Christmas is a religious holiday. Christmas: the history and traditions of the holiday. The defeat of the Napoleonic army and the construction of the temple
Christmas is one of the important celebrations in the life of a Christian believer. The whole family takes part in it, not excluding children. Curious children are interested in knowing the history of this event, and the duty of Orthodox parents is to satisfy this pious intention.
The history of the Christmas holiday for children should be simple and easy, because the traditional biblical story is somewhat difficult for early perception.
Birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.
When is Christmas celebrated
Orthodox Christians celebrate the Nativity of Christ on January 7, and the day before, on January 6, they celebrate Christmas Eve. These are especially solemn days in temples - as elsewhere on winter holidays, they decorate Christmas trees, put up nativity scenes telling about the birth of Christ. There is a pious tradition in some churches to put on children's performances and performances dedicated to this holiday.
However, not always and not all Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7th. Catholics celebrate this day earlier, on December 25th. Our church also used to celebrate Christmas before the New Year, but with the transition to a new style, the date was set to January 7 and remained constant.
In fact, no one knows exactly when Christ was born. Scholars who study the Bible have calculated this date, and it has been established as it is today. But for a believer, there is not too much difference how exactly January 7 corresponds to the biblical date of the birth of Christ - it is on this day that the whole church triumphs, rejoices and rejoices. It is on this day that we are called to share the joy with the Church.
About other Great Orthodox holidays:
About Christmas for children
The parents of little Jesus were called Mary and Joseph. The Lord entrusted them with a great mission - to give birth and raise the Savior of mankind.
Before the birth, God-fearing parents went to Bethlehem, because the emperor had given a decree to conduct a census, and every inhabitant had to come to hometown(Father Joseph was from Bethlehem). The father and mother of Jesus had to spend the night in a cave, as all the hotels in the city were completely packed. Here Mary gave birth to God's son. The baby was placed in a manger filled with hay for the cattle.
At this time, wise wise men (shepherds) with a flock passed nearby. They saw a dazzling light and an angel appeared, who announced the birth of the Savior of mankind. The heavenly messenger told where the baby was and ordered to visit him with special gifts.
As a church law, Christmas was introduced by John Chrysostom in 386. The Council of Constantinople, on behalf of Basil the Great, set the day for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ - December 25th.
The explanation for this choice is based on the tradition of the prophets that Jesus was to live on earth for a full number of years. The date of Christ's death was known to everyone, 9 months were taken away from it and the time of conception was calculated. On the day of the Annunciation, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and said that in 9 months she would give birth to a son from the Holy Spirit.
Having counted nine months from this date, the clergy agreed that December 25 is the date of the birth of the Savior.
The Orthodox holiday of Christmas is the celebration of a new era in human history. Residents of the entire globe try at this time to give special love to each other, imitating the Almighty. For God so loved the world that He gave His Son for the eternal life of everyone who believes in Him. (John 3:16-21)
How to celebrate Christmas
Since Christmas is a great Christian holiday, of course, it should be celebrated in the temple. The service on this day is especially solemn and majestic, joyful. Children also do not get bored in the temple - it is customary to give them sweets, treats, sweets. Of course, you need to set the children in a prayerful mood, but you don’t need to overdo it. Let the children feel the bright joy of this day, and not the strict control of their parents over their behavior in the temple.
Caroling at Christmas.
Telling children about Christmas, like any other Christian holiday, adults themselves need to be imbued with the joy and light of this day. It is completely pointless to tell children about the holiday when adults themselves do not believe in a miracle and do not feel the special features of this day.
Read about other Orthodox traditions:
Both adults and children will be interested to know about the preparation and holding of this bright day:
- Preparing for the meeting of Christmas is a rather long Christmas post. According to the Charter of our Church, children under 7 do not have to fast, and for older children, some abstinence will only benefit. Of course, a child should not be deprived of meat and dairy products for a long time, which are so necessary during a period of active growth. But the rejection of sweets, from watching TV, the restriction on the Internet is quite capable of withstanding already teenagers.
Children's fasting should in no case be in the form of coercion. Children in adolescence they rebel strongly against any pressure, and in matters of faith this is completely unacceptable.
- On Christmas Day itself and Christmas Eve, it is customary to go to church. You can dress up beautifully so that the appearance of a person also expresses triumph. Temples, beautifully decorated with lights, decorated Christmas trees and other Christmas paraphernalia, will not cause boredom even for small children.
- Since Soviet times, the practice of decorating a Christmas tree for the New Year has taken root. Today, however, many believers leave this joyful work for Christmas. This is due to the fact that the secular New Year falls on last week Christmas post. It is wrong to deprive children of a festive decorated Christmas tree with gifts under it, but in Orthodox families the main emphasis should not be on the New Year, but on Christmas.
- A wonderful Christmas tradition is to celebrate the holiday with the family for festive table. On Christmas Eve, a fasting table is laid in the evening, and the very next day, after the solemn service, the whole family gathers for a plentiful and satisfying dinner.
