For most of us, the word "Christmas" is associated with the song "MerryChristmas", Santa Claus, striped stockings hanged over a fireplace and other "chips" borrowed from American films. However, few people think that all this applies to the Catholic Christmas, which is celebrated on December 25th according to the Gregorian calendar. But the adherents of Orthodoxy celebrate this feast on January 7, relying on the Julian calendar. The Orthodox countries, primarily Russia, like the Catholic ones, have their own traditions that are rooted in the deep past. So, how did they celebrate Christmas in Russia?
history of the holiday
Speaking about the history of the celebration of Christmas in Russia, it is necessary first of all to note that it begins in the tenth century - at that time the widespread spread of Christianity occurred. However, it was difficult for the Slavs to immediately abandon the pagan faith, and this led to a very interesting phenomenon from the cultural point of view: some Christian saints were endowed with the functions of ancient gods, and many holidays retained distinct elements of paganism. We are talking about rituals: Christmas in Russia, for example, coincided with Kolyada - the day of the winter solstice, symbolizing lengthening days and shortening nights. Later, Kolyada began to open Christmas Eve - a series of Christmas holidays, which lasted from 7 to 19 January.
The evening of January 6 was called the Christmas Eve for the Slavs. This word comes from the noun "osovo" - it denoted a dish of boiled grains of wheat and barley, flavored with honey and dried fruits. The food was put under the icons - as a kind of gift to the Savior, who was about to be born. On this day it was customary to abstain from eating before the Bethlehem star appeared in the sky. At night people went to church for a solemn service - Vigil. After the service, they laid out in a "red corner" under the images of an armful of hay, rye and kutya - porridge of grains. Initially, it was an offering to Veles, the god of fertility in the pagan pantheon, but gradually lost its original meaning and began to be perceived as a symbol of the Nativity of Christ.
Traditions for the celebration of Christmas in Russia included "razgovlenie": after fasting in each house a lavish table with a feast was covered. Geese, pigs, Russian cabbage soup, jelly, kutya, pancakes, pies, gingerbreads ... An essential attribute of the festive table was "juicy" - figurines of animals molded from dough.
Christmas rituals and customs
As noted above, Christmas and Christmas in Russia lasted 13 days - from 7 to 19 January. All this time was devoted to the performance of numerous holy rituals, fortune telling, games and other entertainments. Especially popular among young people was caroling: young men and girls gathered in small groups and walked around all the houses in the village, singing carols under the windows (ritual songs praising the owner and his family) and getting a treat for it.
The second day of Christmas was called "Cathedral of the Virgin"
The holiday of Christmas in Russia has traditionally ended with a water service: devoutly believing people plunged into an ice hole near the Jordan, washing away their sins before the Baptism .