Natasha's personal diary…. The difficult history of the Christmas holiday How the Christmas holidays were celebrated in Rus'

Fact number 1. With the time of the celebration of the New Year in Rus' for many centuries there was complete discord. In ancient times, there was complete confusion and vacillation with the date of the celebration of the main winter holiday. The ancient Slavic farmers considered the first day of the new year to be March 1, when work began in the fields after winter. According to other sources, it was March 22 - the day of the vernal equinox. And the pagan ancestors, who considered their deity the evil frosty sorcerer Treskun (Karachun), with whom they managed to “make friends” only thanks to cunning, noted New Year on the shortest day of the year and one of the coldest days of winter - on the "winter solstice". In 988, after the introduction of Christianity in Rus' by Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich, the Byzantine calendar was also adopted. The celebration of the New Year was moved to September 1 - the time when the harvest was already harvested, all agricultural work was completed - and a new life cycle could begin. Since then, in Rus', two holidays have existed in parallel: in the old way - in spring and in a new way - in autumn. Disagreements continued until the 15th century, when by decree of Tsar Ivan III, the official date for celebrating the New Year in Rus' became September 1 for both the church and worldly people. Fact No. 2. The date of the main winter holiday in Russia was introduced by Emperor Peter I. Only in 1699, Peter I, by his decree, ordered the countdown of the New Year from December 31 to January 1, 1700. The young tsar introduced European customs, so that on a festive night, at his command, the houses were decorated with pine, spruce and juniper branches according to the samples exhibited in the Gostiny Dvor - the way it was done in Holland from ancient times. Peter I believed that the 1700th was the beginning of a new century. Historical documents record that in the first "Petrine" new year's eve on Red Square, a grandiose fireworks display, cannon and rifle salutes were arranged, Muscovites were ordered to fire muskets and launch rockets near their homes. The boyars and servicemen were dressed in Hungarian caftans, and the women in elegant foreign dresses. Noted new holiday, as they say, by " full program". Stormy celebrations continued until January 6 and ended with a procession to the Jordan. Contrary to custom, the Russian emperor did not follow the clergy in rich attire, but stood on the banks of the Moskva River in uniform, surrounded by the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments, dressed in green caftans and camisoles with gold buttons and braid. Fact No. 3. Frosty January days were a bright and expected holiday for Russian people From time immemorial, Christmas was considered a holiday of mercy and kindness, calling for taking care of the weak and needy. In our country, this holiday originates from the Baptism of Rus' by Prince Vladimir in 988. IN holidays, which began on January 7 according to the Gregorian calendar, charity auctions and balls were organized in Russian cities, festive tables were organized with "sovereign" pies, pretzels and decanters with "bitter" for the poor, gifts were given to the sick and orphans. And on frosty winter days from Christmas to Epiphany (January 19), called Christmas time, a festive meal alternated with wild fun. They arranged sleigh and ice-boat rides from the mountains, snowball fights, fistfights, carols. The name of this ancient Russian fun comes from the name of the pagan god of feasts and the world of Kolyada. In ancient Rus', both young people and old people loved to carol. In the evenings, dressed in animal skins or funny outfits, the crowd went home for treats and money. If stingy owners tried to get rid of obsessive visitors with a couple of bagels or sweets, then sharp tongues poured out unkind wishes - “devils in the yard, and worms in the garden” or to harvest wheat “completely with empty spikelets”. And in order for the guests to take away their terrible words, they had to be generously presented. Fact number 4. On holidays, they also loved to tell fortunes - Christmas fortune-telling was considered the most truthful. A special place these days was occupied by Christmas fortune-telling. As now, the girls dreamed of getting an enviable groom. “I want a betrothed - a handsome man and a dandy, long curls, high morocco boots, a red shirt, a golden sash,” they read vintage conspiracy. On the days of Christmastide, the girls used to tell fortunes by spreading wheat grains on the floor by the stove. A black rooster was brought into the house. It was believed that if the cockerel pecked all the grains, then the groom would probably appear soon. And if the "prophetic" bird refuses to treat, then you should not wait for the betrothed in the New Year. Wax fortune-telling was especially popular - melted wax was poured into a basin 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 bagel - for lack of money. Fact No. 5. At the beginning of the 20th century, New Year, Christmas and Santa Claus were banned in Russia At the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian Empire was going through very difficult times. In 1914, during the First World War, the government of Tsarist Russia banned all new year celebrations- Christmas trees, New Year, Christmas and even Santa Claus. It was believed that these holiday traditions adopted from the Germans, who at that time were enemies. After the Bolsheviks came to power at the end of October 1917, winter holidays were either returned or banned, and in 1929 January 1 was made a working day. However, in 1935 New Year, Christmas, Christmas trees and Santa Claus were rehabilitated in the Soviet Union. The New Year was recognized as a secular holiday, and Christmas was left to the church, separated from the state. Christmas received the status of a day off only in 1991, after the collapse of the USSR. But the Old New Year in Russia was first celebrated on January 14, 1919. In 1918, by decision of the Council of People's Commissars, the "Decree on the introduction of the Western European calendar in the Russian Republic" was approved. This was due to the fact that European countries have long lived according to the Gregorian calendar, named after Pope Gregory XIII, and Russia - according to the Julian (on behalf of Julius Caesar). Since then, the Russian people have established a custom to celebrate the Old New Year on the night of January 13-14, and thereby celebrate their beloved winter holiday again.

