Slavic/Orthodox Christmas Traditions

[Kollyvas]

http://www.explorecrete.com/traditions/christmas.htm

Christmas Traditions in Crete and Greece

In Greece when we talk about the "holidays" we are referring to the holiday period of Christmas, New Year and Epiphany.

Traditionally this period lasts 12 days. There are many customs associated with the "twelve day of Christmas," some very old and others relatively recent, like the decorated tree and the turkey on the Christmas-day table.

Historically, in 354 A.D. it was arranged for the birth of Christ to be celebrated on December 25 , the same day that they celebrated the birth of the ancient god Mithra, known as the "invincible sun god" and god of all solar deities in idolatry. With the change, and the turning of people towards other gods, the popularity of the "invincible sun god" dropped and Christ took his place.

CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS IN CRETE
Christmas, or "the holidays," in Greece are not what they were 40 years ago. Over the years we notice a universal culture developing as the western European customs spread more and more change. In some cases, it caused the elimination of local customs in certain areas - even entire countries.

Today Christmas appears more impressive, glossier and more glamorous. Store windows are decorated almost a month in advance, and in the cities the streets and town squares are lit with colourful lights. Also, many people now travel either abroad or around Greece to places which offer winter holidays.

Greeks will party at clubs, at bouzoukia, which have almost disappeared in Crete, or stay at home and watch some impressive holiday show on television. But on Christmas Day, all family members gather at the festively set dinner table.

The name days of Manolis or Emanuel or Manos or Emanuela are all celebrated on Christmas Day, and friends and relatives will stop by to wish them "many happy returns" or hronia pola.
In olden times, Christmas was simpler, warmer, perhaps much closer to the true spirit of the holiday. Many of the traditions of eons ago continue to exist unchanged, so Christmas in Greece maintains its originality and many of the customs.

FASTING AT CHRISTMAS
In Greece, a fasting period would start almost 40 days before Christmas. While the fasting was predominately for religious reasons, many considered the period to be a healthful practice as well. The faithful would not eat any animal or its related products, i.e. meat, dairy or eggs.

CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS
As Christmas drew near, preparations began so all would be ready for the big holiday. Houses would be cleaned with extra care, and a few days before Christmas housewives would prepare the honey cookies, or melomakarona, which would be eaten on Christmas Day when the fasting ended.

In the past the honey cookies (melomakarona) were made exclusively for Christmas, while sugar cookies, or kourabiedes (kourabiethes, th as in this), were prepared for the New Year. Today, though, that distinction is not observed.

THE CHRISTMAS HOG
In olden times in Crete it was the custom for each family in the village to raise a pig, or "hog" (hiros in Greek), which would be slaughtered on Christmas Eve and served as the main holiday dish the next day.

On the second day of Christmas the villagers would cut up the pork meat and make:

Sausages
Apakia - the pork is cut into chunks and then smoked
Pihti - the hog's head is boned and all the meat is boiled. Then the stock, after special preparation, is made into a delicious gelatin mold with pieces of the meat in it.
Siglina - the pork meat is cut into small pieces, then cooked and stored, covered with lard, in large pots. This way the meat could be kept for many months
Omathies - the pig's intestines are stuffed with rice, raisins and bits of liver
Tsigarithes - pieces of lard cooked with spices and eaten with leaven bread for the mid-morning meal when they picked olives
The Christmas hog was the basic source of meat for many weeks. Of course, we are referring to a diet particularly poor in meat - the famous Cretan (Mediterranean) diet which provided Cretans of yesteryear with good health and longevity.

Nothing was wasted from the Christmas hog, as there was a use for each piece of the animal. Even the bladder, or "balloon" as it's known, would be washed out and cleaned, then blown up and used as a ball - a precious gift for the children of that day.

In many areas around Greece in the past, parts of the pig would be used as a basis for several home remedies, while other pieces were used for sooth-saying. The slaughterer, or one on the elders in a diviner role, would study and interpret the animal's entrails. Then he would make predictions of the future for such things as the home, the harvest and the weather.

NOTE 1: The custom of the turkey for Christmas arrived in Europe from Mexico in 1824 A. D. It is now widely used in Greece and has almost replaced the pork meat for holiday fare - but not completely.

