What are Christmas holidays? What date are they in 2019? How was Christmas celebrated in Rus'? What were the traditions? Read about it in our article!

Christmas time in 2019

Christmas time begins immediately after the celebration of the Nativity of Christ.

• Dates in 2019: from 7 to 17 January.
• Dates in 2020: from 7 to 17 January.
• Dates in 2021: from 7 to 17 January.
• Dates in 2022: from 7 to 17 January.

What are saints?

What do we associate with Christmas time? With laughing ruddy faces, sleigh rides, gifts and other simple, joyful and fun things. With only one caveat: all these pictures are drawn to us, as a rule, not by personal experience, but by the literary classics of past centuries. The heroes of Pushkin, Gogol, Tolstoy take part in Christmas games, and they come from completely different strata of society. Our ancestors knew how to rejoice. Maybe you should learn from them?

How old are the saints?

The tradition of celebrating Christmas time is rooted in such deep antiquity that even oral traditions have not remained from those times. When Prince Vladimir threw pagan idols into the Dnieper, the custom was already five hundred years old. And even when Rurik founded Novgorod, Christmas time was no longer young.

Employees of the Russian Ethnographic Museum claim that in pre-Christian Rus', Christmas time was associated with the name of the god Svyatovit. What kind of god is this and why he was given a special two-week holiday, scientists are still arguing. It is believed that "Svyatovit" is simply one of the names of the supreme god Perun. Be that as it may, the Slavs did their best to appease this god, primarily so that he would send a bountiful harvest. At Christmas time, Svyatovit was supposed to leave some festive food, which was thrown into the oven especially for him. The Slavs believed that at the beginning of winter, the spirits of the gods and the souls of their ancestors descend to earth, and at that moment they can “beg” for a plentiful harvest, and a handsome husband, and money, and anything in general.

The Christian tradition of celebrating Christmas time has also been known since antiquity. As early as the 4th century, Greek Christians rested, had fun and purely celebrated two weeks after (according to one version, the word “Christmas” comes from the verb “sanctify”, since people “hallow” at Christmas time, that is, they glorify Christ and the Birth of Christ). Particular attention was paid to ensuring that everyone had a joyful mood: the poor, slaves, prisoners. In Byzantium, it became a custom to bring food and gifts to prisons and hospitals at Christmas time, to help the poor. We meet references to Christmas time as a special post-Christmas celebration in Ambrose of Milan, Gregory of Nyssa and Ephrem the Syrian.

With the advent of Christianity, Christmas time in Rus' also began to take on a new meaning. Nevertheless, the attitude of the Russian Church to Christmas festivities has always been ambiguous. Many hierarchs spoke out not only against fortune-telling, but also against caroling and the custom of “dressing up” on the basis of the decision of the VI Ecumenical Council, which reads: “Those who resort to magicians or others like them to learn something secret from them, let them be subject to the rule of six years of penance ( i.e., they are removed from Communion for six years) ... dances and ceremonies performed according to an old and alien rite of Christian life, we reject and determine: none of the husbands should dress in women's clothing that is not characteristic of a husband; don't wear masks." Then the supporters of the Christmas time came up with a witty "solution" to the problem: on Epiphany, an ice hole in the shape of a cross was made in the ice of a river or lake, and the entire population of the village dipped into it, washing away the sins committed at Christmas time.

Over time, the religious meaning of pagan traditions was completely forgotten, and Christmas time became a time when people especially glorify Christmas and the mercy of the Lord who sent Jesus Christ to Earth. From the ancient pre-Christian Christmas time, only winter, purely Russian irrepressible fun remains.

Christmas time in Rus'. On the tradition of celebrating Christmas

Hooliganism sanctified by tradition

Christmas time has always been a national holiday, at this time class boundaries seemed to disappear, everyone was united by a common joy. In terms of the number of customs and folk signs, only Shrovetide can be compared with this period of the year.

In ancient, pre-Petrine times, there was a custom on Christmas day in each village, light a fire, which, with its sparkle in the darkness of a winter night, symbolized the Star of Bethlehem and burned until the very baptism.

