What are the signs for Christmas? What you can and cannot do on Orthodox Christmas

Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas Day January 7th.

It is very ancient and important holiday.

At all times, people have treated Christmas signs with great respect.

By popular belief It is very important what day of the week January 7 falls on. If January 7 is Monday, then you should wait warm summer and a good harvest of berries and mushrooms. Tuesday means good year for newlyweds. Wednesday promises a good year for fishing and hunting. Thursday - the year will be successful for unmarried girls. Friday – winter will be long and summer will be short. Saturday - portends heavy rains at the end of winter. Sunday - the whole year will be successful in all respects.
You can't hunt on days from Christmas before Epiphany. By killing an animal these days, you can bring misfortune not only to your family, but also to your entire clan.

You can't go fishing these days.

The year will be unsuccessful in material terms if there is a bright new moon in the sky on Christmas night.
It is considered a good omen if Christmas it's snowing. This portends a fruitful year.
If there is frost on January 7, then January 19 will also be frosty.
An item purchased on Christmas Day will serve you for a very long time.
The evening before Christmas is called Christmas Eve. The festive table on Christmas Eve should consist of 12 meatless dishes, but on the morning of January 7, 12 fast dishes (i.e. consisting of meat and eggs) are placed on the table.
On January 7, it is mandatory to feed all the animals on your farm to the fullest. By doing this, you will provide your family with a secure and well-fed life throughout the year.
Christmas should not be seen in dark clothes.
Meet Christmas It is necessary only with family and pleasant people.
Usually Christmas fortune telling done on the days from Christmas Eve to Epiphany, except January 7. ABOUT Christmas fortune telling you can read on my website
To keep the house warm and cozy throughout the year, many candles are lit on January 7, and if there is a stove or fireplace, they must be lit.
On this day I also light special memorial candles to remember deceased relatives.
On Christmas Day (January 7th) you cannot work, wash, clean or sew. It is considered a bad omen to break dishes or spill anything on this day; this will attract quarrels and troubles into your home.
On this day you cannot swear, kill livestock and poultry, or change your place of residence.
To avoid bad luck, it is not recommended to take out trash from your home from January 7th to January 14th.
per day Christmas happy and successful people are born.
The year will be successful and there will be no disagreements in the family if a man is the first to enter your house on January 7th. If on this day a woman crosses your threshold first, then the family cannot avoid illness and trouble.
It would be a very bad omen to see Christmas mouse in his house. This portends poverty and disease.
The family will be happy if the wedding is on Christmas.
During the holidays, you should definitely have fun.
Very good sign– find a coin, jewelry or other valuable item on Christmas. This thing will become your talisman and will attract good luck and money throughout the year.
At midnight from December 6 to 7, make a wish, look at the sky and say your wish out loud 3 times. The wish will come true within a year.

A huge number of different customs, signs and rituals are associated with Christmas. It has long been believed that the way a person celebrates this holiday, the same will happen throughout the year. These days we think this way more often about the New Year. However, for Christian peoples, Christmas, signs, customs and rituals associated with it were much more important. In this article we will tell you about what beliefs are associated with this bright Christian holiday.

Description

For most Christians, Christmas is very great value. This is a holiday of faith, love, warmth, happiness and goodness. In Russia and in countries where people profess Orthodox faith, it is celebrated on January 7th. Catholics around the world (in lately Orthodox Greeks also joined them) celebrate the Nativity of Jesus Christ on December 25, but the Armenians, the people who were the first in the world to adopt Christianity as a state religion in 301, celebrate the most important of all church holidays January 6. Of course, the main thing about it is participation in the Christmas service in the church. And after that, all Christian peoples, regardless of which denomination they belong to, set festive tables for which they prepare special dishes. It is customary to celebrate this day with the whole family, with loved ones and relatives. This is the main custom at Christmas. Today, not everyone attaches importance to signs, but many are still very interested in them, even if just for fun.

Basic traditions

It is not customary to be alone on this holiday. If it is not possible to celebrate with the whole family, then it is better to go to visit those people whom you consider closest to you. Or invite someone to visit you, but don’t be alone within four walls. It's very important to see happy people, for example, a couple who is waiting for a new addition, or a family in which a child was recently born. Being among them is one of the signs for Christmas. According to it, when you find yourself among happy people on this wonderful day, you yourself are “infected” with happiness from them. When you come to visit them, you need to take with you a gift, a toy for the child, something sweet - candy, cookies, jam, and if possible, homemade kutya.

