How is Christmas celebrated in Russia? What was cooked and how they celebrated Christmas in Russia. Modern traditions of celebration

Christmas Christ's is one of the great holidays of Christianity and belongs to the Twelve.

The Christmas service charter was finally formed in the 4th century. So, for example, if the eve of a holiday falls on a Sunday, the first rule of Theophylact of Alexandria is used to celebrate this holiday. On the eve of the holiday, instead of the usual hours, the so-called Royal Hours are read, various Old Testament prophecies and events related to the Nativity of Christ are recalled.

In the afternoon, the liturgy of Basil the Great takes place, in the case when the eve does not take place on Saturday or Sunday, when the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is served, at the usual time. The All-Night Vigil begins with the Great Vespers, at which spiritual joy over the Nativity of Christ sounds with a prophetic song "As God is with us".

In the 5th century, Anatoly, Patriarch of Constantinople, and in the 7th century, Soffoniy and Andrew of Jerusalem, in the 8th century, John of Damascus, Kosmas, Bishop of Mayum, as well as Herman, Patriarch of Constantinople, wrote church hymns for the feast of the Nativity of Christ, which are used by the current church. Also at the service, the kontakion "Today the Virgin..." written by Reverend Roman the Melodist is performed.

To adequately prepare for the holiday Christmas, The Church has set a preparation time - Christmas post, which lasts from November 28 to January 6 and involves not only abstinence in food. In Lent, Christians try to spend their time piously, moving away from idleness and devoting Special attention prayer and work.

In Russia, the celebration of the birth of Christ began in the 10th century. Christmas Eve - Christmas Eve. On this day, the Liturgy is combined with Vespers, which marks the beginning of the next day, because the church day begins in the evening. Consequently, after the solemn Liturgy (January 6) and Vespers connected with it, the time of the first day of Christmas comes, but fasting has not yet been canceled. At the meal, a special pre-Christmas meal is offered - “sochivo”. This is what gave the name to Christmas Eve - Christmas Eve. "Sochiv" was called in Russia grains of cereals boiled with honey: wheat, barley or rice. In addition, a fruit broth (compote) was prepared.

For the Christmas festive table, Russian housewives prepared traditional dishes: roast pig with horseradish, baked chicken, jellies and sausages, honey gingerbread. They broke the fast from Lent on January 7, after the solemn Christmas service in the church. Then came the holy evenings - Christmas time, which lasted from January 7 to 19.

At Christmas time, people went from house to house with hymns. In the villages, Christmas time was celebrated by the whole world, moving from hut to hut, but in the cities, Christmas festivities were famous for their scope. Ordinary people had fun in the squares, where booths, carousels, markets, and tea houses were set up. The merchants rode in troikas.

A good tradition at Christmas and Easter was also visiting the sick, generous alms to the prisoners from their table. Christians shared their Christmas joy with the poor and needy, remembering that Christ came to earth not in royal palaces, but in simple mangers. And the poor shepherds greeted Him first.

Based on the materials of the newspaper "Pokrovsky Vestnik"

How was Christmas celebrated in Russia?

Our ancestors received the Christmas service in the 10th century almost ready-made from Constantinople. From about the end of the 12th century, the holiday began to be preceded by a forty-day fast, which is sometimes also called "Philip's Fast", because it begins on November 28 - immediately after the celebration of the memory of the Apostle Philip.

It was the custom of ancient Christians to strictly fast on the eve of great holidays in order to feel the greatness of the holiday, before which even the most natural human needs for food must recede. Such a strict one-day fast is preserved to this day on the eve of the holidays of Christmas and Epiphany and is called the Eve or Christmas Eve from the custom of eating juicy boiled wheat with honey in the evening of that day (after the first star).

Why exactly after the first star? There is no mystical meaning to be found here. It’s just that the first star appears in the sky with the onset of darkness, that is, Christians spend the whole day in strict fasting, and you can only taste juicy in the evening. But of course, on the eve of Christmas, I want even the smallest church establishments to remind us of the upcoming celebration. That's why they talk about the star.

From Christmas to Epiphany, special days of spiritual celebration follow, which in Russia are called Christmastide. The pagan Slavs also had a sunny holiday at this time. It began at the end of December and lasted until the first days of January. These were the days of the “salt turn”, when “the sun turns to summer, and winter to frost. The sun dresses up in a sundress, kokoshnik, gets into a cart and goes to warm countries”, - so our distant ancestors said. Winter is becoming fierce, but its end is already visible, so you need to have fun. Winter came "karachun" - this is the day of the solstice, that is, the shortest day. On the other hand, "Karachun" among the Slavs is an evil spirit that kills life.

Apparently, the ancient pagan Slavs reasoned like this: the sun had just been born, which means it is weak and winter can “set him a karachun”. Therefore, the sun appears to people not in its usual form, but in a mask, dressed up. This is where masquerades begin. You can have fun with all your heart, but put on a mask so that the evil spirit does not recognize you and harm you. In addition, these days among the pagans were associated with many rituals, games, signs, fortune-telling, basically having one desire - to start a new life with the blessing of the gods, full of joy, happiness and contentment. Of course, young people had an advantage here - they have a future ahead of them. Therefore, young people were given the first place at Christmas time. The older generation could only be a "moral support group".

The common name for this fun is caroling. Nikolai Karamzin believed that Kolyada among the Slavs was the god of feasts and peace. Dahl's dictionary says that this word comes from the Latin calendae (January 1 - 6). Some researchers believe that the carol comes from the Sanskrit "Kala" - to convene.

