Christmas is one of the important celebrations in the life of a Christian believer. The whole family takes part in it, not excluding children. Curious children are interested in learning the history of this event, and the duty of Orthodox parents is to satisfy this pious intention.

The story of the Christmas holiday for children should be simple and easy, because the traditional biblical story is somewhat difficult for early comprehension.

Birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.

When is Christmas celebrated?

Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7, and the day before, on January 6, they celebrate Christmas Eve. This is special special days in churches - like everywhere else during winter holidays, they decorate Christmas trees and put up nativity scenes telling about the birth of Christ. Some churches have a pious tradition of organizing children's plays and performances dedicated to this holiday.

However, not always and not all Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7th. Catholics celebrate this day earlier, on December 25th. Our church also previously celebrated Christmas before the New Year, but with the transition to a new style, the date was set to January 7 and remained constant.

In fact, no one knows exactly when Christ was born. Scholars who study the Bible calculated this date, and it was established as it is now. But for a believer there is no too big difference, how accurately January 7 corresponds to the biblical date of the birth of Christ - it is on this day that the whole church triumphs, rejoices and rejoices. It is on this day that we are called to share joy with the Church.

About other Great Orthodox holidays:

About the Nativity of Christ for children

Little Jesus' parents were named Mary and Joseph. The Lord entrusted them with a great mission - to give birth and raise the Savior of mankind.

Before the birth, God-fearing parents went to Bethlehem, because the emperor gave a decree to conduct a census, and every resident had to arrive in his hometown (father Joseph was from Bethlehem). The father and mother of Jesus had to spend the night in a cave, since all the hotels in the city were completely full. It was here that Mary gave birth to God's son. The baby was placed in a manger filled with hay for the cattle.

At this time, wise wise men (shepherds) with their flock were passing nearby. They saw a dazzling light and an angel appearing who announced the birth of the Savior of mankind. The heavenly messenger told where the baby was and ordered him to visit him with special gifts.

Christmas was introduced by John Chrysostom in 386 as a church law. The Council of Constantinople, on behalf of Basil the Great, established the day of celebration of the Nativity of Christ - December 25.

The explanation for this choice is based on the tradition of the prophets that Jesus had to live on earth for the full number of years. The date of Christ's death was known to everyone; 9 months were subtracted from it and the time of conception was calculated. On the day of the Annunciation, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and announced that in 9 months she would give birth to a son from the Holy Spirit.

Having counted nine months from this date, the clergy came to an agreement that December 25 is the date of birth of the Savior.

The Orthodox holiday of Christmas is the celebration of a new era in human history. Residents all over the globe try to give special love to each other at this time, imitating the Almighty. For God so loved the world that he gave his Son for eternal life

everyone who believes in Him. (John 3:16-21)

How to celebrate Christmas Since Christmas is a Great Christian holiday, of course, it should be celebrated in church.

The service on this day is especially solemn, majestic, and joyful. Children also do not get bored in the temple - it is customary to give them candy, treats, and sweets. Of course, you need to put your children in a prayerful mood, but there is no need to overdo it. Let the children feel the bright joy of this day, and not the strict control of their parents over their behavior in the temple.

Caroling at Christmas.

When telling children about Christmas, like any other Christian holiday, adults themselves need to be imbued with the joy and light of this day. It is completely pointless to tell children about the holiday when the adults themselves do not believe in a miracle and do not feel the specialness of this day.

Read about other Orthodox traditions:

• The preparation for celebrating Christmas is a rather long Nativity Fast. According to the Charter of our Church, children under 7 years old are not required to fast, but for older ones, some abstinence will only benefit. Of course, a child cannot be deprived of meat and dairy products for a long time, which are so necessary during the period of active growth. But teenagers are quite capable of giving up sweets, watching TV, and restricting their use of the Internet.

In no case should children's fasting be in the form of coercion. Children in adolescence strongly rebel against any pressure, and in matters of faith this is completely unacceptable.