Congratulations

Don't forget to call on this day and congratulate all the most important people in your life. If you do this year after year, then people will respond to you in the same way. But to hear a whole cascade good wishes- the most best omen. The custom of congratulating loved ones and giving them gifts at Christmas arose a long time ago; it is written about in the Bible. Remember how the Magi with their gifts looked for the manger where little Jesus was born. By the way, you can buy a gift for yourself. According to legend, an item purchased on Christmas Eve will serve its owner for a long time. Goodness and wealth are also attracted to the family (home) by lit candles and fire in the fireplace. It is imperative to light one candle for those who are no longer there, the deceased. They are believed to help you attract good luck. There is another very common folk sign for Christmas, which is associated with the arrival of guests. It is very important that a man steps on the threshold first. This is good luck. But the woman who is the first to step over the threshold of your house is a sign of failure and illness.

Caring for others

It's a great sign for Christmas if a cat or dog scratches at your door. If you wish, you can let her in or feed her heartily at the doorstep. Don't forget about your pets, they should also be fed abundantly so that you have prosperity in your home all year round. Also give those who need it - no matter what: money, food, clothing, etc. This will also attract money to you.

Prohibitions

There is a whole list of actions that should never be done before the most important Christian holiday. For example, occupations related to production are a bad omen for Christmas. On this day you cannot bake bread, make anything with your hands, sew, knit, weave (any activity in which thread appears). By the way, in ancient times the thread was considered a symbol of life. IN historical times It was believed that on this day time stops, that is, on the holiday there is no point in creating or generating anything. You also cannot do cleaning, washing or cleaning. It is advisable that until the old New Year - January 14 - garbage is not thrown away, so that, God forbid, good luck does not go away with it. But it is better to burn 7-day garbage and scatter it to the wind.

In addition, this day should be truly festive, and people should devote themselves entirely to it and not burden themselves with any work, but relax and celebrate. Another bad omen for Christmas is swearing and quarrels. You must try to refrain from such manifestations, otherwise you can bring disaster on yourself and your loved ones and lose hope of salvation. So you need to get into a pleasant mood, pray, remember all the best that was and is in your life, and bad thoughts put aside and do not conflict with anyone and be forgiving.

Drinking water the night before Christmas is also not a good sign. They say it will lead to torment. Today it seems strange to us, but isn’t it better to be patient than to suffer later? On Christmas night itself, it is forbidden to guess. To do this, you will have 11 whole days, from January 8 to 18, that is, until Epiphany. These days are called Christmastide among the Orthodox.

Folk signs for Christmas regarding clothing

Today everyone tries to decorate themselves on a festive night, to wear something bright and beautiful. This tradition goes back centuries. However, in those days it was necessary to wear not just beautiful clothes, but to prepare something new, completely unworn clothes. It is also a bad omen for Christmas to be at the Christmas table in black clothes. It was believed that this would lead to failure and big losses.

7 blessings of Christmas

The number 7 has been considered sacred since ancient times. According to one of the Christmas signs, the one who manages to do 7 good deeds on January 7th will live the coming year successfully. He can ask the angels for the fulfillment of any of his cherished desires. In addition, you need to give alms to 7 poor people before Christmas - this is a very good omen. They say that after this a person will live in abundance for a whole year. You can also give seven close (optional) people a useful gift or treat seven children playing in the yard with sweets. And merchants are recommended to sell the goods to the first buyer at a discount of up to seven units (7 rubles, 7 tens or hundreds).

Ritual

According to the signs and customs of the Nativity of Christ, which have developed over many centuries, for forty days, during which angels come to help people, you need to perform the following ritual in the morning, immediately before waking up: pray, cross yourself three times and make a wish. that's a good wish. And every evening, as soon as the sun sets below the horizon, you need to light a candle and pray again, crossing yourself three times. You can make one wish every day, or you can think about the same thing all the time, and then the likelihood that it will come true will increase much.

Signs for Christmas with money

It is a very bad sign to lose something on the eve of this holiday. This, according to belief, will lead to large losses throughout the year. Conversely, finding something before Christmas is a good omen, especially if it is something valuable, such as jewelry. This will mean that soon it will come to your hands large amount money. Also, if you accidentally spill tea or coffee on the Christmas table, then this is a material well-being. Another sign for Christmas money is the starry sky. And heavy snowfall indicates bountiful harvest. But a new moon in the night sky means failure in money.