- A tradition that came from the pagan past of the Slavs is caroling. Nowadays, this tradition is not becoming so popular, but even at the beginning of the last century, mummers went to almost every house on Christmas. People dressed up in colorful costumes and went from house to house singing Christmas songs and carols. Of course, the children were very fond of such caroling.
Miracles for the holidays
It is believed that on this day they open Heaven's Gate, which fulfill the most secret and kind desires, and also save from the materialistic vision of reality.
- One girl began to attend church after a significant dream in which the postcard read: "Hurry to the Savior!" She regarded it as the highest instruction, changed her own worldview and now lives according to Christian canons.
- During the carol, the boy, descending the frozen stairs, slipped and fell with the back of his head on the edge of the step. After such an injury, they rarely survive, but he managed to avoid death and a serious injury to the skull. The boy felt the unparalleled love of the Lord when he was able to get up. Soon, miraculously saved from death, he realized that he should thank God, and began to go to the temple.
- The woman had been sick since childhood, the doctors said that the chance of carrying a child was approaching zero. At Christmas, the girl walked with her friends, there was an unusual silence around. At this time, the woman heard a strong voice, saying that she was expecting a child. Two months later she met a good man and soon gave birth.
More about Orthodox miracles:
The bright holiday of Christmas is especially loved by Christian families. Children get delicious sweets and get the opportunity to dress up in interesting costumes. An unusual atmosphere reigns in the house, glorifying the appearance of the Savior of mankind, who accepted death in order to atone for all sins.
How to get kids to love Christmas
It is not enough for children of any age to simply tell what the essence of this day is. Children learn the world sensually, through emotions and impressions. Therefore, the most The best way to convey to the child the joy of Christ - to find it yourself.
Children celebrating Christmas
If parents or close influential relatives themselves go to church, fast, and engage in their own spiritual life, this cannot but be reflected in the souls of children. Even if at some time the child moves away from the church and from God (most often this happens in adolescence), the sprouts planted in childhood will give a result.
It is necessary to cultivate faith in God and to church a child at any age very carefully, in no case breaking or exerting excessive pressure.
Christmas holidays are an excellent opportunity to combine joyful festivities and spiritual education. On ordinary days, children are often bored at worship services, especially if the habit of going there regularly has not been instilled from early childhood. But Christmas services are a great way to show your child that church doesn't have to be boring.
Children who go to the temple with their parents from an early age are much less likely to leave as a teenager. But it is very important that the child has his own, personal spiritual need to come to the temple for Christmas, and not spend this day in another place. If a child refuses to go to church with his parents, do not force him. At an early age, this will still give some result and the child will simply submit to the will of the parents. However, at an older age, such a child is more likely to leave the temple.
A wonderful Christmas tradition loved by both children and adults is gifts. IN Soviet time everyone is used to giving gifts to New Year, but in believing families this is more often done at Christmas.
Interesting:
In gifts for Christmas, in addition to the desire to please others, symbolism can also be traced: the Magi, having come to bow to the newborn Christ, also carried their gifts to him.
Since the long fast ends with the celebration of Christmas, this day can be spent not only in worship, but also in worldly joys. Even not very religious people love and celebrate Christmas, so on this day it is customary to visit or receive guests at home.
There is nothing shameful to sit down with loved ones at the table and celebrate the holiday. For children, they often arrange funny contests with awards and gifts. It is only important not to forget what is celebrated on this day, and to celebrate the holiday within reason.
Watch a video about Christmas
The day of the Nativity of Christ was established by the Church in honor of an event that took place on earth 2015 years ago; it is one of the twelve major feasts of the annual liturgical cycle.
Christmas is the great twelfth holiday. On Christmas night from January 6 to 7, a festive Divine Liturgy is celebrated. On the very day of Christmas, believers celebrate and feast - they “break the fast” (now it is allowed to eat not only lenten, but also “quick” food). The twelve following days after Christmas are called "holy days", or "Christmas".
Nativity
The story of the birth of Jesus Christ is contained in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. During the reign of Herod in Judea, which was under the rule of Rome, the emperor Octavian Augustus issued a command to conduct a nationwide census. The Jews were recorded by tribes and clans; each clan had its own place of forefathers. Joseph and Mary, as descendants of King David, descended from Bethlehem, they were to be recorded only there, and they went there from Nazareth.
According to the Gospel, in Bethlehem they could not find a place for themselves in a house or in an inn, which is why they were forced to stop outside the city, in a cave where shepherds sheltered their cattle in inclement weather. In this cave, at night, the Blessed Virgin Mary gave birth to the Infant - the Son of God, Christ. The first to bow to the Nativity of Jesus were the shepherds, who were informed of this miraculous event by the appearance of an angel. And in the sky a wonderful star was revealed, which led the magi (wise men) to the baby Jesus. The Magi presented Christ with gifts - gold, frankincense and myrrh. On the eighth day after the birth of the Savior, according to the law, he was given the name Jesus, which was indicated by the Lord through an angel.
The Christian Church celebrates the great event of the Nativity of Christ on December 25th. The Russian Orthodox Church adheres to the Julian calendar in its liturgical life, in which December 25 corresponds to January 7 according to the Gregorian (modern Russian calendar).
