Christmas traditions or what do people do on Christmas? Christmas Eve: what women must do on this day What to do on Christmas Eve before Christmas
On the eve of the Nativity of Christ, Orthodox people celebrate Christmas Eve. This day marks the end of the Christmas fast, which lasts four weeks. From the very morning until 6 o'clock in the evening, Orthodox Christians must completely abstain from consuming any food and alcohol until the rising of the first star. This star symbolizes that Jesus was born.
Since ancient times, people have firmly believed that as the Christmas holiday goes, so will the whole next year. It is not surprising that many modern people I am interested in the question: “what can be done on Christmas Eve before Christmas, and what cannot be done.”
Many people on the eve of any holiday want to put their house in order: wash things, clean the apartment, take out all the trash, get rid of old and unnecessary things.
Orthodox traditions strictly prohibit performing all household chores on Christmas Eve.
“On this day, the soul of every person prepares for the birth of Jesus. During Lent and January 6, it is especially forbidden to swear, take offense, or express negative emotions towards another person.
— On January 6, you should also refrain from any household work: washing and cleaning, sewing, embroidering, replanting houseplants And so on. Even cooking food on this day is not recommended; it can be prepared in advance - on January 5th.
— Until the end of the Liturgy, you cannot eat or drink alcohol in the church.
— All day on January 6, you cannot sweep the house, much less take out the trash from it. Since ancient times, people have believed that on Christmas Eve the souls of deceased relatives come and gather in the corners of the apartment. And only after Holy Baptism do they return back to heaven.
In order for the Christmas holiday, as well as the whole next year, to become bright and joyful, all homework, including the preparation of 12 dishes, should be completed on January 5.
What to do on Christmas Eve
On the afternoon of January 6, every Orthodox person must go to church for communion and service. It is very important before the birth of Christ to cleanse your soul, ask for forgiveness, and sincerely repent of all sins. An important step on the eve of communion is fasting. If it is difficult for a person to keep the fast for all 4 weeks, he should stick to it for at least a few days before Christmas Eve. It is very important during this period to monitor your thoughts, actions and emotions.
There are many beliefs about what can be done on Christmas Eve and what is strictly prohibited. Each people, based on their faith, comes up with different traditions and customs. But if a person considers himself Orthodox and wants to adhere to important church rules, you should know that doing laundry and cleaning on Christmas Eve is strictly prohibited, no matter how much you would like to do so. Even such a harmless action as sweeping the floor can bring disaster and illness to a person.
Numerous customs on this day help solve various issues, for example: getting rid of debts, finding a job, improving relationships with loved ones or bosses. Since ancient times, people have believed in the powerful power of this day and try to use it for their own good.
Since ancient times, on Christmas Eve after dinner, people took the remaining food outside and left it for those in need, or distributed it themselves. There is a belief that those deceased relatives who died hungry satiate their hunger that evening.
On the eve of Christmas, you cannot lend bread, salt and money; this can lead to the family spending the entire next year in poverty and hunger.
You should not wear black or dark clothes for the festive dinner and during the day on Christmas Eve, so as not to incur trouble and trouble.
Also, many girls are concerned about the question: “is it possible to wash your hair on Christmas Eve?” On this day, as on Christmas Day, it is forbidden to wash or cut hair.
January 6th all Orthodox world, living according to the Julian calendar, celebrate Christmas Eve (Holy Evening). On this day, Filippov, or the Nativity fast, ends.
Christmas Eve is the final day of the Nativity Fast. Traditionally, on this day only kutya could be eaten, so the Holy Evening, that is, the evening before Christmas, was called Rich Kutya.
On Christmas Eve, people do not eat anything or sit down to the table until the evening star. The first star is a symbol that once announced to the Magi the birth of the Savior.
TRADITIONS
On this evening, according to tradition, all family members gather at the table. On this day there is a very strict fast; believers do not eat until the first star appears in the sky.
They say that on Christmas night you should definitely wear something new, and if you don’t have one, then at least one white item. In addition, it is known that immediately after Christmas comes Christmastide, when you can dress up in all sorts of carnival costumes.