Surely everyone knows about such a ritual as cutting a Christmas pie with a coin inside. Whoever gets it will be lucky throughout the year. According to another custom, you need to throw a carefully washed coin into a glass of champagne, drink it carefully so as not to swallow it, and then dry it and put it in your wallet. It is believed that it will attract money into your wallet. It is advisable to have at least some amount in your pocket on Christmas night. Empty pockets and wallet are not good.

Christmas 2018

We have long been accustomed to believing that every year has a patron animal. For example, the current one is considered the year of the Dog. Signs for Christmas, in principle, should not have any relation to the patroness of the year. After all, let's not forget that Christmas is the biggest of... Christian holidays, and the Chinese, who invented the horoscope, are not Christians. However, let's symbolically call this year the Year of the Dog and see what special the stars have prepared for us in 2018.

God forbid you see a mouse on Christmas night in the year of the Dog: this means losses or expenses. Under no circumstances should you borrow anything from someone on the night before Christmas. This sign applies not only to money, but also to any products, such as salt. You can't cut the Christmas cake before the first star appears in the sky. If the evening is cloudy, then you need to wait until it becomes dark enough. Household members must wear fresh (new) underwear, otherwise they can scare away good luck.

Festive table and chance meetings

Before sitting down to the festive table, you need to feed your pets. If you don’t have any, then take a bone or something meat outside in a bowl - something that the dog might like. Under no circumstances should cookware that is cracked or chipped be used. The dog definitely won't like it. And you also don’t need to put gold-plated or colored dishes on the table: either pure white or crystal. You also need to put a few extra cutlery on the table for deceased relatives. This will reduce the likelihood of illness.

Under no circumstances should you cook lobsters and crayfish for the holiday so that things don’t go backwards. It is better to cook meat and vegetables. Believe me, the dog will love it. Fill your glasses, whoever gets the last drop will be happy this year. Another sign of good luck is seeing a hunchback in the morning. It will multiply if you run up and touch his hump. And if you meet a large black dog, then this year is just for you. Accidentally stepping on dog excrement also brings good luck.

Signs for marriage

If there are young people in the family, they, of course, are most concerned about whether they will be able to find a partner and get married next year. However, unmarried girls are forbidden to tell fortunes on Christmas night, as they can scare away their happiness. However, if you go out into the street that night and ask the name of the first person you meet, then this will be the name of your future husband. You can see the groom's face if you place a comb under the pillow. You will also need to hang a towel in the yard at night. If it is wet by morning, then the wedding is just around the corner. You can also roll on the floor wedding ring, if it rolls for a long time, then it’s not too early to wait for the groom. A few minutes before January 7, you can go outside and throw your shoe; if it lands with its toe towards the door, it means that the girl will not get married this year, and if it is with its toe facing out, then the wedding is already close.

The darkest, most terrible winter time was always surrounded special attention among all the peoples of the world: at this time they tried to appease evil spirits, asked about the future, waited for the rebirth of the sun and greeted it with feasts. Christianity changed, but did not abolish these traditions, so that as a result, Christmas in the popular consciousness was not only a religious holiday, but also a collection of all kinds of signs and superstitions.

Some of them are easily explained, others look strange and even scary. Do you know many Christmas signs?

Weather for Christmas

Of course, most of all our ancestors were worried about the future harvest. So it is not surprising that observing nature was an indispensable part of the celebration. Of course, the climate has changed recently. It’s all the more interesting to check whether the old signs still work?

Clear weather and starry skies at Christmas foreshadowed the birth of livestock and a good harvest of vegetables and mushrooms next summer and autumn.

The sky is starry - the harvest for peas.

In the first days of the Christmas holidays, frost on the trees means a good harvest of bread.

Heavy snow on Christmas Day indicates that a good wheat harvest should be expected. In addition, this is a good sign for the beekeeper - the bees will safely overwinter and hatch.

Blizzard on Christmas Eve - there will be early leaves.

But if there is a thaw on the holiday, then you have to wait for a cold spring and, therefore, a poor harvest of vegetables.

Warm Christmas - cold spring.

The day is warm - the bread will be dark and thick.

” Not really about the weather: it was believed that if the holiday coincides with Sunday, then the summer will be plentiful, with lots of fruits and honey; and if it’s Happy Monday, then the winter will be good and the spring will be wet.

A whole series of omens are associated with guests and gifts that were customary to give at Christmas. Everyone noticed: who came, how they came, and (most importantly) they had time to react!

If a woman crosses your threshold first, then this means gossip and failures, and even illnesses of all women in the family throughout the year. However, there is an “antidote” - quickly change into colored clothes, and everything will be fine!

