How is Christmas celebrated in Rus'? Traditions of celebrating Christmas in Rus'. Natasha's personal diary ... What did they do in Rus' on Christmas

Dmitry Kostromin

The holiday of the bright day of 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.

A bit of history

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 holiday of the Nativity of Christ is not celebrated in different countries in the same way, 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"; a great holiday, a holy day, honored more than all other days of the year - after the day of the Bright 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.

Gregorian and Julian or New Year and "Old" New Year

Merry Christmas, I congratulate you!

Happiness and health, I wish you all the best,

Holiness, deceit - in moderation so that everything,

Joy, good luck. Bad - nothing!

And 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, scary masks were made from various materials. 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.

Russian sovereigns also celebrated Christmas noisily.

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, the real holiday is 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... Expectation 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 everything that is consecrated by 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.

For most of us, the word "Christmas" is associated with the song "MerryChristmas", Santa Claus, striped stockings hung over the fireplace and other "chips" borrowed from American films. However, few people think that all this refers to the Catholic Christmas, which is celebrated on December 25 according to the Gregorian calendar. But adherents of Orthodoxy celebrate this holiday on January 7, while relying on the Julian calendar. Orthodox countries, primarily Russia, like the Catholic ones, have their own traditions, which are rooted in the deep past. So, how was Christmas celebrated in Rus'?

history of the holiday

Speaking about the history of the celebration of Christmas in Rus', it must first be noted that it begins in the 10th century - it was then that Christianity spread everywhere. However, it was difficult for the Slavs to immediately abandon the pagan faith, and this led to a very interesting phenomenon from the point of view of cultural studies: some Christian saints were endowed with the functions of ancient gods, and many holidays retained distinct elements of paganism. We are talking about rituals: Christmas in Rus', for example, coincided with Kolyada - the day of the winter solstice, symbolizing lengthening days and shortening nights. Subsequently, Kolyada began to open Svyatki - a series of Christmas holidays that lasted from January 7 to 19.

The evening of January 6 was called among the Slavs. This word comes from the noun "sochivo" - it meant a dish of boiled grains of wheat and barley, flavored with honey and dried fruits. Food was placed under the icons - as a kind of gift to the Savior, who was about to be born. On this day, it was customary to abstain from food until the star of Bethlehem appeared in the sky. At night, people went to the church for a solemn service - Vespers. After the service, they laid out in the "red corner" under the images of an armful of hay, rye and kutya - porridge from grains. Initially, it was an offering to Veles, the god of fertility in the pagan pantheon, but gradually lost its original meaning and began to be perceived as a symbol of the Nativity of Christ.

The traditions of celebrating Christmas in Rus' also included “breaking the fast”: after fasting, a magnificent table with refreshments was laid in each house. Geese, pigs, Russian cabbage soup, jelly, kutya, pancakes, pies, gingerbreads ... "Juices" - animal figures molded from dough were an obligatory attribute of the festive table.

Christmas rites and customs

As noted above, Christmas and Christmas time in Rus' lasted 13 days - from January 7 to January 19. All this time was devoted to the performance of numerous Christmas rites, divination, games and other amusements. Caroling was especially popular among young people: young men and women gathered in groups and went around all the houses in the village, singing carols (ritual songs praising the owner and his family) under the windows and receiving treats for this.

The second day of Christmas was called the "Cathedral of the Virgin" and was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary - the mother of Christ. From that day on, fortune-telling and walking mummers began: the guys put on fur coats turned inside out, painted their faces with soot and walked the streets, playing scenes and even whole performances. Unmarried girls guessed - mainly, of course, on the suitors - they poured molten wax, threw a shoe over the gate, looked into mirrors by candlelight, hoping to see their betrothed.

The Christmas holiday in Rus' traditionally ended with the blessing of water: devoutly believing people plunged into the hole near the Jordan, washing away their sins before.

The feast of the Nativity of Christ is considered one of the most important church holidays in our country and is celebrated widely and cheerfully. But over time, traditions and even the time of its celebration have constantly changed.

