Many people hear the word "Christmas Eve" on Christmas Eve. But during the year there are several Christmas Eves: before the Annunciation, on the eve of the memory of Fyodor Tyron, the first Saturday of Great Lent.
Christmas Eve is the evening on the eve of a big church holiday. This time got its name from the dish "oozing". To prepare it, wheat grains were soaked in water or seed juice. In some homes, wheat was replaced by peas, lentils, or barley. Fruit and honey were added to make the dish sweet.
Christmas Eve Traditions
The hostesses prepared especially carefully for Christmas Eve before Christmas, one of the most important Christian holidays. According to tradition, on Christmas Eve one cannot sit down at the table until the first star, it symbolizes the birth of Jesus Christ. After the rising of the star, the table was covered with a snow-white tablecloth, the house was decorated with hay, and the hostesses prepared 12 dishes, among which were uzvar, kutia and jelly. Meat dishes, pies, pancakes, dried berries, pickles, pies and fried sausages were placed on the festive table.
Dishes for Christmas Eve are not chosen by chance: soaked wheat grains are a symbol of the beginning of a new life, jelly from ripe fruits is the full ripening of life and its end. Thus, wheat grains and jelly are symbols of birth and death.
On Christmas Eve, it is customary to help people in need with clothes, money and food. It is believed that on this day God sees all good deeds and rejoices. If you do good this evening, it will definitely return and multiply.
Epiphany Christmas Eve takes place on January 18th. Before the holiday, you can only eat lean dishes: porridge, juicy with berries, vegetable pancakes, compote and bread. On Christmas Eve, people collect holy water, which heals from diseases.
Divination during Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve for young people is not only a feast and church traditions, but also fortune telling on the night before the holiday. This time is the most favorable for predicting the future, each sacrament is performed with a burning candle, which drives away evil forces and evil spirits, helps to fulfill desires and dreams. The girls wondered on the ring, the name of the betrothed, made divination-love spells, used coffee grounds, pets, fruits, berries, etc. in secret rituals.
On Christmas Eve, boys and girls dressed up, got together for carols, went from house to house, sang songs and received treats. On Epiphany Eve, you cannot lend money and take things out of the house. And if a bird flew to the window, it means that the deceased relatives are asking to pray for them.
Christmas Eve is the evening before a church holiday, a time when you need to escape from the bustle of the world and gather the whole family at the table.
