Why do the dates of Christmas celebrations differ? Why are Catholic and Orthodox Christmas at different times? General ritual - caroling

Christmas is a great holiday established in remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. Christmas is one of the most important Christian holidays and Public Holiday in more than 100 countries around the world.

The first information about Christians celebrating Christmas dates back to the 4th century. The question of the real date of birth of Jesus Christ is controversial and ambiguously resolved among church authors.

According to one of the modern hypotheses, the choice of the date of Christmas occurred due to the simultaneous celebration by early Christians of the Incarnation (the conception of Christ) and Easter. Accordingly, as a result of adding nine months to this date (March 25), Christmas fell on the winter solstice.

Orthodox Christians in Russia celebrate Christmas on January 7, and the date of Catholic Christmas is December 25. Why do holiday dates differ by 13 days? This happened due to the adoption of different calendars: in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a new, “Gregorian” calendar, which was called the “new style”. The old Julian calendar began to be called the old style. The difference between the new and old style increases by 1 day every hundred years and in the 20th century. is 13 days.

While the new Gregorian calendar appeared in Europe, Russia continued to use the Julian calendar. When in 1918 the authorities introduced the Gregorian calendar in the Soviet Union, the church did not approve of such a decision.

In 1923, on the initiative of the Patriarch of Constantinople, a meeting of the Orthodox Churches was held, at which a decision was made to correct the Julian calendar - thus, the “New Julian” calendar appeared.

Due to historical circumstances, the Russian Orthodox Church was unable to take part in it. Having learned about the meeting in Constantinople, Patriarch Tikhon nevertheless issued a decree on the transition to the “New Julian” calendar. But this caused protests among the church people, and the decree was canceled less than a month later. Thus, Catholics and Protestants living according to the Gregorian calendar celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of Christ on the night of December 24-25.

On the night of January 6-7, the Feast of the Nativity of Christ is celebrated by the Russian, Jerusalem, Georgian, Ukrainian and Serbian Orthodox Churches, Athos monasteries living according to the old Julian calendar, as well as many Catholics of the Eastern rite (in particular, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church) and part of Russian Protestants.

All the other 11 Local Orthodox Churches of the world celebrate the Nativity of Christ, like Catholics, on the night of December 24-25, since they use the so-called “New Julian”, which so far coincides with the Gregorian.

The Feast of the Nativity of Christ has five days of pre-celebration (from December 20 to 24) and six days of post-celebration. On the eve or day of the eve of the holiday (December 24), a particularly strict fast is observed, called Christmas Eve, since on this day wheat or barley grains boiled with honey are eaten. According to tradition, the Christmas Eve fast ends with the appearance of the first evening star in the sky. On the eve of the holiday, Old Testament prophecies and events related to the Nativity of the Savior are remembered. Christmas services are performed three times: at midnight, at dawn and during the day, which symbolizes the Nativity of Christ in the bosom of God the Father, in the womb of the Mother of God and in the soul of every Christian.

In the 13th century, during the time of St. Francis of Assisi, the custom arose of displaying in churches for worship a manger in which a figurine of the Infant Jesus was placed. Over time, mangers began to be placed before Christmas not only in churches, but also in homes. Homemade santons - models in glass boxes depict a grotto, and the baby Jesus lies in a manger. Next to him are the Mother of God, Joseph, an angel, shepherds who came to worship, as well as animals - a bull and a donkey. Entire scenes from folk life are also depicted: for example, peasants in folk costumes are placed next to the holy family.

During the celebration of Christmas, a custom has been established to break “Christmas bread” - special unleavened wafers consecrated in churches during Advent - and eat it both before the festive meal and during greetings and congratulations to each other on the holiday.

A characteristic element of the Christmas holiday is the custom of installing decorated spruce trees in homes. This pagan tradition originated among the Germanic peoples, in whose rituals the spruce was a symbol of life and fertility. With the spread of Christianity among the peoples of Central and Northern Europe, the spruce tree decorated with multi-colored balls acquired new symbolism: it began to be installed in homes on December 24, as a symbol of the tree of paradise with abundant fruits.

