Christmas is a family holiday: how fun it is to celebrate Christmas with your family. Christmas: how to organize a family holiday? Spending Christmas with children

Traditions animate the fire of the family hearth and create a cozy atmosphere in the house. The family is the place of the physical and spiritual formation of the child. Each member of the family should feel comfortable in their own home, which is sometimes called a "small homeland". The family way of life gives food to children's fantasies and emotions. Kids want to participate in all family affairs, holidays, feel the joy and excitement of their expectations. Christmas in the family is a real holiday that both adults and children love. Let's talk about how Christmas is celebrated and how to make it fun.

How Christmas is celebrated - a holiday that comes from childhood

Holidays are loved by both adults and children, especially Christmas. There is something magical and mysterious in it. Vivid memories from childhood - gifts, fun, old people's stories about the birth of the Savior and twelve Lenten dishes on the table:

• sochivo - dry cereals steamed in water;
• kutya with honey;
• knot;
• snacks from herring, fish, vegetables;
• red borscht with ears, lean soup with mushrooms;
• juicy and pies with butter and cabbage;
• poppy rolls, mint gingerbread, honey cakes;
• cranberry jelly, dried fruit compote;
• apples, nuts.

Collecting these fragments of childhood memories and trying to combine them into a single whole, modern people realize that their knowledge of Christmas is extremely small. Christmas Day is one of the brightest and kindest days of the year, it is a holiday that has always been celebrated in Russia on a special scale. Many mythical stories are associated with the celebration of Christmas. The modern generation does not know well all the old Christmas rituals, rituals and traditions and cannot always reproduce them correctly.

How to Celebrate Christmas at Home - The Whole Family at the Same Table

The whole family gathers to celebrate the holiday on the evening of January 6th. This time is called Christmas Eve. The concept of Christmas Eve comes from the name of the traditional Christmas dish - sochiva.
A large round table is placed in the very center of the festively decorated room. All family members sit down for him and have a casual conversation about good deeds. In the house, as well as in the heart, it becomes warm and cozy, because this holy evening brought together close souls. According to custom, on Christmas Eve it is not recommended to touch food until the first star appears in the sky.

Late in the evening, adults go to the church for a church service, while the children stay at home and prepare to celebrate the birth of the Savior in a fun, bright and beautiful way. On the streets everyone praises Christ and congratulates each other. Young people go to visit their neighbors with a nativity scene and chants. Khristoslavs are showered with ringing coins, treated with gingerbread, pies and sweets. People enjoy listening to carols and singing along.
The main attribute of the celebration is a fluffy forest beauty dressed up with bright garlands and toys - a Christmas tree with candles. After the feast, when the whole family tastes kutya, children can look under the Christmas tree and enjoy their gifts.
Celebrating Christmas in compliance with ancient customs brings warmth, love and faith in the best to the house. It teaches people to be open, generous and responsive, introduces them to the history and culture of their ancestors, and makes them value family traditions.

How to have fun celebrating Christmas - Christmas games with kids

Not a single Slavic holiday was complete without fun games, fun and entertainment with friends and girlfriends. At Christmas gatherings, gentlemen with young ladies competed with each other, boasted of their intelligence and ingenuity, noticed their betrothed.

Now you know how Christmas is celebrated at home with the family. We hope you enjoy this holiday.

culture

The homely smell of pine needles and festive dishes, colorful garlands, carols: all this action takes place on a magical holiday called Christmas , which is awaited with great impatience by believers all over the world.

About Christmas world traditions, about how to spend Christmas what signs should be observed to attract prosperity and happiness to the house, will be discussed further.

Holiday Christmas

This holiday, on the eve of which they celebrate Christmas Eve, waiting for people in almost 200 countries with great impatience. And this is not surprising, because Nativity- one of the biggest holidays in Christianity.

The holiday originates from pagan times. According to tradition, on Christmas Eve, food cannot be eaten until the first star.

Catholics celebrate Christmas Eve on December 24, while Orthodox people celebrate Christmas Eve on January 6. The word Christmas Eve comes from "sochevo" (means grains of wheat, which are soaked with juice from seeds).

