How do the Russian Orthodox Church celebrate Christmas?

Answer 1

Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate the Nativity of Christ with a 40-day period of abstinence and fasting (called the 'Nativity Fast' or 'Christmas Lent'), marked by an increase in prayer, meditation, and alms-giving. In addition, Eastern Orthodox Christians, depending on their ethnic background, will celebrate the two Sundays before Christmas with customs particular to their ancestry. The culmination of the 40 day Fast is, of course, the Feast of the Nativity itself, highlighted by the special services of the Royal Hours, the Festal Vigil on the eve of the Feast, and the celebration of the Eucharist at the Festal Divine Liturgy on Christmas Day (technically referred to as "The Feast of the Nativity in the flesh of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"). A common custom is the singing of Christmas Hymns or carols to the shut-ins or the sick in the parish during the 12 days after Christmas - which culminates int he "Feast of Light" - Theophany of the Lord - the day the Holy Trinity is revealed to the world. As is customary , these holidays are marked with specially baked delicacies and foods! The greeting that is used by all Eastern Orthodox Christians during the twelve days of Christmas is "Christ is Born" And the response is, "Indeed He is Born! or Glorify Him!" Submitted by Very Rev. Stephen G. Rocknage, Pastor St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church - McKeesport, Pa.

Answer 2

In the Eastern Orthodox Faith, Easter is referred to as Pascha (literal translation of Greek for Passover, pesach).

The celebration of Pascha begins the evening of Palm Sunday with Bridgroom Matins, which begins Holy Week.

Holy Wednesday commemerates The Last Supper.

On Holy Thursday, the 12 Passion Gospels are read.

On Great and Holy Friday, Christ's death is commemerated as the Lamentations are sung.

On Great and Holy Saturday, Christ's Descent Into Hell is remembered.

The celebration of Pascha begins Saturday night at approx. 11:00 PM with the Midnight Office. After complete darkness for a long period, the Priest removes the epitaphios from the tomb and carries it into the altar, where it will remain on the altar table until the end of the Paschal season. Paschal Matins then begins with a procession around the church near midnight. When the faithful return to the front of the Church, the Gospel reading is read and the Paschal Troparion is sung for the first time:

Christ Is Risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.

Answer 3

Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter, more commonly known as the Resurrection of Jesus Christ by worshipping Him along with other Christians in local church body on Sunday morning. Acts 17:31 After church services, many go home with family and friends and eat a meal together.

The truth and belief of every Christian's hope rests in the resurrection of their own life after they die. What would be the purpose of someone practicing the Christian beliefs, if there were no hope in an after life in heaven with God?

2 Corinthians 5: 8 explains that when we die, it is only our earthly bodies that go to the grave, but our spirit goes to be with the Lord. He then gives us an eternal lasting body and we live with Him forever and ever, Amen

Answer 4

Thirteen days after Western Christmas, on January 7th, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates its Christmas, in accordance with the old Julian calendar. It's a day of both solemn ritual and joyous celebration

After the 1917 Revolution, Christmas was banned throughout Russia, along with other religious celebrations. It wasn't until 75 years later, in 1992, that the holiday was openly observed. Today, it's once again celebrated in grand fashion, with the faithful participating in an all-night Mass in incense-filled Cathedrals amidst the company of the painted icons of Saints.

Christmas is one of the most joyous traditions for the celebration of Eve comes from the Russian tradition. 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 differed in Holy Russia from village to village and from family to family, but certain aspects remained the same.

An old Russian tradition, whose roots are in the Orthodox faith, is the Christmas Eve fast and meal. The fast, typically, lasts until after the evening worship service or until the first star appears. The dinner that follows is very much a celebration, although, meat is not permitted. Kutya (kutia), a type of porridge, is the primary dish. It is very symbolic with its ingredients being various grains for hope and honey and poppy seed for happiness and peace.

Once the first star has appeared in the sky, the festivities begin. Although all of the food served is strictly Lenten, it is served in an unusually festive and anticipatory manner and style. The Russians call this meal: "The Holy Supper." The family gathers around the table to honor the coming Christ Child. A white table-cloth, symbolic of Christ's swaddling clothes, covers the Table. Hay is brought forth 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, symbolic 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 head of the family greets those present with the traditional Christmas greeting: "Christ is Born!" The family members respond: "Glorify Him!" The Mother of the family blesses each person present with honey in the form of a cross on each forehead, saying: "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, may you have sweetness and many good things in life and in the new year." Following this, everyone partakes 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 (see below for details). After dinner, no dishes are washed and the Christmas presents are opened. Then the family goes to Church, coming home between 2 and 3 am. On the Feast of the Nativity, neighbors and family members visit each other, going from house to house , eating, drinking and singing Christmas Carols all the day long.

The "Holy Supper"

Christmas Eve dinner is meatless but festive. The most important ingredient is a special porridge called kutya. It is made of wheatberries or other grains which symbolize hope and immortality, and honey and poppy seeds which ensure happiness, success, and untroubled rest. A ceremony involving the blessing of the home is frequently observed. The kutya is eaten from a common dish to symbolize unity. Some families used to throw a spoonful of kutya up to the ceiling. According to tradition, if the kutya stuck, there would be a plentiful honey harvest.