In the tenth century Russia was baptized.

How to deal with pagan holidays? In Western Europe, in this sense, it was simpler: the Church turned to state power, and that force suppressed the remnants of paganism. In Russia it was different. The church itself fought against paganism and by no means by force. In what way? She tried to fill the old form with new content.

Speaking about the difference between the worldview of the East and the West, Vasily Rozanov very accurately noted that in the West the means of salvation used by the Church in relation to people who, in her opinion, are mistaken, are causal in nature, driving away from error. In the East, however, it is an expedient character, attracting to the truth. That is why the Church has never put pressure on the consciousness of people with external force and has not canceled Christmas time. But on the basis of the old, new traditions appeared. For example, carols have become a rite of passage from house to house on holy days of the so-called “glorifiers or “christoslavs” with a nativity scene and a star. They sang songs dedicated to the Nativity of Christ.

Kolyada came
On the eve of Christmas.
We walked
we searched
Holy carol…
Found Kolyada
At Petrov's yard...

This was followed by the glorification of "Peter's Dvor", to which the glorifiers came. For this they received a generous treat from Peter. Of course, on the one hand, there is a very thin line between Christian and pagan carols, which you can imperceptibly cross and begin to glorify not Christ at all, but a different spiritual reality ... And the Russian Church paid attention to this. For example, there are corresponding warnings in the decisions of the Stoglavy Cathedral of 1551 and in a special letter of tsar Alexei Mikhailovich of 1649: “it was known to have committed”, as throughout Moscow “at Compline of the Nativity of Christ, many people call Kolyada and Usen, and the demonic players are buffoons with domras and with duds, with bears go; the women bake every kind of animal, animal and bird ... Then they make dancing and singing. The king forbids all this, as "very sinful." Stoglav reproaches Christians that “in cities and villages they create Hellenic (that is, pagan. - R.M.) demons, games, dancing against the feast of the Nativity of Christ and in the night, glorifying Kolyada ... ".

But on the other hand, if people do not cross this line, if they rejoice at the birth of Christ and glorify Him, how can the Church forbid this? On the contrary, following the words of the Apostle Paul, “always rejoice,” she will rejoice on holy days with those who have found Christ. Another thing is that there are different levels of joy and its expression. And the deeper the joy, the quieter it is, the more a person cares about not losing it.

As for divination, the Church has repeatedly spoken out against this pagan tradition, although there is a strong opinion that the Church blesses divination at Christmas time. Of course, on New Year's days, a person wants to look into his future, I want to know "what the coming day has in store for us." But it is no coincidence that Christians express their religious worldview not with the word "knowledge", but with the word "faith". It assumes that a person is always free in his spiritual life. And fortune-telling violates freedom, because people try to take the spiritual world by the collar and shake out the necessary information from it, to make it a subject of knowledge, not faith. A person becomes addicted to what he sees in the starry sky or in the coffee grounds. And there is no longer room for a free decision. But God is only where there is freedom. This was expressed in the fact that He was not born in the Roman imperial palace, not in the chambers of King Herod, and not even in the house of the Jewish High Priest. He was born in a cave where animals are hidden in bad weather. His Christmas was not accompanied by thunder and lightning. God has given the human heart freedom to believe.

