Traditions of celebrating the Nativity of Christ

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

One of the greatest holidays of the Christian world is the day of the birth of the Son of God, baby Jesus. What is the difference between the Orthodox tradition and the Catholic one? Where did the custom of decorating the Christmas tree come from? How is Christmas celebrated in different countries? All this will be discussed in this article.

Christmas Story

The history of the celebration of Christmas begins with the birth of little Jesus in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem.

Julius Caesar's successor, Emperor Augustus, ordered a general census of the population in his state, which then included Palestine. The Jews in those days had a custom to keep records of houses and clans, each of which belonged to a particular city. Therefore, the Virgin Mary, together with her husband, Elder Joseph, were forced to leave the Galilean city of Nazareth. They had to go to Bethlehem, the city of the family of David, to which they both belonged, in order to have their names added to the list of Caesar's subjects.

Due to the census order, all the hotels in the city were full. Pregnant Mary together withJoseph managed to find lodging for the night in a limestone cave, where the shepherds usually drove their cattle. In this place, on a cold winter night, little Jesus was born. For lack of a cradle, the Blessed Virgin swaddled her son and laid him in a manger - a cattle feeder.

The first to know about the birth of God's Son were the shepherds who guarded the flock nearby. An Angel appeared to them, who solemnly announced the birth of the Savior of the World. Excited shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found a cave in which Joseph and Mary spent the night with the baby.

At the same time, the Magi (wise men) hurried from the east to meet the Savior, who had been waiting for his birth for a long time. A bright star that suddenly lit up in the sky showed them the way. Bowing to the newborn Son of God, the magi presented him with symbolic gifts. The whole world rejoiced at the long-awaited birth of the Savior.

Catholic and Orthodox Christmas: celebration traditions

History has not preserved information about the exact date of the birth of Jesus Christ. In ancient times, the first Christians considered the date of the celebration of Christmas on January 6 (19). They believed that the Son of God, the redeemer of human sins, was to be born on the same day as the first sinner on Earth - Adam.

Later, in the 4th century, by decree of the Roman emperor Constantine, Christmas was ordered to be celebrated on December 25th. This confirmed the assumption that the Son of God was conceived on the day of the Jewish Passover, which fell on March 25th. In addition, on this day, the Romans once celebrated the pagan holiday of the Sun, which is nowpersonified Jesus.

The difference in the views of the Orthodox and Catholic churches on the date of the celebration of Christmas arose as a result of the introduction of the Gregorian calendar at the end of the 16th century. Many Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches continued to consider the birthday of Jesus Christ on December 25 according to the old Julian calendar - accordingly, they now celebrated it on January 7 according to the new style. The Catholic and Protestant churches have chosen a different path, declaring the day of Christmas on December 25 according to the new calendar. Thus, the divergence in the traditions of Catholics and Orthodox was fixed, which still exists.

Orthodox Christmas Customs: Advent Post

Christmas, or Filippovsky, Orthodox fasting begins on November 28, forty days before the start of the celebration of Christmas. The second name of the post is associated with the feast day of the Apostle Philip. It falls just on the "zagovenie" - the eve of Lent, when it is customary to finish up all the stocks of dairy and meat products, so as not to be tempted afterwards.

In terms of restrictions, this fast is not as severe as, for example, Great. Its meaning is that the soul can be cleansed by prayer and repentance, and the body - by moderation in food. He becomes especially strict on the eve of Christmas.

Orthodox Christmas Customs: Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is commonly referred to as the day leading up to Orthodox Christmas. Celebration traditions suggest that on this day fasting people eat sochi - wheat or barley boiled with honey.grains.

From the morning of that day, the Orthodox were preparing for the upcoming holiday: they cleaned their houses, washed the floors, then they themselves took a steam bath in a hot bath. And in the evening, the children began to walk around the village, carrying the Star of Bethlehem, made of paper, on a torch. Standing under the windows or entering the threshold, they sang ritual songs - "carols" - wishing the owners of the house well-being and goodness. For this, children were rewarded with sweets, pastries, small money.

Housewives prepared special ceremonial food that evening. Kutya, wheat porridge with honey or linseed oil, symbolized the commemoration of the dead. A plate with it was placed on the hay under the icons as a sign of the birth of Jesus Christ in the manger. Uzvar (vzvar) - compote on water from dried berries and fruits - it was customary to cook in honor of the birth of a child. The festive menu was hearty and varied. Be sure to cook a lot of pastries, pies, pancakes. Since the fast ended, meat dishes took their place on the table: ham, ham, sausages. A goose or even a pig was baked hot.

They sat down to eat after the appearance of the "Bethlehem" star. The table was first covered with straw, and then with a tablecloth. The first to put a candle and a plate of kutya on it. They took out a straw from under the tablecloth, wondering: if it is long, the bread will be born well this year, if it is short, there will be a crop failure.

Traditionally it was impossible to work on Christmas Eve.