Christmas is the second most important holiday in Orthodox calendar. January 7 is celebrated not only at the church, but also at the state level. One of the most ancient holidays that have survived to this day. Over the past centuries, the celebration of Christmas has acquired many traditions, rites and rituals.

It is worth noting that the date of the celebration is set according to the Julian calendar, which is also commonly called the "Old Style", on December 25th. That is, Orthodox tradition suggests that Christmas opens the holiday cycle, and the New Year, on January 1, closes. Now we use the Gregorian calendar, in which the date has shifted to January 7th.

A bit of history

Christmas came to our lands along with Christianity. After St. Vladimir baptized Rus', they began to celebrate at the state level. In those days, the holiday symbolized the end of the old and the beginning of the year. Therefore, in the period from Christmas to Maslenitsa, annual agreements were concluded between merchants, last year's business was completed and new ones began. In those distant times, almost no one knew about civil calendars, people measured time from one church holiday to another.

Christmas in the X-XVIII centuries

During the time of the Ancient Russian state and the Russian Empire, the traditions associated with the Christmas holidays did not change much. For the peasants, this date was the most convenient. All autumn field work came to an end, in winter agriculture froze. Therefore, the festivities could last a whole week.

In high society, Christmas was no less popular. Great fairs and festivities were held in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Skating rinks and original "amusement parks" were built.

By the beginning of the 18th century, the Nativity scene came to us from Western Europe - a small theater in which biblical scenes were played. In some regions, this theater was a puppet theater, in others the roles were played by live actors. The tradition of putting up a nativity scene lasted almost until the middle of the 20th century. During the persecution of religion, it died out and in our times has hardly been revived. And the very word "nativity scene" has become synonymous with the concept of "amateur theatre".

Folk rituals and traditions associated with Christmas

Preparation for the holiday begins long before it starts. Russian peasants, although they professed Orthodoxy, retained many pagan traditions. Most of them are related to agriculture and the future harvest.

To the first star

Christmas was preceded by a strict fast of the same name, which lasted about a month. At this time, it was impossible to consume fast food - meat, eggs, milk and other high-calorie foods. It was believed that a bright star announced the birth of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the end of the fast was timed to coincide with the appearance of the first star in the evening sky on the eve of the holiday. On the last day of Lent, up to this point, it was not customary to eat at all.

sheaf burning

Christmas also marked the end of the agricultural year. During the harvest, the head of the family chose the best sheaf of wheat and placed it under the icons as gratitude to God for a good harvest. On Christmas Eve, this sheaf was burned, thus symbolizing hope for the next harvest. At this time, it was customary to change as much as possible in your life - to put on new clothes, shoes, buy expensive things.

Nativity scene, mummers and carols

The tradition of creating festive theaters, nativity scenes, came to us only at the beginning of the century before last. For the peasants, the theater was a novelty, so they called the actors "mummers." Nativity scenes came out on the evening before Christmas and performed in squares or entered houses. Their repertoire included scenes from the life of the family of Jesus Christ, other biblical scenes and stories. Characteristically, both the images of the characters and the storylines were maximally saturated with topical themes.

For puppet dens, one acted strict rule. It was impossible to make a doll of the Virgin or Jesus, they were replaced with consecrated icons.

