The pre-New Year days flew by quickly, in a cheerful bustle, and sometimes in a tiring bustle. The last children's matinees have died down, schoolchildren are on vacation, the chimes have already counted 12 strokes, and the New Year. Of course, there is plenty of fun and entertainment these days, but there is one activity that today, unfortunately, is half-forgotten behind the roar of the TV. This is a family read.
Not all works are equally interesting to every family member. But there are others. They usually have two properties: the great talent with which they are created, and the event to which they are dedicated. The Nativity of Christ is what determines our future destiny, which goes beyond this life. And Christmas stories remind us of this.
Selma Lagerlöf. "Holy Night"
The famous creator of “Nils's Wonderful Journey with the Wild Geese” called her childhood very happy. And all because of grandma. The writer remembers with great love both herself and her wonderful fairy tales, stories and songs. “Holy Night” is a short work where Lagerlöf retells what his grandmother said.
This story can be partly called apocrypha with obvious folklore roots, but this does not harm the essence and meaning of the Event. It tells about a man who came to a shepherd to ask for some coals - he needed to warm his Wife and newborn Child. The world is cruel, as we know, but all the obstacles that confront a person crumbled to dust: they did not cause him any harm. evil dogs, not a thrown stick, but the sheep continued to sleep peacefully when he walked towards the fire along their backs. And he carried away the hot coals themselves right in his cloak.
The perplexed shepherd asks him how this could happen. “I can’t explain this to you if you don’t see it yourself,” says the man.
And this is the main thing in the short, leisurely story of the writer. She reminds us in the words of her grandmother that a Christmas miracle occurs every year, and the star lights up and the angels praise God. And it is very, very important that our eyes (and I think we are talking about spiritual vision) see and our hearts perceive this miracle.
Ivan Shmelev. "Christmas"
These are perhaps the most famous memories of the holiday. And they are good because they can be read literally from infancy, from the age of five, and return to them with pleasure at any age. The amazing, unlike anything else, language of the writer, who thinks and paints in a childlike way, finds a response in every soul. And even though we are far from the atmosphere of the rich patriarchal merchant house where Vanechka grew up, it is difficult not to love that magical and at the same time such real world his childhood.
Typically, children, especially those who are regularly read books, sensitively grasp this atmosphere; they are not embarrassed by the abundance of outdated concepts and phenomena in the text, especially since this can be a reason for a detailed conversation with their parents.
If the child is ready for such a conversation, you can explain to him that the writer is addressing his son, that they live in France, and Shmelev really misses the homeland he left behind and wants the boy to understand how good that Russia, lost to him forever, was.
Alexander Kuprin. " Wonderful doctor»
This one is, as they say, textbook yuletide story reveals the holiday from one more side: it talks about mercy. About how a man who has a lot to do, a family, and gifts in hand for the kids, suddenly becomes imbued with the misfortune of a completely unknown and completely unsympathetic person. And what is important here is not only the fact of helping a needy family, but also the fact that this benefit was done, one might say, incognito. After all, only the next day, receiving medicine from the pharmacist, Mertsalov learns that his benefactor is the famous military surgeon Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov.
This story is a good basis for talking about mercy, about free help, about why, according to the word of the Lord, “let left hand your right one does not know what the right one is doing” (Matthew 6:3-4).
Nikolai Leskov. "Christ visiting a man"
It's deep and beautiful, but complex story: children will probably understand it from the age of 12, and even then with appropriate parental comments.
Christianity sets us a task that was unknown before: not just to forgive, but also to love the enemy
Here the theme of mercy deepens and becomes more complex: the hero must not only show mercy, but show it to his blood enemy. “To whom much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48) - Leskov confirms this truth, talking about a very pious man who lives in a Godly way, loving God, but not ready to meet Him. Because Christianity sets before us a task that was previously unknown and impossible for humans: not only to forgive, but also to love our enemy.
“Christ Visiting a Man” is a story about a miracle, which, on the one hand, can be explained in everyday terms, but on the other, one can only marvel at the incomprehensibility of God’s Providence and His ways. This is a real Christmas story with a very happy and deep ending: you can’t help but wonder who received the mercy - the one who asked, or the one who showed it?
Vasily Nikiforov-Volgin. "Silver Blizzard"
The boy from Nikiforov-Volgin’s story has an unusually keen sense of the holiday atmosphere. He lives in a simple but very religious family, he has wise, thoughtful parents, and he perceives Christmas not as a long-past event, but as something that is happening here, right now:
“I stood for a long time under the snowstorm and listened as the most beautiful and fragrant word in the world, “Christmas,” moved through my soul with a cheerful wind.” It smelled of blizzards and prickly pine paws.”
“The father, having finished his work, began to read the Gospel aloud. I listened to his drawn-out reading and thought about Christ lying in the manger: “It was probably snowing then, and little Jesus was very cold!” And I felt so sorry for Him that I cried.”
This is another child’s view of Christmas - unlike Shmelev’s Vanechka from a rich Moscow house, the hero of the book is the son of a shoemaker. But the feeling of the holiday is the same - a fragile, eternal Miracle that has been happening for centuries.
Charles Dickens. "A Christmas Carol"
What good have we done? Who was pleased, who was reassured, who was repulsed?
The story of the transformation of the soul of the old miser Skruzhd from English classic known to many. However, rereading it, we reflect again and again on the fruits of life - and not only the hero of the book: on the fruits of our own life. What good have we done? Who was pleased, who was reassured, who was repulsed? And is there anything that can’t be fixed?
However, Dickens argues that many things can be corrected, even those that seem predetermined. The cheerful bells are ringing about this, and the laughter in the living room, where Mr. Scrooge came with congratulations after his night vision, is also about this.
You can re-read A Christmas Carol every year without getting tired of it. Or you can do this with your children, revealing treasures to them English literature, and the possibility of change human soul.