NOTE 2: The folklore writer Kostas Karapatakis, in his book "The Christmastide, Old Christmas Customs and Traditions," reports that the Romans would sacrifice pigs to the gods Dimitra and Kronos so they would favor them in cultivating the land. This would take place from December 17 through 25, which was also the period for slaughtering the animals until a few years ago.

THE CHRISTMAS CAROLS
The singing of Christmas carols is a custom which is preserved in its entirety to this day.

Children still go from house to house in twos or more singing the carols, while accompanied by the sounds of the triangle, even guitars, accordions, lyres or harmonicas.

Read more about the carols, and hear the traditional carols of Crete

THE CHRISTMAS TREE
Today almost everyone buys and decorates a Christmas tree, whether it be real or artificial. Usually they are decorated a few days before Christmas and remain in the homes until Epiphany.

The Christmas tree, assumed to be foreign, may even have some Greek roots. Use of decorated greenery and branches around New Year is recorded as far back as in Greek antiquity.

In older times, this custom did not exist in Crete and in some other parts of Greece they would decorate little boats instead.

In this photo you can see a Christmas tree and a Christmas boat displayed in a central square of Thessaloniki, northern Greece. (source AFP).

Read More:

• Greek Recipes for Melomakarona, Kourambiedes and Vasilopita

• Carols for Christmas, New Year and Epiphany

• Traditions for New Year in Crete and Greece

• Epiphany in Greece, the Kalikantzaroi

[Kollyvas]

http://www.abvg.net/Traditions/Christmas/

Bulgarian Christmas Eve and Christmas

Bulgaria's Orthodox Church turned to the reformed Julian calendar in 1968. Since then, Bulgaria has celebrated Christmas for three days starting on December 25, same as most of the Christian world. It is believed that as Christmas Eve goes, so goes the life during the following year. Therefore the whole family becomes involved in performing the rituals.

So, it is also Christmas Eve in Bulgaria; by tradition, it may be called "Sukha koleda" (Dry Christmas), "Malka koleda" (Little Christmas) or "Kadena vecher" (Incensed Night). For Orthodox Christians, Christmas comes after 40 days and nights of fasting. The forty-day Advent, started on November 15, finishes on this day. Throughout the fasting period, Orthodox Bulgarians will avoid alcohol and animal products. Even the festive dinner on the eve of Christmas is commerative and includes no meat, cheese, milk, eggs or animal oils.

Folk beliefs hold it that the Mother of Jesus began her labours on St. Ignatius’ Day (December 20 th - Ignazhden - venerates the bishop of Antioch, Saint Ignatius Theophorus, sentenced to death because of his Christian faith and thrown to the lions), and gave birth to God’s son on Christmas Eve, but that she told of it only on the next day. According to tradition, when bearing her first child, a young mother did not let others know of the birth on the same day; instead people were told about it only on the following day, when guests were invited into the home.

Bulgaria's Orthodox Church recommends 13 different foods on the Christmas-eve meal (salt, pepper and sugar are seen as separate foods). The foods are vegetable and odd in number for luck. Beans are a traditional Christmas Eve dish in Bulgaria, as families gather that evening to a meatless holiday meal. There are always walnuts on the table. Traditionally, wheat is boiled and dishes such as boiled haricot, leaves stuffed with rice or grouts, and stewed dried fruit are cooked. Wheat grains and the Ignazhden (Saint Ignatius’ Day) kolaks (ring-shaped cake) are also put on the table. We put a silver coin in it for luck. The oldest man in the family gives a piece of the bread to everyone. Who gets the coin will be lucky during the forthcoming year. After the festive mass starting at 12:00 am on December 25, all should drink a sip of wine so that the divine blessing should come upon them as fasting ends. A place at the table is left vacant for the deceased (relatives or other dear people). The table is not cleared for the night because people believe that the deceased will come to dinner.

At the Christmas Eve table, fortunes are told. To predict what the year is going to be, everyone cracks a walnut. If it is good and delicious, the year is going to be lucky, if the walnut is empty, you can expect a bad year. Predictions are also made for the weather in each month of the new year, the expected crops, each family member's health, and for the coming marriages of the girls. As you can understand, the Christmas Eve requires much time and the efforts of each family member. The women-folk arise very early in the morning and are busily preparing the festive meals during the whole day. They spared no pain to be ready with everything and observe the tradition when Christmas Eve came. It is believed that the way Christmas Eve goes is the way life during the following year will go. With no work to be done in the fields, everyone's efforts become home-centered. Certainly, a festival as important as Christmas Eve deserves to be celebrated in the proper manner.

