Christmas 2016 is celebrated around the world on December 25th. The first solemn service takes place in the church already on the night of December 24-25, when after the appearance of the first star at midnight this great holiday begins. During the day, two more solemn liturgies then take place, the clergy put on white festive clothes. For every Catholic, Christmas is the biggest holiday of the entire calendar year.
About the traditions of Catholic Christmas
The date of Catholic Christmas 2016 falls on December 25, but for true believers there is nothing strange and unexpected in this, because this happens every year. They start preparing for the onset of the holiday four weeks in advance, and according to Catholic traditions, Christmas, starting on December 25, lasts for another eight days and ends on January 1 with the onset of the New Year (in fact, these two holidays are in no way connected, the church coincided so beautifully and the secular calendar is among the Catholics).
Not only every Catholic knows about the traditions at Christmas, but often people of other religions and faiths, because this holiday is beautiful and very popular. Of course, a big holiday tree is always dressed up, people prepare gifts for each other. Be sure to decorate the home for the celebration and, traditionally, mistletoe is used in the decor.
Interesting! There is a tradition of kissing on Christmas under mistletoe sprigs, even to strangers. Otherwise, in the new coming year you will not see happiness and good luck. How .
For Catholics, Christmas is a very family and important holiday, the whole family gathers at the festive table, preparing a delicious and plentiful dinner. The head of the family lights candles, it is considered a prayer of thanksgiving. As a symbol of Christian unity, after reading a prayer, family members break bread. It is imperative that you not only break off a piece of bread, but give it to another person, wishing happiness, good luck in the new year from the bottom of your heart.
On Christmas Day, all family members must reconcile and, at least for this day, put aside some discord and conflicts, accepting the holiday with an open heart and soul.
Interesting! Different countries have their own traditions of what to put on the Christmas table. For example, in the USA and England, the main dish of the table is turkey. True, it is prepared according to completely different recipes, and if the Americans serve the bird on the table with cranberry sauce, the British prefer gooseberry sauce.
Santa Claus, not Santa Claus
Catholic Christmas 2016, the date of which is the same every year, will be December 25th. However, it should be emphasized here that eight more days are festive, that is, ceremonial events and a festive atmosphere end only on January 1, which coincided with the onset of the new calendar year.
In Europe, the United States and other Catholic countries, the character who brings gifts to adults and children on Christmas Day is Santa Claus. The prototype of this character is Saint Nicholas, a righteous man who once lived in Italy. He became famous for secretly doing charity work and giving gifts, things people needed, while trying not to reveal himself and not to flaunt good deeds. Catholics hang a sock on a fireplace or somewhere else at home, because it is believed that Santa leaves gifts in socks, making his way into the house through the chimney (in the event, of course, if the house has a fireplace).
Catholic Christmas 2016, the date when it is celebrated is December 25th. Believers gather in churches on the evening of December 24 on Christmas Eve to meet the festive midnight together in the right place, to defend the first of three solemn liturgy during the Christmas day.
Catholic Christmas is celebrated not only by Catholics, but also by Protestants of all denominations, as well as some Orthodox communities. It is considered a public holiday in more than a hundred countries around the world.
Story
For the first time, the Christmas holiday was mentioned in the first half of the 4th century. From the scriptures of Matthew and Luke it follows that the rising of the first evening star on the night of December 25 marks the birth of the Son of God.
The little Christ was born in a cave where shepherds sheltered cattle from bad weather. The angels announced to the shepherds that the Savior had come into the world, who went to the cave and bowed to the newborn. And the magicians, guided by the light of a bright star, brought their gifts to the Son of God - incense, gold and myrrh.
It was this scene that became the main symbol of the feast of the Nativity of Christ. It is embodied in temples and in residential buildings with the help of three-dimensional figures made of various materials (wood, porcelain, clay).
The date of the celebration was set back in 431 at the Third Ecumenical Council, which is called Ephesus.
Church traditions
For Catholics, the tradition of celebrating lies in certain rituals. One of them is Advent, a period of repentance that lasts four weeks before the holiday.