When it gets dark, it is customary to sit down at the table, on which, according to tradition, 12 Lenten dishes are placed according to the number of apostles: kutia, borscht with mushrooms, dumplings with cabbage or potatoes, fish soup, cabbage rolls, pickled herring, pickled mushrooms, jellied fish, braised cabbage, beans, compote and sweet songs: pies, donuts, shortcakes.
Kutia is a must-have dish on the Christmas table. According to traditional recipe poppy seeds, millet, walnuts, raisins and honey are put into kutya. Many housewives experiment and add some more ingredients to kutya.
What not to do on Christmas Eve
During dinner, you cannot talk much or leave the table. A guy and a girl should not sit on the corners of the table, so as not to be left without a married couple.
You cannot, having picked up a spoon, put it back on the table, do not wash down dishes with water - only compote. Until the meal is over, you cannot leave the table, especially not the house, so as not to let in evil spirits u.
You can't work on Christmas Eve evening.
Before the holiday, you need to clean the house, but at the same time maintain peace and understanding with your family. Don't let quarrels and minor troubles overshadow your holiday. May you not have perfectly clean curtains, but peace and a good relationship in family.
It is in your soul to forgive all your enemies and ask for forgiveness from those people whom you may have offended.
It is believed that you cannot celebrate Christmas with the same debts. Otherwise, you will have to live in debt all year.
On this day you cannot skimp.
You can't go far from home on Christmas Eve - you'll be wandering all year.
You can't celebrate a holiday in black clothes.
You cannot put out a fire in a stove or fireplace.
The eve is called Christmas Eve or simply Christmas Eve. This date was also called the First Kutya, First Kolyada or Kuteinika. Even in the first centuries of the new era, the celebration of the Eve of the Nativity of Christ was established. Gradually, this merged with the tradition of celebrating the eves of major holidays.
Christmas Eve: traditions, customs and signs
There are many traditions, signs and rituals associated with Christmas Eve. On this day, we observed the presence and amount of frost, the condition of the snow cover, and paid attention to the starry sky:
- A lot of snow, a lot of frost and deeply frozen ground - to a rich harvest of bread.
- If on January 6 the paths are black (i.e. the snow has not completely covered the ground or has melted) - there will be a good buckwheat harvest.
- On Christmas Eve the sun shines brightly - for a green year.
- Snow on the ground is like manure for the crops.
- Whatever the frost on the trees that day, so will be the color on the bread.
- How many days before Christmas will frost occur, how many days before will the weather be favorable for spring crops.
- If frost happens before Christmas Eve, then the bread needs to be sown before, and if frost appears after Christmas Eve, then you can sow it after Peter’s Day.
- The starry sky on Christmas night means an excellent pea harvest.
- If the stars shine in the sky on the night of January 6-7, there will be a lot of mushrooms and berries.
- If there are few stars in the sky, then there will also be few berries.
- The Milky Way is dim - to bad weather. If Milky Way bright and full of stars - for sunny weather.
Dinner was of great importance on Christmas Eve. Usually the huts were cleaned, and the table was covered with hay or straw and covered with a clean white tablecloth made of natural material. The straw and hay were reminiscent of the manger where the newborn Jesus lay.
According to tradition, they fasted and did not eat until the first star appeared in the sky. Returning from church, they lit a lamp near the images, placed wax candles in front of them and read a prayer, and then sat down at the table in solemn and strict silence and had dinner.
The main dishes of this meal were kutia (boiled grains of barley, wheat, and later rice, sweetened with honey) and vzvar (a non-alcoholic drink made from pears, apples, cherries, plums and other fruits boiled in water). Also on the table were cabbage, kvass, grain porridge, bread from grains from the latest harvest, and dried berries. A lit candle was inserted into one of the loaves. Spoons and leftovers from dinner were left on the table until the morning. Sometimes the kutya was placed not on the table, but under the icon in the front corner.
On Christmas Eve, a whole series of magical rituals were performed to ensure that fruit trees would bear fruit, bread would grow, the weather would be good, and the number of poultry and livestock would increase.
On this night, the cattle were given plenty of food, but, on the contrary, they tried not to feed the chickens. They believed that this would discourage birds from digging in the garden, especially in the spring, when seedlings or seeds had just been planted.