For performances, the participants of the den, as a rule, were given food. Simple people money was rarely seen in those days. Families specially baked pies or prepared other treats to reward the artists.

During the performance, songs were often performed - carols. The words of these songs almost completely corresponded to the Gospel texts, the music was folk. Unfortunately, very few of these songs and nativity scenes have come down to us.

In some regions of Russia, carols were called "glorification". The essence of the ceremony was the same - to come to your neighbor or acquaintance and with a song announce the joyful news - the birth of the Savior. In the Russian Empire, the patriarch, the head of the Orthodox Church, came with glorification to the emperor. Together with him, a whole procession entered the palace. After congratulating the head of state, the patriarch went to the queen and other members of the imperial family.

Present

At all times, it was customary to give gifts at Christmas. According to the gospel texts, Jesus was born in a barn, in poverty and suffering. One of the first to come to him were three wise men or three kings from eastern countries. They brought him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Therefore, Christmas gifts are given not only to children, but also to adults.

Lenten table and rich table

In wealthy families, a tradition arose to put twelve dishes on the Christmas table, according to the number of apostles at the Holy Supper. And it was also customary to remember the dead relatives - for them, cloves of garlic lay on the edges of the table.

Christmas Eve

The day before Christmas is called Christmas Eve. This term comes from the name of the dish that was traditionally prepared on this day in peasant families - sochiva. Porridge was brewed, usually from cut wheat or barley, hence the name. Honey, poppy seeds, nuts and other sweets were added to the porridge. There is no single recipe, in each village they cooked juicy in their own way.

Dinner on Christmas Eve was customary to do lenten. Mostly porridges, pickles and mushrooms were put on the table. The peasants did not have any alcohol that day. The evening before the holiday was given great sacred significance. And, although the church opposed superstition, young girls gathered that night to guess. The topic of divination has always been the same - the date of the wedding and the identity of the betrothed. But the methods were different.

After the family finished dinner, the owner would collect the leftovers from the table and go to the barn. Christmas was considered such a big holiday that everyone, even pets, should have felt the joy of it.

The table at Christmas was completely different. It was for this holiday that cattle were slaughtered, and the peasants ate meat. It is interesting that the dishes consisted of large pieces, this is due to the peculiarity of baking in a Russian oven. In addition, they cooked poultry and fish. Traditional pastries were also made with meat filling - kalachi, kulebyaki, pancakes and pies.

Christmas time

In pre-Christian Rus', some pagan holidays fell at the same time as modern christmas. After the Baptism of Rus', the church often closed its eyes to the ritual liberties preserved from the old Slavic beliefs. One of these traditions is Christmas time - festivities that lasted several days in a row. After December 22, the number of daylight hours began to increase, people perceived this as a victory of good over evil. At Svyatki, peasants dressed up in strange costumes, visited each other, sang and danced. Animal masks were also used, symbolizing evil spirit.

Christmas in Rus'

The feast of the Nativity of Christ entered Rus' along with Christianity in the 10th century. and merged here with the winter ancient Slavic holiday Christmas time.

Slavic Christmas time was a multi-day holiday. They began at the end of December and continued throughout the first week of January. Only with the penetration of Christianity into the life of the Slavs, firm dates were fixed for Christmas time - from December 25, the day of the mythical birth of Christ, and until baptism, that is, until January 6.

In the life of the ancient Slavs, the time of this holiday was of great economic importance. Winter work was coming to an end, a period of active preparation for spring was beginning. Economic life left a noticeable imprint on the Christmas time and to a large extent determined the festive Christmas rituals and customs. Many of them, having undergone significant changes, passed into the Christmas rites.

The Slavs attached great importance to the magical cleansing of all evil spirits, filth, evil spirits, with which, in fact, Christmas time began. To do this, the dwelling was carefully cleaned and washed, people washed themselves, cattle were sprinkled with water. Fire and smoke drove away evil spirits.

A large place in the celebration of Christmas time was occupied by community meetings - gatherings. At these meetings, the most important economic issues were discussed, and the schedule for further work was outlined. Community meetings ended with general festive feasts, which often lasted several days. At the same time, part of the food was “given away” to the gods, spirits to the souls of dead ancestors, in order to attract them to their side in this way. At the same time, various amusements, games, fortune-telling, walking of mummers, Christmas markets (trades, bazaars) were arranged. The cult of plant spirits and industrial agricultural magic also occupied a large place in the Christmas rites of the Slavs. The performance of various rituals, according to believers, was supposed to ensure a good harvest, a large offspring of livestock.