At this time, Catholic believers go to confession in order to participate in Christmas services with a pure heart and take Communion, and the clergy put on purple clothes.
Each of the Sundays during the Advent period is accompanied by divine services on a specific theme, which is reflected in the gospel readings.
The first is dedicated to the coming of Christ at the end of time, the second and third reflect the transition from the Old to the New Testament. On the third Sunday, the ministry of John the Baptist is especially remembered, and the fourth is dedicated to the gospel events that immediately preceded the birth of Christ.
In temples, a wreath with four candles is set up at the altars, and on each Sunday of Advent, one candle is lit. The round shape of the wreath symbolizes eternity, and its green color symbolizes hope, just like the branches of the Christmas tree.
© photo: Sputnik / Vladimir Astapkovich
On the feast of the Nativity, Catholics perform three church services - at midnight, at dawn and in the afternoon. The celebration begins with the rising of the first evening dawn, which announced to the whole world the time of the birth of the Son of God, and continues for eight days (an octave).
These days, Catholics commemorate the saints: on December 26 - the holy protomartyr Stephen, on December 27 - the holy apostle and evangelist John the Theologian, and on December 28 - the holy Innocent Infants of Bethlehem.
On the thirtieth of December, if that day does not fall on a Sunday, the feast of the Holy Family is celebrated: the Infant Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Joseph the Betrothed. And the celebration of Christmas ends on January 1, when the Day of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated with special solemnity.
Christmas time continues until the feast of Epiphany, which in the Roman Catholic calendar is celebrated on the first Sunday after Epiphany (January 6). During the entire Christmas season, the clergy at the liturgy wear white, the color of the robe.
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is called Christmas Eve or Vigilia (from the Latin vigilia, vigil). On this day, families decorate Christmas trees and set up nurseries. Those of the family members who did not have time to start confession go to the 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.
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 mass, the obligatory attendance of which is a common Catholic Christmas tradition for all believers.
The custom of leaving an unoccupied seat at the Christmas table is widespread and well-known. Any guest on Christmas Eve will be treated like family. This custom is a sign of memory of close and dear people who cannot celebrate the holiday with their families on this day. An unoccupied place also symbolizes a deceased family member, or all deceased relatives.
The custom has also been preserved of placing hay under a white tablecloth on the table at which the Christmas Eve meal is served. Hay is intended to remind of the poverty of the Bethlehem cave and of the Mother of God, who laid the Newborn God-Infant Christ on hay in a manger.
Santa Claus
Christmas is invariably associated with the legendary Santa Claus, riding around on a reindeer sleigh surrounded by elves and bringing cherished gifts. The image of a good-natured, well-fed old man has been known since time immemorial.
For many years, he was supplemented with funny details. For example, Santa got a big red bag for gifts only in 1864. And even later, the Christmas wizard began to sneak into houses through chimneys to leave gifts for the kids.
It is believed that Santa, who lives in Lapland, has a magic book, where he carefully writes down the good and bad deeds of children.
The prototype of this fairy-tale hero is St. Nicholas (Sanctus Nicolaus), with whom another interesting Christmas custom is associated - hanging large socks on fireplaces - so that as many gifts as possible can fit in them.
According to legend, every time he happened to pass by poor houses, the Saint threw small bags of coins into the chimneys, which fell directly into children's socks hung out to dry.
Traditions
In different countries there are many common ceremonies for celebrating the Catholic Christmas, but there are also distinctive traditions.
In Catholic countries, the custom of walking around the houses of children and youth in masks and animal skins with songs and good wishes is well known. In response, young people receive gifts: sausage, roasted chestnuts, fruits, eggs, pies, sweets.
The gospel story that the three wise men, who came to bow to the Infant Jesus, brought Him gifts - gold, frankincense and myrrh, formed the basis of the tradition of giving gifts to children and each other on Christmas days.
At Christmas, in churches and on city squares, parishioners act out evangelistic scenes, vividly telling about the birth of Christ.
