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Nativity of Christ among Western Christians: history, traditions and rituals. Catholic Christmas: the history and traditions of the celebration Who celebrates Christmas on December 25

Nativity of Christ among Western Christians: history, traditions and rituals. Catholic Christmas: the history and traditions of the celebration Who celebrates Christmas on December 25

Every year on December 25, Catholic Christmas is celebrated, which is second only to Easter in its importance. The celebration of the Nativity of Christ is preceded by the Advent period.

Advent is the time to wait for Christmas

Advent is the name of the pre-Christmas period, similar to the Advent fast in the Orthodox Church. At this time, believers are preparing for a great holiday. The first day of Advent falls on the 4th Sunday before Christmas. On this day, the liturgical year begins in the Catholic Church. At this time, preparations are made for the celebration of Christmas and the joyful expectation of the holiday. In addition, the Catholic Church encourages believers to think about the second coming of Christ. Each of the four Sundays of Advent has a different theme. The duration of the pre-Christmas period depends on what day of the year Christmas falls on.

Advent was previously considered a period of fasting, but now the obligatory fasting is not prescribed, although many Catholics prefer to use at this time meatless dishes. Advent is a time of intense repentance. It is recommended to proceed to the sacrament of confession, as well as to reflect on the coming of Christ to earth. The clergy these days put on the vestments of the penitent, purple, color. Some traditions are associated with Advent, such as the Advent wreath and the advent calendar.

Christmas wreath: origin and meaning

During Christmas time, Catholics decorate their homes with Christmas wreaths made from fir branches. There are four candles in the center of the wreath. Decoration is mounted vertically or placed on a table. On each Sunday of Advent, one candle is lit.

The wreath in the Christmas tradition was introduced by the German theologian and Lutheran pastor Johann Hinrich Wiehern, who adopted several children from poor families. During Advent, children repeatedly asked the teacher when Christmas would come. So that the pupils could count down the days until the holiday, in 1839 Wichern made a wreath from an old wooden wheel. The wreath was decorated with twenty-four small red candles and four large white ones. Every morning the kids lit one small candle, and on Sunday a large candle was added.

Previously, wreaths were made with their own hands from fir or spruce branches, decorated with ribbons, apples and sweets. Today, wreaths are decorated not only with candles, but also with bells, the melodic ringing of which greets Christ, drives away evil spirits, indicates the end of all work and the onset of holidays.

Modern Christmas wreaths are complemented by four candles, which are associated with the globe and the four cardinal points. Round form products symbolize eternal life, candles are the light that illuminates the world at Christmas, and greenery is the color of life.

Catholic wreaths are often decorated with one pink and three purple candles, in accordance with the liturgical colors of the services.

advent calendar

The advent calendar shows the time left until Christmas. This special calendar is used in European countries. It is made in the form of a postcard or a cardboard house with opening cells, each of which contains a candy and a note with wishes or small gifts. Calendars come in the form of bags, pouches, bundles or bags hung on a ribbon. The advent calendar consists of 24 days, counting the time from 12/12 to 12/24.

The beginning of the tradition of making Advent calendars was laid in Germany in the first half of the 19th century by followers of the Lutheran Church. In the second half of the 19th century, the custom spread to the territory of Austria and Switzerland. And already at the beginning of the 20th century, the calendar became popular in other European countries.

Now calendars are used to track the time left until the most beloved and main holiday of the year. For some it's Christmas, for others it's New Year. Basically, the calendar is made for children. Often parents make it with their own hands, using cardboard, fabric, wood. Cells are made in the form of drawers, windows, cones, pockets, envelopes, children's socks and sleeves.

The tradition of celebrating the Catholic Christmas

On Christmas Eve (December 24), the vigil begins, a public worship service that takes place from sunset until dawn, and requires all participants to stay awake. In many places, believers observe a strict fast on this day.

On the evening before Christmas, a special mass is celebrated, called the Mass of the Christmas Eve. On December 25, three different masses are celebrated - Mass at night, Mass at dawn and Mass during the day. They are slightly different from each other, have different sequences and different readings of Scripture. In the Middle Ages, these masses were considered as the three births of Christ - from the Father of all ages, in human incarnation from Mary, and mystically in the souls of believers. In some countries, these masses are called pastoral, angelic and royal according to gospel readings which tell of the worship of the Divine Child by angels, kings and shepherds.