The celebration begins with the rising of the evening dawn, which, according to legend, announces to the world the birth of the Son of God.

In modern times, the original meaning of Christmas is gradually being lost, but the main thing remains: the holiday is celebrated Houses, and at the same time, the family gathers at the festive table, celebrating Christmas in peace and love for each other.

Christmas traditions

According to legend, the birth of the Son of God Jesus Christ by the Virgin Mary is at the heart of Christmas.

This holiday is the most solemn, accompanied by three services for believers - at midnight, at dawn and in the afternoon. According to Christian tradition, the birth of Christ was able to save human souls and give eternal life to every believer.

This is one of the few holidays that closely intertwine folk and church traditions. There is still an interesting tradition caroling.

On the evening of January 6th and in the morning of January 7th children go from house to house, filling the floor with grains of barley and wheat. Children also sing carols, wishing the owners prosperity and peace. The hosts, in turn, give the children coins and sweets, which, according to legend, bring good luck for the whole year.

The tradition of the Christmas table, where it should be twelve courses by the number of Jesus' disciples.

In Russian-speaking countries it is brewed uzvar- a drink made from dried fruits and berries, symbolizing a happy and prosperous life. In addition, at Christmas it is customary to bake pies (or a pie), one of which is filled with a coin. The one who finds it will be lucky all the coming year.

Christmas in the Czech Republic

Baked carp, tsukrovi sugar cookies and potato salad are must-haves on the Christmas table for conservative Czechs. The Czechs never invite guests to the Christmas table, because this is a purely family holiday for them.

Under the Czech holiday table should be a head of garlic. Christmas divination is also a must for them.

Christmas in Poland

For Christmas dinner in Poland, Lenten dishes are certainly prepared. Before a festive dinner, Poles break round cakes called "oblatni" and wish each other good luck, happiness and health.

Christmas in Germany

In Germany, they give each other the so-called Christmas star - this is the plant "euphorbia", which in its shape resembles a star. It is traditional for the Germans to give clover in a pot to invite good luck into the house, and to serve a gingerbread pig or chimney sweeps (squid in their own ink) at the Christmas table.

Christmas in Croatia

Croatians traditionally put candles in the center of the Christmas table, which they decorate with garlands. And on the table there must be small cookies in powdered sugar in the shape of red hearts.

Christmas in Bulgaria

The tradition of the Bulgarians is the modeling of the scenes of the birth of Christ from bread crumbs.

Christmas in Sweden

In Sweden, Christmas is called Yul, and they prepare for it 2-3 weeks in advance: they traditionally bake cookies, bread and brew beer. The Swedes believe in the healing properties of these products on Christmas Eve.

Christmas in Finland

Finns always sprinkle straw on the floor, while unmarried girls sleep on this straw on Christmas night so that they dream of their future betrothed.

Christmas in the Baltic countries

Many old rituals and traditions have been preserved in the Baltic countries.

AT Estonia, for example, according to a centuries-old tradition, citizens wear wreaths at this time.

Lithuanian Christmas dinner is traditionally made up of fish dishes. At the same time, the best place at the table remains for a possible unexpected guest.

People have always been engaged in fortune-telling at Christmas time during Christmas time. Christmas time is a holiday from December 24 to January 6, which is considered a time for divination. And it doesn't matter if you believe in divination or not, but this is a tradition among many Christians.

Regardless of what traditions You will meet the bright holiday of Christmas, know that it brings peace and love. On this day, you need to think about your place in life and how to become better.

Signs for Christmas

From time immemorial, the celebration of Christmas has been inseparable from various beliefs and signs, according to which it was possible to predict the weather, bring good luck, prosperity and prosperity to the house. Main omens for christmas consider below.

• Our ancestors believed that a snowstorm on Christmas Eve would bring early spring.

• Warm and clear weather at Christmas - to a cold spring.

• The young month at Christmas is financially unlucky.

• Frosted trees at Christmas indicate a good harvest of grain, while a starry sky is a sign that there will be a rich harvest of legumes.

