Where did the tradition of celebrating the New Year come from? 🎄🎁❄️🎅🏽

Initially, the New Year's arrival was celebrated in the spring of March 1st. In parallel with the Julian, the Gregorian calendar appears, according to which the countries of Europe and part of the future Ukraine, which was then part of the Lithuanian principality, live. According to their traditions, the New Year is celebrated on January 1st. This tradition was adopted in 1700 and brought to Russia by Peter I. By the way, he initiated the celebration of this day with decorated Christmas trees, masquerades and dances and dances.

A tradition that has a long history, but has survived to this day - the belief about the magic of the New Year. It used to be believed that during the Christmas season, from New Year to Epiphany, the gates to heaven open and higher powers help everyone who asks. Hence the tradition of making wishes, which must be fulfilled. And also there was a tradition of Christmas-New Year's fortune-telling and not like them have come down to our days - girlish entertainment with guessing the betrothed. Previously, the whole family used to guess for the harvest. For example, several heaps of different crops were left in the yard at night: wheat, rye, barley. And in the morning we checked on which haystack there is more frost, that culture will be the most prolific next year. There was also the belief that, as you celebrate the New Year, you will spend the next twelve months, therefore it was customary not to swear, not to argue, but having gathered at the same table with the whole family, to have a tasty and well-fed supper.
Among other things, one of the oldest Ukrainian New Year's rituals is carols. Ritual songs are performed by getting together and making a kind of tour of neighboring houses. As a rule, it falls on the holy evening before Christmas, which has become an integral part of the New Year holidays.

Ukrainian traditions of celebrating Christmas 🦌 🛷 🌟🎄❄️

For some, Christmas is just 12 dishes on the table, kutia and uzvar, for others it is a compulsory visit to church and observance of all customs. But be that as it may, and Christmas is practically the only holiday in Ukraine, which is celebrated with family, relatives and friends.

Recently in Ukraine there are officially two Christmas - Catholic Christmas is celebrated on December 25, Orthodox Christmas - on January 7.
December at least eight Christian denominations in Ukraine celebrate Christmas.

The Nativity Fast was established so that by Christmas, people would be physically and spiritually cleansed by repentance, prayers and abstinence from food, passions, vices, offenses, evil and other sins.

On the eve of the Nativity of Christ, January 6, the Ukrainian people sit down at a generous but lean table. One of the main traditions of celebrating Christmas is Holy Evening. Ukrainians prepare twelve festive dishes in honor of the twelve apostles.

The main and ritual dish for Christmas is kutia, wheat, barley or rice porridge mixed with raisins, poppy seeds, honey and nuts. Also, there must be an uzvar on the table.
During dinner at the table, in no case should you swear, argue and use foul language. At Christmas, all family members should be at home, and children should help the elders with the pre-holiday preparations.
It is necessary to sit down at the Christmas table with the appearance of the first star, which is called the Bethlehem star. It was she who led the Magi to the Christ Child. The Holy Evening begins with prayer and the lighting of a Christmas candle. In the company of the whole family, including babies, the host blesses the dinner.

On the morning of January 7, people joyfully greet the phrase "Christ was born!", And in response they hear - "Glorify him!" On this day, it is customary to go to church for Eid Prayer, as well as visit relatives. Fasting ends on the first day of Christmas and people can eat meat and other hearty meals.
An important and unchanging tradition at Christmas is caroling. Carollers go through the streets and houses, starting either from Holy Evening, or from the first day of Christmas. They often carry with them a large star, fixed to a stick and covered with gilded paper. Such a star symbolizes the one of Bethlehem, which marked the birth of Jesus Christ.
Entering the yard or the house, young people or children ask permission to chase, and when the owners agree, the carolers begin to sing congratulatory carols and play comic scenes. Most often, in such songs the owner and hostess are sung, wishes for happiness, health and prosperity are heard. At the end of the singing, the owners bring sweets or money to the carols

Another tradition of celebrating Christmas is Christmas fortune telling. From time immemorial, people were interested in their future and wanted to look behind its veil. During the Christmastide period, starting from Holy Evening and ending with the Baptism of the Lord, our ancestors wondered about their fate.
To find out about their future, people used wax, milk, hair, snow, jewelry, and other paraphernalia. The girls, of course, wondered about the betrothed.

The Nativity of Christ is, first of all, a holiday of kindness, peace and mercy. Despite the fact that Christmas is a family day, it is very important at this time to help the sick, orphans, widows, beggars, stray animals and all those who, for various reasons, are deprived of festive joys.

🎅🏽🎁🎄❄️MERRY CHRISTMAS!🦌 🛷 🌟🎄❄️