On January 7, a great Orthodox holiday is celebrated - the Nativity of Christ. The appearance of the first night star in the sky is a sign that one can already celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Before that time, people are obliged to do all their domestic and work matters, and with the onset of the evening to meet Christmas .
How to celebrate Christmas - signs and customs
Christmas is celebrated on the sixth of January with the first star. Until that time, a great post must necessarily be observed. To celebrate the birth of Christ is necessary in smart clothes. In this bright holiday to dress black, mourning attire is a great sin.
To this day, there have been many signs related to how to properly meet Christmas. Following the Orthodox traditions, a Christian must prepare his home: to clean out, clean all kitchen utensils and furniture. In addition, special attention should be paid to decorating the room. As a decor you need to use spruce, branches, give preference to red and green tones. During this period, toys and souvenirs in the form of stars, angels and animals were popular. Also one of the main attributes of the holiday - candles, symbolizing the light of Christ.
According to the signs, you can not meet Christmas without the following requisites:
- a spruce wreath;
- bells;
- candles;
- greeting cards.
How to celebrate Christmas in Orthodoxy - signs
- Christmas should be met not only with pure thoughts, but with a clean body. Therefore, people have long tried to wash themselves in a bathhouse beforehand.
- Clothes should be necessarily new. This promises a year rich in new things.
- The table needs to be covered for an even number of people, considering an additional set of devices designed for the imaginary guest.
- A rich table is a symbol of a successful and abundant year. Christmas - the end of the post, so the menu can be made the most diverse. It must include dishes from meat, seafood, poultry. Also, the presence of twelve lean dishes on the festive table promises the financial well-being of the family.
- The obligatory dish is kutya. This is the so-called porridge, prepared from chopped wheat with the addition of raisins, nuts, honey, and halva. Dinner should start with kutya.
- Earlier the housewives baked pies that day, one of which was hiding a coin. The one who gets baked with a surprise - the whole year will be rich and happy.
According to the signs, how to meet Christmas, and spend the whole year. That's why this holiday should be celebrated, being in peace and harmony with your family and friends. On this day you can not quarrel and scold.
On this day in the church you need to take holy water, which should be drunk exactly at midnight, while thinking about the most cherished desire. According to popular belief, it must come true.
Signs of the meeting of Christmas
Christmas - a holiday in which people's signs acquire special strength. Nowadays, people with special care observe signs that come from distant ancestors:
- Preparing for the holiday, in no case can you spare money to decorate the room and treats. Those who do not stint - will live in prosperity and abundance all year round.
- With the ascent of the first star, candles and fireplaces must be lit in every house.
- In order for the year to be rich, on this day you need to feed not only family members and guests, but also all pets.
It is worth highlighting the fact that Christmas can not be done in any case:
- embroider, sew, do housework;
- men were forbidden to hunt on that day, as the dead animal on January 7 was a grave sin.
It can not be guessed at Christmas. The most successful period for such activities is Christmas Eve and the days before Epiphany .