Merry Christmas is associated with a huge number of different customs, signs and rituals. It has long been believed: as a person celebrates this holiday, this will be the whole year. These days, we often think so about the New Year. However, for the Christian peoples, Christmas, the signs, customs and rites associated with it, were much more important. In this article we will tell you about what beliefs are associated with this bright Christian holiday.
Description
For most Christians, Christmas is very important. This is a celebration of faith, love, warmth, happiness and kindness. In Russia and in countries in which the people profess the Orthodox faith, it is celebrated on January 7. Catholics from all over the world (recently Orthodox Greeks have also joined them) celebrate Christmas of Jesus Christ on December 25, but the Armenians - the people who were the first in the world to adopt Christianity as the state religion in 301, celebrate the most important of all church holidays on January 6. Of course, the main thing in it is participation in the Christmas service in the church. And after that, all Christian peoples, regardless of which denomination they belong to, set festive tables for which they prepare special dishes. This day is usually celebrated with the whole family, with loved ones and relatives. This is the main custom for Christmas. Signs today are not all attach importance, but many are still very interested, even if just for fun.
Main traditions
This holiday is not accepted to be alone. If there is no opportunity to celebrate with the whole family, then it is better to go to visit those people whom you consider closest to you. Or invite someone to visit you, but do not stay alone in the four walls. It is very important to see happy people, for example, a couple who are waiting for replenishment, or the family in which the child was recently born. Being among them is one of the signs for Christmas. According to her, being among happy people on this wonderful day, you yourself are "infected" by happiness from them. Having come to visit them, you must definitely bring along a gift, a toy for the child, something sweet - sweets, cookies, jam, and if possible, a homemade kuta.
Congratulations
Do not forget to call and congratulate all the most important people in your life this day. If you do this from year to year, then people will answer you with the same coin. But to hear a cascade of good wishes is the best sign. The custom at Christmas to congratulate loved ones and give them gifts arose a very long time ago, it is written in the Bible. Remember how the magi with their gifts searched for the nursery where little Jesus was born. By the way, you can buy a gift for yourself. According to legend, a thing bought on Christmas Eve will serve its owner for a long time. Goodness and wealth are also attracted to the family (house) by burning candles and fire in the fireplace. It is necessary to light one candle for those who are no longer dead. They are believed to help you attract good luck. There is another very common omen for Christmas, which is associated with the arrival of guests. It is very important that a man steps on the threshold first. This is for luck. And here is the woman who first stepped over the threshold of your home - to failures and illnesses.
Caring for others
A great sign for Christmas, if a cat or dog scratched your door. If you wish, you can let her in to yourself or hearty feed at the threshold. Do not forget about your pets, they also need to be plentifully fed, so that you have plenty in your house for a whole year. Also give those who need it - no matter what: money, food, clothes, etc. It will also attract you money.
Bans
There is a whole list of actions that in no case can be done before the most important Christian holiday. So, for example, a bad omen for Christmas is occupation. On this day, you can’t bake bread, make something with your hands, sew, knit, weave (any activity in which the thread appears). By the way, a thread in antiquity was considered a symbol of life. In historical times, it was believed that on this day there is a stop of time, that is, on a holiday it is not worth building and creating anything. Also, do not clean, wash and clean. It is advisable that before the old New Year - January 14 - garbage should not be thrown away, so that, God forbid, good luck should not go away with it. But 7-day garbage is better to burn and dispel it downwind.
In addition, this day should be truly festive, and people should fully devote themselves to it and not load themselves with any work, but rest and celebrate. Another bad omen at Christmas is swearing and quarreling. You need to try to refrain from such manifestations, otherwise you can throw trouble on yourself and loved ones and lose hope of salvation. So you need to tune in a pleasant mood, pray, remember all the best that has been and is in your life, and put your bad thoughts aside and not conflict with anyone and be condescending.
Drinking water on the night before Christmas is also not a good sign. They say it’s a torment. Today, this belief seems strange to us, but is it not better to tolerate than to suffer later. It is forbidden to guess at Christmas night itself. For this, you will have as much as 11 days, from January 8 to January 18, that is, until Baptism. These days are called by the Orthodox Christians.
Christmas omens regarding clothing
Today everyone is trying to embellish himself on a festive night, to put on something bright and beautiful. This tradition comes from the depths of centuries. However, in those days it was necessary to put on not just beautiful clothes, but to cook something new, completely unworn clothes. And a bad sign for Christmas is to be at the Christmas table in black clothes. It was believed that this would lead to failure and large losses.