On Christmas Eve, an All-Night Vigil is served with Great Compline, during which prophecies about Christmas are sung and read. Around midnight, Matins begins, which is performed according to the order of the great holidays. On it, fragments of the Gospel of the Nativity are read and the canon “Christ is born ...” is sung - one of the most beautiful canons in Orthodox worship. Then the festive Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.
"The Nativity of Christ", an icon by Andrey Rublev. Photo: reproduction
All-night vigil
The All-Night Vigil is a liturgical service that consists of Vespers and Matins, which received these names according to the time of their celebration. Before the holidays, morning and evening services are combined into the so-called "all-night vigil", that is, a prayer that continues all night. Such a prayer happens only twice a year - at Christmas and Easter. Before Christmas, in the all-night vigil, not vespers are served, but Great Compline (it is performed after Vespers served on Christmas Eve, hence the name).
Folk traditions of celebration in Russia
Folk traditions of celebrating Christmas time from Christmas to Epiphany are rooted in Slavic customs of celebrations winter solstice. The obligatory attributes of the holiday were dressing up (dressing up using skins, masks and horns), caroling (visiting houses by a group of fellow villagers who performed “favorable” sentences and songs addressed to the owners of the house, for which they received refreshments), carol songs, or carols, youth games and divination.
Christmas time began on Christmas Eve with a dinner with Christmas kutya and porridge, a pie with pretzels, even for the holiday they baked animal figures from wheat dough, which decorated tables, windows of the hut and sent them as gifts to relatives and friends. When the family gathered at the table, the elders remembered the year - all the good and bad in the past year. At the end of the meal, the children took part of the remaining kutya to grandparents, as well as to the poor, so that they could celebrate Christmas. In some areas, food and tablecloths were not removed from the table until morning, believing that the souls of the deceased parents would come to the table to also eat.
Then the mummers, dressed in sheepskin coats with wool up and animal masks, in order to be unrecognized, arranged dances in houses and on the streets, played skits and whole performances. At the end of the 17th century, the crib theater penetrated from Poland to Russia: scenes about the birth of Jesus Christ and other plots were played in a special box-crib with the help of dolls.
Fragment of "Kryzovy cribs". Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Hvar
Echoes of pagan beliefs were also manifested in the fact that it was customary to guess at Christmas time. In some villages, straw was burned at Svyatki - according to legend, the dead ancestors at those moments came to warm themselves by the fire. The Church, not approving witchcraft superstitions and pagan rites, assimilated "harmless" customs, and they organically entered the life of the people.
By Christmas, the owners always cleaned the house, washed in the bath, laid a clean tablecloth, stocked up new clothes, which they put on at the beginning of the day, and invited lonely people to Christmas dinner. But in some places, superstitions associated with the holiday were also widespread: they did not drink plain water at breakfast, since it was believed that a person who drank water on Christmas morning would be thirsty for the whole summer. 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."
Various pork dishes were traditional on the Christmas table: jelly, roast pig, stuffed pig's head, roast. Roasted birds and fish, fried and baked meat in large pieces were also served on the Christmas table, since the design of the Russian stove made it possible to successfully cook large-sized dishes. Finely chopped meat and offal were boiled in pots along with traditional porridge. Various pies were also stuffed with meat: kalachi, cheesecakes, koloboks, kulebyaks, kurniks, pies, etc. They prepared casseroles and pancakes. In addition to meat fillings, a variety of vegetable, fruit, mushroom, fish, curd and mixed fillings were prepared.
The history of the holiday in Russia
The feast of the Nativity of Christ became a celebration after the baptism of Rus' by Prince Vladimir at the end of the 10th century. Christmas is the second most important after Easter public holidays Russian state. And after the victory over Napoleon, the feast of the Nativity of Christ in the Russian Church is associated with "the memory of the deliverance of our fatherland from the Gauls and with them twelve languages in 1812."
By the end of the 19th century, the Christmas holiday had become not only a religious, but also a secular celebration. In the Russian Empire, the law forbade “on the eve of the Nativity of Christ and during Christmas time, according to old idolatrous legends, games and, dressing up in idol robes, dancing along the streets and singing seductive songs.” By the beginning of the 20th century, a decorated Christmas tree became an indispensable attribute of Christmas both in the city and in the countryside, under which Father Frost, the Russian analogue of the western Santa Claus, brought gifts.
During the Soviet period, Christmas, like other religious holidays, was eradicated by the state. The Christmas tree and the celebrations associated with it have become attributes of the secular celebration of the New Year. "Christmas" tree modern Russia became "New Year's", gifts from Santa Claus also became part of new year traditions. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the reverse transformation did not happen - the New Year remained the main traditional holiday.In modern Russia, Christmas has become official holiday in 1991, when January 7 became a non-working day. In the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, the population of which professes other religions, another holiday may be established instead of January 7 - in this case, January 7 for these constituent entities of the Russian Federation is a working day.
