Stories for children about the birth of Christ. How to Tell Your Child About Christmas: A Brief History of Christmas for Kids
Holiday name
It is difficult for a child to find any explanation for the very name of the holiday. Parents should explain to the baby what is the meaning behind mysterious name: "Christmas". After all, in order to enjoy this day, you need to know what its essence is.
You may find it helpful to compare this day to your child's birthday. Remind your child of his last birthday and ask if he knows why everyone congratulates him. Probably, the child will answer that on this day he was born. Then you can begin to explain the essence of Christmas - the birth of someone very important, who is honored by the whole world.
The history of the origin of the holiday
It is very important to tell the baby the story of the birth of the Baby. This is the main thing that both adults and children who celebrate Christmas should know - this is where the holiday begins. You can read the story of Christmas from the children's Bible, as well as from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.
Be sure to tell the child that it is from the Nativity of Christ. A toddler will understand the expression "A.D. 1985" much better if you explain it to him in the context of a Christmas story.
Why is the most junior group V kindergarten called "manger"? Ask your child about this after talking about the Baby Jesus. The newborn Christ was placed in a manger - a feeder for livestock, so today we call the toddler group of the kindergarten that way.
And where did the tradition of hanging a star on the top of the Christmas tree come from? Remember the story of the Magi, who, seeing a new star, realized that the Savior of the world was born. And can't we remember the gifts of these wise men, brought to little Jesus, when we put gifts under the tree for our relatives and friends?
How to celebrate Christmas with your family
So that your children will remember Christmas for a long time and remind you of something good, joyful and warm, start celebrating this day with the whole family. To do this, you need to create family traditions, some of which you can borrow from others, and some of which you can invent yourself.
The center of all ceremonies at Christmas should be the idea of appearing to people God's grace: The Almighty loves us and therefore sent us His Son. It is important that everything reminds you of the essence of Christmas as much as possible, otherwise your holiday will turn into a feast, of which there are many throughout the year.
Decorate the room in which you will celebrate the holiday with Christmas attributes: angels, a crib, candles.
Learn simple Christmas songs and rhymes with your children. Include them in the program. After reading the story of Christmas from the Bible, you can make a quiz for your family from simple questions. Do not forget to stock up on prizes for players, because Christmas is a holiday of gifts, the most important of which is God's gift to people - the Savior Jesus.
Play the game "What do I know about Christmas". Around the circle, everyone should say one fact that he knows about the birth of Christ. The one who, in turn, could not name anything, leaves the game. The last remaining participant is the winner.
Ask each family member what they expect next Christmas. Record the answers on the video, and in a year it will be very interesting for you to find out what dreams of your loved ones have come true.
Do not forget to pay attention to your loved ones living nearby on this day: treat them with a fragrant pie, give a gift. Tell your child how he can do good to his friends: put treats in a bag, let the kid distribute them on the playground. If you know someone in need, Christmas is a good opportunity to help them in any way you can. Create a holiday for your neighbor, and you will feel how magical this day will become for you!
Telling a child about Christmas
Jesus is both Man and God at the same time. How He was born as God, we do not know. Just as we do not know how the Virgin Mary's immaculate conception of her Son took place: the Archangel Gabriel only brought her the good news about the future birth of the Savior.
But we know for sure that Christ was born as a Man, as one of us, that is, in the flesh. That is why the full name of the holiday is the Nativity of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ according to the flesh.
The Virgin Mary with her husband, Joseph the Betrothed, lived in the town of Nazareth (it still exists in Israel today). Because of the census of the Roman Empire under Emperor Augustus, they went to Bethlehem. According to the decree of the emperor, in order to facilitate the census, each inhabitant of the empire had to appear "in his city." Since both Mary and Joseph were distant descendants of King David, they went to Bethlehem. Since it was in this city that David was born - one of the greatest rulers Israel, from whose generation, according to the promise, that is, the promise of God, the Messiah was to come. Bethlehem is literally a couple of kilometers from Jerusalem (now in the Palestinian Authority, on the territory of the West Bank of the Jordan River), but it is quite far from Nazareth - about 170 kilometers. It is difficult to imagine what kind of work the Virgin Mary cost on last month pregnancy to overcome such a long distance.
Since many people came to Bethlehem, the Virgin Mary and Joseph did not get places in the hotel, and apparently they did not have relatives in the city. Therefore, they had to spend the night in a cave - shepherds used it as a barn to shelter livestock from bad weather. Here the One who was destined to become the Savior of the world was born. “While they were there, the time came for Her to give birth; And she gave birth to her Firstborn Son, and swaddled Him, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in an inn,” writes the Evangelist Luke.
The fact that not just a baby was born was known not only by the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. Shepherds were the first to come to bow to the Savior - they were nearby. An angel appeared to the shepherds, who said to them: “... I proclaim to you great joy that will be for all people: for today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, has been born to you in the city of David; and here is a sign for you: you will find a baby in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:8-14).
The shepherds left their flocks, went towards Bethlehem and found the Virgin Mary, Joseph and the Child in a manger in a cave. The shepherds told Mary what the angel had told them. The Mother of God was amazed, because exactly nine months ago the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Her and spoke exactly the same words - that the Savior of the world would be born to Her. We now celebrate that day as the Feast of the Annunciation. Later, the Holy Family moved to the city - whether the places in the hotel were vacated, or someone let them stay, it is not known for sure. Meanwhile, somewhere in the east, far from Palestine, three wise men (they were called magi) saw an unusual star in the sky
They took it as a sign. After all, the Magi knew that soon the King of Israel was to come into the world. The Magi were not Jews, they were pagans, but they understood that such a global event would affect all peoples (this is exactly what happened, as we know - now there is not a single country in the world where there is not at least one Christian community). Therefore, seeing an unusual star in the sky, the Magi went to Jerusalem, came straight to the palace to the then ruling King Herod and asked him where, in fact, they could see the newly born Jewish King. Although they were wise men, they could not assume that the future, in their opinion, Tsar was born not in a palace, but in a barn.