The tradition of decorating a fir tree, as the embodiment of eternal life and fertility, also has its roots in the distant pagan past. At the end of the 19th century, German settlers brought with them the custom of dressing an evergreen tree to America.
In addition to shining balls, sweets, apples and children's colored paper crafts are also used to decorate the spruce. In ancient times, it was still customary to place candles on it, trying to recreate the light of the evening star that illuminates the way for the Magi, who set off on their journey from the east to bow to the newborn Christ. Today they are replaced with a variety of garlands and sparkling tinsel.
Many signs are associated with another Christmas plant - mistletoe (Viscum). It is an evergreen plant that lives on the branches and trunks of some trees. For example, in Scandinavia she is considered the personification of goodness and peace, and residents of other states believe that she protects houses from lightning, and also scares away all evil spirits.
The most romantic ritual exists among the English, who kiss under the branches of this marvelous shrub at Christmastime.
In the Czech Republic, on the eve of Christmas, it is customary to decorate Christmas trees, present gifts to each other and sit down at the festive table. And after that, family members tell fortunes on apples: if you cut the fruit across and see the correct asterisk from the seeds, then the next year will definitely be happy.
In Austria, edible decorations made of marmalade and chocolate are hung on the Christmas tree. Households come out to the festive table, wearing the best costumes, and the doors are not locked with bolts - according to the established tradition, friends and acquaintances can join the meal at any time.
The Merry Christmas program from the Americans is to fill each other with gifts, sing Christmas songs cheerfully and together, visit relatives and friends, receive presents from Santa Claus.
In Spain, on Christmas night, people dress up in folk costumes and take to the streets, where they have fun, dance and sing songs. And just before the beginning of the Christmas mass, enthusiastic people, anticipating the holiday, gather at the main entrance to the temple, join hands and dance.
Christmas feast
By tradition, on the Day of the Nativity of Christ, the festive table is decorated with special dishes - each country has its own. A common Christmas dish is turkey, duck or goose.
In England, the obligatory dishes at Christmas are an oven-baked turkey with gooseberry sauce and Christmas pudding, which is poured over with rum, set on fire and put on the table flaming.
In the United States, turkey is also served for Christmas dinner, only with cranberry sauce.
In France, a holiday is not a holiday if there is no turkey baked in white wine at the Christmas table. They also eat oysters, goose liver pate, cheeses and champagne.
In Austria, Hungary and many Balkan countries, there is never a bird on the Christmas table. They believe that it is impossible to eat a bird this evening - happiness will fly away.
In Germany, there are traditional regional types of Christmas pastries - Nuremberg gingerbread, Aachen curly gingerbread, Christmas cake from Dresden, cinnamon stars. Traditionally, roast goose is eaten in Germany.
Very thoroughly prepare for Christmas in the Scandinavian countries. Two weeks before the holiday, Christmas piglets are slaughtered, black pudding is made, meat is salted and smoked. Then they start preparing beer, which is brewed for three to four days without a break from morning to evening.
In western and northern Norway, salted and steamed lamb ribs with potatoes are also eaten. In the eastern parts of Norway, pork is popular, while in other areas the main dish is fish. Some families prefer turkey on this day.
In Denmark, they also eat duck or goose stuffed with apples, rice pudding, and sweet rice porridge with cinnamon and raisins. In Ireland, a turkey or ham is cooked for Christmas, and in Greece, a turkey in wine.
In China, where there are Catholic Christians, an imperial dish is prepared for Christmas - Peking duck.
Italians at Christmas prefer to put fish or seafood and tortellini (Italian dumplings made from unleavened dough with meat, cheese or vegetables) on the festive table and wash it all down with champagne.
In Portugal, on this day it is customary to eat bacalao - a dish of dried salted cod.
In Spain, a suckling pig roasted on a spit is served. On the festive table of every Spaniard there will definitely be seafood - shrimp, crabs, lobsters, as well as Christmas sweets - halva, marzipan, anise candies.