Christmas is one of the most important holidays for every Christian. It is celebrated by the whole family and children take an active part in the celebration. Curious kids will certainly be interested to know what kind of event it is, why it is celebrated and what Christmas traditions mean. So that the child understands how important this day is, he should tell the story of the Nativity of Christ for children. It is important to convey to your child the history of this great day in a form that will be close and understandable to him. It is the adapted version of the story of Christmas that will help the baby understand the essence of the holiday, because the traditional adult version described in the Bible may be too difficult for him to understand.
Your story can be accompanied by illustrations from the children's Bible, if the baby does not yet know how to read.
And it is better to start the story with a story about the main character of the holiday.
Jesus is the son of God. God sent him to earth to save us all. To do this, Jesus had to die, but it was so planned - his torment was an atonement for the sins of our ancestors. Jesus lived a long time ago, more than two thousand years ago, but we still remember him and that he sacrificed himself so that we could live now.
What is Christmas?
Like any person, Jesus had a birthday. It is January 7 that is considered to be the birthday of our savior, although exact date no one knows his birth. In many countries, including Europe and the USA, Christmas is celebrated on December 25, according to the old style. Christmas is a holiday in honor of the birth of Jesus, and we celebrate it to this day in memory of the son of God.
History of the birth of Jesus
Well, now let's talk in more detail about the day when Jesus was born, but let's start our story with his parents - Mary and Joseph. In fact, the father of Jesus is the Lord, but Joseph was entrusted with an important mission - to raise and raise the son of God.
Just before the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary were forced to send
Xia to the city of Bethlehem, as the king ordered a census. There were a lot of people in Bethlehem and all the houses and hotels were occupied by those who arrived for the census, so Mary and Joseph had to spend the night in a cave along with the cattle. It was on this night that little Jesus was born. Since there was no bed in the cave, the baby had to be placed directly in the manger. A manger is a box from which animals eat and is usually filled with hay. It was on this soft hay that Maria laid her newborn baby.
In honor of these nurseries, the nursery was named in kindergarten for children up to the age of three.
But back to our story. On the same night, shepherds with their flock passed nearby and saw a bright light and an angel who announced the birth of a savior who came to earth to save everyone from sins. The angel also told the shepherds to go to the baby and said that he was in a manger.
Also on that night, a bright star appeared in the sky - Bethlehem, which pointed the way to the newborn baby to the wise men. They guessed that the light of the star announced the birth of the Savior and went to him with gifts. The Magi knew that Jesus was destined to become the King of Heaven on earth.
King Herod, who was ruling at that time, also heard the news of the birth of the king and was afraid that Jesus could replace him on the throne, so he ordered to kill all the babies in the city. The Son of God miraculously managed to survive.
Post before Christmas
Forty days before Christmas, it is customary to fast, that is, not to eat meat, eggs, milk, only occasionally fish is allowed and vegetable oil. Such a fast is needed in order to purify the body, but the main purpose of fasting is not this, it is needed in order to purify the soul. During the period of fasting, you can’t get angry, offended, quarrel, think about the bad. It is in order for everyone to become at least a little kinder that fasting is needed.
Christmas Eve
The last day of Lent and the day before Christmas is called Christmas Eve. And to be more precise, it is the evening before the holiday. Christmas Eve happens not only before Christmas, but Christmas Eve is the most revered day by Christians. On this day, intensive preparations were made for the celebration of Christmas.
The name of Christmas Eve comes from the name of the dish - sochivo. Sochivo is made from cereals - barley, rice, wheat. Cereals are boiled and soaked with poppy seeds, nuts, fruits. Oil was not added on Christmas Eve, because it was still a day of fasting, and to make the dish more tasty and satisfying, they put a little honey in it.
Put on the table on Christmas Eve and other dishes. There should have been 12 of them - as many as Jesus had apostles. In addition, all dishes for Christmas Eve should be lenten, because the Christmas fast is still going on.
Christmas traditions
This day is famous for its traditions, which have been forgotten a little, but now everyone is trying to remember and observe them, because these traditions unite families, make them friendlier, and Christmas itself is long-awaited, bright and unforgettable.
In fact, there are a lot of such traditions and they differ in each region, but there are a few basic ones that are observed by many people.
Christmas tree
Decorating a tree is not such a long tradition. It appeared a long time ago, but finally established itself a little more than a hundred years ago. Now many people associate the tree with the New Year, but initially the tree was decorated for Christmas. The first Christmas trees were decorated not with balls, but with apples, gingerbread, bells, and small candles. Each of the decorations had its own meaning and purpose. And the main decoration of the Christmas tree - the star at the top symbolizes the very Bethlehem star that announced the birth of Jesus.
carols
Mostly children and young people caroled, they went from house to house and sang carols, and the owners had to thank them. It was believed that the more carolers came to the house, the better and happier the whole next year would be.
This tradition is observed even now, though not on such a scale as before. But the preservation of traditions unites families, helps to keep the connection between generations, so it is necessary to tell children about the holiday of Christmas, the story for children about this holiday should be heard in every home.
Dinner with family and godparents
Christmas is a family holiday and on this day the whole family gathers at the same table. Also, children wear treats to their godparents. In different regions, this tradition is different, but they always bring dinner to the godfather after dinner with their parents. And the godparents, in turn, give the godchildren sweets, money, gifts.
