More information about the labor ban:
- Traditional women's prohibitions include sewing, cleaning, taking out the garbage and any other housework, except for preparing for the holiday table. It is better not to engage in needlework, even if it is aimed at creating some kind of gift souvenir for loved ones. If you want to make something, it is recommended to do it before Christmas Eve, in early January. As for garbage, it should be collected and burned the next day, and then scattered to the wind. This will additionally scare away evil spirits.
- Men are not recommended to go hunting and fishing.
- If a working day is scheduled for January 7, and you can’t take time off in any way, don’t worry. The main thing is that labor should not be aimed at obtaining luxury, but as a quality main goal income was for the benefit of the family.
In general, all activities related to sewing are prohibited from Christmas until Epiphany. Embroidering or mending clothes is not recommended. According to legend, if a pregnant woman sews during the forbidden period, she will give birth to a blind child. Any other family member can also go blind.
Some believers believe that on Christmas, that is, from Christmas Eve itself and then all the way through January 7, you should not drink water. Any other liquids are allowed: coffee, tea, not a large number of alcohol, juices. However, this belief comes from the people and is not dictated by the church. If a person is not superstitious, he can break it.
Important!
Notice how the house is decorated throughout the holiday. There must be an attribute reminiscent of Star of Bethlehem. If there is a different decoration on the top of the tree, you should change it to a star. Those who, according to tradition, begin the celebration on Christmas Eve, on the evening of January 6, should remember that until midnight, until the 7th, the festive table cannot be cleared.
- mirrors should not be broken;
- Do not use broken dishes;
- unmarried women are prohibited from sitting on the corner of the table;
- intimate life is excluded, allowed only between spouses for the purpose of procreation.
What can and should be done during the Nativity of Christ
There are simple ones church rules which should be observed on the holiday:
- prayers;
- alms to those asking;
- visiting church.
Good omen!
If you give to a needy person, and he prays for the giver to God, good luck will remain throughout the year.
It is recommended to give gifts; visiting stores for the purpose of purchasing is not prohibited. Gifts in this case are perceived not as something monetary or corrupting, but as a sign of respect and sympathy. Positive feelings towards others and especially towards loved ones in general should be emphasized in every possible way on Christmas Day.
You need to wear light ones all day, new clothes. If mistakes were made last year, you should apologize for them to those offended, or to God. Candles lit inside the house will bring additional luck. It is worth putting one for each deceased, then the soul of the deceased family member will pray to God for his relatives.
There are also more specific recommendations on what can and cannot be done on Christmas Day. Such traditions are increasingly rare during the celebration. So, on January 7, “seeding” takes place. Guests should scatter cereal grains in the corners of the host's house with songs (carols). This will bring prosperity, material well-being, happiness to everyone present. family life. Be sure to say positive wishes out loud.
There is another way to wish her luck and really attract her. The eldest member of the family is given a container of milk. He must approach each of the relatives in turn and offer to drink from a cup or jug. At the same time, one should repeat “The Lord was born, the people were baptized. May you be cheerful and healthy. Amen".
Interesting!
With proper understanding and awareness of the essence of the holiday, a person will perceive all the prohibitions of Christmas not as punishment, but as a given and the attention of God. If you look at it, there are not many prohibited actions, and they all mainly relate to discord in the family, which you don’t want to allow during the celebration anyway.
Many people do all of the above. You can also put regular water on the window on the night of January 6-7 and put a silver spoon in it. It is believed that such water is holy, like from a church. The main thing is to pray and fast before the holiday. It is very important not to quarrel or think about bad things on holiday, then everything will be fine in the family.
Christmas is traditionally celebrated from midnight on January 6 and all day on January 7 (this is according to the new Julian calendar). This is wonderful, Holy holiday faith and goodness, hope, love, peace and happiness. Christmas is one of the most important holidays for Orthodox believers.
What not to do on the bright holiday of Christmas
Guess
You cannot guess or try to find out the future in other ways on Christmas Day. After Christmas, from January 8 to 18, Christmastide comes - this is the time for fortune telling.
It has long been believed that a girl who hurried and started fortune-telling on Christmas night could, as it were, “miscalculate” her betrothed and not find out her fate when they met.
Fortune telling appeared long before Christianity. In fortune telling, the pagans turned to otherworldly forces which the church considers dark.
With the advent of the Christian era, fortune telling was prohibited by the church.