The remnants of all these rituals, customs and beliefs, although in a significantly changed form, have been preserved in many places until recently.

Until recently, in some areas of our country, the Christmas holiday began like this: on Christmas Eve, the dwelling was cleaned with ears of corn, the table and floor were covered with fresh hay, and an unthreshed sheaf was placed in the front corner, under the icons. With the appearance of the first star in the sky, the family sat down at festive table. One of the main ceremonial dishes at the feast was kutya, or sochivo, i.e. liquid porridge made from boiled bread grains, sweetened with honey. Before the festive meal itself, the owner took a pot of kutya and walked around the hut three times with it, then threw a few spoons of kutya through a window or door into the street, symbolically treating the spirits. Frost was invited to the hut to eat kutya, and he was asked not to attack in the spring “on zhito, wheat and all pashits”, that is, not to destroy crops in spring.

Specially prepared sausages and pork also occupied a large place in the Christmas festive treat. They tried to clutter up the festive table with decorations and all sorts of dishes, figurines of domestic animals baked from dough, ornaments from ears of corn, so that, sitting at this table, householders could not see each other. It was believed that the abundance of the festive table can magically contribute to abundance, prosperity of the family throughout the year. At the end of the festive meal, the spoons were left in the kutia so that the spirits could feast.

Caroling was also a common Christmas ritual. When caroling, special songs were sung - carols. Initially, these were magical, witchcraft spells, supposedly ensuring the economic well-being of the community, family. Later, special songs appeared, glorifying the owners of the house and wishing them all the best. In some areas, carolers, coming to the hut, poured grain on the floor of the hut, pursuing the goal of magically calling for a high harvest.

After the introduction of Christianity, the church linked caroling with the gospel myth of the appearance of the star of Bethlehem, announcing the birth of Christ. So the pagan caroling turned into the walking of Christs with a star from house to house. The worshipers sang special Christmas church songs. Children were widely involved in the glorification of Christ. Believers rewarded them with gifts and sweets.

The clergy showed great activity in "Christ-worship". It became a major source of income for him. As a result of going around the houses with short prayers, the clergy collected whole carts of food and large sums of money on the Christmas holidays.

In celebration Orthodox Christmas relics of Christmas celebrations have also been preserved. The following document testifies to the nature of Christmas, Christmas festivities. In the letter of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich to the Shuya governor in 1649, it was written: “Yes, on Christmas and until the Epiphany Day (that is, during all Christmas time, before baptism. - Ed.) they gather for demonic games, but drunken priests and monks and all kinds of Orthodox Christians walk around Moscow, and scold, and fight, and fight, scream and yell, and revel in memory without memory.

Exorbitant saturation with food and wine was a relic of the belief that in this way one could magically ensure a well-fed and cheerful life throughout the year.

It was widely spread at Christmas time (and then passed into the Christmas ceremony) walking mummers. The ancient Slavs, dressed in the skins of various animals, believed that in this way they could magically influence the increase in the number of these animals. On the other hand, it was believed that the rampant evil spirits were especially great on the holiday. Christians also believed in this, believing that God, rejoicing at the birth of his son, opened the doors of heaven and hell and released angels and all evil spirits to "walk the earth." In order to avoid the harmful influence of evil spirits, believers, following the example of distant ancestors, dressed up, put on terrible animal masks in order to scare away evil spirits with this outfit or at least become unrecognizable and thus avoid the machinations of evil spirits.

Fortune-telling was an integral part of the Christmas entertainment. It arose as a result of the desire of people to somehow foresee the future and even magically influence it. People wanted to know in advance what the harvest would be, the offspring of livestock, etc. This, for example, is evidenced by such divination techniques as pulling straws from a sheaf or a blade of hay brought to the hut at Christmas time with their teeth. An elongated full ear with grain foreshadowed a good harvest, a long blade of grass - a good hay.

At a later time, the custom of fortune-telling was preserved mainly among young people, especially among girls, and was reduced to the desire to know one's fate, to know or see the betrothed.

