Christians around the world every year look forward to the brightest holiday - Christmas. In every corner of the globe, where they bow before the name of Christ, this truly great day is celebrated. Not only children, but also adults look forward to it. Pre-holiday chores are for everyone. This day brings a new ray of light, love and hope into the life of every person. But do not forget that, first of all, this is a divine holiday, on which we honor the name of the Son of God, who died in the name of the salvation of all mankind. Without awareness of this thought, the meaning of the holiday is lost. While celebrating this day, everyone needs to pray that His spirit will be reborn in our soul, that in our heart there will be a manger that will be able to receive Him, as well as precious gifts that are ready to belong to Him. This holiday personifies universal love and the birth of faith insoul of every Christian.
Christmas: the history of the holiday (Bethlehem cave)
This bright holiday plays an important role not only in the life of Orthodox Christians and Catholics, but also for the church itself. According to St. John Chrysostom II, the Nativity of Christ, which falls on December 25 according to the Julian calendar, or January 7 according to the Gregorian calendar, is the beginning of all major church holidays. He said that the Epiphany, and Easter, and the Ascension of the Lord, as well as Pentecost have their beginning in this holiday.
From ancient legends, we know that the prophets of the Old Testament knew about the appearance of the Son of the Lord on earth. And this miracle was expected for several centuries. This is how Christmas was foretold. The history of the holiday goes back to the fourth century BC. So how did it all start? The appearance of the Son of the Lord happened on a cold winter night. Mary and Joseph were on their way from Palestine to Jerusalem. According to ancient sources, the Romans had to be recorded according to their place of residence, and the Jews - according to their place of birth. Mary and David, descendants of King David, were born in Bethlehem, southwest of Jerusalem. When Mary went into labor pains, they were near a cave in which a cattle stall had been set up. Joseph went to look for the midwife. But when he returned, he saw that the baby had already appeared, and the cave was filled with light of extraordinary power, which they could not bear. And only after a while the light went out. Maria gave birthThe God-man in terrible conditions, among mangers and straw.
Adoration of the shepherds and gifts of the Magi
The first to hear the news of the birth of Jesus Christ were the shepherds who were on duty at night with their flock. An angel appeared to them and brought the good news about the birth of the Son of God. The magi, however, were announced about this joyful event by a bright star that had risen over Bethlehem. The Starspeakers (Magi) went to look for the place where the baby was born, and by the light of the stars they came to the cave. They approached the baby and knelt before the Savior of mankind. They brought gifts: twenty-eight golden plates, frankincense and myrrh (incense was rolled into small balls, the size of an olive, and strung on a thread - there were seventy-one balls in total). They presented gold as to a king, incense as to God, and myrrh as to a man who is about to taste death. The Jews buried their dead with myrrh to keep the body incorrupt.
Baby killings
King of Judea Herod with great fear expected the birth of a miracle baby, because he thought that he would claim his throne. He ordered the magi to return to Jerusalem and betray the place where Mary and the child were. But the Magi, who received revelations in a dream that said not to return to the despotic ruler, did just that. The story of the Nativity of Christ testifies that the king ordered his soldiers to surround Bethlehem and kill all the babies. Warriors broke into houses, took newborn babies from their mothers and killed them. On that day, according to legend, more thanfourteen thousand babies. But they never found the Son of God. Mary and Joseph had a vision telling them that they must immediately leave Bethlehem and go to Egypt, which they did that same night.
Date and time of the birth of Jesus Christ
The date of the birth of the Son of the Lord has long been a controversial point in history. An attempt to establish this moment by the dates of the events that accompanied the birth of Jesus did not lead theologians to any specific figure. The first mention of the date of December 25 is found in the annals of Sextus Julius Africanus, dated 221. Why is the date of the Nativity of Christ determined by this number? The time and date of Christ's death is known for certain from the Gospel, and he must have been on earth for the full number of years. From this it could be concluded that Jesus Christ was conceived on March 25th. Having counted nine months from this day, they concluded that the date of the Nativity of Christ is December 25.
Establishing a celebration
Since the first Christians were Jews, they did not celebrate Christmas. Because this day, according to their worldview, is “the day of the beginning of sorrow and suffering.” For them, Easter was more important. But after the Greeks entered the Christian communities, on the basis of their customs, they began to celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ. At first, the ancient Christian holiday of Theophany combined two dates: the birth and baptism of Jesus, but later they began to be celebrated separately each. Since the beginning of the seventh century, they began to celebrate Christmas separatelyChrist. The history of the holiday has reached a new level.
