On the evening of January 6, the strict Nativity Fast ends, which is observed by true believers, but its end does not come in the morning, but after the first star in the sky, which becomes a signal that the fast is over.
The church name for Christmas Eve is the pre-celebration of the Nativity of Christ. To understand what it is, and how significant it used to be, it is enough to remember that it was on this evening that the Christmas tree used to be decorated, and the star on its top symbolized the one on which the harsh fast ended and the great and bright Holiday began.
According to tradition, you need to look for the first star in the sky when you go out into the yard, and not seeing it, even if the sky is covered with clouds, is a bad omen. Previously, on Christmas Eve they did not eat in the morning, and 13 meatless dishes were prepared on the table at which they sat down in the evening. The second significant sign in Vecherie is that it cannot be seen in everyday clothes, because this portends poverty. Out of respect for the feelings of believers, the Main Astronomical Observatory of Russia annually on this day posts information about where and at what time the first star will appear in the sky so that it can be seen.
Pay attention! Christmas Eve is more than a holiday, it is a wonderful threshold that makes believers experience blissful and joyful feelings. They sincerely believe that wishes made at this time will come true, and a child born on January 6 will bring happiness to the family.
The star of Bethlehem, about which they also ask: what is it, according to biblical legends - a mysterious luminary that appeared in the sky, and with its light led the ancient wise men to the cradle in which the newborn Jesus lay. She brought them there so that they could present gifts to the baby, and thus the star of Bethlehem began to appear in fiction, biographies of saints, iconography and painting. Church utensils are decorated with a symbol in the form of an eight-pointed star, and Russian Empire the highest state award, the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, was in the shape of a star with eight ends.
Important! IN Orthodox religion The Star of Bethlehem is a symbol of the Mother of God and is certainly depicted on all icons with her.
From Byzantium with Orthodoxy came the tradition of considering the eight-pointed star a symbol of God emitting light. In order for the holiday to be in accordance with all Orthodox canons, you need to go to church for the evening service, and only after that, upon returning home, you can sit down at the table. The Lenten table is still set, but, during the relaxation of the Nativity Fast, it is already possible to consume vegetable oil and wine.
The 13 Lenten dishes symbolize the 12 apostles and Jesus Christ, whose birth, according to Christian canons, is celebrated on January 7, and this holiday is called the Nativity of Christ. Must sit at the table even number Human.
The Christmas table was certainly covered with a white tablecloth, the most ceremonial cutlery was placed on it, decorated with ribbons and spruce branches. Almost all family members went to the festive service, and the one who stayed at home served on the table. One device was placed on the table and remained empty, a wax candle was lit.
Why Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is called Christmas Eve because the main course that was served was sochivo. What is sochivo is cereal grains, boiled until tender (most often it was wheat), to which there was no oil, but a little honey could be added. The juice of poppy seeds, almonds or nuts was added to lentils, wheat, rice or barley. Now it is increasingly being replaced by kutya, which is very similar to sochivo in composition and method of preparation. Sochiva, according to biblical legends, has its own, separate history. At a time when the Christian faith was experiencing persecution, Julian the Apostate, who professed paganism, ordered all products in the market to be sprinkled with animal blood so that believers could not fast. The Prophet Daniel, in order to fast, as his faith required, ordered that dry fruits and soaked grains of signs be served to the novices.
Fact! Believing Christians ate on Christmas Eve to honor those who suffered for the Christian faith.
Now Christmas Eve is the eve of the Nativity of Christ, January 6 according to the new style. But this tradition was observed on the eve of Epiphany - January 18 of the new style, and on the Annunciation, April 7, and on Saturday of the first week of Lent (fasting, which is carried out according to the calendar calculations of church ministers).
From the first star that appeared in the sky on Christmas Eve, Orthodox Christians began to celebrate Christmastide. This is the period figuratively called by the people “from star to water,” that is, from the first star on Christmas Eve to the feast of Epiphany. Not so long ago, there was still a tradition of celebrating Epiphany Eve. They prepared kutya for it, cooked uzvar (dried fruit compote), sometimes baked pancakes and cooked jelly to honor the memory of the dead. Traditional pea porridge was served, and a little food was put aside on a separate plate on the table for relatives who were no longer alive.