Christmas is considered a significant holiday for Christians around the world. This event marks the birth of the baby Jesus Christ in the ancient city of Bethlehem.

This date is celebrated by representatives of different directions and confessions, including Catholics and Orthodox Christians. The celebration is similar in many ways, because it is united by one event, but there are also some distinctive features.

What is the difference between celebrating Christmas in Western countries and with us?

5 main differences between Christmas for Catholics and Orthodox Christians

Western Christmas is also celebrated slightly differently among Catholics and Protestants, as well as between other faiths.

Let us recall that there are the most Christians on our planet (2.3 billion people) - this is the most widespread religion in the world. And half of them are Catholics, this is the most widespread Christian denomination. There are 10 times fewer Orthodox Christians - according to various estimates, 225-300 million.

So, about the differences in celebrating Christmas by country.

1. Date of Christmas

All Christians celebrate one event, right?

It's all about the chronology system. Catholic churches calculate dates according to the Gregorian calendar (the same one we use in everyday life), and Orthodox Christians according to the Julian calendar.

It is worth noting that most, but not all, representatives of individual movements do this. For example, Eastern Catholics (Ukrainian Church) celebrate the holiday from January 6 to 7, and churches using the New Julian calendar (local) - on the night of December 25.

Dates December 25 And Jan. 7 have 13 days between them. This is exactly how much the Julian calendar has advanced compared to the exact astronomical calendar (to which the one we use every day is as close as possible). Every 400 years Orthodox Church runs ahead 3 days from the correct astronomical time. From March 1, 2100, there will be a 14-day difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars.

2. The significance of the holiday

For Western countries and America, where the Catholic and Protestant religions predominate, Christmas is the most important event per year. This is a family holiday that is celebrated on a fairly large scale. Believers observe fasting a month before the event; this anticipation of the holiday is called Advent.

Orthodox Christians, most of whom live in eastern countries and Russia, celebrate the New Year on a much larger scale, and in first place in importance is the religious holiday of Easter - the Resurrection of the Lord.

Westerners decorate a Christmas tree, and residents of the former USSR decorate a New Year's tree. After religion was banned in Bolshevik Russia 100 years ago, Russians simply moved Christmas traditions to New Year's, including a Christmas tree and red-green-glitter decorations.

3. Christmas service

The Orthodox hold one service throughout the entire Christmas night, until dawn. In Russia, this service is given great importance; it is broadcast on television from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Catholics divided the service into three parts - one is held in the morning (at dawn), another in the afternoon, and the third at night. Parishioners read the Bible and remember Old Testament events. In addition, in the West it is common practice to confess on the eve of the holiday. It is believed that before Christmas it is necessary to cleanse yourself of your sins and forgive your enemies.

4. Christmas dishes

Each movement has developed its own traditions. The main dish on the Catholic table is the Christmas goose. It is stuffed, baked and served with apples and prunes. Often the goose is successfully replaced with duck or turkey. Another traditional dish is pudding sprinkled with rum.

A must-have drink on a Western holiday table is eggnog. This popular drink is made from eggs, cream and milk. An alcoholic version is also possible - with the addition of rum or cognac. You can make your own egg liqueur or buy it at the store. They are treated to all guests who stop by to see the light. These dishes are typical for Americans, French, Germans, British and representatives of other Western countries.

Representatives of Orthodoxy are trying to prepare more Lenten dishes from fruits and vegetables; the meal opens on the evening of January 6, Christmas Eve. Tasting the porridge called “kutya” is obligatory, and uzvar (brew) is considered a traditional drink. Porridge is prepared from nuts, honey, dried fruits and grains. Uzvar is a vitamin compote made from dried fruits. A holiday is not complete without pancakes and all kinds of baked goods.