7 blessings of the Nativity of Christ
The number 7 has long been considered sacred. According to one of the signs for Christmas, those who manage to do 7 good deeds on January 7th will live the coming year successfully. He can ask the angels for the fulfillment of any of his cherished desires. In addition, you need to give alms to the 7 poor before Christmas - this sign is very good. They say that after this a person will live in abundance for a whole year. You can also give seven close (optional) people a useful gift or treat seven kids playing in the yard with sweets. And merchants are recommended to sell the goods to the first buyer at a discount of up to seven units (7 rubles, 7 tens or hundreds).
Ritual
According to the signs and customs at Christmas, which took shape over many centuries, for forty days, during which angels come to help people, in the mornings, immediately before awakening, perform the following ritual: to pray, cross yourself three times, and make some then a good desire. And every evening, as soon as the sun sets over the horizon, you need to light a candle and pray again, crossing three times. You can make one desire every day, or you can think about the same thing all the time, and then the likelihood that it will come true will greatly increase.
Signs for Christmas for money
A very bad sign to lose something on the eve of this holiday. This, according to legend, will lead to large losses throughout the year. And vice versa, finding something before Christmas is a good omen, especially if it is something valuable, such as jewelry. This will mean that soon a large amount of money will come into your hands. Also, if tea or coffee is accidentally spilled on a Christmas table, then this is to material well-being. Another sign for Christmas for money is the starry sky. A heavy snowfall indicates a plentiful harvest. But a young month in the night sky - to failure in money.
Surely everyone knows about such a ritual as cutting a Christmas cake with a coin inside. Whoever gets it will be lucky throughout the year. According to another custom, you need to throw a carefully washed coin into a glass of champagne, drink it carefully so as not to swallow it, and then dry it and put it in your wallet. It is believed that she will attract money into your wallet. It is advisable that on Christmas night in your pocket at least some amount. Empty pockets and a wallet are not good.
Christmas 2018
We have long been accustomed to believing that each year has an animal patron. So, for example, the current one is considered the year of the Dog. Signs for Christmas, in principle, should not have any relation to the patroness of the year. After all, let's not forget that Christmas is the largest of the Christian holidays, and the Chinese, who came up with the horoscope, are not Christians. However, let's symbolically call this year the Year of the Dog and see what the stars have prepared for us in 2018.
God forbid to see a mouse on Christmas night in the year of the Dog: this is a loss or expense. In no case should you borrow something from someone on the night before Christmas. This sign does not only apply to money, but also to any products, such as salt. You cannot cut a Christmas cake before the first star appears in the sky. If the evening is overcast, then you need to wait until it gets dark enough. On households, fresh (new) linen should be worn, otherwise you can scare away luck.
Festive table and casual meetings
Before you sit at the festive table, you need to feed your pets. If you don’t have those, then in a bowl you can bring a bone or something meat to the street - something that a dog might like. In no case should you use cracked or chipped dishes. The dog will definitely not like it. And you do not need to put gilded or colored dishes on the table: either pure white or crystal. You also need to put on the table a few extra appliances for deceased relatives. This will reduce the likelihood of illness.
In no case do you need to cook for the feast of lobsters and crayfish, so that things do not move back. It is better to cook meat and vegetables. Believe me, the dog will like it. Fill glasses, who gets the last straw - will be happy this year. Another sign of luck is to see a hunchback in the morning. It will increase if you run up and touch its hump. And if you meet a large black dog, then this year is just for you. Accidentally stepping on a dog's excrement - also attract good luck.
Marriage Signs
If there are young people in the family, they, of course, are most concerned about whether they can find a mate and get married (get married) next year. However, unmarried girls are forbidden to divine on Christmas night, since happiness can be frightened off. However, if you go out that night and ask the name of the first person you meet, then this will be the name of the future husband. And you can see the face of the groom if you put a comb under the pillow. And you will also need to hang a towel in the yard for the night. If it is wet by morning, the wedding is just around the corner. And you can roll the wedding ring on the floor, if it rolls for a long time, then you need to wait for the groom not too early. A few minutes before January 7, you can go outside and throw your shoe if he lies with his toe to the door, which means that this year the girl will not marry, and if she is toed outside, the wedding is already close.