Christmastime in the spotlight of the Presidential Library’s materials

Twelve holidays are considered to be Christmastime “from star to water” - from the 6th to the 19th of January, that is, from Christmas to Epiphany, from the first star on Christmas Eve to the baptismal blessing of water.

“The celebration of Christmastime probably came to us from Greece or from the southwest, - suggests Ivan Bozheryanov in his fundamental study How Russian People Celebrated and Celebrate Christmas, New Year, Epiphany and Shrovetide (1894), - since the ancient Greeks, during the transition of the old new year to the new, danced in women's dresses, and women danced in men's... Gothic sacred games were sent in the presence of the emperor himself”.

As we see, before moving on to Russian customs, Ivan Bozheryanov makes an excursion into the Christmas traditions of European nations. It was a custom in Holland that the watchman, for eight days before Christmas and eight days after, "announcing the breaking of the clock in the morning, advised residents to eat porridge with raisins and honey". The inhabitants of England danced and sang in the streets for several nights in a row. At Christmas, you should definitely bow to the apple trees to attract a rich harvest. Even the British burned special thick candles that were supposed to burn all night and not go out - otherwise it would be trouble...   

"Christmastime in Russia, according to Bozheryanov - was celebrated from ancient times - the "Kormchaya Book", "Stoglav" and "Household Book", which forbade "Hellenic insanities" and other amusements, are proof of this. “Holy fathers do not command the husbands to confer shaggy persons, nor the goat, nor the satyrs…”

Fortune-telling on the betrothed is one of the most undying sacred traditions. People pass from generation to generation on ways to know their fate: using a mirror, molten wax, a comb and even throwing shoes. The book Way of life of the Russian people. Christmastime illustrates:" Maidens tell fortunes in the villages: around midnight they go out into the courtyard, and from which side the dog barks, from that side the betrothed waits for".  

The same book tells that the girls are especially fond of guessing at figures sculpted by them from bread. Before the New Year, after dinner, each girl sculpts from the piece of bread she has left of the image or figure that she likes; then they collect all the figures and lay them out on the threshold of the hut. Then they call some kind of dog and admit it to the figures. "Whose first she grabs - will marry soon".  

Christmas time was celebrated by everyone, but basically it is a youth festival: boys and girls went from house to house - caroling.

For amusing games, they prepared masks of animals and birds, clownish robes ahead of time. They dressed up as anyone wanted, and in masks with jokes: they went around at home, performed great, ceremonial songs about how Christ was born, how God's messengers came to visit the master, and others danced and congratulated the hosts.

In funny lyrics, Kolyada is a mythological character (Kolyada “walks around yards, collects gifts”). In Pskov Region, some texts censure the mean, greedy housewives who give nothing to Kolyada.

The main goal of caroling is the wish of happiness, wealth and a good harvest. Russian carols, as a rule, were intended for the whole family as a whole. For example, in Tver province they sang such a holy carol song, promising the owners a fabulous harvest.

Our ancestors wisely believed that “on the holy day the hustle and bustle sleep” and besides, “summer is for effort, and winter is for walks”. Another beautiful tradition is mentioned by Alexander Tereshchenko in his research: “During the carol days, they forgot the old hatred, reconciled and entered into a new friendship. Hospitality, various gifts and invitations to the feast reigned everywhere”.

On holidays, the Russian people rested from the work and charged with optimism and energy for the whole new year.