Folk signs for Christmas: rituals, traditions and interesting facts. Folk signs for Christmas and Christmas Eve

There are many signs and customs associated with Christmas - they were given special attention. It was believed that as Christmas goes, so will the year.

The Nativity of Christ occupies an important place in the lives of many people; it is a holiday of love, warmth, faith, goodness and happiness.

January 7 is the best time to visit and receive guests. It is important that you should communicate better at Christmas only with those people who can bring happiness to you - happy families, or those families who are expecting an addition, or a new family member has already been born. As a rule, edible gifts are presented on Christmas. Be sure to bring kutya, sweets, jam and pickles. You can also give a toy if it is a child, or some kind of winter accessory.

Nowadays, of course, you can get by with a phone call, the main thing is to let the people you care about know that you remember them and wish them the best. Be sure to congratulate all your friends and family on this holiday; Christmas greetings filled with joy and warmth will help people become brighter, happier and forget about everyday problems and worries.

At Christmas it is customary to light more candles, lights, a fireplace - if you have one. Candles bring warmth and wealth into your home. If you have pets, then at Christmas you need to feed them abundantly - then the whole year will be satisfying and successful financially.

One special candle must be lit for deceased relatives - then they will help you attract good luck and prosperity in the coming year.

Christmas is a great time for shopping, big and small. Buying something good for Christmas is a great omen and a sign that the purchase will serve you faithfully.

From Christmas until Epiphany, throughout all the days of Christmastide, certain prohibitions apply, which are determined by centuries-old ideas about the holiday as a stop of time, a certain temporary pause, during which one cannot engage in productive labor and everything that is associated with birth, beginning, development Therefore, a significant part of the prohibitions concerns crafts related to spinning, sewing, knitting, weaving, weaving, that is, everything related to thread (rope). The thread is a symbol of life and destiny.

On Christmas, you can't do any cleaning or housekeeping chores. This day is created for peace and joy. It’s even better if you don’t clean up until January 14th (the next day of the old New Year). All garbage collected on January 14 should be taken outside and scattered to the wind, or burned. According to signs, after this no evil spirits will bother you for a whole year.

You can't swear on a holy day. He who swears takes away the hope of salvation from his ancestors.

There is a widespread belief associated with the arrival of the first guest. If you are inviting guests over for Christmas, see who enters your home first. If a woman enters first, then the women of your family will be sick all year.

Christmas rules also applied to clothing: on Christmas, another tradition has long been followed: to wear only new clothes. Not clean, washed, but new, not yet worn. And don't sit at the Christmas table dressed in black. Our ancestors believed that such people would face failure in business in the new year.

It is not recommended to guess at Christmas - in order to ask the higher powers what awaits you in the future, there will still be a lot of time: it is best to do this on the so-called Christmastide - from January 8 to Epiphany, it is not for nothing that fortune telling at this time is called that - Christmastide.

You can't drink water on Christmas, so remove all mineral water from the table. There is coffee, tea and other great drinks. To be honest, this sign is a little strange, but it’s better not to drink water than to suffer for an unknown reason all year.

7 The Seven Blessings of Christmas

The number seven is considered sacred. There is a belief that whoever does seven blessings on Orthodox Christmas will live happily all year and even has the right to ask the angels for the fulfillment of their most cherished desire. On this day, it is customary to give seven alms for the sake of happiness in the coming year. Usually these are 7 identical coins, which must be given to someone who arouses sincere sympathy in the soul, accompanying the alms with a silent prayer. You can also give seven useful gifts. As a rule, these were towels, and when giving them, the giver must say the words: “I give towels, I will die in good time, I will correct evil with good, I will guide my kind (my family) to happiness.” On Christmas we greet each other with the words: “Christ is born!” and we respond to these words: “We praise Him!”

Ritual

At Christmas, many different rituals have long been performed, but in order not to be accused of obscurantism at all, do the nicest ones that are not tied to magic - it doesn’t matter whether it is black or white. For example, starting from January 7, for forty (!) days (this period is called peace - our ancestors believed that during this time angels help people in all matters), every morning, when you wake up, make a new wish - imagine how much good will come into your life!