• Meeting Christmas in casual clothes brings misfortune.

• New acquisitions for the Christmas holidays - to well-being.

• A family round dance around the New Year tree, which is traditionally removed on January 19 (that is, on Epiphany), will bring family happiness and health.

• It is customary on New Year's Eve to attract joy and wealth to open a window at exactly midnight and light candles, and this should be done by the head of the family.

• Well-fed pets for Christmas are good luck.

But! There are signs that promise trouble and evil in the new year.

• Hunting at Christmas is unfortunate.
• Sewing for Christmas - to the blindness of one of the family.
• Doing housework - to illness.

Believe or not believe in omens for christmas- a purely personal matter, but in any case, on this bright holiday, you must be open, kind, sympathetic, and then luck will definitely look into your house.

ToEvery parent wants to arrange Christmas holidays for children in such a way that it brings joy and is remembered for a long time. Let's look at two average children's holidays held on their own at home.

About a week before the miraculous event, mom begins to create a menu, buy balloons and call guests. A rich table is laid with chops, salads, cake and wine. Up to 2-3 toasts, they still remember what occasion they gathered for and admire the bright holiday and still clean, having fun children. After that, the little guests are usually left to their own devices (as a rule, these are children of different ages of invited relatives and friends, sometimes even unfamiliar with each other).

Option two.

Having firmly decided to arrange a holiday more for children than for adults, mother sets a separate festive table for them and during the whole event tries to somehow direct the destructive energy of youth in the right direction.

Have you had a similar experience? Then let's try to organize a holiday according to the third option.

From Christmas morning to welcoming guests

New Year, Christmas and Birthday are the most fabulous childhood holidays. Remember yourself with what impatience you went to bed, waiting for the onset of a little fairy tale in the morning.

Preparation for Christmas begins long before the holiday itself: children are told about the Nativity of Christ, older children can learn the troparion, kontakion of the holiday, irmos of the Christmas canon (“Christ is born, praise!”). In a few days we arrange a nativity scene. At night or in the morning - a festive service in the temple.

On the day of the holiday, let's surprise the child as soon as he opens his sleepy eyes.

Balls are trite, I do not argue. But how amazing it is to wake up and see a colorful garland above you! And sitting in a crib, surprised by a blanket covered with confetti and serpentine? Make a surprise - create the mood of a fairy tale.

It often happens that some of the guests invited during the celebrations have already arrived, and some have not yet. The children who have come are bored stiffly, not knowing what to do with themselves. I suggest this way to pass the time: instead of a beautiful starched tablecloth, we will lay a disposable light paper tablecloth on the table and give the children felt-tip pens - let them draw a fun drawing themselves. Or we will distribute album sheets with a request to write (or draw, if the children are still small) a fun Christmas card. Or maybe - ask the children to tell what kind of holiday it is today.

You can put various squiggles and bizarre incomprehensible figures on blank sheets with a marker and invite the children to show their imagination and draw something for them so that these squiggles turn into understandable drawings: turn something into a mysterious animal, something into a fabulous creature, exotic plant.

I would recommend for children from 4 years old (and 10-year-olds are engaged in such entertainment with pleasure) to cut out a Christmas Star for each white cardboard, cut small stars, rhombuses, flowers from colored foil, cut pieces of tinsel, pour confetti and invite everyone to decorate a cardboard blank . If older children - from 6 years old - you can give glue in a cup and brushes, then it is better for kids to prepare the base in advance by applying double-sided tape to the star.

treat

You will not surprise your child's guests with a snow-white tablecloth and crystal. Everything that is a pity to get dirty and break is out of sight. Let's look with common eyes at our children: will they be happy with meat and salads? Few parents will answer in the affirmative. What about fruits and sweets? Well, what a stupid question - you might say. Let's spoil our guests with delicious treats. There should be a lot of juices on the table - at the rate of a liter per child, at least, more is better - something, and children excited by the holiday drink a lot. Fruits should be divided into convenient parts: grapes (pitted if you do not want to collect them all over the house) cut into branches of 3-4 berries, citrus fruits are peeled and sorted into slices, apples ... well, almost nothing ever eats them, like and bananas, the traces of which leave stains on clothes. In general, avoid soiled fruits, one persimmon is tantamount to a small nuclear explosion.