But the fact is that Christmas coincided with the ancient New Year, when pagans everywhere held fortune-telling and tried to find out destinies. And although the Church recognized fortune-telling rites as a sin, it folk tradition the fortune telling is still preserved, only during the Christmastide period.
Do cleaning, work
The birth of Jesus Christ is interpreted as nothing other than a day for communication with God.
Therefore, you cannot work, clean up, or do household chores. Instead, you need to devote yourself entirely to prayer, going to church or confession. And it’s better to do home cleaning before the great holiday of Christmas. People believe that such great days should be dedicated to saints and events from the Bible. Christians always adhere to traditions and do not work on Christmas Day so as not to commit a sin.
In addition, it is believed that doing housework on a great holiday can lead to a person doing hard work without rest throughout the year.
Sew, embroider and knit
You cannot knit or sew on Christmas Day - there is a belief that someone in the family may go blind. Engaging in any such activity - embroidery, knitting, sewing, other handicrafts - only takes away time that could be devoted to prayer and communication with God, and is therefore considered a sin.
Drink plain water
You can't drink water on Christmas Day - signs say that otherwise a person will warm time will suffer from thirst for years. Traditionally, water is removed from the table and tea, fruit drinks, juices, and compotes are served.
Wear worn clothes
On January 7, you need to wear new clothes and avoid the color black. In the old days, it was believed that people who violated the custom would face failure in business throughout the next year.
Swear, sort things out, wish people harm
It is a great sin on this day to argue, show disrespect for elders, quarrel and use foul language - especially if this happens within the family circle. festive table.
What can and should be done on Christmas Day
On January 7, Christians visit the temple and read prayers for the health and well-being of loved ones. On this bright holiday, believers necessarily devote time to communication with God, prayers, and spiritual development.
On Christmas Day you need:
- read prayers to the saints, ask for favor and mercy;
- visit the temple and participate in worship;
- At home, you can light a candle in front of the icons and say words of gratitude.
- bathe and wash;
- Close relationships between spouses are not prohibited if they have the goal of conception and birth of offspring;
- for 40 days, starting from January 7, every morning you can make a new wish, imagine the well-being and good moments in life that you expect.
Beliefs for Christmas
There is a belief that if you do 7 blessings on Christmas Day, the coming year will be happy, prosperous and rich.
- You can give 7 alms on this bright day. As a rule, this is 7 coins. They try to give them to people who evoke sympathy, and say a prayer to themselves that bestows well-being and happiness.
- Give to loved ones, neighbors or just good people 7 gifts that will be useful in everyday life (most often these are towels).
- On Christmas, every person greets everyone he meets with the words “Christ is born”, and in response the sound is “We praise him!”
Signs, customs and superstitions at Christmas
- to attract financial well-being on a holiday people shop;
- be sure to give coins to those asking them to pray for health;
- on Christmas, candles are lit in the house: it is the lit candles that attract wealth, financial wealth, peace and warmth in the relationship between spouses into the house;
- one candle is lit for deceased relatives, remembering them - deceased relatives will also help to attract good luck, happiness and prosperity to the house;
- To live a year in abundance, you need to generously feed the animals living in the house.
Superstitions:
- if a decoration or other valuable item is found on Christmas Day, then this year you will have good luck in money;
- if on the eve of the holiday, on the contrary, some thing is lost, then financial losses await this year;
- if at the festive table someone accidentally spills tea or another drink other than alcohol, then they will soon expect him to good news, pleasant events and success;
- if guests come, you need to pay attention to who will enter the house first: if a woman enters first, then this predicts illness in the female half of the house, but if a man enters first, then this means unexpected money or serious profit.
On the wonderful holiday of the Nativity of Christ, the whole family should gather at the table. Children traditionally help their parents prepare for the holiday. The festive Christmas dinner begins the moment the first star appears in the sky.
The most touching and bright holiday of winter is the Nativity of Christ, on this day God’s child, Jesus Christ, was born. Orthodox Christians sacredly honor the traditions of this day and try not to violate the canons that their ancestors honored. “Vesti” collected all the traditions and prohibitions of this holiday. After all, according to legend, violating ancient traditions can bring trouble to the whole family, and if you celebrate the holiday correctly, it will bring wealth and prosperity to your home.
Fast
Before Christmas, Christians observe a long forty-day fast, which begins on November 28 and ends on January 7. Orthodox believe that fasting is not so much about supporting physical body how much to cleanse the soul. Therefore, those who fast often refuse, for example, bad habits. You should also refrain from quarrels, insults and foul language. The end of fasting is considered a holiday divine liturgy, which ends with the words “Christ is Born!” Praise him."
