The twelve days after Christmas and before the Epiphany of the Lord are called “Holytide” - that is, Holy days sanctified by the coming of the Savior into the world. The Church began to especially celebrate these days in ancient times. Already in the 6th century charter of the Monk Sava the Sanctified it is written that on the days of Christmastide it is not necessary to bow down and perform a wedding. The Second Council of Turon in 567 designated all days from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany as holidays. In the first days of the festival, according to tradition, it is customary to visit acquaintances, relatives, friends, and give gifts - in memory of the gifts brought to the Infant by the Magi.

Housewives set the tables festively and prepare the best treats. It is also customary to remember the poor, sick, and needy people: visit orphanages, shelters, hospitals, prisons. In ancient times, on Christmastide, even kings, dressed as commoners, visited prisons and distributed alms to prisoners.

A special tradition of Christmastide in Rus' was caroling, or glorification. Young people and children dressed up, walked around the courtyards with a large homemade star, singing church hymns - the troparion and kontakion of the holiday, as well as spiritual carols dedicated to the Nativity of Christ. The custom of caroling was widespread, but in different regions of the country it had its own characteristics.

12 days after Christmas

On Christmas Eve, housewives beautifully set the tables and prepared the best treats. Since the Nativity Fast is still ongoing, the food is not plentiful, but special and traditional: on the table - sochivo (or kutia), porridge made from barley, wheat or rice with raisins cooked in honey, as well as infusions - boiled in honey dried apples, pears and plums, honey pancakes and Lenten pies. Previously, they also baked cookies from wheat flour - figurines depicting livestock, birds and shepherds. These figurines were displayed in windows so that passers-by would notice, and were also sent as gifts to relatives and distributed to the poor. They were kept until Epiphany, after which they were soaked in holy water and eaten.

During Christmas time, it is customary to remember the poor, sick, and needy people, and to visit orphanages, shelters, hospitals, and prisons. In ancient times, on Christmastide, even kings, dressed as commoners, visited “houses of charity” and gave out alms.

Walking as mummers - distinguishing feature throughout the holiday of Yuletide. As soon as the first Christmas Day arrived, the first mummers - children - appeared on the streets. And in the evenings, at the games or at a party, adults in disguise danced. They dressed up to the best of their imagination, using a wide variety of means. Thus, a fur coat or fur vest and pants turned inside out could make up half of a suit. A face smeared with soot, homemade tow hair, false teeth carved from turnips, and horns turned the mummer into a creepy devil. They dressed up as dead people, gypsies, soldiers, witches... They were allowed to portray real person, well-known to everyone characteristic feature. On the first evening, a horde of mummers walked around some houses in their village for testing. Having burst into the hut as a group, the mummers immediately began to dance and make noise. When the first fear passed, the owners began to drive out the “evil spirits” - it was believed that in this way they cleansed their house of evil spirits for the entire coming year.

A special tradition of Christmastide in Rus' was caroling, or glorification. First Yule night It was usually young people who caroled: boys and girls walked in a cheerful crowd through the streets, carrying in front of them on a pole either a lit lantern in the shape of a star, or a house cut out of cardboard with a burning candle inside. In some regions of Russia, the star was replaced with a “nativity scene” - a kind of puppet theater in which scenes of the Nativity of Christ were presented. The carolers stopped at those houses where the fire was burning and sang spiritual songs or carols under the windows - songs that could be funny and mysterious, long and short, similar to epics or ditties. But in each of them they praised the owners of the house, congratulated them on Merry Christmas and asked them to give them pies, sweets or small coins. Sometimes they even threatened: “Whoever doesn’t give the pie, we’ll take the cow by the horns, whoever doesn’t give the ham, we’ll split the cast iron…”. And the caroling youth could really carry out their threats, because on Christmastide everything was allowed: everything that was condemned on weekdays was considered simply pampering on Holy Days.

After the first round of houses, young people most often gathered in a pre-prepared hut for gatherings, where a feast was held - everything that the generous owners gave was laid out on the table, and drinks were bought with the donated money. After the feast, games, fortune telling, and round dances began.