You can arrange a little surprise: put a leaf with Christmas wishes under the plates!

If you really want to feed the children with essential food - make sandwiches, canapes with meat, sausage, fish, cheese, decorate them more interestingly, serve a cocktail (you can beat milk, a banana and a little sugar with a blender) - very satisfying and nutritious food. But is it worth sticking with the standard cake? I recommend making such an original dessert: buy waffle cakes, ice cream, a can of cream, various fruits. 10 minutes before serving, lay a layer of ice cream 3 cm thick on a waffle sheet, cake, ice cream again, cake, ice cream, now a mixture of chopped fruits, pour whipped cream and stick candles - the cake is ready! Let's call it, for example: "Christmas treat".

... By the way - as one of the entertaining entertainments, guests can be invited to cook and eat canapes themselves (using plates with chopped products) and decorate their cocktails with chocolate chips, colored sugar dragees and straws.

Sequence of activities

The room is decorated, the table is set, the treat is ready. What should follow what, so that it is not boring, but not oversaturated? The guests began to arrive. While we are waiting for the full turnout - the children need to be occupied with a calm game - this is exactly what painting the festive tablecloth is very well suited for. All in the collection - sit down at the table. We congratulate the children and eat sandwiches with drinks, fruits. It is not worth sitting up for a long time for a treat - as soon as the noise began - they ate, it's time to play.

Games - only under the organization of an adult presenter, otherwise the uncontrolled baby will simply walk on his head, arranging a real doomsday. All planned entertainment behind? Back at the table! And after - quiet games (the children are tired and overexcited). At parting, each guest needs to be presented with a small gift - this will be a very pleasant souvenir.

And what about the parents of the invited children, you ask? Who will take care of them. When will I celebrate? Who will serve-clean cutlets and Olivier? Our holiday is for children. If you can bring your child and leave, great! If this is not possible, warn in advance that you will have to participate as your assistant. In the meantime, the children will eat, you will have time to eat a cake and drink a glass of wine.

Entertain and entertain

On the Internet, you can find many different competitions, as well as ready-made holiday scenarios. Be careful! Fast, energetic activities (relay races, tags and other running and jumping entertainment) must be alternated with calm games (drawing games, riddles and other sedentary tasks). It is permissible to arrange several active games in a row at the very beginning of the holiday, but at the end of it it is better to combine a couple of quiet ones so that the children calm down. If noisy competitions follow one after another, the children will quickly get tired, get overexcited, and the rest of the evening will no longer be a joy. And vice versa: too many sedentary activities will make active kids get bored and they will start looking for violent games on their own. It is desirable that your holiday scenario does not repeat the type of game: if the relay race, then only once, if the dance game, then also only once, the dexterity competition should also not be held twice.

Be sure to break the guests into two teams, the competitive moment adds spice to the competition. Let each team choose its own name and come up with a slogan. For each contest she wins, she will receive a point in the form of something substantial. It could be a little Christmas star. There must be more of them than the number of contests, in case of a draw.

What else can you do with your little guests?

Relay races and hide and seek are all great, of course, but it would be nice to surprise children with an unusual entertainment for such a holiday.

Children are completely delighted when they are offered to make something interesting from ... real yeast dough. You can buy it frozen at the store or make your own. I emphasize - the dough should be just yeast! Their creations bulge and enlarge in a funny way when the finished pieces start to fit, which is simply amazing for the little guests! Each child is given a piece of parchment paper, the size of a notebook leaf, on which they need to make their own pie. This is necessary so that the figure of a man or animal made of dough is transferred without deformation to a baking sheet, and from a baking sheet in a baked form - back to a plate. For decoration, you can offer saucers with kernels of nuts and seeds, raisins. These baked souvenirs are handed out to guests at the end of the holiday, and she happily takes them home. You can suggest making the Christmas star again, now not from cardboard, but from dough.

