On the night of January 6-7, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Nativity of Christ, one of the most important Christian holidays. This is a holiday symbolizing renewal. After all, it was the birth of Christ that proclaimed a new, bright era for humanity. It is no coincidence that a new calendar was even established - from the Nativity of Christ.

The birth in the flesh of Jesus Christ from the Virgin Mary is one of the miracles revealed by the Lord to humanity. Therefore, on the holiday of the Nativity of Christ, everyone expects a miracle and prays that the next year will be better and happier than the outgoing one. This bright holiday in Orthodoxy is one of the twelve lordly holidays and is preceded by a 40-day Nativity Fast. Christmas celebrations begin on January 6th with the appearance of the first star in the sky. As you know, after the birth of Jesus, the first people to come to worship him were the shepherds, notified of this event by the appearance of an angel. According to the Evangelist Matthew, a miraculous star appeared in the sky, which led the Magi to the baby Jesus.

Signs for Christmas

Clear weather for the Christmas holiday promised a good harvest in summer and autumn.

If there was a thaw at Christmas, then this means a bad harvest.

A snowstorm on Christmas Day was a sign of a good wheat harvest and good sign for the beekeeper.

If the sky was starry at Christmas, then the year would be fruitful for mushrooms and berries, and a large litter of livestock was expected in such a year.

Well, if the Christmas holiday was warm, then they expected a cold spring.

If it snowed that day, and even in flakes, this meant a good harvest of bread.

And there is one more sign that is still trusted, that is, how you spend Christmas, so will the year be. Therefore, we always strived to spend Christmas in love, peace and prosperity, with a generous Christmas table. There had to be 12 Lenten dishes on the table, then there would be prosperity in the house all year, and the year would be generous.

Under no circumstances should you quarrel on Christmas Day, as you can spend the whole year in disagreements.

Holiday traditions
There are many folk traditions associated with Christmas. Most of them are recognized by the Church. The day before, on Christmas Eve, the Christmas tree is decorated. Its top is crowned with a star - the symbol of Bethlehem. The candles on the Christmas tree are reminiscent of the unearthly light emanating from the cave in which Jesus was born. Boxes with gifts for all family members are placed under the Christmas tree. In addition to the Christmas tree, in houses and churches they build a nativity scene - a symbolic cave with the birth of Christ and three-dimensional figures of the people who surrounded Him.

The main action of the holiday is caroling. Everyone can carol – both adults and children. Previously, cities bore little resemblance to today's megacities, so people went from house to house and glorified the born Christ, which is why they were called Christoslavs. It is customary to give gifts to those who brought good news to the house - sweets, fruits, money - whatever they can.

On Christmas days, it is customary to visit each other and exchange gifts. It is very useful and correct from a Christian point of view to visit the sick and suffering. Children especially look forward to this holiday. If you have the opportunity, give joy to a child in a shelter or a sick boy or girl. There are not so few disadvantaged people in our time - you just have to want to do good for them. You definitely need to attend services in the temple. But there are traditions that the Church categorically rejects as pagan. For example, fortune telling. Predicting the future is a sin, because by doing this a person cuts off God’s participation in his life and His care for himself. At any moment the Lord is free to change the course of events.

On Christmas it is prohibited:
Sewing, cleaning the house, killing animals (going hunting), telling fortunes.

Any day of Christmas time is suitable for fortune telling - from Christmas Eve to Epiphany, except Christmas itself.

On Christmas night you need to pray and make wishes. It is believed that if you look into the open sky on Christmas night and make a wish, it will definitely come true.

It is believed that on the night of January 6-7, dreams prophetic dreams.
On this night, unmarried girls try in every possible way to influence these dreams. So, according to legend, for a girl to dream about her future husband, you need to comb your hair at night, put the comb under the pillows and say: “Mummer, comb my head.” The one who dreamed is the future husband of the fortune-telling girl.

On Christmas night, many girls try to find out their fate. Some with the help of dreams, and some with the help of fortune telling. Below are the simplest and most popular fortune telling. Particular attention should be paid to fortune telling with a mirror, which, according to the opinions and reviews of many fortune tellers, is unsafe.

Fortune telling with matches
Take two matches and insert them into the slot of the box on opposite sides. Light them at the same time and watch their behavior. If during combustion the matches “look” at each other, it means that the guy and girl they are guessing at will be a couple and they have a future together.

Fortune telling on paper
Take a piece of paper and crumple it up. Place the crumpled leaf on the bottom of an upturned plate or saucer and set it on fire. After this, bring the saucer with the burnt paper to the wall and carefully turn the saucer until some shadow appears on the wall, by the outlines of which they judge the near future.

Fortune telling with cards
When you go to bed on Christmas night, take the King of Diamonds with you. Place the card under your pillow and before going to bed, say the following words: “Dream, betrothed, dream, mummer.”
Before you rush into the kingdom of Morpheus, “make a mess”: wash your face, comb your hair. You can put some of the decorations under your pillow along with the card. The future groom is considered to be the person who visits you in your dreams on this magical night.

Fortune telling using nut shell
For this fortune telling, you need a basin of water, paper and a walnut shell.
Attach small paper strips to the edge of the pelvis with significant events written on them, for example, moving, new job, travel, marriage, pregnancy, etc. Then, in half the shell, attach the stub of a candle, but not a simple one, but one bought in a church or a birthday candle. The candle is lit, after which the shell is lowered to float in the basin.
Which piece of paper it will moor to or, remaining in place, will lean towards it, then the event will occur within a year.