Christmas Eve
According to tradition, on the evening of January 6, each housewife prepares a dinner of 12 meatless dishes. This dinner symbolizes the 12 apostles who were disciples and followers of Christ. The center of the festive meal should be rich kutia. This is a lean porridge that every housewife prepares in her own way. However, traditionally, it is prepared from wheat, adding poppy seeds, nuts, dried fruits and honey.
Kutya is usually worn by godfathers. A small pot of porridge is given to the children, and they bow to their godparents. In this matter, it is also important to observe traditions, even down to what words you should come into the house with. In return, godparents should treat the children or give them treats or gifts.
What to do for Christmas
This day has many traditions and customs, which we have already written about. Let us briefly recall that:
as soon as midnight arrives from January 6 to 7, it is necessary to open the windows and doors so that Christmas can enter the house,
From the very morning it is customary to go from house to house and sing carols. At the same time, it is customary to dress up in different costumes and wish everyone you meet a Merry Christmas,
On January 7, churches hold three services: at midnight, at dawn and during the day - all believers must attend church on this day.
What not to do at Christmas
Just like any other religious holiday, it is forbidden to work on Christmas Day. That is, you cannot clean, do laundry, or even take out the trash. Moreover, this cannot be done until the Old New Year, January 14th. There is a belief that at this time everything in the house should increase and not decrease. This will bring prosperity. For the same reason, you should not lend money on Christmas Day.
Under no circumstances should you quarrel with family and friends. You cannot be disrespectful or offend your parents.
Fortune telling is also considered a sin. For Christmas fortune telling Any time from Christmas Eve to Epiphany is suitable, except for Christmas itself, that is, January 7. However, despite the prohibitions, fortune-telling at Christmas is still actively practiced (in particular by girls - the so-called fortune-telling for the betrothed).
Fortune telling for Christmas
In some regions, at Christmas they tell fortunes on dumplings: objects symbolizing various things are added to the filling - and whoever gets what will spend the year that way. Here are several meanings of such dumpling “surprises”:
- coin - wealth
- bread - for a well-fed, prosperous year
- ring - for an upcoming wedding
- bay leaf - to fame and fortune
- raisins - receiving many gifts
- cabbage - to family happiness
- thread - to the road
- buckwheat - unexpected wealth
- carrots - a new acquaintance
- dough - family addition
- dill - to good health
- peas - for family comfort and warmth
According to an ancient legend, on the night before Christmas “the gates of heaven open, and the Son of God descends to earth from the heights of the clouds.
During this solemn appearance, the most luminous paradise reveals to the eyes of righteous people all its invaluable treasures, all its inexplicable secrets. All springs are turned into wine and endowed with miraculous powers on this great night. healing power; In the gardens of Eden, flowers bloom and golden apples pour in. If anyone prays for anything at midnight, or asks for anything, everything will be fulfilled, it will come true as written.”
Christmas for all Christians of the world is the most important holiday of the year
And, although many traditions have been lost, we will try to remember what to do for Christmas
What are the Christmas signs for good luck and prosperity?
After all, “as Christmas passes, so will the year.”
First of all, on the eve of Christmas, until the evening, try not to eat anything.
The only exception is for young children.
The table is traditionally covered with a tablecloth, under which a clove of garlic is placed in the corners. Garlic protects against evil force and diseases.
There should be twelve meatless dishes on the table. Traditionally it is borscht, potatoes, cabbage rolls, porridge, beans or broad beans, dumplings, fish, mushrooms, cookies, kutya, uzvar.
And each of the guests must try each one. You cannot wash down your food with water - only uzvar.
It is also impossible to eat all the dishes completely; at least a little of each dish must remain - “so that the refrigerator does not remain empty.”
The main dish is kutya, or sochivo.
Is it rice or wheat porridge with raisins and poppy seeds.
This is where the meal begins.
Another important dish is Christmas cake. There is also a Christmas money sign associated with it.
A coin is baked into a Christmas pie - whoever gets a piece with a coin will get a big one. money luck in the new year.
But remember, you can't cut the Christmas cake before it's Christmas Eve.
Christmas should be celebrated at home, with family and loved ones.
A friendly atmosphere at the table is important. All misunderstandings need to be put aside, or even better, everyone who needs it needs to make peace.
It is a good tradition to light a large number of candles and lights at Christmas.
It’s worth lighting the fireplace too – if you have one. They will attract warmth and wealth into your home.
On Christmas Eve, lights and fire should not be taken out of the house.
