Catholic or Orthodox Christmas. What to celebrate an atheist? Why is Orthodox Christmas not the same as Catholic? Is it possible to work Orthodox on Catholic Christmas
Christians of all denominations have experienced a very important time- preparation for one of the two most important holidays - Christmas. However, followers of different branches of Christianity not only celebrate this holiday at different times, but also prepare for it in different ways.
Christian churches living in Gregorian calendar(the so-called new style), note Nativity at night from 24 to 25 December. Living in a new style Catholic Church and all Protestant confessions. Ten out of 15 local Orthodox Churches celebrate holidays according to the so-called New Julian calendar, which currently coincides with the Gregorian. All churches living according to the new style, as well as most residents of countries whose culture is based on Western values, will celebrate the birth of the son of God on the night of December 24-25, 2017.
By julian calendar(the so-called old style) Christmas will come 14 days later. Believers adhering to the old style will celebrate this amazing holiday on the night of from 6 to 7 January.
According to the Julian calendar, there are five Orthodox churches in the world. These are the Russian Orthodox Church, the Jerusalem, Georgian, Serbian and Polish Orthodox churches, as well as Athos monasteries. Together with them, some Catholics of the so-called Eastern rite and a small number of Protestants will celebrate Christmas on the night of January 6-7.
This question is quite complicated, especially considering that the celebration Easter Orthodox and Catholics sometimes coincide.
The Gregorian calendar was first introduced by the Pope Gregory XIII in Catholic countries in 1582 instead of the former Julian. This was done because of the accumulated backlog that arose due to the fact that in julian calendar leap years were not taken into account.
In Soviet Russia, the Gregorian calendar was introduced by decree of January 26, 1918, but the Russian Orthodox Church did not recognize this, although such attempts were made.
In 1923, most of the local Orthodox churches adopted the New Julian calendar, similar to the Gregorian one, and began to celebrate holidays at the same time as Catholics and Protestants. However, the Russian, Jerusalem, Georgian and Serbian Orthodox churches, as well as the monasteries of Athos, refused to comply with this decision. Thus, the Russian Orthodox Church still adheres to the old style, and most Russians, even those who are far from religion, celebrate Christian holidays according to the Julian calendar.
That's why catholic Christmas will come December 25, a Orthodox - January 7.
Why Christmas doesn’t coincide with Catholics and Orthodox, and everything is more complicated with Easter
As you know, there are holidays in Christianity non-transitory, that is, fixed in the calendar and always celebrated on the same day, and rolling (that is, having a floating date).
So, in 1948, at the Moscow meeting of Orthodox churches, a resolution was adopted that Easter and all movable holidays should be calculated according to the Julian calendar, and non-transitory ones - according to the calendar according to which the local church lives.
But in fact, you just need to accept and remember all this, and as for the passing holidays, for example, Easter, just check their date annually according to the church calendar.
How Orthodox and Catholics prepare for Christmas
Orthodox Christians start preparing for Christmas more than a month in advance - for this there is Christmas post, which starts November 28 and lasts 40 days - until the evening of January 6. Read more about how it is customary in Orthodoxy to observe the Advent fast.
For Catholics and Lutherans, the preparation for Christmas is called advent, this time is also accompanied by fasting and traditional rites, which have not only religious, but also cultural meaning.
What is Advent
advent(from the Latin word adventus - parish) is the name of the pre-Christmas period, in its spiritual meaning similar to the Christmas fast among the Orthodox.
Advent is especially important for Catholics - after all, this is the time of spiritual and bodily preparation for the feast of the Nativity of Christ. It should be noted here that if the Orthodox consider the main Christian holiday Easter, then in the Western tradition in the first place is exactly Christmas, so everything connected with it is extremely important for Catholics and Protestants.
Advent lasts four weeks - until the Catholic Christmas, that is, it is about a third shorter than the 40-day Orthodox Advent fast. During Advent, it is also customary for Western Christians to fast, although not as strict as in Orthodoxy, and to do various good deeds.
First Sunday of Advent
One of important days before Catholic Christmas first Sunday of Advent, which in 2017 accounted for December 3.
On this day, the first candle is lit in the traditional Advent wreath - Candle of prophecy, which symbolizes the connection between the Old and New Testaments.