In parish churches, the first Christmas Mass is often celebrated the night before. According to tradition, during Mass, the priest places the figurine of the Child on the nativity scene. The liturgical chant of this mass is distinguished by great solemnity.

The Feast of Christmas lasts eight days (from 25.12 to 01.01), forming the Octave of Christmas. During this time, the clergy at the liturgy are dressed in a festive white robe. On December 26, the Catholic Church celebrates the day of St. Stephen the Martyr; on December 27, the memory of the Apostle John the Theologian is celebrated; on December 28, the Day of the Massacre of the Innocents. On the Sunday that falls on one of the days from December 26 to December 31, or on December 30, if Sunday does not fall on these days in the year, the feast of the Holy Family is celebrated: the Infant Jesus, Joseph and Mary. On January 1, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated.

And after the end of the Octave of Christmas, Christmas time continues. In the past, Christmas, like Easter, was celebrated for forty days, up to the Meeting. On January 13, the Epiphany of the Lord was celebrated. This practice is still preserved today among Catholics - supporters of the traditional rite. In the modern rite, Christmas time ends with the feast of Epiphany.

Video: traditions of celebrating Catholic Christmas

Christmas is one of the main Christian holidays, established in honor of the birth in the flesh (incarnation) of Jesus Christ.

The Roman Catholic Church and most Protestant churches celebrate Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar - on the night of December 24-25.

For the Orthodox, this event is celebrated a little later, and everyone is interested in why. The fact is that Catholics, as well as most Protestants, use the Gregorian calendar for church holidays. It is more traditional, but Orthodox believers prefer not to deviate from traditions. In fact, no one knows how to correctly calculate church holidays, because there are no exact dates in sacred texts.

That is why there was such a division - Catholics celebrate Christmas on December 25, and Orthodox on January 7. But for those and for others, this holiday has the same meaning - on this day Jesus Christ was born. This is not only a bright holiday of joy, but also a day of sorrow for the Virgin Mary, who knew that trials after this event would need to be endured with courage. On this day, all over the world, believers pray in the hope of a miracle, because once this miracle happened, when the baby Jesus was born to Mary as a result of an immaculate conception.

As for all Christians, the main holiday - the "feast of holidays", "the celebration of celebrations" - for Catholics is Easter. Christmas tells us about “the beginning of our salvation”, gives us hope. In order to fully experience Christmas, they begin to prepare for it in advance.

Christmas is preceded by Advent

It begins four weeks before Christmas and is designed to prepare believers for a deeper experience of this holiday.

At the altars in the churches is installed wreath, in which four candles.

Every Sunday of this period, one candle is lit, thus clearly showing how many weeks are left until Christmas.

A wreath - round in shape symbolizes eternity, and its green color- hope like the branches of the Christmas tree.

In many countries it is customary to decorate entrance doors with such wreaths in the pre-Christmas period as a sign that Christ is expected in this house. In Russia in last years Advent wreaths began to be sold in flower shops under the name "New Year's decorations." Unfortunately, the deep Christian meaning of this decoration remains hidden from many.

During Advent, believers participate in spiritual exercises and special pre-Christmas services, trying to do works of mercy.

During the four weeks of Advent, it is necessary to prepare for confession, to participate with a pure heart in Christmas services and receive Communion.

Children, too, are preparing to welcome the Christ Child in their own way. In many countries, it is customary for children, in anticipation of the holiday, to do feasible good deeds, for which they receive in the family bundle of straw or small paper heart. Before Christmas, children hang these hearts on a Christmas tree, and put straw in a manger.

Manger or nativity scene

A manger in the narrow sense of the word is a feeder for cattle, where the Mother of God laid the newborn Baby Jesus. Manger in the broad sense, or in the Russian tradition - den, they call the image of the cave (nativity scene in Church Slavonic and means cave), where the shepherds drove cattle at night, and where, as the Gospel tells, Christ was born.