Fact number 1. With the time of the celebration of the New Year in Russia for many centuries there was complete discord. In ancient times, there was complete confusion and vacillation with the date of the celebration of the main winter holiday. The ancient Slavic farmers considered the first day of the new year to be March 1, when work began in the fields after winter. According to other sources, it was March 22 - the day of the vernal equinox. And the pagan ancestors, who considered their deity the evil frosty sorcerer Treskun (Karachun), with whom they managed to “make friends” only thanks to cunning, noted New Year on the shortest day of the year and one of the coldest days of winter - on the "winter solstice". In 988, after the introduction of Christianity in Russia by Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich, the Byzantine calendar was also adopted. The celebration of the New Year was moved to September 1 - the time when the harvest was already harvested, all agricultural work was completed - and a new life cycle could begin. Since then, in Russia, two holidays have existed in parallel: in the old way - in spring and in a new way - in autumn. Disagreements continued until the 15th century, when by decree of Tsar Ivan III, the official date for celebrating the New Year in Russia became September 1 for both the church and worldly people. Fact No. 2. The date of the main winter holiday in Russia was introduced by Emperor Peter I. Only in 1699, Peter I, by his decree, ordered the countdown of the New Year from December 31 to January 1, 1700. The young tsar introduced European customs, so that on a festive night, at his command, the houses were decorated with pine, spruce and juniper branches according to the samples exhibited in the Gostiny Dvor - the way it was done in Holland from ancient times. Peter I believed that the 1700th was the beginning of a new century. Historical documents record that on the first "Petrine" New Year's Eve, a grandiose fireworks display, cannon and rifle salutes were arranged on Red Square, Muscovites were ordered to fire muskets and launch rockets near their homes. The boyars and servicemen were dressed in Hungarian caftans, and the women in elegant foreign dresses. Noted new holiday, as they say, according to the "full program". Stormy celebrations continued until January 6 and ended with a procession to the Jordan. Contrary to custom, the Russian emperor did not follow the clergy in rich attire, but stood on the banks of the Moscow River in uniform, surrounded by the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments, dressed in green caftans and camisoles with gold buttons and braid. Fact No. 3. Frosty January days were a bright and expected holiday for Russian people From time immemorial, Christmas was considered a holiday of mercy and kindness, calling for taking care of the weak and needy. In our country, this holiday originates from the Baptism of Russia by Prince Vladimir in 988. IN holidays, which began on January 7 according to the Gregorian calendar, charity auctions and balls were organized in Russian cities, festive tables were organized with "sovereign" pies, pretzels and decanters with "bitter" for the poor, gifts were given to the sick and orphans. And on frosty winter days from Christmas to Epiphany (January 19), called Christmas time, a festive meal alternated with wild fun. They arranged sleigh and ice-boat rides from the mountains, snowball fights, fistfights, carols. The name of this ancient Russian fun comes from the name of the pagan god of feasts and the world of Kolyada. In ancient Russia, both young people and old people loved to carol. In the evenings, dressed in animal skins or funny outfits, the crowd went home for treats and money. If stingy owners tried to get rid of obsessive visitors with a couple of bagels or sweets, then sharp tongues poured out unkind wishes - “devils in the yard, and worms in the garden” or to harvest wheat “completely with empty spikelets”. And in order for the guests to take away their terrible words, they had to be generously presented. Fact number 4. On holidays, they also loved to tell fortunes - Christmas fortune-telling was considered the most truthful. A special place these days was occupied by Christmas fortune-telling. As now, the girls dreamed of getting an enviable groom. “I want a betrothed - a handsome man and a dandy, long curls, high morocco boots, a red shirt, a golden sash,” they read an old plot. On the days of Christmastide, the girls used to tell fortunes by spreading wheat grains on the floor by the stove. A black rooster was brought into the house. It was believed that if the cockerel pecked all the grains, then the groom would probably appear soon. And if the "prophetic" bird refuses to treat, then you should not wait for the betrothed in the New Year. Wax fortune-telling was especially popular - melted wax was poured into a basin of water, and then the resulting figures were examined: a heart - for "amorous affairs", a pitchfork - for a quarrel, a medallion - for wealth, and a bagel - for lack of money. Fact No. 5. At the beginning of the 20th century, New Year, Christmas and Santa Claus were banned in Russia At the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian Empire was going through very difficult times. In 1914, during the First World War, the government of Tsarist Russia banned all New Year celebrations - Christmas trees, New Year, Christmas and even Santa Claus. It was believed that these holiday traditions adopted from the Germans, who at that time were enemies. After the Bolsheviks came to power at the end of October 1917, winter holidays were either returned or banned, and in 1929 January 1 was made a working day. However, in 1935 New Year, Christmas, Christmas trees and Santa Claus were rehabilitated in the Soviet Union. The New Year was recognized as a secular holiday, and Christmas was left to the church, separated from the state. Christmas received the status of a day off only in 1991, after the collapse of the USSR. But the Old New Year in Russia was first celebrated on January 14, 1919. In 1918, by decision of the Council of People's Commissars, the "Decree on the introduction of Russian Republic Western European calendar. This was due to the fact that European countries have long lived according to the Gregorian calendar, named after Pope Gregory XIII, and Russia - according to the Julian (on behalf of Julius Caesar). Since then, the Russian people have established a custom to celebrate the Old New Year on the night of January 13-14, and thereby celebrate their beloved winter holiday again.

Christmas Eve - Christmas Eve - was celebrated modestly both in the palaces of Russian emperors and in the huts of peasants. But the next day, fun and revelry began - Christmas time. Many mistakenly classify all sorts of fortune-telling and mummers as traditions of celebrating Christmas. Indeed, there were those who guessed, dressed up as bears, pigs and various evil spirits, frightened children and girls. For greater persuasiveness, they made from various materials scary masks. But these traditions are pagan relics.

. The Church has always opposed such phenomena, which have nothing to do with Christianity.

Glorification can be attributed to the true Christmas traditions. On the feast of the Nativity of Christ, when the gospel was heard for the liturgy, the patriarch himself, with the whole spiritual synclite, came to glorify Christ and congratulate the sovereign in his chambers; from there everyone went with the cross and holy water to the queen and other members of the royal family. As for the origin of the rite of glorification, it can be assumed that it belongs to the deepest Christian antiquity; its beginning can be seen in those congratulations that at one time were brought to Emperor Constantine the Great by his singers, while singing a kontakion to the birth of Christ: "The Virgin Gives Birth to the Most Substantial Today." The tradition of glorification was very widespread among the people. Youth, children went from house to house or stopped under the windows and praised the born Christ, and also wished good and prosperity to the owners in songs and jokes. The hosts gave refreshments to the participants of such concerts - congratulations, competing in generosity and hospitality. It was considered bad form to refuse treats to the praisers, and the artists even took large bags with them - sacks to collect sweet trophies.

In the 16th century, the nativity scene became an integral part of worship. So in the old days the puppet theater was called, showing the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. The law of the nativity scene forbade showing the dolls of the Virgin and the Divine Infant, they were always replaced with an icon. But the Magi, shepherds and other characters worshiping the newborn Jesus could be portrayed both with the help of puppets and with the help of actors.

The meeting of the celebration of Christmas is preceded by Christmas Eve - the last day before the twelfth holiday. Those who fasted on this day were supposed to eat sochivo - barley or wheat grains cooked with the addition of honey. From the morning of Christmas Eve, believers began to prepare for the holiday: they washed the floors, cleaned the house, after which they themselves went to the bathhouse. With the onset of the evening meal, the strict Philippine fast also ended.

All the relatives gathered at the table were waiting for the first star to appear in the sky - this tradition was inspired by the story of Christmas with the Star of Bethlehem, which announced the birth of the Messiah to the world.