I remind you that calm games must alternate with active games. If two quiet activities go on in a row, more active children will lose concentration and begin to be distracted and noisy. If two energetic and noisy competitions are held without a break, the children will quickly overwork and begin to act up.

I'll tell you the relay game, which we invented and tested first at a children's and then at an adult holiday, it turned out to be so fun and win-win-funny. Blanks: two sheets of Whatman paper pinned to the wall, two markers, two containers with the same set of notes indicating body parts. Since our task was to portray the "Russian beauty", we wrote: crown, braid, eyes, nose, mouth ... boots. The main thing is not to skip a single part so that the drawing is as complete as possible. All notes are mixed and placed in a box, which is placed under each Whatman sheet. When the START command is given, the first player runs up to the wall with a marker, pulls out a piece of paper, reads what to draw, depicts it on the sheet, runs away and passes the relay marker to the next participant, and he himself becomes at the end of the queue. The player who received the marker also runs to the wall, reads, draws and returns. IT'S VERY FUNNY! Our operator could not shoot the competition on camera - my hands were shaking with laughter, and I, as the presenter, was unable to comment on the resulting "Beauties" - disproportionate parts of the body, skewed facial features ... Tears flowed in a stream from laughter. We also held the same competition among adults: they drew Miss Beauty - it was even more great than at the children's party. The team with the prettiest drawing wins.

The end of the holiday

This wonderful day has come to an end. I would like to end it in such a way that it is not sad that it ended, but good at heart. If you filmed a holiday on a camera, then you can play the video on the TV screen at the moment when the guests eat the cake. Children are already tired, they don’t really want to talk and have fun, and such viewing will amuse them. If the children are already schoolchildren and know how to write, having cleared the table, bring a huge postcard and felt-tip pens bought in advance, let everyone leave a review about the holiday and a congratulation-wish to all those present. It would be nice to make a simple letter on the computer and give it to each guest as parting: the most dexterous, the most cheerful, the most resourceful - they will proudly show it to their parents, remembering the past fun.

... And how nice, saying goodbye to your child's friends, to hear: “Thank you! Thank you very much for the holiday! We have never had so much fun! …Will you invite us next time?!”

Children's Christmas

As for the Christmas holiday, it must be said that this tradition is only taking shape, so there can be no strict recommendations. It all depends on your taste and possibilities. But maybe you will be interested in the material that is offered below. We hope that it will help you make the holiday spiritually filled and broaden the horizons of your children.

Now it is customary to talk a lot about the revival of spirituality. Childhood is the most fertile time for the formation of the moral character of a small person. High spirituality, kindness, selflessness, sown in a pure child's soul, give excellent shoots, serve as a guiding star for a young person, do not allow him to go astray in the future.

Age 5-10 years- the age of younger schoolchildren, when the figurative perception of reality is still very strong, but it is already possible to comprehend the symbols that abound in the celebration of Christmas. Therefore, brightness in the design of the holiday is necessary. You can organize competitions, for example, reading poetry, play a simple, unpretentious play. Well, if there is the possibility of musical arrangement, and then we can offer the plays by P. I. Tchaikovsky "Svyatki", V. Rebikov "Christmas Tree". It is necessary to awaken in children a conscious motivation to preserve the cultural heritage of their people.

Now many people strive to follow the mores of the "deep antiquity", the customs developed over the centuries, but not everyone knows how to celebrate this or that holiday in accordance with these customs. In the past, not so distant, times, what we now have to remember was natural and even obligatory for a Russian person, who was attached to national traditions in childhood. Only relatively recently, since the 90s. XX century, the holiday of Christmas was revived. But how to celebrate it, many have a very rough idea. What, perhaps, was remembered by our great-grandmothers, was gradually erased from their memory, supplanted by new holidays, by the conditions of life itself. Meanwhile, the culture of celebrating this holiday has evolved over the centuries. Where can one draw practical material in order to recreate the atmosphere of joy, reverent celebration, a bright, exalted state of mind that this holiday brings? After all, in Russia it was one of the most revered and beloved holidays. And this is not accidental, since from this night the Savior's earthly path begins, his earthly life begins, given to them in atonement for human sins. Our very reckoning is from the Nativity of Christ.