King Herod did not know where Jesus was, and was extremely alarmed by the news of the wise men of the East. After all, once a new Tsar was born, then the old one, it seems, is no longer needed. He was a very cruel and suspicious ruler, it is no coincidence that his name became a household name. However, Herod did not show his anxiety to the Magi, politely escorted them out of the palace and asked, if they found the newborn King, to inform him of His whereabouts.
The star led the Magi to the house in Bethlehem, where they “saw the Child with Mary, His Mother, and fell down and worshiped Him; And having opened their treasures, they brought Him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:9-11). Frankincense and myrrh are incense, which were then very expensive.
Having bowed to Christ, the Magi "... having received a revelation in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed by another way to their country" (Matthew 2:12), that is, they did not reveal to Herod the secret of the location of the Savior. “Then Herod, seeing himself ridiculed by the Magi, became very angry, and sent to beat all the babies in Bethlehem and within it, from two years old and below, according to the time that he found out from the Magi,” says the Evangelist Matthew.
The cruel king, fearing competition for the throne and not finding the One who, as it seemed to everyone, should take it, ordered to kill all the babies in Bethlehem. However, Jesus was no longer in the city at that moment.
An angel appeared to Joseph and said: “Get up, take the Child and His Mother and run to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod wants to look for the Child in order to destroy Him” (Matthew 2:13).
The Holy Family was in Egypt until King Herod died. Returning, Jesus, the Mother of God and Joseph settled in Nazareth.
From there, the Way of the Cross of the Savior began. And from the Nativity of Christ began new era humanity is our era.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
PEACE, GOOD, HAPPINESS AND LOVE TO YOUR FAMILY!
Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7th. On this day in the city of Bethlehem, the Son of the Holy Virgin Mary was born - Jesus Christ. Before the birth of the Savior, the Roman Emperor Augustus ordered a population census. All subjects of the emperor went to their hometowns for the census. Righteous Elder Joseph and Saint Mary of Nazareth went to Bethlehem.
So many people gathered in the city that all the houses were occupied. The couple stopped for the night in a cave where shepherds drive their cattle in bad weather. This is where Jesus Christ was born. The Virgin Mother swaddled the Child and laid it in the manger. And in the sky above the cave, a bright Christmas star lit up - it is called the Star of Bethlehem.
According to the star that shone in heaven on Christmas night, the way to the cave where the baby Christ was born was found by the Magi - the wise men of the East. They brought gifts to Jesus Christ - gold, frankincense and myrrh.
An angel appeared to the shepherds grazing their flocks on the hillside and showed the way to the cave where Jesus Christ, the future savior of the world, lay in a manger. The shepherds went to bow to the Infant born of the Mother of God.
Listen to the poem.
Christmas
Angels, ray invisibly,
Praise the birth of Christ.
The Virgin bowed over the Son,
In her heart is purity,
Meekness, love and humility.
Breathes in the breath of roses.
To the sinful earth for salvation
The Christ Child has been sent!
At Christmas, there is a custom to decorate the Christmas tree, put gifts under it for your loved ones, and dance around the elegant, sparkling Christmas tree.
Listen to the poem.
Christmas tree
We will decorate the Christmas tree
bright star,
We will braid the Christmas tree
Golden thread.
How beautiful on the Christmas tree
Holiday outfit!
On her pins and needles
The fires are burning.
And sweet at heart
Fun, light.
Everyone is happy today
Christmas has come!
Good day! The most magical and mysterious day is coming - Christmas. Warm family holiday. Children helped to decorate the house, the Christmas tree, baked treats with their mothers, made gifts. But not all children know the essence of the holiday, why it is called Christmas, why the holiday is so important for many people that it is celebrated in many countries. Our task is to tell children the story of Christmas in an accessible form. What can you tell children at Christmas?
How to tell children about Christmas
The night before Christmas is magical. You can look at the sky and make a wish, but it must be good. Jesus Christ taught people kindness. How was he born? Listen carefully.
In the small town of Nazareth lived a husband and wife - Anna and Joachim. They didn't have children. They prayed that the Lord would send them a child, promising that he would serve God. And they had a daughter, Maria. She was a very obedient, meek girl, praying constantly. When her parents died, she remained an orphan and was later brought up in the church. When Mary became an adult, they wanted to marry her, but she vowed to serve God. Then the priests gave her under the protection of a distant relative, old Joseph. He was a widower. Maria helped him with the housework, led a very modest lifestyle.
And then one day the Archangel appeared to Mary and told her that the Holy Spirit would come to her and she would have a child, the Son of God, who would save the world from sin and evil.
This is a story about the mother of Jesus Christ, Mary.
Now listen to what happened next. Mary and Joseph were waiting for the birth of their son. In this year, Emperor Augustus decided to arrange a census of the population. Everyone had to come to the city where their ancestors were from. Mary and her husband went to the city of Bethlehem. They walked for a long time, when they arrived, there were no places to stay for the night. And the time has come for Mary to give birth. They found a cave in which the shepherds hid from the weather. That night, Mary gave birth to a son, wrapped him in a hem and put him in a manger, where they poured animal feed.
Nearby, shepherds were grazing sheep and suddenly they saw a bright light - an angel descended to them and said: “Do not be afraid! I have come with good news. God sent his son to earth to save people from sins. Go to Bethlehem, you will see him there. He is in a manger."
The shepherds went to the cave and saw the baby.
The second sign of the birth of the Son of God was a star that appeared in the sky and was the brightest. She was seen by the wise men. they guessed that she announced the birth of the King of the Jews. The star led them to the cave. They saw the baby and gave him their gifts, calling him the king of heaven and earth.
This is the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.
In order for children to understand it better, you can watch cartoons about Christmas, show them pictures. Take the kids to Christmas events, concerts. Children should understand one idea that Christmas is a celebration of kindness, helping loved ones and compassion.