No plate should be empty.
Once you sit down at the table, you cannot leave it until the end of the meal.
And, even more so, leave the house so as not to accidentally let evil spirits in.
The first evening star notifies people about a great miracle - the birth of the Son of God!
If you saw a star, you can start the Holy Supper - light a candle and pray.
When the clock strikes twelve on the night before Christmas, all doors must be opened wide to drive out evil spirits.
Don't spend Christmas alone.
Christmas - family celebration, and even if you don’t even have your own family, invite guests, or go visit yourself, but being alone on this day is highly not recommended.
But when inviting guests, invite only those who can bring you good luck in the new year.
Avoid communicating with people you don't like during Christmas.
If you have pets, feed them better so that they don’t say that the owner is bad, since on Christmas, according to legend, “even cattle talk.”
For the Christmas celebration, girls and women tried to dress up before evening came.
It was believed that those who did not have time to do this in the first case would not marry rich suitors, and in the second they would not be loved by their husbands.
Previously, the Christmas meal was invariably accompanied by the commemoration of deceased relatives, sometimes even separate dishes were placed for them. It was the belief in the invisible presence of the souls of the dead that gave birth to certain rules and prohibitions.
For example, it was forbidden to sit too closely at the table, stand up and sit down abruptly, use knives and forks, pick up a fallen spoon from the floor, etc.
You should definitely light a special candle in honor of your deceased relatives - then they will definitely help you in the new year and attract good luck and prosperity to your home.
In the old days, an important action on Christmas morning was bringing fresh water into the house: the owners went for water as early as possible in order to collect it before others.
This water was considered especially healing; all family members washed themselves with it for health, and some was poured for kneading dough for ritual bread.
While kneading the dough to bake Christmas bread, the housewife did not have to talk to anyone.
With her hands smeared in dough, she touched household icons; went out into the garden and hugged the fruit trees so that they would be fertile.
Breakfast and lunch that day were hearty and plentiful.
After the meal, other magical rituals were performed.
For productivity fruit trees the owner went out into the garden with an ax, swung at each tree, threatening to cut it down, and asked whether it would bear fruit this year.
Then he tied Christmas straw around the trunks; buried the remains of a festive dinner under the roots; shook the branches or showered them with grain, etc.
It was also customary to visit your livestock, wish them a Merry Christmas, and treat them with ritual food. Housewives brought chickens and geese into the house and fed them grain, surrounding them with rope in a circle so that they would not stray from the house throughout the year.
Despite the fact that any work on Christmas was considered a sin, some peoples had a custom of symbolically redoing the main tasks. Many believed that this would ensure success in all work in the coming year.
According to church regulations, at this time it was possible to eat only juice, honey pancakes and Lenten pies. The leftover food was not cleared away from the table, believing that the souls of the dead would feed on it. Breaking the fast was allowed in the morning of the next day after early mass.
According to an ancient legend, on the night before Christmas “the gates of heaven open, and the Son of God descends to earth from the heights of the clouds. During this solemn appearance, the most luminous paradise reveals to the eyes of righteous people all its invaluable treasures, all its inexplicable secrets. All springs are turned into wine and endowed with miraculous healing powers on this great night; In the gardens of Eden, flowers bloom and golden apples pour in. If anyone prays for anything at midnight, asks for anything, everything will be fulfilled, it will come true as it is written.”
The whole day of January 7 is best to visit and receive guests. It is important that you should communicate at Christmas only with those people who can bring you happiness.
Christmas is a great time for shopping, big and small.
Buying something good for Christmas is a great omen and a sign that the purchase will serve you faithfully.
If you have pets, you need to feed them generously at Christmas - then the year will be satisfying and financially successful.
What not to do at Christmas
There are things that you shouldn't do on Christmas - if you believe the signs, they can bring trouble to your home.
If you decide to have fun with hunting, you cannot do this from Christmas to Epiphany (until January 19). At this time, nature protects animals, so killing animals is considered a grave sin.
On Christmas Day, girls should not guess - wait a little, you have all the Christmastide ahead of you!
Also on Christmas you cannot clean the house, do any housekeeping or sew.
You can't drink water on Christmas, so remove all mineral water from the table. There is coffee, tea and other great drinks. To be honest, this sign is a little strange, but it’s better not to drink water than to suffer for an unknown reason all year.
Money signs for Christmas
On Christmas Eve (January 7 to 19), observe nature. If the sky is most often strewn with stars, or it snows often, or there is a lot of frost on the trees, the year will be rich, satisfying, and profitable.