Signs and superstitions

At Christmas, folk signs and superstitions acquire special power, as if nature itself and every object are trying to tell us something: how to live, what to fear. Here are just a few of them.

A sign of prosperity. If you lose any item at Christmas, this means that you may face losses next year. But if you find a thing and even some kind of jewelry, then money is already rushing to you in full sail!

A sign for good luck. If you accidentally spilled tea or coffee at the Christmas table (this does not apply to alcohol), then this is good news and great success for all your endeavors.

Money signs for Christmas

On Christmas Eve (January 7 to 19), look at nature. If the sky is most often strewn with stars, or it snows often, or there is a lot of frost on the trees, the year will be rich, satisfying, and profitable. If it snows on Christmas Day itself, this is a very good omen and promises a successful year.

If there is a new moon in the sky on Christmas Day, the year will be extremely unlucky financially.

The most monetary sign of Christmas is also a tradition. A coin is baked into the pie - and whoever gets a piece with a coin will have great financial luck in the New Year.

May the coin end up in your piece of Christmas pie!

Basic signs

In each region, Christmas signs and customs could differ, since any folk signs arise due to the living conditions, customs, foundations and habits of the people inhabiting a given area. The holiday of Christmas and Christmastide was given great importance - everything that happened remarkable on these days could potentially become a sign, and if the event was repeated year after year, it was definitely established as a sign and took root for centuries.

Christmas signs for the weather

It's good when it snows or lies on the ground at Christmas - the more snow there is on January 7, the more favorable the year will be. If there is a strong snowstorm on Christmas Day, it means that spring will be early and the trees will be covered with leaves ahead of time.

It’s great when the weather is snowy and frosty outside on this holiday, then the summer will be hot. If the weather is warm, then in the spring you will have to freeze.

If frost hits, it will be cold on Epiphany too.

Clear weather and many stars in the sky on Christmas night means a good year for legumes, buckwheat and bread.

If there's a blizzard on Christmas Day, there's going to be a lot of honey.

Frost-covered branches at Christmas indicate a wonderful and rich harvest of bread in the coming year.

If the holiday falls on a new moon, then there will be a lean year.

There is even a sign for the day of the week on which Christmas falls:

Monday – summer will be warm and will delight you with a large harvest of mushrooms;
Tuesday - a successful marriage this year;
Wednesday – fishing and hunting will be successful;
Thursday – unmarried girls have a high probability of getting married;
Friday - there will be a long winter and a short summer;
Saturday – warm and rainy end of winter;
Sunday - there will be a good and fruitful year that will bring people many joyful events.

Orthodox Christians in Russia and some other countries will celebrate the Nativity of Christ on the night of January 6-7. It was on this night according to the Julian calendar that the Savior came to our world in the body of the baby Jesus. Christmas is the second most important church holiday after Easter, so it is customary to celebrate it according to a special ritual. Throughout Christmas night, festive services are held in all churches.
The first day after Christmas coincides with the end of the 40-day fast, so lavish feasts are practiced. Many religious traditions have their origins in paganism, adapting to new canons. Therefore, it was customary to go from house to house and treat the owners to kutia, receiving another treat in return.

The celebration did not end in one day. Christmastide begins on the date of Christmas, lasting until January 19 - the day of Epiphany. Christmastide also has pagan roots, so on these days, as at Christmas, they organized group fortune-telling and observed signs in the world around them in order to guess the future.

Folk signs for Christmas

There are many different signs, they can be divided into groups:
weather;
financial well-being;
luck in life;
for health;
for marriage (for girls).

Weather

Weather signs are not associated with superstitions, but are derived through long-term observations. The clear starry Christmas night promised fertility and a big harvest. Clouds in the sky indicate a poor harvest next year. Warm weather foreshadowed a late and cold spring. Snowstorm on Christmas Eve (the evening before Christmas) - for early summer. Morning snow or frost on the trees on the first morning after Christmas is a sign of a rich year.

Financial signs for Christmas

The first male guest on Christmas Eve, regardless of age, promised material profit in the new year. Seeing a mouse on Christmas night means financial losses. Losing even the smallest thing means unplanned expenses. A broken Christmas tree toy means money. There is money in your wallet for Christmas - it won’t be transferred there for a whole year.
Signs are inextricably linked with superstitions; there are many things that cannot or, on the contrary, must be done at Christmas.