Ksyusha and I tried to make a presentation about Christmas for children. It didn't turn out the way we wanted, but we're learning. as the saying goes.
When exactly was Jesus Christ born?
The history of the event of the Nativity of Christ still causes controversy among scientists. The Roman Catholic Church insisted on the date of December 25, and this date was adopted by the Nicaean Ecumenical Council. The first mention of a separately celebrated Christmas appeared in the 4th century.
Christians for a long time could not decide on the date and status of the Christmas holiday. As you know, the first Christians were Jews, and for them, birth was more associated with misfortune and pain. Therefore, they did not celebrate the birth of Christ in any way. More important holiday Easter was considered, on which the moment of his resurrection also fell. When the Greeks joined Christianity, the tradition and history of the feast of the Nativity of Christ came from them.
But where did Christmas get its the exact date? Among the early Christians (end of the 2nd century - 4th century), the event of Christmas was associated with the day of Theophany, that is, January 6th. Clement of Alexandria wrote about this around the year 200. But in the middle of the 4th century, the first evidence of the separation of Christmas into a separate holiday with the date of December 25 appeared. There is a version that in this way the new religion tried to supplant the cult of the Invincible Sun, which was widespread in the Roman Empire and was celebrated exactly on December 25 (at that time it was the day winter solstice). This is the possible story behind the creation of Christmas.
However, even the very existence of such a person as Jesus Christ raises doubts among historians. And even if he actually lived, then most of the dates of his life are extremely vague. Most likely, he could appear in 5-7 years. BC e. In 221 from the birth of Christ, the date December 25 appeared in the calendar of the ancient historian Sextus Julius Africanus. Later, Dionysius the Small, who was an archivist under the pope, confirmed this date. After studying the chronicles of 354, he suggested that Jesus was born during the reign of Caesar and attributed it to 1 AD. e.
If you rely on the scriptures in the Gospel, then the one who lit up the sky star of bethlehem was nothing more than Halley's comet flying near the Sun at that time. This event must have taken place in 12 BC. e. If we take into account the census conducted in Israel, then it turns out that Jesus was born in 7 AD. e. But dates of birth after 4 BC seem unlikely. e., since both canonical and apocryphal texts agree that Jesus appeared during the reign of King Herod I the Great, who died in 4 BC. e.
Late dates of birth are also not suitable because the time of his execution is approximately determined. If Jesus had appeared in our era, he would have been executed too young.
The letter from Luke mentions that at the birth of Christ the shepherds slept in the field, but this could only be in summer or early autumn. True, if the year turned out to be warm, then in Palestine it was possible to graze herds even in February.
On Christmas Eve (December 24/January 6), the day of the strictest fast and Christmas Eve, simple people and the clergy did not eat for a whole day, waiting for the appearance of the first, "Bethlehem" star, announcing the birth of the Savior. It was this fact that the great commander Suvorov took advantage of at dinner with the Empress on Christmas Eve, to whom, according to the slander of envious people, the Empress delayed the award of a star, the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. When they sat down at the table, Suvorov did not even remove the napkins from the plate. The empress, noticing this, asked the reason.
“I don’t see a star, Your Majesty,” Suvorov answered.
The Empress, smiling, got up from the table, took her St. Andrew's star and put Suvorov on a plate, saying:
- Well, now you will eat, count.
In Christmas rites, poor and rich kutya are distinguished. A poor (or Lenten) kutia is held on Christmas Eve, a rich one on New Year's Eve (and sometimes on baptism). Kutya is usually brewed from wheat grains; but in some cases its preparation varies. Yes, in Vologda province, kutya was prepared from peas with wheat mixed with hempseed juice or honey.
Along with kutya, an obligatory part of the Christmas Eve meal was “vzvar”, (compote) from dry fruits and berries, boiled with honey or sugar in a pot. Pancakes are widely used as a Christmas Eve dish. In the Vladimir province, pancakes were baked on Christmas Eve in the morning and were presented to carolers. There are also oatmeal and jelly among the dishes.
However, with the end of the era of Peter I, the custom of decorated spruce was practically forgotten. He returned, primarily to noble houses, in the second half of the 19th century.
At the very end of the 19th century, numerous Christmas tree markets appeared in the capital Russian cities. One of the main ones in Moscow is on Theater Square (right in front of the Bolshoi Theater). Choosing a Christmas tree was a special tradition, with a walk through the bazaar and the almost obligatory purchase of sbitnya and rolls.
The Christmas holiday was then solemnly celebrated in the houses. The preparations for the Christmas tree were usually hidden from the younger children in the family. It was decorated either canonically after the vigil, or (in more liberal families) before the vigil, but there was no access to it. The Christmas tree was hung with children's toys, which were distributed to them after fun. One of the Petersburg rich ordered " artificial christmas tree 3.5 arshins high, which was entwined with expensive cloth and ribbons. The top of the tree was dotted with ribbons of various colors; its upper branches were hung with expensive toys and jewelry: earrings, rings and rings; lower branches with flowers and sweets and a variety of fruits. The room where the tree was located was lit big lights; splendor and luxury shone everywhere. After the children were treated, the music began to play. At the end of the evening, they let the children pluck from the tree, everything that hung on it.
Children were allowed to climb a tree; who is quicker and more agile, he enjoys the right to take everything he gets, but since the tree was tall, and not many dared to climb, their sisters helped them; they held out chairs and pointed out the most tempting things to them. This Christmas tree cost about 50,000 rubles.
Children's gifts under the Christmas tree were obligatory. In noble families with many children, the game of “transfer” was traditional (gifts were wrapped in several layers of paper. It was necessary to unfold gradually, passing the gift to the one whose name was on the next wrapper). After the all-night candles on the Christmas tree were lit for the children, but not for long. Children's holidays were already arranged on the second and third days.
"Costumes" at children's holidays were distributed to children by the owners of the house. Often it was only a paper headdress (bonnet, hat, cocked hat, jockey cap). There was no need to change costumes.