At midnight on Christmas, the koledari (carollers) start their round.
Only boys participate as major figures in the ritual known as Koleduvane. Its purpose is to wish health, good luck and fertility to the heads of households, to their houses, livestock, land, etc. The koledari, as those participating in the ritual are called, are divided into two age groups. Each group may consist of 10 or more koledari who divide the homes of their village or neighborhood among themselves, to be sure each will be blessed. The preparations include the learning of songs and dances, and the decoration of costumes, which include the kalpaci (fur hats) decorated with bouquets of boxwood and wild geranium, carved wooden staffs, yamurluci (hooded cloaks) which are made to size, sandals, and new fancy leggings. The magnificent embroidery on the white shirts is especially beautiful.

The koledari songs are characteristically lively, happy and festive, and are performed antiphonally. The group divides into two subgroups, then one groups begins, and the second group repeats what the first group has just sung. The songs can be divided into several themes: those which are sung on the road from one house to another, those which are sung while entering or leaving a house, those devoted to the head of the house, those for the women, those for small children, those for unmarried girls, those for soldiers, those for the livestock, those for the fertility of the fields, and so on. At the end of the performance, the head of the household gives stedro (from his heart) - so called Koledni gevreci (round buns), banitsa (a multi-layered pastry filled with feta-like cheese (sirine), fruits, walnuts, popcorn and other traditional delicacies..

Today, Christmas is still a very special family holiday in modern Bulgaria. In the cities, the koledari tradition is not followed as strictly as in the villages. However, city dwellers should not be surprised if kids (survakarcheta) knock on the door after midnight on Christmas to sing a song, wishing happiness, love, health and wealth during the coming year.

And we should mention in closing ... the Bulgarian greeting is "Vesela Koleda"; Merry Christmas.

[Kollyvas]

http://www.usccbpublishing.org/client/c ... astree.pdf

http://catholicism.about.com/od/christm ... tree04.htm

Blessing of the Christmas Tree
Prayer Tip

From Jessica Steinmetz,
Your Guide to Christianity - Catholicism.
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A more modern tradition is to use a Christmas tree. The origins of the tree is when in medieval time, the tree was used as a candle to symbolize Jesus Christ in the world.
Custom has it that we should set the tree up just before Christmas and take it down after the solemnity of Epiphany. In the home the Christmas tree may be blessed by a parent or another family member, in connection with the evening meal on the Vigil of Christmas or at another suitable time on Christmas Day; the shorter rite may be used for this purpose.

Shorter Rite All make the sign of the cross as the minister says:

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

All reply: Now and for ever.

One of those present or the minister reads a text of sacred Scripture, for example:

Brothers and sisters, listen to the words of the apostle Paul to Titus (3:4-7):

But when the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.

Or:

Genesis 2:4-9—The tree of life in the center of the garden. Isaiah 9:1-6—A son is given to us. Ezekiel 17:22-24—I will plant a tender shoot on the mountain heights of Israel.

A minister who is a priest or deacon says the prayer of blessing with hands outstretched; a lay minister says the prayer with hands joined.

Lord our God, we praise you for the light of creation: the sun, the moon, and the stars of the night. We praise you for the light of Israel: the Law, the prophets, and the wisdom of the Scriptures. We praise you for Jesus Christ, your Son: he is Emmanuel, God-with-us, the Prince of Peace, who fills us with the wonder of your love.

Lord God, let your blessing come upon us as we illumine this tree. May the light and cheer it gives be a sign of the joy that fills our hearts. May all who delight in this tree come to the knowledge and joy of salvation. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Or:

Holy Lord, we come with joy to celebrate the birth of your Son, who rescued us from the darkness of sin by making the cross a tree of life and light.

May this tree, arrayed in splendor, remind us of the life-giving cross of Christ, that we may always rejoice in the new life that shines in our hearts. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

[Kollyvas]

http://acweb.colum.edu/users/agunkel/ho ... lxmas.html

Polish Christmas Traditions
Witam serdecznie! Welcome! Song

Welcome to a virtual ethnographic museum of Polish Christmas Traditions. This site presents music, folk arts, sacred arts, religious customs, foodways, ethnic history, links and online reference guide.
Merry Christmas! Wesolych Swiat!