In the Western tradition, a manger or nativity scene is a scene depicting Christmas, and consisting of volumetric figures, the number of which can be very different. Only unchanged here figures of the Christ Child in a manger, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph. The rest of the participants in the Christmas event - the shepherds, the animals that were in the cave that gave shelter to Joseph and Mary, the angels singing "Glory to God in the highest" - all this depends on the imagination and skill of the author.

The device of the Christmas manger is a tradition laid down by St. Francis of Assisi, who in 1223 in the village of Greccio set up a manger in a cave on the mountainside. They also brought an ox and a donkey there - animals that, according to legend, warmed the newborn Baby with their breath. St. Thomas of Celano, biographer of St. Francis says that when the saint bent over the figurine depicting Jesus lying in the manger, it came to life for a few seconds.

And in our time, in many Catholic families, preparing for Christmas, parents and children begin to build a manger and make figurines that will then decorate the house. Holding exhibitions of mangers has also become a tradition in many countries, allowing us to visualize the moment of the birth of the Bethlehem Baby, experiencing the joy of His coming into the world. And of course, since the time of St. Francis, Christmas mangers have been placed in most of the Catholic churches of the world.

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve - December 24 comes Christmas Eve. In Eastern Europe, on this day, families decorate Christmas trees and set up nurseries.

Those of the family members who have not yet had time to start confessions, go to church, which is usually open from early morning.

A festive Christmas Eve dinner is being prepared, traditionally consisting of Lenten dishes. In the center of the table is placed a dish with consecrated unleavened bread - Christmas wafers (not to be confused with the sacrament, when believers eat the bread that has become the Body of Christ).

Before dinner begins, the head of the family reads aloud from the Gospel of Luke about the birth of Jesus Christ. Then all those present take the wafers from the dish and share them with each other, wishing each other peace and good. After that, the Christmas Eve dinner begins. After dinner, the whole family goes to the liturgy (mass).

If we talk about Catholic Christmas traditions, then we can say that an unchanging, common tradition for all Catholics on this day is the obligatory presence at the liturgy.

According to the Roman tradition established in the first centuries of Christianity, there are three festive liturgies on the very day of Christmas - a mass at night, a mass at dawn and a mass in the afternoon.

Thus, Christmas is celebrated three times:

as the eternal birth of the Word from God the Father (at night),

the birth of God the Son from the Virgin (at dawn)

the birth of God in a believing soul (in the afternoon).

In addition, Mass is celebrated on Christmas Eve on Christmas Eve.. At the beginning of the first of the Christmas masses, a procession is made to the manger, a kind of Christmas mystery, during which the priest carries and puts the figurine of the Infant Christ into the manger and consecrates them. This helps believers to feel like they are participants in the Event that took place on Christmas night, to realize more fully that Christ came into the world to save each of us. The presence at the Christmas Mass is the dominant feature of the Catholic Christmas tradition and the main event of the holiday.

The rest - the whole order of a home holiday - decorating the house, caroling, special holiday dishes - each country has its own.

Christmas traditions from different countries

Christmas table dishes are different in each country and sometimes even in every locality. Somewhere it's a goose, somewhere a carp, somewhere Christmas muffins or donuts with pink jam.

Not being a confession of any one people, Catholicism incorporates different customs different peoples and different cultural traditions giving them a new Christian meaning.

So ancient Germanic Christmas tree decorating custom gradually spread throughout Europe, and then throughout the world, reminds us today of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, having tasted the fruits of which people fell into original sin, and of the tree of the cross, on which the atoning sacrifice of Christ took place.

Green branches of a Christmas tree talk about the hope that the Coming of Christ brings into the world.

The celebration of Christmas lasts eight days - from December 25 to January 1 - forming the Octave of Christmas.

On Sunday, falling on one of the days from December 26 to December 31, or December 30, if Sunday does not fall on these days in a given year, the feast of the Holy Family is celebrated: the Infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Christmas time continues after the end of the Octave until the Feast of the Epiphany , which in the Roman Catholic calendar is celebrated on the first Sunday after Epiphany (January 6). During the whole Christmas time, the clergy at the liturgy are dressed in robes of white, festive color.