For non-believers, or people of other faiths, on this day it is not necessary to remember the religious background; you can simply pay tribute to the traditions of your ancestors, prepare an elegant festive table, sit with your family and feel the solemn atmosphere of the eve of the great holiday of Orthodox Christians - the Nativity of Christ.
Folk traditions and holiday dishes
Despite the fact that strict fasting ended on this day, fast food - dairy, eggs, meat - was not served. The traditional Christmas Eve table was prepared from vegetables and grains, to which you can add vegetable oil and drink a little wine. In Rus', you can create a wonderful assortment of vegetable dishes - prepare a vinaigrette, potatoes, serve pickled cucumbers and mushrooms, legume dishes, beets with garlic, vegetable salads, pickles, sochivo or kutya, uzvar and fruits.
IN Lent ate bread and pastries without baked goods (butter, dairy products and eggs), now lean bread can be replaced with bran or coarse grains.
The festive meal began with the exchange of a wafer received in the church; first of all, they certainly ate kutya or sochivo, and only then all the other dishes. For dessert they served a roll with poppy seeds, apples, nuts, cranberry jelly, special gingerbread or honey cakes.
The Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ became the door to wonderful days Christmastide, on which the people had fun from the heart. On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus in disguise would certainly come to the children and hand out gifts, accompanying them with edifications and wishes.
They made fires from straw and bath brooms, sang songs called carols, and went from house to house with them to beg for treats. They dressed up as animals and staged games, told fortunes, cast spells and love spells, gave theatrical performances, danced and sang - they had a lot of fun. Such folk traditions should not be forgotten.
Christmas Eve (Nativity Eve) is the last day of the Nativity Fast, the eve of the Nativity of Christ. The date of the holiday is January 6.
Christmas Eve - the holiday before Christmas
January 6 – Forever, or Christmas Eve, – last day, eve Nativity of Christ. On this day, Orthodox Christians especially prepare for the upcoming holiday; the whole day is filled with a special festive mood. On the morning of Christmas Eve, at the end of the Liturgy and the following Vespers, a candle is brought into the center of the church and the priests sing a troparion before it. Christmas. Services and Christmas Eve post have a number of features, so these days our website receives a lot of questions about how to properly conduct Christmas Eve. We asked Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko to answer these questions.
How to fast on Christmas Eve?
– Father Alexander, the most frequently asked question by our readers is how to fast on Christmas Eve, until what time should you abstain from eating food? What does “fasting until the first star” mean? Is the measure of abstinence the same for those who work and those who do not work on this day? How long does the fast last before communion?
Indeed, the Typikon prescribes fasting until the end of Vespers. However, the service of Vespers is connected to the Liturgy and is served in the morning, which is why we fast until the moment when a candle is brought into the center of the church and the troparion to the Nativity of Christ is sung before the candle.
It is obvious that the people in the temple are fasting, many on this day. It would be good if those who cannot attend church services and who work honor this day with a stricter fast. We remember that, according to the Russian proverb, “A full belly is deaf to prayer.” Therefore, a more strict fast prepares us for the coming joy of the holiday.
Those who receive communion at the night Liturgy, according to church tradition, eat food at last time no less than six hours before the time of Communion, or from approximately 6 p.m. And here the point is not in a specific number of hours, that you need to fast for 6 or 8 hours and not a minute less, but in the fact that a certain limit is established, a measure of abstinence that helps us keep the measure.
– Father, many questions come from sick people who cannot fast, asking what they should do?
Sick people, of course, must fast to the extent that this is consistent with taking medications and with doctor’s orders. The point is not about putting a weak person in a hospital, but about strengthening a person spiritually. Illness is already... And here a person should try to determine the measure of fasting according to his own strength. Any thing can be taken to the point of absurdity. For example, imagine that a priest who comes to give communion to a dying person will ask when the person last ate?!
– As a rule, believers try to meet at the night festive liturgy. But in many churches there is also an all-night vigil and Liturgy in usual time– 5 pm and in the morning. In this regard, people often ask whether it is a sin young man, not infirm, without children, go to service not at night, but in the morning?
Attending a night service or a morning service is something you should be able to watch. Celebrating a holiday at night is, of course, a special joy: both spiritual and emotional. There are very few such services a year; in most parish churches, night liturgies are served only on Christmas and - especially solemn services are traditionally performed at night. But for example, on Mount Athos Sunday all-night vigils are celebrated at night. And still there are not many such services, just over 60 per year. The Church establishes this, taking into account human capabilities: the number of night vigils per year is limited.