For men, in the first days of Christmas, “visits” were obligatory (from bottom to top along the family and social ladder). The "visit" lasted no more than 10-15 minutes and included congratulations from the guest and treats (often a gift) from the hosts.
However, gifts were given not only to children. Christmas Eve and Christmas time were considered days of special charity and sympathy towards those who for some reason are deprived of the opportunity to be involved in the celebration. These days they tried to visit the sick, go to prisons with gifts. On the days when the Lord gives Himself in the form of a man, there should be an inner readiness for generosity, for the desire to help those in need.
The Christmas tree in merchant and bourgeois houses was dressed up not in advance, but on the first day of Christmas. From the very first day of Christmas, it was customary to visit each other “with congratulations” (as with the nobles, from the bottom up the social ladder).
In merchant and bourgeois houses, Christmas was celebrated somewhat differently. Before the feast, in the Filippov fast, the fish table dominated the house. For the wealthy - beluga, sturgeon, pike perch, navaga. For the poorer - herring, catfish, bream. For more affluent buyers, piglets, poultry (often sold by the piece, not by weight) and game are on the Christmas table.
The holiday has always been thought of by a spiritual person: he “came in”, “left”, he was met and seen off. He was personified by all sorts of material symbols, including living personifications. At the end of the holiday they were destroyed solemnly. The “passions” experienced by the deity-holiday are the moment of his death and rebirth. That's why main element of the entire ritual action - the ritual meal - as the main dish usually included the deity itself, as they said in the 19th century, "the animal image of God." At Christmas time, this is a roasted pig or wild boar, a solar deity. Pork became the symbol of the Christmas table. Pork carcasses were brought to Moscow in the last century in convoys in abundance. One of the charitable rites of the future breaking the fast is the distribution of pork "splinters" (small pieces of frozen pork) to the poor and the poor. The dying and reborn god, the embodiment of the holiday, was symbolically killed in ritual food and reborn in man. This was the main festive act.
In Russian ritualism, the pig, as a ritual animal of the main Christmas and Epiphany festival of Christians, was nicknamed St. Basil of Caesarea, celebrated on January 1. The Caesarean pig is included in the circle of sacrificial animals, and symbolically it meant fertility, wealth, well-being in human life. “By January 1, in each family, a half-year-old or several months old piglet is prepared, which is certainly roasted whole, no matter how big it is. On the evening of this day, all households gather, put a candle in front of the icon, pray to Basil the Great, and when the owner or the elder in the house prays, he separates the head of a piglet, then breaks it, but does not cut the roast, and distributes it to everyone in parts, depending on age. This is called "caesarean breaking" ... After eating the meat, they collect the bones, take them to the "pig" and throw them to the pigs. This is done by the mistress of the house.
In merchant and petty-bourgeois families, fasting was observed more strictly than in noble families, including the custom of not eating until the “first star”. Christmas Eve food - kutya and vodka - were placed under the icons on a bed of hay. They were used before Vespers.
After the Vespers - the rite of "glorification of Christmas". Native Muscovites did not use the word "carols" - they said "praise".
There were several options for "glorification", for example:
- a simple performance of the troparion “Your Christmas…”;
- performance of "self-written" texts in the chant of the Christmas troparion;
- theatrical performance “Tsar Kastinkin (Konstantin) executing Herod.
One of the questions that invariably worries the modern reader is what was given for Christmas in pre-revolutionary Russia. The answer can be absolutely short: "That's it!", and just as lengthy if you start describing the boundless possibilities of Muscovites in purchasing souvenirs. There were no special norms in this regard, except that individual families could have their own traditions, passed down from generation to generation.
So, for example, it is known that on name days, Christmas and Easter royal daughters usually gave one pearl and one diamond. Thus, by the age of majority, each had to have a string of perfectly even pearls and a diamond necklace. At birth, they gave images of the namesake saints. When the royal family was shot, everything was removed from them, except for the icons and baptismal crosses.
By the end of the 19th century, the tradition of gifting postcards emerged. In 1843, the Englishman Horsley drew the first Christmas card, a thousand copies of which were sold that year in London.
The first greeting card appeared in Russia by Easter 1897, and within a couple of years the market was littered with hundreds of different Easter and Christmas stories. Prior to this, the townsfolk congratulated their neighbors on all holidays on special cards with floral ornament and with only one word “Congratulations”, to which special envelopes were issued. However, most of the cards were also issued with the text “Congratulations” for all time.
With the release of Russian-language greeting cards, the domestic assortment becomes the most diverse in Europe. TO winter holidays cards were printed with three types of inscriptions: “Merry Christmas”, “Happy New Year” and “Merry Christmas! Happy New Year".
Russian plots were extremely diverse: the charming children of Bem, Lebedeva-Anokhina and Lavrova with texts from Russian proverbs, playful village scenes by Zvorykin and Verov, Karazin's peasants, Ploshinsky's young ladies of the 18th century. Russian churches, winter landscapes, Christmas tree legs were depicted in abundance. Published for the most part in a lithographic way, often sprinkled with sparkles or crushed, postcards immediately became attractive to those who want to find a not too expensive gift.
Christmas traditions in Russia
In Russia, the feast of the Nativity of Christ is currently included in the series new year holidays. For some families, the main thing is the celebration of the New Year, others New Year do not celebrate, preparing for Christmas. Gifts are also given in the way that is customary in a particular family, they can also be given for both holidays.
In early December, the streets are decorated, in in public places Christmas trees are set up, Christmas markets and charity fairs are held. IN Lately Increasingly, cribs are being built near churches for Christmas. The nativity scene can be made simply from spruce branches with an icon of the Nativity of Christ inside or with figures of the Holy Family, three wise men, angels, animals. The material can be very different: from cardboard and fabric to snow and ice. A nativity scene is also called a special christmas performance, which is played out with the help of puppets in a special crib box, and can be a performance with the participation of actors. The plots of nativity scenes are usually the events of Christmas, as well as the flight to Egypt, the beating of babies by Herod, and the death of Herod. Previously, the crib performance was associated with caroling, now the crib theater is shown at Christmas holidays or fairs. And the tradition of carols is being revived separately - songs glorifying Christ and His Christmas, with which they used to go around the yards, wishing good and joy, collecting gifts in the form of treats, and now they often go to visit with them.
