Christmas Eve: traditions and signs of what not to do. What Orthodox Christians Eat on Christmas Eve What to Do the Night Before Christmas

, Christmas Eve. IN Christmas Eve day Orthodox Christians are especially preparing 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 vespers following it, a candle is brought to the center of the church and the priests sing in front of it. troparion to the Nativity of Christ. Services and post Christmas Eve have a number of features, so it is on these days that many questions come to our site about how to spend Christmas Eve correctly. We asked Priest Alexander Ilyashenko to answer these questions. - Father Alexander, the most frequently asked question by our readers is how to fast on Christmas Eve, until what time should one refrain from eating food? What does "post to 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 is fasting before communion?This year, Christmas Eve falls on Saturday, so the Royal Hours are celebrated on Friday. On the very day of Christmas Eve, fasting is no longer as strict as on the previous days of the strictest week.

Indeed, the Typicon prescribes fasting until the end of Vespers. However, the Vespers service is connected with the Liturgy, it is served in the morning, and therefore 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 in front of the candle.

It is obvious that people in the temple are fasting, many on this day. It would be good if those who cannot be in the service in the temple, who work, honor this day with a more strict 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 take communion at the night Liturgy, according to church tradition, eat food for the last time at least six hours before the time of Communion, or from about 6 pm. And here it is not a matter of a specific number of hours, that you need to fast for 6 or 8 hours and not a minute less, but that a certain border is established, a measure of abstinence, which helps us to comply with the measure.

“Batiushka, 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 the intake of medicines and with the prescriptions of doctors. This is not about putting a weak person in a hospital, but about strengthening a person spiritually. The disease is already And here a person should already try to determine the measure of fasting according to his own strength. Any thing can be brought to the point of absurdity. For example, imagine that a priest who comes to give communion to a dying person asks when the person last ate?!

- As a rule, believers try to meet at the night festive liturgy. But in many churches, the Vespers and Liturgy are also served at the usual time - 5 pm and in the morning. In this regard, people often ask, is it not a sin for a young man, not weak, without children, to go to the service not at night, but in the morning?

To visit a night service or a morning one - you need to watch it according to your strength. Meeting the holiday at night is, of course, a special joy: both spiritual and spiritual. There are very few such services a year; in most parish churches, night liturgies are served only on and - according to tradition, especially solemn services are performed at night. But for example, on Athos, Sunday vigils are served at night. Still, there are not so many such services, just over 60 per year. The Church so establishes, taking into account human capabilities: the number of night vigils in the year is limited.

Solemn night services contribute to a deeper prayerful experience and perception of the Holiday.

The festive Liturgy is over, the festive feast begins. Here we are asked two questions. First, is it possible to celebrate Christmas first in the parish, and not immediately arrange a family celebration?

The second question is related to the fact that Christmas Liturgy many take communion. And people are somewhat embarrassed: you have just received communion, the books of the holy fathers say that in order to retain grace, you need to try to protect yourself from talking, especially laughter, and try to spend time after communion in prayer. And then a festive feast, even with brothers and sisters in Christ... People are afraid of losing their prayerful mood..

Those rules that the hermit fathers offered to monastics cannot be fully transferred to worldly life, and even more so 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 outer part is secondary. Of course, the spiritual life is in the first place for the laity, but we cannot draw the same clear line between the spiritual and the earthly here.

The Apostle Paul commanded us to Always rejoice. Incessantly pray. In everything give thanks to the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). If we meet the holiday with joy, prayer and gratitude to God, then we fulfill the apostolic covenant.

Of course, this issue must be considered individually. Of course, if a person feels that he is losing his fertile mood after a noisy celebration, then perhaps he should sit down at the table for a while, leave earlier, preserving spiritual joy.

– Father Alexander, isn’t it worth it here for us to distinguish between two states in ourselves – when we are really afraid to spill the feeling received in the temple, and when by our refusal to participate in the holiday we can upset our neighbors, and often refuse to share joy with a non-peaceful heart. Relatives resigned themselves to the fact that their zealous family member flatly refused to celebrate the New Year with them, it would seem that the fast was over, the person should “return” to the family, share the joy of the holiday together, and he again slams the door and says “What a “sit with us”, I have a great holiday, such grace, I will lose all my prayer mood with you!!”

In this case, a person will hardly harm his prayerful state, since such behavior indicates that a person does not stay in it. The state of contemplation, prayerfulness is always associated with a surge of spiritual joy, grace, which the Lord generously pours out on His slaves. And such an attitude towards neighbors is more like hypocrisy and hypocrisy.

– Is it obligatory to attend the evening service on the very day of the holiday - the evening of the Christmas holiday?

- Everyone should decide for himself. After the night service, you need to recuperate. Not everyone, due to age, health and spiritual level, is able to go to the temple and take part in the service. But we must remember that the Lord rewards for every effort that a person makes for him.

Evening service on great holidays this day is not long, especially spiritual, solemn and joyful, the Great Prokeimenon is proclaimed at it, so, of course, it’s good if you can visit it.