Nadezhda Teffi. "Neighbour"
Christmas stories are different. It is not always possible to find in them a description of the festive service, Christmas tree, gifts and carols. They do not always talk about helping the poor and disadvantaged. The main thing in works about the Nativity of Christ is the spirit of the holiday: the spirit of love that unites people, even if different countries.
The neighbor is a four-year-old french boy, who goes to his neighbors - the “Larusses”. They love guests, always treat them, sing amazing songs and cook an equally amazing soup - borscht. Russian Pere Noel, although he lives far in the North, brings gifts to all children, even those who have not polished their shoes well.
A surprisingly bright, albeit sad, story about the friendship of a Russian emigrant and a little Frenchman Paul, in which everyone who reads it carefully - both a child and an adult - will find something of their own.
Sergei Durylin. "The Fourth Magus"
Remember the hero of “War and Peace” Platon Korotaev, who broadcast that same people’s truth? Perhaps from the point of view of science it has no basis, but it contains an important deep meaning. In Durylin’s story, the old nanny claims that four wise men came to worship Christ. The last was a “Russian man, a peasant” who got lost in the forest, “and the gift that he brought to God was taken away from him evil people».
“‒ Nanny, what will he bring, the fourth one, to the Christ Child if he comes from the forest?
“And some bread, dear,” answered the old woman. “What does a Russian peasant have besides bread?”
A story that is amazing in its depth and poetry, telling with great respect and love about the piety of the old nanny, about love for the born Infant of God.
James Herriot. "Christmas Kitten"
A short story by a famous veterinarian writer about an incident that happened on Christmas Day. Harriot was not only a great specialist in his field, but also a believer. He, like no one else, felt God’s love not only for people, but also for “lesser brothers.”
This is a sad and bright story about love - real, active, which animals can show. About an amazingly smart and selfless cat who managed to save and bring her baby to a person before she passed away.
Harriot masterfully combines in his story the atmosphere of a holiday, subtle and ironic observations of animals and their owners and deep thoughts about life, about the connection between everyday and spiritual events.
Yuletide and Christmas stories in Russian literature of the 18th-21st centuries.
wonderful winter holidays have long been included and probably still include, and ancient folk Christmastide(pagan in origin), and church feast of the Nativity of Christ, and worldly New Year's holiday. Literature has always been a reflection of the life of the people and society, and even the mysterious yuletide theme- simply a treasure trove of fantastic stories that convey a world of the wonderful and otherworldly, always bewitching and attracting the average reader.
Christmastide, in the capacious expression of A. Shakhovsky, - "evenings of folk fun": fun, laughter, mischief are explained by a person’s desire to influence the future (in accordance with the proverb “as you begin, so you end” or with the modern one - “how you celebrate the New Year is how you will spend it”). It was believed that the more fun a person spends the beginning of the year, the more prosperous the year will be...
However, where there is excessive laughter, fun, fervor, it is always restless and even somehow alarming... This is where an intriguing plot begins to develop: detective, fantastic or simply romantic... A plot that is always timed for Holy Days – time from Christmas to Epiphany.
In Russian literature, the Yuletide theme begins to develop from the middle XVIII century: at first it was anonymous comedies about games, Christmas tales and stories. Their characteristic feature was the long-standing idea that it is during the Christmastide period that “ evil spirits"- devils, goblins, kikimoras, banniks, etc. This emphasizes the hostility and danger of Christmas time...
Fortune-telling, caroling by mummers, and dish songs became widespread among the people. Meanwhile, Orthodox Church for a long time condemned such behavior is considered sinful. The decree of Patriarch Joachim of 1684, prohibiting Yuletide “possessions,” says that they lead a person into “soul-destructive sin.” Yuletide games, fortune-telling and mummery (“mask-playing”, putting on “animal-like mugs”) have always been condemned by the Church.
Subsequently, a need arose for folk Christmas tales and stories to be processed literary. These began to be studied by writers, poets, ethnographers and folklorists, in particular M.D. Chulkov, which published throughout 1769 humor magazine“Both this and that”, and F.D. Nefedov, from the end of the 19th century. publishing magazines with a Christmas theme, and, of course, V.A. Zhukovsky, who created the most popular Russian ballad "Svetlana", which is based on folk story about a heroine fortune-telling at Christmas time... Many poets also turned to the theme of Christmas time XIX century: A. Pushkin("Fortune telling and Tatyana's dream"(excerpt from the novel “Eugene Onegin”) A. Pleshcheev("The Legend of the Child Christ"), Ya. Polonsky ("Christmas tree"),A. Fet ("Fortune telling"), etc.
Gradually, during the development of romanticism, the Christmas story attracts the whole world of the miraculous. At the heart of many stories - Bethlehem miracle, and this is the transformation of just a Christmas story into a Christmas story... Christmas story in Russian literature, in contrast to Western literature, appeared only by the 40s XIX century This is explained by the special role of the holiday, which is different from Europe. Christmas Day- a great Christian holiday, second in importance after Easter. For a long time in Russia, the world celebrated Christmastide, and only the Church celebrated the Nativity of Christ.
In the West Christian tradition much earlier and more closely intertwined with paganism, in particular this happened with the custom of decorating and lighting a Christmas tree for Christmas. The ancient pagan rite of veneration of the tree turned into a Christian custom. Christmas tree became a symbol Divine Child. The Christmas tree entered Russia late and took root slowly, like any Western innovation.
WITH mid-19th V. The appearance of the first stories is also associated with Christmas themes. Earlier texts, such as "Christmas Eve"N.V.Gogol, are not indicative, firstly, Gogol’s story depicts Christmastide in Ukraine, where the celebration and experience of Christmas was closer to the Western one, and secondly, in Gogol the pagan element (“devilishness”) prevails over the Christian one.
Another thing "Night on Christmas Day" Moscow writer and actor K. Baranova, published in 1834. This is truly a Christmas story: the leading motive in it is mercy and sympathy for the child - a typical motive of the Christmas story. The massive appearance of such texts is observed after they were translated into Russian Christmas stories Charles Dickens early 1840s – “ A Christmas Carol", "Bells", "Cricket on the Stove", and later others. These stories were a huge success among Russian readers and gave rise to many imitations and variations. One of the first writers to turn to the Dickenian tradition was D.V.Grigorovich, who published the story in 1853 "Winter Evening".
