One of the most revered holidays in Christianity is the Nativity of Christ. Christmas time begins and will last until January 18th. During this period, people tried to have fun, held celebrations, and celebrated weddings. Also, according to beliefs and signs, it is on January 7 that the real Christmas frosts begin.

On Christmas Day, January 7, all believers remember the greatest miracle - the birth of Jesus Christ. They gather in churches where festive services are held. Also on January 7, everyone tried to visit relatives and friends to share food with them. There is even a tradition of visiting. It is a good sign if two men enter the house first. This means that there will be no quarrels in the family during the year. If a woman enters the house first, then this omen is not encouraging: it is believed that this is a sign of misfortune and illness.

1. If there is a thaw at Christmas, then you need to wait for a warm and early spring.
2. If frost hits on Christmas Day, January 7, then it will be just as cold on Epiphany. There may even be a strong snowstorm
3. If Christmas falls on a Friday, it means that the winter this year will be long, and the summer, on the contrary, short.
4. If Christmas falls on Sunday, expect good luck in all matters
5. A person born on Christmas will be happy. He is recommended to wear jasper as a talisman.
6. If a cat breaks the walls on Christmas Day, it means that the weather will turn bad very soon. If the cat is curled up into a ball, you need to wait for severe frosts.
7. High snowdrifts on January 7 foreshadow a prosperous year
8. A thaw on Christmas Day foreshadows an early and warm spring
9. Clear moon in the sky on January 7 - expect severe frosts
10. Good weather on Felitsata, according to signs, portends a rich harvest
11. It is known that, whatever the weather is like after the Nativity of Christ, this will be the case for the entire period after Peter’s Day (July 12)
12. If the housewife breaks dishes or spills something on this day, this will lead to a quarrel
13. You can’t take quarrels out of the hut until the Old New Year - it is considered to be bad luck
14. Get married on January 7 - happily married
15. If there is a snowstorm outside, it will be early spring
16. You can't drink alcohol at Christmas - you'll drink the entire summer harvest
17. The head of the family must stay at home on this day so that the herd does not get lost
18. If on Christmas day, looking at the sky, you pray and make a wish, it will definitely come true
19. If Christmas falls on a new moon, it promises a bad harvest. The starry sky, on the contrary, promises a good harvest of legumes.
20. On this day you cannot go fishing or into the forest, so as not to disturb the mermaids, mermaids and goblins celebrating the holiday.
21. On January 7, you can’t swear, work, move to a new place, slaughter livestock or think about something bad.

Christmas is one of the most important Christian holidays; in Russia it is always celebrated on January 7 according to the new style. What are the traditions, customs and signs of the holiday in Rus'.

January 7, 2018. Christmas worship came to Rus' in the 10th century, after the official introduction of Christianity. Almost 200 years after this, before the holiday itself, or was established.

Even the ancient Christians established the pious custom of fasting before important holidays. The need to feel the greatness of the event was reflected in the desire to limit the most natural human needs. A strict one-day fast is still maintained on the eve of Christmas and Epiphany and is called Christmas Eve or Evening, from the custom of eating in the evening of this day (after the first star) sochivo-cooked cereals with honey.

Strictly speaking, the symbol of the first star is a candle, which is taken out on Christmas Eve at Vespers, which is served immediately after the liturgy, so you can eat after the end of the morning service. However, a stable tradition has developed of a single meal on Christmas Eve at nightfall, when the first star can be seen in the sky. After all, on the eve of Christmas, you want everything to remind you of the upcoming celebration.

Christmas - folk traditions, customs and signs of the holiday

At the end of December and beginning of January, the pagan Slavs celebrated the pagan holiday of the “solstice”. The sun turns to summer, and winter to frost, they used to say in Rus'. Probably because the sun was considered weak at that time, just beginning its path to summer, and the custom of dressing up—hiding one’s face under a mask—to hide from unkind spirits seeking to destroy the origin of life was strengthened. In addition, during these days, the pagans held games, fortune telling, there were many rituals and signs, all of this was associated with the cult of fertility - the desire to appease the natural gods and not allow them to destroy the emerging new life.

All these festivities were called caroling. There are several opinions about the origin of this word. Most likely, it has the same basis as the word “wheel” - the root “colo”. Many scientists associate the “wheel” with the word “good”, that is, “sunny” (the solar circle rolls across the sky like a wheel), which again draws our attention to the holidays of the solar cycle.