Before Christmas, Orthodox Christians fast, it lasts six weeks, from November 28 to January 6 inclusive.
The day before the feast of the Nativity of Christ is called Christmas Eve. The name comes from the traditional dish that is prepared on this day - sochi (boiled wheat or rice with honey). In the old days, on Christmas Eve, they ate only juicy, believers abstained from any other food until the onset of Christmas. There is also a tradition not to eat anything "before the first star" on this day.
The celebration of Christmas itself takes place on the night of January 6-7 - exactly at midnight, solemn worship begins in the churches.
The period from January 7 to Epiphany Christmas Eve (January 18) is called Svyatki. These are days of special joy that believers seek to share with each other. At this time, it is customary to visit, to do works of mercy. It is becoming a good tradition to give gifts for Christmas and congratulate people who find themselves in a difficult life situation on the holiday.
Christmas traditions in Sweden
Christmas in Sweden is celebrated on the eve of the holiday itself - December 24th. And gifts are also given on December 24th. Christmas is the most main holiday per year, while strictly family. None noisy parties with friends in a restaurant or bar - this is a quiet holiday with the family. Inviting friends, even the closest, is not accepted. At Christmas in Sweden, a tourist will be bored, all cafes, restaurants, bars and other establishments will most likely be closed, and the streets will be empty. Swedes don't celebrate New Year's Eve at all.
TO festive table Swedes most often cook turkey, it is sold in all supermarkets, although pork ham is considered much more traditional. Also, be sure to have several types of herring in different marinades, meatballs, potatoes, Prinskorv sausages, salmon. Interestingly, in Sweden there is a tradition on Christmas Eve to drink Yulmust carbonated drink prepared according to a special recipe, which surpasses even Coca-Cola in popularity. On December 24 at 3:00 pm, children usually watch the Disney cartoon collection DuckTales. After that, gifts are distributed, evenings, and even more so, they do not wait for the night. T brings gifts under the tree O mten, this is a dwarf, fat and short, in clothes and appearance similar to Santa: cap, red suit, beard,. He has no special attributes (horses or Snow Maiden).
The Swedes are very musical and love to sing, including Christmas songs. There is a whole series of Swedish Christmas songs that everyone, as a rule, knows by heart from childhood and is sung regardless of whether a person is religious or not - in church, on the street or in the choir. At present, their content is far from always connected with the biblical story about the Nativity of Christ. As a rule, these are songs about winter, about night, about magic.
Sweden loves live Christmas trees. "Rain" and multi-colored light bulbs are considered bad manners. Usually the bulbs are plain, yellow or white, there are not very many toys. Christmas trees on the streets are just living trees with single-color yellow or white bulbs along the contour of the tree, they are not decorated with anything else and are cleaned very quickly after the holiday.
Christmas traditions in Germany
At the end of November, Advent time traditionally begins in Germany - preparatory weeks before Christmas. At this time, many families decorate a Christmas wreath with four candles. For four weeks, every Sunday, Germans light one candle per day. celebratory wreath. On the first Sunday of Advent (four weeks before Christmas), one candle is lit on the wreath, on the second - two, on the third - three, on the last - all four candles are lit. This tradition symbolizes the expectation of the holiday, the expectation of Christmas. Every Sunday of Advent is dedicated to gospel readings in cathedrals: the first - the coming of Christ at the end of time; the second and third - the transition from the Old to the New Testament, the fourth - directly gospel events before Christmas.
Waiting also symbolizes the advent calendar. This tradition from Germany is gradually spreading around the world. The children's advent calendar is a box with 25 windows. Every day, starting from December 1, every day, in one of the windows of the child, a small chocolate surprise. The same calendars for adults include reproductions of famous paintings, jokes, quotes from the Bible and other options for "surprises" in the windows.
In many houses, in churches and in street squares, figures depicting the Holy Family on Christmas night are installed. Figures can be made in a variety of styles - from traditional to modern.
Christmas cakes are being prepared ahead of time: gingerbread and stollen. Stollen are baked in advance, sometimes a month before Christmas, and can be stored in a cool place for two to three months. The very form of sweet bread, abundantly stuffed with raisins, spices and nuts, resembles a swaddled child - Christ.
Traditional dishes of the German Christmas table also include stuffed goose, pork with sauerkraut, baked carp.
The current German Santa Claus is Weinakhtsman (Christmas Father). He visits houses through the chimney, leaves gifts under the tree. Today, Weinakhtsman is increasingly being replaced by Santa Nikolaus.
Christmas traditions in England
By the beginning of the 20th century, Christmas in England had become purely family holiday, only a few of its old customs have survived to this day. Everywhere, for example, the custom of exchanging gifts on Christmas Day is observed.
WITH Victorian England the custom is to put gifts in a Christmas sock. In the old days, it was said that "Christmas grandfather" travels through the air and enters houses through a chimney. One day, going down to one of the houses, he dropped some gold coins into a sock, which they hung to dry over the hearth. Since then, on Christmas Eve, socks and stockings have been hung on the fireplace in the hope that something will fall there - the children believe that Santa Claus will fill it with gifts.
Since the 19th century it has become customary to exchange greeting cards- instead of obligatory once personal congratulations on the holiday. In 1843, the first Christmas card was printed in the printing house.
Christmas dinner these days includes traditional dishes like stuffed turkey in the British or roast goose in Wales, Ireland and the indispensable plum pudding. For many centuries, all the inhabitants of the British Isles have had a special meal at Christmas. oatmeal, plum-porridge, boiled in meat broth, bread crumbs, raisins, almonds, prunes and honey were also added to it and served very hot. During the XVIII century. plum porridge is gradually being replaced by plum pudding. Plum pudding is made from bread crumbs with the addition of various spices and fruits. It remains the custom to hide small silver coins and jewelry in the Christmas pudding - "for good luck."