In the emergence of Russian Christmas prose, an important role was played by "Lord of the Fleas" And "Nutcracker"Hoffman and some fairy tales Andersen, especially "Christmas tree" And "The Little Match Girl". Plot the last fairy tale used F.M.Dostoevsky in the story "The boy at Christ's tree", and later V. Nemirovich-Danchenko in the story "Stupid Fedka".
The death of a child on Christmas night is an element of phantasmagoria and a too terrible event, emphasizing the crime of all humanity towards children... But from a Christian point of view, little heroes acquire true happiness not on earth, but in Heaven: they become angels and end up on the Christmas tree of Christ Himself. Actually, a miracle occurs: the miracle of Bethlehem repeatedly affects the destinies of people...
Later Christmas and Yuletide stories Almost all major prose writers wrote To.XIX – n. XX centuries Yuletide and Christmas stories could be funny and sad, funny and scary, they could end with a wedding or the death of heroes, reconciliation or a quarrel. But with all the diversity of their plots, they all had something in common - something that was in harmony with the festive mood of the reader, sometimes sentimental, sometimes uncontrollably cheerful, invariably causing a response in the hearts.
At the heart of each such story was “a small event that has a very festive character”(N.S. Leskov), which made it possible to give them a general subtitle. The terms “Christmas story” and “Yuletide story” were, for the most part, used as synonyms: in texts under the heading “Yuletide story” motifs associated with the holiday of Christmas could predominate, and the subtitle “Christmas story” did not at all imply the absence of folk motifs in the text Christmas time...
The best examples of the genre have been created N.S. Leskov. In 1886, the writer wrote a whole cycle “Yuletide Stories”.
In the story "Pearl Necklace" he reflects on the genre: “It is absolutely required of a Christmas story that it be timed to coincide with the events of the Christmas Eve - from Christmas to Epiphany, so that it is somewhat fantastic, had any morality... and finally - so that it certainly ends funny. There are few such events in life, and therefore the author is forced to invent himself and compose a plot suitable for the program.” Some kind of Christmas stories are "Vanka", And "At Christmas time" A.P. Chekhov.
In n. XX century., with the development of modernism in literature, parodies of the Yuletide genre and humorous recommendations on how to write Yuletide stories began to appear. So, for example, in the newspaper “Rech” in 1909. O.L.D”or(Orscher I.) provides the following guidance for young writers:
“Any person with hands, two kopecks for paper, pen and ink and no talent can write a Christmas story.
You just need to adhere to the well-known system and firmly remember the following rules:
1) Without pig, goose, Christmas tree and good man The Christmas story is not valid.
2) The words “manger”, “star” and “love” should be repeated at least ten, but no more than two to three thousand times.
3) The ringing of bells, tenderness and repentance should be at the end of the story, and not at the beginning of it.
Everything else doesn’t matter.”
The parodies indicated that the Yuletide genre had exhausted its possibilities. Of course, one cannot help but note the interest in the spiritual sphere among the intelligentsia of that time.
But the Yuletide story moves away from its traditional norms. Sometimes, as, for example, in the story V.Bryusova "The Child and the Madman", it provides an opportunity to depict mentally extreme situations: the miracle of Bethlehem as an unconditional reality in the story is perceived only by the child and the mentally ill Semyon. In other cases, Christmas works are based on medieval and apocryphal texts, in which religious sentiments and feelings are especially intensively reproduced (the contribution of A.M.Remizova).
Sometimes, by reproducing the historical setting, the Yuletide plot is given a special flavor (as, for example, in the story S. Auslander "Christmas time in old Petersburg"), sometimes the story gravitates towards an action-packed psychological novel.
I especially honored the traditions of the Christmas story A. Kuprin, creating wonderful examples of the genre - stories about faith, goodness and mercy "Poor Prince" And "Wonderful doctor", as well as writers from Russian diaspora I.A.Bunin ("Epiphany Night" etc.), I.S.Shmelev ("Christmas" etc.) and V. Nikiforov-Volgin ("Silver Blizzard" etc.).
In many Christmas stories childhood theme– main. This topic is developed by a statesman and Christian thinker K. Pobedonostsev in his essay "Christmas": “The Nativity of Christ and Holy Easter are holidays primarily for children, and in them the power of Christ’s words seems to be fulfilled: Unless you are like children, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Other holidays are not so accessible to children’s understanding...”
“A quiet night over the Palestinian fields, a secluded den, a manger. Surrounded by those domestic animals that are familiar to the child from the first impressions of memory - in the manger the entwined Baby and above Him the meek, loving Mother with a thoughtful gaze and a clear smile of maternal happiness - three magnificent kings following a star to a wretched den with gifts - and in the distance on the field there are shepherds in the middle of their flock, listening to the joyful news of the Angel and the mysterious choir of the Heavenly Forces. Then the villain Herod, pursuing the innocent Child; the massacre of the infants in Bethlehem, then the journey of the holy family to Egypt - how much life and action there is in all this, how much interest for a child!”
And not only for a child... Holy days are such an amazing time when everyone becomes children: simple, sincere, open, kind and loving to everyone. 
Later, and not surprisingly, the Yuletide story was “revolutionarily” reincarnated as New Year. New Year as a holiday replaces Christmas, and the kind Father Frost comes to replace the Infant Christ... But the state of awe and expectation of a miracle is also present in the “new” stories. “Christmas tree in Sokolniki”, “Three assassination attempts on V.I. Lenin” V.D. Bonch-Bruevich,"Chuk and Gek" A. Gaidar- some of the best Soviet idylls. There is also an undoubted orientation towards this tradition of films. E. Ryazanova "Carnival Night" And "The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath"…
Yuletide and Christmas stories are returning to the pages of modern newspapers and magazines. Special role There are several factors at play here. Firstly, the desire to restore the broken connection of times, and in particular, the Orthodox worldview. Secondly, return to many customs and forms cultural life which were so violently interrupted. The traditions of the Christmas story are continued by modern children's writers. S. Serova, E. Chudinova, Y. Voznesenskaya, E. Sanin (mon. Varnava) etc.