Fortune telling for a husband's choice using bulbs
The results of such fortune telling are not immediately visible, but this is the case when you can wait, because the price of the matter is choosing the best groom!
On Christmas Eve, take several bulbs according to the number of candidates for the vacancy of your life partner, sign them with the appropriate names. Place them in water and wait for them to begin to sprout. Pay attention to the onion, which sprouts earlier than all the others: the person with the name written on it is the most suitable candidate.

Fortune telling for the betrothed
At midnight on Christmas Day, girls leave the house and ask the first man they meet for his name. The name that he names will be the name of the betrothed.

Fortune telling on the number and gender of future children
On Christmas evening, you need to pour water into a glass, put a ring in it and put it out in the cold. Before going to bed, a glass is taken out of the cold and future children are judged by the icy surface formed in it. The number of tubercles indicates the number of boys, and the number of pits indicates how many girls there will be.

Fortune telling by book
They took a book at random and asked a question. After this, they called the page number and the line number on it - what was written in that place in the book served as the answer.

Fortune telling "yes, no"
Hold over a jar containing any cereal or grain. left hand palm down. While concentrating, you need to ask the question that interests you. After this, take a handful of cereal from the jar and pour it onto the table, then count the number of grains. If the number of grains is even, this means a positive answer - “yes”, an odd number means a negative answer - “no”.

Fortune telling for the betrothed with a frying pan
You need to put the frying pan under your mother's bed without her knowing about it. Before going to bed, say to yourself: “Betrothed, come to visit your mother-in-law - there are pancakes.” And in the morning you need to ask your mother what she dreamed about. If in a dream she fed some guy pancakes, ask her to describe his appearance. He is your future groom.

Fortune telling by the window
When everyone in the house goes to bed, the girl should turn off the light, go to the window and looking out of it say: “Betrothed, dressed up, dream of me dressed up!” - and immediately go to bed. That night she dreams of her future groom.

Fortune telling with mirrors
Fortune telling with mirrors is carried out before midnight in complete solitude; before this, it is impossible to inform anyone about the upcoming fortune telling. In an empty room, a large mirror is placed on a table without a tablecloth, with candles on both sides. Opposite the large mirror, at some distance, a second mirror is installed - a smaller one, so that it is reflected in the first mirror. Mutual reflection forms a “corridor”. A handkerchief is placed nearby.
Then you need to turn off the lights, light the candles and sit down at the table. Mentally make a wish to see your betrothed and gaze intently into the depths of the reflective corridor. After some time, the image of the betrothed will appear in it. When the image appears, immediately cover the mirror with a scarf and under no circumstances turn around at that moment.
Another way of fortune telling with a mirror. When there are no clouds in the sky and the moon is shining well, go outside at midnight. Stand at the crossroads with a mirror with your back to the moon so that it is reflected in the mirror. Looking in the mirror, say: “Mummer, show yourself to me in the mirror.” When the image appears, immediately say: “Forget me.”

This holiday and the following holidays of the winter ritual cycle, such as the Old New Year(Generous evening on January 13), Epiphany, Candlemas, have been accompanied for centuries by many traditions, rituals, omens, songs, sayings - some have been lost, some have become known throughout the world, like the Shchedrivka “Shchedrik, Shchedrik, Shchedrivochka, the swallow has flown”, which the whole world knows it as "Carol of the Bells". And even if not all of our traditions suffered the happy fate of “Shchedryk” - every year interest in everything that resonates within with the voice of distant ancestors grows stronger, and traditions are revived. Christmas night is magical, and everything you wish for will definitely come true. Peace to you, prosperity and happiness with your family!

Preparing for the Christmas holiday

The Christmas holiday is always preceded by the Nativity Fast, which lasts from November 27 (Filippovka). The housewife's task during this fast was general cleaning of the house and preparations for the Christmas holiday. Actually, the preparation, in fact, began in the summer, with the harvest festival, when the sheaf-didukh (the first or last sheaf of grain that was not threshed and which was believed to provide the harvest for the next year) was woven, and continued throughout the fall and winter . It also served as a decoration for the house at Christmas - it performed approximately the same functions as a Christmas tree today. (By the way, Christmas trees in Russia and Ukraine appeared at the beginning of the last century, and in some areas they were not placed on the floor, but hung from beams near the ceiling.)

A good housewife should have cooked new clothes for myself, my husband and children (which meant weaving fabric, bleaching it, sewing and embroidering it with my own hands), preparing new dishes. The owner had other Christmas worries: smoking the meat, putting wine and vodka to mature... The final cleaning was done on January 2, on Ignat: the girls got down to business, who not only cleaned, but also decorated the hut - didukh, spruce branches woven into a “spider” wreath.

On January 4, at Anastasia, food preparations for festive meals were completed. On the morning of January 6, the housewife rose at dawn to collect dawn water for kuti and uzvar and to light the fireplace for cooking Christmas food.

Holy Evening or Christmas Eve

January 6, Holy Evening, was also the last day of the Nativity Fast, therefore the meal at which they sat down after the appearance of the first star heralding the Nativity of Christ was fasting. Moreover, the entire day of January 6 they observed strict fasting - they went hungry, with the exception of very young children and frail old people, who were given a little boiled food.