• On Christmas Day itself and Christmas Eve, it is customary to go to church. You can dress up beautifully so that the person’s appearance also expresses triumph. Temples, beautifully decorated with lights, decorated Christmas trees and other Christmas paraphernalia, will not cause boredom even for small children.
• Since Soviet times, the practice of decorating a Christmas tree for the New Year has taken root. However, today many believers leave this joyful activity for Christmas. This is due to the fact that the secular New Year falls on last week Nativity Fast. It is wrong to deprive children of a festively decorated Christmas tree with gifts under it, but in Orthodox families the main emphasis should not be on the New Year, but on Christmas.
• A wonderful Christmas tradition is to celebrate the holiday with family festive table. On Christmas Eve, a Lenten table is set in the evening, and the very next day, after the ceremonial service, the whole family gathers for a hearty and hearty dinner.
• A tradition that came from the pagan past of the Slavs is caroling. Nowadays, this tradition is becoming less popular, but at the beginning of the last century, mummers went to almost every house at Christmas. People dressed up in bright costumes and went from house to house singing Christmas songs and carols. Of course, the children loved such caroling very much.

Miracles for the holiday

There is a belief that on this day the Gates of Heaven open, which fulfill your deepest and kindest desires, and also save you from a materialistic vision of reality.

• One girl began to attend church after a significant dream in which the card read: “Hurry to the Savior!” She regarded it as the highest instruction, changed her own worldview and from now on lives according to Christian canons.
• During caroling, the boy, going down the frozen stairs, slipped and fell with the back of his head on the edge of the step. It is rare to survive such an injury, but he managed to avoid death and serious trauma to the skull. The boy felt the unprecedented love of the Lord when he was able to get up. Soon, miraculously saved from death, he realized that he should thank God and began to go to church.
• The woman had been ill since childhood; doctors said that the chance of carrying a child was approaching zero. On Christmas day, the girl was walking with her friends, and there was extraordinary silence all around. At this time, the woman heard a strong voice saying that she was expecting a child. Two months later she met a good man and soon gave birth.

More about Orthodox miracles:

The bright holiday of Christmas is especially loved by Christian families. Children receive delicious sweets and have the opportunity to dress up interesting costumes. An extraordinary atmosphere reigns in the house, glorifying the appearance of the Savior of mankind, who accepted death for the atonement of all sins.

How to instill a love for Christmas in your children

For children of any age, it is not enough just to tell them what the day is all about. Children experience the world sensually, through emotions and impressions. Therefore the most The best way convey the joy of Christ to a child - find it yourself.

Children celebrating Christmas

If parents or close influential relatives themselves go to church, fast, and engage in their own spiritual life, this cannot but affect the souls of their children. Even if at some point the child moves away from the church and from God (most often this happens in adolescence), the shoots planted in childhood will produce results.

You need to be very careful in cultivating faith in God and churching a child at any age, without breaking or applying excessive pressure.

The Christmas holidays are a great occasion to combine joyful festivities and spiritual education. On ordinary days, children are often bored at religious services, especially if the habit of going there regularly has not been instilled since early childhood. But Christmas services are a wonderful way to show a child that church doesn’t have to be boring.

Children who go to church with their parents from an early age are much less likely to leave as teenagers. But it is very important that the child has his own, personal spiritual need to come to church for Christmas, and not spend this day in another place. If a child refuses to go to church with his parents, you should not force him. IN early age this will still give some result and the child will simply submit to the will of the parents. However, at an older age, such a child is likely to leave the temple.

A wonderful Christmas tradition, loved by both children and adults, is gifts. IN Soviet time everyone is used to giving gifts on New Year, but in religious families this is more often done at Christmas.

Interesting:

In gifts for Christmas, in addition to the desire to please others, symbolism can also be traced: the Magi, having come to worship the newborn Christ, also brought him their gifts.

Since the long fast ends with the celebration of Christmas, this day can be spent not only in worship, but also in worldly joys. Even people who are not very religious love and celebrate Christmas, so on this day it is customary to visit or receive guests at home.

There is nothing wrong with sitting down at the table with your loved ones and celebrating a holiday. Often arranged for children fun competitions with awards and gifts. It is only important not to forget what is celebrated on this day and to celebrate the holiday within reason.

Watch the video about the Nativity of Christ

The holiday of the Nativity of Christ is a major Christian holiday, one of the twelve main Orthodox holidays, which the church celebrates with special celebration.