It is very interesting how Christmas was celebrated in the old days. On Christmas Eve, the housewives began to prepare ritual dishes, of which there should be exactly 12 on the table - so that all the apostles would have enough. To commemorate the dead, kutya was prepared - wheat porridge seasoned with linseed oil and honey. A plate with kutya was placed under the icons, putting it under the first hay - this was supposed to resemble the first cradle of Jesus. They also made a vzvar (uzvar) - a compote of dried fruits and berries, which was dedicated to the birth of a baby. The Christmas table should be varied and hearty, so they certainly baked pies, pancakes and pies. With the end of a long fast, meat dishes returned to the table: sausages, hams, ham. Roasted pig or goose was welcome.

Straw was laid under the tablecloth on the table. At first, a candle and a plate with kutya were placed on it, then a straw was pulled out from under the tablecloth, on which they were guessing - if you get a long one, then the bread harvest will be good, but otherwise, wait for a crop failure. Already on Christmas Eve it was impossible to work (except for household cleaning).

Describing how Christmas was celebrated in Russia, one cannot fail to mention one of the brightest and most interesting traditions- caroling. Initially, this tradition was pagan, one of the types of sun worship. But over the following centuries, Christianity erased almost all pagan traditions from the people's memory or built them into the system of its own rituals. In the villages, dressed in sheepskin coats turned inside out and with painted faces, the youth began to go from house to house, near which they joyfully proclaimed that the Savior was born, played out simple performances, sang Christmas songs, wished the owners well-being and health, and after that the owners gave the carolers some sweets , sausage, loaf or even money. It was believed that after sunset in the Christmas week, evil spirits crawl out into the light of day and begin to do all sorts of dirty tricks to people. And the mummers wandering between the houses were supposed to show this evil spirits that the path here was ordered.

On the eve of Christmas, the godchildren wore kutya to their godparents, sang Christmas songs to them, for which they were also awarded gifts. This was common, as they celebrated Christmas in the north of Russia, as well as in Belarus and Little Russia.

Shrovetide in Russia. From the history of Maslenitsa in Russia

Shrovetide (until the 16th century - pagan Komoyeditsa, according to the old pre-revolutionary spelling they wrote "Maslyanitsa") - one of ancient holidays religions of the druids (magi).

History of Maslenitsa

First, Komoyeditsa is a great ancient Slavic pagan 2-week holiday of the solemn meeting of Spring and the beginning of the Old Slavic New Year on the Day of the vernal equinox. This day marked the transition to spring agricultural work. The celebration of Komoyeditsa began a week before the Spring Equinox and lasted a week after.

In 988, the Varangian conquerors (Rurik Prince Vladimir), in order to strengthen their then greatly shaken power over the heavily oppressed conquered tribes, fire, sword and great blood forced the Slavs subject to them to abandon their primordial gods, symbolizing the ancient Slavic ancestors, and accept faith in the God of a foreign people.

The Slavic population that survived after the mass bloody skirmishes and protests was baptized in the most cruel way (everyone, including small children, was driven by Varangian squads with spears into the rivers for baptism, and the rivers, as the chronicler reports, “reddened with blood”). Images of Slavic gods were burned, temples and sanctuaries (temples) were destroyed. In the baptism of the Slavs there was not even a hint of reverent Christian holiness - just another brutal act of the Vikings (Varangians), who were particularly cruel.

During baptism, many Slavs were killed, and some fled to the North, to lands not subject to the Vikings. As a result of the genocide carried out during the Christianization, the Slavic population of Russia decreased from approximately 12 million to 3 million people (this horrific population decline is clearly evidenced by the data of the All-Russian population censuses of 980 and 999). Later, those who fled to the North were also baptized, but they never had slavery (“serfdom”).

The enslaved Slavs forever lost their roots and spiritual connection with their ancient ancestors. After the adoption of Christianity in Russia, the Magi fought for the independence of the Slavs and became participants in many uprisings against the enslaving Varangians (Vikings), supported the forces opposed to the Kiev prince.

The last "real" magi are mentioned in the XIII-XIV centuries. in Novgorod and Pskov. By this time, paganism in Russia was practically eliminated. Together with the Magi, their ancient runic writing and their knowledge disappeared. Almost all runic records, including historical chronicles, were destroyed by Christians. The original written history of the Slavs until the 8th century became unknown. Archaeologists occasionally find only scattered fragments of inscriptions on the stones of destroyed pagan temples and on shards of pottery. Later, under the name "Magi" in Russia, only various kinds of folk healers, heretics and newly-minted warlocks were understood.

After the adoption of Christianity in Russia, the ancient pagan Slavic holiday Komoyeditsa - the great feast of the sacred Spring, coming on the Day of the vernal equinox (March 20 or 21) - fell on the time of the Orthodox Great Lent, when all kinds of fun festivities and games were forbidden by the Church, and even punished. After a long struggle of churchmen with the pagan Slavic holiday, it was included in Orthodox holidays called "cheese (meat-fat) week", preceding the 7 weeks of Lent.

Thus, the holiday moved closer to the beginning of the year and lost its connection with the astronomical event - the Day of the vernal equinox, the day of the arrival of the pagan sacred Spring.

This broke his sacred connection with the previously traditional among the Slavs religion of the Magi (close to the Druids), in which it is the days of the winter (the longest night of the year) and summer (the longest day of the year) solstice and spring (the day lengthens and becomes equal to the night) and autumnal (the day shortens and becomes equal to the night) equinoxes were the greatest and most sacred holidays.