Solemn night services contribute to a deeper prayer experience and perception of the Holiday.
– The festive Liturgy has ended, the festive feast begins. And here we are asked two questions. First, is it possible to celebrate Christmas first in the parish, and not immediately organize a family celebration?
– The second question is related to the fact that Christmas Liturgy many take communion. And people feel some embarrassment: you have just received communion, in the books of the holy fathers it is written that in order to retain grace you need to try to protect yourself from conversations, especially laughter, and try to spend the time after communion in prayer. And here is a festive feast, even with brothers and sisters in Christ...People are afraid of losing their prayerful mood..
The rules that the desert fathers proposed to monastics cannot be fully transferred to worldly life, much less they cannot be transferred to major holidays. We are talking about ascetics - ascetics, especially richly endowed with the grace-filled gifts of God. For them, the external part is secondary. Of course, spiritual life comes first for the laity, too, but we cannot draw the same clear line between the spiritual and the earthly here.
The Apostle Paul commanded us “ Always rejoice. Continuously pray. In everything give thanks to the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). If we celebrate the holiday with joy, prayer and gratitude to God, then we are fulfilling the apostolic covenant.
Of course, this issue needs to be considered individually. Of course, if a person feels that behind the noisy celebration he is losing his gracious mood, then perhaps he should sit down at the table for a while and leave earlier, maintaining spiritual joy.
– Father Alexander, shouldn’t we here differentiate between two states within ourselves – when we are really afraid of spilling the feeling we received in church, and when by refusing to participate in the holiday we can upset our neighbors, and often refuse to share joy with an unpeaceful heart. The relatives came to terms with the fact that their zealous family member flatly refused to meet with them. New Year, it would seem that the fast is over, the person should “return” to his family, share the joy of the holiday together, but he again slams the door and says “What a “sit with us”, I have a great holiday, such grace, I will lose all the prayerful mood with you !!”
In this case, a person will hardly harm his prayerful state, since such behavior indicates that the person does not remain in it. The state of contemplation and prayer is always associated with a surge of spiritual joy, grace, which the Lord generously pours out on his slaves. And such an attitude towards one’s neighbors is more like hypocrisy and pharisaism.
– Is it necessary to attend the evening service on the day of the holiday itself - the evening of the Christmas holiday?
– Everyone must decide for themselves. After the night service you need to recuperate. Not everyone, due to age, health and spiritual level, is able to go to church and take part in the service. But we must remember that the Lord rewards for every effort that a person makes for His sake.
The evening service on this day is short, especially spiritual, solemn and joyful, the Great Prokeimenon is proclaimed at it, so, of course, it’s good if you manage to attend it.
Congratulations to all readers of our site on the upcoming holiday Christmas Nativity!
Questions prepared by Lidia Dobrova and Anna Danilova
Christmas is one of the main Christian holidays, established in honor of the birth in the flesh (incarnation) of Jesus Christ. Most Churches celebrate the Nativity of Christ on the night of December 24-25. Roman Catholic Church and the majority Protestant churches Christmas is celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar.
Christmas is preceded by the Advent period, which begins four weeks before the Nativity of Christ and is intended to prepare believers for a deeper experience of this holiday. During Advent, believers participate in spiritual exercises and special pre-Christmas services, and try to perform works of mercy. During the four weeks of Advent, it is necessary to prepare for confession in order to participate in Christmas services and receive Communion with a pure heart.
The services of each of the four Sundays of Advent have a specific theme, reflected in the Gospel readings: the first is dedicated to the coming of Christ at the end of time; the second and third reflect the transition from the Old to the New Testament - on the third Sunday the ministry of John the Baptist is especially remembered; the fourth is dedicated to the gospel events immediately preceding the Nativity of Christ.
A wreath with four candles is placed at the altars in churches, and one candle is lit on each Sunday of Advent. The round shape of the wreath symbolizes eternity, and its green— hope, like the branches of a Christmas tree. In many countries, it is customary to decorate with such wreaths during the pre-Christmas period. entrance doors as a sign that Christ is expected in this house.