But in the evening, to emphasize the festivity of the moment, the table was set, although lean, but rich - with at least 12 dishes. This meal was called a rich kutya. It was not necessary to eat all the dishes (and in large Ukrainian families there was no such opportunity) - but each family member tried a piece of all twelve.

We started, of course, with the main thing - kutya, a ritual porridge cooked from wheat (in some regions - rice, barley) grain and seasoned with various tasty additives: ground poppy seeds, candied fruits, uzvar, sweet candies, nuts. The more such delicacies there are in kutia, the better, because it is a symbol of prosperity and heavenly life.

And besides, kutia is a ritual funeral dish, so a bowl of kutia and a glass of uzvar were placed for ancestors, whose spirits were believed to visit their home on this magical night. Kutya was also worn as a wish for well-being to those closest and important people- godfathers, godparents, grandparents. This ritual is called “carrying the supper”: children carry kutya, and adults try a spoonful of kutya and present gifts to the children.

All 12 dishes of the Christmas table had their own symbolic meaning. And not even just one: the older, pagan roots of the holiday and Christian traditions are intertwined. Once upon a time, in the pre-Christian era, our ancestors believed that in December-January a miraculous vital force was born, which would provide prosperity and joy to both man and nature throughout the next year.

Christianity has given purely everyday beliefs a deeper meaning, which is why so much attention is paid to the 12 dishes on the table, preparation for the holiday, Christmas signs and rituals. In general, there is no single list of all 12 dishes for everyone - our country is large, each locality has its own characteristics: instead of simple lean borscht - borscht with dough ears, empty or with lean filling, for example, mushrooms. Or borscht with crucian carp. Or borscht could be replaced with cabbage. In the Vinnytsia region they cooked porridge - millet or buckwheat. Some places served pancakes.

The main and unchanging dishes for everyone remain uzvar, kutia, Lenten dumplings and various Lenten pastries. There should be as much of it as possible: this will guarantee health and strength for the owner of the house, and will bring prosperity and harvest. Rolls, donuts, pies and pies - everything will be right.

All this wealth, of course, had to be served on a properly set table. Hay from the didukh was placed on the table (the owner gave most of this sheaf to cows, sheep and goats, and brought a little into the house; his sons participated in the ritual with the owner), it was covered with a new elegant tablecloth, and food was placed on this tablecloth.

Typically, the 12-course meal, the first ceremonial meal of Christmas, was enjoyed entirely with family. After it, children brought supper to their godparents, young people or men went to carol, adults gathered for church, and unmarried girls did not miss the opportunity to tell fortunes for their betrothed (although the church forbade this).

We went to visit on January 7, after a church service and breaking the fast. The magical Christmas night is coming, and you can’t sleep that night, otherwise you’ll sleep through your happiness. Yes, this will not work: carolers sing their songs and have fun, church bells ring and people rejoice noisily when returning from the service.

Feast of the Nativity of Christ

On the first day of Christmas, food was non-lenten - lard, sausages, liver, and meat dishes loved by Ukrainians were placed on the table, and homemade vodka or mead was served with them. After a hearty meal, one felt sleepy, so it was time for a well-deserved rest, and after dinner they went on a visit: adult children with their husbands and wives visited their parents, godfathers visited each other.

And on this day they forgave each other old grievances and made peace. In general, you should spend the day noisily, cheerfully, in a large company of friends, godfathers, buddies - stay alone or in a cramped family circle it is forbidden. The Kozaks had their own business on January 7 - it was the day of summing up the results and electing a new foreman.

January 8 - Day of the Virgin Mary This day was intended to honor the Virgin Mary and all women - mothers, grandmothers, wives. They could not work around the house (and this was simply strictly forbidden for pregnant women), and in order not to get bored, women were allowed to sing carols (in general, caroling is the work of men and homeless youth). And of course, all prayers sent to the Mother of God on this day will certainly be heard.

Signs for Holy Evening and Christmas

• All borrowed items must be returned before Christmas.
• To dress for the table on Holy Eve, you need to wear new, smart and always light-colored clothes, so as not to bring mourning to the family.
• Holy evening is celebrated only by your family. If guests are unavoidable, they try to ensure that a happy and pleasant person comes. This sign is associated with the pan-European tradition of the first guest: whoever first crosses the threshold of the house will program the family for the whole year. And if an evil person comes, the year will be unsuccessful.
• Before sitting down at the table on Holy Evening, you need to blow on a bench or chair in order to blow away the souls of the ancestors who came to visit, so that you don’t accidentally sit on them.
• Every family member should be at home on Holy Evening.
• You also can’t be late to the table - you’ll be wandering in a distant place all year.
• During dinner on Holy Evening, you should not get up from the table, shout or talk loudly - so as not to disturb the souls of your ancestors and scare away good luck.
• On January 6 and 7, you need to, at least mentally, ask for forgiveness from everyone you have offended, and forgive everyone who has offended you. By the way, it is during this period that forgiveness is especially easy.
• You can't go to bed on Christmas night - you'll sleep through your happiness.
• Warm Christmas - for a cold spring.
• On Christmas, there should be a live fire burning in the house - a stove, a fireplace, candles.

