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Christmas Eve is celebrated in many countries by people of different faiths. This is the last day of fasting before Christmas, it is customary to prepare for it spiritually and physically. Believers seek to purify their thoughts and spend the day in quiet prayer, and in the evening gather with their families for a festive dinner after the first evening star rises.
Regardless of denomination and location, every person on Christmas Eve 2023 hopes to find joy, peace and good thoughts, to touch the great sacrament that will cleanse thoughts of everything insignificant and cowardly. Read about the traditions of this great day in Orthodoxy and Catholicism in our material.
Orthodox Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve, or the Eve of the Nativity of Christ, is the day before the birth of Christ, which Orthodox Christians pass in prayer and humility, in joyful anticipation of a significant and bright holiday.
Believers observe a strict fast throughout the day, and “after the first star”, personifying the appearance of the star of Bethlehem, they gather at a common table and eat juicy. This is a traditional dish, which includes cereals, honey and dried fruits.
Beautiful services are held in the temple on this day. An important part of them is the removal by the priest to the center of the temple of a lit candle, as a symbol of a lit star in the sunset sky.
On Christmas Eve, the “royal clock” is served – the name has been preserved from the time when crowned persons were present at the feast in the church. Excerpts from the Holy Scriptures are read, which speak of the long-awaited arrival of the Savior, of the prophecies that promised his coming.
When celebrated
Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas Eve 6 January. This is the last and most strict day of the forty-day fast, on which it is forbidden to eat until late in the evening.
Traditions
Orthodox Christians have long spent Christmas Eve in church for prayers. Those who could not do this prepared themselves for the rising of the star at home. All family members dressed in holiday clothes, the table was covered with a white tablecloth, it was customary to put hay under it, which personified the place where the Savior was born. Twelve fasting dishes were prepared for the festive meal – according to the number of the apostles. Rice or wheat kutia, dried fruits, baked fish, berry jelly, as well as nuts, vegetables, pies and gingerbread were always present on the table.
A fir tree was placed in the house, under which gifts were placed. They symbolized the gifts brought to the baby Jesus after birth. The house was decorated with spruce branches and candles.
The meal began with a common prayer. At the table, everyone had to taste all the dishes, regardless of their taste preferences. Meat was not eaten that day, hot dishes were not served either, so that the hostess could always be present at the table. Despite the fact that the holiday was considered a family holiday, lonely acquaintances and neighbors were invited to the table.
Beginning on the evening of January 6, the children went caroling. They went from house to house and sang songs, carrying the good news about the birth of Christ, for which they received sweets and coins as gratitude.
On Christmas Eve, believers sought to free themselves from negative thoughts and bad thoughts, all religious traditions were aimed at fostering humanism and a benevolent attitude towards others. Some of these traditions have survived to this day and are instilled in future generations.
Catholic Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is just as important for Catholics as it is for Orthodox Christians. They are also preparing for Christmas, cleaning their house of dirt and dust, decorating it with Christmas symbols in the form of spruce branches, bright lanterns, and socks for gifts. An important event for believers is attending mass, observing strict fasting, prayers, confession in the temple. Charity is considered an important element of the holiday.
When celebrated
Catholic Christmas Eve is celebrated 24 December. This holiday precedes the Catholic Christmas, which falls on December 25th.
Traditions
Catholics also spend Christmas Eve at a family gala dinner. The head of the family leads the meal. Before the start of the celebration, it is customary to read passages from the Gospel about the birth of the Messiah. Believers traditionally put wafers on the table – flat bread, symbolizing the flesh of Christ. All family members are waiting for the first star to appear in order to taste all twelve of the day’s must-have dishes.
A distinctive feature of the Catholic holiday is that an additional set of cutlery is placed on the table for one person – an unplanned guest. It is believed that this guest will bring with him the spirit of Jesus Christ.
In many Catholic families, it is still customary to hide some hay under the festive tablecloth as a reminder of the conditions in which the baby Jesus was born.
At the end of the meal, the whole family goes to Christmas Mass.
It is on Christmas Eve that a Christmas tree and a manger are installed at home, in which hay is laid on the night before Christmas.