Kutya
Sweet, from wheat, rice or other cereals - for children this is a real delicacy. On Christmas Eve, they prepare a hungry, lean kutya or, as it is also called, juicy. This kutya is liquid, without oil and milk. At Christmas, it is customary to cook rich kutya with milk and butter.
Dried fruits and chocolate are also added to kutia.
The Miracle of Christmas
It is believed that at Christmas the heavens open and you can ask them for anything. The main thing is that the desire should be sincere, bright. 
On the night before Christmas and on Christmas Day, miracles happen: people are healed of illnesses, their innermost dreams come true. But in order for a miracle to happen, you must believe in it. It is important for children to instill faith in a miracle, with which it is easier to go through life and overcome difficulties. Therefore, you need to tell your kids about Christmas, the history of the holiday for children should sound like a fairy tale, a good, kind fairy tale, in which the child will believe and in his soul it will become a little warmer and brighter)))
The Nativity of Christ or What We Still Don't Know About the Feast of the Nativity
It is said that before Christmas the heavenly bells begin to ring, praising God for the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ. And with each new strike of such a bell, heavenly grace spreads throughout our sinful world, and wings grow on angels...
New Year and Christmas - two bright family holiday, which are celebrated by many people all over the Earth. This is a special night of reconciliation when they wish each other well. Various Christian religious denominations celebrate Christian Christmas in the middle of winter with December 25(for Catholics) Jan. 7(among the Orthodox). Christmas is a holiday that means a lot to people, it does not pass without a trace for any person who at least once heard about the life of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for people.
World-famous directors make films about Christmas, artists paint pictures that later become masterpieces of world art, poets compose poems about the great mystery of the birth of the Savior.
The night before Christmas is the brightest and purest time, when each person must forgive everyone for unseemly acts, cleanse himself before people, asking for forgiveness for his sins and become a little brighter, kinder, thereby approaching the Creator.
Every holiday, whether secular or religious, has its own history.
The history of the holiday or Night before Christmas...
The most detailed account of the birth of Jesus Christ is given in the Gospel of Luke:
“Joseph also went from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was pregnant. And when they were there, the time came for her to give birth; and she gave birth to her firstborn son, and swaddled him, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in an inn.
(Luke, ch. 2:4-7)
At the time when Mary was destined to give birth to a baby, a census of the population of the Roman Empire was taking place on the orders of Emperor Augustus. Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem, because according to the same decree of the emperor, in order to facilitate the census process, each inhabitant had to come to "his" city. Both Mary and Joseph were from the line of David, so they had to go to Bethlehem.
After Mary and Joseph could not settle in the hotel, since all the places were occupied, they were forced to spend the night in a cave designed to shelter cattle for the night. It was in this cave (later called the Cave of the Nativity) that Mary began giving birth. She gave birth to a son, whom she named Jesus according to a sign.
After the birth of Jesus, shepherds came to bow to him, who received bright news from an angel. According to the gospel of Matthew, a wonderful star lit up in the sky at that time, which led the wise men (magi) to Jesus. As a gift to the Infant, the shepherds presented frankincense, gold and myrrh. The news of the birth of the Messiah spread throughout Judea.
Upon learning of the birth of the New King, King Herod ordered the destruction of all male infants under two years of age. However, Jesus escaped a sad fate, since Joseph was warned by an angel who told him to flee from the massacre to Egypt, where the Holy Family lived until the death of Herod.
The mystery of the birth of Jesus Christ raises many questions: where was Jesus born? When was Jesus Christ born?
Where and when was Jesus Christ born?
No matter how surprising it may be for a modern person, but the ancient Jews considered a person’s birthday to be the beginning of pain and sorrow, and therefore the birthday was not celebrated as a holiday. This was the reason that it is not possible to establish the date of birth of Jesus Christ for certain. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, where Mary and Joseph went to the census. To establish the approximate date of the birth of Christ is possible only with the help of various accompanying dates, any events, the reigns of emperors or kings.
Based on all research, Jesus was born sometime between 7 and 5 BC. The first date of birth is December 25) is indicated in the chronicle of Sextus Julius, dated 221 However, there are other prerequisites for establishing the real date of the birth of Christ. This is the period from 12 to 7 BC. During this period, Halley's comet passed, which could well be called the Star of Bethlehem. In the same period, the only census was conducted. An important fact is that Jesus was born during the reign of King Herod, who died in 4 BC. This means that Jesus Christ could have been born only before 4 BC, not later, otherwise he would have been too young at the time of execution.
According to the research of Robert D. Myers, the Bible does not record the date of Jesus' birth. However, there is the words of Luke, who says that "there were shepherds in the field at that time, who guarded their flock." This suggests that Jesus was born either in summer or early autumn, since in December it was quite cold and rainy in Judea. Therefore, shepherds would not graze their flocks in the fields.
Early Christian tradition combined the feast of the Epiphany ( 6th January), Nativity and Epiphany, which later became various holidays.
