Why are there two recognized dates designated as Christmas, since a person can only have one birthday? There is no catch here, and the main reason is related to the transition to another calendar, which not everyone recognized. Catholics and Protestants continue to adhere to the old tradition. No matter how the dates change, depending on the style used, the holiday will always be celebrated.
There is no point in arguing about the correctness of the chosen date. It’s better to delve into history and figure out what exactly this is connected with. Consider the traditions and study the signs that work on this bright day. We know little about this date, the only thing that everyone understands is that it is a family holiday, so you need to celebrate it with your family, congratulate it with beautiful words and follow many other rules that I previously wrote about here.
Why do Catholics celebrate Christmas on December 25, and Orthodox on January 7?
It is not the date of celebration that differs, but the calendar used. Parishioners who celebrate Christmas according to the old style - December 25, use the modern Gregorian calendar. Others also remember the Birth of the Son of God on December 25, but according to the Julian style, and starting from the 20th century, the date began to fall on January 7.
This was not always the case and the number may change again, because the difference between calendars is gradually growing, since it is a variable value. The Julian calendar, developed by a group of astronomers and used by Julius Caesar, has 365 days. The report begins on the first of January, while in a leap year, which occurs every 4 years, there are 366 days. But this calendar was inaccurate, because over 128 years, an extra day is collected.
In 1582, changes occurred, and the calendar was replaced by a more accurate one - the Gregorian, named after Pope Gregory. According to a decree in 1582, after October 4, October 15 immediately came. The rejection of the Julian calendar first affected Catholic and then Protestant countries.
In Russia, the Gregorian calendar was introduced much later, already during the Soviet era. But, out of 15 autocephalous churches according to the old style, 4 exist, namely: Serbian, Russian, Georgian and Jerusalem and the Athos Monastery. The remaining 10 churches operate according to the New Julian calendar, which remains relevant until the year 2800.
After this, the error will increase in increments of one day, and in the 22nd century, descendants will celebrate the Nativity of Christ not on the 7th, but on the 8th, although the date itself remains unchanged. According to the church that adopted the Gregorian calendar, the only correct and justified decision is for the remaining 4 churches and the Athos Monastery to switch to this style.
Attention!
What date to celebrate the Nativity of Christ is not so important, the main thing is to treat this holiday with understanding and observe its traditions.
Interesting Facts
The red balls decorating the spruce symbolize the apples of paradise on the Tree of Knowledge, the 4 candles on the wreaths represent the 4 weeks of fasting that takes place before Christmas, and the gifts are the gifts of the Magi placed at the cradle of Jesus Christ.
Catholicism is the second largest religion in Belarus by the number of parishioners. According to information from the Commissioner for Religious Affairs and Nationalities of the Republic of Belarus, in 2007 only 50% of the population considered themselves believers. Of these, 80% are Orthodox (40% of the total population of the country), 14% are Catholics (7%), 6% are representatives of other religions. In 2012, 95.5% of residents identified themselves with one religion or another, namely: 83% - Orthodoxy (77%), 10% - Catholicism (9.5%) and 1.5% - another faith.
All about the holiday January 7th Christmas
Christmas is a bright holiday of peace and goodness, therefore it is celebrated not pompously and on a grand scale, but rather modestly, in a warm family or friendly atmosphere. Traditionally, on this day, houses and temples were decorated with coniferous, pine or spruce branches and a nativity scene was built. What is a den - the same stable in which the baby was born, who is God's Son Jesus. Services are held in all churches.
Until this day, believers observed a strict 40-day fast to cleanse their thoughts and get rid of sins. On this day, parishioners break their fast and prepare a festive table. The day is spent with family, close and dear relatives. There is some unspecified tradition of visiting elderly parents and grandparents on Christmas. But, the main thing is not the table and company, but cleanliness and body, therefore every Christian who believes in God should visit the temple and say a prayer.
The service in the church lasts all day on January 6 and goes into evening and night, and then morning. According to tradition, a large dinner table was set right in the church, the clergy gathered around it after prayers, and fed the elderly and lonely old people, the poor.
Signs and traditions for Christmas
Signs and customs used at Christmas may vary depending on the region. This is due to people's habits and their general attitudes. The holiday of Christmas is of particular importance - many remarkable things happen these days. Let's consider the main signs associated with the weather:
- large snow cover on the ground or a strong blizzard on January 7 - early warming, leaves on the trees will appear in March;
- there are many stars in the sky on Christmas Eve - expect a good harvest;
- The holiday fell on the new moon - there is no need to wait for the harvest.
There are signs associated with the day of the week on which the holiday falls:
- Monday – warm and fruitful summer;
- Tuesday is a favorable year for marriage, the life of the newlyweds will be a “honeymoon”;
- Wednesday is a good year for fishermen and hunters;
- Thursday - for a long winter;
- Friday – short and cold summer;
- Saturday – massive harvest of grains and legumes;
- Sunday - the year will be very favorable in all areas.
There are traditions and signs that are connected with the festive table:
- The main dish is kutia, which is why all housewives try to prepare it correctly and tasty. If the dish does not work out, it will be thin - losses are possible.
- There should be bread and Cahors on the table - for prosperity and well-being.