Oplatek * Christmas Wafer
Wycinanki * Paper-Cutting Art
Szopki * Krakowian Creches
Koledy i Pastoralki * Polish Carols
Polish Christmas Foods & the Wigilia Meal
Pasterka * The Midnight Mass
Epiphany * Feast of the Three Kings
Sw. Mikolaj * St. Nicholas
Sztuka swieta * Sacred Art
Books & Media to Explore
Pope John Paul II on Wigilia
Awards for Polish Christmas Traditions
Vote for Polish Christmas at Top 50 Holiday Sites
Links

All content & design by Ann Hetzel Gunkel, Copyright 1999-2004.
Email Professor Gunkel

No part of this website may be reproduced or published without
express written consent of author AND attribution of source. Unauthorized
reproduction of copyrighted material is a violation of international copyright law.

---

http://www.polstore.com/html/christmastraditions.html

Old customs connected with Christmas have flourished for years in the countryside, although the city has retained a few of them. On Christmas Eve there are a lot fortunes told and customs performed for the following year. Most are related to weather, health, matrimonial status and are observed on this day to ensure a plentiful year.

Here are a few customs related to health:

• Once you wake up, better not go back to bed - this will certainly bring illness.
• A dry crust of bread and a coin placed in a basin with cold water ensures plenty of food and physical strength for the following year
• The first person entering the house on this morning should be a man to guarantee health for the whole household; a woman entering would mean sickness.
• Christmas tree decorations: apples bring beauty and health, ornaments made out of straw bring wealth, nuts bring happiness and love.
• A sneeze that day guarantees health.
• Teeth polished with garlic guarantees strength.
• Apples eaten at supper on this day prevents throat infection, and nuts are eaten for a toothache.
• After supper, animals are fed the leftovers and a piece of the oplatek wafer to ensure their health and fine offspring.
• Place a piece of iron under the Christmas Eve table for everybody to touch to make sure their legs are strong and healthy.

Weather, wealth and marriage were very important in the lives of the whole villages, so some customs were strictly observed:

• Sunny Christmas Eve day guarantees lots of eggs as well as a marriage for young and poor; cloudy, a lot of milk and marriage to the old and wealthy.
• When cleaning fish, do not throw scales away - put them in your wallet and they will bring wealth. Also, you may place scales in a red sack. Nail it to the door - it will bring love.
• Sweeping floors should be done “from the door” as not to sweep young men away.
• On the way to Midnight mass, young people read fortunes out of picket fences: tall, short, thick, thin...
• Every dish had to be tasted; if not, it brought bad harvest to a certain product.
• Place straw under the tablecloth - it will bring wealth. Also, unmarried girls will be able to tell fortune on their future marriage - long and green straw will bring a speedy marriage, blackened blade meant a long wait, yellow blade meant staying single forever.
• Everybody had to have coins on them at supper - brought wealth.
• Christmas Eve supper has to have twelve different dishes for each month of the year to ensure wealthy year..
• Go visit a neighbor and try to steal a small item - this will ensure wealth for you. You have to return an item on St. Stephen’s Day (Dec. 26).
• By the end of the supper, eat an apple and count the seeds - an even number fortells great love, and more than six seeds means a wedding is guaranteed.
• If unmarried girls are at the table, ask them to place a piece of fish on the floor and then let the dog into the room. The girl whose piece he eats first is the girl who gets married first.
• After a mass on St. Stephen’s day (12/26), people threw wheat or rice at each other. This was to bring good harvest and wealth in coming year.

And there were others:

• There was a belief that on Christmas Eve water in a well turned into wine.

• At midnight, animals speak human voices, but it is bad luck to overhear them.

• Winning at card game that day brings happiness for the whole year.

• In a region threatened by wolves, leftovers from Christmas Eve supper was placed outside the gate to invite the wolves, which when treated well, would not harm the host.

• One plate at the table was always left for the dead relative.

• There was no leaving the table at supper; it supposed to bring bad luck or even death.

• Before sundown, everything from the outside had to be brought into the house. Anything brought after supper was going to be eaten by mice.

• Mistletoe was cut off, dipped in wax, and placed in a beehive to bring a lot of honey.

• People make sure they wake up early on Christmas Eve - this will ensure we will never be late.