The traditional Western Christmas cake contains sugared raisins and cherries, lots of rum and nuts.

5. Presentation of gifts

Orthodox Christians give gifts and congratulate each other personally on the day of celebration.

It is customary for Catholics to beautifully seal gifts in advance and place them under the holiday tree. They were the ones who introduced the tradition of putting surprises in Christmas stockings.

In addition, the amount of money that representatives of different movements spend on buying gifts differs significantly. In the West, where Catholicism predominates, it is about 50,000 Russian rubles. In some countries, the pre-Christmas period accounts for about half of the annual revenue of stores.

In Russia, where Orthodoxy is predominantly practiced, the amount is much more modest, only a few thousand rubles, and gifts are given for the New Year, not for Christmas.

Everyone loves holiday gifts. But here they are given for the New Year, and in Western countries for Christmas on December 25th.

Common features of Christmas among Catholics and Orthodox Christians

Catholic and Orthodox Christmas have so many differences, is there really nothing in common? In addition to the event (the birth of Jesus) that marked the beginning of the holiday, there are still several common points:

1. Celebration with family

For all Christians, whether Catholics or Orthodox, this holiday is a family holiday. Once a year, all relatives gather to warmly congratulate each other at the Christmas table. In many countries, Christmas is a day off. Some give 2-3 non-working days in honor of a holiday, or even a week or two of vacation, when the company office is not open at all. This is a great occasion to visit your parents and close friends.

2. All Christians strive to decorate their home for Christmas.

The main decoration is the Christmas tree, which symbolizes abundance and fertility. There is a version that the spruce is an identification of the tree of paradise, and the various decorations on it are the fruits of abundance. Figurines and images of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary are all irreplaceable attributes of the holiday, both for Catholics and Orthodox Christians.

Western people decorate their homes on such a large scale that some enthusiasts spend all their free money and weeks of time on it. “Christmas lights” competitions are held with large prizes of several thousand dollars, where both individual houses and entire streets compete. Local town halls even organize free bus tours of the best decorations, and certain streets host pre-Christmas parties to show off their decorations and make a little money (though never a return on investment).

Decorating houses for Christmas. Photo: City of Gold Coast Christmas Lights Competition.

General ritual - caroling

This cheerful tradition is widespread among Orthodox Christians. Young people dress up in fancy ways, visit their neighbors in groups, have fun on the street, laughter and loud songs are heard everywhere. This is how Orthodox Christians glorify Christ. The style of celebration is a bit like Halloween among Americans.

Catholics sing carols on a larger scale. In Western countries, organized Christmas carols () are practiced 1-2 weeks before December 25, which take place in parks, concert halls, and in large crowds of people. Here everyone can join the choir and sing at the top of their lungs, hearing or not. TV shows famous singers performing traditional Christmas songs in a concert, usually for charity. Many Western pop stars release CDs of Christmas songs. Christmas songs are heard in everyone shopping centers, where choirs of schoolchildren or the elderly often perform on holidays. Catholics do not visit their neighbors, although they may wear a red hat with a white pom-pom during Christmas carols, and also bring candles, real or electric.

In Western countries, concerts of traditional Christmas songs are shown on TV and pop stars consider it prestigious to participate in them.

Despite all the differences and common features, the holiday of the Nativity of Christ occupies an important place in the life of the entire Christian world. For both Catholics and Orthodox Christians this day is sacred. Believers strive to meet and celebrate Christmas with dignity. Every year, the celebration of this event brings together millions of families, regardless of their religion, and also fills the atmosphere with warmth and light.

Merry Orthodox Christmas!

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Let's start with the fact that the differences are in the details, and the similarities are in the essence of this great and bright holiday. The Savior has appeared to the world! And it doesn’t matter what year or what day. The entire Christian world - Orthodox and Catholic - glorifies this event, rejoices in it and becomes, albeit temporarily, kinder and more merciful.

When and where did Christmas appear?