In many countries, it is customary for children, in anticipation of the holiday, to perform feasible good deeds, for which the family receives a bunch of straw or a small paper heart. Before Christmas, children hang these hearts on the tree and put straw in the manger. In the narrow sense of the word, a manger is a cattle feeder where the Mother of God placed the newborn Baby Jesus. A manger, or in the Russian tradition, a nativity scene, is the name given to the image of a cave (“nativity scene” in Church Slavonic means “cave”), where shepherds drove their cattle at night, and where, as the Gospel tells us, Christ was born.
IN Western tradition a manger or nativity scene is a scene depicting Christmas, consisting of three-dimensional figures, the number of which can vary. The only thing that remains unchanged here is the figure of the Child Christ in the manger, Holy Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. The remaining participants in the Christmas event - shepherds, animals who were in the cave that gave shelter to Joseph and Mary, angels - are made depending on the imagination and skill of the author.
The construction of a Christmas manger is a tradition founded by the Catholic Saint Francis of Assisi, who in 1223 in the village of Greccio set up a manger in a cave on the mountainside. They also brought an ox and a donkey there - animals that, according to legend, warmed the newborn Christ Child with their breath. Since the time of St. Francis, the Nativity crèche has been installed in most Catholic churches around the world. It has become a tradition in many countries to hold exhibitions of nurseries, allowing one to visualize the moment of the birth of the Baby of Bethlehem.
Day 24 December, coming on Christmas Eve, (from Latin vigilia, vigil). On this day, families decorate Christmas trees and install nurseries. Those family members who did not have time to start confession go to church, which is usually open from early morning.
A festive Christmas Eve dinner is being prepared, traditionally consisting of Lenten dishes. In the center of the table is a dish with consecrated unleavened bread - Christmas wafers. Before dinner begins, the head of the family reads aloud a passage from the Gospel of Luke, which tells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. Then everyone present takes the wafers from the dish and shares them with each other, wishing each other peace and goodness. After this, Christmas Eve dinner begins. After dinner, the whole family goes to mass, mandatory attendance at which is a common Catholic Christmas tradition for all believers.
The custom of leaving an unoccupied place at the Christmas table is widespread and well known. If anyone comes to the house on Christmas Eve, he will be received as a brother. This custom is a sign of memory of loved ones and dear people who cannot celebrate the holiday with their family on this day. An unoccupied place also symbolizes a deceased family member, or all deceased relatives.
The custom of placing hay under the white tablecloth on the table at which the Christmas Eve meal is served has also been preserved. The hay is intended to remind of the poverty of the Bethlehem cave and of the Mother of God, who laid the newborn God-infant Christ on hay in a manger.
According to the Roman tradition that developed in the first centuries of Christianity, on Christmas Day, December 25, three special liturgies are celebrated - mass at night, mass at dawn and mass during the day. Thus, Christmas is celebrated three times - as the pre-eternal birth of the Word from God the Father (at night), the birth of God the Son from the Virgin (at dawn) and the birth of God in the believing soul (during the day). In the evening of Christmas Eve, Christmas Eve Mass is celebrated. At the beginning of the first of the Christmas Masses, a procession takes place, during which the priest carries and places a figurine of the Infant Christ in the manger and sanctifies it. This helps believers feel like participants in the event that happened on Christmas night. Attendance at the Christmas Mass is a dominant feature of the Catholic Christmas tradition and the main event of the holiday.
Christmas celebrations last eight days - from December 25 to January 1 - forming the Octave of Christmas. The feast of the holy martyr Stephen falls on December 26, the memory of the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian is celebrated on December 27, and the Innocent Infants of Bethlehem (December 28) is celebrated on December 28. On a Sunday falling on one of the days from December 26 to December 31, or December 30 if given year Sunday does not fall on these days; the Feast of the Holy Family is celebrated: the Child Jesus, Mary and Joseph. January 1 marks the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Christmas time continues after the end of the Octave until the Feast of Epiphany, which in the Roman Catholic calendar is celebrated on the first Sunday after Epiphany (January 6). All Christmas time The clergy at the liturgy dresses in white, festive attire.
According to tradition, on Christmas Day it is customary for the whole family to gather for Christmas dinner, and the festive table is decorated with special dishes - different for each country. A common Christmas dish is turkey, duck or goose. In England, the obligatory dishes for Christmas are oven-baked turkey with gooseberry sauce and Christmas pudding, which is doused with rum, set on fire and placed on the table flaming. In the USA, turkey is also served for Christmas dinner, only with cranberry sauce.