An obligatory dish on the table was pancakes, which were also given a special meaning. The first baked pancake was given to a cow or sheep to eat. Sheep and sheep's fleece were considered a symbol of happiness, prosperity and fertility. In various mythopoetic systems, the sheep symbolizes simplicity, timidity, meekness, tenderness, innocence, sacrifice and patience. In Christianity, sheep act as a symbol of the Savior. Often a sheep or lamb is depicted next to Jesus. The folk version of Christmas events, played out during the Yuletide period by Ukrainians, Belarusians, Poles and Russians, necessarily included an episode of the worship of shepherds with sheep to the newly born Baby.
In some places, bonfires were lit on Christmas Eve so that the souls of deceased relatives could come and warm themselves by the fire. They also believed that this fire would produce better wheat.
A common custom was to leave a treat for Frost. They tried to appease him in every possible way so that in the spring he would not destroy vegetable seedlings, spring bread and flowers on fruit trees.
Christmas Eve opened the time for Christmas fortune-telling. The peasants wondered about the harvest and the weather, and also tried to find out what awaited them next year. Girls and young unmarried women cast a spell on the betrothed and marriage.
January 6: what to do and what not to do
On Christmas Eve, it is advisable to get up early, wash your face and say a prayer. It would be nice to go to church, pray for the health of your family and friends, confess and receive communion. If you quarrel with someone on the eve of a holiday, then try to make peace. You need to be in a good mood when preparing holiday dishes. People who adhered to the Christmas fast do not eat food on January 6 until 18.00. Lenten dishes should be present on the table on this day, preferably there should be at least 12 of them. This number symbolizes the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ.
You cannot swear, use foul language, or judge someone on this day. Try to stay positive. It is also forbidden to carry out cleaning otherwise all year long, quarrels will arise in your house out of nowhere. All preparations must be completed by 15:00. It is at this time that churches prepare for the solemn service.
Cover the table with a beautiful tablecloth and take out the festive dishes. During dinner, turn off the lights and light candles to fill the house with live fire, which is protection from evil spirits and everything bad.
Video: Eve of the Nativity of Christ (Christmas Eve)
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On this day before Christmas, the eve, or eve of the holiday, Orthodox Christians prepare for the great day.
Christmas Eve ends the 40-day Nativity (Filippov) fast. On this day, the main preparations for Christmas are carried out.
Other names for the holiday: Holy Eve, Sochevnik, Eve of the Nativity of Christ, Kolyada, Christmas Eve.
The eve of the holiday is colloquially called Christmas Eve, or Sochevnik. This name comes from a special dish made from wheat, nuts and honey - sochiva.
The tradition of eating this dish on the eve of Christmas was born in memory of Daniel and the three youths, who, according to the Gospel, “fed from the seeds of the earth, so as not to be defiled by a pagan meal.”
Christmas Eve story
In the Orthodox Church, the celebration of the eve of the Nativity of Christ was established in the 4th century. In the 5th-8th centuries, sacred hymns were written that are used for Christmas services. During that period, the Royal Hours were celebrated in churches. At them it was customary to proclaim many years to the Tsar, his house, and all Orthodox Christians.
The name of the holiday comes from the word “sochivo” or “sochni”. Both of these dishes were prepared on Christmas Eve. Sochivo was soaked grains of wheat or barley, to which the juice of poppy seeds, sunflowers, hemp, mustard, and nuts was added. Sochni - bread cakes in which holes were made for eyes and used for fortune telling. They looked out into the street through the mask. It was believed that if it passed good man, then the year will be successful, and if it’s bad, vice versa.
What is Christmas Eve before Christmas?
Where did the name of this holiday come from? It turns out that from the word “sochivo” - this is a dish that was prepared specially on this day to treat everyone at home. To do this, the housewife soaked boiled cereal grains (wheat, barley, lentils, rice) in seed juice (poppy, almond or nut). The dish turned out to be lean. No oil was put in it. It was only allowed to add a spoonful of honey to make the food more nutritious. Sometimes it was replaced with kutya.
People used sochivo on this day in imitation of the biblical prophet Daniel.