There are several versions of when exactly Jesus Christ was born. There is a theory that it was not even in winter, but at the end of spring - on May 20. The originator of this theory, so unusual for ordinary people, is Clement of Alexandria. According to his very ancient writings, the baby Jesus was born on May 20, according to the current calendar style.

Fact: The time interval for the birth date of the miraculous baby ranges between 12 BC. e. and 7 AD

Historians unanimously agree on one fact: Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in a manger, that is, in a barn in which cattle are kept. The baby's mother is Maria. And the father is the holy spirit. The birth of the Savior was announced to humanity by the Star of Bethlehem, which illuminated the night sky.

This is interesting: The Jews, on whose land the Savior was born, professed Judaism and did not celebrate the holiday of Christmas. According to Jewish concepts, there is nothing joyful at all in the fact of a person’s birth - a continuous “beginning of sorrows and pains.”

The Christian world began to truly celebrate Christmas only in the 5th century AD.

Three differences between Orthodox Christmas and Catholic Christmas

The most noticeable difference is in the date of celebration.

The reason for this is different calendars. Catholics live according to the Gregorian calendar, and the Orthodox world lives according to the Julian calendar.

It so happened that the same holiday has two birthdays - January 7 - Orthodox Christmas and December 25 - Catholic.

Fact: The first mention of the date of Christmas celebration - December 25, was noted in the chronicle of 221 AD.

The Catholic Church did not take the day of the Nativity of Christ out of its mind. She borrowed it from the pagans, who on December 25 praised the Sun and glorified his Birth. The pagans were also guided by logic - it was on December 25 that daylight hours began to increase.

The second difference is the attitude towards the fast preceding Christmas.

In the Catholic world, strict fasting before Christmas is not observed. There are small restrictions on food, but the essence of fasting lies more in spiritual restrictions in order to cleanse the soul before the great event.

Orthodox Christians keep a strict fast that completely excludes meat and dairy products. The Nativity fast begins at the end of November and lasts until the night of January 6-7 - until the first star, the prototype of that distant Bethlehem star, which told humanity the good news.

During this fast, the religious Orthodox world allows itself a small indulgence in the form of fish only on weekends.

Christmas Eve - Christmas Eve - the last day of Lent, when only sochi is allowed. These are barley or wheat grains soaked in water or honey.

Catholics also have Christmas Eve, but due to the fact that they do not keep a strict fast, its practical meaning is lost for them.

Due to strict fasting, Christmas is a breaking of the fast, implying a smooth break from fasting. The festive table on Christmas night was always fast and contained 12 dishes - according to the number of apostles.

Catholics have only 12 dishes left from this tradition, but among them there is turkey, and butter pies, and everything that is not Lenten dishes.

For Catholics and Orthodox Christians, the nightly Christmas meal has one thing in common - it unites family members at the table. Christmas is a family holiday. In the Christian world, it is customary to celebrate it at home, with family and friends.

The third difference is the nature of the holiday.

Among modern Catholics, the nature of the holiday of the Nativity of Christ has shifted more to the civil plane, moving away from the bosom of the church. External attributes remained - installations of doll nurseries with the infant Christ in churches and city squares, decoration of Christmas trees, and the ritual of exchanging gifts. It is at Christmas that Catholic children await a visit from St. Nicholas or Santa Claus.

In the Orthodox world, Christmas is a great religious holiday, accompanied by solemn divine services, magnificent and lengthy. Immediately after Christmas, Christmastide begins - two holy weeks that end on January 18th.

On Christmas night, Orthodox children do not expect gifts. Santa Claus comes to them on New Year's Eve.

Fact: Orthodox Christians have one Christmas service, continuous, consisting of three parts, lasting until the morning.

Catholics celebrate three masses at Christmas - night, morning and afternoon. They are separate and there are breaks between them.