Favorite folk entertainment at Christmas time is dressing up and caroling. In Rus', and then in the Russian Empire, young people gathered together on Christmas Eve, dressed up as animals or mythological characters like Ivanushka the Fool, and went caroling around the village or town. By the way, this is one of the few Christmas traditions that survived in the post-Petrine era, despite the fact that most of the population moved to the cities. The main character among carolers has always been a bear. They tried to dress the fattest guy in the village or neighborhood. The mummers entered in turn into each hut, where the light was on. Teenagers and children sang Christmas troparion, spiritual songs, carols ... Carols are something like Winnie the Pooh chants, in which the owner of the house is praised and through which treats are begged from this very owner. Songs were often composed on the go, but there were traditional rules in this art, coming from ancient times. The owner, for example, was called nothing more than "bright moon", the hostess - "red sun", their children - "clear stars". However, who knew how, came up with more expressive magnifications: “The owner of the house is like Adam in paradise; the mistress of the house is like pancakes on honey; little kids - like red-green grapes ... ”The carolers promised a rich harvest and a happy life to those who give treats, and all sorts of disasters to the miserly. Sometimes even threats sounded in the songs: “Whoever doesn’t give a pie, we’ll lead the cow by the horns, if he doesn’t give ham, we’ll split the iron…” All this, of course, is a joke. Sometimes they sang absolutely, even deliberately meaningless sentences. The hosts received guests, gave what they could.

Where the word "kolyada" came from is extremely difficult to establish. In different parts of Russia, this word has a different meaning. In the north, it is simply "Christmas Eve", in the villages of the Novgorod region, "carols" are gifts received at Christmas. In Belarus, "caroling" means "praise Christ." But ethnographers believe that the ancient Slavs called this word the holiday of the winter solstice.

Another Christmas custom is to gather with the whole family in the evenings, invite guests (as many as possible), tell tales and make riddles (as complex as possible). This tradition, like caroling, lived not only in the villages, but also among the urban nobility. Literary critic Yu. M. Lotman, in his comments on Eugene Onegin, writes that it was customary to separate “holy evenings” and “terrible evenings” (the first and second weeks after Christmas respectively). On "holy evenings" they arranged cheerful nightly gatherings, on "terrible evenings" - fortunetelling. The youth was going to dance, in the afternoon - to ride a sleigh, play snowballs. By the way, there have always been many weddings after Christmas. “In gatherings, fortune-telling, games, songs, everything is directed towards one goal - to the rapprochement of the betrothed. Only on holy days do boys and girls easily sit hand in hand,” the folklorist I. Snegirev wrote in his book Songs of the Russian People.

The most “anti-social” Christmas tradition is “indulgence”. Children and teenagers gathered at night in large gangs and played pranks as best they could. The classic joke was to board up a gate in a house from the outside, or stir up a pile of firewood. Another entertainment is the ritual abduction of something. Anything could be kidnapped, but always with noise and songs, and not secretly. In Soviet times, despite all the prohibitions, collective farm tractors were often "kidnapped". Immediately after the holidays, of course, they were returned to their place.

The last days of Christmas time were devoted to preparation for Baptism. The best village craftsmen cut a cross-shaped hole in frozen ponds and decorated it with ice patterns.

In Russia, winter Christmas time has come - a cheerful folk-Christian festive period that lasts from Christmas to Epiphany.

When are Christmas holidays

Christmas time, which in Rus' was also called carols, is celebrated for 12 whole days, as they say, “from the star to the water”, that is, from the appearance of the first star on the eve of the Nativity of Christ and until the feast of the Epiphany, when the rite of consecration of water is performed. The holiday has pagan, folk roots, but is closely connected with the Christian tradition.

history of the holiday

The first Christians began to celebrate the twelve days after the Nativity of Christ from ancient times. For the first time, the celebration of Christmas time was mentioned in the first century AD. However, already at the same time when the holiday became Christian, the tradition of Christmas divination and the fulfillment of other superstitions inherited from pagan times, never approved by the church, appeared. Christmas fortune-telling and other pastimes not approved by the church were so popular during this period that the authorities even issued special prohibition laws. So, in the Russian Empire there was a special law that forbade “on the eve of the Nativity of Christ and during Christmas time, starting games according to old idolatrous traditions and, dressing up in idol robes, perform dances in the streets and sing seductive songs.”