Second Sunday of Advent
In second Sunday of Advent, which falls on December 10, along with the first candle, the second is lit. The second candle is called Bethlehem- it is lit in memory of the maiden's journey Mary and saint Joseph to Bethlehem and about being born there Jesus.
Third Sunday of Advent
Third Sunday of Advent will come December 17. This day is symbolized by the third candle, which is called Shepherds Candle. It is lit along with the first two. The third candle is dedicated to the shepherds, who were the first to come to worship the baby Jesus.
Catholic Christmas Eve
AT Christmas Eve- Christmas Eve (December 24) - lit fourth advent candle, which is called Candle of angels. This candle symbolizes the divine essence of Christ.
On Christmas Eve, all four candles are lit in the Advent wreath.
Read more about how Western Christians celebrate Christmas Federal News Agency.
Although Advent is considered a period of prayer and fasting, but in Western countries it is also a very fun time, dedicated to the expectation of a miracle, with which Christmas is invariably associated. In all settlements- from magnificent European capitals to small mountain villages - fairs and sales are organized, Christmas markets are opened, which tourists love to visit so much. Everyone is trying to stock up on gifts that are usually given to both children and adults at Christmas.
Christmas is approaching - one of the main holidays in the Christian church calendar. Representatives of different faiths celebrate this holiday in different ways.
Why do Catholics celebrate Christmas on December 25 of the year, and Orthodox on January 7?
Christmas is celebrated in more than a hundred countries around the world. Why did it happen that Catholics celebrate Christmas on December 25, 2019, and Orthodox on January 7, 2020?
According to tradition, the Jerusalem, Russian, Georgian, Serbian Orthodox and some other churches celebrate this holiday on January 7 (December 25, old style) in accordance with the Julian calendar, and the Catholic Church and most Protestant churches- December 25, according to the Gregorian.
That is, in the Russian Orthodox and some other churches, the Julian calendar is taken as the basis, in the Catholic - the Gregorian, so the dates of the holiday are different. And yet everyone celebrates the birth of the Son of God on December 25, however, each according to his own calendar.
For Catholics, Christmas has five days of prefeast (from December 20 to 24) and six days of postfeast. In many European countries, December 25 is a public holiday followed by several non-working days.
On the day of Christmas, solemn services are held in churches. The holiday is also celebrated in the family circle. On Catholic Christmas Eve, relatives and friends gather at the festive table, serving Lenten dishes to the table and breaking the wafers (Christmas bread).
People congratulate each other on the upcoming holiday and forgive each other insults. An integral part of the holiday among Europeans are children's theatrical performances, scenes from the Bible associated with birth God's Son. These days, the shops begin the period of Christmas sales.
Is it possible for the Orthodox to celebrate Catholic Christmas?
If there is no special reason for this, for example, there are no Catholics among your friends, and you are not going to a Catholic country for Christmas, you should not celebrate this holiday on December 25th. After all, at this time, the Orthodox believers still have a Christmas fast.
So do not abandon your tradition in favor of the Catholic. These are the recommendations of the Orthodox Church, which believers follow.
Now you know why Orthodox Christmas does not coincide with Catholic. Christmas is a wonderful holiday, warmed by the warmth of our loved ones and faith in a miracle.
Be sure to congratulate your friends and relatives with him, regardless of whether they are Orthodox believers or Catholics.
The word "Christ" does not mean "the Anointed One", but...
BDG-online:
A small educational program for those who do not yet know why Orthodox and Catholic Christmas are celebrated with a difference of two weeks.
The fact is that the Catholic Church switched to a new style of reckoning, that is, it adopted the Gregorian calendar, while the Russian Orthodox Church continues to live according to the Julian calendar with a lag of 13 days. Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25, according to the new style (or January 7, according to the old one)? It's simple: exactly then exactly nine months have passed since the day of the Annunciation, that is, from the day when Mary received news from an angel that the Savior of mankind would be born to her.
On December 25, in addition to Belarusian Catholics - and they are 14 percent of all believers, Protestants and part of the Uniates also celebrate Christmas.
Atheists, on the other hand, are used to celebrating this holiday on both ...
Can an Orthodox Christian Celebrate Catholic Christmas?
How does an Orthodox person relate to Catholic Christmas? Can it be celebrated?
Everyone has the same Christmas. But Catholics celebrate it according to the Gregorian calendar, and we, the Orthodox, according to the Julian. On December 25, the Orthodox still have a Christmas fast.