The day we celebrate Christmas (traditions)
When is Christmas celebrated in Russia? Despite the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar, the feast of the Nativity of Christ is celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar - January 7th. This date is one of the twelfth holidays. How is Christmas celebrated? The traditions of celebrating this bright day are rooted in the distant past. Well, firstly, the holiday is preceded by a forty-day fast. Christmas Eve is called Christmas Eve. The name of this holiday was due to the main dish - Sochi, which believers eat on this day. Sochivo is soaked dry wheat. We know this dish as kutya. On Christmas Eve, fasting is especially strict, and evening worship is also ruled on this day. On Christmas Day in Russia and other Orthodox countries, godchildren bring their godfathers the so-called "supper", which consists of a sochi. After the first star rises in the sky, you can sit down at the table, on which there must be twelve Lenten dishes, according to the number of the apostles. Dishes must be lean, because on the eve of the holiday you can’t eat animal food yet. Before the festive dinner, all those present at the table read a prayer praising God Jesus Christ. On the eve of Christmas, people decorate their houses with fir branches. It is the branches of the spruce that signify eternal life. Also, a spruce tree is brought into the house and decorated with bright toys, which symbolize the fruits on the tree of paradise. On this day, it is customary to give each othergifts.
Folk traditions
It is believed that on the night before Christmas two forces rule on Earth - Good and Evil. And that power, to which a person is more inclined, performs various miracles on him. According to legend, one force called people to the Sabbath to celebrate, and the other - to the festive table. In ancient times, on this day, young people gathered in groups, dressed up in cheerful costumes, built the Star of Bethlehem on a pole and went from house to house with cheerful carol songs, announcing the hosts that Christ was born. They also wished the owners peace in the house, a good harvest and other benefits, the same, in turn, thanked the “carol” and gave various treats. Unfortunately, this tradition has been preserved only in the villages.
Christmas Day
The holidays continue until January 19th. This day is called the Day of the Baptism of the Lord. From January 7 to 19, festive liturgies are held in churches every day. These holidays are called Christmas. These are the only days on which fortune-telling is allowed by the church. The celebrations ended with the Divine Liturgy, at which the Sacrament of Communion was performed.
Who else is celebrating this day on January 7th with us?
Where else is Christmas celebrated on January 7th? The history of the holiday goes back many centuries. And besides the Orthodox Russian Church, the Ukrainian, Jerusalem, Serbian, Georgian and Belarusian Churches celebrate Christmas on January 7th. As well as Catholic churches of the Eastern rite, Athos monasteries. The remaining eleven churchesOrthodox rite, as well as the Catholic Church, celebrate this day on December 25.
Gifts of the Magi
According to legend, shortly before her Assumption, the Mother of God gave the blessed gifts to the Jerusalem Church. There they were passed down from generation to generation. Then they came to Byzantium. In the year 400, the Byzantine king Arcadius moved them to the new capital - Constantinople, in order to consecrate the city. And before the conquest of the city, sacred gifts were kept in the treasuries of the emperors. In 1433, after the capture of the city, the Turkish Sultan Mohammed II allowed his wife Maro (Mary), a Christian by religion, to take the treasures, which she sent to Athos, to the monastery of Paul after the fall of Byzantium. The gifts of the Magi are still kept in the Athos monastery, sometimes they are taken out of the monastery. Gold ingots illuminate the water and cast out demons.
How Catholics celebrate Christmas: the history of the holiday (briefly)
The traditions of celebrating this bright holiday among Catholics are very similar to ours. On Christmas Eve, people decorate their houses with spruce branches and build small dens. On Christmas Eve, fasting is strictly observed and only juicy is eaten. Lenten dishes and fish are prepared on the festive table, as well as a baked goose or duck, but they are treated to them only for the second meal - December 25th. On the eve of Christmas, all Catholics go to church, even those who do it extremely rarely. Before starting a solemn meal, all family members pray, and then break unleavened bread (wafer) piece by piece. For the festivethere is always one empty seat at the table. Anyone who comes to the house this evening will be a welcome guest.
Holiday for kids
Children should also be involved in the celebration of this event. Bible stories are interesting for both preschoolers and older children. Tell them about what a wonderful and bright holiday it is - Christmas. Pictures will complement the story, because children are most interested in looking at pure images of the baby and the Mother of God. Show them how to properly celebrate and prepare meals for the evening: let the children be your helpers. At school or kindergarten, play a nativity scene, learn songs. The main thing is to plant this seed of tradition, which will help the child form values, including family ones, because Christmas is a family holiday. And let the brightest miracles happen on this day, because it is on this day that we especially acutely feel and experience a meeting with Christ.