Among the people, the holiday transformed into a church way was called Maslenitsa and continued to be celebrated on the same pagan scale, but on other dates tied to the day Orthodox Easter(the beginning of Maslenitsa 8 weeks before Easter, then there is a 7-week Great Lent before Easter).

IN early XVIII For centuries, a lover of feasts and holidays, Peter I, who was well acquainted with the cheerful European Shrovetide customs, introduced in Russia the obligatory general celebration of the folk Maslenitsa in the traditional European manner with his royal regulations. Maslenitsa has turned into a secular holiday, accompanied by endless fun games, slides, competitions with prizes. Actually, from the time of Peter the Great, our current folk Maslenitsa appeared with merry carnival processions of mummers organized by the authorities, entertainment, booths, endless jokes and festivities.

Christmas is one of the great holidays of Christianity and belongs to the Twelve.

In order to adequately prepare for the feast of the Nativity of Christ, the Church has set a time for preparation - the Nativity Fast, which lasts from November 28 to January 6 and involves not only abstinence from food. In fasting, Christians try to spend their time piously, moving away from idleness and paying special attention to prayer and work.

In Russia, the celebration of the birth of Christ began in the 10th century. Christmas Eve - Christmas Eve. On this day, the Liturgy is combined with Vespers, which marks the beginning of the next day, because the church day begins in the evening. Consequently, after the solemn Liturgy (January 6) and Vespers connected with it, the time of the first day of Christmas comes, but fasting has not yet been canceled. At the meal, a special pre-Christmas meal is offered - “sochivo”. This is what gave the name to Christmas Eve - Christmas Eve. "Sochiv" was called in Russia grains of cereals boiled with honey: wheat, barley or rice. In addition, a fruit broth (compote) was prepared.

When is Christmas in Orthodoxy?

Russian, Jerusalem, Serbian, Georgian Orthodox Churches and Athos, Polish, as well as Eastern Catholic Churches celebrate December 25 according to the Julian calendar (the so-called "old style"), which corresponds to January 7 of the modern Gregorian calendar.

Holy Trinity Day is one of the most important holidays for every Orthodox believer. It is filled with deep sacred meaning: the events of the gospel history, remembered on this day, played an important role in the development of the Christian religion.

The Trinity is a moving holiday: it is celebrated annually on the fiftieth day after the Bright Resurrection of Christ, which is why this event is also called Pentecost. At this time, the prophecy of Christ, which he gave to his disciples before the Ascension to heaven, was fulfilled.

The history and meaning of the feast of the Holy Trinity

According to the New Testament, before the ascension to Heaven, Christ repeatedly appeared to the apostles, instructing them in order to prepare them for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them. This happened ten days after the Ascension. The apostles, who were in the room where they had their last meal with the Savior - the Last Supper - suddenly heard an inexplicable noise from heaven, like the noise of the wind. The sound filled the whole room, and after that fire was revealed to them: it split into separate flames, and each of the apostles perceived it. From that moment on, the disciples of the Savior had the opportunity to speak all the languages of the world in order to bring the light of Christian teaching to all peoples. For this reason, the day of the Holy Trinity is also revered as the day of the founding of the church.

In honor of the descent of the Holy Spirit, the holiday got its name: this event marked the trinity of God. The three hypostases of the Holy Trinity - God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit - exist in unity, creating the world and sanctifying it with Divine grace.

The holiday was established at the end of the fourth century after the adoption of the dogma of the Divine Trinity. In Russia, the celebration was approved three centuries after the Epiphany. Over time, Holy Trinity Day has become one of the most beloved and revered holidays among the people: in addition to church institutions, many folk traditions and customs that have become an integral part of this day.

Trinity Celebration

On the day of the Holy Trinity, a solemn festive service is held in the churches, distinguished by extraordinary pomp and beauty. According to the canon, priests serve in green robes: this shade symbolizes the life-giving, creative power of the Holy Trinity. For the same reason, birch branches are considered one of the main symbols of the holiday - they traditionally decorate temples and houses - and freshly cut grass, which is used to line the floor in churches. There was a belief that a bunch of branches used as church decoration could become an excellent amulet and protect the house from adversity, so they were often taken with them and kept throughout the year.

It was believed that the herbs on the day of the Holy Trinity are endowed with special power, so they were engaged in collecting medicinal plants at this time. There was even a custom to drop tears on a bunch of grass, putting a candle in honor of the holiday - so that summer would not bring drought, and the soil would be fertile and delight with its gifts.

On the day of the Holy Trinity, it is customary to pray for the forgiveness of sins, as well as for the salvation of the souls of all the dead - including those who died an unnatural death. Prayers are read during the church service, and the faithful accompany them with prostrations, which are again allowed after the end of the series of Easter services. If it is not possible to visit the temple, you can pray at home in front of the icon: on the day of the Holy Trinity, any sincere words will certainly be heard.

Having correctly met this important holiday for all Christians, you can change your life for the better. May your every day be filled with joy. We wish you well-being and strong faith, and do not forget to press the buttons and

When is Christmas celebrated from 6 to 7?

When is Christmas celebrated? Christmas is one of the main Christian holidays, established in honor of the birth in the flesh (incarnation) of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated on the night of December 24-25 - among Catholics. On the night of January 6-7 - at the Orthodox.

Christmas in Russia, as celebrated. How was Christmas celebrated in Russia?

Christmas is one of the main annual Christian holidays. Traditions and customs to celebrate this great day are passed down from generation to generation and are an integral part of the original culture of each country. Christmas in Russia began to be celebrated in the 10th century. The day and night before Christmas, Christmas Eve, were celebrated modestly and calmly, and the following days were cheerful and provocative in Russian.