Christmas rites

At Svyatki there were and still remain in different places their own local traditions, somewhat different from each other. Among the most famous Christmas pastimes is walking around the houses of mummers, when young people, dressed up in different, sometimes frightening costumes, sing and dance, receiving food and money as a reward. At the same time, Christmas mummers are far from being as blissful as those who participate in Christmas carols. Christmas costumes and masks are sometimes frightening, and songs and dances are sometimes indecent.
In Rus', traditional costumes and masks were in use at Christmas time - for example, “goat”, “stork”, “devil”, etc. Mostly young guys went in masks, girls, if they participated in carols, behaved more modestly, and did not hide their faces. Sometimes the mummers covered their faces with hair, panicles, bast, pulled fur hats low over their eyes, etc. Or they smeared their faces with soot, tar, beets, sprinkled with flour. It was believed that the mummers who walked around the yards were messengers from another world, images of the souls of dead ancestors. Therefore, the owners coaxed the mummers with food and money, as if paying off evil spirits.

Christmas festivities are vividly shown in the film by Alexander Mitta "The Tale of How Tsar Peter the Black Married".

The expulsion of Christmas time

In some regions of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, the rite of expelling Christmas time (kutya, carols), timed to coincide with the end of the Christmas period before Epiphany, has still been preserved. So, in Ukraine it was customary to burn Christmas straw or garbage accumulated during the Christmas season. This rite is called "fire dida" or "fire diduha".

The burning of straw or hay on Epiphany Christmas Eve was also very common in Russia - it was called "seeing off Christmas time": a burning sheaf was driven around the village on a cart with joyful cries.

There are other Christmas rituals - lighting candles, gatherings, songs and dances, collecting money for widows, etc. Mostly in villages and cities, this time was spent merrily, winter fun and entertainment were in use, the table was varied, since fasting restrictions were no longer in effect, it was not customary to work at that time. Including at that time, hunting and, in general, any killing of animals was under a strict ban.

Christmas proverbs and sayings

Wolves get married at Christmas time.

From Christmas to Epiphany, it is a sin to hunt animals and birds: trouble will happen to the hunter.

One kutya for people, another for thinness (cattle), and the third for harvest.

Christmas time has passed, it's a pity to leave, Maslenitsa has come - it's time to ride

Wet Christmas time (that is, thaw) - little harvest.

Yasnye Svyatki are full barns.

Christmas divination

Christmas fortune-telling was common among the Slavic peoples during the winter Christmas time from Christmas Eve to Epiphany.

The most favorable for fortune-telling were considered Rozhdestvensky (January 6), Vasilyevsky (January 13) and Epiphany (January 18) evenings. The ancients believed that these days are critical, the most dangerous periods, when the Christmas spirits are especially strong.

There were two main themes in fortune-telling at Christmas time: fortune-telling about fate (about marriage, family, well-being) and about the future harvest.

Christmas fortune-telling was one of the main entertainments for girls thinking about marriage and about a mummer-betrothed - a future husband. These divinations are described in Vasily Zhukovsky's ballad "Svetlana" and in Alexander Pushkin's poem "Eugene Onegin".

Read more about the methods of divination at Christmas time in the material of the Federal News Agency.

Trinity, Green Christmas time and Semik are holidays that refer to the beginning of the summer period. In Slavic traditions, they played a very important role, and until now, these days, nature around us has a very special energy.

Trinity is included in the list of 12 main Orthodox holidays, and Green Christmas time and Semik are folk dates that are tied to the Trinity and are inextricably linked with it in the memory of the people.

Trinity in 2016

Trinity is the most important holiday for every Christian. The people also call this day Pentecost, since according to church tradition it is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter. Although Jesus gave up his earthly life at Passover, he still remained on earth with his disciples, giving them advice and guidance until the 40th day after his death. After that, his soul went to where it was originally prepared for a place - next to the Father and the Holy Spirit. This day is known in the church calendar as the Ascension of the Lord.

Trinity in 2016 will be celebrated June 19. It is on this day that the clergy and all believers will pay tribute to the triune union of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. On Trinity, people go to church, decorate their house, clean up and invite guests. Guests and family joining is almost a mandatory rule, since with this gesture we show love for our neighbors. This holiday calls for mutual understanding, kindness and responsiveness. No one is perfect, but on days like Trinity, absolutely everyone can admit their mistakes and ask for forgiveness for what they did. The Trinity teaches us to put ourselves in the place of another person, trying to understand his essence. This is a holiday of piety, which helps to find a bright beginning in oneself.

On June 19, the church advises to visit the temple or read prayers at home. Also on the Trinity, it is customary to clear the gardens of weeds and collect medicinal herbs. There are certain trinity divination, which we told you about earlier. This is the only day of summer when many divination is not forbidden by the church.