For all the people of the world, Christmas is the most important holiday for them. Since ancient times they have said: on Christmas Eve the gates of God open and Jesus descends to Earth. Tonight is endowed with great healing power. Whoever prays today will definitely come true

Christmas - main holiday Christians, made in honor of the birth of Jesus Christ. On this day, we make a wish, but they need to be made according to old signs, so that good luck and prosperity will come to us in the new year

What to do for Christmas, signs: what should be hung on the tree so that it brings financial wealth

In order to attract financial wealth, you need to hang coins and paper bills on the tree; they need to hang on the tree for at least 3 days; they can only be hung on a living spruce. After 3 days, you need to put these same bills and coins in your wallet, thereby they will charge other coins with Christmas power.

Also, instead of hanging coins and bills, you need to put them in a jar and place them under the tree, so they will also be charged with Christmas energy and will bring prosperity to your whole family throughout the year

You can also hang red beads or a symbol of the year on all the light bulbs in your home.

What to do for Christmas, signs: rituals to bring prosperity

You need to take a coin, wipe it and put it on the windowsill, the next day take this coin and wash your face with it, you don’t need to wipe your face, let it dry on its own. Put the coin in your wallet and try not to spend it all year

If you started revenge in the house, then you need to start from the door to bring wealth into the house, and not from the house

When you celebrate Christmas, put a few large bills in your pocket, and the next day you don’t spend 1 bill all year, you can spend the rest

In the evening before going to bed, put 1 coin under your pillow, put it in your wallet in the morning, and don’t spend it for several weeks, after which money will flow to you like a river.

What to do for Christmas, signs: what not to do on Christmas

You cannot start cleaning, ironing, or doing laundry in the house.

Under no circumstances should you lend money, even to relatives. If you lend money, then the whole year will be cashless for you.

There should also be no broken or cracked dishes on the table.

At Christmas you need to buy new underwear, preferably red. Red color - will bring financial wealth that will not disappear throughout the year

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It is customary to celebrate Orthodox Christmas on the night of January 6-7. On Christmas Eve you should stay at home, and on January 7 people visit or host relatives and friends at home. On the Christmas holiday, you need to communicate only with those people for whom you feel sincere sympathy; you cannot invite ill-wishers into your home. To attract happiness and love into your home, you should light as many candles and festive lights on the Christmas tree as possible, not forgetting to light a candle for the dead. Pets must be fed on Christmas night so that the family lives in abundance and abundance.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW! Fortune teller Baba Nina:“There will always be plenty of money if you put it under your pillow...” Read more >>

Weather meaning

Weather signs for Christmas:

• Severe frost and blizzard howl at Christmas - there will be a lot of honey, and the trees will be covered with leaves ahead of time.
• It's too cold on Christmas night - summer promises to be hot.
• A thaw at Christmas or sleet - you shouldn't wait for early spring.
• If the housewife prepares tasteless kutya for Christmas Eve, she will live in grief and illness all year.
• It's snowing heavily outside on Christmas Day - the year will be full of joy and good fortune.
• If there are many stars in the sky at Christmas, a rich harvest is expected.
• If the weather is frosty and the snow is deep, it will be a good year.
• In winter, there is no snow - there is no bread.
• January 7 in the new month means there will be a lean year.
• If Christmas time is dark, the cows are milking; if it is light, the chickens are milky.
• If the Nativity of Christ falls on a Sunday, the summer will be very successful, without natural disasters or bad weather.





Traditions and superstitions: how to prepare for and celebrate Christmas?

Traditions and customs associated with Christmas:

• It is imperative to be generous towards caroling children and orphans on Christmas Day, so that health does not leave all family members.
• You should put a magnificent kutya on the Christmas table so that wealth and health will come to your home.
• To check what year it will be, you need to give the chicken millet and water. If the bird starts pecking at the grain first, the year will be happy; if it is water, the household will be seriously ill.
• It is necessary for family members to shower each other with grain or millet on January 7 - there will be abundance and good luck in the family.
• To make the year successful, people provide festive food for the brownie.
• To live in wealth, you should place bowls of millet or grain in all rooms of the house.
• You can’t sweep dirty linen out of your hut during the week of Christmastide, otherwise a person won’t see happiness this year. To make the whole year happy, people burn garbage in the yard, because, according to popular beliefs, everything negative from a person’s life flies away along with the acrid smoke.
• It is impossible that on Epiphany night festive table there was plain water, otherwise thirst would plague the whole year.
• It is necessary to honor the memory of those who died during the Christmas holidays and put cutlery for the deceased on the festive table.
• The housewife must bake a sweet pie, first placing a coin in the dough. Whoever gets it will be fabulously rich and happy.
• A strange woman who enters the house and turns out to be the first guest at Christmas will bring with her serious illnesses for all representatives of the fair sex in the family. To neutralize the negative impact of this sign, all family members should say: “Christ is born, health is born.” Then you should cross yourself three times.
• Christmas should be celebrated at home and only in new clothes; whoever wears an old shirt will not receive a harvest this year.
• The owner should tie the legs at the table so that the cattle are obedient and always return home.
• Losing something on Christmas Eve means big material losses.
• Finding a valuable thing or item means living in wealth and financial prosperity.
• Spilling any liquid at the festive table (except for alcoholic beverages) means receiving good news, the successful completion of an important event.
• Meeting a hunchback (a man with a hump) during the Christmas holidays means that a person will have fantastic luck and incredible happiness in the new year.
• Meeting a large breed dog is a good sign, promising financial prospects.
• Accidentally stepping into pet excrement or manure is a great blessing.
• You should refrain from eating food until the first star appears on Epiphany Eve.
• The owner covers the table with a beautiful tablecloth and places a few cloves of garlic in the corners so that evil spirits do not sneak into the house.
• The Christmas table (on Holy Eve) should consist of 12 traditional Lenten dishes: kutia (the main dish that should be in the center of the Christmas table), dumplings with cabbage, vinaigrette, uzvar, borscht, cabbage rolls without meat, vegetable stew, fried fish, mushroom pie or vegetable, fish jellied meat, sauerkraut and baked apples. It is necessary for each guest to try a little of all the dishes, washing them down with a drink made from dried fruits (uzvar). Guests should not completely eat all the dishes, otherwise the owners of this house will have an empty refrigerator in the New Year.
• You need to start your meal only with kutya, and then move on to the rest of the dishes.
• At the Christmas table you should lead only pleasant conversations without reproaching or judging anyone.
• You need to dress up in new clothes before the first star appears in the sky.
• The housewife must touch all the icons in the house and the fruit trees in the garden with hands smeared in dough for dishes for the Holy Supper.
• The housewife should leave uneaten dishes on the table so that the souls of the dead can finish their meal.
• Praying and calling out to heaven at midnight - everything a person asks for will certainly come true if his thoughts are pure and his petitions are endowed with good power.
• Buying a valuable item on Christmas Eve is a positive sign; this item will serve its owner for many years.
• Giving gifts at Christmas means not having problems with money for a whole year.
• Every family should have a living spruce tree or at least several spruce branches. The tree should be generously decorated with colorful toys and shiny balls so that life is filled with positive and unforgettable moments.
• On the eve of the Christmas holidays, a spruce wreath is hung on the entrance doors, which protects the home and household from the negative interference of people and evil spirits.
• A woman who is carrying a baby in her womb must wash herself with blessed water and sprinkle healing liquid on her belly so that the birth will be easy and without complications, and the child will be born beautiful and healthy.
• In order for grandchildren to be born, grandparents need to defend the Christmas service and pray for the appearance of heirs.
• Adults and children dance around the holiday tree to bring happiness and health into their home.
• A small child who learns to walk on Christmas Eve will be endowed with many talents and his life will be successful and joyful.
• If a sick person starts talking about horses or pancakes, it is a bad sign that promises death.
• The owner needs to bring a bunch of straw on Christmas evening so that good luck will come to this house.
• If a person runs naked into the street on January 7 and his body is completely covered with small pimples, he will become rich and influential.
• A child born on Christmas night will bring great happiness to his home.
• A watch that has been standing for a long time and started working during the Christmas holidays promises its owner exciting adventures.
• If the housewife drops some of the food during the holiday cooking, the woman will have a full life this year.
• Night dreams that you dream on Christmas night will come true this year.
• On the morning of the Nativity of Christ, the housewife must place 12 modest dishes (containing meat) on the festive table.
• It is believed that if you open the windows wide at exactly midnight, great luck will come to the house; success will accompany each family member in all endeavors throughout the year.
• At the top of the Christmas tree there should be bright star for angels to visit this house.

According to popular belief, seeing a mouse on Christmas Eve is considered a bad sign. This small rodent is a warning of great danger and promises major losses, even complete ruin.



Prohibitions

• Weaving bast shoes at Christmas means they will be crooked; sewing or stitching something up means you will be born blind. Doing any kind of handicraft is prohibited.
• Hunting birds and animals means a great tragedy will happen to the hunter’s family.
• Swearing and crying means taking away hope from one’s ancestors for salvation; a person will shed bitter tears all year.
• The owner of the house on Christmas night should not leave his own yard and do manual work (repairing runners, hoops, etc.) so as not to lose his livestock and get sick.
• On the eve of the holiday, remove water and fire from the house.
• The plates on the holiday table should not be empty.
• Leave the Christmas table before the end of the common meal.
• Leaving the house on Holy Evening means releasing evil spirits into your home.
• Celebrating the Christmas holidays alone means while away your life alone.
• Sitting too closely at the table on Christmas Eve.
• Pick up dropped cutlery from the floor.
• Talk during the process of kneading dough for Christmas dishes.
• Put the house in order and do cleaning.
• Celebrate Christmas in clothes dark colors and shades.
• Break dishes and mirror surfaces.
• Fortune telling or bewitching on January 7th.
• Throwing away Christmas food, even if it has spoiled, is better to feed the leftover food to stray dogs.
• Giving personal items or taking, borrowing money from people close to you or from banking institutions.
• Attend a festive church service and go to God's temple if a representative of the fair sex begins menstruation (menstruation).