In Rus', before the introduction of a new calendar and, as we now say, a “new style” of chronology, Christmas began to be celebrated on December 25 along with Europe. We know that Europe still lives according to the calendar that was introduced in time immemorial, and celebrates Catholic Christmas until the new year. It’s not like that with us now: first the New Year, and then Christmas.

Winter has always been considered in Rus' the most cheerful and carefree time of the year. There were few strict fasts at that time, and people could have fun to their heart's content. Preparations for the winter were always made in summer and autumn. Therefore, in winter, everyone had only to get supplies from the cellars and celebrate the holidays, which fell enough for the winter period. Most of them were in December.

To the first star...

A pig was always slaughtered a few days before Christmas, because it was customary to eat pork for the holiday. But before the holiday, they tried not to eat meat, because the Advent fast lasted, the strictest day of which was considered Christmas Eve, on which they usually go hungry. It was possible to eat only when the first star, which is called the Star of Bethlehem, lights up in the sky. According to biblical legend, it was the appearance of the first star in the evening sky that informed the magi that the Savior Christ was born.

According to tradition, the youngest members of the family had to wait on the street for the appearance of a star, and then run into the house and tell the elders the good news. Often the whole family was on the street and waited for the appearance of a star. There was a saying that the first person to see a star would be happy for a whole year. If the sky was covered with clouds, then, of course, no one was waiting for them to disperse. They simply waited for darkness and sat down at the festive table, which was prepared for several days before the holiday.

How Christmas was celebrated in the old days

But, despite the hungry day, no one immediately attacked the food. At first it was necessary to try "Kutya" or "Sochivo". This was the name of a special dish, the constant component of which was porridge: earlier they used wheat more often, now rice. In addition to porridge, anything could be added to sochivo. Raisins, dried fruits, sugar, honey, nuts, sweets, frozen and pickled berries were used.

After everyone took communion, having eaten a spoonful of kutya, it was time for the main meal. There must have been thirteen dishes on the table. There should be an even number of people at the table. If it turned out that there was an odd number of people in the family, and no one came to visit, then one extra device was put on the table for the number.

Bread and salt!

And before, and now they tell fortunes at Christmas. As a rule, young unmarried girls are fond of fortune-telling, who most often guess at the suitors.

History of Christmas in Russia

In Rus', the feast of the Nativity of Christ began to be celebrated in the 10th century, when Christianity spread to the Russian lands. Christmas merged with the ancient Slavic winter holiday in honor of the ancestral spirits (Christmas). Therefore, the "Christmas" rites have been preserved in the Christmas holiday.

Christmas Eve

The day before Christmas is called Christmas Eve or Sochevnik. Christmas Eve comes from the word "sochivo", which literally means "vegetable oil". Sochiv was also called porridge with vegetable oil and vegetables. On the eve of Christmas, it was supposed only to compete and not eat any food all day until dusk, that is, until the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem. After all, it was under this star that Jesus Christ was born.

In the morning, on Christmas Eve, ceilings and walls were washed in the huts, the floor was scraped, rubbed with juniper. Then they steamed in a hot bath. And in the evening they began to sing carols. In the villages they gathered in large companies, painted their faces, turned their clothes inside out, put Kolyada on a sled - a doll or a girl dressed over a fur coat in a white shirt, and sang ritual songs. Children walked around the village with a star made of a torch and paper and sang under the windows (or entering the house) carols- songs in which they praised, dignified the owners, receiving gifts from them: sweets, pastries, money.

Kolyada, Kolyada
Give me a pie.
Don't serve a pie -
We are the cow by the horns.
And serve a pie -
Full belly yard.

On Christmas Eve, the housewives prepared ritual food - kutya and vzvar.

Kutya is a porridge, an obligatory dish when remembering the dead, and vzvar is a drink brewed in honor of the birth of a child. The combination of kutya and vzvara is a symbol of the eternity of life, the birth and death of the Savior, the continuity of the human race. Kutya was cooked early in the morning from grains of wheat, barley or rice, simmered in an oven, honey, hemp and cow butter were added. The broth was prepared on water from dried apples, pears, plums, cherries, currants, blueberries, strawberries and other berries.

