Every year on January 6, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Christmas Christmas Eve. This bright holiday is waiting for the whole year, hopes and aspirations are associated with it. And also with the Christmas Christmas Eve, traditions, rites, signs and superstitions are connected. Today I will tell you about some rituals that we spend every Christmas with friends. They help to live all year in prosperity, health and well-being.
Christmas Christmas Eve.
This holiday begins with the sunrise of the first evening asterisk, which symbolizes the Bethlehem star. The gospel says that a guide star indicated the way to the wise men, so that they could find a newborn Christ in Vertepe (Hvelev for Pets). After the evening at the skyscoon of the evening star, the whole family sit down for a festive table, the main dish on which is sochily from cereals. Hence the name - Christmas Eve.
Before the start of the meal, prayers are read, and then present eat 3 spoons of the junctions (cochiva). In addition to the ochiva on the table there are 11 more dishes, among which should be:
- pickles;
- the vinaigrette;
- Pampushka;
- lean borsch or soup;
- a fish dish;
- mushroom soup;
- Lean cabbage rolls;
- vareniki;
- Umbar.
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All day January 6, you need to spend in post and prayer, and the post should be strict (only drinking water is allowed). And only with the advent of the evening star you can start a meal and eat lean food.
Note! A meal in the Christmas Christmas Eve consists of a lean dish of 12. This number symbolizes the number of students of Christ - the Apostles.
What makes a Christmas Eve, except for participation in a festive meal? This evening it is customized to collect, and also visit your godparents and bring them the evening. BOLD is considered a good admission, as it brings happiness and God's blessing to the house.
Folk customs
What do Orthodox people do? On this day, it is customary to ask for forgiveness from those who you were offended by a lacaround. This is very important, since the unsecured resentment takes off the offender success and God's blessing.
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In this bright holiday you can not wear the clothes of dark tones: everything around should be bright and festive. Therefore, it is customary to light a lot of candles: the brighter the light in the house, the happier will be the next year.
There is a custom to serve a festive table with an even cutlery. If the number of guests at the table is odd, an additional device should be put - even on account.
In some countries, under the Christmas tablecloth, it is customary to put a beam of straw as a symbol of the nursery, in which the newborn Christ lay. In the four corners, cash bills laid out (so that the whole year was monetary) and garlic cloves (so that the whole family is healthy). Also under the table put an ax, on which the sitting put their feet: so that all year is not sick.
On this day, it is not customary to offend domestic animals, as they can tell God about oppression. People believed that it was in the Christmas Eve Animals possess a gift to speak in a human language.
On a note! The people believed that the pets born on this day were pets.
Unmarried girls love to hold various fortune-law on fate on this day. One of them is made with the Buckets: you need to throw out a little flavored at the entrance door and wait. The first who will enter this door will report fate. According to him, it becomes clear what the next year will be for gadgetting. If a person speaks about good, the year will be successful. If something is neutral or unpleasant, so be.
In the Christmas Christmas Eve looked at the sky. If it is starful and clear, then the year will fall out. The more stars in the sky, the more wheat will be in the covers. Nowadays, wheat replaces money and well-being. Generous harvest foreshadowed frost on trees.
On a note! It was considered a bad admission not to open the door to the knocking, because together with them the Lord himself is visited.
If anyone has time to make a desire for a star falling in the Christmas Eve, it will certainly come true.
In this bright day, it is customary to engage in charity and good deeds: distribute clothes, share food. You can just give alms from the church or to visit the elderly people, warming their heart attentive care.
Bans and restrictions on Christmas Eve
People have long been noticed that some and the same events occur in some festive and special dates. So the signs were born that successfully survived until today.
What can not be done on a Christmas tree:
- Discussion: together with money, you can say goodbye to good luck, health and happiness.
- Leaving the house when the evening star appears: all year will be wounded uncontrolled.
- Sewing and needleful on this day - all year to endure losses and various troubles. This day was dedicated to the prayers, visited church liturgies and indulged in reflections on the eternal life and the covenants of Christ.
- It was forbidden to make any things from the house, as well as garbage: along with them the house will leave luck and happiness, health and well-being.
- In this bright day, it was categorically forbidden to quarrel with someone, especially swearing and torn words.
- For the Christmas table, you can not drink alcoholic drinks, eat rapid food and laugh loudly. You can also leave the festive table until the meal is completed.
- It is impossible to sit at the festive table before the appearance of the first star.
- If the girl sits on the corner of the festive table, then she will not marry this year.
Important! On Christmas Eve, it is forbidden to make cleaning, sew, repair things, ironing underwear instead of visiting the church.
Is it possible to wash on Christmas Eve on January 6? In the morning, the hostess can be engaged in any matters around the house, put things in order - to wash, iron, sewn. However, with the advent of the first star in the sky, it should stop any work and devote time to prayers and festive meals.
On a note! In the Christmas Christmas Eve do not eat and do not sit at the dinner table until the evening star appears. This is the main sign of Christmas.
Is it possible to wash the Christmas Eve in the bath? The word "holiday" comes from the word "idleness", that is, the absence of any work and physical stress. However, the Christmas Eve himself begins with the onset of twilight, therefore, it is quite possible to fall in the bath. Take a shower or bath January 6 is not a grave work, so there is no prohibition on hygienic procedures.
All prohibitions to work in church holidays are not connected with the work itself, but with the election from the visit of Liturgy. That is, the work is not an excuse for the lack of liturgy. But after visiting the temple, you can make cleaning, sewing and any other domestic affairs.