Since ancient times, the Nativity of Christ has been a home holiday, when the closest people gather at the festive table. This tradition has been uniting Christians all over the world for over two thousand years. In Russia, Christmas was celebrated with songs and dances, fun games and, of course, fortune-telling.
Instructions
Step 1
The main symbol of Christmas is the Christmas tree, as an image of eternal life and fadelessness. When celebrating Christmas at home, be sure to give it a place of honor in your home. The top of the spruce must be decorated with a star. She is like a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, which announced the birth of a baby to the Magi.
Step 2
An obligatory attribute of Christmas is the tradition of leaving gifts under the tree. There they will lie all Christmas night, languishing in anticipation of the smallest members of the family, but what a joy - to start a festive morning with receiving gifts!
Step 3
Orthodox Christians on Christmas Eve, on the eve of Christmas - January 6, observe the custom: you cannot eat until the first Christmas star appears in the firmament, announcing the birth of Christ. The celebration of Christmas lasts two days: the night before, guests gather for Christmas Eve, and the next day, for lunch.
Step 4
On Christmas Eve, it is customary to dine with friends and family. The festive table on this day is distinguished by special dishes. It is believed that at the Christmas table the number of dishes served should be equal to the number of the apostles, namely, twelve. Necessarily in the center of the table they have a sylvic, or as our ancestors called it "Christmas kutia".
Step 5
To prepare the sychic, you need to take: a glass of pearl barley or wheat groats, half a glass of raisins, about one hundred grams of honey, one liter of water, one hundred grams of marmalade and half a glass of nuts. The groats need to be washed well and boiled, adding raisins at the end of cooking. Then put it in a colander, rinse with cold water. Add crushed nuts, honey and marmalade to the resulting syrup.
Step 6
On the Christmas table, all dishes, except for soup, are usually served cold, so that all family members can rest on this day, including the hostess of the house, who already had to spend the whole day in the kitchen. From soups, it is customary to serve a hodgepodge with mushrooms, lean borscht or fish soup.
Step 7
Dishes must be tasted in a specific order. First and foremost, each guest should taste the juicy, which symbolizes the connection between different generations of the family. It can be flavored with poppy seeds, honey, or vegetable oil. Then you need to go to snacks: aspic fish, caviar, herring, salads, vinaigrette, pie. After the appetizers, a heated soup is served. Last but not least, guests are taken for a dessert, which is cake, gingerbread, rolls, honey cake, jelly and compote. At the end of the meal, they leave it on the table soothingly, because according to an old belief it is believed that the souls of deceased loved ones also come to the Christmas holiday.
Step 8
On Christmas Day, January 7th, guests gather around the festive table for dinner. On this day, baked goose or turkey stuffed with apples or prunes is served to the table. Since the fast is already over, the table is filled with hearty meat dishes: sausages, ham, rolls, roast. As drinks, guests are offered liqueurs, cahors, white and red wine.
