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One of the most beautiful and ancient traditions for the old New Year are carols. From this time on, the moment comes when people happily open their doors to carolers, invite them into their home, seat them at a laid table and present them with a variety of treats.
Hospitable adults give children money and sweets, so for them such an event is only a joy. Carolers, in turn, sing songs, glorify the generosity of the owners and wish them well-being next year.
The tradition of caroling has acquired its significance since pagan times, intertwined with Orthodox trends. In carols they glorify the Creator, with their verses they announce the birth of Christ and on his behalf wish all people well. The main place is occupied by the author's carols, but some are of truly foreign origin, and were later translated into Russian. As a rule, the ritual of caroling itself takes place under musical accompaniment.
Christmas carols: history and traditions
Traditions of caroling for the old New Year
In the evening of January 13, on the Feast of Vasily, the first stage of the ritual begins - generosity. Girls and girls of any age begin to perform it, and all this action takes place after sunset and before midnight. Closer to dawn on January 14, male representatives go from house to house, sow grain and cereals, congratulate the owners on the holiday, wish peace and prosperity to the home. According to tradition, it is customary for hosts to treat their guests and show all their hospitality. Different countries have their own rules for receiving carolers.
Caroling in Western countries
In Bulgaria in the east the holiday is called Kolyada, but in the west it is customary to call it Bozhich. With the onset of darkness, young people change into festive clothes and go from house to house singing carols and poems of wishes. Entire theatrical performances of this festive event can unfold before grateful spectators. Boys and boys of different ages take part in caroling.
In North Macedonia, Croatia and Serbia the holiday is also called Bozic. Young people take part in it, and with their songs and congratulations they wish everyone a good harvest, prosperity in the family, fertility and wealth. All these actions take place with dressing up and holiday paraphernalia.
How should you carol?
At the beginning, a certain team is created, which necessarily has its own leader. He must be eloquent, be able to recite poetry, have a sense of humor and have the talent to sing beautifully. He is assigned the main role in this action, therefore, according to tradition, he is entrusted with carrying an important attribute of the holiday - the Christmas star - in front of everyone.
Then he should be followed by an equally significant person of theatrical action with a bell in his hands - the ringer. His duties include ringing the bell, thereby notifying the owners and the entire neighborhood about the arrival of the carolers.
The third participant should carry the thanksgiving basket in his hands. In it he will put all the treats that the hospitable hosts have given them.
It is very important that all costumes for the theatrical performance are made in thematic reproduction. A very original idea is to try on costumes of the opposite sex - girls in boys' outfits, and boys in girls' dresses. In the tradition of the holiday, the main character was the goat. One of the actors must put on the costume of this animal, glue on a beard, horns and put on a mask.
The repertoire and texts of carols need to be carefully thought out and learned by heart. The rehearsal will give the team an opportunity to show the performance from an interesting side. You can choose a ready-made congratulation script or create one together. The main thing in all actions should be a peaceful attitude and a festive mood. Original jokes will help complement the performance.
If the carolers have already put on costumes and are on the porch of the house, the owners should ask permission to hold the event. When you receive an invitation to the house, begin your presentation with the main ritual.
Rules for receiving carolers
When inviting carolers to his home, the owner gives voluntary confirmation to carry out the festive ritual. All congratulations in poetic and musical form must be heard by the head of the family and his household. After the carolers have finished their greeting, they need to be thanked and, according to etiquette, invited to visit next year. If children come to the house, they need to be treated to candies, sweets, coins and small bills (there are some).
If all the carolers are adults, hospitable hosts can invite you to the festive table, treat them to dishes and pour a glass of alcohol. It is also customary for adult guests to give gifts and money with them for the trip.
Long-standing beliefs say that those owners who did not allow at least a couple of people caroling into their house are doomed to poverty the next year. A closed door in front of carolers indicates the greed and pettiness of the owner of the house.
The ritual of caroling has not lost its true meaning even today. The texts of carols for the old New Year will help you congratulate your friends, acquaintances and just good people.
When to carol in 2021
It is customary to carol on Christmas Eve. This is the evening of January 6, or, as it is also called, Holy Evening. But, of course, you need to learn carols in advance. Also now there are New Year's carols, as well as mixed ones, in which they congratulate on both holidays.
So caroling can begin from the New Year and continue until Epiphany. Many modern authors pay attention to composing Christmas songs and some of them are becoming quite popular. But the greatest value is still the ancient carols left to us as an inheritance from our ancestors.
Cards for carols (texts and pictures)
The last chapter of a large selection of Christmas carols for children and adults is the author’s cards with congratulations. I can’t believe that 130 mischievous carol poems have been published. And after printing these cards, you can give them to those whom carolers come to visit.
This is the end of the fun selection of Christmas carol verses. We hope you enjoyed it! See you soon, dear readers.
My dear readers! Don’t think that I take credit for the poems to myself or the blog Most Savory. I have only selected thematic poems for your reference. Have you seen a verse of your composition and your last name is not next to it? Contact your blog administrator. The poem will be deleted or added with your last name without any problems. Thank you in advance.