Congratulations to all readers of our site on the upcoming feast of the Nativity of Christ!

Questions prepared by Lidia Dobrova and Anna Danilova

On Christmas Eve, Orthodox believers complete the Nativity Fast and prepare to celebrate the bright holiday of the Nativity of Christ. On January 6, important traditions must be observed in order to prevent troubles and bring happiness into life.

The name comes from the word "sochivo" (originally - wheat grains soaked in juice from seeds). Christmas Eve, Kolyada, is also called Christmas Eve.

This name is associated with the custom of Orthodox Christians to eat this day sochivo - dried grains soaked in water, simply put - porridge.

Sochiv was called not only porridge and any lean food, but also juice; or, as they said before, "milk" of different seeds: poppy, hemp, sunflower, mustard, nut, almond, and others.

This "milk" was seasoned with porridge during the 40-day Philippine Fast before Christmas and on Christmas Eve.

Sochiv began a meal on Christmas Eve and Epiphany Eve, at home, christening, commemoration, with the only difference being that this porridge was different in composition.

According to tradition, on Christmas Eve it is customary to refuse food until the first star. The very tradition of fasting “until the first star” is associated with the legend of the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem, which announced the birth of Christ.

But it is not written in the charter of the church. The Typikon prescribes fasting until the end of Vespers, which is now combined with the Liturgy and is served in the morning.

In simple words, Christmas Eve is the evening before Christmas and the evening before Epiphany, on which it is customary to observe special rules, also to have dinner with the family.

The festive table is distinguished by a special menu. The list of dishes that can be cooked is quite large, but includes only lean ingredients. But not only the evening is special, but the whole day.

According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary during the reign of Emperor Augustus (Octavia) in the city of Bethlehem. Augustus commanded that a national census be made throughout his empire, therefore the Virgin Mary and the righteous Joseph, descended from the lineage of David, had to go to Bethlehem (the city of David) in order to enter their names on the list of Caesar's subjects.

In Bethlehem, in connection with the census, all the places in the hotels were occupied, Mary and Joseph could only find accommodation for the night in a limestone cave intended for cattle stalls.

When they settled there, it was time for Mary to give birth. Among the hay and straw on a cold winter night, the baby Jesus Christ was born. The Blessed Virgin swaddled him and put him in a manger - a feeder for cattle.

But in the middle of the midnight silence, when all mankind was enveloped in sleep, the news of the birth of the Savior of the world was heard by the shepherds who were guarding the flock. An angel appeared to them and said: “Do not be afraid: I am proclaiming to you great joy, which will be for all people.

Today the Savior of the world is born! And here is a sign for you: you will find the Baby in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. When the Angels disappeared, the shepherds said to each other: let's go to Bethlehem and see what happened there.

And hurrying, they found a cave where Mary, Joseph, and Jesus lay in a manger. The shepherds told the holy family about what had been proclaimed to them about the baby.

The magi also came to bow to the newborn Savior, each of whom brought gifts for the baby. And King Herod, having learned that a new king of heaven was born, whose powers are much more powerful, wanted to kill the baby.

But the Magi did not give out exactly where the newborn was, and Herod sent soldiers to Bethlehem with an order to kill all male babies under two years old.

The Gospel tells that Joseph, having received a warning of danger in a dream, fled with the Blessed Virgin Mary and little Jesus to Egypt, where the holy family remained until the death of Herod.

The beginning of the celebration of Christmas dates back to the time of the apostles.

The name Christmas Eve comes from the word "sochivo" (wheat grains soaked in juice from seeds). It was customary to treat Sochivom on Christmas Eve after the appearance of the first star.

The tradition of fasting "until the first star" is associated with the legend of the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem, announcing the birth of Christ.

On Christmas Eve, at the end of the liturgy and at the evening service, a candle is brought to the center of the church, and the priests sing the troparion to the Nativity of Christ in front of it.

Christmas Eve carries a special meaning, because it is at this time that Christians stop observing the long Christmas fast and prepare for one of the most important events of the church calendar - Christmas. The date of Christmas Eve in 2019 is January 6th. It is believed that sinful actions on this holiday will entail troubles and misfortunes. To protect yourself, spend this day in accordance with important traditions and customs.

The best way to start the day is with a visit to the temple. On January 6, it is necessary to pray to the saints for the forgiveness of sins, to ask for healing, love and family well-being. Each prayer word must come from the soul, and then the Heavenly Forces will surely respond to your requests. On January 6, it is not recommended to pray for money: selfish motives contradict the very essence of this day.

Despite the fact that the Advent has come to an end, on this day it is forbidden to eat food until the first star appears. As soon as she appears in the sky, you can arrange a modest dinner of lenten dishes and invite your loved ones to visit. Before starting the meal, it is necessary to say a prayer of thanksgiving. Before you try the dishes, you need to eat a spoonful of honey, and then 2019 will be successful for you.

On this day, it is necessary to maintain peace and harmony in the house. During the evening meal, ask for forgiveness from all those present at the table and present modest gifts. On January 6, it is strictly forbidden to quarrel, sort things out and be rude to other people, otherwise frequent conflicts in 2019 cannot be avoided.