The British traditionally decorate their houses for Christmas with branches of evergreens - ivy, holly, strengthen a branch of mistletoe over the door. Ivy has to cling to something to find support and grow. This reminds us that a person must hold on to the Almighty in search of support and strength. Considered a sacred plant and a symbol of eternal life by the ancient Druids, mistletoe was a traditional Christmas decoration in England before the custom of decorating a spruce appeared. This custom appeared in England relatively recently, in the middle of the 19th century, and was brought here from Germany. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert hosted the first Christmas tree for their children at Windsor, and the fashion quickly spread.
Now, in almost every English house, a Christmas tree is decorated with multi-colored shiny toys and sweets for Christmas, and an angel or a large silver star is usually strengthened on top of it.
In early December, a traditional Christmas tree with a height of 20 meters is delivered from Oslo to London and installed on Trafalgar Square. Sends a Christmas tree to England The Royal Family Norway in gratitude for the help that the British provided to Norway during the Second World War. The Christmas tree is decorated only with vertical garlands, which are made up of energy-saving light bulbs and traditionally look modest and ascetic. Each evening there are charity performances by the Christmas tree by London choir artists who sing traditional Christmas carols and help raise funds for charitable causes.
Another Christmas tradition is related to the tradition of caroling: on the eve of Christmas, groups of people, including children, gather around the area singing Christmas songs and collecting donations. The tradition of staging Christmas pantomimes is considered purely English. These are comedy skits based on stories and fairy tales that everyone knows (for example, Cinderella, Puss in Boots, etc.).
Christmas in England is celebrated on December 25th. Most families go to church, and after the service they gather at the festive table. On this day, at 3 p.m., the queen's festive address is broadcast on all radio and television channels.
Christmas traditions in France
In France, in families with children, the Christmas tree is bought at the very beginning of December, and the children are looking forward to Christmas, when they finally receive gifts from Père Noel.”
In early December, Christmas markets open all over the country. The most famous of them are in Alsace. They sell almost the same thing every year: gifts and souvenirs in the form of Christmas decorations, liqueurs, tinctures, Christmas cake, honey, sweets.
Traditional christmas dish- Christmas log or, as it is called in France, "bush de Noel." This is a dessert based on a biscuit roll with chocolate filling, however, fillings are possible. The cupcake is decorated with figurines, chocolate and sprinkles. Each house has special figurines depicting animals, Santa Claus and firs. They are stored and washed from year to year to decorate the traditional cupcake. The log is served at the end of the dinner, after a huge variety of dishes, variations of which depend on the region of the country - foie gras, oysters, cheese balls, stuffed capon or turkey. Served all together with potatoes or vegetables.
The city center is decorated for Christmas every year, but in addition to decorations, Christmas music is also played on the streets. In France, some residents decorate a Christmas tree, but it is not the main symbol of the holiday, many prefer flowers.
A more obligatory element is the Christmas nativity scene.
Before the Christmas holidays, many people in France cross the country to get to their families. As in most European countries, Christmas for the French is a family holiday.
Christmas traditions in Italy
On December 24, Catholics celebrate Christmas Eve. Most Italians don't go to mass in church all the time, but the midnight service on the night of December 25 is very crowded.
An important part of the preparation for the holiday is the installation of a Christmas nativity scene in churches and in the homes of Italians with stylized figures of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Mandatory elements- a star, an ox, a donkey and other animals that lived in the barn where the baby Jesus was born. Usually, Italians try to make a new nativity scene every year so as not to repeat themselves, they buy figurines of geese, saints, magi, supplement them with waterfalls, look for stones to build houses and mountains, and make something by hand. The biggest and beautiful nativity scene installed in the Vatican with full-length figures.
In addition to the nativity scene, Italians decorate their homes with flowers and decorate the Christmas tree. Previously, on Christmas night, a spruce branch was hung over the fireplace as a symbol of hospitality in honor of the coming into the world of the Son of the Lord; now they are simply limited to a Christmas tree and flowers. The "Christmas rose" or hellebore, which grows in the mountains, blooms just in winter, and one of its species with beautiful white flowers with a pinkish tinge is used to decorate the house. Even more Italians love the "Christmas (Bethlehem) star", or spurge (poinsettia), with green leaves and ruby red flowers, blooming just in time for Christmas.
On Christmas Eve in Italy, it is not customary to eat meat, so all dishes served on the table on the evening of December 24 are vegetable or fish. But already on December 25, a feast begins with a mountain: Italian Christmas is not complete without classic meat dumplings in a broth of capon, lentils, boiled meat, dried fruits, chocolate and traditional panettone yeast cakes with raisins, dried fruits and pandoro, sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Christmas Traditions in Greece
Greeks celebrate Christmas on December 25, according to the New Julian calendar. Christmas in Greece is a national holiday. The New Year is celebrated much less solemnly. Those who usually go to church go to the temple for worship. Services in parish churches are held in the morning - matins and liturgy are served. After the service, they come home and sit down for a meal.
Traditionally baked "Christ's bread" with a cross on top, decorated with nuts. The Greeks do not have any specific Christmas dish. Recently, succumbing to Western influence, they cook the turkey. Previously, they roasted a ram or a pig, who is poorer - a bird. On the table there must be nuts, honey and dried fruits, different types of Christmas cookies, and pomegranates from fruits.
For Christmas they decorate the city, decorate the Christmas trees. In Greece, decorating the Christmas tree is a late custom. At Christmas, they could decorate a Christmas tree, an ordinary stick, on which ribbons and bells were tied, and in coastal areas, wooden ships specially carved for the holiday were decorated. Then the children went around the village with these ships and sang carols. In some villages, children still carol. True, ships specially decorated for the holiday are now bought in the store, and caroling children walk around with musical triangles. The holiday lasts five days from Christmas to New Year. All this time there is a richly laid table, the holidays continue. Gifts for Christmas and New Year are brought not by Santa Claus (or St. Nicholas), and not by Santa Claus, but ... St. Basil the Great. His memorial day falls on January 1st.