In Belgium, during a Christmas dinner, they eat veal sausage with truffles, boar meat, traditional cake, and wine. In Holland - rabbit, venison or game. Luxembourg consumes black pudding, apples, local sparkling wine.
Fish is always prepared for Christmas in the Czech Republic - although the Czechs are well-known meat-eaters and, according to statistics, eat a little more than a kilogram of fish a year. But at Christmas, carp baked with cumin is certainly served.
Some families, following long-standing Catholic traditions, invite lonely old people and simply very poor people to their table on Christmas Eve.
Christmas for Catholics is the main family holiday. Everyone celebrates it, even people who do not believe in God. In Catholic countries, on this holiday, the whole family gathers at a single table.
Material prepared on the basis of open sources
Christmas is one of the most important holidays for all Christians and is celebrated in more than a hundred countries around the world. In the chronicles, references to Christmas say that they began to celebrate it as early as the 4th century AD. According to the Gregorian calendar, the Catholic Church and almost all representatives of the Protestants (Lutherans, Anglicans, Baptists) celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25th. Moreover, Western Orthodox churches also celebrate Christmas on this date.
This day was legalized as a holiday in the distant 431 AD at the church council, which is called Ephesus. Like Orthodox believers, Catholics also have a period of preparation for this important and deeply symbolic holiday. It is called Advent and begins 4 weeks before December 25th. During this period, believers are preparing to feel the greatness of the feast of the birth of the son of God.
advent period
For Catholics, the tradition of celebrating lies in certain rituals. So, Advent is considered a period of repentance - Catholic believers confess at this time, and the clergy put on purple clothes. During this period, one should indulge in reflection on the coming of Christ and his deeds. Each of the Sundays during the Advent period is accompanied by divine services on a specific topic.
- On the first Sunday, they mention the appearance of the Savior at the end of time.
- Secondly, they talk about how the transition from the Old Testament of the Bible to the New Testament took place.
- At the service on the third Sunday, they remember the deeds of John the Baptist.
- On the fourth Sunday, believers are told about the events that marked the birth of Jesus.
On the day of December 24, it is customary to observe a particularly strict fast - "Christmas Eve". On this day, Catholics eat sochivo - boiled grains of wheat or barley, seasoned with honey. The signal for the end of the fast is the appearance of the first star in the sky. On this day, Catholics remember the biblical prophecies and those events that relate to the birth of Jesus. On Christmas Eve they also celebrate the vigil - the all-night service.
Attributes and rites of the holiday
Even in the Middle Ages, a tradition was introduced to establish a manger with the Infant Jesus in churches. She took root so firmly that they began to put up a Christmas manger in the homes of parishioners. This version of the exposition is called "santon" - it is made in the form of a small grotto, in which little Jesus lies in a manger, and the Virgin Mary, Joseph, an angel descended from heaven, shepherds who came to bow to the Savior, and domestic animals look at him.
One of the main holiday symbols is a decorated fir tree, which symbolizes the tree of paradise of abundance, as well as burning candles and a Christmas wreath. Catholic traditions are firmly intertwined with the customs that are inherent in pagan festivities. So, for example, among Catholic youth, the rite of caroling is widespread.
Traditional attributes and symbols of the Catholic Christmas Boys and girls go from house to house, sing songs to their owners with wishes of happiness, kindness and well-being, and in return they are presented with roasted chestnuts, smoked meats, pastries and fruits. Mummers certainly participate in the festive procession. Paganism also manifests itself in the tradition of burning a special "Christmas log" in the fireplace - it is sprinkled with grains, smeared with honey and vegetable oil. This should lure well-being into the house.
The celebration of Christmas among Catholics lasts for 8 days and ends on the first day of the new year. These days form the Octave of Christmas. So, on the 26th they celebrate the day of St. Stephen, the 27th - they mention John the Theologian, the 28th is the day of the innocently killed in Bethlehem Infants. And on Sunday, during the Octave period, they celebrate the feast of the Triumph of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Features of celebrating Christmas in different countries
In many countries of the world there are distinctive features of the celebration of Catholic Christmas. So, in Italy, on the Christmas table, housewives always serve fragrant roasts and prepare special Christmas pastries - Easter cake "panettone" or "pandoro". It is customary to give relatives and friends a sweet "torroncino", which resembles nougat.