The holiday was established in honor of the birth on Earth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. God Almighty Himself, the Creator of heaven and earth, became incarnate and became a man in order to save the people of the whole world from destruction.

The bright holiday of the Nativity of Christ plays an important role, as in everyone’s life Orthodox Christian or Catholic, and for the Church itself. According to St. John Chrysostom II, the Nativity of Christ, the celebration of which falls on December 25 according to the Julian calendar or on January 7 according to the Gregorian calendar, is the beginning of all major church holidays. He said that Epiphany, Easter, the Ascension of the Lord, and also Pentecost originate in this holiday.

From ancient retellings, a conscious Christian knows 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 the Nativity of Christ was predicted, and the history of the holiday itself dates back to the fourth century BC.

So how did it all begin?

The appearance of the Son of the Lord happened on a cold winter night. Mary and Joseph were then walking from Palestine to Jerusalem. According to long-standing sources, a population census was taking place at that time. The Romans had to register according to their place of residence, and the Jews - according to their place of birth. Mary and David, descendants of King David, were heading to Bethlehem, which was located southwest of Jerusalem. When Mary began to experience labor pains, they were near a cave in which there was a cattle stall. Joseph went to look for a midwife. But when he returned, he saw that the Baby had already been born, and the cave was filled with light of such power that the eyes could not withstand it. And only after some time the light went out. So Mary gave birth to the God-man - on straw among the manger, but illuminated by God's light.

The Adoration of the Shepherds and the Gifts of the Magi

The first to learn about the birth of Jesus Christ were the shepherds who were on duty near their flock at night. An angel appeared to them and brought good news about the birth of the Son of God. The Magi were notified of the joyful event by a bright star that rose over Bethlehem. They followed the light of this star and came to a cave.
Once in the cave, the Magi approached the Baby and knelt before the future Savior of mankind. They brought Him gifts: twenty-eight gold plates, frankincense and myrrh. The Magi presented gold to Him as a king, incense - as God, and myrrh - as a man who must accept death. The Jews buried their dead with myrrh so that the body would remain incorruptible. Small olive-sized balls were filled with incense and strung on a thread - seventy-one balls in total.

Baby murders

King Herod of Judea awaited the birth of the miraculous Child with great fear, because he thought that He would lay claim to his throne. Therefore, Herod ordered the wise men to return to Jerusalem and inform him of the place where Mary and the Child were. But the wise men did not do this, because they received a revelation in a dream - a warning about the tsar’s treachery and advice not to return to the oppressive ruler. Herod, without waiting for the Magi, gave the order to his soldiers to surround Bethlehem and kill all the babies. Warriors broke into houses, took newborn children from their mothers and killed them. On that day, according to legend, more than fourteen thousand babies died. But they never found the Son of God, because Mary and Joseph had a vision in which God’s angel warned them of danger and ordered them to immediately leave Bethlehem and go to Egypt, which they did that same night.

Date and time of birth of Jesus Christ

The date of birth of the Son of God has long remained a controversial issue for historians and theologians. The attempt to establish this moment according to the dates of the events that accompanied the birth of Jesus did not lead theologians to any specific date. The first mention of December 25 as the date of birth of Jesus Christ is found in the chronicles of Sextus Julius Africanus, dated 221. Why is the date of the Nativity of Christ determined by this particular number? Because the date and time of Christ’s death are precisely known from the Gospel, and He had to be on Earth for the full number of years. From this it could be concluded that Jesus Christ was conceived on March 25th. By adding nine months to this day, we got the date of the Nativity of Christ - December 25

Establishment of celebration

Due to the fact that the first Christians were Jews, they did not celebrate Christmas. Because according to their worldview, this day is “the day of the beginning of sorrow and suffering.” For them, Easter day was more important. But when the Greeks entered Christian communities, they began to celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ based on their customs. At first, on the day of the already existing Christian holiday of Epiphany, both the birth and baptism of Jesus were celebrated. But from the beginning of the seventh century, Christmas began to be celebrated separately and the history of the holiday reached a new level.

