What is Christmas Eve?
Many people hear the word "Christmas Eve" on the eve of Christmas. But during the year, Christmas Eve is somewhat: before the Annunciation, on the eve of the memory of Fyodor Tiron, the first Saturday of Lent.
Christmas Eve is the evening before the bigchurch holiday. The name was given to this time from the dish "Sochi". For its preparation in water or juice of seeds, soaked wheat grains. In some houses, wheat was replaced with peas, lentils or barley. To make the dish sweet, add fruit and honey.
Traditions of Christmas Eve
Especially carefully housewives were preparing forEve before Christmas, one of the most important Christian holidays. By tradition, Christmas Eve can not be seated at the table before the first star, it symbolizes the birth of Jesus Christ. After the rising of the star, the table was covered with a snow-white tablecloth, the house was decorated with hay, and the hostesses prepared 12 dishes, among which were the knot, kutya and kissel. Meat dishes, pies, pancakes, dried berries, pickles, pies and fried sausage were put on the festive table. Dishes for Christmas Eve are not chosen by chance: the soaked wheat grains are a symbol of the beginning of a new life, the kissel from mature fruits is the complete maturation of life and its ending. Thus, wheat grains and kissel are symbols of birth and death. Christmas Eve is customary to help people in need with clothing, money and food. It is believed that on this day, God sees all the good deeds and rejoices. If you do good this evening, it will definitely come back and multiply. Epiphany Eve is held on January 18. Before the holiday, you can eat only lean dishes: porridge, juices with berries, vegetable pancakes, compote and bread. On Christmas Eve, people recruit holy water, which heals from diseases.Divination during Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve for young people is not onlyfeast and church traditions, but also divination on the night before the feast. This time is the most favorable for the predictions of the future, each sacrament is held with a burning candle that drives away evil forces and evil spirits, helps fulfill desires and dreams. The girls guessed at the ring, the name of the betrothed, made fortune-telling fortune-telling, used coffee grounds, pets, fruit, berries, etc. in the secret rituals. On the Christmas Eve night the boys and girls dressed up, gathered for Christmas carols, went home, sang songs and received refreshments. On Epiphany Christmas Eve you can not lend money and take things out of the house. And if a bird has flown to the window, then the deceased relatives ask them to pray for them. Christmas Eve - the evening before the church holiday, a time when you need to escape from the worldly bustle and gather with the whole family at the table.