Christmas reading has always been a special reading, because it is about the sublime and non-vain. Holy days are a time of silence and a time for such pleasant reading. After all, after such a great holiday - the Nativity of Christ - the reader simply cannot afford anything that would distract him from high thoughts about God, about goodness, mercy, compassion and love... Let's take advantage of this precious time!
Prepared by L.V.Shishlova
Literature used:
- The Miracle of Christmas Night: Christmas Stories / Comp., intro. Art., note. E. Dushechkina, H. Barana. – St. Petersburg: Artist. Lit., 1993.
- Star of Bethlehem. Christmas and Easter in poetry and prose: Collection / Comp. and joined M. Pismenny, - M.: Det. lit., - 1993.
- The Star of Christmas: Christmas Stories and Poems / Comp. E.Trostnikova. – M.: Bustard, 2003
- Leskov N.S. Collection Op. in 11 vols. M., 1958. t.7.
The Christmas holidays are approaching, and with them the holidays. These fun days can become more than just screen time. To bond with your children, read books about Christmas to them. Let the kids understand the real meaning of this holiday, empathize with the main characters, learn to give and forgive. And children's imagination will bring the stories they hear to life better than any director.
1. O’Henry “The Gift of the Magi”
“... here I told you an unremarkable story about two stupid children from an eight-dollar apartment who, in the most unwise way, sacrificed their greatest treasures. But let it be said for the edification of the sages of our day that of all the donors these two were the wisest. Of all those who offer and receive gifts, only those like them are truly wise.”This touching story about the value of a gift, regardless of its price; this story is about the importance of self-sacrifice in the name of love.
Young married couple survives on eight dollars a week, and Christmas is just around the corner. Dell cries in despair because she cannot buy her beloved husband a gift. Over many months, she was able to save only a dollar and eighty-eight cents. But then she remembers that she has simply gorgeous hair, and decides to sell it in order to give her husband a chain for his family watch.
The husband who saw his wife in the evening seemed very upset. But he was sad not because his wife began to look like a ten-year-old boy, but because he sold his gold watch to give the most beautiful combs, which she had been eyeing for several months.
It seems Christmas has failed. But these two cried not from sadness, but from love for each other.
2. Sven Nordqvist “Christmas Porridge”
“Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a case - they forgot to bring porridge to the gnomes. And the gnome father became so angry that misfortunes happened in the house all year. It’s amazing how he got under the skin, he’s really such a good-natured guy!”Dwarves get along well with people, help them run their households, and take care of animals. And they don’t ask much from people - to bring them a special Christmas porridge for Christmas. But bad luck, people completely forgot about the gnomes. And Dwarf Dad will be terribly angry if he finds out that there will be no treats this year. How can you enjoy porridge without getting noticed by the owners of the house?
3. Sven Nordqvist “Christmas at Pettson’s House”
“Petson and Findus silently drank coffee and looked at their reflections in the window. It was completely dark outside, and very quiet in the kitchen. This kind of silence comes when something can’t be done the way you wanted.”This is a wonderful work about friendship and support in difficult times. Petson and his kitten Findus live together and are already starting to prepare for Christmas. But then something bad happened - Petson accidentally injured his leg and will no longer be able to finish all his work. And as luck would have it, the house ran out of food and wood for the stove, and they didn’t even have time to put up a Christmas tree. Who will help friends not to remain hungry and lonely on Christmas?
4. Gianni Rodari “Planet of Christmas Trees”
“The storm has really started. Only instead of rain, millions of colorful confetti fell from the sky. The wind picked them up, whirled them around, and blew them all over the place. Created full impression that winter has arrived and there is a snowstorm. However, the air remained warm, filled with different aromas - it smelled of mint, anise, tangerines and something else unfamiliar, but very pleasant.”Little Marcus turned nine years old. He dreamed of receiving a real spaceship from his grandfather as a gift, but for some reason his grandfather gave him a toy horse. Why is he a baby to play with such toys? But curiosity took its toll, and in the evening Marcus sat on the horse, which turned out to be... spaceship.
Marcus ended up on a distant planet, where New Year trees grew everywhere, the inhabitants lived according to a special New Year’s calendar, the sidewalks themselves moved, the cafes served delicious bricks and wire, and for children they came up with a special “Hit-Break” palace, where they were allowed to destroy everything.
Everything would be fine, but how to get back home?..
5. Hans Christian Andersen “The Little Match Girl”
“In the cold morning, in the corner behind the house, the girl was still sitting with pink cheeks and a smile on her lips, but dead. She froze on the last evening of the old year; the New Year's sun illuminated the small corpse... But no one knew what she saw, in what splendor she ascended, together with her grandmother, to the New Year's joys in the sky!Unfortunately, not all fairy tales end happily. And this one is impossible to read without tears. How can it be that a child wanders the streets on New Year's Eve in the hope of selling at least one match? She warmed her little fingers, and the shadows from the tiny fire outlined scenes of a happy life that she could see through other people's windows.
We don’t even know the baby’s name - for us she will always be the little match girl who, due to the greed and indifference of adults, flew to heaven.
6. Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol"
“These are joyful days - days of mercy, kindness, forgiveness. These are the only days in the entire calendar when people seem to tacit consent, freely open their hearts to each other and see in their neighbors, even the poor and disadvantaged, people just like themselves.”This work has become a favorite for more than one generation. We know his film adaptation of A Christmas Carol.
This is the story of the greedy Ebenezer Scrooge, for whom nothing is more important than money. Compassion, mercy, joy, love are alien to him. But everything is about to change on Christmas Eve...
There is a little Scrooge in each of us, and it is so important not to miss the moment, to open the doors to love and mercy, so that this curmudgeon does not completely take possession of us.