In Germany, there are traditional regional types of Christmas pastries - Nuremberg gingerbread, Aachen gingerbread, Dresden Christmas cake, cinnamon stars. In China, where there are Catholic Christians, an imperial dish is prepared for Christmas - Peking duck. In western and northern Norway, salted and steamed lamb ribs with potatoes are eaten. In the eastern parts of Norway, pork is popular, while in other areas fish is the main dish. Some families prefer turkey on this day. On Christmas Day, Italians prefer to put fish or seafood and tortellini (Italian dumplings made from unleavened dough with meat, cheese or vegetables). In Portugal, on this day it is customary to eat baccalao, a dish of dried salted cod. In Spain they serve spit-roasted suckling pig. On festive table This country will feature seafood - shrimp, crabs, lobsters, as well as Christmas sweets - halva, marzipan, aniseed candies. Some families, following long-standing Catholic traditions, invite lonely old people and simply very poor people to their table this night.
Christmas reveals Christ to believers in the form of a small child surrounded by the Holy Family; this holiday is celebrated with family and is warmed with special warmth and mutual love.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
On this day before Christmas, the eve, or eve of the holiday, Orthodox Christians prepare for the great day.
Christmas Eve ends the 40-day Nativity (Filippov) fast. On this day, the main preparations for Christmas are carried out.
Other names for the holiday: Holy Eve, Sochevnik, Eve of the Nativity of Christ, Kolyada, Christmas Eve.
The eve of the holiday is colloquially called Christmas Eve, or Nochevnik. This name comes from a special dish made from wheat, nuts and honey - sochiva.
The tradition of eating this dish on the eve of Christmas was born in memory of Daniel and the three youths, who, according to the Gospel, “fed from the seeds of the earth, so as not to be defiled by a pagan meal.”
Christmas Eve story
In the Orthodox Church, the celebration of the eve of the Nativity of Christ was established in the 4th century. In the 5th-8th centuries, sacred hymns were written that are used for Christmas services. During that period, the Royal Hours were celebrated in churches. At them it was customary to proclaim many years to the Tsar, his house, and all Orthodox Christians.
The name of the holiday comes from the word “sochivo” or “sochni”. Both of these dishes were prepared on Christmas Eve. Sochivo was soaked grains of wheat or barley, to which the juice of poppy seeds, sunflowers, hemp, mustard, and nuts was added. Sochni - bread cakes in which holes were made for eyes and used for fortune telling. They looked out into the street through the mask. It was believed that if it passed good man, then the year will be successful, and if it’s bad, vice versa.
What is Christmas Eve before Christmas?
Where did the name of this holiday come from? It turns out that from the word “sochivo” - this is a dish that was prepared specially on this day to treat everyone at home. To do this, the housewife soaked boiled cereal grains (wheat, barley, lentils, rice) in seed juice (poppy, almond or nut). The dish turned out to be lean. No oil was put in it. It was only allowed to add a spoonful of honey to make the food more nutritious. Sometimes it was replaced with kutia.
People used sochivo on this day in imitation of the biblical prophet Daniel.
This parable dates back to Old Testament times. The pagan Julian the Apostate, wanting to show off the fasting believers, ordered all the food in the market to be sprinkled with the blood of animals sacrificed to idols. Then the prophet Daniel ordered his young novices to eat soaked grains and dried fruits. Thus, believers were able to avoid eating a defiled pagan meal.
Traditions and rituals for Christmas Eve
The main traditions on January 6: prepare 12 Lenten dishes, the main of which is kutia; go to visit with treats; guess; They use a talisman (“didukh”).
On Christmas Eve, Orthodox Christians attend services in churches: all-night vigil and liturgy.
From the very morning, housewives carry out a thorough cleaning, throw out trash, and then begin preparing the festive dinner. Traditionally, 12 Lenten dishes are served at the table.
In some houses it is customary to pay special attention decoration of the Christmas table. The housewives cover it with a new tablecloth, under which they place a bunch of hay - a symbol of the manger. Banknotes and garlic cloves are placed in the corners of the table, symbolizing the health and well-being of family members. An ax is placed under the table, on which those seated place their feet in order to wield good health and spirit. Compositions of candles and fir branches are placed in the center.
The meal begins with a prayer in which Christ is glorified, asking for prosperity and happiness for all those present. First of all, they try kutya, after which they proceed to the rest of the dishes.