This parable dates back to Old Testament times. The pagan Julian the Apostate, wanting to show off the fasting believers, ordered all the food in the market to be sprinkled with the blood of animals sacrificed to idols. Then the prophet Daniel ordered his young novices to eat soaked grains and dried fruits. Thus, believers were able to avoid eating a defiled pagan meal.
Traditions and rituals for Christmas Eve
The main traditions on January 6: prepare 12 Lenten dishes, the main of which is kutia; go to visit with treats; guess; They use a talisman (“didukh”).
On Christmas Eve, Orthodox Christians attend services in churches: all-night vigil and liturgy.
From the very morning, housewives carry out a thorough cleaning, throw out trash, and then begin preparing the festive dinner. Traditionally, 12 Lenten dishes are served at the table.
In some houses it is customary to pay Special attention decoration of the Christmas table. The housewives cover it with a new tablecloth, under which they place a bunch of hay - a symbol of the manger. Banknotes and garlic cloves are placed at the corners of the table, which symbolize the health and well-being of family members. An ax is placed under the table, on which those sitting place their feet in order to have good health and spirit. Compositions of candles and fir branches are placed in the center.
The meal begins with a prayer in which Christ is glorified, asking for prosperity and happiness for all those present. First of all, they try kutya, after which they proceed to the rest of the dishes.
On Christmas Eve, young people in villages gather in large groups, paint their faces, put on fancy costumes, go from house to house and sing carols. An important attribute of this action is the Star of Bethlehem, which is made from colored paper and ribbons, and an icon is placed in the center. In ritual songs it is customary to glorify Jesus Christ, the family of the owner of the house. Carolers are presented with sweets, pastries and money.
On Christmas Eve, you should ask for forgiveness from people who were offended, and forgive all your enemies.
Signs and sayings for Christmas Eve
If on Christmas Eve the sky is abundantly strewn with stars, then this year we should expect a rich harvest.
On the eve of the Nativity of Christ, it is customary to light candles in the house or light a fireplace in order to attract prosperity and good luck into the house.
You should not wear old dark-colored clothes to the festive dinner, otherwise the year will pass in tears and difficulties.
An even number of people must be present at the ceremonial table. If it is odd, then housewives put one extra set of cutlery.
On Christmas Eve you need to go outside and look at the sky. If you see a shooting star and make a wish, it will definitely come true.
If there is a snowstorm before Christmas Eve, bees will swarm well.
For the holiday, a wax candle was placed on a table with a white tablecloth and lit with the words: “Burn, candle, righteous sun, shine for the souls in paradise and for us, the living, warm Mother Earth, our cattle, our fields.” If the light burns cheerfully, it means that the year will be prosperous and fruitful; if it blinks and flutters, you will have to tighten your belts.
On holiday, frost on the trees means good bread.
What can you eat on Christmas Eve?
January 6 is the most strict day of the 40-day Nativity Fast. Believers are only allowed to drink water. You can start your meal after the first star rises in the sky, after which you are allowed to eat juice - wheat grains boiled in honey or boiled rice with raisins. IN folk tradition It is customary to serve other lenten dishes for dinner.
What not to do on Christmas Eve
It is prohibited to work on the evening of Christmas Eve.
On this holiday you cannot quarrel and sort things out.
It is not allowed to eat until the first star appears in the sky.
On this day you cannot be greedy.
Festive dinner
By folk custom housewives place 12 Lenten dishes on the table, which represent the 12 apostles. The main dish is kutia (sochivo). It is cooked from whole grains of rice or wheat, with the addition of poppy seeds, honey, walnuts, dried apricots, prunes, and raisins. Baked fish, vegetable salads and stews are also served on the table. mushroom soup, Lenten borscht, pampushki, pies, dumplings, cabbage rolls with mushrooms, pickles. For dessert they eat rolls with poppy seeds and nuts, honey cakes, gingerbread cookies, berry and fruit jelly, apples baked with honey and nuts.
A traditional Christmas drink is uzvar made from dried fruits and honey. The combination of kutya and uzvar on tables is a symbol of eternal life, the birth and death of Jesus. On Christmas Eve there is no alcohol consumed at dinner.
How to make it luscious?
Our great-grandmothers knew what to cook for Christmas Eve. These ancient recipes for preparing Christmas dishes have not been forgotten. And today, any housewife can cook it juicy if she wants.