Semik in 2016

June 16, on the seventh Thursday after Easter, Semik or Mermaid Day is celebrated. This is an ancient Slavic holiday that has preserved its traditions to this day, carrying them through time. Another name for the holiday is Maundy Thursday, the Trinity of the Dead. Usually the church does not express indignation about this holiday, despite the fact that it is pre-Christian. Naturally, it is not in the church calendar, and not a word is said about it in the churches. However, many people go to cemeteries on this day to honor the memory of deceased relatives.

Initially, the purpose of the holiday was to commemorate the dead who died a violent death, committed suicide, drowned or remained unknown after death.

The official Christian memorial service in churches is held on Trinity Saturday, and on Thursday people always commemorate those who have not been honored with the opportunity to be buried according to all the rules of God. Previously, this was an obligatory ceremony in Rus', during which people came to a specially designated place in the cemetery and commemorated those who died without church honors.

Green Christmas time 2016

Green Christmas time includes many Christian church and folk holidays, combined into a whole holiday complex. The series of holidays begins with Mid-Midday, which means the passage of half the way to the Trinity. Next comes the Ascension of the Lord, then the national holiday Semik, and then the Trinity and Trinity week. Green Christmas time ends before Petrovsky post.

This period represents the meeting of the summer season and farewell to spring. Christmas time will begin in 2016 on May 25, and end on June 26. The main symbol of the festive cycle is the birch. Since ancient times, it has symbolized victory over cold and snow.

During this period from May 25 to June 26, girls in Rus' usually looked after their groom. Folk signs and traditions tell us that people believed in mermaids, who made riddles for people who disappeared in the forest, sitting on trees. Those who did not guess were waiting for death. At Green Christmas time people walked and had as much fun as possible, because after them, according to custom, a rather serious Petrovsky fast comes.

We wish you happy holidays and good mood in the coming days. May God be near you and hear your evening and morning prayers, protecting you every minute. Honor church and folk traditions that are almost 2000 years old. This is a tribute to history, a gift from the ancestors. Happy summer to you and don't forget to press the buttons and

09.06.2016 06:15

Trinity is one of the most revered and beloved holidays among the people. If done right, this...

Christmas time is a time that every year fills the hearts of each of us with joy. After all, at this time we all become a little kinder, a little happier and a little happier. Take advantage of the customs and traditions of Christmas time, and you can plunge into the festive atmosphere and learn more about ancient Slavic customs.

Christmas sheaf - didukh

"Didukh to the house - trouble from home" - this is an old Ukrainian saying, which in one phrase reveals the meaning of didukh - a Christmas sheaf. It was customary for our ancestors to set up and decorate a Christmas didukh, a sheaf of unthreshed ears of wheat, in every house on the eve of Christmas, in addition to the Christmas tree. Since ancient times, our ancestors believed that the spirits of grandfathers, great-grandfathers, patrons of the house, reside in the didukh.

Popular beliefs connect the tradition of making didukhs with the birth of Jesus Christ. When Jesus was born, it was very cold in the barn, so Joseph blocked the gap in the wall with a sheaf of straw. It is this sheaf that symbolizes the didukh.

This attribute of Christmas was taken out of the house only on the eve of the Old New Year, which was celebrated on January 13th. In some regions, accompanied by songs and dances, it was customary to burn didukh on the road. In other places, only part of the sheaf was burned, and from the spikelets they made a “sprinkler”, with which they consecrated the house. Our ancestors believed that if you sprinkle the house with holy water, the next year will be fruitful.

Holy Evening or Christmas Eve

The evening before Christmas is called Christmas Eve or Holy Evening. Every family waits in awe for the first star to appear in the sky. According to traditions, it is at this time that one should sit down at the pre-Christmas table. From the very morning, all housewives prepare 12 Lenten dishes for dinner.

12 dishes that every housewife prepares for Christmas Eve symbolize the number of months in a year and the apostles of Christ. Dishes are placed on a table covered with a white tablecloth and covered with hay, which reminds us of the manger in which the Son of God was born. Heads of garlic are placed at the corners of the table, which protect the whole family from evil spirits.

One of the main dishes of the Holy evening is kutya. It is customary to cook it from crushed wheat and poppy seeds and season it with honey, raisins, and nuts. In addition, the table should have uzvar (dried fruit compote), dumplings with potatoes or cabbage, lean borscht with mushroom ears, lean cabbage rolls from grated potatoes, herring, mushroom sauce, beans, peas, stewed cabbage, lampukhi (doughnuts). The meal must begin with prayer. After dinner, the housewives do not remove the dishes from the table, because they believe that the spirits of their ancestors will come to the house at night to have dinner.