On Christmas Eve it was necessary to properly prepare for the holiday. In the early morning, villagers went to fetch water, which on that day became healing: they washed themselves with it and kneaded dough for Christmas bread on it. In the morning the hostess began to kindle the stove. Before Christmas, this was done in a special way. According to the customs of the ancestors, fire was produced by striking a spark, and flint and flint for 12 days before that lay under the images. The hostess was baptized three times and, turning to the rising sun, made a fire, set fire to a rod from it, and only after that melted the stove, in which there were 12 specially selected logs.

On this fire, 12 Lenten dishes were prepared, among which the obligatory ones were uzvar - a drink made from dried fruits and honey, and kutya - porridge made from wheat and barley. Kutia with honey was called "juice", hence the "Christmas Eve" came from. By the way, the ashes from the Christmas fire were used in various magical rites. At first, adults treated domestic animals with kutya and uzvar, while children made sounds reminiscent of their voices so that nothing bad would happen to them in the new year.

At home, it was necessary to build a symbol of the harvest - a kind of altar from a sheaf of rye and peasant tools. Bringing a sheaf into the house, the owner took off his hat and greeted the hostess, as if seeing her for the first time: “God bless you!” And the hostess had to answer: “God help! What are you carrying?" Here the man said: "Gold, so that we live richly all year," he stopped in the middle of the hut, was baptized and wished the family happiness, health and longevity. After that, the sheaf was placed under the icons, tied with an iron chain, and a plowshare and a collar were placed next to it. The hostess took out a clean white tablecloth and covered the whole structure with it.

Our distant relatives did not forget about the rite of strengthening health. The head of the family scattered straw on the floor, threw hay on the table, and made a small sheaf of hay, which he placed under the table. At the top of the stack was placed a shard in which incense was smoked. Iron tools were laid out around him. All those present had to touch them in turn with their bare feet, so that health would be as strong as iron.

And in order to scare evil spirit, the couple went around the house and yard with freshly baked bread, honey and poppy seeds. Poppy seeds were scattered in the barn, and garlic was laid out in all corners.

In the evening, a large fire was lit in the yard, so that the dead relatives in the next world would also be warm. The household stood near the fire in deep silence, remembering the departed and praying for them.

Then a child up to seven years old, whose soul was considered innocent and sinless, put three baked rolls, a pinch of salt on the hay lying on the table, and put a large wax candle. Only after all these rituals could it be served on the table. Everyone was smartly dressed, and now that everything in the house is tidied up and ready for the holiday, it remains only to wait for the first star to appear in the frosty night sky. Soon, when the sonorous voices of children announced the appearance of a star, it was possible to start dinner.

The first to sit at the table was the father, followed by the mother, and the children in order of seniority. The owner, taking a spoonful of kutya, read a prayer for the deceased relatives. It was believed that their souls come to earth on this day and see everything. Therefore, especially for them, they also set plates with refreshments. During dinner, no one except the hostess was allowed to get up, and it was necessary to talk quietly and calmly.

At the end of their song, the carolers, who go to praise Christ, congratulate the hosts on the onset of the holiday, and wish them all the best. The hospitable hosts immediately bring some treats to the singers, in which one person specially walks with a bag. So carolers, accompanied by noisy children, traveled throughout the village.

With the first strike of the morning bell, everyone hurried to the church for a festive service. After matins, the youth arranged dashing skiing and sleigh rides from the mountains, accompanied by cheerful laughter and songs.

Now the festive table abounded with all sorts of goodies: traditionally cooked jelly, suckling pig, fried chicken, pork head with horseradish, sausage and honey gingerbread.

From the second day of the holiday, in the evenings, new entertainments began - processions of mummers. Many people, dressed in clothes turned inside out, wearing masks, sang songs and danced not only in the villages, but also in the city squares.

Even at Christmas they liked to arrange various parties, conversations, went to visit each other, and, of course, they could not do without fortune-telling.

Merry Christmas to you!

Christmas is not only signs and customs that have been preserved since Old Slavonic times, but also symbols, because few people know why it is customary to decorate a Christmas tree and give gifts.

The main attribute of the holiday is, of course, the Christmas tree, however, such a tradition was not born immediately. The Germans were the first to decorate the Christmas tree. According to legend, the burgher reformer Martin Luther once walked along the street on Christmas Eve and admired the starry sky. There were so many stars in the sky that it seemed to Luther as if little lights were stuck in the tops of the trees.

He returned home and decorated a small Christmas tree with candles and apples, and placed the Star of Bethlehem on top. But, in Russia, they began to decorate the Christmas tree in 1699 by decree of Peter I. The tsar also issued a decree on the transition to a new countdown, which began from the date of the birth of Christ.

Christmas is one of the most beloved Christian holidays. This is a holiday of childhood, mysterious, joyful, homely, cozy. In our country, Christmas itself is associated with the New Year, that is, with something new, unknown and beautiful. And this is not accidental, because it was the Baby who was born in Bethlehem who gave people new hope, a new opportunity and a new life.

The advent of the holiday

Initially, in Christian churches, Christmas was not celebrated separately, since it was very difficult to calculate the exact date of the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas was celebrated on the same day as the baptism of the Lord, which is celebrated in churches on January 19, and according to the old style - on January 6.