And finally, let's dwell on one more Christmas, Christmas custom - decorating the Christmas tree. This custom is not Slavic, but transferred to Russia from the West. Among the ancient Germanic tribes, the cult of the spirits of vegetation was widespread. These spirits allegedly could exert a powerful influence on the harvest of bread, fruits, fruits, and on the offspring of livestock. According to the beliefs of the Germans, these spirits lived in trees, and above all in evergreen firs. In order to appease the spirits, they made sacrifices - they hung all their offerings on fir trees. Later, the spruce was no longer decorated in the forest or in the clearing, but was cut down and brought to the village. Here, around the decorated spruce, a holiday was held. The Christian church included this ancient custom in the Christmas rites. With the development of economic ties, the custom of decorating a Christmas tree for Christmas was brought to Russia (XVIII century). In our country, decorating the Christmas tree is timed to celebrate the New Year. The Christmas tree is arranged as fun for children.

Such was the everyday content of the Slavic Christmas time and the Christian holiday of the Nativity of Christ that merged with them. The Orthodox Church attached exceptional importance to this holiday. Christmas, according to the teachings of the church, is the second Easter.

The church assigned the central place in the ideological content of the holiday to the teaching of the birth of Jesus Christ in the form of a man to atone for the sins of people, to show mankind the ways of salvation. Defining the content of the Christmas feast, one of the church leaders wrote: “Glorifying the true union of God with man in the born God-man, the feast of the Nativity of Christ morally teaches us a holy life worthy of the born Lord” ( Debolsky. Days of worship ... of the Orthodox Church, vol. I, 1901, p. 38).

In its divine services, the church dedicates the whole 12 days to the Christmas holiday. Starting from December 20, 5 days are considered the pre-feast of Christmas. The most solemn service is performed on the day of the holiday itself. This is a real performance, which is designed to influence the religious feelings of believers, raise their religious mood and make them more receptive to the teachings of their spiritual fathers.

All the ideological content of the holiday, all its liturgical side pursue one main goal: to prove that all earthly troubles, all social injustice is the result of the sinfulness of the human race. And the way out of a difficult earthly life is to achieve heavenly bliss in the other world, the afterlife, which can be achieved only by fulfilling the teachings of Christ.

Calling on people to come to terms with cruel reality, distracting them from the struggle for better living conditions, for true human happiness on earth, the Church faithfully served the feudal lords, feudal lords, landowners and capitalists. And it is no coincidence that the tsarist government of Russia considered Christmas public holiday and the entire ecclesiastical and police apparatus zealously saw to it that the Christmas ritual was strictly observed by all. This was done in order to give the working people a deceptive consolation in "their newly born savior and the redeemer of their sins" on Christmas days.

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Christmas Christ's is one of the main annual Christian holidays.

Traditions and customs to celebrate this great day are passed down from generation to generation and are an integral part of the original culture of each country. Christmas in Rus' began to celebrate in the X century. The day and night before Christmas, Christmas Eve, were celebrated modestly and calmly, and the following days were cheerful and provocative in Russian.

On Christmas Eve it was necessary to properly prepare for the holiday. In the early morning, villagers went to fetch water, which on that day became healing: they washed themselves with it and kneaded dough for Christmas bread on it. In the morning the hostess began to kindle the stove.

Before Christmas, this was done in a special way. According to the customs of the ancestors, fire was produced by striking a spark, and flint and flint for 12 days before that lay under the images. The hostess was baptized three times and, turning to the rising sun, struck a fire, set fire to a rod from it, and only after that melted the stove, in which there were 12 specially selected logs.

On this fire, 12 Lenten dishes were prepared, among which uzvar was obligatory - a drink made from dried fruits and honey, and kutya - porridge made from wheat and barley. Kutia with honey was called "juice", hence the "Christmas Eve" came from. By the way, the ashes from the Christmas fire were used in various magical rites.

At first, adults treated domestic animals with kutya and uzvar, while children made sounds reminiscent of their voices so that nothing bad would happen to them in the new year.

At home, it was necessary to build a symbol of the harvest - a kind of altar from a sheaf of rye and peasant tools. Bringing a sheaf into the house, the owner took off his hat and greeted the hostess, as if seeing her for the first time: “God bless you!” And the hostess had to answer: “God help! What are you carrying?" Here the man said: "Gold, so that we live richly all year," he stopped in the middle of the hut, was baptized and wished the family happiness, health and longevity.

After that, the sheaf was placed under the icons, tied with an iron chain, and a plowshare and a collar were placed next to it. The hostess took out a clean white tablecloth and covered the whole structure with it.