If a man or boy - to prosperity. To preserve a favorable omen, wear plain clothes on this day.

If an old man or woman - to a long life.

If your first guest is tipsy, then the whole coming year will be filled with noise and quarrels.

If a beggar knocks on the house first, it means loss and need.

Many guests at once - to a rich life.

A bird knocking on the window on Christmas Day is amazing news.

If two people come to you on Christmas morning, there will be no death, divorce or separation in your home for a year.

After they knock on your door or call on January 11, do not open it right away. Wait until they knock or call a second time, otherwise you will invite illness into the house.

” And in general... It is considered a bad omen to celebrate Christmas alone - it is better to invite someone to visit or go yourself.

Work, work, go to Fedot...

The Church did not approve of popular signs and superstitions, but the custom prescribing more rest and less work on holidays completely coincided with the desire to think more about the divine and less about the earthly. Of course, the necessary daily work was still carried out - you can’t celebrate for long with an unlit stove! But…

It was forbidden to clean from Christmas until the New Year, that is, until January 14th. When, finally, on January 14, all the accumulated garbage was swept out of the house, it certainly had to be burned in the yard.

You can’t sew, knit, or embroider at Christmas: needlework threatened no less than the loss of vision of one of the family members! And if in the next few days you do start sewing, don’t bite the thread, or your tooth will fall out!

Midwives worked for free on Christmas Day. Moreover, they became godparents for children who were received on this day.

Any dirty work (such as washing) had to be completed before Christmas; who works out on Christmas dirty work, he will deal with it all year.

On the ninth of January, on the third day of Christmas, before sunset, do not chop wood under any circumstances, and on the tenth, put out the dough. Don't ask why!

” Note to the hostess: it was customary to remember what day of the week Christmas fell on, and pickle cucumbers on the same day in the summer.

Everyone is at the table!

Thanks to the charismatic advertising of one of the banks, people, even those who are as far from Christianity as possible, know that “it is impossible until the first star” - believers kept a strict fast until the end of the festive service. However folk traditions, of course, much wider and richer than modest church rules.

The traditional festive color of this celebration is white. And tablecloths, and napkins, and curtains, and dishes - everything is selected white.

Straw was placed under the tablecloth on the festive table, and festive Lenten dishes- there should have been 12 of them - they were tied crosswise with red threads, in memory of Christ, born in a manger.

You had to sit at the table in new (and not just clean and smart) and in no case black clothes.

good, good omen, if during the Christmas feast domestic cat sits under the table - this means that this year, of all those sitting at the table, no one will die. By the way, lambing at Christmas was for some reason considered a sign of unpleasant troubles ahead for the owners.

If after the holiday you decide to treat yourself meat dishes, exclude brains from the menu: it was believed that eating them at Christmas time would have a bad effect on mental abilities eater

If you don't drink water during lunch on Christmas Day, you won't feel thirsty when there's no water nearby. Convenient, right?

In addition to traditional holiday dishes Many families baked pies into which they placed coins according to the number of people present. Whoever gets the pie with a coin will have good luck all year long.

” By the way... If there is a new month in the sky at Christmas, the year will be profitable!

Love and Christmas

Of course, Christmas is not directly related to family well-being, but if the question of acquiring family happiness worries you more than everyone else, then something could be done for this!

There was such a sign: when the family sat down at the table, then unmarried girl or an unmarried guy from this family, having taken the first non-fast piece into his mouth, must keep it on his tongue and not swallow until, going out into the street, he accidentally hears some name from people passing by. It was believed that the bride or groom would have the same name.

In a family where there is no peace and harmony, on Christmas night they put a bucket out in the cold, and in the morning they put it on the fire and said:

The ice will melt, the water will boil,

And my husband’s soul will ache for me.

This water was given to the husband to wash himself, served in the form of tea or soup, and the husband’s clothes were also washed in it.

On January 11th, do not give your husband a towel, otherwise he will start to loosen his hands.

” By the way... It's a great time to shop for Christmas. You'll have new clothes all year!

Prepared by Alena Novikova

January 7 is one of the main Christian holidays. It was erected in honor of the birth of Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary. The holiday is preceded by a 40-day fast.

Events of the Nativity of Christ

On the eve of the birth of Jesus, Joseph and pregnant Mary went to Bethlehem for a census. They could not find accommodation for the night in the city, since it was completely filled with people, and went into a barn where they sheltered the cattle from the weather. And on this night a miracle of birth happened - the God-man was born. Mary laid the baby in a manger (a feeding trough for livestock) as if in a cradle.