Christmas - folk traditions, customs and signs of the holiday

After the adoption of Christianity, in Rus' they preferred not to suppress by force the remnants of paganism, as in Western Europe, but to fill the established form with new content. Therefore, the Church never put pressure on people’s consciousness by external force and did not cancel caroling these days. Old traditions gradually degenerated into new ones. Carols became a ritual of going from house to house with the Christmas star and nativity scene to glorify the born Savior and to ask for God's grace to the houses where carolers were received.

The Church made sure that during the celebration of the Nativity of Christ the line between Christianity and paganism was not crossed, although sometimes it was very thin. If the glorification of the born God-Child as the giver of every good for people was in the foreground, then the Church was with those who found Christ.

Christmas - folk traditions, customs and signs of the holiday

However, fortune telling at Christmas time has never been welcomed by the Orthodox Church. A kind of fortune-telling also includes many signs when well-being is associated with doing or not doing something, some special clothing and chance encounters. This has nothing to do with the holiday of the Nativity of Christ. It should be noted that work on Holy Days, which can be postponed, does not have any consequences for a person. But they are not blessed by the priesthood - on such a great holiday as the coming into the world of the Savior of all people, one must celebrate, rejoice and glorify God, putting aside all earthly affairs and worries.

Christmas - folk traditions, customs and signs of the holiday

But weather signs, based on many years of observations of nature, were in no way denied by the Church.

Clear weather and starry skies at Christmas foreshadowed the birth of livestock and a good harvest of vegetables and mushrooms next summer and autumn.

Heavy snow on Christmas Day indicates that a good wheat harvest should be expected. In addition, this is a good sign for the beekeeper - the bees will safely overwinter and hatch.

But if there is a thaw on the holiday, then you have to wait for a cold spring and, therefore, a poor harvest of vegetables.

There are many signs and customs associated with Christmas - they were given special attention. It was believed that as Christmas went, so would the year.

The Nativity of Christ occupies an important place in the lives of many people; it is a holiday of love, warmth, faith, goodness and happiness.

January 7 is the best time to visit and receive guests. It is important that you should communicate better at Christmas only with those people who can bring happiness to you - happy families, or those families who are expecting an addition, or a new family member has already been born. As a rule, edible gifts are given at Christmas. Be sure to bring kutya, sweets, jam and pickles. You can also give a toy if it is a child, or some kind of winter accessory.

Nowadays, of course, you can get by with a phone call, the main thing is to let the people you care about know that you remember them and wish them the best. Be sure to congratulate all your friends and loved ones on this holiday; Christmas greetings filled with joy and warmth will help people become brighter, happier and forget about everyday problems and worries.

At Christmas it is customary to light more candles, lights, a fireplace - if you have one. Candles bring warmth and wealth into your home. If you have pets, then at Christmas you need to feed them abundantly - then the whole year will be satisfying and successful financially.

One special candle must be lit for deceased relatives - then they will help you attract good luck and prosperity in the coming year.

Christmas is a great time for shopping, big and small. Buying something good for Christmas is a great omen and a sign that the purchase will serve you faithfully.

From Christmas until Epiphany, throughout all the days of Christmastide, certain prohibitions apply, which are determined by centuries-old ideas about the holiday as a stop of time, a certain temporary pause, during which one cannot engage in productive work and everything that is associated with birth, beginning, development. Therefore, a significant part of the prohibitions concerns crafts related to spinning, sewing, knitting, weaving, braiding, that is, everything related to thread (rope). The thread is a symbol of life and destiny.

On Christmas, you can't do any cleaning or housekeeping chores. This day is created for peace and joy. It’s even better if you don’t clean up until January 14th (the next day of the old New Year). All garbage collected on January 14 should be taken outside and scattered to the wind, or burned. According to signs, after this no evil spirits will bother you for a whole year.

You can't swear on a holy day. He who swears takes away the hope of salvation from his ancestors.

There is a widespread belief associated with the arrival of the first guest. If you are inviting guests over for Christmas, see who enters your home first. If a woman enters first, then the women of your family will be sick all year.

Christmas rules also applied to clothing: another tradition has long been followed at Christmas: to wear only new clothes. Not clean, washed, but new, not yet worn. And don't sit at the Christmas table dressed in black. Our ancestors believed that such people would face failure in business in the new year.

It is not recommended to guess at Christmas - in order to ask the higher powers what awaits you in the future, there will still be a lot of time: it is best to do this on the so-called Christmastide - from January 8 to Epiphany, it is not for nothing that fortune telling at this time is called that - Christmastide.

You can't drink water on Christmas, so remove all mineral water from the table. There is coffee, tea and other great drinks. To be honest, this sign is a little strange, but it’s better not to drink water than to suffer for an unknown reason all year.