Our distant relatives did not forget about the rite of strengthening health. The head of the family scattered straw on the floor, threw hay on the table, and made a small sheaf of hay, which he placed under the table. At the top of the stack was placed a shard in which incense was smoked.

Iron tools were laid out around him. All those present had to touch them in turn with their bare feet, so that health would be as strong as iron.

And in order to scare away evil spirits, the couple went around the house and yard with freshly baked bread, honey and poppy seeds. Poppy seeds were scattered in the barn, and garlic was laid out in all corners.

In the evening, a large fire was lit in the yard, so that the dead relatives in the next world would also be warm. The household stood near the fire in deep silence, remembering the departed and praying for them.

Then a child up to seven years old, whose soul was considered innocent and sinless, put three baked rolls, a pinch of salt on the hay lying on the table, and put a large wax candle. Only after all these rituals could it be served on the table. Everyone was smartly dressed, and now that everything in the house is tidied up and ready for the holiday, it remains only to wait for the first star to appear in the frosty night sky.

The father was the first to sit at the table, followed by the mother, and the children in order of seniority. The owner, taking a spoonful of kutya, read a prayer for the deceased relatives. It was believed that their souls come to earth on this day and see everything. Therefore, especially for them, they also set plates with refreshments.

During dinner, no one except the hostess was allowed to get up, and it was necessary to talk quietly and calmly.

Carol, carol!

Christmas carol came

Christmas Eve:

We walked, we searched

holy carol

In all yards

All the lanes…

At the end of their song, the carolers, who go to praise Christ, congratulate the hosts on the onset of the holiday, and wish them all the best. The hospitable hosts immediately bring some treats to the singers, in which one person specially walks with a bag. So carolers, accompanied by noisy children, traveled throughout the village.

With the first strike of the morning bell, everyone hurried to the church for a festive service. After matins, the youth arranged dashing skiing and sleigh rides from the mountains, accompanied by cheerful laughter and songs.

Now the festive table abounded with all sorts of goodies.: traditionally cooked jelly, suckling pig, fried chicken, pork head with horseradish, sausage and honey gingerbread.

From the second day of the holiday, in the evenings, new entertainments began - processions of mummers. Many people, dressed in clothes turned inside out, wearing masks, sang songs and danced not only in the villages, but also in the city squares.

More on Christmas they loved to arrange various parties, conversations, went to visit each other, and, of course, they could not do without fortune-telling.

Nativity

Holiday have a bright day The Nativity of Christ returned to Rus' and since 1991 has become a "real" holiday - by the Decree of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR, the day of January 7 was declared a day off. The holiday itself is surprisingly "childish", perhaps even the most "childish" of all Orthodox holidays. See how children perceive Christmas! And all of us on this day and on the eve of it are a little children. It is clear that the long persecution of Christianity in the USSR led to the oblivion of many traditions and ritual ceremonies...

Why is Christmas celebrated on January 7th in Orthodoxy? How do people celebrate Christmas in Rus'? Divine Liturgy at Christmas. Food for Christmas.

Our city sweeps with powder,

Christmas is coming again...

We wish you only the best,

What you can wish your friends.

History of Christmas

The Nativity of Christ is one of the great holidays of Christianity and belongs to the twelve great twelfth holidays. In the Eastern Church, the feast of the Nativity of Christ is considered the second feast after Easter. And in the Western church, in some denominations, this holiday is revered even higher than Easter. This is because the Nativity of Christ symbolizes the possibility of salvation that opens up for people with the coming into the world of Jesus Christ. In Eastern countries, Easter symbolizes the spiritual resurrection of a person, which is honored more than the Nativity of Christ.

The rules for celebrating the Nativity of Christ were finally formed in the 4th century. So, for example, if the eve of a holiday falls on a Sunday, the first rule of Theophylact of Alexandria is used to celebrate this holiday. On the eve of the holiday, instead of the usual hours, the so-called Royal Hours are read, various Old Testament prophecies and events related to the Nativity of Christ are recalled. In the afternoon, the liturgy of Basil the Great takes place, in the case when the eve does not take place on Saturday or Sunday, when the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is served, at the usual time. The All-Night Vigil begins with Great Compline, at which spiritual joy over the Nativity of Christ is expressed with the prophetic song "For God is with us."

