How Christmas is celebrated in Belarus
Rating: 8,2/10 (710 votes)  Christmas in brotherly Belarus – a special holiday. Like ours, most of the population celebrates it according to the Orthodox tradition – January 7th, but there are some nuances here. The fact is that in the western regions of the former Soviet republic there are a lot of Catholics and Protestants, so the tradition of celebrating Christmas twice for Belarusians – a common thing. The holiday of Christmas, as usual among all Slavic peoples, is celebrated in Belarus in several stages. In the neighboring country, according to pagan tradition, it is customary to call all holidays Kolyada, the first of which occurs on Catholic Christmas Eve. December 25The beginning of the celebration of Christmas according to the Catholic tradition for Western Belarus is marked by a great preparation and cleaning of the house. By the 24th of December, the home had to be decorated, washed and thrown away all unnecessary things, and then started preparing a festive dinner. Christmas in Belarus As in other Catholic countries, Catholics in Belarus is honored with the tradition of 12 dishes on the Christmas table. There may be fewer guests at the table, but there must be 12 dishes – according to the number of the apostles of Jesus Christ. The main dish – kutia – sweet rice or barley porridge with honey and raisins, it is impossible to imagine a feast without it. Interestingly, Belarusian Catholics are not as strict as their Western neighbors in terms of Christmas dinner. They eat meat for themselves, without waiting for midnight, and in some families there is a tradition to include meat dishes `` to break the fast. '' After dinner, according to tradition, you can go to the church for the Christmas liturgy. There are a lot of Catholic churches in modern Belarus, so Orthodox laity also come to listen to the solemn divine service. On a sacred holiday, all Christians are equal, and the doors of churches are open. Important: In 2014, the total share of Catholics in Belarus was 15%, however, recently these figures have been questioned. It is believed that the percentage of followers of the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches in Belarus is increasing every year. January 7Belarusians treat the celebration of Orthodox Christmas very anxiously and seriously – No wonder January 7 is considered a day off in the country so that all residents of the republic can adequately celebrate the main Christian holiday.  Christmas in Belarus People usually call Christmas Big Kutya or First Kolyada, if you match pre-Christian traditions. The name came from the day of the winter solstice, when the Slavic Kolyada was honored and for several days folk festivities were held in the villages and cities of Western Russia. Actually, kutia is here and ndash; the main dish on the table, which, just like that of Catholics, should be bursting with food. In some Belarusian villages, the tradition of putting a small handful of hay on the festive table is still alive, as a symbol of the biblical manger, where the baby Jesus was born. Another important detail – a candle symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem, the flame of which should not be extinguished throughout the dinner. Until 1917, there was an established Christmas tradition in Belarusian villages to invite priests to their homes to read a prayer, consecrate the dwelling and bless the hosts. This ritual was obligatory for newlyweds who had just settled in the house. Caroling on Orthodox Christmas is no longer accepted in Belarusian cities, but in the villages this tradition is still alive. Costumes in masks and animal costumes walk around the neighbors every year, singing Christmas couplets and demanding food. It is still believed that along with Christmas carols, good luck and well-being for the whole year comes to the house. Folk omens and superstitions associated with Christmas in Belarus are very strong today, especially in rural areas, where the weather harvests in the coming year are predicted on this day. A good omen is heavy snowfall – this means that the bees will be hardworking and will bring a lot of honey at the end of summer. But clear weather, on the contrary - is considered a bad Christmas omen – this promises the fields a poor harvest, and the common people – hungry months. Give gifts to loved ones and go to visit at Christmas – good tradition, which the Belarusians also diligently observe. One important superstition is also associated with it. Having come to visit, the man should be the first to enter, despite all the rules of etiquette. It is believed that if a woman enters the dwelling first, it will bring misfortune, illness and other troubles to the owners. An important stage of the New Year holidays in Belarus ends with Orthodox Christmas. There are no long vacations here, so the 8th of January for the majority of residents is – a full-fledged working day, although for some Belarusians this does not mean the final of the holiday – Until now, the Old New Year is celebrated here by whole families, even if it falls on a working day. then it will bring misfortune, illness and other troubles to the owners. Orthodox Christmas ends an important stage of the New Year holidays in Belarus. There are no long vacations here, so the 8th of January for the majority of residents is – a full-fledged working day, although for some Belarusians this does not mean the final of the holiday – Until now, the Old New Year is celebrated here by whole families, even if it falls on a working day. then it will bring misfortune, illness and other troubles to the owners. Orthodox Christmas ends an important stage of the New Year holidays in Belarus. There are no long vacations here, so the 8th of January for the majority of residents is – a full-fledged working day, although for some Belarusians this does not mean the end of the holiday – Until now, the Old New Year is celebrated here by whole families, even if it falls on a working day. We also recommend reading ”Zhigulevskaya Around the World” - a tourist route in the Samara region Topic: How Christmas is celebrated in Belarus. |