Only by carefully reading the Russian classics can one bit by bit recreate how Christmas was celebrated by various social strata of Russian Orthodox Christians.

In preparation for the holiday, it is good to read to children the chapters from the "Children's Bible", where all the events of the Old and New Testaments are set out in a specially adapted form. Not to do without secular, literary sources. Much can be learned from such books as "Childhood of Nikita" by A. N. Tolstoy, "Childhood" by L. N. Tolstoy, "Summer of the Lord" by I. S. Shmelev, stories by A. P. Chekhov, poems by V. A. Zhukovsky "Svetlana", the novel "Eugene Onegin" by A. S. Pushkin. They vividly, vividly and beautifully describe some of the events associated with the celebration of Christmas.

An indispensable attribute of Christmas is a Christmas tree (as well as green juniper, laurel, mistletoe). Its eternal green symbolizes the infinity of life.

The Christmas tree was decorated on the eve of the holiday. In advance, parents together with their children made some of the decorations with their own hands. They glued chains of colored paper, gilded nuts, tied silver strings to gingerbread, sweets and apples so that it would be more convenient to hang them on the Christmas tree. Crafts were made up of gifts for children. (Joint creativity is a conscious involvement in the holiday.)

Source: "The Big Book of Holidays for Kids" N.V. Grishechkina

Christmas, especially in recent years, has become one of the most beloved holidays. And - the most family. Relatives and friends, members of the same family, regardless of its size, try to get together this evening, give each other gifts and their warmth. That is why it is important to know how to celebrate Christmas so that it does not become just another festive feast in a series of rather long and, what to hide, a little tedious winter holidays.

How to celebrate Christmas interesting

It is good if the family has certain traditions that are associated with Christmas. Some consider it obligatory for themselves to visit the church that evening, others limit themselves to a festive family dinner. In any case, this holiday is distinguished by a special quiet solemnity, so you should not arrange stormy festive festivities on Christmas.

No, this does not mean at all that you should not have fun, just the following days will be for fun, and the Christmas Eve evening itself should be spent peacefully, not forgetting about its holy essence and that the Christmas fast is not over yet.

Helpful Hints

How to celebrate Christmas if you have a child? Try to unobtrusively explain to the baby the essence of this holiday. This can be done when you decorate the house together.

Buy new candles and hang a star on the tree that you can make yourself from a sheet of foil. Explain to the child its meaning, and at the same time explain why it is customary to give gifts at Christmas. You can watch one of the cartoons dedicated to Christmas together or read one of the fairy tales to him. For example, Hans Christian Andersen has a wonderful and sad tale called "The Little Match Girl". Or you can choose any other story.

Entertainment for everyone

You can invite the child to draw and draw a picture dedicated to the story of the Savior's Birth. Show him similar pictures in books and ask which one he likes best and why. Of course, this should only be done if you consider your family to be a believer.

If you are an atheist, then you can choose how you will have fun this evening. You can sit at the festive table, and then go outside with the whole family in order to play snowballs together or go skiing. You can arrange a small fireworks display. And, of course, be sure to give each other gifts, regardless of whether you believe in God or not. Indeed, in essence, gifts personify the love and attention to loved ones that we lack so much in everyday life.

How to celebrate Christmas with your family

On such a solemn and bright holiday as Christmas, I especially want to. To be near close and dear people. Therefore, when thinking about how to celebrate Christmas, try to remember those with whom you quarreled and have not yet had time to make peace. Christmas is the perfect occasion to correct this mistake.

Preparing for Christmas

In preparation for the festive evening, put things in order in the house, do a general cleaning, since it is customary to celebrate Christmas in complete cleanliness. Decorate your home with Christmas symbols.

This is not only a decorated Christmas tree, which you probably have had since the New Year, but also new candles, as well as various figurines made of paper and other materials based on the famous biblical story. And the invariable attribute of this holiday is the Christmas star, which can be cut out of foil or glued from shiny paper and hung on the Christmas tree.