7. Catherine Holabert "Angelina Meets Christmas"
“Bright stars lit up in the sky. White flakes of snow quietly fell to the ground. Angelina had great mood, and every now and then she began to dance on the sidewalk, to the surprise of passers-by.”Little mouse Angelina is looking forward to Christmas. She had already planned what she would do at home, but now she noticed a lonely, sad Mr. Bell in the window, who had no one to celebrate the holiday with. Sweet Angelina decides to help Mr. Bell, but she doesn’t even suspect that thanks to her good heart will find the real Santa Claus!
8. Susan Wojciechowski "Mr. Toomey's Christmas Miracle"
“Your sheep, of course, is beautiful, but my sheep was also happy... After all, they were next to the baby Jesus, and this is such happiness for them!”Mr Toomey makes his living as a wood carver. Once upon a time he smiled and was happy. But after the loss of his wife and son, he became gloomy and was nicknamed Mr. Gloomy by the neighborhood children. One Christmas Eve, a widow with her little son came knocking and asked him to make them Christmas figurines, since they had lost theirs after moving. It would seem that there is nothing wrong with an ordinary order, but gradually this work changes Mr. Toomey...
9. Nikolai Gogol “The Night Before Christmas”
“Patsyuk opened his mouth, looked at the dumplings and opened his mouth even more. At this time, the dumpling splashed out of the bowl, plopped into the sour cream, turned over to the other side, jumped up and just landed in his mouth. Patsyuk ate it and opened his mouth again, and the dumpling went out again in the same order. He only took upon himself the labor of chewing and swallowing.”A long-loved work for both adults and children. An amazing story about evenings on a farm near Dikanka, which formed the basis of films, musicals and cartoons. But if your child does not yet know the story of Vakula, Oksana, Solokha, Chub and other heroes, and also has not heard that the devil can steal the moon, and what other miracles happen on the night before Christmas, it is worth devoting several evenings to this fascinating story .
10. Fyodor Dostoevsky “The Boy at Christ’s Christmas Tree”
“These boys and girls were all the same as he, children, but some froze in their baskets, in which they were thrown onto the stairs..., others suffocated at the Chukhonkas, from the orphanage on food, others died at the withered breast their mothers..., the fourth suffocated in third-class carriages from the stench, and they are all here now, all of them are now like angels, all of them are with Christ, and he himself is in the midst of them, and stretches out his hands to them, and blesses them and their sinners mothers..."This is a difficult work; without pathos or decoration, the author truthfully depicts the life of the poor. Parents will have to explain a lot, because, thank God, our children do not know such hardships as the main character.
The little boy is frozen from the cold and exhausted from hunger. His mother died in some dark basement, and he is looking for a piece of bread on Christmas Eve. The boy probably sees someone else for the first time in his life, happy life. Only she is there, outside the windows of wealthy people. The boy was able to get to the Christmas tree to see Christ, but after he froze outside...
11. Marco Cheremshina “Tear”
“The blessed angel began to fly from hut to hut with darunkas on her porch... Marusya lies in the snow, the sky freezes. Tell me, angel!”This short story will not leave either adults or children indifferent. The whole life of a poor family fit on one page. Marusya's mother became seriously ill. To prevent her mother from dying, the little girl goes to the city to get medicine. But the Christmas frost does not spare the child, and snow pours into his holey boots as if out of spite.
Marusya is exhausted and quietly dies in the snow. Her only hope is the last child's tear, which miraculously fell on the cheek of the Christmas angel...
12. Mikhail Kotsyubinsky “Christmas tree”
“The horses, racing over the tracks and over the piles, became sweaty and steel. Vasilko got lost. You were hungry and scared. Vin burst into tears. There was a hut all around, the cold wind was blowing and the snow was swirling, and Vasilkova dreamed of the warmth, the clearness of her father’s hut...”A deep, dramatic, insightful work. It will not leave any reader indifferent, and the intrigue will not let you relax until the very end.
Once upon a time, little Vasyl’s father gave him a Christmas tree; it grew in the garden and made the boy happy. And today, on Christmas Eve, my father sold the tree because the family really, really needed money. When they cut down the tree, it seemed to Vasyl that she was about to cry, and the boy himself seemed to have lost a dear person.
But Vasylko also had to take the tree to the city. The road went through the forest, the Christmas frost crackled, the snow covered all the tracks, and, as luck would have it, the sleigh also broke down. It is not surprising that Vasylko got lost in the forest. Will the boy be able to find his way home, and will Christmas be a joyful holiday for his family?
13. Lydia Podvysotskaya “The Tale of a Christmas Angel”
“A flying angel flew through the streets of a snowy place. It was so soft and gentle, all woven with joy and love. The angel was carrying at his bag a golden fairy tale for better-hearing children.”The Christmas angel looked into one of the rooms and saw little boy, who was in a fever and breathing hoarsely, and above him, bent over, sat a slightly older girl. The angel realized that the children were orphans. It is very difficult and scary for them to live without their mother. But that’s why he’s a Christmas angel, to help and protect good children...
14. Maria Shkurina “A star as a gift for mom”
“More than anything else in the world, I need to be healthy. If I’m healthy, you decide to get up from your bed and, like a bygone fate, take Gannusya by the hand and go for a walk.”Little Anya’s mother has been sick for a long time, and the doctor just looks away and sadly shakes his head. And tomorrow is Christmas. Last year they had so much fun with the whole family, but now mom can’t even get out of bed. A little girl remembers that wishes come true at Christmas and asks the star in the sky for health for her mother. Will a distant star hear a child’s prayer?
Christmas is the period when magic comes into its own. Teach your children to believe in miracles, in the power of love and faith, and to do good themselves. And these wonderful stories will help you with this.
“There are holidays that have their own smell. At Easter, Trinity and Christmas there is something special in the air. Even non-believers love these holidays. My brother, for example, interprets that there is no God, and on Easter he is the first to run to matins” (A.P. Chekhov, story “On the Way”).