Under fear of all sorts of troubles, on Christmas it was impossible to bend, weave or sew anything. The legs of the dining table were tied to each other with a rope so that the cattle would not run away from the herd. The remains of the evening meal were taken out of the fence - "so that the wolves do not harm the peasant cattle."

A folk proverb says: Whoever slaughters cattle on Christmas Day will die in three years.

You cannot lend on Christmas Eve anything that is connected with fire, for example, flint, matches, a lighter, a bucket of coal or firewood, etc., otherwise misfortune will befall you.

Never sew, wash your hair, wash or lend on the three-day holy holidays (Christmas, Easter and Trinity), otherwise you will make yourself tears and poverty.

On Christmas Eve, bread, salt and money are not borrowed from home, otherwise all good things will go past your hands. Do not cut hair and do not spin wool. Do not wash or boil clothes. Believers must finish all the dirty work by this day on Maundy Thursday, and whoever “pulls” dirt on Christmas Eve will sit in it all year for this.

You can’t sit at the Christmas table in mourning, that is, in black clothes - you’ll call trouble.

If on this bright day a dog howls in your yard, then be in trouble. To get rid of it, you need to immediately go up to the dog, untie it and say: “As the rope does not hold you, so the trouble would not hold on to my house!”.

Do not buy ropes on January 8, on the second day of Christmas, so that there will never be hanged or strangled people in your family. Do not cook or eat jelly on this day, so as not to invite the deceased to the house.

On the ninth of January, on the third day of Christmas, do not chop wood until sunset.

According to popular beliefs, in order for your loved ones to be happy and healthy for a whole year, on the feast of the Nativity of Christ on January 7, ask the oldest family member to treat all relatives with milk. Bringing milk to someone, he should say every time: “The Lord was born, the people were baptized. Be cheerful and healthy. Amen".

On the eve of Christmas, in the old days, food was taken out and left for needy people or treats were distributed - it was believed that in this way all deceased ancestors who did not have time to eat before their death satisfied their hunger. After the festive feast, the food was not removed from the table, so that the souls of dead relatives would eat the festive food, and for this they would pray for you.

In that family where there is no peace and harmony, on Christmas night they put a bucket in the frost, and in the morning they put it on fire and say: “The ice will melt, the water will boil, and [so-and-so] soul will ache for me.” This water is given to the husband to wash or in the form of tea / soup, and also wash the husband's linen in it. Holy Christmas water always helps a woman's trouble.

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Ask God for Christmas what you really need. Ask seventy-seven times and you will be given. Whoever asks God for something on Christmas at three o'clock in the morning, it will be given to him.

If on Christmas night you look out for a flying star in the sky and make a wish, then it will surely come true.

On January 7, in the cold, jump out into the street lightly and, as soon as goosebumps appear on your body, say: “There are a lot of pimples on my skin, so that I also have so much money.”

Often, in our fussy impatience, we are already burning with the desire to plunge headlong into the atmosphere of the Christmas that has not yet arrived, but the Church prepares us to meet the holiday gradually, and this is no coincidence. Let's figure out what's the matter here, and how to spend Christmas Eve the right way.

1. The preparation of believers for Christmas began forty days before the largest Christian holiday after Easter - the holiday in honor of the born Christ. This preparation consisted both in the forty-day Christmas fast, and in the fact that the week preceding the feast of the Nativity of Christ was especially strict, even though it falls on our secular Soviet New Year. And also in the fact that divine services in the Church gradually and with increasing tension prepared us for a meeting with the born Christ. The birth of the Divine Infant in our world, the Incarnation is the center of the feast of the Nativity of Christ, and not at all the fuss of shopping in search of Christmas gifts, not Christmas discounts, and not even Christmas matinees, or the Christmas table.

No matter how hard all the marketers of the world try, the rosy-cheeked Santa Claus with the cheerful call signs “Ging Bells” is not even close to the news that two thousand years ago in the darkness of Bethlehem night an event took place that has an transcendental dimension - God took on human nature, human flesh, he became one of us, the Almighty came into this world the most defenseless - the Baby, "God becomes man so that man becomes God" - this is called the mystery of the Incarnation. Therefore, let's leave the near-Christmas tinsel on the periphery of consciousness, and focus on the main thing. It is for the main thing that the Church prepares us. During the services of the Nativity Fast, passages from the Holy Scriptures are read in churches, telling about the long expectation by mankind of the coming of the Savior, about those prophecies that promised His Coming. These passages from the Old Testament and the Gospel not only remind us of the history of mankind, they immerse us in it, introducing us to the universal memory. And the closer to Christmas, the stronger the inner tension: we are preparing for the meeting of the born Christ. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the day on the eve of the feast of the Nativity of Christ - Christmas Eve - is the day of the strictest fast.