Do not celebrate Christmas on December 25 on purpose, when there is no special reason for it. But, for example, if there are Catholics in your family, why not rejoice with them on the Savior's birthday. Or if you find yourself in a Catholic country: there is no need to shy away from general rejoicing, because people glorify Christ. But there is no need to abandon your tradition in favor of the Catholic one - we have January 7 to celebrate the Nativity of Christ together with almost the entire Orthodox world.
It is important to determine: what, in fact, is Christmas for us? It's not just rollercoaster rides and gifts under the tree. First of all, this is the service and Communion as its…
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___die Geburten der Tag…morgen der anfang der Tage___
…Machiavelli dei Nicolaus di Bernardo…
Catholic Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. In more than 145 countries around the world, it is an official public holiday and one of the main religious holidays in a year. In essence, Orthodox and Catholic Christmas have the same roots that go back to the oldest pre-Christian cultures. Therefore, many Catholic Christmas customs are also no different from the traditions of Orthodox Christians. Although Catholic Christmas has its own characteristics, nevertheless.
Features of the Catholic Christmas
For Catholics, Christmas plays much greater value, how New Year. A month before Christmas, Aventa begins, a time of strict fasting and repentance. The actual preparation for the holiday begins on December 20. Until the moment when the first star appears in the sky on the evening of December 24, announcing the birth of Jesus, this is the period of pre-celebration. From December 24 to January 1 - this is directly the feast of the Nativity of Christ itself, the so-called "octave", consisting of 8 ...
The first mention of Christmas is in the annals of the 4th century. It is not known exactly what date Jesus Christ was born, but based on the fact that the Incarnation (the day of Christ's conception, the Annunciation) is celebrated nine months before Christmas, December 25 is considered the accepted date of his birth.
The first Christians were Jews and did not celebrate Christmas (according to Jewish doctrine, the birth of a person is “the beginning of sorrows and pains”). For Christians, the feast of the Resurrection of Christ (Easter) has been and is more important from a doctrinal point of view. After the Greeks (and other Hellenistic peoples) entered the Christian communities, under the influence of Hellenistic customs, the celebration of the Nativity of Christ was also begun.
The ancient Christian feast of the Epiphany on January 6 ideologically combined both Christmas and the Epiphany of the Lord, which later became different holidays.
In fact, in ancient times there was no single date for this holiday, but later Universal Church Decided to celebrate Christmas...
Christmas is one of the main spiritual Orthodox holidays, which is celebrated on December 25 by Catholics and on January 7 by Orthodox.
Both religions celebrate Christmas Eve - the evening before Christmas night (Jesus was born at night - hence another legend about the Star of Bethlehem.) The name in Russian comes from the word sochivo - wheat grains moistened with berry juice or honey. The feast of Christmas itself is the date of breaking the fast - liberation from fasting and indulgence in gluttony.
What is the difference between Catholic and Orthodox Christmas?
the date
The discrepancy between the celebration of the Nativity of Christ by Western and Eastern churches due to the different systems of chronology adopted by them. After the new Gregorian calendar was compiled in the West, Catholics and Protestants began to celebrate Christmas two weeks earlier than the Orthodox. We draw the attention of readers to the fact that the date is actually the same, and the difference is in the calendar.
The Catholics...
Orthodox and Catholic Christmas - what's the difference?
Christmas is a shortened name for the holiday - the Nativity of Christ. According to biblical legends, the birth of the baby Christ to the virgin Mary took place in the Jewish city of Bethlehem on the night of December 24-25.
In what year exactly the messiah appeared to the world, scholars, historians and theologians are still arguing. The period between 12 BC is called. and 7 AD. (Where then the modern chronology, which is conducted "from the birth of Christ", came from, is not entirely clear). The date of December 25 was first mentioned in chronicles in 221 AD. The first Christians were Jews and this holiday was not celebrated at all. Believers widely enough began to honor the date of the birth of Christ from about the fifth century.
However, these details are not very interesting to us, because the Christmas holiday has long lost its exclusively religious coloring and has turned into just a pleasant family holiday, in which it is customary to meet with relatives on this day and ...
The first information about the celebration of Christmas can be attributed to the 4th century. The question of the true date of the birth of Jesus continues to be controversial and not unambiguously resolved among church authors.