Most residents of Italy and the Vatican for Christmas dinner, they serve roast and Christmas cake panettone, similar to Easter, or "airy" cake from Verona, called pandoro. At Christmas, in these states they give each other torroncino - delicacies similar to nougat and grillage.

In Germany there are traditional regional types of Christmas pastries - Nuremberg gingerbread, Aachen curly gingerbread, Christmas cake from Dresden, cinnamon stars.

In many European countries on the festive table there is traditionally a sweet Christmas log - a biscuit roll, richly decorated with cream, icing and chocolate.

Lighted candles are one of the main symbols of Christmas. The oscillating flame of a candle reminds believers of the gospel words: "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend Him"

Maybe because Christmas shows us Christ in the form of a small child, surrounded by the Holy Family, this the holiday is usually celebrated with family and warmed by special warmth and mutual love.

“This night is bright as day, and sweet for both people and animals. The people gather and rejoice with hitherto unseen joy, welcoming an extraordinary mystery. The grove fills with voices, and the grandiose rocks echo the celebratory choirs. The brothers sing, giving due praise to God, and it seems that the whole night responds with jubilation” - this is how Thomas from Celano, already mentioned above, describes Christmas night. Almost 800 years have passed since the night he describes, but even today's Christians are well aware of that joy, that jubilation that even today fills our hearts, awaiting the Savior with love and trembling.

December 25, 2018, like every year, Catholics - residents of South and North America, Western Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa - celebrate Christmas. In Orthodox countries, December 25 is called Catholic Christmas. This day is the most important Christian and public holiday in more than 140 countries around the world.

The feast of the Nativity is celebrated in memory of the birth of the innocent Virgin Mary the Son of God Jesus Christ. This event provides an opportunity for the salvation of souls and eternal life for believers.

Why is December 25th celebrated?

The first information about the celebration of Christmas can be attributed to the IV century. The question of the true date of the birth of Jesus continues to be controversial and not unambiguously 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 a new content.

The Nativity of Christ involves five days of forefeast. On the eve of the holiday, a strict fast is observed, which is called Christmas Eve, since on this day they eat sochivo - barley or wheat grains boiled with honey.

On the eve of the holiday, a strict fast is observed

In the 13th century, the custom arose to exhibit mangers in churches, in which the figure of the Infant Jesus is placed. After a while, mangers began to be installed not only in shrines, but also in houses before Christmas. Church and pagan customs - rituals are extremely organically intertwined with each other, complementing each other. For example, lighting a ritual fire in the hearth (“Christmas log”), the custom of breaking “Christmas bread”, caroling.

One of the most popular elements of Christmas is an elegant spruce. This tradition comes from the Germanic tribes, in which spruce symbolized fertility and life.

With the advent of Christianity, the peoples of Central and Northern Europe began to decorate the tree, setting it up in their homes on December 24th. Since then, the coniferous beauty has acquired a new symbolism, turning into a tree of paradise abundance.

Catholic Christmas

Catholic Christmas is "ahead" of Orthodox Christmas by thirteen days. This happened because of the difference in calendars: Pope Gregory XIII introduced a new, "Gregorian" calendar in 1582, which was defined as "new style".

The Julian calendar came to be considered the old style. At the time when Europe switched to the Gregorian calendar, Russia continued to use the Julian calendar. In the Soviet Union, the Gregorian calendar was introduced in 1918, but this decision was not approved by the church. At the initiative of the Patriarch of Constantinople, in 1923, a meeting of the Orthodox Churches was held, where a decision was approved to transform the Julian calendar into the "New Julian" calendar.

Due to historical circumstances, the Russian Orthodox Church did not take part in the meeting. However, Patriarch Tikhon managed to issue a decree on the transition to the "New Julian" calendar, which was perceived rather negatively by the church people. A month later, the decision was cancelled.

Thus, Protestants and Catholics living according to the Gregorian calendar celebrate Christmas on December 25th. And on January 7, the Georgian, Jerusalem, Ukrainian, Serbian and Russian Orthodox Churches, living according to the Julian calendar, celebrate Christmas.

The remaining eleven Local Orthodox Churches of the world celebrate Christmas on December 25, since they do not use the Catholic Gregorian calendar, but the so-called "New Julian", which coincides with the Gregorian.