Christmas traditions in Spain
A few weeks before Christmas, usually already in November, Christmas lights are lit on city streets. A picture typical of Spain is a Christmas illumination against the backdrop of green citrus trees and palm trees.
Spanish Santa Claus looks like Santa Claus, he is dressed in a red coat and cap, here he is called Papa Noel. These days it is easy to find him on the streets, in shops and other places, and his figurines and images flash everywhere. Supermarkets sell typical Christmas products. These are sweets - marzipans, anise candies and turron (nougat different types in Spain - a symbol of Christmas), polvorones (shortbread with various additives), candied fruits, various nuts.
With friends and colleagues, the holiday is celebrated a week or two before Christmas. People still go to work, but, in fact, these days are no longer working. All important matters are postponed until January. Gifts to colleagues and friends in the form of "Christmas baskets" are popular, which include a set of products typical for this holiday from champagne, halva, cheese to a special type of ham - jamon.
Christmas wreaths decorate entrance doors. The "Christmas flower" ("Star of Bethlehem") is also very popular. Before Christmas, these flowers can be seen everywhere: in homes, in shops and in various institutions.
Henbane is also very popular among Christmas decorations. These are models depicting a picture of the birth of Christ and other biblical scenes related to Christmas. Beleny can be the most different sizes, from giant ones that adorn city squares to miniature ones the size of a palm. They appear on Christmas everywhere - in squares, in temples, shop windows. A special tradition in Spain is the Christmas lottery: Spaniards buy a ticket every year to try their luck and keep the tradition alive. The choice of the winning combination is entrusted to the students of the local school of San Ildefonso, after which they must sing the numbers to those gathered in the hall of the National Lottery in Madrid. The lottery takes place every year on December 22, in most cases this date coincides with the official start of the Christmas holidays. Anticipates the holiday of Christmas Noche Buena - Christmas Eve. Actually, this evening the whole family gathers for Christmas dinner. The Christmas table is necessarily decorated, for example, with compositions of candles, balls, spruce branches. Besides goose and sweets holiday menu diversify marine crustaceans - shrimps, crabs, lobsters.
After dinner, it is customary to sing Christmas songs. At midnight the bells sound to mark the start of Mass, and the faithful often go to church. In the morning, Christmas gifts “appear” under the tree. They often give predictable gifts, about which wishes have been expressed throughout the year.
Pre-holiday chores, symbols of Christmas
Children love to help decorate the house, Christmas tree. In addition to toys, you can hang sweets on the Christmas tree, make gingerbread decorating them with frosting. You can make a Christmas wreath and decorate your house with it.
Decorating the Christmas tree with toys, tell your kids about the symbols of Christmas. The star with which we decorate the top of the spruce is the Star of Bethlehem, which indicated to the Magi about the birth of the Savior.
Christmas bells are also an attribute of the Christmas holiday - they used to drive away evil spirits with their help, but now the ringing of bells sounds in all churches on Christmas.
Toys such as angels, candles are also symbols of Christmas.
Gifts for loved ones
Children can make their own gifts for their families. They can be modest - handmade postcards, souvenirs, sweets. Children's imagination is very rich. The main thing is that the gifts are made with love. Teach your children to be grateful. After all, Christmas is a holiday of goodness and light. We should say thank you to our family and friends. Children can do good deeds themselves. For example, in winter it is very difficult for birds. Make bird feeders with the kids, pour grains, dry crumbs. That will be a good deed.
Soon the holiday - Christmas, in 2017 the date when the holiday comes - as usual, the date is unchanged. Our story is short and understandable for children, adults who do not know the background of the holiday are also useful to read. We will tell summary the history of the holiday, folk traditions and customs, this is interesting, take a couple of minutes of your time to read.
The holiday comes on the night of January 6-7. The holiday is preceded by a rather long Christmas fast, which lasts as much as 40 days. True, he is not as strict as great post, except for Wednesday and Friday, the laity can eat fish, you can modestly celebrate the New Year with your family with a fish table, praying to the Lord and thanking Him for all the blessings that He sent us for last year. And from January 1, fasting is already more strict, you can’t eat fish at all, you need to pray more, fast, confess and take communion, prepare for the holiday with a clear conscience and soul.
January 6 (also called Christmas Eve) usually people do not eat anything until the first star appears in the sky. Often (according to folk tradition) everyone sits down at family dinner, on which 12 Lenten dishes are laid (in honor of the 12 Apostles). Although churched people at this time are more in the service than standing at the stove, preparing so many dishes! The main dish is kutya or sochivo, which is usually prepared from boiled wheat grains with the addition of honey, nuts and poppy seeds. Everyone is eating, saying prayers, waiting happy holiday Christmas that comes at midnight.
The Ever-Virgin Mary was carrying Jesus in her womb when a decree came from Rome to census all the inhabitants of Palestine. People had to come to the cities where they were born and register there. Joseph and Mary went to their hometown of Bethlehem. But there were too many people there at that time, that both hotels and houses of local residents were occupied by parishioners, so the owner of one house showed them a cave where in winter he hides cattle from the cold wind.
It was in this cave on the significant night of January 7 that Jesus was born, and a star lit up in the sky, which stood out among the rest for its brightness (hence the name Star of Bethlehem). Herod, the king of the Jews, seeing this miracle in the sky, realized that the Savior was born and was very worried, because the Child was predicted to become a king! At that time, the magi came to him, to whom it was revealed that the Divine Infant was born, and they were looking for Him to find and present gifts to Him. Herod, having learned that the Baby was born, told the Magi to tell him about the place of birth, supposedly in order to give Him praise, but in fact - to destroy him.