The first to learn about the birth of the Savior were the shepherds, to whom an angel appeared. They came to the cave to worship the baby. A new one lit up in the sky that night bright star, which announced to the whole world about the great miracle that happened that night.

King Herod also learned the news about the birth of the Savior and ordered the death of all children under two years of age. Then an Angel appeared to Joseph and ordered him to flee with his family to Egypt, where they remained until Herod passed away.

The exact date of birth of the Messiah is unknown. Catholic Church celebrates the holiday.

January 7: traditions and customs of the day

On this day, believers, remembering the great miracle of birth, gather in churches where festive services are held. Also on January 7, it is customary to visit or invite guests to your home. Good omen, if two men enter the house first that day. Then there will be no quarrels or discord in your home for a year. But if a woman crosses the threshold first, illness and misfortune await the household.

There are also certain prohibitions for this day. On Christmas Day you cannot:

Young girls should tell fortunes, otherwise they will miss their fate. But on this day you can make a cherished wish. According to legend, it will definitely come true.
Bathe. You need to take water treatments in advance. It is necessary to celebrate Christmas with a pure soul and body.
Do housework. It is advisable to do all household chores before January 5th.
Women dye and cut their hair.
Beget children. It is believed that otherwise the marriage will break up.
The hosts must leave the table before the guests. There is an opinion that if the owner leaves the table before the guests, then he will be restless all year.
Drink alcoholic drinks and water. On this day you can drink tea, coffee, compote.
Places empty plates on the table. There must be at least something, but it must lie on them.
Go hunting and kill animals.
Cooking or drinking jelly means for the deceased.
Take out the trash.
Go to the forest and fishing. Otherwise, you can disturb the mermaids and the devil.
Swear and move to another place.
Buy a rope, otherwise there will be a hanged man in the house.
Celebrate the holiday alone.

Signs for Christmas January 7

There are quite a lot of signs associated with this bright holiday.

Signs for Christmas about the weather:

The thaw on this day promises a warm and early spring.
If frost hits, it will be cold even on.
If a cat claws at the walls, the weather will soon turn bad. A cat curled up in a ball foreshadows the onset of frost.
It’s good if it’s snowing or lying on the ground. The more snow there is on January 7, the more favorable the year will be.
A clear sky and a bright moon on it mean severe frosts.
A starry sky and frost on the trees mean a good harvest.
If the holiday falls on a new moon, then there will be a lean year.
It’s warm outside – spring will be cold.

Signs associated with Christmas:

Breaking dishes or spilling something at Christmas means a quarrel.
Having a wedding on this day means a long and happy family life.
You need to sit down at the festive table only after the first star appears.
If a bird knocks on the window at Christmas, you will receive good news.
All the dishes on the table must be tried.
Invite only pleasant and dear people to the celebration.
Pets need to be fed well on this day.
An item bought for Christmas will last a long time.
If a dog on a leash howls, then there will be trouble. To avoid misfortune, go up to the animal, untie it and say: “ Just as a rope does not hold you, so trouble will not hold on to my house.».
A person who stumbles on the way to church on January 7 may become very ill 12 years later. To prevent this from happening, you need to say: “ I’m going to God, he will save me.”.

It also matters what day Christmas Day falls on:

Monday - summer will be warm and will delight you with a large harvest of mushrooms;
Tuesday – a good year for marriage;
Wednesday – fishing and hunting will be successful;
Thursday - fortune will smile on unmarried girls;
Friday - winter will be long and summer will be short;
Saturday – there will be a lot of rain at the end of winter;
Sunday - the year will be good and will bring people many joyful events.

A person born on January 7 will live a long and happy life. Jasper is suitable for him as a talisman. Since ancient times, this stone has been used by magicians and sorcerers to perform various rituals. Jasper removes negative energy, accumulated in the human body, sharpens the gift of foresight and intuition.

Video: Do's and Don'ts for Christmas

Christmas is one of the main holidays of Christians. Orthodox Christians celebrate the birth of the Savior on January 7th. In churches and monasteries, Vespers are celebrated, the royal hours and all-night vigils are served.

Each holiday has its own “code of conduct” that dictates what to do in a certain way and providing for prohibitions. So, what should you not do on Christmas Day?

In the church

When going to the All-Night Vigil and other services, you need to take care of your external and internal well-being. Women refuse cosmetics, wear closed dresses or put on a jacket and skirt. There should be a scarf on your head. Men, on the contrary, come to the temple with their heads uncovered.