Gingerbread is a must for Christmas The Germans, depending on the region, also prepare special delicacies: in Nuremberg and Aachen, these are figured gingerbread, and in Dresden, residents bake small cakes or cinnamon stars. In many countries of Western Europe, a Christmas cake is served at the table - a sweet biscuit "log" with whipped cream and chocolate icing.
This tradition goes back to the already mentioned Christmas log, which was customary to burn in the fireplace. In Canada and the United States of America, stuffed turkey with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce is traditionally served at Christmas, and gingerbread is baked as a festive dessert.
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.
The decision to celebrate the Nativity of Christ on December 25 was made at the Ephesus (Third Ecumenical) Church Council in 431.
Christmas is preceded by the Advent period. During Advent, believers participate in special pre-Christmas services and try to do works of mercy. During the four weeks of Advent, it is necessary to prepare for confession in order to participate with a pure heart in Christmas services and receive Communion.
A detailed story about the birth of Jesus Christ is given only by the Evangelist Luke: “Joseph also went from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family of David, to sign with Mary, betrothed to him woman who was pregnant, and while they were there, the time came for her to give birth, and she bore her firstborn son, and swaddled him, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in an inn."
The reason why Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem was the census conducted during the reign of the emperor Augustus during the administration of Quirinius in Syria. According to the decree of the emperor, every inhabitant of the Roman Empire had to come "to his city" to facilitate the census. Since Joseph was a descendant of David, he went to Bethlehem.
After the birth of Jesus, the first of the people to come to worship him were the shepherds, who were informed of this event by the appearance of an angel. According to the Evangelist Matthew, a miraculous star appeared in the sky, which led three wise men (wise men) to the baby Jesus. They presented Christ with gifts - gold, frankincense and myrrh; at that time the holy family had already taken refuge in a house (or perhaps in a hotel).
Having learned about the birth of Christ, the king of Judea Herod ordered to kill all babies under the age of two years, but Christ was miraculously saved from death. However, Joseph's family was forced to flee to Egypt and remained there until the death of King Herod.
According to the Roman tradition that developed in the first centuries of Christianity, on Christmas Day, December 25, three special liturgies are served - 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) and the birth of God in the believing soul (by day). On the evening of Christmas Eve, Mass is celebrated on Christmas Eve.
At the beginning of the first of the Christmas masses, a procession is performed during which the priest carries and places the figurine of the Christ Child in the manger and consecrates them. This helps believers feel like they are participants in the event that took place on Christmas night.
The celebration of Christmas lasts eight days - from December 25 to January 1 - forming the Octave of Christmas. On December 26, the feast of the holy martyr Stephen falls, on December 27 the memory of the holy apostle and evangelist John the Theologian is celebrated, on December 28 - the Innocent Infants of Bethlehem. On the Sunday that falls on one of the days from December 26 to 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. On January 1, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated.
Christmas time continues after the end of the Octave until the feast of 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 of the inhabitants of Italy and the Vatican for Christmas dinner serve roast and panettone Christmas cake, similar to the Easter or "airy" Easter cake from Verona, called pandoro. At Christmas, in these states they give each other torroncino - delicacies similar to nougat and roasted meat.
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, a sweet Christmas log is traditionally on the festive table - a biscuit roll richly decorated with cream, icing and chocolate.
One of the main symbols of Christmas are lit candles. The oscillating flame of a candle reminds believers of the gospel words: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not embrace Him."
Christmas is Christ's believers in the form of a small child surrounded by the Holy Family, this holiday is celebrated in the family circle and is warmed by special warmth and mutual love.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources
Most of these countries have a Catholic state religion.
Before the division of the churches into Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox, all charters were the same.
Over time, the laws of each church 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. The Orthodox Church does not want to change these traditions, and also believes in the correctness of its 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 according to the Gregorian calendar -
