people would face failure in business in the new year.

It is not recommended to guess at Christmas - in order to ask the higher powers what awaits you in the future, there will still be a lot of time: it is best to do this on the so-called Christmastide - from January 8 to Epiphany, it is not for nothing that fortune telling at this time is called that - Christmastide.

You can't drink water on Christmas, so remove all mineral water from the table. There is coffee, tea and other great drinks. To be honest, this sign is a little strange, but it’s better not to drink water than to suffer for an unknown reason all year.

On January 7, people go to visit relatives and sing carols. On the morning of January 7, the whole family or several representatives go to church for holiday prayer, and returning from church, people joyfully greet: “Christ is born!” They are answered - “Praise him!” Starting from the evening of January 6, Christoslavs (carolers) walked with “ Star of Bethlehem" It was fixed on a stick big star made of gilded paper, decorated with a lantern, paper garlands, sometimes an icon of the Nativity, the Savior or the Mother of God, then with this star singing Christmas carols go around the surrounding houses.

In some places, they baked animal figures from wheat dough for the holiday - cows, sheep, goats, cockerels, hens and shepherd men.

In some regions, the table is decorated with a didukh, a sheaf of wheat or oats of a special shape: with four legs and big amount knots, symbolizing prosperity for the next year.

The Seven Blessings of Christmas

The number seven is considered sacred. There is a belief that whoever has done seven blessings in Orthodox Christmas will live happily all year and even has the right to ask the angels for the fulfillment of their most cherished desire. On this day, it is customary to give seven alms for the sake of happiness in the coming year. Usually these are 7 identical coins, which must be given to someone who arouses sincere sympathy in the soul, accompanying the alms with a silent prayer. You can also give seven useful gifts. As a rule, these were towels, and when giving them, the giver must say the words: “I give towels, I will die in good time, I will correct evil with good, I will guide my kind (my family) to happiness.”

Ritual

At Christmas, many different rituals have long been performed, but in order not to be accused of obscurantism at all, do the nicest ones that are not tied to magic. For example, starting from January 7, for forty (!) days (this period is called peace - our ancestors believed that during this time angels help people in all matters), every morning, when you wake up, make a new wish - imagine how much good will come into your life!

Signs and superstitions

At Christmas, folk signs and superstitions acquire special power, as if nature itself and every object are trying to tell us something: how to live, what to fear. Here are just a few of them.

A sign of prosperity. If you lose any item on Christmas, this means that you may face losses in next year. But if you find a thing or something else jewelry, then money is already rushing towards you in full sail!

A sign for good luck. If you accidentally spilled tea or coffee at the Christmas table (this does not apply to alcohol), then this is good news and great success for all your endeavors.

On Christmas Eve (January 7 to 19), look at nature. If the sky is most often strewn with stars, or it snows often, or there is a lot of frost on the trees, the year will be rich, satisfying, and profitable. If it snows on Christmas Day itself, this is a very good omen and promises a successful year.

If there is a new month in the sky on Christmas Day, the year will be extremely unsuccessful financially.

The most monetary sign of Christmas is also a tradition. A coin is baked into the pie - and whoever gets a piece with a coin will have great financial luck in the New Year.

May the coin end up in your piece of Christmas pie!

Prayers for Christmas

Glorification of the Nativity of Christ

We magnify Thee,
Life-giving Christ,
for our sake now born in the flesh
from Beznevestnyya
and the Most Pure Virgin Mary.

Troparion to the Nativity of Christ

Your Nativity, Christ our God,
the rise of the world and the light of reason:
in it he serves the stars,
I follow a star,
I bow to you to the Sun of Truth,
and I lead you from the heights of the East:
Lord, glory to You.

Kontakion, tone 3

The Virgin is giving birth today to the Most Essential,
and the earth brings a den to the Unapproachable;
Angels and shepherds praise,
the wolves travel with the star;
For our sake, the Young Child, the Eternal God, was born.