Orthodox Christmas is just around the corner! Happy Celebration have a bright day(and even several - Christmastide) there are many associated interesting traditions. In Rus', it was customary to devote this period to serving one’s neighbor and deeds of mercy. Everyone knows the tradition of caroling - singing songs in honor of the born Christ. Winter holidays inspired many writers to create magical Christmas works.
There is even special genre Christmas story. The plots in it are very close to each other: often the heroes of Christmas works find themselves in a state of spiritual or material crisis, the resolution of which requires a miracle. Christmas stories are imbued with light and hope, and only a few of them have a sad ending. Especially often, Christmas stories are dedicated to the triumph of mercy, compassion and love.
Especially for you, dear readers, we have prepared a selection of the best Christmas stories, both Russian and foreign writers. Read and enjoy, may the festive mood last longer!
"The Gift of the Magi", O. Henry
A well-known story about sacrificial love, which will give everything for the happiness of its neighbor. A story about tremulous feelings that cannot but surprise and delight. In the finale, the author ironically remarks: “And here I told you an unremarkable story about two stupid children from an eight-dollar apartment who, in the most unwise way, sacrificed their greatest treasures for each other.” But the author does not make excuses, he only confirms that the gifts of his heroes were more important than the gifts of the Magi: “But let it be said for the edification of the sages of our days that of all the givers these two were the wisest. Of all those who offer and receive gifts, only those like them are truly wise. Everywhere and everywhere. They are the Magi." As Joseph Brodsky said, “at Christmas everyone is a little wise man.”
“Nikolka”, Evgeniy Poselyanin
The plot of this Christmas story is very simple. At Christmas time, the stepmother acted very meanly to her stepson; he should have died. At the Christmas service, a woman experiences belated repentance. But on a bright holiday night a miracle happens...
By the way, Evgeny Poselyanin has wonderful memories of his childhood experience of Christmas - “ Christmas Days" You read and are immersed in the pre-revolutionary atmosphere of noble estates, childhood and joy.
"A Christmas Carol", Charles Dickens
Dickens's work - the history of the present spiritual rebirth person. Main character, Scrooge, was a miser, became a merciful philanthropist, and turned from a lone wolf into a sociable and friendly person. And this change was helped by the spirits who flew to him and showed him his possible future. Observing different situations from his past and future, the hero felt remorse for his wrong life.
“The Boy at Christ’s Christmas Tree”, F. M. Dostoevsky
A touching story with a sad (and joyful at the same time) ending. I doubt whether it is worth reading to children, especially sensitive ones. But for adults, perhaps it’s worth it. For what? I would answer with the words of Chekhov: “It is necessary that behind the door of everyone there is a happy happy person someone would stand with a hammer and constantly remind him by knocking that there are unfortunate people, that, no matter how happy he is, life will sooner or later show him its claws, trouble will happen - illness, poverty, loss, and no one will see him or will hear how now he does not see or hear others.”
Dostoevsky included it in the “Diary of a Writer” and he himself was surprised how this story came out of his pen. And the author’s writer’s intuition tells him that this could very well happen in reality. Like tragic story The main sad storyteller of all times, H. H. Andersen, also has it - “The Little Match Girl”.
"Gifts of the Christ Child" by George MacDonald
The story of a young family going through difficult times in their relationships, difficulties with a nanny, and alienation from their daughter. The last one is the sensitive, lonely girl Sophie (or Fosi). It was through her that joy and light returned to the house. The story emphasizes: the main gifts of Christ are not gifts under the tree, but love, peace and mutual understanding.
“Christmas Letter”, Ivan Ilyin
I would call this short work, composed of two letters from a mother and son, a real hymn of love. She is the one unconditional love, runs like a red thread through the entire work and is its main theme. It is this state that resists loneliness and defeats it.
“Whoever loves, his heart blooms and smells fragrant; and he gives his love just like a flower gives its scent. But then he is not alone, because his heart is with the one he loves: he thinks about him, cares about him, rejoices in his joy and suffers from his suffering. He doesn't have time to feel lonely or think about whether he is lonely or not. In love a person forgets himself; he lives with others, he lives in others. And this is happiness.”
Christmas is a holiday of overcoming loneliness and alienation, it is the day of the manifestation of Love...
"God in the Cave", Gilbert Chesterton
We are accustomed to perceive Chesterton primarily as the author of detective stories about Father Brown. But he wrote in different genres: he is the author of several hundred poems, 200 short stories, 4000 essays, a number of plays, the novels “The Man Who Was Thursday”, “The Ball and the Cross”, “The Migratory Tavern” and much more. Chesterton was also an excellent publicist and deep thinker. In particular, his essay “God in the Cave” is an attempt to comprehend the events of two thousand years ago. I recommend it to people with a philosophical mindset.
“Silver Blizzard”, Vasily Nikiforov-Volgin
Nikiforov-Volgin in his work surprisingly subtly shows the world of children's faith. His stories are permeated with a festive atmosphere. So, in the story “Silver Blizzard”, with trepidation and love, he shows the boy with his zeal for piety, on the one hand, and with mischief and pranks, on the other. Consider one apt phrase from the story: “These days I don’t want anything earthly, especially school!”
Holy Night, Selma Lagerlöf
Story Selma Lagerlöf continues the theme of childhood.
Grandmother tells her granddaughter interesting legend about Christmas. It is not canonical in the strict sense, but it reflects the spontaneity of the people's faith. This amazing story about mercy and how “a pure heart opens the eyes with which a person can enjoy seeing the beauty of heaven.”
“Christ visiting a man”, “Unchangeable ruble”, “At Christmas they offended”, Nikolai Leskov
These three stories struck me to the core, so it was difficult to choose the best one. I discovered Leskov from some unexpected side. These works by the author have common features. This and fascinating story, and general ideas of mercy, forgiveness and doing good deeds. Examples of heroes from these works surprise, evoke admiration and a desire to imitate.