Christmas traditions
Undoubtedly, main tradition Christmas tree is dressed up. This custom has been known since the 8th century and came to us from Germany. The first mention of the Christmas tree is associated with the personality of Saint Boniface. When the monk Boniface read sermons about Jesus Christ and the Nativity to the Druids (worshippers of trees), he convinced them that the oak was not a sacred tree. To prove his words, Boniface cut down a tree. Falling, the oak broke all the trees with its crown, only one spruce remained unbroken. The monk saw a miracle in this event, exclaiming: "Let the spruce be the tree of Christ." That is why Christmas in Germany is celebrated by planting young Christmas trees.
The symbols of Christmas are also an evergreen wreath with candles, bells - a symbol of Heavenly Bells and the expulsion of unclean spirits, Christmas cards, Christmas carols, candles. Twelve days of holidays from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany, it is customary to give gifts to loved ones, rejoice and sing Christmas songs.
Slavic peoples often tell fortunes for Christmas, especially young girls - for their betrothed. They make wishes and dreams, which, according to legend, will surely come true. In some villages, on the night before Christmas, "wells" are built from twigs. A small padlock is placed on top of the "well", which is slammed shut before going to bed. The girl puts the key under the pillow, wishing that the betrothed should come to drink water from the well, and the “well” is locked. You need to take the key from the betrothed: the key betrothed from the girl will come to ask, and so they will meet.
There is another tradition. In order for things to be kept in the house and the family to always be in new clothes, on Christmas Eve (January 6), things should be shifted from shelves to shelves, swapping them out. Then, according to beliefs, the whole year the family living in this house will be able to buy new things.
In addition, on the Holy Evening of January 6, it is customary to visit relatives and relatives with songs, carols, congratulate everyone on Christmas, wishing well-being and good.
Merry Christmas greetings
Congratulating each other on Christmas, remember that along with your sincere words, blessing and love, joy and prosperity will come to the house. Remembering Christ, become a little kinder and cleaner so that you can believe in a miracle and that His love will settle in you!
Night. Freezing. The stars are sparkling
From above heaven.
All covered in snow, as in ermines,
A quiet forest slumbers.
Silence around. glade
Sleeping in the arms of sleep
Emerges from the forest
Watch the moon.
The stars are fading. Are pouring from the sky
pale rays,
Frosty snow sparkled
Brocade silver.
Branches spread wide
In a snow coat
Tree in the middle of the meadow
Up went an arrow.
To the beauty of the forest
The moonlight has fallen
And the lights of ice crystals
Played in the branches.
Diamond threads
Weaving in the needles
Emeralds and rubies
They lit up in the snow.
A clear star at the Christmas tree
Head lights up...
A great day is coming
Christmas holiday!
***
How quiet this night... how transparent it is!
The heavens are inspiring
And in the arms of deep winter sleep
Forests breathe with expectation...
In this quiet night with a sunsetless star
In the dark abyss of lost years
Fired up for the first time over the sinful earth
Christianity divine light
That night the Christ Child smiled
With endless caress of love
People - their brothers, weary of tears,
Drowned in sin and blood...
On this night of light-winged heavenly guests
Sounds like singing in the distance...
And radiant stars shine brighter
Above the snows of the cold earth.
There are countries where people have never known
No blizzards, no loose snows;
There only non-melting snow sparkle
Tops of granite ridges...
The flowers are more fragrant there, the stars are larger,
Brighter and more elegant spring
And the feathers of birds are brighter there, and warmer
There is a wave of the sea...
In such and such a country on a fragrant night
With a whisper of laurels and roses,
The desired miracle happened with my own eyes,
The Infant Christ was born.
You think there's no one to help
If you couldn't help yourself...
Go meet Christmas night -
After all, on this night the Son and God were born!
From that very night the miracle began
A marvelous diamond from a handful of stones:
Mary's son Christ was born
From God - to save other people!
Then: not only amuse the body
Food, drink - a wreath of earthly pleasures,
And Heaven, soul, glorify God -
They bring warmth and light to everyone!
May it wait for you from birth to God
Beautiful and smooth road!
We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We wish you peace, prosperity and love!
We know about the Nativity of the Savior and the events connected with it from the evangelists Matthew and Luke, and they, probably, from the words of the Most Holy Theotokos. The stories of the apostles are different, but surprisingly complement each other.
Matthew speaks not so much about Christmas as about events before and after it: how the Angel dispelled the embarrassment of Joseph the Betrothed, who learned about the pregnancy of the Virgin Mary; how the wise men came to bow to the born Baby. Luke begins with the appearance of an angel to the Virgin Mary herself: You have found favor with God the angel announced to her, - and behold, you will conceive in the womb, and you will give birth to a Son, and you will call His name: Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High... and His Kingdom will have no end(Luke 1:30-33). Further, the Evangelist Luke describes the circumstances of Christmas: ... Caesar Augustus issued a command to make a census throughout the earth ... And they all went to be recorded, each to his own city. Joseph also went from Galilee ... to the city of David, called Bethlehem ... to register with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth; And she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and swaddled Him, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in an inn.(Luke 2:1-7).
Child Christ in the den
The essence of Christmas
The Nativity of Christ is an event that does not fit into consciousness. The Creator of the Universe, penetrating by Himself all created space and at the same time not limited by it, eternal and omniscient, absolutely non-material, entered our earthly time and space, became one of the characters in human history!