The Seven Blessings of Christmas

The number seven is considered sacred. There is a belief that whoever does seven blessings on Orthodox Christmas will live happily all year and even has the right to ask the angels for the fulfillment of their most cherished desire. On this day, it is customary to give seven alms for the sake of happiness in the coming year. Usually these are 7 identical coins, which must be given to someone who arouses sincere sympathy in the soul, accompanying the alms with a silent prayer. You can also give seven useful gifts. As a rule, these were towels, when giving them, the giver must say the words: “I give towels, I will die in good time, I will correct evil with good, I will guide my kind (my family) to happiness.” On Christmas we greet each other with the words: “Christ is born!” and we respond to these words: “We praise Him!”

Ritual

At Christmas, many different rituals have long been performed, but in order not to be accused of obscurantism at all, do the nicest ones that are not tied to magic - it doesn’t matter whether it is black or white. For example, starting from January 7, for forty (!) days (this period is called peace - our ancestors believed that during this time angels help people in all matters), every morning, when you wake up, make a new wish - imagine how much good will come into your life!

Signs and superstitions

At Christmas, folk signs and superstitions acquire special power, as if nature itself and every object are trying to tell us something: how to live, what to fear. Here are just a few of them.

A sign of prosperity. If you lose any item at Christmas, this means that you may face losses next year. But if you find a thing and even some kind of jewelry, then money is already rushing to you in full sail!

A sign for good luck. If you accidentally spilled tea or coffee at the Christmas table (this does not apply to alcohol), then this is good news and great success for all your endeavors.

Money signs for Christmas

On Christmas Eve (January 7 to 19), look at nature. If the sky is most often strewn with stars, or it snows often, or there is a lot of frost on the trees, the year will be rich, satisfying, and profitable. If it snows on Christmas Day itself, this is a very good omen and promises a successful year.

If there is a new moon in the sky on Christmas Day, the year will be extremely unlucky financially.

The most monetary sign of Christmas is also a tradition. A coin is baked into the pie - and whoever gets a piece with a coin will have great financial luck in the New Year.

May the coin end up in your piece of Christmas pie!

There are many signs and customs associated with Christmas; special attention was paid to them. It was believed that as Christmas went, so would the year. The Nativity of Christ occupies an important place in the lives of many people; it is a holiday of love, warmth, faith, goodness and happiness. Let's figure out what you can't do on Christmas Day 2019, what you need to do on January 7, and also find out all the signs and folk beliefs associated with this holiday.

January 7 is the best time to visit and receive guests. It is important that you should communicate better at Christmas only with those people who can bring happiness to you - happy families, or those families who are expecting an addition, or a new family member has already been born. As a rule, edible gifts are given at Christmas.

Be sure to bring kutya, sweets, jam and pickles.

You can also give a toy if it is a child, or some kind of winter accessory.
Nowadays, of course, you can get by with a phone call, the main thing is to let the people you care about know that you remember them and wish them the best.

Be sure to congratulate all your friends and loved ones on this holiday; Christmas greetings filled with joy and warmth will help people become brighter, happier and forget about everyday problems and worries.

What to do for Christmas

On the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, one should offer prayers to the Higher Powers, asking them for favor and mercy towards all people. If possible, it is worth visiting the church and attending the Divine Liturgy. You can light a candle and offer words of gratitude at home in front of your icons.

On Christmas Day, you can wash yourself and do everyday activities as long as they are aimed at satisfying your own needs and not for entertainment. Work is also not considered sinful if the forces are aimed at earning money for food and the most necessary things.

You should wash clothes only as needed if the matter is urgent.

Hard work such as knitting, embroidery and sewing are also encouraged. Labor has always been held in high esteem. If this is not entertainment and leisure, but work or a gift to a loved one, the matter is considered God-pleasing and is allowed on any church holidays.

Traditional Christmas fortune-telling also takes place during this mysterious time, but the church does not approve of the occult and does not advise getting carried away with secret knowledge and looking into the future. Everything is the will of God, and according to his commandments it is worth building your life path.

Close relationships between spouses are also not forbidden if they have a desire to continue their family line and acquire long-awaited offspring.

A folk sign says that people who make purchases and trips to shops and markets on this day attract wealth and financial well-being into their lives. You can also leave a few coins for those asking for them to pray for your health.

What's the best thing not to do for Christmas?

From Christmas until Epiphany, throughout all the days of Christmastide, certain prohibitions apply, which are determined by centuries-old ideas about the holiday as a stop of time, a certain temporary pause, during which one cannot engage in productive work and everything that is associated with birth, beginning, development.

Therefore, a significant part of the prohibitions concerns crafts related to spinning, sewing, knitting, weaving, braiding, that is, everything related to thread (rope). The thread is a symbol of life and destiny.