On the eve of the winter solstice, they wondered about the future. What was in ancient times a solemn rite of pagan priests became in Rus' Yuletide maiden fortune-telling. The Church condemns superstition and does not recognize fortune telling, and the fortune tellers themselves treated Christmas customs as a game that does not reveal the future, but is fun and gives hope for happiness. The very process of fortune telling worried even those who did not believe in anything, responding to some human need that was unclear to us.

However, the power of suggestion and self-hypnosis reached such proportions during divination that a person involuntarily began to strive for what was predicted, and then the “prediction” actually often came true. There was especially a lot of guessing in “ scary evenings"- between New Year and Epiphany. It was believed that at this time she became especially active devilry, helping people open the gap between worlds and learn what people usually don’t know. It is clear that children and teenagers were especially looking forward to Christmastide. But they also had a lot of other holidays - the first snow, Maslenitsa, ice drift... Christmastide was perhaps the only holiday in which married and not yet old women actively participated - they easily told fortunes, caroled, played, walked around as mummers, allowing themselves to which in normal times was considered reprehensible and even quite indecent.

Original taken from nikkto59 in Customs and traditions for Orthodox Christmas

Christmas, Christmas... I am at that age (you can’t change it) and emerged from that formation that the religious component of the holiday is not sacred for me, but the historical and cultural one is very much so. How good this holiday is, how beautiful! There is so much action and mystery around him! (Actually, all Religious holidays- sacrament)). How truly cheerful and popularly loved...

Merry Christmas, Christians!

Original taken from zirina479 in Customs and traditions for Orthodox Christmas

On January 7, the first Thursday of 2016, Orthodox Christians will celebrate one of the most important holidays - the Nativity of Christ.

This 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.

The Church honors Christmas as a triumph of divine love. On this day, the Son of God was born in the flesh, whom God the Father sent to our sinful earth, knowing that he would have to go through the most difficult path and die for the sins of mankind. However, before that he has a long way to go, and all this time he will open the way to salvation for people, give hope, help the poor and sick, save the hopeless and those in great trouble.

So Christmas is not only a sign of the sacrificial love of God the Father for his Son, but also a holiday of hope for salvation and confidence: no matter how difficult life may seem, you can always see light ahead. Folk culture also celebrates Christmas as a holiday of new hopes. However, according to tradition, this day is no longer associated with an individual person, but with the abstract idea that one calendar cycle has already ended and another is beginning.

Christmas is not the only holiday of this cycle. Celebrating the birth of Christ begins on Christmas Eve (evening of January 6), and continues on January 8. On the second day after Christmas the Council is celebrated Holy Mother of God- at this time the Virgin Mary and those close to her are venerated. Including Saints Joseph and Jacob (Joseph's son from his first wife, who is considered the brother of Christ), as well as King David

Christmas is preceded by fasting. It is called Christmas and is one of the longest - it lasts 40 days. Tradition to observe before Christmas Lent serves as cleansing... By limiting oneself in food for forty days, and especially on Christmas Eve, a person is cleansed both physically and mentally and is reborn, like Jesus, in order to continue his life on a new, better level.

By the way, if you do not fast, you can just go to a Russian bathhouse or, finally, take a shower. Since water has the property of “washing away” all accumulated information from a person and, accordingly, cleansing him of sins.

Having freed ourselves before Christmas from all the bad things that had accumulated over the year, it was necessary to “sow” the soul with new, energetically pure seeds of good luck and prosperity. This is precisely what another Christmas tradition, “sowing,” is connected with.
Therefore, on the morning of January 7, they always carol, scattering grains of rice, wheat, and millet in the corners of the room. At the same time, the “sowers” ​​always wish the owners of the house happiness, prosperity and health.

Christmas Eve, the evening before Christmas (Holy Evening)

Christmas Eve- last day of fasting. On this day, eating is prohibited until the first star.
The star that rises first symbolizes Bethlehem. It was she who announced to the world the birth of the Savior, and she who led the Magi to worship Christ.
With the appearance of a star, a new round of life begins.