But, be that as it may, the true spirit of Christmas remains unchanged, despite all the differences between the Catholic and Orthodox worlds. On Christmas, it is customary to give good things, help those in need, and do charity work. This is the essence of this great holiday. And who cares what inspired a person to drive envy and resentment out of his heart, to smile at a passerby, to warm and feed a homeless person? The main thing is that goodness was born, which means that the spirit of Christmas is alive and continues to work miracles.

Merry Christmas!

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BDG-online:

A small educational program for those who do not yet know why Orthodox and Catholic Christmas are celebrated two weeks apart.

The fact is that Catholic Church switched to a new style of chronology, that is, it adopted the Gregorian calendar, and the Russian Orthodox Church continues to live according to the Julian calendar with a lag of 13 days. Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25 according to the new style (or January 7 according to the old style)? It’s simple: it is then that exactly nine months have passed since the day of the Annunciation, that is, from the day when Mary received news from the angel that the Savior of mankind would be born to her.

On December 25, Christmas, in addition to Belarusian Catholics - who make up 14 percent of all believers, is also celebrated by Protestants and some Uniates.

Atheists are used to celebrating this holiday in both ways...

Can an Orthodox Christian celebrate Catholic Christmas?

How should an Orthodox person feel about Catholic Christmas? Is it possible to celebrate it?

Christmas is the same for everyone. But Catholics celebrate it according to the Gregorian calendar, and we Orthodox Christians celebrate it according to the Julian calendar. On December 25, the Orthodox still celebrate the Nativity Fast.

You should not celebrate Christmas on December 25th on purpose, when there is no special reason for it. But, for example, if there are Catholics in your family, why not rejoice with them on the Savior’s Birthday. Or if you find yourself in a Catholic country: there is no need to shy away from general rejoicing, because people glorify Christ. But there is no need to abandon our tradition in favor of the Catholic one - we have January 7 to celebrate the Nativity of Christ together with almost the entire Orthodox world.

It is important to determine: what exactly is Christmas for us? It's not just about sliding down the slides and gifts under the tree. This is, first of all, worship and Communion as it is...

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___die Geburten der Tag…morgen der anfang der Tage___

…Machiavelli dei Nicolaus di Bernardo…

Catholic Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. In more than 145 countries around the world, it is an official public holiday and one of the main religious holidays of the year. In essence, Orthodox and Catholic Christmas have the same roots, which go back to ancient pre-Christian cultures. Therefore, many Christmas customs among Catholics are also no different from the traditions of Orthodox Christians. Although Catholic Christmas still has its own characteristics.

Features of the Catholic Nativity of Christ

For Catholics, Christmas is much more important than New Year. A month before Christmas, Avent begins, a time of strict fasting and repentance. Direct preparations for the holiday begin on December 20. Until the moment when the first star appears in the sky on the evening of December 24, announcing the birth of Jesus, this is the period of pre-celebration. From December 24 to January 1 is the actual holiday of the Nativity of Christ, the so-called “octave”, consisting of 8...

The first mention of Christmas is in the chronicles of the 4th century. It is not known for certain what date Jesus Christ was born, but based on the fact that the Incarnation of God (the day of the conception of Christ, the Annunciation) is celebrated nine months before Christmas, the accepted date of his birth is December 25.

The first Christians were Jews and did not celebrate Christmas (according to Jewish belief, the birth of a person is “the beginning of sorrows and pains”). For Christians, the holiday of the Resurrection of Christ (Easter) was and is more important from a doctrinal point of view. After the Greeks (and other Hellenistic peoples) entered the Christian communities, under the influence of Hellenistic customs, the celebration of the Nativity of Christ began.

The ancient Christian holiday of Epiphany on January 6 ideologically combined both Christmas and Epiphany, which later became different holidays.

In fact, in ancient times there was no single date for this holiday, but later the Universal Church decided to celebrate Christmas...

The Nativity of Christ is one of the main spiritual Orthodox holidays, which is celebrated on December 25 by Catholics and January 7 by Orthodox.