"Reader! be kind: intervene in our history too, remember what today’s Newborn taught you: to punish or to have mercy? To the One who gave you the "verbs" eternal life"...Think! This is very worth your thought, and the choice is not difficult for you... Do not be afraid to seem funny and stupid if you act according to the rule of the One who said to you: “Forgive the offender and gain yourself a brother in him” (N. S. Leskov, “Under Christmas was offended."
Many novels have chapters dedicated to Christmas, for example, in “The Unquenchable Lamp” by B. Shiryaev, “Conduit and Schwambrania” by L. Kassil, “In the First Circle” by A. Solzhenitsyn, “The Summer of the Lord” by I. S. Shmelev.
The Christmas story, for all its apparent naivety, fabulousness and unusualness, has always been loved by adults. Maybe because Christmas stories are primarily about goodness, about faith in miracles and the possibility of human spiritual rebirth?
Christmas is truly a holiday of children's faith in miracles... Many Christmas stories dedicated to describing this pure joy of childhood. I will quote wonderful words from one of them: “The great holiday of Christmas, surrounded by spiritual poetry, is especially understandable and close to a child... The Divine Child was born, and to Him be praise, glory and honor of the world. Everyone rejoiced and rejoiced. And in memory of the Holy Child, on these days of bright memories, all children should have fun and rejoice. This is their day, a holiday of innocent, pure childhood...” (Klavdiya Lukashevich, “Christmas Holiday”).
P.S. When preparing this collection, I read a lot of Christmas stories, but, of course, not all of them in the world. I chose according to my taste those that seemed the most fascinating and artistically expressive. Preference was given to little-known works, which is why, for example, the list does not include N. Gogol’s “The Night Before Christmas” or Hoffmann’s “The Nutcracker.”
What are your favorite Christmas works, dear matrons?
Yuletide and Christmas stories in Russian literature of the 18th-21st centuries.
Wonderful winter holidays have long included, and probably still include, ancient folk Christmastide (pagan in origin), the church holiday of the Nativity of Christ, and the secular holiday of the New Year.
Literature has always been a reflection of the life of the people and society, and the mysterious Christmas theme is simply a treasure trove of fantastic stories that convey the world of the wonderful and otherworldly, always bewitching and attracting the average reader.
Christmastide, in the succinct expression of A. Shakhovsky, is “evenings of national fun”: fun, laughter, mischief are explained by a person’s desire to influence the future (in accordance with the proverb “as you begin, so you end” or with the modern one - “how you celebrate the New Year, That’s how you’ll get through it”).
It was believed that the more fun a person spends the beginning of the year, the more prosperous the year will be...
Artist A. Emelyanov "Christmastide"
However, where there is excessive laughter, fun, fervor, it is always restless and even somehow alarming... This is where an intriguing plot begins to develop: detective, fantastic or simply romantic... The plot is always dedicated to Holy Days - the time from Christmas to Epiphany .
In Russian literature, the Yuletide theme began to develop from the middle of the 18th century: at first there were anonymous comedies about games, Yuletide tales and stories. Their characteristic feature was the long-standing idea that it is during the Yuletide period that “evil spirits” - devils, goblins, kikimoras, banniks, etc. - become most active. This emphasizes the hostility and danger of Yuletide time...
Fortune-telling, caroling by mummers, and dish songs became widespread among the people. Meanwhile, the Orthodox Church has long condemned such behavior as sinful. The decree of Patriarch Joachim of 1684, prohibiting Yuletide “possessions,” says that they lead a person into “soul-destructive sin.” Yuletide games, fortune-telling and mummery (“mask-playing”, putting on “animal-like mugs”) have always been condemned by the Church.
Subsequently, a need arose for folk Christmas tales and stories to be processed literary. Writers, poets, ethnographers and folklorists began to engage in these activities, in particular M.D. Chulkov, who published the humorous magazine “Both and Sio” throughout 1769, and F.D. Nefedov, from the end of the 19th century. who published magazines with a Christmas theme, and, of course, V.A. Zhukovsky, who created the most popular Russian ballad “Svetlana”, which is based on a folk story about a heroine fortune-telling at Christmas time...
Many people also turned to the Christmas theme poets of the 19th century in: A. Pushkin (“Fortune telling and Tatyana’s dream” (excerpt from the novel “Eugene Onegin”), A. Pleshcheev (“The Legend of the Child Christ”), Y. Polonsky (“Yolka”), A. Fet (“Fortune telling "), etc.
Gradually, during the development of romanticism, the Christmas story attracts the whole world of the miraculous. Many stories are based on the miracle of Bethlehem, and this is the transformation of just a Christmas story into a Christmas story...
The Christmas story in Russian literature, unlike Western literature, appeared only in the 40s. XIX century This is explained by the special role of the holiday, which is different from Europe.
Christmas Day is a great Christian holiday, the second most important after Easter.
For a long time in Russia, the world celebrated Christmastide, and only the Church celebrated the Nativity of Christ.
In the West, the Christian tradition became much earlier and more closely intertwined with the pagan one; in particular, this happened with the custom of decorating and lighting a Christmas tree for Christmas. The ancient pagan rite of veneration of the tree turned into a Christian custom. The Christmas tree became a symbol of the Divine Child. The Christmas tree entered Russia late and took root slowly, like any Western innovation.
From the middle of the 19th century. The appearance of the first stories is also associated with Christmas themes. Earlier texts, such as “The Night Before Christmas” by N.V. Gogol, are not indicative; firstly, Gogol’s story depicts Christmastide in Ukraine, where the celebration and experience of Christmas was closer to the Western one, and secondly, Gogol, the pagan element (“devilishness”) prevails over the Christian.
Another thing is “Night at Christmas” by the Moscow writer and actor K. Baranov, published in 1834. This is really a Christmas story: the leading motive in it is mercy and sympathy for the child - a typical motive of the Christmas story.
The massive appearance of such texts was observed after the Christmas stories of Charles Dickens from the early 1840s were translated into Russian. - “A Christmas Carol”, “Bells”, “Cricket on the Stove”, and later others.