According to legend, shortly before his Assumption, Mother of God transferred the blessed gifts of the Magi to the Jerusalem Church, where they were kept for a long time and passed on from generation to generation. Then the gifts of the Magi came to Byzantium. In 400, the Byzantine king Arcadius moved them to the new capital - Constantinople, to consecrate the city. There they were kept in the treasury of the emperors. In 1433, after the capture of the city of Constantinople, the Turkish Sultan Muhammad II allowed his wife Maro (Mary), who was a Christian by religion, to take the treasures. After the fall of Byzantium, she sent the gifts of the Magi to Athos, to the monastery of Paul. They are still kept in the Athos Monastery, only sometimes they are taken out of the monastery - they illuminate the water with gold bars and drive out evil forces.

Holiday traditions

The traditions of celebrating the bright day of the Nativity of Christ are rooted in the distant past. Before it's a holiday forty days fast. On Christmas Eve, fasting is especially harsh. Also on this day there is an evening service. On Christmas Day in Ukraine and other Orthodox countries, godchildren bring the so-called “dinner” to their baptized ones, which consists of kutya. After the first star rises in the sky, you can sit down at the table, where there must be twelve Lenten dishes - according to the number of the apostles. The food must be lean, since on the eve of Christmas it is still forbidden to eat animal food. Before the festive dinner, everyone present at the table reads a prayer that praises our God Jesus Christ.

On the eve of the holidays people decorate their home spruce branches. It is the spruce branches that signify eternal life. They also bring a spruce tree into the house and decorate it with bright toys that symbolize the fruits on the tree of paradise. On this day, it is customary for Christians to give gifts to each other.

In ancient times, on this day, young people dressed up in funny costumes, gathered in groups, built the Star of Bethlehem on a pole and went from house to house singing cheerful carols, notifying their owners that Christ was born. They wished the owners peace in the house, a good harvest and other blessings, and they, in turn, thanked them for the carol and gave them various treats. Unfortunately, this tradition has been preserved only in villages.

Divine essence is holy

Christians all over the world every year look forward to the holiday - Christmas. In every corner of the globe where they bow to the name of Christ, the majestic birthday of the Savior is celebrated.

The Nativity of Christ is the beginning of a new era for humanity on earth. The Almighty Lord, out of His Great mercy towards people, took on human likeness in order to help humanity renew the almost extinct light in the hearts of people, to remind them of the essence of the word of Truth, lost in a sinful life. The Creator, having come to Earth in the form of a man, united heaven and earth, concluding a New Covenant with humanity - the Covenant of Love.

The prophets bequeathed that the King of Peace would come to Earth, who would correct everything that humanity had done on earth. But those who knew about this did not expect that he would be born in a modest, quiet place among livestock, because, as is known from the Gospel, there was no place for the holy family among people in Bethlehem. So today, people do not always have a place in their souls for God - the desire to accept the bright birth of the Savior into their hearts.

Most people expect a majestic, pompous event for God to come into their lives, but He comes quietly, invisibly. And He comes to those people who really want to change their lives, make their hearts soft in submission to the Majestic power, which is the Eternal Love, which holds the Universe in its palms.

May the Lord help all those who thirst to have pure hearts filled with the Holy gifts. So that they can accept the Birth of the Savior into their lives and inform everyone of the good news as the angels announced about the coming of God to earth:

Christ is Born! We praise Him!

Nativity
(celebration traditions)

Christmas is a special holiday. And even people who have never crossed the threshold of a church enthusiastically prepare for its celebration. And for true Christians this is one of the most significant church holidays. According to traditions, the holiday is celebrated on a grand scale. But few people know why Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7th. Since there are other dates of the holiday, Christmas falls on different dates for Catholics and Orthodox Christians.

Story have a wonderful birth The Child of God is well known to every believer.

The Holy Virgin Mary gave birth to him without experiencing pain or fear. The event took place in Bethlehem. This city in the kingdom of Octavia, where a census of the entire population took place in those days, belonged to the family of David.

Therefore, everyone who belonged to this oldest family was forced to appear for the census. The Virgin Mary and her husband the righteous Joseph were no exception.

Despite the pregnancy of the wife, who conceived immaculately, the family arrived in Bethlehem in the evening.