2. Now about what and when you can eat on Christmas Eve? The establishment that it is possible to eat only “after the first star” is not written anywhere. This is a pious tradition of the believers themselves, it is not one century old, and it is observed in memory of the fact that the Birth of Christ was accompanied by the appearance of a new star in the East. What star are believers waiting for to finally eat? Certainly not an award, like Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov in the replicated TV joke. In the Church, the “first star” is symbolized by a large candle, which, after the morning service, is solemnly carried out to the middle of the temple and before which the troparion to the Nativity of Christ is sung (a troparion is a short chant that reveals the essence of the holiday). This means that at the end of the liturgy on the morning of January 6, after the removal of a large candle, when you come home, you can taste the sochi.

Now let us remember that believers strive to take communion on the feast of Christmas itself, at the liturgy on the night of January 6-7. According to church tradition, we stop eating at least six hours before the time of Communion (the accepted limit of abstinence). That is, if we decide to take communion at the Divine Liturgy on Christmas Day, after 18:00 in the evening we do not eat anything. And the Advent ends with a festive feast after the night liturgy, already on the very day of the Christmas holiday. By the way, in Russia there used to be a special word denoting eating fast food at the end of the fast - the word "breaking the fast", isn't it, familiar to us from classical literature? So, we break our fast after the Nativity Fast on January 7, after the nightly festive service with a nightly liturgy - the All-Night Vigil. It is clear that such strictness in food is not an end in itself, but only a way to get away from our eternal attachment to food, to our carnal things, and join in the intense rhythm of the internal preparation of our soul and heart for the meeting of the Born Christ.

3. “On Christmas Eve, around Christmas, it used to be that they didn’t eat until the star,” we read from I. S. Shmelev. - Kutya was boiled, from wheat, with honey; broth - from prunes, pears, whispers (dried apricots or peaches) ... They put it under the image, for hay. Why?.. And as if - a gift to Christ. Well .., as if, He, (Child Christ!) on the hay, in the manger. The expectation of the Born Christ permeated the whole life of Christmas Eve. In the center of the house stood a Christmas tree, pre-decorated with stars, under it a nativity scene - a toy image of the cave in which the Baby Jesus was born. Not only Christmas gifts to loved ones were prepared in advance, but also things, money, provisions allocated to help the poor, orphans, widows, the destitute and prisoners. Charity was an integral part of the feast of the Nativity of Christ. All this was prepared in advance, with joy and the conviction that "the hand of the giver does not fail." All this was the gift of man to Christ.

4. But the main events of Christmas Eve, of course, take place in the temple. Services on this day are amazingly beautiful. It makes no sense to retell them, they must be seen, heard, and one must participate in them. We only note that during the services of Christmas Eve, the so-called. “royal clock”, which got its name due to the fact that tsars (and emperors in Byzantium) were certainly present at them in Russia. Prophecies are also read at divine services on Christmas Eve, which for several centuries predicted the birth of the Savior. And all the festive hymns, the entire course of the service, prepare us to receive the mystery of the Incarnation, the mystery of the Nativity of Christ.

On Christmas Eve it is customary to go to confession in order to meet the Born Christ clean and renewed.

5. Poets have noticed that the days of Christmas Eve and Christmas are special - as if eternity itself, breaking the shackles of everyday life, enters our lives on this Christmas night. You just need to open your heart to the miracle of the birth of Christ. “Today will be Christmas, the whole city is waiting for a secret ...”, a holiday is ahead.

♦ If a person in a drunken state is the first to show up at your house, the whole coming year will be in noise and quarrels. If a woman crosses your threshold first, then this is to gossip and failure. If a man or a boy - to well-being. If an old man or an old woman - to a long life. If a bird knocks on your window - to amazing news. If a beggar or a beggar comes to you - to loss and need. If several people appear at once - to a rich life.

♦ If a man comes to you on Christmas morning, wear plain clothes that day, if a woman wears a colored dress, so that the whole year goes well.

♦ When the family sits down at the table at Christmas and when the first star appears, it starts to dine, then an unmarried girl or an unmarried guy from this family, taking the first non-lean piece in his mouth, should keep it on his tongue and not swallow until, going out into the street, accidentally will not hear any name from people passing by. It was believed that the groom or the bride would have the same name. People say that this sign has come true more than once.

♦ Cucumbers will be firm and crispy if you pickle them exactly on the same day of the week as Christmas this year. For this purpose, a good housewife keeps in a secluded place the salt taken on Maundy Thursday.

♦ It is a good, good omen, if during the Christmas feast a domestic cat sits under the table - this means that no one will die this year from all those sitting at the table.

♦ If two people come to your house on Christmas morning, there will be no death, divorce and separation in your house for a year.

♦ If someone spills or breaks something in your house on this day, then the whole year will be restless for your family.

♦ If a person going to church at Christmas stumbles, then in twelve years, to the day, he will get sick. To prevent this from happening, you must immediately say: "I'm not going to the devil, but to God, He will save me."

♦ On the ninth of January, be sure to visit your godfathers and parents.

♦ A child who takes his first steps on January 10 will be healthy, beautiful and live a long life.