Probably, the choice of the date of December 25 is related to the solar pagan holiday "Birth of the Invincible Sun", which fell on this day. It is quite possible that after the adoption of Christianity in Rome, it acquired a new content.
The Nativity of Christ has five days of pre-feast and six days of post-feast. On the eve of the holiday, a strict fast is observed, which is called Christmas Eve, since on this day they eat sochivo - barley or wheat grains boiled with honey.
In the 13th century, the custom arose to exhibit mangers in churches, in which the figure of the Infant Jesus is placed. After a while, mangers began to be installed not only in shrines, but also in houses before Christmas. Church and pagan customs - rituals are extremely organically intertwined with each other, complementing each other ...
0iStalker
> Why Orthodox celebrate the pagan New Year?
> Why do atheists and Orthodox celebrate catholic halloween and saint's day
> Valentine?
> Why believers celebrate March 8, a day with a very dubious history and
>contrasted with Christian religious worldview?
> Why believing Christians trudge through pagan horoscopes, contrary to
> prescriptions of spiritual mentors?
1. New Year is by no means a pagan holiday. The history of this holiday in Russia is of agricultural importance and it was originally celebrated in September, when the harvest was being harvested. Later, Emperor Peter I moved the holiday to January 1, and, if I don’t confuse anything, he came up with the attribute of the holiday, which has become so integral, like Santa Claus.
2. Orthodox don't celebrate Halloween, for Russians it's just another reason to relax a bit and another reason not to go to work. Orthodox Valentine's Day is also not celebrated, but this is superfluous ...
Christmas is the most beloved holiday, covered with light and joy. It contains so much warmth, kindness and love that you want to give away these feelings along with gifts to friends and relatives. But sometimes it happens that they celebrate this event on a completely different day. How is this possible? When should Christmas be celebrated, and what are the differences? Let's try to figure it out.
history of the holiday
The gospel says: Jesus was born in Bethlehem, where His mother Mary and Joseph the Betrothed went to take part in the announced census. Due to the influx of visitors, all the hotels were occupied, so they had to settle in a cave that served as a barn for cattle. It was there that the Son of God was born. An angel brought the news of His birth to the shepherds, who hurried to bow to Him. Another sign of the appearance of the Messiah was the delightful star of bethlehem, which lit up in the sky and showed the way to the Magi. They brought gifts to the Child - frankincense, myrrh and ...
1. Why does Easter not coincide for Orthodox and Catholics?…
You can often hear such definitions as "Orthodox" and "Catholic" Christmas. What is the difference between them? First things first, the date: Catholics celebrate the holiday on December 25, Russian Orthodox - on January 7.
It all started with the fact that in 1582 a new one was introduced in Europe - the Gregorian calendar. The Julian that was in force before had a significant drawback: every 128 years an error occurred in comparison with the year of the equinox - an “extra” day ran up. In the Julian calendar, all years that are multiples of 4 are leap years. A Gregorian year is a leap year if it is a multiple of 4 and is not a multiple of 100, or if it is a multiple of 400, which makes "errors" less common.
Russia switched to the new style in 1918, by which time the difference between the calendars was 13 days, and they were simply “crossed out”, but the church did not approve of this decision. Because of this, "our" Christmas lags behind the Catholic one. This is how the holiday with the most paradoxical name appeared - the Old New Year.
On the same day with the Russian ...
Mch. Iakinfa (108). Transfer of the relics of St. Philip, Mr. Moscow and all Russia, miracle worker (1652).
Prpp. Anatolia, in the Near Caves (XII), and Anatoly the Recluse, in the Far Caves (XIII), Caves. Blgvv. kn. Vasily and Konstantin Yaroslavsky (XIII). St. Basil, Ep. Ryazansky (1295). Prpp. John and Longinus of Yarengsky (1544-1545). Blzh. John, Christ for the Holy Fool, Moscow (1589). Rev. Nikodim Kozheezersky (1640). Mchch. Diomede, Eulampius, Asclepiodotus and mts. Golinduhi (II). Mchch. Mokiya and Mark (IV). Rev. Alexander, the monastery of the “Unsleeping Ones” of the original (c. 430). St. Anatoly, Patriarch of Constantinople (458).
Shmch. Anthony, archbishop Arkhangelsky (1931). Finding the relics of ssmch. Sylvester, Archbishop Omsky (2005).
