Christmas is one of the main Christian holidays. Among Orthodox and Catholics, Christmas is considered in the hierarchy as the second Great Holiday after the Resurrection of the Lord. We remembered what to do on Christmas and what to avoid.
Festive table
The Christmas table in Russia was represented by twelve dishes. They differed in simplicity, preference was given to lean and vegetarian food. Kutia, brewed from a large number of grains, personified the connection between generations, the continuity of life and well-being in the family. Knyshi, kalachi, palyanitsa were prepared from corn or rye flour and were intended for treating relatives and friends: godfathers, godparents, grandmothers and others. Pies were baked or fried mainly with poppy seeds, boiled or crushed dried plums, beans, peas, viburnum berries, buckwheat porridge, potatoes, cabbage. Fish allowed by the church on that day was considered a delicacy on the table, and the obligatory dish was lean borscht - a symbol of wealth and a good harvest. They approached the table setting especially carefully: a bunch of straw was always placed under the tablecloth - a symbol of the manger,in which Christ was born, and an iron object was placed under the table, which during the evening all those present had to touch their feet, thereby attracting good health.
House and life
It is very good to celebrate Christmas in a new outfit, it is considered to be profit.
The more candles you light for Christmas, the more money you will have all year.
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It is imperative to light a special candle in honor of deceased relatives - then they will certainly help you in the coming year, attract good luck and prosperity to your house. If there are pets in the house, then on this day it is customary to feed them to their fill, which will attract financial luck. It's good to make purchases on Christmas, things purchased on this day will serve faithfully for many years - "Both young and old, go to the market, buy more fun, do not regret rubles." And yet, be sure, on the night of January 6 to January 7, take water in a bucket and say into the water all the bad and unpleasant things that have happened in a year, then throw this water out the threshold, out the gate, out the driveway, from the balcony or from the window, saying goodbye to evil, attracting good.
Fortune-telling on the eve
Great writers have devoted many works to this tradition, describing fortune-telling as something mystical, intriguing, frightening. Each unmarried Russian beauty was looking forward to the opportunity to tell fortunes about her betrothed, to go out on the porch at midnight and ask the name of the first man she met. Whatever he calls, this is what the spouse will have. And even such a bride will throw a felt boot over the fence, and run to see where the felt boot has got: if he buried himself in a snowdrift, then a fateful meeting this year will not happen, and if to the forest with a toe, then you can lure the devil into the house. It happened that the grooms themselves were hit with a felt boot if they were standing under the fences. Traditional fortune-telling is still welcomed by contemporaries to this day. The most common of these is wax casting. Wax from a molten candle was slowly poured into a basin of water, and the future was predicted from the bizarre frozen figures. Same,attracting the imagination and complacency of Christmas miracles, they divined by tea and coffee grounds, shadows from burning paper or filled bowls. Each cup was filled symbolically: a ring for the wedding; coin - to wealth; bread - to prosperity; sugar - for fun; onions - to tears; salt - unfortunately, and a cup of water - to life without much change. The fortune-tellers took turns, with their eyes closed, choosing a cup symbolizing their future in the coming year.symbolizing their future in the coming year.symbolizing their future in the coming year.
Things to avoid
It is believed that working on Christmas Day is a sin. You can't do household chores: clean up, wash and do other hard and dirty work. Sewing is especially worth avoiding, as it is believed that this will attract unclean forces into the house and even lead to the blindness of one of the family members. In no case should you go hunting until Epiphany, January 19, otherwise misfortune may happen to the hunter. We did not celebrate Christmas in black, because “to come to the feast in sad clothes” means to bring misfortune in the coming year. If a woman visits the house first on Christmas, then this will attract illnesses to the women in the family, and during Christmas dinner you should not drink, since it was believed that water would be needed all year when there was nowhere to get it.
Family and Church
On the first day of the Christmas holidays, January 7, they hardly went to visit. Only married children had to visit their parents in the afternoon, and at the same time say that they were bringing "dinner to grandfather." On the rest of the days from Christmas to Epiphany - Christmastide - it was customary to remember the poor, sick, needy people: to visit orphanages, shelters, hospitals, prisons. In ancient times, on Christmastide, even tsars disguised as commoners came to prisons and gave alms to prisoners. Christians always visit church, where they read prayers and requests for "straightening a careless life to prosperity and happiness", naming the names of those living for whom the petition is brought.
Weather signs
Christmas is considered the starting point for the whole year, and a lot of attention is paid to folk signs. It is believed that on Christmas Eve the sun goes down in summer and winter in frost, that is, the days will become longer, and the frosts - stronger. If there is a severe blizzard on the eve of Christmas, then spring is expected this year, and if it is warm on January 7, then wait for a cold spring, but clear weather indicates a bountiful harvest. Snowstorm on Christmas Day - a good harvest of wheat, early greenery and succulent foliage should be expected. In addition, a blizzard is a good sign for the beekeeper, as it portends a good swarm of bees. If the snow falls in large flakes, expect a bountiful harvest of bread, and if the sky is starry, then there will be a good offspring of livestock, as well as an abundance of mushrooms and berries.
The Seven Blessings of Christmas
The number seven is considered sacred. There is a belief that the one who did the seven blessings on Orthodox Christmas will live happily all year and even has the right to ask the angels to fulfill the most cherished desire. On this day, it is customary to give seven alms for the sake of happiness in the coming year. Usually these are 7 identical coins, which should be given to the one who arouses sincere sympathy in the soul, accompanying the alms with a silent prayer. You can also give seven helpful gifts. As a rule, these were towels, when giving them away, the giver must utter the words: "I give the towels, I can die, I will correct evil with good, fortunately I will direct my family (my family)." On Christmas, we greet each other with the words: "Christ was born!" and we answer these words: "We praise Him!"