The main thing is that you cannot do this by coming to church angry, aggressive, with a feeling of resentment towards your neighbor. The heart must be filled with joy at the birth of Christ. Help to achieve such a state of mind

During the service, it is forbidden to be distracted or to look too closely at the icons and clergy. You need to stand with your head down and listen to your prayers.

Leaving the service before its end is considered a great sin. All prayers and prostrations are performed with thoughts of God.

At home

Preparations for Christmas begin with fasting, and on the eve of the holiday they go hungry. On Holy Evening, people begin to eat only when the first star appears.

What cannot be done on Christmas Day, except for refusing to eat before the appointed hour? Wear old clothes, come to the holiday in black, do hard work. Food for festive table prepare in advance. Breaking the fast is allowed only after the Vespers. Handicrafts and crafts are also excluded. It is not recommended to drink water for breakfast, otherwise you will be thirsty in the summer, and the owner of the house should not leave the yard so as not to “endure” family well-being.

On Christmas night it is strictly forbidden to guess. They try their luck, as a rule, during Christmas time, but such a pastime is not welcomed by the church.

Housewives do not clean up until January 14, and after the old New Year, garbage is collected and burned in the yard.

On Christmas Eve it was not allowed to take a bath. And the point here is not only in the upcoming chores (splitting wood, applying water), but also in the fact that water washes away sins, and on such an important holiday a person was ordered to cleanse himself with the help of fasting and prayer.

There was no hunting during the Christmas holidays. It was believed that at this time the souls of the dead inhabited animals.

Our forefathers clearly knew what not to do on Christmas Day. Signs are rooted in paganism, when man considered himself a part of nature and sought to live in harmony with the world around him.

In relation to others

Christmas - family holiday, which is why it is celebrated among relatives. Guests, as a rule, are not invited, but those who come are received with honor.

Before the revolution, it was customary to pay visits during Christmas week, however, staying in someone else's house did not exceed 15-20 minutes. Congratulations and wishes were expressed. Staying for a long time is also one of the things you should not do on Christmas Day. With the invention of telephones, short visits were replaced by calls.

During Christmas, we must not forget about our neighbor. Previously, on Christmas it was customary to give alms and treat the poor.

During the days they remembered not only the living, but also the dead. A candle was lit on the table and utensils were placed for the ancestors. Therefore, when Christmas comes, what you cannot do on this day is to forget about your roots, about those who lived on earth before us and contributed to our birth.

All of the above is true not only during the Christmas holidays, but Christmas is an additional reason to remember moral and family values, think about how a Christian should behave.

Alone with myself

During this time, you should pay attention to your inner world. Christmas is no exception. What you cannot do on January 7 is accumulate hatred, envy, anger, despondency, and other negative emotions and feelings in your soul. The soul must be open to God, therefore one should not allow thoughts about carnal pleasures and become lustful.

Traditionally, holidays are celebrated at the table. But, although breaking the fast is allowed after the Nativity Fast, you should still not overeat.

Christianity and paganism

Some prohibitions are associated with rejection of the Christian religion pagan traditions. Back in the 19th century, it was declared at the state level how to properly celebrate the Nativity of Christ. It was forbidden to engage in idolatry, dress up in inappropriate attire, and organize songs and dances. At the same time, Christianity did not completely eradicate paganism, but transformed it.

During the Christmas holidays, the church allows you to show childlike spontaneity and have fun from the heart, and today even monks sing carols. Singing allows you to feel the festive atmosphere and get rid of despondency and stress.

How to properly celebrate Christmas today

According to church canons, before the holiday it is prescribed to observe. At this time, you cannot eat meat and other products of animal origin ( butter, eggs, milk, cottage cheese). In the monastery, fasting is more strict, and concessions are allowed for the laity. On the eve of the holiday, they prepare sochivo - lean porridge with honey, dried fruits and nuts.

Christians attend all statutory services. Before the Vespers, you need to get some sleep and drink some coffee. Before Communion, celebrated after the Vespers, they do not eat for about six hours.

You can confess after the service, but it is better to do it in advance, since it is difficult for priests to accept confession from large quantity people on holiday.

Children are taken to the All-Night Vigil only if they wish. Parents need to take a small clean bedding with them so that their tired child can take a nap.

That's probably all the dos and don'ts for Christmas.

Understanding what exactly happened on that day helps one to feel the joy of a long All-Night Vigil service. And something truly incredible happened: God came down to earth and appeared before people in human form. Jesus Christ gave each of us hope for salvation.