Modern culture perceives Christmas for the most part as an additional day off, which in Russia becomes part of the New Year holidays. This is a reason to please your loved ones with gifts, go on vacation or just be at home with your family. But every year everything more people turn to traditions and celebrate Christmas the way our ancestors did 50, 100, 200 years ago - and it’s not just about going to a festive service.

Our ancestors were sure: the arrows have passed in a circle and are starting a new countdown, which means that we can leave everything old, heavy and unnecessary in the past in order to enter a new period of life, “reboot” and be born again. That is why many Christmas rituals and traditions more or less explicitly demonstrate the ideas of dying, birth and renewal.

Guests in the house

The dinner that is placed on the table on Christmas Eve (the evening of January 6) is special. According to legend, not only living family members gather for this dinner. At this special time God lets go souls of the dead back to earth so that they can visit their family and friends. So at the table there are also deceased relatives who become patrons and “from the other side” help the living. They all come to their loved ones on Christmas Eve. That's why, before sitting at the table, blow on the bench or chairs often- so as not to inadvertently crush the soul sitting there.

Often what is for the soul is on the table put a separate plate, on which a little of each dish is placed. In the morning, food from it is given to the owner's animals: it is believed that this will give them health.

For the same reason plates are not cleared from the table at night: The family will still be eating. The spoons are folded, but the dishes are not washed. In addition, for guests “on the other side” they can place a glass of water on the window, and place crusts of bread on the windowsills.

For a festive dinner It is customary to invite guests, especially the poor and disadvantaged. This is a special day to bring joy to those who do not have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas properly.

In addition, there was a belief that God himself may come to dinner on the eve of Christmas, and you never know in what guise he will appear. Perhaps a poor man in ragged clothes? So travelers on Christmas Eve were always received cordially and with great respect, although It is not customary to visit this evening.

Another notable Christmas tradition is define the first guest - the person who is the first to enter the house and “let in” Christmas. Sometimes such a person is even specially hired to ensure that everything is done properly, since there is a superstition associated with the first guest. The first guest should hold a spruce branch in his hand. He is presented with bread and salt or some small gift as a symbol of hospitality.
The first guest must be a dark-haired man. If the first guest at home suddenly turns out to be a woman, this is a bad omen.

Christmas table

The meal on the eve of the Savior's birth is not dinner in the usual sense. Rather, it is a full-fledged ceremony that takes place in accordance with strict rules. Now it’s more of an occasion to gather around a generously laid table and celebrate a holiday familiar from childhood - but if you look closely, it becomes clear that the dishes, the presentation, and the whole atmosphere are intertwined with the essence of the holiday - its connection with the world of the living and the dead, the ideas of the dying of the old and the birth of a new one.

Christmas is preceded by 40 days of fasting - on the pre-holiday evening you still can’t eat meat, and all dishes should be lean.
Their number is 12. This quantity Christian tradition connects with the twelve apostles who accompanied Christ in his earthly life, however, from the point of view of non-Christian tradition, the symbolism of the number is somewhat broader. 12 is a sacred number that was familiar not only to the Slavs, but also to more ancient cultures.

Thus, the Persians revered it as a symbol of order and integrity - there are 12 months in a year and the same number of zodiac signs. So the 12 dishes that are prepared for the holiday are very symbolic from a general cultural point of view.

The Christmas menu includes two main elements - sochivo (from this word comes the name of the festive evening - Christmas Eve), and jelly. The latter can be supplemented if desired with a brew (uzvar) - delicious compote from dried berries and fruits.

Sochivo (Christmas kutia) is a dish made from soaked grain. Poppy seeds, nuts, raisins, etc. are added to the dish. This ritual dish is a type of kutia, only it is semi-liquid, while kutia is crumbly.
Sochivo is prepared only for Christmas. For it, they use the grain from which bread is made - rye or wheat. Sometimes it is prepared sochi and from rice. Grains that are ready to sprout after soaking symbolize life.