The Son of God, not for a moment ceasing to be God, became also a Man - once and for all! First - a fetus that started in the womb of the Virgin Mary; then a helpless Baby, born for lack of a better place in a cattle pen; and finally - a wandering preacher, forced to endure all the restrictions and hardships of ordinary earthly life, experiencing hunger and thirst, suffering from cold and heat, illness and lack of sleep, having no where to lay his head ...
God becomes man. For what? For a person to realize his destiny; so that he could again talk with God "face to face", as Adam once did; to become the pure image and likeness of God.
In the Sermon on the Incarnation of God the Word, St. Athanasius of Alexandria explains that God had no other way to save fallen humanity. The people whom He created for eternal life were seized by death; "the human race was corrupted ... and the work done by God perished." Man perished because he violated God's commandment not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And God could no longer cancel this commandment after the fact: then He would have come into conflict with Himself. There was no point in expecting repentance from people: God, of course, would have forgiven them, but repentance would not have restored immortality to them: after all, how many sins had already been committed...
It turned out, according to the words of St. Athanasius, "something ... inconsistent with anything and at the same time indecent."
Therefore, he says, “the incorporeal, incorruptible, immaterial Word of God comes into our region” and “takes on Himself a body, and a body not alien to ours,” in order, in fulfillment of His own commandment, to suffer and die like a man, and then God’s resurrect with power and destroy death in people, “like straw with fire.”
In short, the Nativity of Christ was the first step taken by God to save His creation from sin and its inevitable consequence, death.
Troparion to the Nativity of Christ:
Your Christmas, Christ our God,ascend the world the light of reason, in it, for the stars serving as a star, I learn to bow to you, the Sun of truth, and lead you from the height of the East. Lord, glory to You!
Translating to Russian language:
Thy Nativity, Christ our God, illumined the world with the light of knowledge, for through it those who serve as stars were taught to worship Thee, the Sun of righteousness, and to know Thee, from on high the Rising Sun. Lord, glory to You!
1. Child Christ in the den - a cave with a manger (feeder for livestock). Depicted next to Christ ox and donkey: the ox, according to the interpretation of many holy fathers, is a symbol of the Jews living according to the law, and the donkey is a symbol of the Gentiles, who their own law(Rom 2:14).. Christ came to save both.
2. In the center of the icon is the Mother of God. She is lying on her bed: this is a sign that the birth of the Lord Jesus was absolutely real, and not illusory (as some have claimed); He came into the world as a living man of flesh and blood. The crimson color of the bed of the Virgin Mary is a sign of Her royal dignity. The Mother of God descended from the family of King David and became the Mother of the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16). Having depicted the Mother of God turning away from the Christ Child, the icon painter makes it clear that, firstly, the Child does not belong to Her, but to the whole world ( Whoever does the will of my Heavenly Father is my brother and sister and mother(Mt 12:50)). And secondly, that the Mother of God Herself hears the prayers of all people, that She is the first intercessor and intercessor for all those in need and mourners.
3. Righteous Joseph , embarrassed by the news of the pregnancy of the Virgin Mary. In front of him is an old man dressed in goat skins: this is an allegorical image of the doubts that overcome Joseph. His doubts were dispelled by an angel who appeared to Joseph in a dream and announced: There is a child of the Holy Spirit ... you will call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:20-21).
4. Washing of the Christ Child - another plot designed to emphasize the reality of the Incarnation. It is borrowed from the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James, which tells how Joseph, seeing that Mary was approaching the hour of childbirth, ran to call the midwife, and she invited Salome to help herself. These two women became, according to the apocrypha, direct witnesses of the miracle.
5. Shepherds-became the first witnesses of the Nativity of Christ . They were in the field suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to them and announced great joy that will be to all people: for today is born to you in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord(OK 2: 8–11). The shepherds entered the cave where their flocks usually wintered, and saw Christ with their own eyes.
6. Host of Angels- on Christmas night, the eyes of the astonished shepherds saw numerous heavenly host, glorifying God and crying out: glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men!(Luke 2:13-14). One of Angels bows to the shepherds, urging them to join in the song of praise. This is an illustration of the line "Angels with shepherds glorify" from the Christmas kontakion - a church hymn that reveals the meaning of the holiday .
7. star beam- the birth of the Savior was accompanied by the appearance of a bright star in the eastern part of the sky. On the icon, a ray of a star points to a manger with the Christ Child. The star showed the Magi the way to Bethlehem and then stopped over the place where the Child was (Matthew 2:9). Origen considered the Star of Bethlehem a real celestial object, John Chrysostom - a reasonable angelic force. And the famous German mathematician and astronomer of the 17th century, Johannes Kepler, calculated that in 748 from the founding of Rome, just around the time of the Nativity of Christ, from the earth it was possible to observe the “parade of planets” - the convergence of Jupiter, Mars and Saturn at one point in the sky ... “But of course, that star that showed the way to the magi from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and then having come a hundred above, where there was an Otrocha(Mt 2:9), was no longer a real star or a planet, but a very special miraculous phenomenon,” Archbishop Averky (Taushev) notes.