• After supper, tie all the dirty spoons together - it will ensure that the family will stay together.

• After supper is also the time to blow out the candles - if the smoke goes towards the window it foretells the birth of a baby. If it goes up, a wedding. Towards the door indicates a funeral.

• No spanking children - this will bring problems to them.

• Do not lend anything - you will be missing this thing all year round.

• Do not leave laundry on the line - this is guaranteed to bring problems over from one year to the next.

• You have to have candles on the table. Each person has to see their shadow on the wall - a lack of shadow means death in coming year.

• When sitting down to supper, blow on your chair - you may sit on a ghost that came to join you at supper.

• Christmas Eve night was not quiet and calm. That night, after dead souls were fed, they were thrown out of the house by pot and table banging.

  
  
  

  Polish Christmas Kulig Koledy - Christmas Carols Christmas Recipes

  
  

  Christmas Gifts

[Kollyvas]

http://acweb.colum.edu/users/agunkel/ho ... xmasc.html

Polish Christmas
Koledy i Pastoralki

Poland boasts a long and exquisite tradition of carols and pastorals (Koledy i Pastoralki) which are the heart of Polish Christmas. These ancient and most beautiful songs are sung in families and in church throughout the holiday season. Wonderful recordings are available (see Resources)--give them a listen and find the spiritual wealth of Polish Christmas.

Listen to Bog sie Rodzi
View Text and Music to Bog
Listen to Przybiezeli do Betlejem
View Text and Music to Przybiezeli

External Links:
MIDI collection of Polish Carols
Online Texts for Polish Carols
History of Polish Carols

MIDI Koledy with Lyrics

Back to Polish Christmas

[Tessa]

Preparations in our house for Serbian Christmas start usually a week before around the first of January. I begin cleaning and getting the house ready, as well as preparing a variety of suhi kolachy (dry cookies). Early on Badnji Dan (Christmas Eve) the male "domacin" (head of the house) and any other MEN (NO WOMEN) go into the forest to chop down a small young oak tree called "badnjak". It is blessed with Holy water, wine, honey, and nuts and decorted with ribbons and bows to be placed near the front door and/or entrance(s) to the house and it's branches decorate the icon corner. My husband and other male friends prepare a whole roast pig or lamb over the spit, while I finish the sarma (cabbage rolls) and other foods like pita (meat and/or cheese pastries like spanakopita). At some point around dark the badnjak is burned-except "good luck" the branches which decorate my icon corner, either at home in the spit or at a big church gathering following vespers. They say whatver you do on Badnji Dan is good because you will do it then all year. So it is good to work and be vrijedan (industrious?) but not good to fight or do bad things. Dinner on Badnje Vece (Christmas Eve night) usually consists of jecem i grah (barley and beans). After church service, hay is brought home and strewn through the house (just like it is at church) and must remain until Mali Bozic (January 14th). Early on Christmas morning, before dawn, we wake before dawn to a table full of rich mrsno (non-lenten) food. A bowl of wheat with three candles tied with red string is lighted with prayer then we all cestitamo Bozic (congratualte Christmas) to one another with the phrases "HRISTOS SE RODI! VOISTINU SE RODI!-MIR BOZIJI!" Christ is born, indeed He is born-God's Peace. We kiss each other three times on the cheeks, eat like crazy and wait for the polaznik. Polaznik is a young MALE (of your choosing) who comes to the door EARLY in the morning to proclaim Christ's birth with the above phrase. He is greeted by the family who throws wheat on him for prosperity and money is given to him for his arrival. Then inside the family breaks (must not cut) the cesnica-a rich bread with a coin inside. Whoever finds the coin has the good luck for the year. Within our family and traditions from where my husband is everyone stays in their own home for Bozic (Christmas day) aside from going to church in the morning that is, and the remaining days of Christmas 8th thru 13th are reserved for other family members and friends to call on one another. On the 14th we celebrate Mali Bozic with all the same things like food etc. and after we CAN FINALLY clean our houses. (We don't even throw away the bones of the lamb/pig carcass until the 15th-lololol).
So...
NO CHRISTMAS TREE (jelika)
NO SANTA
NO PRESENTS
NO KIDDING!
Just celebrating the wonderful birth of our Lord and Saviour-JESUS CHRIST!
in Christ
Tessa

[Jean-Serge]

Thank you for this accurante description of Serbian Christmas traditions...