Wheat kutya with honey or linseed oil was placed under the icons for hay as a sign of the birth of Jesus Christ in the manger.

They also baked on Christmas Eve juicy. From them they made a mask with holes for the eyes and looked at the street from the yard. At the same time, they guessed at passers-by. Which person - good or evil - will pass by first, this will be the next year. On this day in the Russian North, figurines of cows, sheep, and chickens were baked from wheat dough. Several were put out the windows for passers-by to see. The rest were put on the table, then to give to relatives and friends.

In the evening they waited for the appearance star of bethlehem- only after that it was possible to take food.

The table and benches were covered with straw or hay, which symbolized communion with the place and time of the birth of the Savior.

You weren't supposed to work on Christmas Eve. Young girls wondered. In different places and divination were different.

On Christmas Eve, a kutya and a candle were placed on a table covered with straw and a tablecloth over it. They took out a straw from under the tablecloth and wondered: it would turn out to be long - good bread would be born, and short - to a crop failure.

Folk signs and beliefs:

If on Christmas Eve the sky is strewn with stars, there will be many mushrooms and berries in the forest.
Hoarfrost on trees - to plentiful bread.
On this night, the legs of the table were tied with a rope so that livestock would not run from the yard.

Christmas time

Started from Christmas Christmas time- holidays that lasted until Epiphany (January 19). All this time, Christmastide rites, fortune-telling, entertainment, walking mummers through the yards and streets took place. On Christmas early in the morning, before dawn, the rite of seeding the huts was held. The shepherd walked with a sack of oats and, entering the house, threw a handful of grain on all sides (scattered) with a sentence: "For the living, for the fruitful and for health."

At Christmas, the girls did not guess. There was a sign: if a strange woman enters the house first, the women in this family will be ill all day. In order to avoid any trouble, the peasants observed rather strict prohibitions. On Christmas Day, it was forbidden to engage in household chores. It was impossible to sew, otherwise someone in the family would go blind. You can’t weave bast shoes, otherwise you will be crooked. And you can’t hunt in the forest until Baptism itself, because then misfortune will happen to the hunter.

At noon, the whole family went to watch the sun play. If the sun plays, the dark forces hide from it in the cracks. And if the evil spirits nevertheless climbed into the house, then on this day a short council with her - scald the corners with boiling water, and sweep with a nettle broom.

The father took his son to the barn to the barn with grain. Before that, the heir was solemnly dressed up by the whole family. A sheepskin coat was girded with an embroidered belt, a fur hat was put on the head, and felt boots on the legs. The father raised his son over the barrels with grain, wanting him to grow faster and become an assistant in the household.

Second day of Christmas, which is called the Cathedral of the Virgin, is dedicated to the glorification of the Mother of Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Glorifying the Mother of God, the Church remembers the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt. It was caused by the fact that King Herod, having learned about the birth of Christ and the worship of him by the Magi, became angry and ordered all the babies to be beaten in Bethlehem, hoping to destroy the Savior as well. But an angel appeared to Joseph and told him to hide in Egypt. After the death of Herod, Joseph returned with his family and settled in Nazareth.

Girl fortune-telling and walking mummers from that day continued until the very Epiphany. The mummers in fur coats turned inside out, in masks or with soot-stained faces, went from house to house, singing songs and acting out various performances, scenes for appropriate rewards. Sometimes they took a horse or a bull with them.

And the girls wondered. They guessed every day in different ways, who knew what methods, he guessed that way. For example, a girl secretly had to enter a woodshed at night and pick up the first log that came across in the dark. If the log is smooth, then the husband will be affectionate; if with knots, then the husband will be evil and harmful. They put up a mirror. In front of him is a carafe of water. Candles were lit around the decanter. They looked in the mirror through the decanter: what someone sees will come true. Or they set fire to a sheet of paper in the dark on a dish. The girl stood between the burning flame and the wall. Whoever sees something on the wall will come true.