Here is the recipe for this dish:
1 faceted glass of wheat grains.
100 g poppy seeds.
100 g walnut kernels.
1 or 2 tablespoons of liquid honey.
a little sugar.
Place the wheat grains in a wooden mortar and pound with a pestle until the shell of the grains comes off. In this case, you need to add a little warm boiled water to the mixture. The husks are then removed by washing the grains. Wheat is poured with water, put on fire and boiled until tender. It turns out to be a crumbly porridge. In a wooden mortar, grind the poppy seeds in the same way until milk of the poppy appears. Add it to the porridge, add honey and sugar and mix thoroughly. At the end, crushed kernels are added to the mass. walnut. Sochivo ready.
Festive service in church
On the Eve of Christmas and Epiphany, a service is performed, consisting of the Great (Royal) Hours with the reading of the Gospel, a short sequence of “Pictorial”, during which the clergy on the pulpit read the entrance prayers and vest, and Great Vespers with the reading of proverbs in conjunction with the Liturgy of Basil the Great, On Epiphany Eve, at the end of the liturgy, after the prayer behind the pulpit, the Great Blessing of Water is performed.
If Christmas Eve (both Christmas Eve and Epiphany) falls on Saturday or Sunday, then the service of the Royal Hours with the Fine Hours and Great Vespers is moved to Friday, and in this case the liturgy is not added to them (that is, the liturgy is not performed on Friday in principle), on Christmas Eve itself, in this case, the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is served (the Blessing of Water on Epiphany Eve is still performed), and on the holiday itself (Christmas or Epiphany), in this case, the Liturgy of Basil the Great is celebrated
Based on materials from the Yaropolch website
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January 6, 2018 at Orthodox Church celebrate Christmas Eve. On this day before Christmas, the eve, or eve of the holiday, Orthodox Christians prepare for the great day.
Christmas Eve Traditions
The word "Christmas Eve" takes its name from sochiv, the main dish of this day. Sochivo or kutya are prepared from boiled or steamed cereal grains and seasoned with honey, and raisins are often added.
In 2018, Christmas Eve falls on Saturday, so the evening meal may not be limited to just eating soch - you can eat simple food with added butter and even drink a little red wine. However, we must not forget that if you plan to receive communion during the night holiday service, then after 18 o’clock you do not eat food or drink water.
There should be twelve lenten dishes on the table during the ceremonial meal. They symbolize the twelve apostles. The main dish is kutia or sochivo. It is from the word “sochivo” that the name of the holiday “Christmas Eve” comes from. Sochivo is prepared from wheat or rice grains, honey, poppy seeds, dried fruits, and nuts are added. The traditional drink for the holiday is uzvar. Use alcoholic drinks V
In addition to kutya and uzvar, the required twelve Lenten holiday dishes on Christmas Eve on January 6, 2018 include peas, cabbage soup, borscht, cabbage rolls, fish, dumplings, pancakes, porridge, pies, and donuts.
There cannot be an odd number of people at the table. In this case, you need to supply an additional set of cutlery.
You cannot wear old and dark clothes on this holiday. The outfit should be light and festive.
You cannot swear, quarrel, scold, or sort things out. You can and should ask for forgiveness from those who were offended, and also forgive the offenders.
Signs
On Christmas night, according to popular belief, all sorts of miracles happen. It is believed that on this night the heavens “open”, all earthly waters, sources, springs and wells are endowed with magical healing powers, and if someone makes a wish on this night, it must come true. There is a custom to go out into the field at midnight on Christmas Day and look into the sky: the heavenly heights of unimaginable beauty open to the eyes of people living a righteous life.
On Christmas Eve, in many houses, hearths and fireplaces are lit, and a wooden block, previously coated with honey and sprinkled with grains, is placed on the fire. They try to keep the fire in the hearth all Christmastide until the old New Year.
On Christmas Eve (January 6) - the eve of the great holiday of Christmas - they fast all day and prepare festive clothes. It was also believed that you should not celebrate Christmas in black.
Even on Christmas Eve you need to go outside and look at the sky. If you are lucky enough to see a shooting star this holiday evening, make a wish. People believe that such a wish will definitely come true.
Merry Christmas to you!