Traditionally, the "Holy Supper" consists of 12 different foods, symbolic of the 12 Apostles. Although there was also some variation in the foods from place to place and village to village, the following is a good summary of what was typically served. It comes to us from Elizabeth Kontras, who celebrated the Feast of the Nativity in the traditional Russian way with her babishka (Grandmother) and zeddo (Grandfather) in Monessen, Pennsylvania until their passing in the 1970-1980's. The twelve foods are:

1) Mushroom soup with zaprashka; this is often replaced with Sauerkraut soup

2) Lenten bread ("pagach")

3) Grated garlic

4) Bowl of honey

5) Baked cod

6) Fresh Apricots, Oranges, Figs and Dates

7) Nuts

8) Kidney beans (slow cooked all day) seasoned with shredded potatoes, lots of garlic, salt and pepper to taste

9) Peas

10) Parsley Potatoes (boiled new potatoes with chopped parsley and margarine)

11) Bobal'ki (small biscuits combined with sauerkraut or poppyseed with honey)

12) Red Wine

It was once common practice, on Christmas Eve, for groups of people masquerading as manger animals to travel from house to house, having themselves a rousing good time, and singing songs known as kolyadki . Some kolyadki were pastoral carols to the baby Jesus, while others were homages to the ancient solar goddess Kolyada, who brings the lengthening days of sunlight through the winter. In return for their songs, the singers were offered food and coins, which they gladly accepted, moving on to the next home.

Ded Moroz and yolka

The origin of Santa Claus is in St. Nicholas. He was born in Asia Minor at at the Greco-Roman city of of Myra in the province of Lycia, at a time when the region was entirely Greek in origin. Due to the suppression of religion during the Soviet regime, St. Nicholas was replaced by Ded Moroz or Grandfather Frost, the Russian Spirit of Winter who brought gifts on New Year's. He is accompanied by Snyegurochka, the Snowmaiden, who helps distribute the gifts.

The Christmas tree (Yolka) is yet another tradition banned during the Soviet era.To keep the custom alive, people decorated New Year's trees, instead. Since ornaments were either very costly or unavailable, family trees were trimmed with homemade decorations and fruit. Yolka comes from the word which refers to a fir tree. The custom of decorating Christmas trees was introduced to Russia by Peter the Great, after he visited Europe during the 1700's.

Why January 7?

In ancient times, many, mostly unreliable methods had been used to calculate the dates according to either the lunar or solar cycles. By Roman times, the calendar had become three months out with the seasons, so in 46 BC, Julius Caesar commissioned the astronomer, Sosigenes to devise a more reliable method. This, we know as the Julian Calendar and was used widely for 1500 years. The month of his birth, Caesar had named Quintilis, but the Roman Senate later re-named it Julius (July) in his honour. In those days, February had 30 days every 4 years.

However, this calendar was still 11 minutes and 14 seconds longer than the solar year, so that by the year 1580, the calendar had accumulated 10 days off again. In 1582, therefore, Pope Gregory XIII corrected the difference between the sun and calendar by ordering 10 days dropped from October, the month with the least Roman Catholic Feast days. His calendar, we know as the Gregorian Calendar, which is used in almost all of the world today. Pope Gregory made further changes to keep the calendar in line, which on average is only 26.3 seconds longer than the solar year. The Gregorian Calendar is so accurate that it will take until the year 4316 to gain a whole day on the sun.

That year, 1582, October 5th became October 15th and was immediately adopted in most Roman Catholic nations of Europe. Various German states kept the Julian Calendar until 1700. Britain and the American Colonies didn't change until 1752, but Russia and Turkey did not adopt the Gregorian Calendar until the early 1900's.

So, January 7th by the Georgian Calendar would have been December 25th by the old Julian Calendar and is therefore why it is still Christmas Day for the Russian Orthodox Church. Many Russians will have celebrated along with the rest of us and will then celebrate again on the Orthodox date.

New Year Eve instead of Christmas

Few people in Russia remember, but when the communists took power in 1917 they banned the open expression of religion. While it was easy to pray at home, the Russian people were concerned about giving up their traditional Christmas celebration.

But where there is a will, there is a way!

They re-invented the New Year's holiday tradition to include a decorated tree, and introduced a character called "Grandfather Frost." Known as "Ded Moroz," Grandfather Frost looked very much like the western "Santa Claus" or "Pere Noel" - except he wore a blue suit.

Actually, Ded Moroz was a character that existed in the pagan culture, centuries earlier. For a time, Christmas was all but forgotten. In fact, it was generally celebrated only in small villages, where the citizenry was far from the prying eyes of the Party.

Answer 5

Christmas in the Eastern Orthodox Church is called the Feast of the Incarnation, and is not as emphasized as it is in Western Churches. The most important Christian observance for an Orthodox Christian is the Resurrection, which is a much bigger celebration.

The Feast of the Incarnation was once a longer season, and included Divine Liturgies on December 25, to remember the Incarnation, January 1 to remember the Circumcision of Christ, and January 6 to remember the Theophany, or revealing of the triune nature of God when Jesus was baptised in the Jordan. Some Orthodox do not exchange gifts until January 6.

The observance of Christmas begins on November 15, with the beginning of the fast in preparation for Christmas. Dairy, oil, or animals with a backbone, alcohol, or behaviors such as gossiping, parties, or celebrations take place before December 25. We fast to lighten our spirit; it is not a sacrifice, denying or giving something up for us. During that time, we remember on of Old Testament Prophets, who were all prophecying the birth of the Messiah. In America, many Orthodox will decorate Christmas Trees, and put up festive lights.

In addtition to attending the Divine Liturgy on Sundays leading up to Christmas, we will attend Church on the evening of December 24, and the morning of December 25. After Church we will come home and open gifts. Orthodox hymns focus on the actual events leading up to the birth of Jesus, and the words emphasize the awesome mystery that is taking place. 'He who created the heavens is born as a little child.'

Answer 6

They will celebrate by saying whishes and giving cakes

Answer 7

By turning the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. This is done during the Divine Liturgy where Jesus is invisibly present, together with the angels.

Answer 8

Yes, the Eastern Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, and Russian Orthodox churches and their members do.