Christmas kutia made from rice

Modern jelly differs from the traditional one, which was previously used in rituals. Initially, this word meant a drink made from fermented oats. Such jelly represented a completely disintegrated grain - the final stage of its development, that is, death. Modern jelly is made from fruits and berries. The fruits are taken exclusively when they are ripe, which also brings the drink, albeit in a new “reading”, closer to the same idea of ​​the end of life.

Vzvar is also a ritual drink. Only they prepared it for a different occasion - on the occasion of the birth of a child. Therefore, the presence of the brew on festive table supports the idea of ​​life. So the main dishes in the Christmas Eve meal are closely intertwined with the idea of ​​Christmas. In folk culture this is the end of one life cycle and the beginning of a new one, and in the biblical tradition - farewell to the Old Testament world and the coming of the Savior, who gives hope for the future.

In addition to Sochiv and Kisel, Be sure to put fish on the table - it can be boiled or baked. The appearance of a waterfowl on the table is also very symbolic. It refers to the apostles, one of whom - Andrew - was a fisherman, as well as to biblical history about how Christ fed five thousand hungry people with a few fish. One can also see in this a comparison of Jesus with a fisherman who catches the souls of sinners from the abyss of life.

I offer an average option suitable for any table.

1. Kutya.
2. Uzvar.
3. Salad made from pickled cucumbers or sauerkraut.
4. Beet and prune salad.
5. Vinaigrette
6. Lenten borscht or mushroom soup.
7. Dumplings with cabbage or potatoes.
8. Fried fish.
9. Stewed cabbage with mushrooms.
10. Stuffed cabbage rolls with rice and stewed carrots.
11. Boiled potatoes with butter and crushed garlic.
12. Millet porridge with mushroom sauce.

Interestingly, there were no hot dishes on the table that evening. Even the first one was served barely warm: once cooked, it was left in the oven or on the stove to cool more slowly. And all because Christmas is a family holiday. Everyone should be at the table - both living and dead. So the hostess of the house did not have to rush from the table to the kitchen and change dishes: everything was put on the table at one time, and then there was only a quiet celebration.

On January 7, Christmas Day, the fast ended, and lenten dishes on the table can be supplemented with fasting ones- containing products of animal origin. Now wine is added to the meal. Sochivo, jelly, broth and fish also remain on the menu, and they are served with jellied meat, sausage, roast, goose or chicken, pancakes, as well as gingerbread cookies, carols and other pastries that the hostess will spend money on before the holiday. The Christmas table should be lush and generous!
Traditionally, a sumptuous table was set for Christmas. But this was connected not only with the love of our ancestors for delicious food. Beautiful dishes attracted good spirits, who that night spent a lot of energy fighting all evil spirits. Of course, they needed to eat well in order to protect the owners of the house from various adversities.

To fully maintain the tradition, When setting the table, a bunch of hay is placed on it. This is done in memory of the manger in which Mary placed her newborn son. Also on the table there must be a tablecloth b. The main dish - sochivo - is dedicated to the spirits of the ancestors, and it is considered disrespectful to eat them at an uncovered table.

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

Folk signs

The Christmas holidays are a special time of year when higher powers can tell people what awaits them in the next 12 months. So at this time they try to monitor both the signs sent by the weather and circumstances, and their behavior - by doing the wrong thing you can seriously harm yourself.

• Clear, windless weather promises a bountiful harvest for garden beds or farm hectares.


• A clear sky strewn with stars at night is a sign that the animals on the farm will reproduce well, and in summer and autumn you will be able to return from the forest with baskets full of berries and mushrooms.


• A snowstorm this night is also a good sign: it promises an excellent wheat harvest. Beekeepers also rejoice at the snow and wind - honey-bearing insects will swarm well. Snow, which falls in large flakes, and frost also promise a rich harvest of cereal crops.


• Snowfall was considered a good sign on Christmas Eve, which promised prosperity, harvest and prosperity to every home.


• Warm weather, on the one hand, promises excellent wheat, but on the other hand, it says that spring is still a long time away: the warmth will come much later than the calendar promises.