♦ If a sick person sneezes loudly on the third day of Christmas, he will soon recover and live for a long time. If a person who is seriously ill talks about pancakes or horses that day, he will soon depart to another world.

♦ On the tenth of January, do not put the dough or sourdough.

♦ Don't give your husband a towel on January 11th, otherwise he will start to loosen his hands.

♦ Don't open the door immediately after your doorbell knocks or rings on January 11th. Wait until they knock or call a second time, otherwise you will invite illness into the house.

♦ If Christmas falls on a Monday, many men will die that year. If Christmas coincides with Tuesday, an even number of guests are called to the table so as not to invite poverty into the house. If the Nativity of Christ falls on a Saturday, then many old people will die this year before the next Christmas.

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♦ If a midwife was called to a woman in labor and she gave birth to a child at Christmas, then the midwife would never take even a penny for her labors, moreover, she was obliged to become a godmother to the baby. This custom was never violated, the old people knew: whoever takes money for childbirth will spend it on a coffin for himself.

Merry Christmas greetings:

♦ Merry Christmas! Happy Day! Let this day be lucky in everything! Let joy look into your house, A new car - to the garage, Profitable work - to the house, And there are many, many children in it!

♦ Let the Christmas miracle Give you its warmth, May it never be bad, Meet every day with kindness!

♦ The star of goodness and magic lit up - Happy Holy Christmas! May God save and people help! May the starlight in the soul not fade away! May the house be full of happiness and wealth! Love, health, peace! Merry Christmas!

♦ Let the night sparkle with magic, A flock of snowflakes rush up. We wish you a Merry Christmas, Smiles, we wish you joy. Let the stream of divine love Flow with wonderful light, And the Lord will bless you with Health, happiness and success!

♦ We wish you Christmas smiles, sincere laughter, good health, success, and a lot of good things. Let blood play in your heart, And joy lasts forever.

♦ I congratulate you on Christmas And I want to wish you from the bottom of my heart that life is full of happiness, So that you don’t know adversity and sorrow! I wish you that all your hopes and dreams come true, So that you can always enjoy pure love and tenderness!

♦ May everything that you dreamed of come true on the bright holiday of Christmas! May there be a lot of joy and kindness in the house, And let the heart know no sadness! I wish you many fairy-tale miracles, Warmth of love, spiritual purity! And let the snowflakes fall from heaven, Keeping the peace of heaven beauty!

♦ Here is Christmas again - the triumph of the Forces of Heaven! On this day Christ came to save our world from evil. Eternal glory to Him, Conquering darkness!

♦ Candle flickering warms the house And sparkles with gold, When the Lord will come into the world on a magical Christmas! He gave His life for us - We must remember this, And what he bequeathed to the people - Diligently fulfill!

♦ A star lit up - Christ was born - And the world lit up with love! Let happiness enter every home! Merry Christmas!

♦ Today Christ has come to us to teach people Love. Friends, let's celebrate everything And become at least a little kinder!

♦ Let the snowflake ring, Announcing the birth, And fill your mood with delight! After all, today is the triumph of Salvation, Love - Christmas is coming!

♦ When the snow covers the earth, And Christmas will come again, Raise a glass for happiness, For peace, for friendship, for love! And so that you live many bright days without grief and doubt! Save comfort, family peace And respect for friends!

♦ Merry Christmas, What is already knocking on the house! Open the doors wider to Love, Hope, Faith! Fur trees Smell the whole house, Every needle Whispers: "Merry Christmas!" Christmas!

♦ Congratulations on Christmas! May a miracle happen in your life! May joy, inspiration and kindness Be able to settle in your home!

♦ Today - the birthday of Christ - the good news is sweeping the planet! I wish you this holiday of Christmas Consent and joy without end!

♦ Happy New Year's mood! Happy New Year's treat! Happy New Year's celebration! Merry Christmas!

♦ Christmas has come to your house, Happiness has spilled all over! Let smiles hover in it, And I also wish you: Kindness and beauty, So that all dreams come true, May health not fail, And let luck come in!

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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 Christmas (Filippov) fast. On this day, the main preparations for Christmas are made.

Other names of the holiday: Holy Evening, Sochevnik, Eve of the Nativity of Christ, Kolyada, Christmas Eve.

The eve of the holiday is colloquially called Christmas Eve, or Sochevnik. 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, "ate from the seeds of the earth, so as not to be defiled by a pagan meal."

History of Christmas Eve

In the Orthodox Church, the celebration of the eve of the Nativity of Christ was established in the 4th century. In the V-VIII centuries, sacred hymns were written, which are used for Christmas services. At that time, the Royal Hours were performed in the temples. 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 "juicy". Both of these dishes were prepared on Christmas Eve. Sochivo was soaked grains of wheat or barley, to which the juice of poppy seeds, sunflower, hemp, mustard, and nuts was added. Sochni - bread cakes in which holes were made for the eyes and used for divination. Through the mask looked at the street. It was believed that if a good person passes, then the year will be successful, and if a bad one, vice versa.

