How to spend Christmas Eve and the whole weekend in kindness

Christmas is the brightest family holiday, which gives a feeling of real magic. And if someone failed to find a festive mood on the New Year, then on the Christmas weekend he has every chance to improve. The main thing is to follow the traditions that our ancestors have honored for centuries.

In order to properly prepare for Christmas, you should not only observe Philippov’s fast, but also conduct it correctly. Christmas Eve before Christmas (Holy Evening) So today's editorial office. "Site" It will tell you what to do on January 6, and what centuries-old traditions do not approve.



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Christmas Eve Day is called Christmas Eve for a reason. The name comes from the word "sochivo" - sweet rice, barley or millet porridge, in which honey, candy, nuts, poppy, raisins are added. This dish is also called kutya or koliva.

It is on Christmas Eve that the Philippian fast ends. Many believe that on this day you can not eat anything even before the appearance of the first star in the sky. But that's not entirely true.





No wonder in prayers you can find the expression “to fast pleasantly.” This is because fasting is not a punishment, but a way of purification. And if the rules of fasting are extremely strict for monks, then there are exemptions for children, the elderly, pregnant women or sick people.

It is fine if a person can fully observe fasting, but if, due to his infirmity, he drinks a cup of sweet tea or eats a piece of bread, then there will be no punishment for this.



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However, we must not forget that on Christmas Eve fasting The tradition of keeping 12 dishes on the table is fiction. But the Church's rules encourage all dishes on the table to be lean.

Everyone at the table should try every dish. It is unacceptable to have an intact plate on the table. Although it is impossible to overeat, because 40 days of fasting were not just to sit down and eat. Only allowed. break-up.

Many customs came to us from paganism, and in order not to spoil the bright Christmas holiday, you should observe them. Christmas traditionRemembering the strict prohibitions that are dictated by the Church Charter.





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  1. Prohibition of divination
    Christmas has a great power, it is not without reason that it is called the mother of all holidays. And in order to darken the sanctity of this day, people were taught to guess on candles, learn fate or search for a soulmate through contact with dark forces. The Orthodox Church prohibits such actions, equating divination with witchcraft.
  2. Ban on work
    It is believed that if a woman knits on Christmas Eve, then one of her future descendants will become entangled in the umbilical cord, and if she sews, someone in the family will go blind. Men are not allowed to go hunting or fishing on holidays. Forced labor is not considered a sin if a person, for example, is forced to go to work on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day.

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  3. Prohibition
    Any clarification of relations or profanity is disrespect for the holiday. It is believed that such actions deprive the ancestors of hope for salvation.
  4. Ban on old clothes
    At the festive table, you can not sit in black clothes - this is a harbinger of the imminent loss of someone from the relatives. You should not wear old clothes to avoid poverty in the future.
  5. Ban on hiding food
    After dinner, food should not be removed from the table until January 7. Christmas is considered a family holiday. It is believed that on this day the souls of dead relatives descend from heaven to look at their descendants. Therefore, food and cutlery on the tables are left as a sign of cordiality and respect for ancestors.

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We should not forget about mercy during Christmas. After all, there are many people around who need help, support, and sometimes a kind word. Do not refuse to help another person, because you can become someone’s creator of a small one. Christmas miracle.

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful,” the Bible says.