What not to do on Christmas:

- borrowing money - financial failures will haunt you all year;
- ask for something from neighbors or friends - you will be in need for a whole year;
- doing housework - there will be no profit in the house;
- cut the festive cake before the first star appears in the sky - don’t expect wealth;
- celebrating Christmas in old, shabby underwear will scare away money.

What can and should be done for Christmas:

pay off all debts so as not to have them in the future;
- throw away old damaged dishes, this will result in the availability of funds to buy new things;
- feed everyone at home - attract money;
- water all the indoor plants, this will attract money into the house;
-throwing a coin into a glass with a festive drink means attracting wealth; do not spend the coin, but carry it with you all the time.

Luck

It is a great luck to meet a hunchback; the probability of luck will increase if you touch his hump. A large dog on the street is fortunate. Don't be afraid to step on animal excrement this Christmas; such an incident will bring success in life. Spilling a drink on the table does not portend trouble, but, on the contrary, promises good luck.
You can not wait for accidents, but try to lure good luck into your home yourself. To do this, decorate your home with fir branches, bells, and candles. For Christmas it is necessary to light at least 7 candles in the house.
If you put a coin in any baked goods, the person who found it should be given a lead.

Signs for Christmas for health

Spilled blood foreshadows the appearance of sick people in the family. It doesn't matter whose blood was human or animal. Activities that could cause injury should be avoided.
Health problems may appear after the first person to cross the threshold of the house is a woman.
If you had a fight at Christmas, expect illness. Departed ancestors will help reduce the likelihood of illnesses - place several empty cutlery on the festive table for them.

The brightest and most magical church holiday, Christmas 2019, is coming soon. Many believers adhere to traditions and rituals, and believe in omens. Today we will learn what you should not do on Christmas in order to avoid mistakes in the future and live in prosperity and prosperity throughout 2019.

Christmas has become the main holiday of the year for all humanity. This is a family and touching celebration, with many signs and customs associated with it. Whether to listen to signs or ignore them depends on the person’s personal attitude.

— they were given special attention. It was believed that as Christmas passed, so would the year. The Nativity of Christ occupies an important place in the lives of many people; it is a holiday of love, warmth, faith, goodness and happiness.

What not to do at Christmas

Christmas could not be sewn, otherwise someone in the family might go blind. It was also condemned to do anything around the house at Christmas: washing, mopping or sweeping. If you do hard work at Christmas, the whole year will pass without rest.

Losing a valuable item at Christmas promised poverty, and breaking a mirror even foreshadowed great trouble. It was forbidden to borrow money at Christmas - it was believed that the one who borrowed money would spend the whole year in debt.

All garbage collected on January 14 should be taken outside and scattered to the wind, or burned. According to signs, after this no evil spirits will bother you for a whole year.

A trip to the cemetery and commemoration of the dead on this day should also be postponed.

You can't swear on a holy day. He who swears takes away the hope of salvation from his ancestors.

Under no circumstances should animals be killed during Christmas week. Especially hunting. The killing of innocent animals, their shed blood will leave a dark imprint on the entire next year of your life.

Christmas folk signs

For a long time, our ancestors adhered very strictly to folk superstitions, especially at Christmas. After all, it was on this holiday that they could determine the course of events of the coming year.

Christmas has always been associated with many beliefs, signs, and folk customs. Unfortunately, many of them were lost over the centuries, but some have survived to this day.

Keep track of who enters the house first on Christmas Day. It’s better if it’s a man – to prosperity. If a woman appears on your doorstep first, you will be sick in the new year, and your family will face troubles. (The same goes for Easter and the Introduction.)

At Christmas it was supposed to wear new clothes so that you could wear new clothes for the whole year.

On Christmas it was necessary to take holy water from the church. It should have been drunk in small sips at midnight. At the same time, the girls made a cherished wish. After that it was possible to go to bed, only silently, without words.

They believed that Christmas wishes always come true. If there is no holy water in the house, then you can put a glass of water on the windowsill in advance and put a silver spoon in it. Only this water must stand like this for the whole night.