The Magi went in search, they were led by a star. When they arrived in Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary were no longer in the cave, but in the house. The Magi presented gifts to Jesus: gold (revering the future king in it), frankincense (seeing God in it) and myrrh (suggesting that, as a man, he is mortal).
The angels told the magi not to return to their king, knowing what he was up to. Herod in anger ordered the destruction of all babies about the age of Jesus, and Joseph with Mary and the child went to Egypt, away from Herod and returned to their homeland after his death.
Since then, the most important holiday of the Orthodox considers Christmas.
All day and all night, services are held in churches, candles are lit, joyful carols are sung. Holidays (Svyatki) last until the Epiphany, which is celebrated by the Orthodox on January 19th.
Christmas - folk traditions
Christmas has always been celebrated among the people cheerfully and brightly - with carols, mummers, songs and dances. They went from house to house, sang carols, the owners treated them for this, and the mummers wished them peace and good. It was believed that the more carolers visited the house, the more happiness it would bring to its inhabitants for the whole year. Nativity scenes are arranged everywhere, depicting the cave where the Divine Infant was born, songs are sung, and everyone joins in the great and bright celebration of the Nativity of the Lord. It is customary for children to carry the supper to their godparents. They were wrapped in a handkerchief with gifts - kalachi and sweets, and in response God-parents they were fed and given gifts.
At Christmas, it is customary to bake a Christmas goose and the whole family to gather at the festive table. In Bulgaria, they bake a pogacha pie, in which they put a silver coin - whoever gets it will get the most happiness! Many people guess at Christmas time - of course, the church does not welcome such things as fortune-telling, quackery, magic and flirting with otherworldly forces, people say: today Christ was born, and all evil spirits have their tail between their legs! But it’s better not to play such games, let this custom remain in ancient paganism!
Koragodina Elena
Discussion: 4 comments
Here again on the threshold of a beautiful and joyful holiday Christmas - so magical, fabulous and mysterious ... I immediately remember my childhood. A wonderful article - plunged into the atmosphere of the upcoming holiday, everything in it is short, simple and clear! Thank you for information!
Answer
The recipe for sochi or kutya, as we have been doing all our lives - very tasty!
You take wheat, grind it a little in a mortar, sprinkling it a little with water to peel off the upper shell, sift it and put it to boil (often before Christmas, grandmothers already sell peeled wheat on the market, it’s like a little shaggy).
How well the wheat is boiled, leave to cool. meanwhile make a dressing for her. grind the poppy well in a mortar, pour honey, add crushed nuts. Then, as we do - how to make a plate or a bowl of kuti - pour half the wheat, pour it with such a sauce and let it stand, get a little nourished - you can eat! and we also cook an uzvar from dried fruits, you can also fill them with wheat, and the uzvar is also poured onto a plate on the table. On Christmas Eve, it's just up to the first star and you can eat.
Since childhood, all children adore the New Year and Christmas holidays - a special cozy period when you can dream and believe in miracles, and reigns around fabulous atmosphere. If the onset of the New Year is always interesting and understandable, then the history of Christmas for children is often quite confusing. Therefore, it is very important to correctly tell the children what we are celebrating on this day, and what a mysterious event happened on the first Christmas. Child psychologists and educators early development proved that the best way providing information for children fairy tale. So try reading to your kids an interesting and educational story of a good Christmas angel.
The story before Christmas: what the Christmas angel told
Christmas was coming. Little ones circled outside the windows. fluffy snowflakes, the delicious aroma of kuti and dumplings was felt in the house, mother was completing the last preparations in the kitchen, and little Vanya was reading The Night Before Christmas. The story of the stingy Scrooge had already been read and put aside by that time, and the famous "Christmas Box" was still waiting in line. As you can see, this year Vanya decided to properly prepare for Christmas, planning to read as many books about this holiday as possible, as well as watch a lot of themed films. He really wanted to know what exactly we are celebrating on this day, but the holiday was approaching, and the mystery remained unsolved. The boy became sad and put down the book. Suddenly his eyes fell on a small Christmas toy - it was beautiful angel who held a star in his hands.
- Who exactly knows real story Christmas! - It is important for children to believe in miracles, so Vanya said these words almost in all seriousness, although then he himself laughed from his naivety.
What was his surprise when a small toy angel answered him:
- Of course I know! After all, it was I who lit the bright Christmas star that told the world about the birth of the Savior!
- About whose birth? asked the surprised boy. He struggled to convince himself that everything that was happening was just a dream. After all, since when Christmas decorations are able to speak? But his good and tender heart told him to heed the words little angel and believe in fairy tales. After all, it's Christmas time.
“If you are interested,” the angel continued, “I will share this fascinating history with you.
- Certainly! I so dreamed of finding out what happened on the night before Christmas, why this holiday is so special, - Vanya said, completely forgetting that a moment ago he doubted the reality of what was happening.
“Then sit back and listen. 
Christmas: holiday history for children
It was many years ago. More than 2000! People in those days had a difficult life, so they believed that one day a Savior would come to earth who could change their lives for the better and free them from bondage. And now this day has come. Then I was still a very small angel and understood little, but I remembered that significant night well.
All the angels living in heaven were very worried and prepared for something grandiose. And I was instructed to just light a star. At first I was sad, because there was nothing interesting in it - I lit the stars every night: big and small. But then the elder angel explained that it would be an unusual star - it was she who should announce to the world about the birth of the Messiah.
After a star of extreme clarity shone in the sky, the angelic choir descended to earth and began to sing songs that extolled the born Savior of the world. With irresistible curiosity, I crept forward to also see this brave hero who was about to save the whole world. What was my surprise when before my eyes was not a majestic palace and a knight on a white horse, but a small manger with a small child. I felt sad again, but the elder angels explained to me that not just a child was born that night, but the hope of all mankind. hope for better life, justice and the victory of good!
Vanya was very happy. Now he knew what was celebrated every Christmas. 
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