On Christmas Eve, young people gather in villages big companies, paints their faces, puts on fancy costumes, goes door to door and sings carols. An important attribute of this action is the Star of Bethlehem, which is made from colored paper and ribbons, and an icon is placed in the center. In ritual songs it is customary to glorify Jesus Christ, the family of the owner of the house. Carolers are presented with sweets, pastries and money.
On Christmas Eve, you should ask for forgiveness from the people who were offended, and forgive all your enemies.
Signs and sayings for Christmas Eve
If on Christmas Eve the sky is abundantly strewn with stars, then this year we should expect a rich harvest.
On the eve of the Nativity of Christ, it is customary to light candles in the house or light a fireplace in order to attract prosperity and good luck into the house.
You should not wear old dark-colored clothes to a festive dinner, otherwise a year will pass in tears and difficulties.
An even number of people must be present at the ceremonial table. If it is odd, then housewives put one extra set of cutlery.
On Christmas Eve you need to go outside and look at the sky. If you see a shooting star and make a wish, it will definitely come true.
If there is a snowstorm before Christmas Eve, bees will swarm well.
For the holiday, a wax candle was placed on a table with a white tablecloth and lit with the words: “Burn, candle, righteous sun, shine for the souls in paradise and for us, the living, warm Mother Earth, our cattle, our fields.” If the light burns cheerfully, it means that the year will be prosperous and fruitful; if it blinks and flutters, you will have to tighten your belts.
On holiday, frost on the trees means good bread.
What can you eat on Christmas Eve?
January 6 is the most strict day of the 40-day Nativity Fast. Believers are only allowed to drink water. You can start your meal after the first star rises in the sky, after which you are allowed to eat juice - wheat grains boiled in honey or boiled rice with raisins. IN folk tradition It is customary to serve other lenten dishes for dinner.
What not to do on Christmas Eve
It is prohibited to work on the evening of Christmas Eve.
On this holiday you cannot quarrel and sort things out.
It is not allowed to eat until the first star appears in the sky.
On this day you cannot be greedy.
Gala dinner
By folk custom housewives place 12 Lenten dishes on the table, which represent the 12 apostles. The main dish is kutia (sochivo). It is cooked from whole grains of rice or wheat, with the addition of poppy seeds, honey, walnuts, dried apricots, prunes, and raisins. Baked fish, vegetable salads and stews are also served on the table. mushroom soup, Lenten borscht, pampushki, pies, dumplings, cabbage rolls with mushrooms, pickles. For dessert they eat rolls with poppy seeds and nuts, honey cakes, gingerbread cookies, berry and fruit jelly, apples baked with honey and nuts.
A traditional Christmas drink is uzvar made from dried fruits and honey. The combination of kutya and uzvar on tables is a symbol eternal life, birth and death of Jesus. On Christmas Eve there is no alcohol consumed at dinner.
How to make it luscious?
Our great-grandmothers knew what to cook for Christmas Eve. These ancient recipes for preparing Christmas dishes have not been forgotten. And today, any housewife can cook lusciously if she wishes.
Here is the recipe for this dish:
1 faceted glass of wheat grains.
100 g poppy seeds.
100 g walnut kernels.
1 or 2 tablespoons of liquid honey.
a little sugar.
Place the wheat grains in a wooden mortar and pound with a pestle until the shell of the grains comes off. In this case, you need to add a little warm water to the mixture. boiled water. The husks are then removed by washing the grains. Wheat is poured with water, put on fire and boiled until tender. It turns out crumbly porridge. In a wooden mortar, grind the poppy seeds in the same way until milk of the poppy appears. Add it to the porridge, add honey and sugar and mix thoroughly. At the end, crushed walnut kernels are added to the mixture. Sochivo ready.
Festive service in church
On the Eve of Christmas and Epiphany, a service is performed, consisting of the Great (Royal) Hours with the reading of the Gospel, a short sequence of “Fine”, during which the clergy on the pulpit read the entrance prayers and vest, and Great Vespers with the reading of proverbs in conjunction with the Liturgy of Basil the Great, On Epiphany Eve, at the end of the liturgy, after the prayer behind the pulpit, the Great Blessing of Water is performed.