What is the 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 all households. To do this, the hostess soaked scalded grains of cereals (wheat, barley, lentils, rice) in seed juice (poppy, almond or nut). The dish turned out lean. Oil was not put into it. Only the addition of a spoonful of honey was allowed to make the meal more nutritious. Sometimes it was replaced with kutya.

People used Sochivo on this day in imitation of the biblical prophet Daniel.

This parable refers to the Old Testament times. The pagan Julian the Apostate, wanting to show off the believing fasting people, ordered all the food in the market to be sprinkled with the blood of animals sacrificed to idols. Then the prophet Daniel ordered his youth-novices to eat soaked grains and dried fruits. So the believers were able to avoid taking a defiled pagan meal.

Traditions and rituals for Christmas Eve

The main traditions on January 6: 12 Lenten dishes are prepared, the main of which is kutia; go to visit with treats; guess; use a charm ("didukh").

On Christmas Eve, Orthodox Christians attend church services: an all-night vigil and liturgy.

From the very morning, the hostesses carry out a thorough cleaning, throw away the rubbish, after which they start preparing a festive dinner. Traditionally, 12 Lenten dishes are served at the table.

In some houses, it is customary to pay special attention to the decoration of the Christmas table. The hostesses cover it with a new tablecloth, under which they put a bundle of hay - a symbol of a manger. Banknotes and garlic cloves are placed at the corners of the table, which symbolize the health and well-being of family members. An ax is placed under the table, on which those seated put their feet in order to have good health and spirit. Arrangements of candles and spruce branches are placed in the center.

The meal begins with a prayer in which they glorify Christ, ask for well-being and happiness for all those present. First of all, they taste kutya, after which they proceed to the rest of the dishes.

On Christmas Eve in the villages, young people gather in large groups, paint their faces, put on fancy costumes, go from house to house and sing carols. An important attribute of such an action is the Star of Bethlehem, which is made of 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. Caroling guests are presented with sweets, pastries and money.

On Christmas Eve, you should ask for forgiveness from the people you offended, forgive all your enemies.

Signs and sayings for Christmas Eve

If on Christmas Eve the sky is abundantly strewn with stars, then this year a rich harvest should be expected.

On the eve of the Nativity of Christ, it is customary to light candles in the house or kindle a fireplace in order to attract prosperity and good luck to the house.

You can’t wear old dark-colored clothes for a festive dinner, otherwise the year will pass in tears and difficulties.

An even number of people should be present at the ceremonial table. If it is odd, then the housewives put one extra set of appliances.

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 surely come true.

If a snowstorm broke out before Christmas Eve, the bees will swarm well.

On a holiday, a wax candle was placed on a table with a white tablecloth and lit with the words: “Burn, candle, righteous sun, shine on the souls in paradise and on us, the living, warm the mother earth, our cattle, our fields.” If the light burns merrily, it means that the year will be prosperous and fruitful, if it blinks and trembles, you will have to tighten your belts.

On a holiday, frost on trees - to good bread.

What to eat on Christmas Eve

January 6 is the strictest day of the 40-day Advent fast. Believers are only allowed to drink water. A meal can be taken after the first star rises in the sky, after which it is allowed to eat sochivo - wheat grains boiled in honey or boiled rice with raisins. In folk tradition, it is customary to serve other fasting dishes for dinner.

What Not to Do on Christmas Eve

It is forbidden to work on Christmas Eve evening.

On this holiday, you can not quarrel and sort things out.

It is not allowed to eat before the appearance of the first star in the sky.

On this day, you can not be greedy.

Festive dinner

According to folk custom, the housewives put 12 Lenten dishes on the table, which personify the 12 apostles. The main dish is kutya (sochivo). It is boiled from whole grains of rice or wheat, with the addition of poppy seeds, honey, walnuts, dried apricots, prunes, raisins. Also on the table are baked fish, vegetable salads and stews, mushroom soup, lean borscht, donuts, pies, dumplings, cabbage rolls with mushrooms, pickles. For dessert, they eat rolls with poppy seeds and nuts, honey cakes, gingerbread, berry and fruit jelly, apples baked with honey and nuts.

The traditional Christmas drink is dried fruits and honey. The combination of kutya and uzvar on the tables is a symbol of eternal life, the birth and death of Jesus. On Christmas Eve, no alcohol is consumed at dinner.

How to make juicy?

Our great-grandmothers knew what to cook for Christmas Eve. These ancient recipes for preparing Christmas dishes are not forgotten. And today, any housewife, if desired, will be able to cook juicy.

Here is the recipe for this dish:

1 faceted glass of wheat grains.

100 g poppy.

100 g of walnut kernels.

1 or 2 tablespoons of liquid honey.

a little sugar.

Place wheat grains in a wooden mortar and grind with a pestle until the shell of the grains comes off. In this case, you need to add a little warm boiled water to the mass. Then the husk is 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, poppy seeds are ground in the same way until poppy milk appears. Add it to the porridge, put honey, sugar there and mix thoroughly. At the end, crushed walnut kernels are put into the mass. Sochivo is ready.