On Christmas, you can't do any cleaning or housekeeping chores. This day is created for peace and joy. It’s even better if you don’t clean up until January 14th (the next day of the old New Year). All garbage collected on January 14 should be taken outside and scattered to the wind, or burned. According to signs, after this no evil spirits will bother you for a whole year.

You can't swear on a holy day. He who swears takes away the hope of salvation from his ancestors.

There is a widespread belief associated with the arrival of the first guest. If you are inviting guests over for Christmas, see who enters your home first. If a woman enters first, then the women of your family will be sick all year.

Christmas rules also applied to clothing: another tradition has long been followed at Christmas: to wear only new clothes. Not clean, washed, but new, not yet worn. And don't sit at the Christmas table dressed in black. Our ancestors believed that such people would face failure in business in the new year.

It is not recommended to guess at Christmas - in order to ask the higher powers what awaits you in the future, there will still be a lot of time: it is best to do this on the so-called Christmastide - from January 8 to Epiphany, it is not for nothing that fortune telling at this time is called that - Christmastide.

You can't drink water on Christmas, so remove all mineral water from the table. There is coffee, tea and other great drinks. To be honest, this sign is a little strange, but it’s better not to drink water than to suffer for an unknown reason all year.

Folk signs for Christmas

Christmas has always been associated with many beliefs, signs, and folk customs. Unfortunately, many of them were lost over the centuries, but some have survived to this day.

Keep track of who enters the house first on Christmas Day. It’s better if it’s a man – to prosperity. If a woman appears on your doorstep first, you will be sick in the new year, and your family will face troubles. (The same goes for Easter and the Introduction.)

Drinking is prohibited during Christmas dinner, otherwise you will be very thirsty when there is nowhere to get water. At Christmas it was supposed to wear new clothes so that you could wear new clothes for the whole year.

It is also prohibited to do any work, say, sewing, knitting. If a pregnant woman picked up a needle these days, she could give birth to a blind baby.

On Christmas it was necessary to take holy water from the church. It should have been drunk in small sips at midnight. At the same time, the girls made a cherished wish. After that it was possible to go to bed, only silently, without words. They believed that Christmas wishes always come true.

If there is no holy water in the house, then you can put a glass of water on the windowsill in advance and put a silver spoon in it. Only this water must stand like this for the whole night.

To live in prosperity and have financial profit, donate money to the temple at Christmas (in the evening of January 6 or early in the morning of January 7, as soon as the church opens), whatever amount you wish. Above the bills, before giving them, say: “To whom the church is not a mother, I am not a father.” If you do this, you will have money from nowhere.

If troubles have settled in your house, on the night from the sixth to the seventh of January, take a ladle of water and talk into the water about everything bad that happened to you or your loved ones during the year. After this, throw this water over the threshold, behind the gate, outside the entrance door, from the balcony or from the window.

Clear weather at Christmas means there will be a good harvest in summer and autumn.

If the sky is starry, then this means that there will be offspring of livestock, as well as a good harvest of mushrooms and berries.
A snowstorm on Christmas Day means that you should expect a good wheat harvest. In addition, a snowstorm is a good sign for a beekeeper, because it portends a good swarming of bees.

• But if the holiday turns out to be warm, expect a cold spring.
• A thaw at Christmas means a poor harvest of vegetables.
• It is snowing in flakes or there is frost lying on it - to a good harvest of bread.
• Our ancestors argued that working and doing household chores on Christmas Day is a sin. After all, this is how you can drive evil spirits into the house.

Sewing was considered a particularly bad omen for Christmas. Our ancestors claimed that whoever sews on this great holiday brings blindness to someone in his family.

There is also a sign that many people trust to this day - how you spend Christmas, so will the year.

It is very important that on Holy Eve you have a rich table of 12 Lenten dishes - then there will be prosperity in the house all year long.
You can’t quarrel with your relatives - then you will live a year in disagreement.
It is very important to pray on this day, thank God that you lived until Christmas.

Video: what not to do for Christmas, signs and rules of behavior

Bright, Joyful Holiday, full of Hope and Love! Be Happy!

There are many signs and customs associated with Christmas - they were given special attention. It was believed that as Christmas went, so would the year.

The Nativity of Christ occupies an important place in the lives of many people; it is a holiday of love, warmth, faith, goodness and happiness.

January 7 is the best time to visit and receive guests. It is important that you should communicate better at Christmas only with those people who can bring happiness to you - happy families, or those families who are expecting an addition, or a new family member has already been born. As a rule, edible gifts are presented on Christmas. Be sure to bring kutya, sweets, jam and pickles. You can also give a toy if it is a child, or some kind of winter accessory.