But, unfortunately, there were no places in the hotel for the couple. And they had to seek shelter on a cold night in caves. Many people have already found shelter in the place that was intended for cattle stalls.

But Mary and Joseph did not join them, but found a secluded corner for themselves. It was here that Maria went into labor. The Virgin Mary gave birth to a beautiful baby who was destined to change the destinies of millions of people. To warm the baby, a caring woman put him in a manger with the sheep.

The shepherds were the first to know that the Savior had been born. An Angel who descended to earth informed them about this. The shepherds immediately went to bow to the baby.

But the rising star of Bethlehem informed the eastern sages of the good news.

She showed the way to the wise men to the cave, where they brought gifts of gold and incense for the Savior: incense and myrrh.

Not everyone found the news about the Birth of the Savior joyful. King Herod was predicted that a boy born would bring him death. That's why he decided to find and kill the baby. Since he did not know the exact whereabouts of the boy, the king ordered the killing of all male infants under the age of two.

The Son of God managed to escape, but by order of Herod, 14,000 babies were killed.

They accepted martyrdom, not yet knowing that the sacrifice was made to the future Savior.

The Orthodox holiday of the Nativity of Christ has become for believers a reminder of the miraculous appearance of the Savior, of the beginning of a new era of faith and hope.

Ask your acquaintances and friends when the Orthodox celebrate Christmas, and you will hear the statement that it is January 7, and the answer will, oddly enough, not be entirely correct.

After all, there are Orthodox churches that celebrate Christmas on December 25th. And there are not a few of them, but 10 out of 15 existing today.

In addition, there are Catholic churches that celebrate Christmas together with Orthodox Christians on January 7th. Why was there such confusion with Catholic and Orthodox Christmas Day?

To understand, you have to look into history.

And here, oddly enough, there is no definite answer, since the real date of Christ’s birth has not been established.

Familiar to many, January 6 was long celebrated as Epiphany Day, since this event was considered more important in the life of Christians.

When the question arose about the birth of Christ, it was calculated based on the date of the news of the conception of God, which falls on March 25 according to the old style.

In addition, on December 25, many Western countries celebrated a pagan holiday dedicated to the god Saturn.

It was convenient for the Roman Church to proclaim Christmas on this date. This substitution helped to eradicate pagan holidays, which were more familiar to people at that time.

The Church of Constantinople joined the celebration of Christmas in the century.

That's why long time Orthodox Christmas was celebrated on December 25th. And this state of affairs remained literally until the beginning of the 20th century.

In Russia at this time, a decision was made to switch to the Gregorian calendar, according to which European countries have been living for many years. But the church does not support such a decision.

That's why church calendar of the Russian Church is calculated according to the Julian calendar.

And the dates of the holidays were preserved exactly in accordance with the old style.

According to the Gregorian calendar, the dates of the holidays have shifted by 13 days.

Therefore, it turns out that Christmas according to the Orthodox calendar is still celebrated on December 25, but according to the Julian calendar, which corresponds to January 7 according to the calendar more familiar to ordinary people.

These are parishioners of the Russian, Serbian, Georgian, Belarusian and Jerusalem Churches.

Since 2014, the Polish Orthodox Church has also joined them.

Ukrainian Greek Catholics also celebrate Christmas with them, but against the backdrop of recent events, the question of postponing the date of Christmas celebrations has begun to arise.

The date of the celebration of Orthodox Christmas also coincides with the holiday of some Protestants who adhere to the Julian calendar. Christmas is celebrated on the same day Athonite elders. So give a definite answer, what date Orthodox Christmas, difficult.

Orthodox Nativity: celebration and traditions of Orthodox Christmas

Christmas is an Orthodox holiday, and believers experience their encounter with Christ especially keenly and deeply on this day. This is the moment when the awareness of the roots and traditions of the celebration occurs joyfully and colorfully. The holiday gives warmth and faith, kindles light in people's souls.

Before the birth of Christ, people were far from God and the opportunity to meet the Creator was simply absent.

Therefore, God was forced to overcome the line separating mortal and sinful people from eternal and joyful life, which was manifested by the appearance of God in human form. He sent his son to the people, who was supposed to tell people about the Kingdom of God and lead them to faith. It is this meeting that the Orthodox celebrate at Christmas.

