Christmas Celebration in Russia
In Russia the Festival of Winter replaces the religious festival of Christmas but there are some group of people that still preserved up the way of traditional celebration. Thirteen days after Western Christmas, on January 7th, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the Christmas festival, in accordance with the old Julian calendar. It's a day of both solemn ritual and joyous celebration.
After the 1917 Revolution, along with Christmas another religious festival was banned throughout the country. It was 75 years later, in 1992, the holiday was openly observed and once again people started celebrating festival of Christmas. Today, once again Christmas festival celebrated in grand fashion, with the faithful participation of people through out the country.
Traditional Russian Christmas involves special prayers and a fast of 39 days till the first star appears in the sky on Christmas Eve (which falls on 6th of January in Russia). Once the first star has appeared in the sky, the festivities begin. On the Eve of Christmas, it is traditional for all family members to gather to share a special meal. The various foods and customs surrounding this meal varies from village to village and from family to family, but certain aspects of this holy meal remain same.
The Russians call this meal as ‘The Holy Supper’. The family member gathers around the table to honour the Jesus Christ. A white tablecloth is laid on the table as a symbolic of Christ's swaddling clothes. Hay is brought as a reminder of the poverty of the Cave where Jesus was born. A tall white candle is place in the center of the table representing of Christ ‘the Light of the World’. A large round loaf of Lenten bread, "pagach," symbolic of Christ the Bread of Life, is placed next to the Candle.
The meal begins with the Lord's Prayer, led by the father of the family. A prayer of thanksgiving for all the blessings of the past year is said and then prayers for the good things in the coming year are offered. The Mother of the family blesses each person with honey in the form of a cross on each forehead. Following this, everyone takes loaf of the bread, dipping it first in honey and then in chopped garlic. Honey is symbolic of the sweetness of life, and garlic of the bitterness. The "Holy Supper" is then eaten. Then the family goes to Church, where priest holds elaborate prayer.
On Christmas Day, people gather in churches for prayer and singing carols. Churches are decorated with Christmas trees known as 'Yelka', flowers and colored lights. The other wonderful Russian Christmas traditions are door-to-door singing of Russian carols that are also known as ' kolyadki'. This is often accompanied by the group of people who dress up as clowns, animals and beggars and in various colorful costumes.
Through out the Russia, the legend of Grandfather Frost (D'yed Moroz) are very popular, this character is equivalents to the resemblance of Santa Claus. Ded Moroz wears a heel-long fur coat, a semi-round fur hat, and white high boots. It is said that Grandfather Frost lived deep in the woods of Russia and while coming to town by sleigh he bring gifts for children and good wishes for the people.
‘Babushka’ is another popular traditional Christmas figure of Russia who distributes gifts among children. Her name means grandmother and according to the legend it is said that she is very old and when the three wise men stopped on their way and asked her to accompany them to visit Jesus but she declined because of cold. However, she regretted the decision later and set off with presents and gifts for the baby in her basket. She never found Jesus, and in the hope of finding God Jesus one day she visits each house, leaving gifts and toys for children.
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