Nowadays, of course, you can get by with a phone call, the main thing is to let the people you care about know that you remember them and wish them the best. Be sure to congratulate all your friends and loved ones on this holiday; Christmas greetings filled with joy and warmth will help people become brighter, happier and forget about everyday problems and worries.

At Christmas it is customary to light more candles, lights, a fireplace - if you have one. Candles bring warmth and wealth into your home. If you have pets, then at Christmas you need to feed them abundantly - then the whole year will be satisfying and successful financially.

One special candle must be lit for deceased relatives - then they will help you attract good luck and prosperity in the coming year.

Christmas is a great time for shopping, big and small. Buying something good for Christmas is a great omen and a sign that the purchase will serve you faithfully.

From Christmas until Epiphany, throughout all the days of Christmastide, certain prohibitions apply, which are determined by centuries-old ideas about the holiday as a stop of time, a certain temporary pause, during which one cannot engage in productive work and everything that is associated with birth, beginning, development Therefore, a significant part of the prohibitions concerns crafts related to spinning, sewing, knitting, weaving, weaving, that is, everything related to thread (rope). The thread is a symbol of life and destiny.

On Christmas, you can't do any cleaning or housekeeping chores. This day is created for peace and joy. It’s even better if you don’t clean up until January 14th (the next day of the old New Year). All garbage collected on January 14 should be taken outside and scattered to the wind, or burned. According to signs, after this no evil spirits will bother you for a whole year.

You can't swear on a holy day. He who swears takes away the hope of salvation from his ancestors.

There is a widespread belief associated with the arrival of the first guest. If you are inviting guests over for Christmas, see who enters your home first. If a woman enters first, then the women of your family will be sick all year.

Christmas rules also applied to clothing: another tradition has long been followed at Christmas: to wear only new clothes. Not clean, washed, but new, not yet worn. And don't sit at the Christmas table dressed in black. Our ancestors believed that such people would face failure in business in the new year.

It is not recommended to guess at Christmas - in order to ask the higher powers what awaits you in the future, there will still be a lot of time: it is best to do this on the so-called Christmastide - from January 8 to Epiphany, it is not for nothing that fortune telling at this time is called that - Christmastide.

You can't drink water on Christmas, so remove all mineral water from the table. There is coffee, tea and other great drinks. To be honest, this sign is a little strange, but it’s better not to drink water than to suffer for an unknown reason all year.

7 The Seven Blessings of Christmas

The number seven is considered sacred. There is a belief that whoever does seven blessings on Orthodox Christmas will live happily all year and even has the right to ask the angels for the fulfillment of their most cherished desire. On this day, it is customary to give seven alms for the sake of happiness in the coming year. Usually these are 7 identical coins, which must be given to someone who arouses sincere sympathy in the soul, accompanying the alms with a silent prayer. You can also give seven useful gifts. As a rule, these were towels, and when giving them, the giver must say the words: “I give towels, I will die in good time, I will correct evil with good, I will guide my kind (my family) to happiness.” On Christmas we greet each other with the words: “Christ is born!” and we respond to these words: “We praise Him!”

Ritual

At Christmas, many different rituals have long been performed, but in order not to be accused of obscurantism at all, do the nicest ones that are not tied to magic - it doesn’t matter whether it is black or white. For example, starting from January 7, for forty (!) days (this period is called peace - our ancestors believed that during this time angels help people in all matters), every morning, when you wake up, make a new wish - imagine how much good will come into your life!

Signs and superstitions

At Christmas, folk signs and superstitions acquire special power, as if nature itself and every object are trying to tell us something: how to live, what to fear. Here are just a few of them.

A sign of prosperity. If you lose any item at Christmas, this means that you may face losses next year. But if you find a thing and even some kind of jewelry, then money is already rushing to you in full sail!

A sign for good luck. If you accidentally spilled tea or coffee at the Christmas table (this does not apply to alcohol), then this is good news and great success for all your endeavors.

Money signs for Christmas

On Christmas Eve (January 7 to 19), look at nature. If the sky is most often strewn with stars, or it snows often, or there is a lot of frost on the trees, the year will be rich, satisfying, and profitable. If it snows on Christmas Day itself, this is a very good omen and promises a successful year.

If there is a new moon in the sky on Christmas Day, the year will be extremely unlucky financially.

The most monetary sign of Christmas is also a tradition. A coin is baked into the pie - and whoever gets a piece with a coin will have great financial luck in the New Year.

May the coin end up in your piece of Christmas pie!

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