Bright Christmas holiday

The celebration begins with a trip to the Christmas service at the church, and then the whole family gathers for a festive breakfast. In the evening, it's time for carols, and delicious dishes are put on the table - boiled pork, homemade sausage, blood, jelly. Sweets are served for dessert - puff cakes with a variety of fillings: poppy seeds, cherries, prunes, cream, meringue. Similar to the Slavic traditions of celebrating Christmas are the customs of other peoples of the world.

For example, when Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians prepare 12 dishes for the Holy evening, which symbolize the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ, the Czechs serve 12 types of cakes on the table, which represent 12 months. In Venezuela, grapes are shared and 12 grapes are eaten, while making wishes for each month of the year. During the Holy Supper, Ukrainians share church prosphora, and Poles share a rebate.

On this bright day, all the streets and houses are filled with fun and sonorous singing - there are nativity scenes with bells and a Christmas star (children dressed as angels, the devil, warriors, death), carols sound, concerts, festivals and fairs are held, nativity scene dramas are played out. Shops are placed in churches and houses - models depicting the Bethlehem stable on the night of the Nativity of Christ. Mandatory elements of the shopka are the figures of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God and St. Joseph, as well as shepherds and three kings.

Carols are mostly young people and children. It used to be a kind of entertainment for young people. And actually, what prevents you today from congratulating your neighbors in the stairwell with laudatory carols on the day of Holy Christmas? In our world, where people are so divided, sometimes simple human communication is not enough. Treat your neighbors with your own “cooked” carols, and they will surely give you something tasty in return or even invite you for tea.

During the Christmas holidays, you can enjoy all sorts of goodies, the most popular of which are donuts. Since ancient times, they have been a sweet symbol of Christmas and a traditional dish on the festive table. Each housewife, as a rule, has her own secret of their preparation. Most often they are baked with poppy seeds, cherry or rose jam. Some housewives on Christmas Eve like to play tricks on guests and put all kinds of symbolic fillings in donuts.

So, according to legend, whoever comes across a pampukh stuffed with salt will spend the whole year in hard work. If instead of poppy the hostess poured pepper, you should prepare for surprises in the new year. Whoever tries pampukh with a penny inside will get rich. And the filling of honey indicates love or an imminent wedding.

Old New Year

From time immemorial, it was believed that Christmas time is the most favorable time to look into the future. Accordingly, it is on these days, starting from Christmas and ending with the Baptism of the Lord, that it is customary to guess. The girls gather on the night of the Old New Year and try to predict their fate - they leave the house at midnight and ask the name of the first person they meet. According to popular beliefs, the name of the passerby is the name of the betrothed. By his appearance and clothes, you can predict the beauty and wealth of the future husband.

Also, girls guess with matches. To do this, two matches are inserted on the sides of the matchbox and set on fire. If the burnt heads are facing each other, the lovers are destined to be together. In order to find out what kind of life to expect this year, various objects are placed in a saucer, bowl or felt boot. Girls must choose one of the "vessels". If ash gets inside, then a bad life awaits the fortuneteller, sugar - a “sweet” life, a ring - marriage, an onion - tears, a glass - a fun life, a golden ring - wealth.

Baptism of the Lord

Christmas time ends with the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. On the eve of January 18, the whole family gathers at the table. At the table, as during the Holy Supper, only Lenten dishes are served, and hungry, or poor, kutya is also prepared. Churches bless the water. It is believed that on this night she is gaining special healing power.

Epiphany water protects from any disasters and heals wounds. It is strictly forbidden, while pouring holy water or taking it, to quarrel, swear, allow bad thoughts, and do bad deeds. From this, the collected holy water loses the property of holiness. Coming home in the morning after a nightly church service, people sprinkle every corner of their homes with holy water. It is believed that order and peace will reign in a sprinkled house.

For a long time, on Epiphany evening it was customary to go from house to house and be generous. Young guys and girls sang generosity, wishing good and well-being, and the owners gave them small money for this. Having plunged into the festive atmosphere, none of us will remain indifferent to Christmas traditions. Everyone can forget about their problems. After all, Christmas exists for this - to inspire faith and hope for a better future.