Troparion to the Forefeast

Get ready, Bethlehem,
open yourself to everyone, O Eden,
show off, Euphratho,
like the tree of life in the den of prosperity from the Virgin:
heaven for Onoya's womb appeared in thought,
there is a Divine Garden in it,
It’s worse than poison, we’ll live,
We will not die like Adam.
Christ is born before the fallen to restore the image.

Forefeast (Evening Eve), tone 4:

Having sometimes written with Elder Joseph,
as from the seed of David, Miriam was in Bethlehem,
womb-bearing seedless Birth.
It's Christmas time,
and there is no place for any dwelling,
but, like a red chamber, the den appeared to the Queen.
Christ is born before the fallen to resurrect the image.

Christmas is celebrated in Orthodox world Jan. 7. At all times, Christmas was celebrated especially solemnly, in compliance with all traditions and customs. A mandatory attribute of the holiday are congratulations that will express your warmest and most tender wishes to friends, family and just good acquaintances.

The Nativity of Christ, celebrated in the Orthodox world on January 7, is celebrated solemnly and in compliance with all traditions.

Christmas customs and rituals

Christmas Eve is considered the strictest day of the Nativity Fast. Throughout the day, until the first star announcing the birth of Christ, it is necessary to abstain from eating any food.

Of course, as with any fast, exceptions are made for sick people, children, as well as pregnant and nursing mothers.

Kutia (sweet porridge) and vzvar (dried fruit compote) are considered a mandatory dish on the festive Christmas table. Vzvar and kutia were placed under the icon before the All-Night Vigil, after which the people solemnly sat down at the table, observing a certain hierarchy. The father sat down first, then the mother, and then, in order of seniority, the children.

A mandatory attribute of the holiday is a Christmas tree. True, after the end of the reign of Peter 1, the custom of decorating a Christmas tree practically disappeared, reviving only at the end of the second half of the 19th century.

It was then that Christmas tree markets began to appear in the capitals.

Christmas is usually celebrated especially solemnly. Christmas tree decorations were usually carefully hidden from younger children, because most often they were sweets wrapped in colored shiny pieces of paper.

The Christmas tree, as a rule, was decorated with sweets and toys, which were distributed to children and mummers during caroling.

Gifts for children under the Christmas tree were a mandatory tradition on Christmas Eve; after receiving gifts, costume parties were held for the children.

Christmas days were considered blessed, so adults, regardless of social status, tried to help the poor, sick and poor. They went with gifts to prisons, hospitals, shelters and shelters. Visits with congratulations to friends and neighbors were also obligatory on these days.

Of course, the traditions and customs of celebrating that Christmas are practically no longer observed. The only exceptions are the Nativity fast and holiday services, which are attended by thousands of believers on the night before Christmas.

But the tradition of wishing each other a Merry Christmas is still relevant. After all, the warm words of the most tender and kind wishes will give a piece of your love and care to all those to whom they will be addressed on this bright day.

Merry Christmas greetings in verse

May you have a good Christmas holiday
It will bring peace to the heart,
And the appearance of Christ
Will save you from evil and grief.

May you have a great Christmas
It will give you a lot of magic,
Will illuminate the right path with a candle,
And the sadness will disappear somewhere.

Wonderful Christmas Night
Love warms everyone with the light,
And the sun, barely waking up,
All sorrows are instantly banished!
Feel the magic too
All the fabulousness of these moments,
Celebrate Christmas soon
And congratulations to everyone without a doubt!

Merry Christmas wishes in verse

Merry Christmas greetings with the most good wishes will be a wonderful gift for friends, relatives and acquaintances. May peace and goodness come to your home on this bright day, and may peace and happiness surround you throughout the year.

The bright holiday comes again -
Christ's Birthday,
And suddenly goes somewhere
Everyday bustle.
Let it warm you every day
Light of love, goodness is your home,
The joy of life fills
Your soul! Merry Christmas!