Festive worship in the church

On the eve of the Nativity and Theophany, a service is performed, consisting of the Great (Royal) Hours with the reading of the Gospel, a brief follow-up of the “Illustrative”, during which the clergy on the pulpit read entrance prayers and put on vestments, and great vespers with the reading of proverbs in conjunction with the Liturgy of Basil the Great, On Epiphany Christmas Eve, at the end of the Liturgy, after the prayer beyond the ambo, the Great Blessing of the 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 Pictorial and Great Vespers is transferred to Friday, and in this case the liturgy is not attached to them (that is, on Friday the liturgy is not performed in principle), on Christmas Eve itself, in this case, the liturgy of John Chrysostom is served (water blessing on Epiphany Christmas Eve is still performed), and on the holiday itself (Christmas or Epiphany), in this case, the liturgy of Basil the Great is performed

According to the site "Yaropolch"

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Every year on January 6, Christmas Eve is celebrated. This day, on the eve of the Nativity of Christ, when the Nativity Fast ends, like Christmas itself, has its own traditions and characteristics. Find out how to properly spend such an important day, what you can’t, and what you can and should do on Christmas Eve on January 6, 2019.

On this day, it is supposed to fast, prepare festive dishes and put clothes in order. You can’t celebrate Christmas in black - it was considered a bad sign to come to the feast in sad clothes. After the first star lights up - which means Jesus Christ came into the world - you can start the holiday.

On Christmas Eve they always started caroling - young people went from house to house, accompanying their arrival with carol songs and begging the owners for food and money. There was an interesting ritual: on this day it was customary to gather in the parental home. In the evening they set the tables, then the whole family went out into the yard and looked at the stars.

Peering into the sky, they determined the guiding one, and already, according to the signs of Christmas night, they determined the future harvest, guessed about well-being and the future. If the night was starry, it was believed that cattle would give a good offspring, and there would be many berries and mushrooms in the forest.

Undoubtedly, the main dishes on the table on this holiday were kutya and sochivo.

Before starting the meal, the owner with a pot in which there was kutya went around the hut three times. Returning, he threw a few spoons of porridge into the yard, thereby appeasing the spirits, then through the open door he invited frost to kutya and asked him not to destroy the crops. Ritual porridges were traditionally eaten from a common bowl, leaving a little for the poor wanderers.

On Christmas Eve it was not worth leaving home, because you would have to look for cattle in the forests and swamps. To weave on this day meant to cater to misfortune.

They baked pancakes, and the first pancake was necessarily carried to the barn, broke it through a sickle and left it to the barn one - so that this spirit would not steal the sheep's six. On this day, they did not feed poultry, so that chickens and geese would not dig up the garden. Manure burned in every yard - so that parents would warm up in the next world.

Christmas Eve is the first day of a very long Orthodox holiday complex called "Svyatki". In fact, preparation for all the upcoming holidays. That is why it was important to spend the day right.

Fast. Christmas Eve is the end of one of the longest (40 days) fasts, so it was necessary to endure all this with honor to the end. Moreover, directly on January 6, from the very morning until the end of the festive Liturgy, it was impossible to eat anything at all. That is about three hours. And then it was still impossible to relax - right up to Christmas, quick meals were seriously limited.

Attend church. Especially the pre-holiday Liturgy and Vespers. Still, a more effective way to tune your spirit in the right way has not been invented. Tellingly, this Liturgy has been in existence almost since the 4th century after the birth of Christ and has hardly changed since that time.

Fortune-telling, as usual, was undesirable, but quite acceptable. Especially those that were held on the night of 6 to 7.

caroling. It was from the evening of Christmas Eve that this business could be dealt with officially. But how - this is the topic of a separate article, since each Orthodox country had its own special traditions in this regard.

But it was possible to follow folk signs. Yet this is not fortune-telling, but the quintessence of folk wisdom, which is extremely rarely wrong. So if the night before Christmas was clear and starry, then the summer will be generous.

Prepare gifts. Nevertheless, the upcoming Christmas is a family holiday, an integral part of which, especially from the point of view of children, are gifts.

• A lot of snow, a lot of hoarfrost and deeply frozen ground - to a rich harvest of bread.
• If on January 6 the paths are black (the snow loosely covered the ground or melted), there will be a good harvest of buckwheat.
• On Christmas Eve, the sun shines brightly - towards the green year.
• Snow on the ground, like manure for the harvest.
• What frost on the trees that day, such will be the color on the bread.
• How many days before Christmas frost will happen, how many days before Midsummer Day (May 21) the weather will be favorable for spring crops.
• If frost occurs before Christmas Eve, then bread must be sown before Peter's Day (July 12), and if frost appears after Christmas Eve, then it can be sown after Peter's Day.
• Starry sky on Christmas night - to an excellent harvest of peas.
• If the stars in the sky shine on the night of January 6-7, there will be many mushrooms and berries.
• If there are few stars in the sky, then there will be few berries too.
• The Milky Way is dim - to bad weather. If the Milky Way is bright and full of stars - to sunny weather.