To live in prosperity and have financial profit, donate money to the temple at Christmas (in the evening of January 6 or early in the morning of January 7, as soon as the church opens), whatever amount you want. Above the bills, before giving them, say: “To whom the church is not a mother, I am not a father.” If you do this, you will have money appearing from nowhere.

If troubles have settled in your house, on the night from the sixth to the seventh of January, take a ladle of water and talk into the water about everything bad that happened to you or your loved ones during the year. After this, throw this water over the threshold, behind the gate, outside the entrance door, from the balcony or from the window.

Clear weather at Christmas means there will be a good harvest in summer and autumn. If the sky is starry, then this means that there will be offspring of livestock, as well as a good harvest of mushrooms and berries.

A snowstorm on Christmas Day means that you should expect a good wheat harvest. In addition, a snowstorm is a good sign for a beekeeper, because it portends a good swarming of bees.

But if the holiday turns out to be warm, expect a cold spring. A thaw at Christmas means a poor harvest of vegetables.

It snows in flakes or there is frost - to a good harvest of bread.

Our ancestors argued that working and doing household chores on Christmas Day is a sin. After all, this is how you can drive evil spirits into the house.

Sewing was considered a particularly bad omen for Christmas. Our ancestors claimed that whoever sews on this great holiday brings blindness to someone in his family.

A baked Christmas cake must not be cut before the holiday.

There is also a sign that many people trust to this day - how you spend Christmas, so will the year.

It is very important that on Holy Eve you have a rich table of 12 Lenten dishes - then there will be prosperity in the house all year long.

It is very important to pray on this day, thank God that you lived until Christmas.

On the feast of the Nativity of Christ, one should offer prayers to the Higher Powers, asking them for favor and mercy towards all people. If possible, it is worth visiting the church and attending the Divine Liturgy. You can light a candle and offer words of gratitude at home in front of your icons.

Money signs for Christmas

If there is a new moon in the sky on Christmas Day, the year will be extremely unlucky financially.

The most monetary sign of Christmas is also a tradition. A coin is baked into the pie - and whoever gets a piece with a coin will have great financial luck in the New Year. May the coin end up in your piece of Christmas pie!

The Seven Blessings of Christmas

Usually these are 7 identical coins, which must be given to someone who arouses sincere sympathy in the soul, accompanying the alms with a silent prayer. You can also give seven useful gifts. As a rule, these were towels, and when giving them, the giver must say the words:

“I give towels, I’ll make it easier to die, I’ll correct evil with good, I’ll guide my family (my family) to happiness.” On Christmas we greet each other with the words: “Christ is born!” and we respond to these words: “We praise Him!”

Close relationships between spouses are also not forbidden if they have a desire to continue their family line and acquire long-awaited offspring.

What date to guess for Christmas: January 6 or 7

We all know that we can start guessing around Christmas, but no one knows the exact time. Some people begin to tell fortunes on Christmas Eve, but for others, the beginning of traditional fortune-telling begins only on January 7th. So in what period can you get the most accurate prediction about the future?

On Christmas Day, January 7, you shouldn’t guess, but on the night of January 8-9, Christmastide begins and until the night of January 18-19, you can safely guess and try out all kinds of rituals that catch your fancy.

Christmas time is the period of time from Christmas to Epiphany during which people successfully guess for children, for a husband or betrothed, for money.

Fortune telling is a ritual, the implementation of which will be impossible without fulfilling certain conditions. Many of us may sit down to guess just for fun, but if you really want to know the truth, then it is better to consider the following requirements:

Get serious about doing the following.
Let your hair down, as nothing should block the flow of information.
For the same reasons, you should undo all the knots and remove all the belts that fetter your energy.
Remove bracelets and rings.
Try to forget about everything that is happening around you. There is only you, and nothing else around.
Formulate the question in such a way that you can get an accurate answer.

Christmas is traditionally celebrated from midnight on January 6 and all day on January 7 (this is according to the new Julian calendar). This is a wonderful, bright holiday of faith and goodness, hope, love, peace and happiness. Christmas is one of the most important holidays for Orthodox believers.

What not to do on the bright holiday of Christmas

Guess

You cannot guess or try to find out the future in other ways on Christmas Day. After Christmas, from January 8 to 18, Christmastide comes - this is the time for fortune telling.