It was widely believed that from that day witches begin to rage, devils arrange their demonic fun, and they seek to harm people as much as possible. Witches fly on a broomstick, gather for their coven. They steal a month from a clear sky and take the stars into their pockets. In the dark, it is easier for them to worm their way among people and do all sorts of dirty tricks to them. That is why the Orthodox go around dressed up, showing that the place is occupied and here the devils and all evil spirits have nothing to do.

The third day of Christmas was called Stepan's day. According to custom, on Stepanov's day, stakes were made, placed in the corners of the yard, sticking into the snow in order to scare away evil spirits. Stepan is hardened in danger, and therefore he is not afraid of any evil spirits, and on this day he is just fenced off with stakes from it. Stepan is associated with the image of a peasant farmer, and therefore a boy born on this day will be a kind, caring, diligent and strict owner. Even on this day, the whole village chose a shepherd, concluded an agreement with him, arranged refreshments.

Christmas table

blast

Dried fruits - 1 kg,
granulated sugar - 300 g.

The broth differs from the usual compote in a higher concentration.

Put the washed dried fruits in a saucepan, add sugar, pour water 2-3 cm above the layer of dried fruits, bring to a boil and cook under a closed lid over low heat until tender.

Christmas kutia

Milk - 1l,
cream - 500 g,
water - 200 g,
wheat groats - 300 g,
honey - 100 g

Pour the grits into boiling water and cook until tender. After cooking, add milk, cream and honey, close the pan tightly with a lid and put it in a warm place to “preheat”, wrapping it in something warm (a blanket, a scarf).

Russian gingerbread

Flour - 500 g,
honey - 500 g,
sour cream - 0.5 cups,
milk - 1 glass,
egg yolks - 3 pcs.,
spices (cinnamon, nutmeg) - to taste,
soda - on the tip of a knife

Sochivo

Wheat grains - 1.5 cups,
poppy - 150 g,
honey - 5 tbsp. spoons

Peel the grains of wheat, separate the shell from them and boil them into liquid porridge in water. Sweeten to taste. Grind the poppy seeds in a mortar, mix the poppy gruel with honey thoroughly and add to the chilled porridge.

Mix flour with spices - cinnamon, nutmeg. Gradually add honey, sour cream, beaten yolks, pour in milk, add soda and knead the dough well. Roll out, but not thinly, and cut the gingerbread into the desired shape. Place on greased baking sheets and bake.

If desired, you can decorate with nuts, candied fruit.

Source: V.V. Freezing

Christmas in the first centuries

In ancient times, it was believed that the date of Christmas is January 6, according to the old style, or the 19th according to the new one. How did the early Christians arrive at this date? We consider Christ as the Son of Man "the second Adam." In the sense that if the first Adam was the cause of the fall of the human race, then the second became the Redeemer of people, the source of our salvation. At the same time, the Ancient Church came to the conclusion that Christ was born on the same day on which the first Adam was created. That is, on the sixth day of the first month of the year. Today, on this day, we celebrate the day of Theophany and Baptism of the Lord. In ancient times, this holiday was called Epiphany and included Epiphany-Baptism and Christmas.

However, over time, many came to the conclusion that the celebration of such an important holiday as Christmas should be relegated to a separate day. Moreover, along with the opinion that the Nativity of Christ falls on the creation of Adam, there has long been a belief in the Church that Christ should have been on earth for the full number of years, as a perfect number. Many holy fathers - Hippolytus of Rome, Blessed Augustine and, finally, Saint John Chrysostom - believed that Christ was conceived on the same day on which he suffered, therefore, on the Jewish Passover, which fell on March 25 in the year of his death. Counting 9 months from here, we get the date for the Nativity of Christ on December 25 (old style).