According to the church charter, on the days of Christmas Eve - Christmas and Epiphany - Orthodox Christians are instructed to eat cochivo.

Here's how to cook it:

• 1 cup wheat grains
• 100 g poppy
• 100 g walnut opex kernels
• 1-3 tablespoons of honey
• caxap to taste
• a handful of dried fruits, if desired.

• You can’t eat meat and animal products on January 6, and on some days fish, wine and vegetable oil, because the Christmas fast is still going on. Already on January 7, all bans are lifted.
• On the Holy Evening, it is necessary that there are 12 Lenten dishes on the table, according to the number of the apostles. Fewer meals are not recommended.
• One of the main prohibitions of Christmas is the fact that none of the dishes should be left untouched.
  You can not remove the dishes from the table until the very beginning of Christmas on January 7th.
• As with other religious holidays, you cannot work. Women are not allowed to sew, wash, clean, take out the trash from the house. For men, go hunting or fishing. This must be done well in advance of the holiday.
• Under no circumstances should you guess at Christmas. There is a special period for this from the 12th day of Christmas time to Epiphany.
• On the holy holiday of Christmas, one cannot swear, swear, especially at the table.
• It is not customary to have lunch before the first star rises - only children are allowed a small snack.
• And one of the main prohibitions is not to forget about mercy and help those who, for whatever reason, are deprived of festive joys.

Orthodox are preparing for one of the most important church holidays - the Nativity of Christ.

The word "Christmas Eve" takes its name from sochiv, the main dish of this day, which is prepared from boiled or steamed grains of cereals and seasoned with honey, raisins are often added there, writes mogilev.online.

However, one should not forget that if it is planned to receive communion at the nightly festive divine service, then after six in the evening they do not take food and do not drink water.

Women on Christmas Eve get up as early as possible, wash their faces and read a prayer. Before the family gets up, it is important to have time to prepare kutya and uzvar. Belief says that if you have time, then the family will be healthy and prosperous all year.

The whole day on Christmas Eve they do not eat any food and start the evening when the first star appears in the sky, which means the imminent birth of Christ.

If suddenly before Christmas you quarreled with someone, then you just need to make peace and forgive the offenders. All borrowed items must be returned before Christmas.

On Christmas Eve it is forbidden to clean up the house, otherwise quarrels are guaranteed for the whole year - devote January 6 only to cooking.

It is necessary to prepare the supper in a good mood, not to hold a grudge against anyone. Do not forget that all preparations are completed before 15:00, it is after this time that churches begin to prepare for Christmas services.

According to tradition, there should be 12 dishes on the festive table - according to the number of apostles and months of the year. They must be fast, because it is on January 6 that Philip's fast ends.

Christmas menu:

Kutia is the main dish on the Christmas table. This is where the feast begins.

Uzvar - a decoction of dried fruits with the addition of rose hips, chokeberry and dried herbs (mint, lemon balm).

Pies are a dish that must be placed near the owner of the house, as they symbolize male energy.

Fish. ІХТІOS - a symbol of Christ, the Greek abbreviation of the name is read as "fish". In addition, the fish symbolizes female energy, which means it is placed near the mistress of the house.

Dumplings symbolize prosperity in the house, because everyone and everyone wants to "roll like a dumpling in sour cream."

Beans and peas mean prosperity, rebirth.

Borscht symbolizes the blood of the murdered Bethlehem children.

Stuffed cabbage - from the word "dove" - ​​a symbol of God's love.

Mushrooms - symbolize the two natures of Jesus Christ: divine (hat) and earthly (leg).

The vinaigrette.

Homemade pickles.

Dinner is spent in silence, they do not leave the table until the very end. A spoon taken in hand is no longer put back on the table. Wash down food only with a knot.

They do not leave the house until the end of the supper, so as not to let in evil spirits. And in general, it’s better not to be far from your home on Christmas Eve, so that you don’t wander all the next year.

When laying the table, they choose a festive tablecloth and dishes, arrange candles. Live fire - protection of the house from evil spirits. You yourself should also dress up in new and always light clothes so as not to invite mourning into the family.

All members of the family, without exception, gather at the table, while unmarried and unmarried young people do not sit at the corners of the tables. You can’t be late for the table either - you will wander all year in a distant side.

If guests are inevitable, they try to make a happy and pleasant person come. This sign is connected with the pan-European tradition of the first guest: whoever crosses the threshold of the house first will program the family for the whole year. And if an evil person comes, the year will be unsuccessful.

Before you sit down at the table on Holy evening, you need to blow on a bench or chair in order to blow away the souls of the ancestors who have come to visit, and inadvertently do not sit on them.

You can't go to bed on Christmas Eve - you'll oversleep your happiness.

Warm Christmas - to a cold spring.

Our ancestors believed that at three o'clock in the morning from January 6 to 7, the heavens open, so if you go outside at this time and ask the higher powers for your dream, it will certainly come true. The main thing to remember: you can’t ask for others - the desire should be only yours, and in no case should it harm others - this is strictly prohibited.