Orthodox Christmas customs: Christmas time

Celebration of Christmas in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus has absorbed manytraditions of pre-Christian pagan beliefs of the Slavs. A vivid illustration of this is Christmas time - folk festivals. As usual, they began on the first day of Christmas and continued until Epiphany (January 19).

On Christmas morning, before dawn, the ceremony of "sowing" the huts was held. It was supposed to be the first man to enter the house (in the villages it was a shepherd with a bag of oats) and from the threshold to scatter grain in all directions, wishing the owners well-being.

Disguised youth began to go home everywhere - in fur coats turned inside out, with painted faces. They acted out various performances, skits, sang funny songs, receiving a symbolic reward for this. It was believed that these days, after sunset, evil spirits begin to act outrageously, trying to do all sorts of dirty tricks to people. Therefore, Orthodox mummers go from house to house, showing that the place is already taken and there is no way for evil spirits to come here.

Also on holy days, young girls usually guessed at the "betrothed-mummer"; in every locality there were many beliefs and signs associated with this.

Tradition of decorating the Christmas tree

Celebration of the New Year and Christmas these days is almost unthinkable without a Christmas tree decorated with toys and lights. According to scientists, the first Christmas trees appeared in German homes as far back as the 8th century. Initially, there was a law prohibiting putting more than one Christmas tree in the house. Thanks to him, we have the first written evidence of a Christmas tree.

In those days there was a traditiondecorate the spruce with shiny little things, colored paper figurines, coins and even waffles. By the 17th century, in Germany and Scandinavia, decorating the Christmas tree had become an invariable rite, symbolizing the celebration of Christmas.

In Russia, this custom arose thanks to Peter the Great, who ordered his subjects to decorate their houses on holy days with spruce and pine branches. And in the 1830s, the first whole Christmas trees appeared in the houses of St. Petersburg Germans. Gradually, this tradition was picked up by the indigenous people of the country with the inherent Russian wide scope. Spruces began to be installed everywhere, including in the squares and streets of cities. In the minds of people, they have become strongly associated with the Christmas holiday.

Christmas and New Year in Russia

In 1916, the celebration of Christmas in Russia was officially banned. There was a war with Germany, and the Holy Synod considered the Christmas tree "the enemy's idea".

With the formation of the Soviet Union, people were again allowed to put up and decorate Christmas trees. However, the religious significance of Christmas shifted to the background, and its rituals and attributes were gradually absorbed by the New Year, which turned into a secular family holiday. The seven-pointed star of Bethlehem on the top of the spruce was replaced by a five-pointed Soviet star. Day off on Christmas Day cancelled.

After the collapse of the USSR, there were no special changes. The most significant winter holiday in the post-Soviet space is still the New Year. Christmas began to be widely celebrated relatively recently, mainly by Orthodox believers living in these countries. However, insolemn services are held in the churches on Christmas night, which are directly broadcast on television, the holiday was also returned to the status of a day off.

US Christmas Day

In the United States of America, the traditions of celebrating Christmas began to take root quite late - from the 18th century. Puritans, Protestants and Baptists, who made up the largest and most influential part of the settlers in the New World, resisted its celebration for a long time, even introducing fines and pen alties for it at the legislative level.

The first American Christmas tree was only placed in front of the White House in 1891. And four years later, December 25 was recognized as a national holiday and declared a day off.

Christmas Celebration Customs: House Decoration

In the USA, it is customary to decorate not only Christmas trees, but also at home for Christmas. Illumination is hung along the windows and under the roofs, sparkling with all the colors of the rainbow. Trees and bushes in the garden are also decorated with garlands.

In front of the front doors, the owners of the house usually exhibit luminous figures of animals or snowmen. And a Christmas wreath of spruce branches and cones intertwined with ribbons, complemented by beads, bells and flowers, is hung on the door itself. These wreaths also decorate the interior of the house. Evergreen needles - the personification of the triumph over death - symbolizes happiness and prosperity.

Catholic Christmas Celebration Customs: Family Night

Accepted,so that for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ a large family in full force would gather in the house of their parents. Before the start of the festive dinner, the head of the family usually reads a prayer. Then each eats a piece of consecrated bread and drinks a sip of red wine.

After that, you can start eating. Traditional dishes that are prepared in honor of the celebration of Christmas are different in each country and region. So, in the United States, bean and cabbage soup, homemade sausages, fish, and potato pie are always served on the table. The British and Scots by this day will certainly stuff the turkey, prepare a meat pie. In Germany, goose is traditionally cooked and mulled wine is brewed.

Christmas customs: gifts and hymns

After a generous and hearty gala dinner, everyone usually starts giving each other gifts. And the kids are preparing "Christmas socks", which are hung by the fireplace: the next morning Santa Claus will certainly leave a surprise for them there. Children often leave treats under the tree for Santa Claus and his reindeer to keep them from being hungry on Christmas Day.

Celebration of the Nativity of Christ in small American towns has also preserved another pleasant tradition. On Christmas morning people go to visit each other and sing old songs dedicated to this holiday. Children dressed as angels sing Christmas carols, praise God and the birth of baby Jesus Christ.