It has long been believed that a girl who hurried and started fortune-telling on Christmas night could, as it were, “miscalculate” her betrothed and not find out her fate when they met.

Fortune telling appeared long before Christianity. In fortune telling, pagans turned to otherworldly forces, which the church considers dark.

With the advent of the Christian era, fortune telling was prohibited by the church.

But the fact is that Christmas coincided with the ancient New Year, when pagans everywhere held fortune-telling and tried to find out destinies. And although the Church recognized fortune-telling rituals as a sin, the folk tradition of fortune-telling has survived to this day, only during the Christmastide period.

Do cleaning, work

The birth of Jesus Christ is interpreted as nothing other than a day for communication with God.

Therefore, you cannot work, clean up, or do household chores. Instead, you need to devote yourself entirely to prayer, going to church or confession. And it’s better to do home cleaning before the great holiday of Christmas. People believe that such great days should be dedicated to saints and events from the Bible. Christians always adhere to traditions and do not work on Christmas Day so as not to commit a sin.

In addition, it is believed that housework on a great holiday can lead to a person doing hard work without rest throughout the year.

Sew, embroider and knit

You cannot knit or sew on Christmas Day - there is a belief that someone in the family may go blind. Engaging in any such activity - embroidery, knitting, sewing, other handicrafts - only takes away time that could be devoted to prayer and communication with God, and is therefore considered a sin.

Drink plain water

You can’t drink water on Christmas Day - signs say that otherwise a person will suffer from thirst throughout the warm season. Traditionally, water is removed from the table and tea, fruit drinks, juices, and compotes are served.

Wear worn clothes

On January 7, you need to wear new clothes and avoid the color black. In the old days, it was believed that people who violated the custom would face failure in business throughout the next year.

Swear, sort things out, wish people harm

It is a great sin on this day to argue, disrespect elders, quarrel and use foul language - especially if this happens with the family at the holiday table.

What can and should be done on Christmas Day

On January 7, Christians visit the temple and read prayers for the health and well-being of loved ones. On this bright holiday, believers necessarily devote time to communication with God, prayers, and spiritual development.

On Christmas Day you need:

read prayers to the saints, ask for favor and mercy;
visit the temple and participate in worship;
At home, you can light a candle in front of the icons and say words of gratitude.

bathe and wash;
Close relationships between spouses are not prohibited if they have the goal of conception and birth of offspring;
for 40 days, starting from January 7, every morning you can make a new wish, imagine the well-being and good moments in life that you expect.

Beliefs for Christmas

There is a belief that if you do 7 blessings on Christmas Day, the coming year will be happy, prosperous and rich.

You can give 7 alms on this bright day. As a rule, this is 7 coins. They try to give them to people who evoke sympathy, and say a prayer to themselves that bestows well-being and happiness.
They give loved ones, neighbors or just good people 7 gifts that will be useful in everyday life (most often these are towels).
On Christmas, every person greets everyone he meets with the words “Christ is born,” and in response the sound is “We praise him!”

Signs, customs and superstitions at Christmas

to attract financial well-being on a holiday, people make purchases;
be sure to give coins to those asking them to pray for health;
on Christmas, candles are lit in the house: it is the lit candles that attract wealth, financial wealth, peace and warmth in the relationship between spouses into the house;
one candle is lit for deceased relatives, remembering them - deceased relatives will also help to attract good luck, happiness and prosperity to the house;
To live a year in abundance, you need to generously feed the animals living in the house.

Superstitions:

if a decoration or other valuable item is found on Christmas Day, then this year you will have good luck in money;
if on the eve of the holiday, on the contrary, some thing is lost, then financial losses await this year;
if at the festive table someone accidentally spills tea or another drink other than alcohol, then soon good news, pleasant events and success await him;
if guests come, you need to pay attention to who will enter the house first: if a woman enters first, then this predicts illness in the female half of the house, but if a man enters first, then this means unexpected money or serious profit.

On the wonderful holiday of the Nativity of Christ, the whole family should gather at the table. Children traditionally help their parents prepare for the holiday. The festive Christmas dinner begins the moment the first star appears in the sky.

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