For the first time, the feast of the Nativity of Christ was separated from Baptism in the Roman Church in the first half of the 4th century, according to legend, under Pope Julius. In one Roman calendar, compiled no later than 354, December 25 is already shown as the "Birthday of Christ in Bethlehem." Why was this day chosen? The pagan Roman cult honored the winter solstice with particular solemnity, but not on the day when it took place (December 8-9), but on those days when it became tangible for everyone, precisely at the end of December. In the Roman calendar of the 4th century, this pagan holiday falls on December 25th. In order to distract Christians from it, in Rome January 6 was moved to this day the remembrance of the Nativity of Christ, the birth of the spiritual eternal Sun.

Recall that in the church tradition, Jesus Christ is called the Sun of Truth, since He brought to earth the light of the true knowledge of God. Naturally, this was done after Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the state religion. This fact does not at all diminish the significance of this holiday, because, as we have already said, the symbol of the birth of the Savior Jesus has always been celebrated by the Church. The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 3:16: “And unquestioningly — a great piety mystery: God appeared in the flesh, justified Himself in the Spirit, showed Himself to the angels, was preached among the nations, accepted by faith in the world, ascended in glory”. God appeared in the flesh! This is the meaning of Christmas!

The example of the Roman Church was followed by the churches of the Christian East. The ancient church did not know exactly not only the day, but also the month of Christ's birth. According to Clement of Alexandria (III century), some believed that this event happened on May 20, others on January 6 or 10. According to the third testimonies of the II-III centuries, the Nativity of Christ is dated for March 25 or 28. But already in the 4th century, the Church came to a unanimous decision on this issue precisely in favor of December 25 on the basis of approximately the following considerations. The month and day of Christ's death is precisely known from the gospels. And in the Church, the belief has long been widespread that Christ had to be on earth for the full number of years as a perfect number. From this it followed that Christ was conceived on the same day on which he suffered, that is, on the Jewish Passover, which in that year fell on March 25th. Counting 9 months from this date, we received the date for the Nativity of Christ - December 25th. This date is already accepted by St. Hippolytus (III century), it is defended by St. Chrysostom and Blessed Augustine.

Early traditions in Russia

In Russia, Christmas began to be celebrated in the 10th century. It has long been a quiet and peaceful holiday. Christmas Eve - Christmas Eve - was celebrated modestly both in the palaces of Russian emperors and in the huts of peasants. But the next day, fun and revelry began - Christmas time. They went from house to house with songs, arranged round dances and dances, dressed up as bears, pigs and various evil spirits, frightened children, girls and guessed. And of course, they paid tribute to the "green serpent". For greater persuasiveness, scary masks were made from various materials. By the way, from the 16th century, the Christmas masks began to be officially called mugs and mugs. In the villages, Christmas time was celebrated by the whole world, moving from hut to hut. But even in the cities, Christmas festivities were famous for their scope. Ordinary people had fun in the squares, where booths, carousels, markets, tea and vodka tents were set up. Richer people stayed up late in restaurants and taverns. The merchants rode in troikas. Noble nobles arranged balls.

If until the 18th century Christmas was predominantly a church and family holiday, then under Peter I it became more secular. The end of December - the beginning of January turned in St. Petersburg into a continuous series of festivities, balls, masquerades. Peter adopted the celebration of Christmas from Europe. The custom of setting up a Christmas tree on New Year's Eve was introduced by the same Peter I, but only from the 1830s did a decorated Christmas tree become an indispensable attribute of both Russian Christmas and the New Year.

Most countries in Europe and the United States celebrate Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar - December 25, and Russia - according to the Julian calendar - January 7. Russian Orthodox Church explains the reluctance to go to a new style the fact that in this case the structure of the church year will be violated.

The return of the gospel meaning

With the arrival of the gospel message in our country and the beginning of the revival, born-again Christians began to rethink the holiday of Christmas. It should be noted the features and the beginning of the evangelical awakening in various regions of the Russian Empire. In the Caucasus and in the Taurida province, the awakening began with a sermon among the Molokans. The Molokans, along with the Orthodox rites, rejected all other biblical holidays, believing that in the first place is the spiritual fulfillment of the commandments, which should be expressed in a pious life. Accordingly, they did not celebrate any holidays. The tradition of celebrating Christmas came to this region after various evangelical streams in Russia merged into one mighty river, which later became a powerful evangelical-Baptist movement.

In southern Ukraine, the evangelical revival was influenced by the German colonists, who organized circles for the study of the Holy Scriptures and were called Stundist, from the German word "stunde" - hour, or time, for the Bible. These circles were founded in connection with the beginning of a great spiritual awakening among the descendants of German settlers. At the end of the 18th century, Catherine II signed a manifesto, according to which Germans could move from Europe to southern Russia to develop desert lands. No one settled on these fertile lands for several centuries due to the fact that they were constantly subjected to raids by Turks and Crimean Tatars, but Catherine liberated the Crimea from Turkish rule, and a stream of settlers from Europe poured into these lands. The Napoleonic wars were raging in Europe at that time, and respectable Christians were very uncomfortable there. The invitation to move to Russia was used by Christian dissidents of that time: Lutherans, Mennonites. Pietistic sentiments roamed among them, based on personal piety. It was from them that the Ukrainian Stundists, who later became Evangelical Baptist Christians, adopted the good tradition of celebrating Christmas in a cozy home environment with the obligatory festive table, a Christmas gift, worship, kneeling prayers on Christmas night. It is from there that the wonderful Christmas carols, so beloved in our brotherhood, will go. It is a good custom to proclaim the Savior Christ to all neighbors and acquaintances on Christmas days, to invite guests to your house and put on the table the best edibles specially preserved until this day. Until now, the Ukrainian brotherhood has preserved the custom: on Christmas night it is obligatory to shelter and warm the needy, the widow, the orphan and show good deeds of mercy.