However, the beautiful and solemn feast of the Nativity of Christ is celebrated in different countries not the same, but bears the imprint of the customs and traditions of a certain people. So, for example, in Catholicism, the Nativity of Christ is celebrated magnificently and solemnly with three services: at midnight, at dawn and in the afternoon. Such a construction of the holiday symbolizes the birth of Jesus Christ in the bosom of the Father, in the womb of the Mother of God and in the soul of a believer. Since the time of Francis of Assisi, a manger with a figurine of the Infant Christ has been installed in Catholic churches so that believers can worship the image of the newborn Jesus Christ. A nativity scene is being built (that is, the cave where Jesus Christ was born) with figures of the Holy Family and in Orthodox churches.

Both in Catholicism and in Orthodoxy, during the Christmas sermon, the idea is especially emphasized that with the birth of Jesus Christ (which symbolizes the coming of the Messiah into the world), the opportunity opens up for every believer to achieve the salvation of the soul and, through the fulfillment of the teachings of Christ, receive eternal life and heavenly bliss. Among the people, the holiday of the Nativity of Christ was accompanied by folk festivals, songs and games, gatherings and caroling, Christmas fun.

Christmas in Rus'

Christmas - "the second Easter"; great holiday, a holy day, honored more than all other days of the year - after the day of the Holy Resurrection of Christ.

The night sky over Bethlehem is twinkling with stars... And we, together with the shepherds, hear angelic singing, see the angel-bringer and rejoice at the birth of the miraculous Adolescence. But our joy is not violent, like the rejoicing of the pagans. She is quiet, Christian. We know that suffering and death await this Child. He, innocent, will be unjustly condemned, and those for whose sake He came into the world will shout to Pilate: "Crucify! Crucify Him!" Therefore, the joy of the coming of God is colored with sadness. But we also know that He came for the Resurrection, in order to deliver us from death and defeat evil. And again, peace of mind.

For Orthodox Christians in Russia, Georgia, the Holy Land, as well as for some other churches of the Eastern rite, the day traditionally considered the birthday of Jesus will come later.

The temporary discrepancy between the celebration of Christmas by various churches is due to the fact that most countries in Europe and the USA celebrate Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar - December 25, and Russia - according to the Julian calendar, on January 7 (i.e. December 25 according to the Gregorian calendar coincides with January 7 according to the old style).

In the Julian calendar, the average duration of the year in the interval of 4 years was 365.25 days, which is 11 min 14 s longer than the tropical year. The length of the year in the Gregorian calendar is on average 365.2425 days, which is only 26 seconds longer than the tropical year.

The difference between the old and new styles in 1582 (the year it was introduced in Europe by Pope Gregory) was 10 days, in the 18th century - 11 days, in the 19th century - 12 days, and in 20 respectively - 13 days.

In our country, the Gregorian calendar was introduced in 1918, but the Russian Orthodox Church continues to use the Julian calendar to this day, explaining the reluctance to switch to a new style by the fact that then the structure of the church year will be violated.

How did Rus' celebrate Christmas?

And Christmas is like a magician, a wizard,

Like a precious talisman.

Health, vivacity and fun,

And let happiness give you.

In Rus', Christmas began to be celebrated in the 10th century. It has long been a quiet and peaceful holiday. Christmas Eve - Christmas Eve - was celebrated modestly both in the palaces of Russian emperors and in the huts of peasants. But the next day, fun and revelry began - Christmas time.

They went from house to house with songs, arranged round dances and dances, dressed up as bears, pigs and various evil spirits, frightened children and girls, guessed. For greater persuasiveness, they made from various materials scary masks. By the way, from the 16th century, the Christmas masks began to be officially called mugs and mugs.

Ordinary people had fun in the squares, where booths, carousels, markets, tea and vodka tents were set up. Richer people stayed up late in restaurants and taverns. The merchants rode in troikas. Noble nobles arranged balls. In the villages, Christmas time was celebrated by the whole world, moving from hut to hut. Muscovites at Christmas went for a walk in Petrovsky Park. Marina Grove, Ostankino, Sokolniki.

Noisily celebrated Christmas and Russian sovereigns

Peter the Great used to make fun of Christmas games. In the royal chambers, everyone dressed up, sang songs, guessed. The sovereign himself with a large retinue traveled around the houses of noble nobles and boyars. At the same time, everyone had to zealously have fun - whoever had a "sour face" was beaten by batogs.