Orthodox carol songs for Christmas 2021
And here is a collection of Orthodox carols for Christmas 2020:
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May the Lord bless you on Christmas! Luck favors you and gives you happiness again! The fire of divine love, Let your heart warm And all your cherished dreams, Fate fulfills you!
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Heaven and earth, heaven and earth are now triumphant. Angels, people, angels, people rejoice merrily. Christ was born, God became incarnate. The angels sing and give glory. The shepherds are playing. The shepherd is met. A miracle, a miracle is announced.
In Bethlehem, in Bethlehem, Joy has come! The pure Virgin, the pure Virgin gave birth to a Son!
Christ was born, God became incarnate. The angels sing and give glory. The shepherds are playing. The shepherd is met. Chudl, a miracle is being heralded.
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Nativity of Christ, an angel has arrived. He flew across the sky and sang a song to people.
“You people, rejoice, Everyone celebrate today, This is Christ’s Nativity!”
The shepherds were the first to enter the cave, and found the Child of God and his Mother.
We stood, prayed, bowed to Christ, Today is the Nativity of Christ!
We have all sinned, Savior, before You. We are all sinners. You alone are a saint.
Forgive our sins, Give us forgiveness, Today is the Nativity of Christ!
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Sing people Sing everyone Sing a small blade of grass In Bethlehem In a manger lies the desired child
The world was in darkness. We have no doubt. Brother killed brother for the sake of entertainment. And in these times, by God’s will, the Virgin Mother gave birth to salvation for Sinners.
Sing, people, sing, everyone, sing, a small blade of grass, in Bethlehem, in a manger, lies the desired child.
How many hundreds of years have passed since those ancient times Brother kills brother and tortures him before killing How can we Christians say about ourselves If we crucify Christ again every day with our sins.
Sing, people, sing, everyone, sing, a small blade of grass, in Bethlehem, in a manger, lies the desired child.
*** The sun shone in the manger in the hay. The Son of God was born for the salvation of the world. On the chilly night the born King of Kings of the entire universe will chill.
Angelic choirs glorify God in heaven, The whole earth, forests and mountains glorify. The oak grove glorifies the Living God, the Reign of Christ.
You, Mother Mary, are the reason for joy. Ask the Lord, beg the Son. I will help you in life, and give us a way to heaven. We will sing: Glory to God!
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Good evening to you, Tender host, Rejoice, rejoice, earth, the Son of God has been born into the world.
We are coming to you, master, with good news. Rejoice, rejoice, earth, the Son of God has been born into the world.
With good news from the holy city. Rejoice, rejoice, earth, the Son of God has been born into the world.
As the Three Feasts of Saints come to visit you, Rejoice, Rejoice, O Earth, The Son of God has been born into the world.
And as the first holiday - the Nativity of Christ, Rejoice, rejoice, earth, the Son of God was born into the world.
And as the second holiday - the Circumcision of the Lord, Rejoice, rejoice, earth, the Son of God was born into the world.
And as the third holiday - Holy Epiphany - Rejoice, rejoice, earth, the Son of God was born into the world.
And on this word Be healthy, Rejoice, rejoice, earth, the Son of God was born into the world.
Short songs for kids
I came (came) to sing carols, to wish you a Merry Christmas. Let a miracle come into your home, Merry Christmas!
I'll come for a coin, I'll sing a song loudly about a carol-carol. Happy new year to you.
I will go together with God to bring joy to every home. Happiness, miracle, peace, comfort will come to you with us.
Angels come with me, I brought them home to you. Let them protect you And protect you from evil, After all, you are answerable to Christ. Merry Christmas.
We sang carols for you, the treats arrived. We wish you in return to live long and without troubles.
The dark evening has fallen, We are going to meet quickly, so that happiness and love can live in your home again. Because carol - Congratulations, friends!
An angel walks side by side, And he protects me from bad weather, various troubles, After all, he made a vow to Christ: Whoever glorifies God, the angel protects him.
We sing carols, we sing carols, for you, friends, we will conjure a lot of happiness and goodness, so that life is easy. Give us candy, pies and some coins.
Let the angel protect you, Let the dream protect you, protect you. On this glorious evening, let sadness go away forever.
Knock-knock, were you expecting guests? Open the door quickly. We will arrange a noble feast, So that there is peace in your home, So that comfort always reigns, The angels will protect you.
May the Lord protect you everywhere, May there be a miracle next to you. Because carols are kind words, It means that Christmas is coming, It means that happiness has come to the house.
Short song carols
If you give us gifts, we will praise you, but if you don’t give us gifts, we will reproach you! Kolyada, Kolyada! Serve the pie!
The little boy sat on a sheaf, played the pipe, and amused him with carols. Avsen, aven, Tomorrow is a new day! Don't stand at the gate, Tomorrow is the New Year!