Both religions celebrate Christmas Eve - the evening before Christmas night (Jesus was born at night - hence another legend about the Star of Bethlehem.) The name in Russian comes from the word sochivo - wheat grains soaked in berry juice or honey. The holiday of Christmas itself is the date of breaking the fast - liberation from fasting and indulgence in gluttony.

What is the difference between Catholic and Orthodox Christmas?

date

The discrepancy between the celebration of the Nativity of Christ by Western and Eastern churches is explained by the accepted various systems chronology. After the new Gregorian calendar was compiled in the West, Catholics and Protestants began to celebrate Christmas two weeks earlier than the Orthodox. We draw the attention of readers to the fact that the date is actually the same, and the difference is in the calendar.

Catholics...

Orthodox and Catholic Christmas - what is the difference?

Christmas is a shortened name for the holiday - the Nativity of Christ. According to biblical legends, the birth of the infant Christ to the Virgin Mary took place in the Jewish city of Bethlehem on the night of December 24-25.

In what year exactly the Messiah appeared to the world is still debated by learned historians and theologians. Called the period between 12 BC. and the 7th year of the new era. (Where the modern chronology came from, which is carried out “from the birth of Christ,” is not entirely clear). The date December 25 was first mentioned in chronicles in 221 AD. The first Christians were Jews and did not celebrate this holiday at all. Quite widely, believers began to honor the date of Christ’s birth around the fifth century.

However, these details are not very interesting to us, because the Christmas holiday has long lost its exclusively religious connotation and has simply turned into a pleasant family holiday, in which it is customary to meet with relatives and...

The first information about the celebration of Christmas can be dated back to the 4th century. The question of the true date of birth of Jesus continues to be controversial and not clearly resolved among church authors.

Probably, the choice of the date of December 25 is related to the solar pagan holiday “Birth of the Invincible Sun,” which fell on this day. It is quite possible that after the adoption of Christianity in Rome, it acquired new content.

The Nativity of Christ involves five days before the celebration and six days after the celebration. On the eve of the holiday, a strict fast is observed, which is called Christmas Eve, since on this day they eat raw barley or wheat grains boiled with honey.

In the 13th century, the custom arose of displaying mangers in churches in which a figurine of the Baby Jesus was placed. Over time, mangers began to be installed not only in shrines, but also in homes before Christmas. Church and pagan customs - rituals are extremely organically intertwined, complementing each other...

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1. New Year is by no means a pagan holiday. The history of this holiday in Russia has agricultural significance and it was originally celebrated in September, when the harvest was being harvested. Later, Emperor Peter I moved the holiday to January 1, and, if I’m not confusing anything, he came up with an attribute of the holiday, which became so integral, as Santa Claus.
2. Orthodox Christians do not celebrate Halloween; for Russians, this is just another reason to relax a little and another reason not to go to work. Valentine's Day is also not celebrated by the Orthodox, but this is unnecessary...

Christmas is our favorite holiday, covered in light and joy. It contains so much warmth, kindness and love that you want to give these feelings away along with gifts to friends and family. But sometimes it turns out that they celebrate this event on a completely different day. How is this possible? When should Christmas be celebrated, and what are the reasons for the discrepancies? Let's try to figure it out.

history of the holiday

The Gospel says: Jesus was born in Bethlehem, where His mother Mary and Joseph the Betrothed went to take part in the announced population census. Due to the influx of visitors, all the hotels were occupied, so they had to settle in a cave, which served as a stable for livestock. It was there that the Son of God was born. The angel brought the news of His birth to the shepherds, who hurried to bow to Him. Another banner of the appearance of the Messiah was the delightful Star of Bethlehem, which lit up in the sky and showed the way to the Magi. They brought gifts to the Baby - incense, myrrh and...