- The meal begins after the first star appears in the sky.
- Before sitting down to the table, you need to open the front door for a few minutes - this way everything bad will leave the house.
- At the Christmas table, everyone should be well-fed; everything that has been prepared must be served.
Attention!
On Christmas morning, Christians performed a simple ritual to determine whether the coming year would be “healthy.” To do this, in the morning the chicken was handed a handful of grain and a glass of water. If the bird eats first, the year will be favorable; if the bird decides to drink some water, illness will be expected.
Another sign - do not rush to get upset if you accidentally spill something on the table. Nothing bad will happen because of this; on the contrary, a small mistake promises well-being.
What not to do on Christmas
Christmas days are shrouded in numerous superstitions and prohibitions , often not corresponding to church canons. Let's figure out which of them is fiction and which has a right to exist.
According to legend, on these holy days you cannot :
- Swear , especially use foul language. Considering that Christmas is a holiday of light, such a restriction is justified. It’s worth making an effort and not using bright “literary” expressions in your colloquial speech – at least for variety.
- Go to the cemetery . The reason lies in the special meaning of the holiday, so on January 7, commemoration of the dead in churches is canceled until the next day.
- Work hard . This ban is controversial. If the schedule is established by the employer, and workdays are coming up on Christmas days, you can and should fulfill your duties conscientiously - this is the position of the church. Well, if a person sets his own schedule, he should try to free up the holy day for godly deeds.
- Handicraft (sewing, knitting, embroidery, etc.). The clergy say this about this: “Suppose you promised someone to mend or knit something, and the only free day for this falls on Christmas. So take it and do it! If crafting is not an immediate necessity, it is not something to do at Christmas.
- Do housework (such as cleaning). Pleasant for housewives, but mostly a far-fetched prohibition. Priests believe it is a matter of prioritizing. The first place should be visiting the temple, prayer and good deeds. But this does not mean that your home should become overgrown with dust: sometimes cleaning can be a good deed. It all depends on the situation.
- Hunt, fish, slaughter livestock . Such actions contradict the very essence of the holiday; this is exactly what should not be done on Christmas.
It is worth mentioning separately fortune-telling - something that many people do on Christmas Eve before Christmas, and on Christmastide this activity is considered traditional. does not approve of such actions , considering them a form of occultism and evidence of disbelief in God.
According to the priests, the very fact of fortune telling deprives people of the opportunity to build a right relationship with God. Fortune telling on Christmas is doubly wrong.
Where is Christmas celebrated?
The great religious holiday is celebrated in many countries, but traditions often differ, and not even within the country, but within the city or within a particular family. The only thing that remains unchanged is the family holiday, which is why even young people refuse noisy festivities in favor of a secluded “evening” with relatives.
A mandatory ritual is visiting the temple, because it is a spiritual holiday. A person first cleanses his soul and body by strictly fasting, and then confesses and repents.
For Christians, this holiday is more important than the New Year, which is why all its traditions are observed unquestioningly. The whole family gathers at the festive table on Christmas Eve - January 6, waits for the first star to appear, and tries kutya.
Who celebrates Christmas on January 7
The Orthodox holiday of the Nativity of Christ is celebrated on January 7 by 4 Orthodox churches:
- Russian;
- Serbian;
- Georgian;
- Jerusalem.
The big holiday does not correspond to the generally accepted January 25th in the following countries:
- Russia, Belarus and Ukraine;
- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova;
- Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina;
- Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.
The remaining Orthodox countries: Bulgaria, Romania and Greece, celebrate Christmas on December 25 because they have switched to a new style.
Attention!
In Moldova there are many parishioners of the Romanian Orthodox Church, therefore December 25 is considered a holiday (day off). This rule also applies to Belarus - there, the holidays in honor of Christmas are December 25 and January 7 every year.
Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25 and January 7?
Pope Gregory XIII approved the Gregorian calendar in 1582. It became a worthy replacement for the Julian one, which did not accurately correct for leap years, which is why the time lag accumulated. Gradually, many European countries adopted it, and the calendar became definitively correct in the 20th century.
The Russian Empire came to the revolution in 1917 with the old calendar, but the existing government corrected this - on January 26, 1918, the so-called “new style” was approved.
The Russian Orthodox Church did not recognize such a transition and retained the “old style.” Since 1923, Christmas began to be celebrated twice in different countries: Catholics on January 24-25, and Orthodox on January 6-7.
Gifts and decorations
Orthodox Christians do not have a generally accepted tradition of decorating their home for Christmas. But in Ukraine, one of the main Christmas decorations is didukh - a sheaf of ears of oats, wheat, rye and flax left after mowing. It stands for a week in the corner under the icons.
Orthodox Christians also do not provide Christmas gifts; they are exchanged either on New Year’s Day or on St. Nicholas Day.
But Catholics have a slightly different tradition. Firstly, the house is decorated carefully for Christmas - with a manger, figurines of the baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary and straw. By December 24th, there must already be a decorated Christmas tree, and somewhere under the ceiling there is mistletoe. Also on the table is a pine wreath with candles.
Secondly, it is on Christmas night that Santa Claus, whose prototype is St. Nicholas, brings gifts and puts them in specially prepared socks.