Precedes the holiday Orthodox fast- before Christmas, Christians adhere to Filippov or. Lent begins on November 28 and lasts until Christmas. The forty-day fast ends on Christmas morning.

The celebration begins on Christmas Eve. Families sit down to dinner only after the appearance of the first star.

Before this, January 6 is not supposed to have a meal. There should be tables on the tables, each of which has its own meaning and importance. Sochivo is considered the main dish, which is where the name Christmas Eve comes from.

Christmas Eve begins the Christmastide, which lasts another two weeks. Christmastide ends with another important holiday - Baptism of Water, which is celebrated by Orthodox Christians on January 19 or January 13 according to the old style.

All night before Christmas there are festive services in churches. And on the morning of January 7th one is supposed to break the fast, as the fast ends.

Traditionally, rich tables are set for Christmas with, and,.

People congratulate loved ones, relatives and just acquaintances on the holiday. Orthodox congratulations Happy New Year and Merry Christmas brings good thoughts and wishes of faith.

Churches and houses are always decorated with pine branches and other Christmas paraphernalia. A Christmas tree must also be installed and decorated with bright toys, tinsel, and lights. This tradition is associated with the origin of the tree of paradise and the “paradise” apples on it.

Christmas carols are especially interesting. Children and young people begin going home in the evening with good wishes.

In some villages, when Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas, the tradition of arranging nativity scenes has been preserved. The figures are attached to a wooden box. Participants in the nativity scene use these figurines to show a biblical story related to the birth of Christ. They sing songs and read carols.

In gratitude, the owners thank them with candies, sweets, sausage, and money.

They definitely give Orthodox gifts at Christmas. This tradition is associated with wishing goodness, wealth, happiness to family, friends and dear people.

Gifts are placed under the Christmas tree or placed in special boots and socks.

The holiday is always fun and joyful. With feasts, songs, dances, congratulations and gifts. Therefore, the Christmas holiday is very loved by both children and adults, and even those who Orthodox traditions is indifferent or skeptical.

Video: Orthodox stories for children

Watch a video about the Nativity of Christ

For example, this is what we offer you.

January 7 - Christmas

Today will be Christmas

The whole city is waiting for a secret,

He sleeps in the crystal frost

And waits: the magic will happen.

Christ was born

Alyonka and Sasha’s mother prepared a huge bag of sweets. “Who is this for?” - asked Sasha. “This is for carolers! Tonight a star will shine in the sky and be the first to tell about the Christmas miracle. And then the carolers will bring this news to us, and we will give them candy,” Alyonka laughed.

Sasha thought: “I also want to hear the news from the star!”

Mom heard their conversation and said: “Children, I will tell you a Christmas story. Just listen carefully..."

Christmas is a holiday in honor of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated on January 6th. The night before Christmas is considered magical. If you make a wish and ask God, it will come true. Only the desire must be kind and wise. Jesus Christ taught people kindness and wisdom. Do you know how he was born? This story is very interesting...

The miracle of Christmas is that for the first and only time, forever and ever, the immaculate Virgin gave birth to a Child. An angel brought the news about the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. Mary and her betrothed Joseph were eagerly awaiting God's child. That year, the Roman Emperor Augustus wanted to know how many people lived in his country.

He ordered all residents to go to the census. Mary and Joseph went to the city of Bethlehem. They walked for a long time, night was already approaching. We had to look for accommodation for the night. Nearby they found only a cave - a den where shepherds drove their flocks in bad weather. We spent the night there. It was that night that Mary's Son was born. She wrapped the Messiah (Savior) in a hem and placed him in a manger with hay.

Nearby, shepherds were guarding their flock. Suddenly they saw a bright light. An angel descended from heaven to them:

- Do not be afraid! I bring you good news. The news has spread all over the world! God sent His Son to earth to save people from their sins. Go to Bethlehem. There you will see Him swaddled in a manger!

At that moment, many angels appeared in heaven. They praised God by singing: “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace, and good will to men.” Everything around was glowing. When the angels returned to heaven, the earth was once again enveloped in darkness.

