After the October Revolution, Christmas, the main winter holiday of the Russian Empire, was actually banned. Over time, many of the attributes of Christmas - the tree, home decorations, gifts and greetings - have become part of the New Year's celebration. And after January 7 again became an official holiday, many want to celebrate this holiday, but do not know how to do it correctly, in accordance with traditions.
Instructions
Step 1
Christmas is traditionally celebrated at home with the family. Therefore, consider the appropriate home decoration. An important symbol of Christmas is the tree. It differs from the New Year's one in that its top must necessarily be a six-pointed star - a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, which pointed the Magi to the place of Christ's birth.
Step 2
In addition to the Christmas tree, you can also use a manger to decorate your home - this is a composition depicting the worship of the Magi. The depiction of this plot in the form of figurines is relevant, first of all, in the Catholic cultural tradition, but, nevertheless, it is quite consistent with the Russian traditional spirit of Christmas. The nursery can be purchased either ready-made, although it is quite difficult to find them in Russia, or you can do it yourself.
Step 3
Prepare a Christmas table. In pre-revolutionary Russia, Christmas began to be celebrated on Christmas Eve, January 6. This is the last day of the Nativity Lent, therefore, only lenten dishes were put on the table. You can keep the tradition by preparing the oozy. To do this, you need to cook porridge from peeled wheat grains, then add poppy seeds to it, pounded with honey. Also on Christmas Eve, you can serve various fish and vegetable dishes. For serving at Christmas itself, you can prepare meat dishes, for example, duck stuffed with apples. You can also serve various sweets, including using recipes from other cuisines. A gingerbread house decorated with marzipan, a traditional German dish, can be a good option for a festive table with the participation of children. For Christmas, the French prepare a special cake called "Log" - a roll covered with chocolate and stylized as a tree trunk.
Step 4
Start celebrating on the evening of January 6th. By tradition, they sit down at the festive table on this day with the appearance of the first star in the sky. Until then, food is usually abstained on Christmas Eve. At the same time, you can exchange Christmas gifts. If you are a religious person, attend the Christmas service, which is one of the most solemn services of the year. Then you can get the whole family together again, already on January 7th, to celebrate Christmas itself.
Step 5
Another interesting Christmas custom is carols. Children and youth on Christmas Eve evening dressed in carnival costumes and went from house to house with songs, carols - special Christmas couplets - and congratulations. In return, they received food from the owners of the house. In modern urban conditions, organizing such an event is problematic, but it is possible if you want to celebrate Christmas on a visit. You or your children can prepare congratulations for your friends and acquaintances, and this can also become an occasion to get acquainted with Russian folk traditions. The texts of the carols can be found in thematic publications or on Internet sites such as Orthodoxy and Peace.