Fortune telling for the betrothed

Customs and superstitions for unmarried girls:

• Young ladies tell fortunes on Christmas night about the character of their betrothed with the help of a live rooster and various objects. You need to take a poultry and put 4 symbols in front of it: a mirror surface - the future husband will be handsome and well-mannered, grain - the husband will be generous and kind, water - the husband will be stingy and jealous, a live domestic chicken - the lover will dote on his wife . Whatever object the rooster reaches for, that’s the girl’s husband.
• The name that the young lady hears from the first man she meets on Christmas night is fateful for the young lady - that’s what her betrothed will be called.
• If an unmarried girl sees in a Christmas dream young man- She will get married this year.
• If a young lady dresses beautifully for Christmas, then the betrothed from the young lady will not escape anywhere.
• On Christmas Eve, young girls bring a live rooster into their house: if it remains standing at the door, the girl is destined to while away her life alone; if the bird approaches the Christmas table, a magnificent wedding is just around the corner.
• Putting down the comb, and then forgetting where the object is and trying for a long time to find it - such a sign promises great and mutual love.

Popular beliefs regarding fortune telling during the Christmas holidays (except for Christmas Day itself):

• If a girl is telling fortunes and the candles go out during this process, you should stop this activity, since the spirits are embittered by something and do not want to get in touch with the young lady.
• You should not cast a spell if a young lady accidentally breaks a mirror during a magical ritual, as this is fraught with tragic consequences for the fortuneteller and all members of her family.
• You cannot tell anyone about rituals and conspiracies; it is also better to remain silent about the results of fortune telling, so as not to bring trouble upon yourself.
• The fortune-telling girl should not be wearing ropes, belts, straps or other ties.
• It is best to carry out fortune telling in the house where the coffin with the deceased stood for a year, so that it is easier to summon the spirit.
• You cannot tell fortunes twice in a row with the same question, as the spirits may become seriously angry.

Christmas rites and rituals

To become rich, you need to knock on the glass with a coin on the Nativity of Christ and say: “Jesus was born, and Piglet appeared for me, as soon as the coin appeared, it would never be transferred. Christ the Almighty is born, and my money is multiplied many times over. Key . Tongue. Teeth. Amen.

On Christmas night, you need to take a small container of water and say to it all the negative things that happened to the person in the past year. Then you need to throw this water over the threshold of your house with the words: “God, take away nine arrows from me, from the noose, water, fire, knife, judgment, slander and from the thief, from damage to blood and from attacks on my body and shelter. In the name of all Saints, Amen (three times)."

To prevent serious illnesses and physical suffering from affecting a person, on Christmas morning you should wash your face three times. cold water and say: “The Savior Jesus Christ has appeared, light has appeared to the world. I am the Servant of God (person’s name) will be saved forever through the Most High God. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen” (say three times).

A strong amulet for the whole family: you need to buy a linen towel on the eve of Christmas night and charm it for healing from the most terrible and deadly ailments: “Charm against 77 different diseases, In the name of the Father, his Son and the Holy Spirit, from night toils, pain, dryness feigned, from caustic cancer, a fit of fits, from night cramps and from severe damage. The Most Holy Theotokos, the Virgin Mary washed her son, wiped her with a linen towel, Lord, bless, Almighty God and my towel woven from linen, In the name of all the Saints and those close to God. Whoever is wiped with this flax, all 77 different ailments will disappear from that person. Key. Lips. Language. Teeth. Lock. Amen." If one of the household members becomes very ill, you need to wet a towel with holy water and wipe the patient with it.

If a person has a worst enemy who causes him a lot of grief, he needs to perform a ritual to pacify the enemy: you will need a steel ax and an unnecessary piece of cloth. This ritual should be performed on Christmas Eve, before dusk. It is also important that the weather outside is frosty and there is snow. You need to take the steel ax out into your yard, and when it gets dark outside, take it into the house and say, wiping drops from its blade with a previously prepared cloth: “The steel fogged up, an arrow flew in. The steel cooled down - all evil forgot about me forever. Amen.” (three times). A piece of cloth should be placed near the house of the ill-wisher and the above words should be repeated three times.

You can protect your home from evil spirits in this way: take holy water and sprinkle every corner of your apartment, saying: “The corners in the hut and icons in every corner. Framed logs, under a large lock on the door, under a heavy lock on the gate. With the fence of the Lord and the house , the owner of the house. Keep away from the dashing, evil, house stranger.

To save female beauty and youth, you need to perform the following ritual: you need to prepare a herbal infusion of chamomile, linden and calendula, then add a little flower honey and the inflorescences of your favorite plants to it. You need to bend over a container with a herbal decoction and say the following words: “As this water is fragrant, fresh and pleasant, so may I always be young, healthy and incredibly beautiful, and most importantly, loved by everyone.” Say these words three times and douse yourself with the herbal infusion on the morning of January 7th. During this procedure, you should think about your unfading beauty and youth. Do not dry yourself with a towel; the liquid should evaporate from the skin. naturally.

Wish come true

On Christmas night, write your most cherished and brightest wish on a white sheet of paper, take a candle made of natural beeswax (it should be small), light it and wait until it burns out completely. The wax should drip onto the sheet with the desire. After these manipulations, you should take a thread that is identical to the color of the candle, roll the paper with wax into a small square and tie it with thread. This symbol must remain next to the person until the wish is fulfilled. You can put it in the compartment of your wallet or pocket of your bag and not show it to anyone.

The color of the wax candle should be chosen based on your request: if the desire concerns personal relationships and love feelings - red, for health and financial stability - a green candle, vitality and creative inspiration - blue, peace and tranquility, inner harmony - yellow, talents and hobbies - pink, the purple color of the candle helps a person find his calling in life and make internal changes.