The second message about the birth of the Son of God was a star. She appeared in the sky and was the brightest. The eastern sages - the Magi - saw her. They guessed that the star was a harbinger of a true miracle. And then they decided to follow her. An amazing star led them to Jesus. They saw Mary with the Child in her arms and gave the Child gifts: gold, incense and myrrh. And then they called Him the King of Heaven and Earth. Thus was born Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the world.

Once upon a time, Christmas began to be celebrated on January 6th. While mom was preparing a 12-course festive dinner, the children were waiting for the first star to appear. As soon as she appeared in the sky, Christmas Eve began. Then the father brought hay into the house. The hostess laid it on the table. (After all, it was on the hay that little Jesus was laid!) A nest was made from this hay, in which a pot of kutya was placed.

Before dinner, they lit a wax candle and everyone prayed out loud together. It was joyful and solemn at that moment. And only after prayer could dinner begin.

The most important dish on the table is kutia. It was prepared from wheat, poppy seeds, nuts, raisins and honey were added. They said it was the true food of God. In addition to kutya, according to custom, they served fish, cabbage rolls with mushroom sauce, pies with cabbage, buckwheat, pancakes... The food was washed down with uzvar - dried fruit compote. For dessert they served crumpets filled with fruit jam and grated bread or poppy seed filling.

After Christmas Eve at home, the children went to their godparents. This was their sacred duty. The kids brought dinner (kutya, bread and salt, rolls), and the godparents were looking forward to their little godchildren. They treated them, gave them candy and money.

On Christmas night it is customary to carol until the morning. Children and youth sing songs - carols. They wish the owners goodness, prosperity, and health. And the hospitable hosts in return give the carolers sweets and ringing coins. The more carolers who visit the house, the more joy there will be this year.

And that evening they showed a nativity scene - a performance about the birth of Jesus. Children in groups walked from house to house with a small chest covered with colored paper, which depicted the cave where the Son of God was born. Christmas plays were performed using homemade dolls attached to sticks. The subjects of the nativity scenes were associated with the birth of Christ.

The night is quiet...

The night is quiet.

On the unsteady firmament

The southern stars are trembling.

Mother's eyes with a smile

Quiet people look into the manger.

No ears, no extra glances,

The roosters crowed -

And behind the angels in the highest

The shepherds praise God.

The manger quietly shines in the eyes,

Mary's face is illuminated.

Star choir to another choir

I listened with trembling ears.

And above Him it burns high

That star of distant lands;

The kings of the east are bringing her to her

Gold, myrrh and Lebanon.

(Excerpt)

Today will be Christmas

The whole city is waiting for a secret,

He sleeps in the crystal frost

And waits: the magic will happen.

Blizzards took possession of him,

Dream-like.

In the cathedrals there is the flickering of candles and singing,

And silvery incense smoke...

M. Yu. Lermontov

(Excerpt)

Tied the robe crosswise,

Tying a candle to a stick,

A small angel flies,

Flying through the forest, light-faced.

In snow-white silence

It will flutter from pine to pine,

Touches a twig with a candle -

It will crack, a fire will flare up,

Will round up, tremble,

Like on a thread, he will run

Here and there, and here, and here...

The winter forest is completely shining!

Kolyada, Kolyada,

Give me some pie

Or a loaf of bread,

Or half a buck,

Or a chicken with a crest,

Cockerel with a comb.

Kolyada, Kolyada

How many aspen trees - so many pigs for you,

How many Christmas trees - so many cows,

How many candles - so many sheep!

Good luck to you,

The owner and the hostess

Great health,

Happy New Year

With all the family!

Kolyada, Kolyada!

Good auntie

Good auntie,

Give me some sweet cakes.

Kolyada-molyada,

On the eve of Christmas,

Give it, don't break it,

Give everything whole,

Won't you serve me some flatbread?

Let's break the windows.

Kolyada is bright!

Kolyada has arrived

Let's go Christmas.

Kolyada-molyada

She arrived young!

We found a carol

In Mironov's yard.

Hey, Uncle Miron,

Take the good stuff out into the yard.

How cold it is outside

Freezes nose.

Doesn't tell me to stand for long

He tells me to serve it soon

Or a warm pie

Or butter, cottage cheese,

Or money with a spear,