Christmas customs and traditions

At the heart of the Christmas tradition of giving gifts to each other is the Gospel story of the three wise men who, while worshiping the Infant Jesus, presented him with gifts - myrrh, frankincense and gold. On this day, families gather for a Christmas dinner, and the festive table is decorated with traditional dishes that vary from country to country.

In England, Christmas rum pudding is a must for Christmas.

So, in England at Christmas, Christmas pudding doused with rum and turkey with gooseberry sauce are mandatory dishes. In the US, the Christmas table is decorated with turkey, which is served exclusively with cranberry sauce. In Ireland, a ham or turkey is served at Christmas, in Germany - a roast goose, in Greece - a turkey in wine.

On the holiday tables Hungary, Austria, the Balkan countries, there is never a Christmas turkey, chicken or duck. There it is considered that on this evening any bird can carry away family happiness on its wings. In Luxembourg, apples, black pudding and sparkling wine are consumed during Christmas dinner. In Belgium, he consumes traditional cake, sausage with truffles and wine. The Portuguese eat bacalao, a dried codfish dish, for Christmas.

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Christmas is the main holiday of Christians around the world. Catholics, Protestants, Lutherans and Orthodox in many countries celebrate it on December 25th. The Serbian, Bulgarian and Russian Orthodox churches did not switch to the Gregorian calendar and continue to use the Julian calendar, in which December 25 corresponds to January 7 in the Gregorian calendar. This is due to the temporal discrepancy incomprehensible to many.

The exact reason why Christmas is celebrated on December 25 is unknown, as is the exact date of Jesus' birth. According to one version, this choice is due to the fact that all early Christians celebrated the feast of the Annunciation on March 25th. Adding 9 months to this date, they got the date of Christmas. According to another version, one of the most important Christian holidays replaced the celebration of the winter solstice, which all pagans celebrated as the moment of the birth of the sun god.

4 Sundays before Christmas, the Advent period begins for Catholics - a time of fasting and repentance. Catholic clergy put on vestments purple. On the eve of the holiday - Christmas Eve - they observe a particularly strict fast and eat barley or wheat grains boiled with honey - sochivo. On this day, the family decorates the Christmas tree and gathers at the Christmas table late in the evening. They celebrate Christmas until January 1, and every day of the Christmas Octave is associated with the name of a saint, martyr, or some gospel story.

On Christmas Day I want to congratulate
I wish you friends
Great faith and hope
Love and happiness, silver.

So that dreams always come true
Smiles, peace and warmth.
To have relatives with you
Today, tomorrow and always!

Let there be only a holiday in the house,
Peace, comfort and kindness.
I wish you good health
And a lot of magic!

Let the heart shine on Christmas
In fate reign only warmth, prosperity,
And only happiness reigns triumph,
Let luck leave a bright imprint.

Let life play joy with a string.
We wish you health and prosperity.
Let the big house sparkle with success,
All dreams and wishes come true!

Happy Catholic Christmas! I wish that in every home there was peace and tranquility, harmony and prosperity. Let miracles and wonderful events happen, filling life with delightful moments, happy smiles and kindness of human hearts. Love, well-being and prosperity!

May this day be Christmas, bright,
God will send you unearthly gifts,
I wish the Lord to you from heaven
He sent health, kindness and miracles!

Let all evil recede from you,
May God fill hearts only with goodness,
Only peace and tranquility live in the soul,
And happiness flows to you like a stormy river!

A star lights up
And December sparkles:
On the day of Holy Christmas
Let the miracle happen!

Let joy come from heaven
Will give happiness to everyone
If you believe, it's waiting
To become a part of life.

Let the lights burn brighter
On a good holiday, bright -
You will make all your dreams come true
Let heaven help!

Christmas has come to your house
The holiday is knocking on the door.
We wish magic
Let it happen!

May the Lord bless
Will strengthen you in faith.
This evening a bright spirit
Let him enter your door.

Do good to others
And it will return.
And then surely
Happiness smiles.

Guiding star
Will add joy
Pure white snow
Add joy.

Christmas is coming
Throw away all your worries
May goodness and magic
At a glorious hour, they come to visit.

Let the sparkle of candles shine
Chasing away all the bad
To the best of all nights
Giving the light of happiness!