Christmas before the revolution

Special mention should be made of St. Petersburg. The gospel revival came there a few years later than in the Caucasus and southern Russia. This event is connected with the sermon of Lord Redstock in high-society Petersburg salons. The highest nobility of Russia became listeners of the Gospel. These people, who had wealth, power, education, bowed their knees before Christ and began to live perfectly new life. Their Christianity from the beginning was active and practical. They opened their homes to all walks of life. The count was sitting next to the cab driver, the princess next to the poor student. From the very beginning, service to the destitute and sick, those who were rejected by society, began to develop. Now we call this service social. Petersburg believers showed concern for prisoners, children, widows, single mothers, and students. At Christmas, holidays were organized for children from such segments of the population.

Princess Natalya Feodorovna Lieven, wife of the master of ceremonies at the court of Alexander II, her sister, Princess Vera Feodorovna Gagarina, and their cousin Elizaveta Ivanovna Chertkova, widow of Adjutant General Chertkov, daughter of Count Chernyshov-Krutikov, hero of the war of 1812, began to actively participate in this ministry by providing funds and opening their homes to organize such celebrations. They gathered children, taught them Christmas songs, gave them gifts, showed concern for their existence.

Then many of these children will become active ministers of evangelical churches. With the expulsion from Russia in 1884 of the leaders of the St. Petersburg evangelical awakening V. A. Pashkov and M. Korf, these Christmas holidays will not stop. They will continue to be organized by the St. Petersburg community, whose pastor will be Ivan Veniaminovich Kargel. Ivan Stepanovich Prokhanov will also join this community, who will become one of the leaders of the youth evangelical movement, and later the organizer of the Union of Evangelical Christians. Evangelical Christian youth circles will continue the wonderful tradition of organizing special Christmas parties. During the Christmas holidays, a variety of evangelizations were held. After 1917, the feast of the Nativity firmly entered the life of the local churches. Moreover, all-Russian congresses of Evangelical Christian Baptists met several times on Christmas Day. During Christmas, the Lord's Supper was served at these conventions, and then the delegates went out into the street and invited everyone to solemn Christmas worship meetings, where people could hear the Good News of the birth of Jesus Christ. This happened in addition to the business meetings of congresses.

In 1929, a new religious legislation was adopted in the Soviet Union, according to which the life of the local church was sharply limited. This was due to the fact that the communist government planned to permanently do away with religion in the country and eradicate all faith in God from the hearts. Therefore, the very concept of Christmas was vigorously eradicated, a wide celebration of the New Year was planted. The mention of Christmas could only be found in literature written by Russian classics before 1930. True, there were rare exceptions. The life of the local evangelical churches was limited by a rigid framework of divine services, which were clearly regulated. All kinds of children's, youth, social service were forbidden. Nevertheless, Christians still tried to celebrate Christmas in a special way. Yes, during the war, this was mostly illegal, with the exception of a few open houses of prayer. And after the war, when there were already more prayer houses, a solemn Christmas meeting was held. For example, during the celebration of Christmas in January 1959 in the Leningrad church, the leading brother M. A. Orlov opened the meeting with a short prayer. “Quiet night, marvelous night,” is the general singing of this wonderful Christmas carol! Continuing to paint a picture of this solemn night, the choir performs "Shepherds dozed in the fields." Brother Orlov read about the birth of Christ from the Gospel of Luke 2:1-7 and noted the difference in the census at that time (by place of birth) and now (by place of residence). “The Lord was pleased,” said the brother, “that our Savior was born into the world not in magnificent mansions, but in a poor manger, on straw.” All those present in prayer glorified God for the greatest gift to people - the born Infant Christ, after which a solemn hymn was sung both in chorus and general singing: “Glory to God in the highest ...” Then from the pulpit they uttered a word about the Savior as a sacrifice for salvation people based on the words of Christ recorded in Hebrews 10:5-7: “Sacrifices and offerings You did not want ... here I come ... to do Your will, O God”; about the great significance of the Christmas star, which helped the Magi find the Divine Infant and worship Him. “The Magi brought gifts to Christ,” said brother G. Yakovlev, “but with what heart did we stand before the Lord, what gifts did we bring to Him?” Orlov's brother closing remarks noted the amazing obedience of the shepherds, who, having heeded the words of the angel, immediately went to Bethlehem to worship Christ. How necessary is this complete obedience to God for all believers! In the final prayer, all those present offered their warm gratitude to God for the birth into the world of the Savior of people! With the singing of the joyful song “The Eternal God Has Given Us a Baby,” the meeting ended. This was a typical Christmas meeting at the time, but it couldn't have been more.

At the end of the 1950s, the atheistic machine began to attack the Church again. But the gates of hell once again failed to overcome her, and the Church lived and celebrated Christmas. Believers tried to invite each other to visit, to make each other at least small modest Christmas gifts. Christmas brought special joy to children. Believing parents sought to remember this day as a holiday. Many Baptist Christians recall that at Christmas, parents gave their children some special surprise. Well, in the evening the family gathered around the Word of God. Since there were few copies of the Bible, people tried to come to the house where it was in order to hear the amazing news of the birth of the Baby that night. They read miraculously preserved old Christian magazines published in the country before 1929. Later, when receivers came along, they listened to Western Christian Christmas programs, breaking through the static of the air.

Today we also celebrate Christmas. Let this be a bright holiday, which will be marked by our charity, sacrifice, love for perishing people, as has become a tradition in the Baptist movement.

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