These stories were a huge success among Russian readers and gave rise to many imitations and variations. One of the first writers to turn to the Dickenian tradition was D.V. Grigorovich, who published the story “Winter Evening” in 1853.
“The Lord of the Fleas” and “The Nutcracker” by Hoffmann and some of Andersen’s fairy tales, especially “The Christmas Tree” and “The Little Match Girl,” played an important role in the emergence of Russian Christmas prose.
The plot of the last fairy tale was used by F.M. Dostoevsky in the story “The Boy at Christ’s Christmas Tree”, and later by V. Nemirovich-Danchenko in the story “Stupid Fedka”.
The death of a child on Christmas night is an element of phantasmagoria and a too terrible event, emphasizing the crime of all humanity against children...
But from a Christian point of view, little heroes acquire true happiness not on earth, but in Heaven: they become angels and end up on the Christmas tree of Christ Himself. Actually, a miracle occurs: the miracle of Bethlehem repeatedly affects the destinies of people...
Later, Christmas and Yuletide stories were written by almost all major prose writers from the 19th century. XX centuries Yuletide and Christmas stories could be funny and sad, funny and scary, they could end with a wedding or the death of heroes, reconciliation or a quarrel.
But with all the diversity of their plots, they all had something in common - something that was in harmony with the festive mood of the reader, sometimes sentimental, sometimes uncontrollably cheerful, invariably causing a response in the hearts.
Each such story was based on “a small event that had a very festive character” (N.S. Leskov), which made it possible to give them a general subtitle. The terms “Christmas story” and “Yuletide story” were, for the most part, used as synonyms: in texts under the heading “Yuletide story” motifs associated with the holiday of Christmas could predominate, and the subtitle “Christmas story” did not at all imply the absence of folk motifs in the text Christmas time...
The best examples of the genre were created by N.S. Leskov. In 1886, the writer wrote a whole cycle of “Yuletide Stories.”
In the story “The Pearl Necklace,” he reflects on the genre: “It is absolutely required of a Christmas story that it be timed to coincide with the events of the Christmas Eve - from Christmas to Epiphany, that it be somewhat fantastic, have some kind of moral... and, finally - so that it certainly ends cheerfully.
There are few such events in life, and therefore the author is forced to invent himself and compose a plot suitable for the program.”
Both “Vanka” and “On Christmastide” by A.P. Chekhov are unique Yuletide stories.
In n. XX century, with the development of modernism in literature, parodies of the Yuletide genre and humorous recommendations on how to write Yuletide stories began to appear.
So, for example, in the newspaper “Rech” in 1909, O.L.D”or (Orsher I.) published the following guide for young writers:
“Any person with hands, two kopecks for paper, pen and ink and no talent can write a Christmas story.
You just need to adhere to the well-known system and firmly remember the following rules:
1) Without a pig, a goose, a Christmas tree and a good man, a Christmas story is not valid.
2) The words “manger”, “star” and “love” should be repeated at least ten, but no more than two to three thousand times.
3) The ringing of bells, tenderness and repentance should be at the end of the story, and not at the beginning of it.
Everything else doesn’t matter.”
The parodies indicated that the Yuletide genre had exhausted its possibilities. Of course, one cannot help but note the interest in the spiritual sphere among the intelligentsia of that time.
But the Yuletide story moves away from its traditional norms. Sometimes, as, for example, in V. Bryusov’s story “The Child and the Madman,” it provides an opportunity to depict mentally extreme situations: the miracle of Bethlehem as an unconditional reality in the story is perceived only by the child and the mentally ill Semyon.
In other cases, Christmas works are based on medieval and apocryphal texts, in which religious moods and feelings are especially intensively reproduced (the contribution of A.M. Remizov is important here).
Sometimes, by reproducing the historical setting, the Yuletide plot is given a special flavor (as, for example, in the story by S. Auslander “Christmastide in Old Petersburg”), sometimes the story gravitates towards an action-packed psychological novel.
The traditions of the Christmas story were especially honored by A. Kuprin, creating excellent examples of the genre - stories about faith, goodness and mercy “The Poor Prince” and “The Wonderful Doctor”, as well as writers from Russia abroad I. A. Bunin (“Epiphany Night”, etc.) , I.S. Shmelev (“Christmas”, etc.) and V. Nikiforov-Volgin (“Silver Blizzard”, etc.).
In many Christmas stories, the theme of childhood is the main one. This theme is developed by the statesman and Christian thinker K. Pobedonostsev in his essay “Christmas”: “The Nativity of Christ and Holy Easter are holidays primarily for children, and in them the power of Christ’s words seems to be fulfilled:
Unless you are like children, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Other holidays are not so accessible to children’s understanding...”
“A quiet night over the Palestinian fields, a secluded den, a manger. Surrounded by those domestic animals that are familiar to the child from the first impressions of memory - in the manger the entwined Baby and above Him the meek, loving Mother with a thoughtful gaze and a clear smile of maternal happiness - three magnificent kings following a star to a wretched den with gifts - and in the distance on the field there are shepherds in the middle of their flock, listening to the joyful news of the Angel and the mysterious choir of the Heavenly Forces.
Then the villain Herod, pursuing the innocent Child; the massacre of the infants in Bethlehem, then the journey of the holy family to Egypt - how much life and action there is in all this, how much interest for a child!”
And not only for a child... Holy days are such an amazing time when everyone becomes children: simple, sincere, open, kind and loving to everyone.
Later, and not surprisingly, the Christmas story was “revolutionarily” transformed into a New Year’s story. New Year as a holiday replaces Christmas, and the kind Father Frost comes to replace Christ the Child...
But the state of awe and expectation of a miracle is also present in the “new” stories. “Christmas tree in Sokolniki”, “Three assassination attempts on V.I. Lenin” by V.D. Bonch-Bruevich, “Chuk and Gek” by A. Gaidar are some of the best Soviet idylls. There is also no doubt that E. Ryazanov’s films “Carnival Night” and “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath” are oriented towards this tradition...