I wish you a Merry Christmas
And I wish that every moment
Was saturated with goodness and warmth,
So that you always live without trouble!

May he send you happiness, health
Merciful Lord at Christmas,
And fill the souls with love
Turning the world into magic!

Merry Christmas to you!
Let the celebration please everyone,
Santa Claus with a huge bag
Will definitely visit your house.
Friends will gather around the table
Friendly and big family
Wish each other well
So that hope lives in the souls.
Well, I wish you all success.
Lots of happiness, smiles and laughter.

Congratulate on December day
I want you Merry Christmas
May the Lord bestow happiness
Peace, light, magic.

Happiness to you and your loved ones
And the health of the whole family,
Let faith illuminate you
The path is always in worldly darkness.

May wishes come true
The heart sings in joy
Christmas let the cleansing
It will bring enlightenment.
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On December 25, more than 100 countries around the world celebrate Christmas. Most of these countries have a Catholic state religion. Christmas is also celebrated not only by Catholics, but also by the Orthodox of a number of countries of the world, Lutherans and other Protestant denominations. Before the division of churches into Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox, all charters were the same.

Over time, the laws of each church have changed - even in terms of the date of celebration of one of the greatest events included in the list of 12 main holidays of Christianity, called the Twelfth - the Nativity of Christ

Catholic Christmas Traditions

The meaning of the holiday remains the same for all denominations. Catholic Christmas is not only a celebration of the birth of Christ, but also a celebration of the happiness of the Virgin Mary. This is not only joy, but also a share of sorrow, for Mary knew that happiness would turn into trials that would need to be endured with courage.

This is a celebration of the salvation of mankind, because immediately after the birth of Christ, pagans hunted for him, who tried to kill him. The king ordered to kill all babies under 2 years of age. After the census and a visit to Bethlehem, Joseph, the wife of Mary, was visited by an angel and told that they needed to leave the country as long as possible in order to avoid the death of the baby Jesus. That's exactly what they did, go to Egypt.

This is a celebration of the miracle of preserving innocence, which Mary swore an oath to keep until the end of her days. As the scripture says, as the birth approached, Joseph went to the midwife, but when they returned, they saw a bright light coming from the cave. They entered there. But Mary was already holding the baby in her arms. It was the most wonderful miracle of all. Catholics, just like Protestants and Orthodox, believe in this miracle and dedicate their prayers to it during fasting.

The main tradition of Christmas among Catholics is fasting, which begins 4 weeks before the holiday. The last week is the most important. In 2016, on the night of December 24-25, Christmas Eve begins. It is on this day that it is forbidden to eat animal food. During the entire fast, people pray more and attend church more often, limit themselves in entertainment.

At Christmas, Catholic and Protestant customs have an analogue of Russian carols. It was from the Catholics that the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree began, which is now done by most of the world's population. This is a beautiful tradition, which is already almost one and a half thousand years old. After December 25, after-feast begins for Catholics. New Year 2017 will be celebrated at the same time as Christmas, although officially it will come only on January 1st. This is the tradition of the Western world. They congratulate each other: "Happy New Year and Merry Christmas."

Why do Catholics celebrate Christmas on December 25th?

Not only Catholics, but also Protestants live according to the Gregorian calendar. Moreover, Orthodox churches in some countries also use this particular calendar. This calendar is a little inconvenient due to its discrepancies with the astronomical one, but it is traditional.

In Russia, Orthodox Christians do not switch to the Gregorian calendar because they honor their traditions. Orthodox Church does not want to change these traditions, and also believes in the correctness of their laws and habits. Unfortunately, no one knows how it would be correct to count church holidays, because there is no such information in any of the sacred books. In this regard, you have to figure it out on your own, so the disputes will never stop. It is worth noting that most of all Christian denominations in general always celebrate Christmas exactly according to the Gregorian calendar - December 25th.

One way or another, but differences in the time of the festival should not establish boundaries between people. Catholics have always respected the traditions of Orthodoxy, and Orthodox have always respected Catholic foundations. Read prayers, fast and love each other, but not only before the holidays, but every single day. Let good in your heart be born without a reason. Good luck!