Morning - Lk., 24 credits, VI, 17-23. Lit. - Rom., 114 credits, XIV, 9-18. Matt., 46 credits, XII, 14-16, 22-30. St.: Heb., 335 credits, XIII, 17-21. John, 36 credits, X, 9–16.
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The date of the New Year is a time for summing up, an opportunity to thank God for the past year, to ask God's help for the coming year - therefore, in the Orthodox Church there is also a prayer service at the beginning of the New Year, which is served on December 31 in many churches.
New Year is also a holiday when people get together. In our time, when people's lives are so divided, this is a very good opportunity and an occasion to get together with people close to our hearts.
Father Alexander, how to celebrate the New Year in such a way that this celebration does not contradict the fact that fasting is underway and the strict week of fasting before Christmas begins?
My confessor answers this question as follows: you need to celebrate in such a way that you can take communion the next day. You can get together, cook something tasty, you can drink a little, sit with your family and celebrate so that your conscience does not torment you later. For people of faith who strive to live a full church life, it is natural to strive to bind each significant event your life with Divine Liturgy, church prayer and participation in the Sacraments of the Church. There is such a good and pious tradition, but it is not obligatory, and should be consistent with the capabilities of a person.
- Do you celebrate the New Year?
Yes, we celebrate, but we celebrate modestly. In the family of my parents - a non-church family - it was our favorite holiday, we gathered very warmly and comfortably, with the whole family. And in our family we celebrate, but modestly.
Father, at such family meetings Orthodox person, as a rule, turns out to be in the circle of his unbelieving relatives. And the problem of a quick table and alcoholic drinks arises ...
A non-fasting table is, of course, a difficulty. If a person can take part in the preparation of the New Year's table, then let him prepare several Lenten dishes himself. You can raise a New Year’s glass, maybe not one, but here you need to be guided by the words of the Apostle Paul: “Everything is allowed to me, but not everything is useful, everything is allowed to me, but nothing should possess me.”
- And if someone from the family insists that we taste his culinary finds, not at all fasting?…
In this case, one must choose the lesser of two evils: which is the lesser evil for a person - or you will offend your neighbors or break the fast, but then you will have to repent of it.
- Offending your neighbor, of course, is a greater evil ...
I think that everyone should make this choice himself, because the greater evil is individual in each situation. Do we have enough humor, love for our neighbors to observe the fast so that our relatives are not offended? Because you can refuse quick meals with such tact and love that your family will not be offended. And will we have enough love to refuse so as not to offend our family? Or maybe the person already wants to taste the pie so much, finally, that he says that his relatives will be offended?
The modern New Year's table often turns from a warm meeting of relatives into semi-decent conversations, jokes, endless TV ...
In such cases, you need to try to take the initiative in your own hands. If this is a family celebration, and not a trip to a company that is known in advance that the celebration there will be obscene, then you need to prepare in advance. Find good film, which will be interesting for everyone to watch, think over possible topics of conversation, find something interesting to tell yourself, prepare for the holiday so that everyone is interested and that it is all decent.
Father, and if the whole family is Orthodox, the husband and wife are believers, children grow up in the family. The couple don't mind not celebrating the New Year at all, but maybe it's still worth celebrating a little so that the children don't feel deprived of the holiday?
In our family, the Christmas tree is still decorated before Christmas, not for the New Year. Everything in our house is connected with Christmas. And in children's minds it is important not to blur the exclusivity of Christmas. Before the revolution, the situation, of course, was more harmonious: Christmas was celebrated before the New Year. And after the revolution, all those celebrations that used to be Christmas were transferred to the New Year in order to oust all Christmas celebrations from the consciousness and way of life of the people.
So I think that you can give a small gift to a baby, but the main celebration should be Christmas.
Father, what about the celebration of Catholic Christmas? Is it possible and necessary to congratulate fellow Catholics?
Russian Orthodox Church lives according to its own calendar, so Catholic Christmas is not a holiday for us, although on this day, December 25, many Orthodox people celebrate Christmas. For example, the Greeks. You need to show goodwill and congratulate colleagues on their holiday. Here we can draw such an analogy: we congratulate a person on his birthday! Congratulations not on our birthday, but on his! We congratulate the Catholics on their holiday, because We show goodwill towards them and want to show our good attitude.
Anna Danilova spoke with Priest Alexander Ilyashenko