And although it is impossible to determine the day of Christmas with absolute accuracy, the opinion that Christ spent a full number of years on earth from the moment of conception to the crucifixion is based on a careful study of the Gospel. First, we know when the Angel informed Elder Zacharias of the birth of John the Baptist. This happened during the service of Zechariah in the Temple of Solomon. All the priests in Judea were divided by King David into 24 divisions, which served in turn. Zechariah belonged to the Avian line, the 8th in a row, whose service time fell on the end of August - the first half of September. Soon "after these days", that is, around the end of September, Zechariah conceives John the Baptist. The church celebrates this event on September 23rd. In the 6th month after this, that is, in March, the Angel of the Lord announced to the Most Holy Theotokos about the immaculate conception of the Son. The Annunciation in the Orthodox Church is celebrated on March 25 (old style). Christmas time, therefore, turns out to be, according to the old style, the end of December.

At first, this belief seems to have won out in the West. And there is a special explanation for this. The fact is that in the Roman Empire on December 25 there was a celebration dedicated to the renewal of the world - the Day of the Sun. On the day when the daylight hours began to increase, the pagans rejoiced, commemorating the god Mithra, and drank themselves unconscious. Christians were also carried away by these celebrations, just as few people in Russia now safely pass the New Year celebrations that fall on fasting. And then the local clergy, wanting to help their flock to overcome adherence to this pagan tradition, decided to move Christmas to the Day of the Sun. Moreover, in the New Testament, Jesus Christ is called the "Sun of Truth."

Do you want to worship the sun? - the Roman saints asked the laity. - So worship, but not the created luminary, but the One that gives us true light and joy - the immortal Sun, Jesus Christ.

New holiday victory

The dream of making Christmas a separate holiday became urgent in the Eastern Church by the middle of the fourth century. Heresies raged at that time, which imposed the idea that God did not take on a human form, that Christ did not come into the world in flesh and blood, but, like the three angels at the Mamre oak, was woven from other, higher energies.

Then the Orthodox realized how little attention they had paid to the Nativity of Christ until now. The heart of St. John Chrysostom especially ached about this. In a speech delivered on December 20, 388, he asked the faithful to prepare for the celebration of Christmas on December 25. The saint said that Christmas had long been celebrated in the West, and it was time for the entire Orthodox world to adopt this good custom. This speech won over the waverers, and for the next half century Christmas triumphed throughout Christendom. In Jerusalem, for example, on this day the whole community, led by the bishop, went to Bethlehem, prayed in a cave at night, and returned home in the morning to celebrate Christmas. The celebrations continued for eight days.

After the new Gregorian calendar was compiled in the West, Catholics and Protestants began to celebrate Christmas two weeks earlier than the Orthodox. In the 20th century, under the influence of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, according to the Gregorian calendar, the Orthodox Churches of Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt began to celebrate Christmas. Together with the Russian Church, Christmas in the old style is celebrated by the Jerusalem, Serbian, Georgian Churches and the monasteries of Athos. Fortunately, according to the late Jerusalem Patriarch Diodorus, the "Old Calendarists" make up 4/5 of the total number of Orthodox Christians.

How was Christmas celebrated in Rus'?

Christmas Eve - Christmas Eve - was celebrated modestly both in the palaces of Russian emperors and in the huts of peasants. But the next day, fun and revelry began - Christmas time. Many mistakenly classify all sorts of fortune-telling and mummers among the traditions of celebrating Christmas. Indeed, there were those who guessed, dressed up as bears, pigs and various evil spirits, frightened children and girls. For greater persuasiveness, scary masks were made from various materials. But these traditions are pagan survivals. The Church has always opposed such phenomena, which have nothing to do with Christianity.

