TASS-FACTBOX.On the night of December 24-25, Catholics and Protestants, as well as a number of Orthodox believers, celebrate the Nativity of Christ - one of the most important Christian holidays, considered a public holiday in over 100 countries.
History
The holiday marks the birth of Jesus Christ. In the 2nd-4th centuries, the Nativity of Christ was celebrated on the same day as the Baptism of the Lord under the single name Epiphany - January 6, according to the Julian calendar. The first records of Christmas being celebrated as an independent holiday date back to the 4th century. In the year 431, the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus officially designated December 25 as the Day of the Nativity.
In 1054, the Christian Church split into the Catholic Church (Western), centered in Rome, and the Orthodox Church (Eastern), centered in Constantinople. Both Churches continued to celebrate Christmas on the same day until 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar (new style). To correct the discrepancy between the astronomical and Julian calendar years, ten days were excluded from 1582. Thus, the day after October 4 became October 15, but this time according to the Gregorian calendar. All permanent holidays were added to the new calendar, and Christmas, which had been celebrated on December 25 according to the old style, was now celebrated on December 25 according to the new style. Catholic countries were the first to adopt the new calendar, followed by most Protestant countries in the 17th and 18th centuries, and then Orthodox countries.
The Orthodox church, meanwhile, rejected the new calendar, saying it disrupted the liturgical cycle. Only in the early 20th century did some local Orthodox churches begin to use the Revised Julian calendar, similar to the Gregorian calendar, with them coinciding until 2800. Among those adopting this calendar were the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (except Mount Athos), the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the Cypriot Orthodox Church, the Church of Greece, the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, and the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, as well as the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia and the Orthodox Church in America. In 2023, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which had separated from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, announced its transition to the Revised Julian calendar. Parishioners of these churches celebrate Christmas on December 25, just like Catholics and Protestants.
However, the Russian, Georgian, Serbian Orthodox Churches, the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, the Orthodox monasteries of Mount Athos and a lot of Eastern Rite Catholics continue to observe the old Julian calendar, which places Christmas on January 7, when converted to the Gregorian calendar. In 2014, the Polish Orthodox Church, which had used the Revised Julian calendar since 1924, joined them. The Armenian Apostolic Church has maintained the ancient tradition of celebrating the Nativity of Christ on the same day as the Baptism of the Lord. Its parishioners celebrate the Feast of Epiphany on January 6.
Holiday traditions in Catholic countries
On the Sunday four weeks before Christmas, the pre-Christmas period of Advent (from the Latin adventus, meaning "coming") begins. On each of the four Sundays of Advent, Gospel readings are held during church Mass. Decorative lights are strewn on facades and front yards, and fir trees are set up in homes and adorned as a symbol of the Tree of Paradise with its many fruits. One of the most common decorations is a holiday wreath, into which four candles are woven. On the first Sunday, one candle is lit, on the second, two, and so on. During Advent, people fast, but there are no strict dietary restrictions - believers are only required to avoid excesses.
On December 24, on Christmas Eve, families gather for a dinner consisting of Lenten dishes, the main one being sochivo, a porridge made from wheat, lentils, or rice (symbolizing death and resurrection) mixed with poppy seeds, various nuts, and honey.
Attending Christmas Mass remains an obligatory part of the celebration for believers. On December 25, three liturgies are celebrated - at night, at dawn, and during the day. A manger containing a figurine of the infant Jesus Christ is placed in churches for worship. This custom originated in the 13th century, and over time, manger scenes made their way into people’s homes before Christmas.
After the solemn Mass, Christmas dinner is held. Each country features special dishes on the festive table. In the UK and the US, the main dish of the evening is roast turkey; in the Czech Republic, it is fried carp and potato salad; in Germany - goose with apples; and in Mexico and Brazil - roast suckling pig. Traditionally, one empty place is always left at the Christmas table - a reminder of loved ones who were unable to celebrate the holiday with their families, or of deceased relatives.
On December 25, at noon, the head of the Roman Catholic Church delivers the traditional Christmas address and blessing, Urbi et Orbi (to the city [of Rome] and to the world). The Pope delivers his address from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. His address is usually heard by tens of thousands of pilgrims in the square in front of the basilica and millions of television and radio viewers worldwide.
The holidays last eight days, forming the so-called Octave of Christmas. The Christmas period ends with the feast of Epiphany on January 6.