8. Magi- Worshiping the Christ Child magi- wise men who came from the east, probably from Persia, - says one evangelist Matthew. The Magi are traditionally present on the icon of the Nativity, but in reality they arrived in Bethlehem only a year or two after the birth of Jesus Christ. This is clear from the words of the Gospel that the Jewish king Herod, wishing to eliminate Christ as his future rival, ordered the soldiers to destroy all babies in Bethlehem from two years and below, according to the time that he learned from the Magi(Matthew 2:16). The Magi are a symbol of pagan knowledge, bowing their heads before the true God. They brought gifts to the Child: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold is like a King, frankincense is like a Priest, and myrrh, a fragrant substance for anointing the dead, is like a Man Who is about to die, the holy fathers explain.
9. Adoration of angels - the icon of Andrei Rublev depicts a plot that has become widespread since about the 14th century: angel worship born Savior. According to the Gospel, only shepherds and magicians came to the Infant Christ. But icon painters sometimes depicted instead of them Angels with their hands covered with cloth. This is an allusion to the recollection of Christmas events at the very beginning of the Divine Liturgy, at the proskomidia, when the priest commemorates the living and dead members of the Church, takes out a piece of prosphora for each and puts them around the main - Lamb - prosphora (she is to become the Body of Christ), and then covers this prosphora with a special fabric board - a cover.
You can download a pdf poster with information about the icon of the Nativity of Christ by clicking on the picture below:
Interesting - however, it is not clear how reliable - the description of the Nativity of Christ contains the so-called Protevangelium of James- a monument of early Christian writing, created no later than the beginning of the 3rd century and not included by the Church in the canon of Holy Scripture. “I ... walked and did not move,” its author narrates on behalf of Joseph the Betrothed. - And he looked at the air and saw that the air was motionless, looked at the vault of heaven and saw that it stopped and the birds of the sky stopped in flight ... And he saw the sheep that were being driven, but that were standing. And the shepherd raised his hand to persecute them, but the hand remained raised. And he looked at the course of the river and saw that the goats touched the water, but did not drink, and everything stopped at that moment. When Joseph approached the cave, he saw a shining cloud at its entrance, and then a light unbearable for the eyes shone in the cave, and the Baby appeared.
The tradition of counting the years from the birth of Christ originates in 525, when Pope John I instructed the monk Dionysius the Small to compile a new table for calculating the days of Easter. At that time, years were counted from the beginning of the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian (AD 284), one of the most cruel persecutors of Christians. The Pope naturally had a desire to replace this date with another - then it was decided to take the Nativity of Christ as a starting point. True, Dionysius was somewhat mistaken and set the date of Christmas with a delay of five or six years: from the Gospel we know that the Savior was born when King Herod the Great ruled Judea, and from historical sources that Herod died in 4 BC. e.
In the Western world, the system of reckoning from the Nativity of Christ (Anno Domini, A.D.) became generally accepted in the 8th century, when the British monk, theologian and historian Béda the Venerable began to use it in his writings. In Russia, it was introduced into use by Peter I - from January 1700.
In our time, it is customary to calculate years from the beginning of "our era" (that is, from the birth of Christ) in all countries of the world.
January 7 (December 25 old style) - conditional date of Christmas. Obviously, it was set simply because December 25 was the day of the winter solstice, when the night stops lengthening and the day begins. In our time, the winter solstice has shifted to December 21-22.
There is an assumption that the tradition of celebrating Christmas on December 25 arose in a controversy with the pagan tradition of celebrating the "birthday of the invincible sun", introduced by the Roman emperor Aurelian in the 3rd century.
On what exact day the Savior was born, we do not know: during the time of His earthly life, it was not customary to celebrate birthdays. Not without reason, until the 4th century, the Church did not single out the feast of the Nativity of Christ, but for several days in a row it celebrated Theophany - the appearance of God into the world, remembering these days the birth of Christ, and His circumcision, and the worship of the Magi, and the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan.
In Russia, Christmas is celebrated on January 7, not December 25, because the Russian Orthodox Church did not accept the transition to the "new style" - the Gregorian calendar, introduced by Soviet Russia in February 1918, following Europe. Now the Gregorian calendar is "ahead" of the Julian one (the Church adheres to it) by 13 days, and from 2100 the difference will already be 14 days, so Christmas will already fall on January 8th.
Photo by Dafne Cholet/Flickr
And it originated in the land of Alsace (now the northeastern province of France) around the beginning of the 17th century. Spruce symbolized the Eden tree of life, access to which a person lost after being expelled from paradise, but regained thanks to Christ. The Christmas tree was hung with apples, gingerbread and other sweets - this was supposed to mean the sweetness of heavenly life.
Russia was introduced to the Christmas tree by Peter I, who traveled extensively in Europe. He issued a decree: by January 1, 1700, in commemoration of the advent of the new century, everyone should dress up Christmas trees. However, this custom did not take root right away: until the middle of the 19th century, Christmas trees in Russia were mainly in the homes of the Germans.
Prepared by Igor Tsukanov