• And if frost hits on the night before Christmas, the family will live together for a year, in love and harmony.


• If the holiday falls on a new moon, the bread will not produce well. Bad omen People also believed there would be a thaw if it happened on Christmas morning. Such a whim of nature promises a meager harvest of vegetables in the coming season.


• They paid special attention to their own behavior and that of family members. Christmas - Holy holiday, and quarreling, arguing, arguing (especially with relatives) was considered a great sin. Those who violated the rule could face failure in their relationships with loved ones throughout the year.


• It was forbidden to work on Christmas Day. Even simple tasks that the owner and hostess did not complete earlier and could not put off could lead to disaster. It was believed that vigorous activity, instead of prayer and expectation of a great miracle, attracted evil spirits into the house.
  One of the most strict prohibitions concerned sewing: people believed that a housewife who decided to sew on one of the three Christmas days would inflict blindness on one of her family members.


• 12 Lenten dishes that appear on the holiday table are “coded” next year for abundance. A housewife who devotes enough time and effort to dinner, preparing the meal according to all the rules, will provide her family with well-being and health, so kitchen work before Christmas Eve and Christmas constitutes a serious part of the preparation for the holiday.
  Based on materials from ya2016.com

Orthodox Christmas traditions prescribe having fun until the Epiphany (January 19) - this time is called “Svyatki”

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DOMODEDOVO, January 10, 2018, DOMODEDOVO NEWS - Christmastide or Holy Days are a special time of celebration and joy after the Feast of the Nativity of Christ. About Christmas history and traditions in the material of the correspondent of the publication “Domodedovo Vesti” Alexander Ilyinsky.

Yuletide or “Saints” are the first ten days after the Feast of the Nativity of Christ. During the period from January 7 to January 17 it is not allowed fast days, and therefore Orthodox Christians rest after a long Nativity Fast. Everything in food is blessed. These are meat, dairy, fish and other “non-fasting” products. But the joy of Christmas must be complete. Therefore, Orthodox Christians try to visit the temple, go through confession and the sacrament of Communion. It is interesting that on Holy Days the Church does not perform the sacrament of Marriage. This is due to the special emphasis on the spiritual component of the period between the holidays of Christmas and Epiphany on January 18. There was even a saying among the people: “At Christmas time, only wolves get married.” In addition, since ancient times, Christmastide was considered a time of special mercy for the old, the poor, the sick and those in prison. On holy days, even kings did not hesitate to give out alms and visit prisons.

Between Christmas and Epiphany Eve

The tradition of multi-day holidays, as well as the tradition of multi-day fasts, was born in ancient times. Man is so constructed that after many days of spiritual concentration, one day is not enough for him to enjoy and celebrate. Therefore, the Church wisely established special days“post-festivities” - the holiday continues for several days. Christmastide is not alone in this. For example, after the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ - Easter, a period of forty days is established, of which the first is celebrated with special solemnity and joy. Bright week. This also applies to the fourteen days of the Christmas period, which include three holidays. The Nativity of Christ is celebrated on January 7, the Circumcision of the Lord on January 14, and the Feast of Epiphany falls on January 19. But looking ahead a little, we must immediately say that before the feast of the Epiphany (Epiphany) a one-day strict fast was established - Epiphany Christmas Eve. Christmastide ends on January 17th. And the very next day, a one-day strict fast was established before the feast of the Epiphany (Epiphany). Just as it was before Christmas, on January 18, Orthodox Christians try to abstain from food from the morning until “until the first star.” This day is called Epiphany Christmas Eve.