If it snows on Christmas Day itself, this is a very good omen and promises a successful year. If there is a new moon in the sky on Christmas Day, the year will be extremely unlucky financially.
That's all the Christmas signs. Have a wonderful Christmas! Let the coin end up in your piece of Christmas pie.
Signs for prosperity and happiness:
Decorated Christmas tree
It would seem that this goes without saying. But in fact, many people dismantle the Christmas tree immediately after the New Year. Therefore, if you are one of them, do not rush to get rid of your elegant beauty this year.
The tradition of putting up a Christmas tree for Christmas appeared in the 8th century in Germany. It was picked up by many peoples and countries, including Slavic ones. Afterwards they began to dress her up, comparing her to the tree of paradise strewn with apples.
Gifts and visits
Even if all the gifts are given away New Year, leave some nice souvenirs for Christmas. The appearance of this tradition in Russia is associated with Saint Nicholas, who later became the prototype of Father Frost. Today it is customary to put gifts in New Year's socks.
Buying or acquiring something good for Christmas is considered good luck. Also on this day, it is advisable to go to visit or receive them until the evening. But you need to communicate only with those who can bring you happiness.
Christmas in 2019 is celebrated on January 7th. The Orthodox prepared for this great holiday for 40 days, during the Nativity Fast. We tell you what the essence of the holiday is, what traditions it is associated with, what you can eat and what you cannot do on Christmas Day 2019.
What is the essence of the Nativity of Christ?
Christmas is a Christian holiday. It is dedicated to the birth of Jesus Christ.
According to the Gospel texts, the Virgin Mary and her husband Joseph arrived in Bethlehem to participate in the census. They did not have enough room in the hotel, and they spent the night in a cave where the shepherds drove their cattle. There the Mother of God gave birth to Jesus Christ and laid him in a manger - a feeding trough with hay.
Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, born of a virgin. He came to earth to martyrdom to atone for the sins of people and open the gates of heaven for them.
New Year Christmas
According to legend, the first people to come to worship Christ were shepherds: an angel informed them about the birth of the son of God.
When Christ was born, the Christmas star lit up. She brought the wise men into the cave, who bowed to the baby and brought him gifts: gold - as a king, incense - as God, myrrh - as a man.
Christmas 2019: holiday traditions
- In the Russian Orthodox Church, Christmas is the second most important holiday after Easter.
- On January 6, on Christmas Eve, believers try to observe a particularly strict fast.
- On the night of January 6-7, churches hold night holiday services.
- For Christmas, nativity scenes are often built near churches: compositions that depict the events of the holiday.
- Children from Sunday schools hold small congratulatory concerts.
- On January 7, believers attend a church service, and then have a festive dinner at home and go to visit. In many families, it is customary to give gifts at Christmas.
What can you eat on January 7, 2019?
Christmas on January 7 is the end. On this day you can eat meat and dairy products, eggs and fish.
Despite the fact that there are no restrictions on food, it is necessary to break the fast gradually. You shouldn’t rush into treats that you haven’t eaten for more than a month.
What should you not do on Christmas Day?
- According to church rules, on January 7 you cannot swear, slander, argue with loved ones, or wish people harm.
- You should not abuse alcohol or participate in riotous festivities.
- You cannot guess, engage in occultism and magic. Contrary to popular belief, the church does not approve of fortune telling at Christmas. Moreover: in the Orthodox Church they urge not to engage in fortune-telling, sorcery and magic on ordinary days.
- There is a stereotype that on Christmas Day it is forbidden to work, sew, knit, embroider and wash. This is wrong. There is no sin in working on an Orthodox holiday, just as there is no prohibition on working on holidays. It is only important to find time to go to the temple.
- You can't get carried away by signs. The church says that prohibitions like “not wearing old clothes” or “you can’t wash in the bathhouse” are superstitions.
- Don't be discouraged: Christmas is a joyful, bright holiday.
New Year Christmas
Why do Christmas dates differ between Orthodox and Catholics?
Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the Nativity of Christ on January 7, and Catholics, Protestants and 11 of the 15 local Orthodox churches in the world on December 25.
In Russia, as in most countries of the world, Gregorian calendar. It was introduced in 1918. However, the Russian Orthodox Church continues to use the Julian calendar. There are several reasons for this decision. One of them is that the transition to the Gregorian calendar will lead to serious canonical violations (for example, it will be reduced).
In the 21st century, the difference between the dates on the two calendars is 13 days.