Today, for us, Christmas has in many ways become a holiday of happiness, almost New Year. Because for a long time we had a New Year, but there was no Christmas, and all the Christmas traditions and fabulous elements of the holiday were transferred to the New Year tree, and now a little back. Recently, we perceive - this has come to us through Western modern culture - the culture of Christmas as a holiday of discounts, as a holiday of beautiful Christmas tree decorations, as a holiday of expensive gifts. For us, this is a round dance, these are Christmas carols, these are gifts for the Christmas tree, this is a solemn Christmas service. But this is one of the most tragic holidays on earth. And we have not comprehended it today in terms of a catastrophe.

We clap our hands, smile, roll up fireworks, we are all good, happy, Santa Clauses are walking, children's matinees are arranged, everything is wonderful, the angels are singing ...

... if you and I look at the ancient icons of the Nativity, we will see that all the events of the gospel are depicted on the icons of the Nativity: the flight to Egypt, and the Christmas cave, and Herod's soldiers, and the demon tempting Joseph. The icon of the Nativity of Christ is a huge gospel canvas that reveals everything. And, of course, this joy of immense divine love. Which, despite the darkness, despair, the absolute impossibility of mankind to meet God, the absolute impossibility of man to come to God, still pierces the world with this love, and now Christ, like a blade of grass, breaks through, grows on this earth, so that this the world has become different. And he becomes different, because one does not exist without the other, Christmas is impossible just as fun, just as a holiday ...