Caroling

Literally, the word “Svyatki” means Holy Days. Meaning and
x is not at all about going out, having fun and eating well. Such joy will not be complete. Bodily pleasures alone are not enough for a person to feel happy. Joy must also be spiritual. Christianity has never opposed joy, but has always said that joy should be perfect. After all, Christianity itself is the joyful fullness of life in Christ. Christmas time is just such a time. These are days of fullness of joy. Christ came into the world. And Christians celebrate the Light and Love that came into the world with Christmas. Since ancient times, this joy included not only visiting church. Children walked along the streets of villages under the “Christmas Star” carved from wood and sang carols in honor of Christmas Nativity. Any yard or house was open to them. Hence the saying: “Kolyada has come - open the gate.” The adults not only presented those who came with gingerbread and sweets, but also sang along with pleasure. Moreover, the words and music were familiar to them since childhood! Every feast on Holy Days began with the singing of the troparion of the Nativity of Christ, and ended with Kontakion. Sitting at the table without prayer was considered a sin. Hunting between Christmas and Epiphany was prohibited. “On Holy days, do not hit any animal or bird,” the old people said, “or else a misfortune will happen.” During the holidays, special attention was paid to the poor, lonely and disadvantaged people. It was customary to invite a wanderer to your table or send a treat to a poor neighbor. There were almost no beggars in the Russian village, which lived as a community. But in cities where the stratification of property was large, for the “poor brethren” the period after Christmas and Easter was truly a “golden time”. Everyone tried to give the beggar a penny, kalach or gingerbread. They bowed, thanked and sang spiritual songs or carols on the church porches. And even if the musical ear sometimes failed, the performance was from the heart!

Yuletide fortune telling

All Russian classics write about Christmas and Epiphany fortune-telling. Everyone can find their colorful descriptions in Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin” or Zhukovsky’s “Svetlana.” Being a relic of paganism, to 19th century fortune telling from occult and magical practices turned into entertainment for young people. Mostly girls did the guessing. At a time when marriages were arranged between families, did everyone want to know what lay ahead? Will the husband be young or old? Affectionate or angry? There were a great many types of fortune telling. The girls threw felt boots or felt boots over the fence. At the same time, they watched the toe of the shoe: whichever yard he pointed to, wait for the groom from there. Richer girls sat at midnight between two mirrors, peering into the “gallery of reflections.” What if they see the face of their future husband? Sometimes it was dropped into a glass of water wedding ring. In the candle flame, gold sparkled and cast reflections on the glass. Peering into the flashes of light, the girls repeated with bated breath: “My betrothed, the mummer! Come have dinner with me!” When the play of imagination formed into a certain image, the action ended with a loud girlish squeal. It's scary to look into the future!

Practice Christmas fortune telling These days it has practically disappeared along with the Russian village. And it is worth saying that the Church has always had a negative attitude towards it. It was and is considered a sin to guess not only on Holy Days, but also at any other time. And witchcraft, witchcraft, love spell, lapel in Ancient Rus' Not only the ecclesiastical, but also the secular authorities considered it a terrible crime. Moreover, witchcraft was equated with murder. This is explained simply. Flirting with dark spiritual forces leads to moral disorientation of a person. And such a person often becomes dangerous to others. The history of the 20th century has clearly demonstrated this to us.

Children's joy

IN mid-19th century, Christmas trees and children's parties entered Russian homes. Civil New Year then fell on January 14, New Style - in the middle of Christmastide. City residents celebrated the New Year in family circle at the festive dinner. Sometimes for the New Year, just like at Christmas, children and adults were given gifts under the tree. On Christmastide throughout Russian Empire Theaters that were closed during Lent began their work, festive concerts and balls were given, skating rinks opened and noisy fairs began. After all, Christmas time is a time of joy. This is how it remains today. Therefore, please your children with New Year and Christmas performances! Take them to a concert or a good performance! Just don’t forget that this is not considered the main thing on Holy Days. And what the New Testament says: “Hasten to do good!” May there be more kindness, peace and mercy during the joyful Christmas days!

Happy Christmastide, dear Domodedovo residents!

Alexander Ilyinsky
Photos and illustrations from open sources:« Christmastide", Palekh miniature/"Christmastide", Vladimir artists/ Nikolay Pimonenko, "Kolyada, Kolyada.."/ Rolling down the hill, painting by an unknown artist late XIX century/Karl Bryulov, “Fortune Teller”/ Felix Ehrlich, “Under the Christmas Tree”/ Christmas card
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