Elizaveta Petrovna celebrated Christmas time according to old Russian customs. The courtiers were supposed to appear at the court in costume, but without masks. The empress herself dressed up, and the empress was very fond of singing Christmas songs with the girls.

Catherine the Great respected folk fun and entertainment and often took part in them. In the Hermitage they played blind man's buff, forfeits, cat and mouse, sang songs, and the Empress famously danced with the peasants.

Divine Liturgy at Christmas

In the 5th century, Anatoly, Patriarch of Constantinople, and in the 7th century, Soffoniy and Andrew of Jerusalem, in the 8th century, John of Damascus, Kozma Mayumsky, as well as Herman, Patriarch of Constantinople, wrote church hymns for the feast of the Nativity of Christ, which are used by the current church. And also performed the Christmas kontakion "Virgin today ...", written by St. Roman the Melodist.

Christ is born - praise!

Christ from heaven - hide!

Christ on earth - ascend,

Sing to the Lord all the earth,

And sing with joy, people,

Like become famous!

The service of the Divine Liturgy is performed in the church. In the middle of the temple, where a festive icon is usually exhibited, there is a cave made of spruce twigs, strewn with stars. Little brothers, witnesses of Christmas are not forgotten: a cow and a calf. They also participate in the celebration. Maybe in order to better approach the great mystery? And for this, according to Christ, one must become like children.

The holiday itself is surprisingly "childish", perhaps even the most "childish" of all Orthodox holidays. See how children perceive Christmas! And all of us on this day and on the eve of it are a little children. Together we decorate the Christmas tree - and how much joy everyone has!

In order to adequately prepare for the feast of the Nativity of Christ, the Church has set a time for preparation - the Nativity Fast. During the entire fast, one should refrain from entertainment, wasting time on pleasures, from idleness - after all real holiday ahead.

An increasing place in daily worship is occupied by hymns telling about Christmas events, fasting is becoming more and more strict. The last week before Christmas is inspired by Holy Week. And the touching, poignant tunes of the Passionate are the basis of pre-Christmas songs.

Christmas Eve - Christmas Eve... The anticipation has reached its climax. On this day, the Liturgy is combined with Vespers, which marks the beginning of the next day, because the church day begins in the evening. Consequently, after the solemn Liturgy and Vespers connected with it, the time comes for the first day of Christmas. But the post has not yet been cancelled. In the food we are offered a special pre-Christmas meal - "sochivo". This is what gave the name to Christmas Eve - Christmas Eve. "Sochiv" was called in Rus' grains of wheat boiled with honey. And it's not just a custom. Like all that is sanctified church tradition, the Christmas Eve meal has its own deep symbolic meaning. We commemorate Christ the God-Man with our words, like the Magi, seeing in His Nativity the earthly feat, death and Resurrection. After all, grain is the gospel image of death and resurrection: "... if a grain of wheat that falls on the earth does not die, then it remains alone, if it dies, it will bring forth much fruit ...". In His death is the guarantee of His Resurrection and our resurrection.

And in Christmas we see a type of the Resurrection. And here is a cave, and the night of Christmas is like the night of the future Resurrection, the angel announced to the shepherds about the birth of a wonderful Baby - and the angel announces to the myrrh-bearing women about the Resurrection of Christ and the granting of eternal life to us ...

Food for Christmas

The main of the ritual dishes among the Orthodox is considered kutya, which is prepared on Christmas Eve (January 6). To prepare this dish, you can use boiled grains of cereals - wheat, barley or rice. Here is a typical recipe for a simple kutya: pour 0.5 kg of wheat groats cold water and cook until softened. Drain the water, dilute a glass of honey with 4 glasses of water and pour the wheat, put the pot with this mixture on the fire, bring to a boil and cool. In more complex recipes, walnuts, raisins and crushed poppy seeds are added to the mass.

It should be noted that the truly Orthodox on holidays are also required to observe certain food prohibitions - from November 28 to January 6, the 40-day Christmas fast continues. These days, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, you should not eat meat and dairy foods, eggs, fish and vegetable oil. After December 19 (St. Nikola), fish is allowed only on Saturday and Sunday. Last days fasting from January 2 to January 6 is the most strict, only simple plant foods are allowed, and then only in the evening. Strict fasting is observed, of course, on Christmas Eve, when you can eat only with the appearance of the first star and only juicy (kutya). The first star should be reminiscent of that New Testament star that showed the way for the magi to Bethlehem to the recently born Jesus.