If Christmas Eve (both Christmas Eve and Epiphany) falls on Saturday or Sunday, then the service of the Royal Hours with the Fine Hours and Great Vespers is moved to Friday, and in this case the liturgy is not added to them (that is, the liturgy is not performed on Friday in principle), on Christmas Eve itself, in this case, the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is served (the Blessing of Water on Epiphany Eve is still performed), and on the holiday itself (Christmas or Epiphany), in this case, the Liturgy of Basil the Great is celebrated
Based on materials from the Yaropolch website
Christmas Eve. A time filled with mystery and enigma. It is on Christmas night, which begins from the moment the first star appears in the sky, that miracles happen. Today, your most cherished wishes will come true if you make them after seeing a shooting star. And this holy evening, which is called Christmas Eve, has many more interesting rituals, traditions, and signs.
For many of us, Christmas Eve is associated with the evening before Christmas. Indeed, the evening of January 6th for everyone church canons and is called Christmas Eve. But you can still find a similar name on the eve of other great Christian holidays. Christmas Eve is mentioned before Epiphany, that is, on the evening of January 18th. Christmas Eve is mentioned in church literature before the Annunciation, as well as on the first Saturday of Lent in honor of the memory of Theodore Tiron.
Christmas Eve Traditions
In fact, on Christmas Eve, Christians prepare to celebrate the most important church events. And such evenings got their name because a special dish is served on the table - juicy.
It is prepared from wheat, which is soaked in sweetened water or seed juice. Less commonly, sochivo is prepared from peas, barley or lentils. You should add honey, fruits, seeds, and nuts to it.
This dish is always the first one to be eaten during the evening meal. This tradition is very ancient.
Christians attach particular importance to Christmas Eve before Christmas, since this holiday is one of the most majestic and important. The winter fast precedes Christmas, which brings believers closer to the solemn moment. On the night before Christmas there is a solemn service and a night liturgy. There are not many such services throughout the year, so it is especially solemn and unique.
Traditionally, no one sits down to the table on Christmas Eve until the first star. It is this sign that is associated with the Star of Bethlehem, but in the church charter itself there are no notes on this matter.
It is on Christmas Eve that the winter festivities begin, which will last for two whole weeks, until Epiphany. These festivities were called Christmastide.
History of the holiday
The first Christians considered Easter to be the most important holiday. The tradition of celebrating Christmas appeared only towards the end of the 3rd century.
Interestingly, Christmas and Epiphany were not immediately separated. And there was a single holiday - Epiphany, which according to the old style fell on January 6th. This tradition has been preserved, for example, in the Armenian Church.
But Orthodox Church The Moscow Patriarchate celebrates two holidays. This is Christmas on January 7th and Epiphany on January 19th. Therefore, there were two winter Christmas Eves, before each January Christian holiday.
Modern and ancient customs of Christmas Eve
The first thing that comes to mind when mentioning Christmas Eve is funny carols. Young people carry mummered carols around the village, singing ritual songs.
But Christmas Eve also means many interesting rituals and traditions. Not all of them are related to church canons, but they are happily observed by Orthodox and atheists.
Great importance is attached to what will be on the table during the evening meal. Since the Nativity fast has not yet ended, and January 6 is considered especially strict in terms of nutrition, people try not to eat food during the day.
For the evening, housewives prepare 12 Lenten dishes, each of which had its own meaning. The table could be quite plentiful, but it must be lean. Placed on the tables:
- kutya, symbolizing sacrifice;
- peas as rebirth;
- cabbage is a symbol of reliability;
- borscht – education of willpower;
- cabbage rolls are a sign of God's love;
- fish - a symbol of Christianity;
- porridge - procreation;
- dumplings - prosperity;
- pancakes are a symbol of light;
- pies - health;
- uzvar – a symbol of life and purification;
- donuts are a symbol of eternal life.
And only the next day, when the Nativity Fast ended, rich tables were set and the celebration of Christmas began.
Congratulations on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve has come to every home. So Christmas is coming very soon. Snowflakes are swirling outside the window, wood is crackling in the fireplace. This is a warm, cozy evening at home. And may there be goodness and happiness in your home. After all, today a star lit up over Bethlehem. On Christmas Eve, let every little thing, every moment bring joy and, of course, let your heart overflow with faith.
And on Christmas Eve
We'll go caroling.
Let's be happy and healthy
In every house we call.
May Christmas Eve bring everyone together
Us at the festive table.
Let the family be together today.
Will call wealth to the house.
Larisa, December 6, 2016.