An effective ritual to make your dreams come true: you need to go to church on Christmas and get blessed water. Drink the liquid in small sips just before going to bed and fall asleep with the thought of your deepest desire. You cannot utter any words or perform any actions at this time. If it was not possible to get consecrated water, a silver spoon will come in handy, which should be placed in a glass of water overnight, and the next evening repeat the manipulations, as with holy water.

Another ritual for desire: every day, starting from January 7 and for 40 days, you need to imagine that your dream has come true, and experience great joy from these thoughts. When the fortieth day comes, you should take some bread and crumble it for the birds. You can also build a birdhouse, which will enhance the effect of the magical ritual.

A variation of the ritual for making a dream come true: cut out an angel drawn with your own hands (should be drawn on white paper), clearly formulate the desire in your thoughts and draw only one eye for it. Then the paper figurine should be hidden in a secluded place, and when the plan comes true, take out the angel and finish drawing his second eye.

Exactly at three o'clock in the morning from January 6 to 7, you should go out into the open and turn to the powers of heaven to make your secret dream come true. You need to ask the Universe only for yourself, and these requests should not harm other people.

In order to achieve your intended goal and not lose heart when overcoming life’s obstacles, you should perform the following ritual: on the bottom of a white soup plate (there should be no drawings or images on the dish) draw the following sign with a green marker:



On Christmas night, you should take the dishes with the painted symbol out into the open air (yard or balcony), after pouring a small amount of blessed water onto the bottom of the plate. When dawn comes, you need to pick up the plate from the street and bring it into the house. Then you need to light a wax candle and hold it over the plate several times, moving clockwise. A person needs to say the text: “The Savior was born, and our world has changed. Salvation has been found, a solution has come. Most High Jesus, Almighty God, help and assist God’s Servant (the name of the person performing the ritual) to solve the matter, achieve a righteous goal, break through difficult obstacles to path. Let (pronounce the problem that a person cannot solve) be resolved according to Your word. This magic spell should be repeated 12 times in a row. The candle should burn to the ground, and one should wash oneself with blessed water before the person leaves his home and goes outside.

Love and marriage

Ritual for marriage: before going to bed, place a small dish with various sweet delicacies at the head of the bed and say the phrase: “My life in marriage will be sweet, tasty and joyful.”

For great and mutual love, you should perform the following ritual: take two candles made of natural wax and very carefully intertwine them with each other and light them. While the candle is burning, you should say the following magical text: “I will become, God’s Servant (girl’s name), my beloved, for you God’s Servant (potential spouse’s name), a real joy, I will become for you, my beloved God’s Servant (boyfriend’s name) “I will become a clear golden sun in your soul, my beloved Servant of God (the name of your beloved), and I will always illuminate your path in life, and for this you will love, appreciate and respect me.”

When the intertwined candles burn out, this stub should be hidden in a secluded place and stored for the next year; it will attract gentle and sincere feelings. If people in love begin to quarrel and a misunderstanding arises between them, you need to take out a magic candle and hold it in your hands for a few minutes, thinking about love for your loved one. Soon relations between lovers will improve, and passion will flare up with renewed vigor.

Conceiving a child and pregnancy

Pregnancy ritual: pray in front of the icon of the Holy Mother of God the Virgin Mary and be sure to light a candle in the church. After this manipulation, you should give the stray dog ​​a piece of bread so that the conception of a child occurs in the near future.

For pregnancy to happen as early as possible, you need a girl who wants to carry healthy child, eat grain or eggs in an amount equal to the woman’s age. An egg yolk, which needs to be crumbled into small pieces, is also suitable.

A woman who wants to get pregnant this year needs to endure the entire Christmas night service in church and pray with a pure heart for motherhood. You should also regularly feed stray animals, and if the dog follows a girl, shelter the dog.

Luck and prosperity

A ritual that will help attract good luck: you should turn off the lights in the entire house on the eve of the bright holiday and light a candle from the east. A person should stand at the window, and when the first star lights up in the sky, say: “The Star of Bethlehem is shining, proclaiming joy to the world. Baby Jesus is born, and great happiness is awakening again. This great happiness will touch me, and I will be luckier day from day to day." Then you should extinguish the candle with your fingers and say in a confident voice: “So be it.”

In order to live in prosperity all next year and not know trouble, you need to sit down at the Christmas table and say the following text: “On this bright Christmas night, a great miracle is accomplished - Jesus Christ is born. The Almighty is born into the world, the Earth is filled with grace. The grace of God and earthly things also fall on me, they protect me from troubles and bad weather, misfortunes will pass, and prosperity and joy will come.” These words should be repeated three times, not immediately, but an hour after the speech is made, and then again after the same amount of time.

To prevent money transfers in the house, you need to take a flower pot and bury coins of various denominations in it. It should be placed next to the holiday tree at night. In the morning, remove the flower pot out of reach of prying eyes and store it for a year. You can also plant money tree, having previously buried several different coins in the ground. Then the person must say: “You grow, my tree, and along with your growth there will be an increase in my monetary capital. Lure money into my wallet, and so that my expenses will all be for future use. Amen” (say three times). Place the money tree under the Christmas tree and remove the plant to the windowsill in the morning.