1. Why doesn’t Easter coincide for Orthodox and Catholics?…

You can often hear definitions such as “Orthodox” and “Catholic” Christmas. What is the difference between them? First of all, the date: Catholics celebrate the holiday on December 25, Russian Orthodox – on January 7.
It all started with the fact that in 1582 a new one, the Gregorian calendar, was introduced in Europe. The Julian system that was in force before had a significant drawback: every 128 years an error occurred in comparison with the year of the equinox - an “extra” day accumulated. In the Julian calendar, all years divisible by 4 are leap years. In Gregorian, a year is a leap year if it is a multiple of 4 and not a multiple of 100, or a multiple of 400, which is why “errors” occur less frequently.
Russia switched to the new style in 1918, by which time the difference between the calendars was 13 days, and they were simply “crossed out,” but the church did not approve of such a decision. Because of this, “our” Christmas lags behind the Catholic one. This is how a holiday with the most paradoxical name appeared - Old New Year.
On the same day as Russian...

The Nativity of Christ is one of the main spiritual Orthodox holidays, which is celebrated on December 25 by Catholics and January 7 by Orthodox.

What is the difference between Catholic and Orthodox Christmas?

date

The discrepancy between the celebration of the Nativity of Christ by Western and Eastern churches is explained by the different chronology systems they adopted. After the new Gregorian calendar was compiled in the West, Catholics and Protestants began to celebrate Christmas two weeks earlier than the Orthodox. We draw the attention of readers to the fact that the date is actually the same, and the difference is in the calendar.

Catholics even call the New Year tree a Christmas tree. It is placed on the eve of the holiday - December 24 - when the day of Adam and Eve is celebrated in Western tradition.

Divine service

In Orthodoxy, there is one Christmas service, which lasts until the morning, and in which Great Compline, Matins and Liturgy are combined.

Catholics have three separate masses - at night, in the morning and during the day. This symbolizes, as it were, the birth of the Savior in the womb of the Father, in the womb of the Mother of God and in the soul of every person.

Photo: www.russianlook.com / Christmas is the main holiday for Catholics.

Attitude to the holiday in society and in the church

Orthodox Christmas is a spiritual, church holiday, not a family holiday. Fasting is very strict - every believer must restrain himself and work hard, spiritually and physically, in order to ultimately reward himself with the opportunity to celebrate and relax. Five days before Christmas, churches commemorate biblical events associated with Christmas. The church service itself proceeds in the same way as it did several centuries ago - all the traditions of those times are observed from year to year. At the same time, Easter is revered more than Christmas. That is, for the Orthodox it is more important that Christ was resurrected, and for Catholics it is more important that he was born.

For Catholics, Christmas is their favorite family holiday. Church services for other biblical events take place after Christmas, starting on the first of January. The fast before Christmas is “weaker” than the Orthodox one - you are allowed to relax. The most church service is adapted to modern world and simplified.

Catholics have a lot of different dishes for Christmas, but the main thing is goose with apples. Orthodox Christians focus on the festive table on Christmas Eve, when 12 Lenten dishes are placed on the table. For a festive Christmas table, we recommend baking, step by step recipe which is published on the AiF-Krasnoyarsk website.

Mandatory dishes that should be on the table of an Orthodox Christian at Christmas are sochivo and vzvar. Sochivo is prepared from wheat or rice with the addition of honey, dried fruits, and nuts. Vzvar is a compote made from dried fruits.

Christmas table. Photo: www.russianlook.com

At Christmas, Catholics give gifts to everyone. According to tradition, no one should be left without a surprise - neither a relative nor a good friend. In the Orthodox tradition there is no such attention to gifts, although children are traditionally given gifts.

Who is the main character of the holiday?

If the Orthodox worship, of course, the born Christ, who came into the world, then for Catholics the main “figure” of the celebration is St. Nicholas or Santa Claus, whose duties include giving gifts to children. At the same time, Santa Claus himself does not come to children with a bag of gifts, like the Russian Father Frost. He hides the gifts in his socks at night, hangs them over the fireplace, and disappears unnoticed into the chimney. Christian and pagan rites are intertwined in this custom, and not all priests have a positive attitude towards this almost pagan saint.

The material was prepared using publicly available sources.