Tyapu-lyapu, Hurry up and give me a carol! My legs are chilly, I’ll run home. Whoever gives is the prince, Whoever doesn’t give is in the dirt!
Here's to a new summer for you, a red summer for you! Where the horse's tail is - There is a bush there. Where the goat goes with its horn, there is a stack of hay.
How many aspens, So many pigs for you; How many Christmas trees, So many cows; How many candles, So many sheep. Happiness to you, master and hostess, Great health, Happy New Year with all your family! Kolyada, Kolyada!
Shchedrik-Petrik, Give me dumplings! A spoonful of porridge, top of the sausages. This is not enough. Give me a piece of bacon. Take it out quickly, don't freeze the children!
The little sparrow flies, twirls his tail, And you, people, know, Cover the tables, Receive guests, Celebrate Christmas!
The carol goes on holy evenings, the carol comes to Pavly-Selo. Get ready, villagers, Let's join the carol! Open the chest, take out the piglet! Open up, peddlers, get out the pennies! Come, don’t be shy, Now we’ll amuse the people. Who will be the devil and who will be the devil! And whoever doesn’t want anyone Let him laugh for a nickel!
Carol traditions - briefly about the main thing
To celebrate Christmas 2022 in accordance with the traditions of our ancestors, you need to fully comply with all the rules of this ritual:
- They carol on Christmas Eve (January 6). In some regions, groups of carolers begin knocking on the doors of houses in the afternoon, but in most Slavs they wait for the first star to appear in the sky.
- Young people dress up in eccentric or even frightening (devil, gypsy, witch) homemade costumes. “Christ-glorifying” carolers wear costumes of biblical characters. Russian folk costumes or colorful clothes in folklore style would also be appropriate.
- The characters in a motley company can be varied, but three heroes should be mandatory - the star, the bell ringer and the bell-bearer. The first carries the Christmas star ahead, the second rings the bell, notifying the approach of the carolers, and the third carries a bag of gifts from generous owners.
- Approaching the house, they first sing “outdoor” or “window sill” carols, in which they ask permission from the owner of the house to enter to sing carols.
- When the carolers were let in, they began to sing carols. First there are religious songs, then an appeal to each family member with wishes.
- They also ask for rewards for their carols in song form. At the same time, none of the gifts can be taken in hand; the owners must put them in a bag or basket.
Fortune telling
Our distant ancestors loved to tell fortunes at Christmas. Fortune telling could be done on Christmas night or on the last day of Christmastide, the so-called Epiphany evening. There were a lot of methods of fortune telling. They told fortunes using a mirror, paper, a candle, a glass of coffee, earth, a piece of cloth, on ashes, etc. Girls told fortunes; it was a purely female activity.
Fortune telling could be done incorrectly and this could cause dark forces, so many girls were scared during this ritual ceremony. Fortune telling took place both alone and in groups of two or several people at a time. During fortune telling, the room should have been dark, only candles and mirrors should have provided some light. Absolutely any thing could be a witch's thing, even a pig's tail. They wondered in order to find out their future. Unmarried girls were especially interested in whether they would get married in the new year. They even tried to find out the wedding date, the name of the betrothed and his appearance. During the most terrible fortune-telling, the image of the future groom was evoked. Often evil spirits appeared to girls. It was rumored that some girls made a pact with demons. But evil spirits often violated the agreement, and then the person who cast the spell became very ill or died.
Safety rules are important!
In modern big cities, the beautiful tradition of caroling is gradually fading away. One of the reasons for this is security. By knocking on the doors of an unfamiliar apartment or, conversely, opening them to a noisy group, you can put your life in danger, so it is better to carol only in those houses where relatives or friends live.
Beautiful carols will help instill good traditions in children, but since caroling is done in the evening, you should not let the child (even a teenager) go alone, only accompanied by adults. With proper preparation and following these simple safety rules, adults and children can have a good rest and have fun on Christmas Eve.
Christmas signs
There are many signs associated with this holiday. If Christmas fell on a Sunday, then Rus' expected a warm summer rich in harvest. If the holiday was celebrated on Monday, it was believed that the rest of the winter would be good, and the spring would be very slushy. If it was warm at Christmas, then it was for the grain year. If there was a slight thaw at Christmas, then an excellent buckwheat harvest was expected in the summer. If a blizzard howled on Christmas night, it meant that the bees would produce a lot of honey. If there were many stars in the sky on this magical night of the year, then this signified a summer rich in berries and a large offspring of livestock.
There were also “signs and prohibitions” at Christmas. For example, it was forbidden to engage in any labor. A person had to rest all day and all night, think about the birth of the Savior, pray and glorify Christ. On this holiday it was forbidden to make noise. People were supposed to sit quietly at the table, talk calmly and not think about bad things.
Hunters were forbidden to go into the forest, otherwise there would be great misfortune. All the people wore new clothes.
It was believed that if you celebrate the holiday without wearing new clothes, there will be a bad harvest in the summer. Those who were engaged in sewing and knitting at Christmas were expected to be completely blind.