Praise can be attributed to the true Christmas traditions. On the feast of the Nativity of Christ, when the Annunciation of the Liturgy was heard, the Patriarch himself, with all the spiritual synclites, would come to glorify Christ and congratulate the Sovereign in his chambers; from there everyone went with the cross and holy water to the queen and other members of the royal family. As for the origin of the rite of glorification, it can be assumed that it belongs to the deepest Christian antiquity; its beginning can be seen in those congratulations that at one time were brought to the Emperor Constantine the Great by his singers, while singing the kontakion to the Nativity of Christ: “The Virgin today is the Most Substantial Encouraging.” The tradition of glorification was very widespread among the people. Youth, children went from house to house or stopped under the windows and praised the born Christ, and also wished good and prosperity to the owners in songs and jokes. The hosts gave treats to the participants of such congratulatory concerts, competing in generosity and hospitality. It was considered bad manners to refuse treats to the praisers, and the performers even took large sacks with them to collect sweet trophies.

In the 16th century, the nativity scene became an integral part of worship. So in the old days the puppet theater was called, showing the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. The law of the nativity scene forbade showing dolls of the Mother of God and the Divine Infant, they were always replaced with an icon. But the Magi, shepherds and other characters worshiping the newborn Jesus could be portrayed both with the help of puppets and with the help of actors.

Scene from Nativity scene

Picture of Christmas

Over the centuries, legends, folk spiritual verses and traditions have been added to the brief Gospel stories about the Nativity of Christ. It is in this ancient apocryphal literature that a detailed description of the den (cave) in which the Holy Family was housed is found, and it speaks of the wretched environment that accompanied the birth of Jesus Christ.

These folk ideas are reflected in icon painting and in folk popular prints, which depict not only the manger with the Holy Child, but also animals - an ox and a donkey. In the 9th century, the image of the picture of the Nativity of Christ was already finally formed. This picture shows a cave, in the depths of which there is a manger. In this manger lies the Divine Infant, Jesus Christ, from whom radiance emanates. The Mother of God is reclining not far from the manger. Joseph sits farther away from the manger, on the other side, drowsing or thoughtful.

In the book “Fourth Menaion” by Dmitry Rostovsky, it is reported that an ox and a donkey were tied to a manger. According to apocryphal legends, Joseph of Nazareth brought these animals with him. The Virgin Mary rode on a donkey. And Joseph took the ox with him in order to sell it and use the proceeds to pay the royal tax and feed the Holy Family while they were on the road and in Bethlehem. Therefore, very often in the drawings and icons depicting the Nativity of Christ, these animals appear. They stand next to the manger and with their warm breath warm the Divine Infant from the cold of the winter night. Also, the image of a donkey allegorically symbolizes perseverance, the ability to achieve a goal. And the image of an ox symbolizes humility and diligence.

Here it should be noted that the nursery in its original meaning is a feeder where they put feed for livestock. And this word, connected with the birth of the Divine Infant, has entered our language so much as a symbolic designation of children's institutions for babies that no atheistic propaganda could remove it from everyday life.

Christmas card

History of spruce decoration

The custom of decorating a Christmas tree for Christmas came to us from Germany. The first written mention of the Christmas tree dates back to the 16th century. In the German city of Strasbourg, both the poor and noble families decorated their fir trees with colored paper, fruits and sweets in winter. Gradually, this tradition spread throughout Europe. In 1699, Peter I ordered to decorate their houses with pine, spruce and juniper branches. And only in the 30s of the 19th century, Christmas trees appeared in the capital in the homes of St. Petersburg Germans. And publicly in the capital, Christmas trees began to be set only in 1852. By the end of the 19th century, Christmas trees became the main decoration of both city and village houses, and in the 20th century they were inseparable from winter holidays. But the history of the Christmas tree in Russia was by no means cloudless. In 1916, the war with Germany had not yet ended, and the Holy Synod banned the Christmas tree as an enemy, German undertaking. The Bolsheviks who came to power tacitly extended this ban. Nothing should have reminded of the great Christian holiday. But in 1935, the custom of decorating a Christmas tree returned to our homes. True, for the majority of unbelieving Soviet people, the tree returned not as a Christmas tree, but as a New Year's tree.

Christmas is the second most important holiday in the 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, the 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 the 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.

There was one strict rule for puppet dens. 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. Ordinary people in those days very rarely saw money. 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 lean. 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 spirits.