To carry out the following ritual to attract wealth, you will need the following items: aromatic essential oil for taking a bath, coins of different denominations in the amount of 5 pieces, green candles in the amount of 3 pieces. You should place candles in the bathroom when it gets dark outside, turn off the lights and light them. Then place coins in the bathtub and turn on running water until the bathtub is full. Drip oil into the bath and say the words: “The river flows from afar, to the semi-precious sea from the golden land. It has no end, like my countless wealth. Let it be so forever and ever. Amen.” These words should be said three times in a row.

Then the person should immerse himself in the bath, close his eyes and completely relax. You need to let go of negative thoughts and concentrate on thoughts about monetary wealth. You should imagine the desired picture down to the smallest detail and feel the joy of acquiring material wealth. Then you need to plunge your head eight times in a row and get out of the bath. The candles should burn out, and five coins should be put in the wallet and kept until next year.

Christmas time is a whole period that begins on Christmas Eve and ends with the Epiphany of the Lord. A number of traditions, customs and signs are associated with this time.

Christmastide primarily has a religious significance. However, over time, Christian and pagan cultures mixed, and thus many traditions, customs and even superstitions arose. From and before Epiphany, people caroled, told fortunes, and held noisy events, even though the church did not encourage such entertainment.

Christmas time has always been divided into three important events: Christmas, Old New Year and Epiphany, so we will look at the traditions, customs and signs of each of these holidays.

Christmas traditions and customs

The celebration of Christmastide began on the evening of January 6th. On this day, people did not eat anything until the first star appeared, and after that, 12 main courses and other treats were traditionally served for dinner.

After the meal, believers went to church, where they could simply take part in the service or pray for themselves and their loved ones.

On Christmas Eve it was customary to complete all the hard work around the house. All day long people were cleaning up, throwing out trash and preparing to celebrate Christmas. On Christmas, it was necessary to devote as much time as possible to prayers and charitable deeds, so housewives began preparing festive dishes on January 6th.

In Rus' on Christmas they wore the most best clothes and went on festivities, and young girls loved to tell fortunes about future grooms. At this time, the most common entertainment among young people was carols. From the very morning, girls and boys dressed up, went out into the street, chose the main one, and then walked along the street and entertained passers-by with songs and dances.

Christmas signs

• If the weather is cold and snowy on Christmas Eve, it means summer will come early.
• If there are many stars in the sky on the evening of January 6, it means that the year will be fruitful.
• Snow fell on Christmas - there will be a lot of money all year.
• Typically, warm weather is rare in winter, but if it's clear and sunny on Christmas Day, spring will be late.

Traditions and customs of the Old New Year

The Old New Year always began to be celebrated on the evening of January 13th. On this day, kutya was prepared with the addition of butter and honey, and then guests were invited and the outgoing year was celebrated again.

The second week of Christmas time was called scary. It was believed that evil spirits roamed the earth at this time. To drive them away, on January 14 they prepared kutya and took it home, treating their friends and neighbors. Our ancestors believed that this good way protect yourself from evil spirits.

The period of matchmaking began with the Old New Year. Young men came to the girls and invited them to festivities. It was believed that a marriage concluded on January 14 would be eternal, and the love of the newlyweds would never fade away.

It was customary to cook a pig for a festive dinner. After the long Nativity Fast, believers could again treat themselves to meat dishes without any prohibitions or restrictions.

Signs of the Old New Year

• To ensure a fruitful year and fertile land, gardeners shook off snow from apple trees on this day.
• If on the night of January 13-14 the wind is south, it means that the year will be rich and fertile. Eastern - there will be a lot of berries and fruits. Western - there may be a drought in the summer and there will not be a good harvest.
• If there are many stars in the sky at night, the year will be profitable.
• It was customary to serve pork dishes on the table, since this meat symbolizes prosperity and well-being.

Traditions and customs of Baptism

On Epiphany Eve it was customary to observe strict fasting. Of course, the owners invited guests to their house, but only Lenten dishes were served on the table. The most important dish on the table was kutia with honey; rice, bread and other food prepared without meat, milk and butter were also served.

Even John the Baptist called people to plunge into the waters of the Jordan and baptized them. That is why the ritual of swimming in an ice hole became popular in Rus'. At Epiphany, water has beneficial properties, and, despite the cold, the most courageous people are ready to plunge into the water to ensure good health for the whole year.

The night from January 18 to 19 has always been considered special. To witness the miracle, people poured holy water into a bowl and waited for it to ripple, and then ran into the courtyard to see the heavenly radiance.

If on Epiphany Eve you have to give up delights, then on the holiday itself there will be no restrictions. From this day the winter meat-eating begins, so there should be as many meat dishes on the table as possible.

Signs associated with Baptism

• If there is a lot of snow on Epiphany Eve, it means that next year will be rich and fruitful.
• If it snows on the morning of January 6, there will be a lot of buckwheat next year.
• If the stars are bright in the sky at night on Christmas Eve, there will be a good harvest of berries.
• On the morning of Epiphany, hear a dog barking - there will be a lot of game.

Christmas time, as usual, ends with Epiphany. Fortune telling is one of the fascinating traditions of any holiday. With their help, you can find out what changes will happen in your life in the near future. We wish you good mood and positive emotions, and don't forget to press the buttons and