The table is set in a special way on this day. Before laying the tablecloth, they put a little straw on it, at least a few pieces of straw. This is a symbol of this holiday, because Christ was born in a cave and the sheep's manger filled with straw served as his first cradle. Then the table is covered with a tablecloth, preferably not only clean, but absolutely white, and most importantly - new. In general, Christmas is the day when it is desirable to decorate the room with some kind of new thing, for example, new curtains.

According to custom, on this evening, which is called Christmas Eve, there should be exactly 12 dishes on the table, and preferably lenten ones. After all, according to Orthodox customs, Christmas Eve is the last evening of the Christmas fast.

This evening got its name from a special dish that is customary to cook today. This sochivo is a special type of porridge cooked from soaked cereals mixed with honey and nuts. But alcohol is not accepted on the table this evening, it is better to replace it with compote or jelly. Meat dishes and snacks are usually served the next day.

Interesting traditions

Of course, speaking about how to celebrate Christmas, one cannot fail to mention the custom of giving gifts to your loved ones. It is better to take care of this in advance. Some gifts can be prepared with your own hands, while others can be bought in a store, but only they must be chosen with love and a desire to please your loved ones. A gift formally bought at the last moment is not for Christmas.

If Christmas Eve is a bright and quiet evening, then the coming Christmas is usually celebrated cheerfully, with noise, laughter and carols. Think about how you will present gifts to your guests. Or you can go caroling yourself, choosing special texts for this in a book or on the Internet.

The long weekend that falls on New Year's Eve and the following Christmas allows you to have a good rest. How to celebrate Christmas and spend the Christmas holidays, what is the best thing to do at this time? After all, you can even relax in different ways. Of course, each person has their own ideas about rest. Someone prefers to just lie on the couch and watch TV, overeating on tasty treats, while someone cannot imagine a vacation without traveling and acquiring new experiences.

How to celebrate Christmas in a heartfelt and not boring way

Christmas stands alone in the series of New Year's weekends and holidays and is loved by many no less than the traditional New Year. How to celebrate Christmas so that it does not become another thoughtlessly spent weekend and nothing more? For those who consider themselves to be church-going Orthodox, this question does not arise, while the rest, of whom the vast majority, can travel a little on the Internet and find out what traditions exist on this matter. Of course, many of them have already gone into the irretrievable past, but it is quite possible to adapt others to modern realities. We want to help you figure it out.

Celebration Secrets

How to celebrate Christmas? Firstly, it has always been customary to celebrate it in a carefully cleaned and cleaned house. Often, new dishes and tablecloths were purchased especially for Christmas, and in addition, it was customary to wear unworn clothes for the holiday.

This can be a great excuse for spring cleaning after a long weekend. Agree that after the New Year, it's time to put the house in order. And the coming Christmas will inspire you for this hard and not so fun work. But after her, when the apartment shines with cleanliness, she will be ready to meet the upcoming holiday.

After cleaning, it's time to go shopping and get something new. Especially since Christmas sales are still going on in stores. New beautiful plates on the table will come in handy, as well as elegant curtains in the kitchen or in the room. And of course, you should not forget about yourself. Remember - it is customary to celebrate Christmas in a new dress? So why not keep the tradition alive? At the same time, you can take care of your pet and buy a new collar for him.

Traditions and customs

Believers sit down at the festive table only after the appearance of the first star in the sky. Before that, they do not touch the dishes. By the way, on Christmas Eve the table must be fast and consist of 12 dishes. After dinner, it is customary to go to church for the Christmas service. And only after returning from the church can meat dishes be served on the table. On January 7, in the morning, the Christmas Liturgy is served in the church, at which the incredibly beautiful Christmas Orthodox canon sounds - "Christ is born."

Another fun tradition is to bake a special Christmas cake and hide a coin in it. It is believed that the one who finds it in his piece will be very lucky this year. Like it or not - try it yourself. By the way, today, unlike Christmas Eve, you can already go on a visit.