The night before Christmas is holy. It is believed that then the sky opens, a light appears that only the righteous can see, and all secret desires come true. At Christmas, Christ comes to earth and brings with him a piece of the heavenly kingdom.
The whole family sits down at a rich table that does not have to be raised all night.
Do you know why?
According to belief, at night the relatives of the deceased come to dine. To earn their blessing, the table is not lifted. During dinner, family members sit at a distance from each other to make room for the dead as well. It is also believed that this way luck will not run away from the house.
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Men and Christmas Eve
All family members perform different rituals on Christmas Eve.
Men cut down the Christmas tree – a thick stump of oak or other tree, which symbolizes the “World Tree”, which supports order and harmony. In Budnik, a hole is dug and filled with red wine, incense and olive oil. It is lit by the oldest member of the family and must burn all night.
Fire is believed to have the power to purify and drive away evil forces. Since it is on this holy night that the heavens open, goblins and evil forces roam among the people. Early the next morning, the ashes of the Christmas Eve are not thrown away. It is spread over the fields for fertility, and the rest is kept in the house and chases away evil.
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Women and the ritual pita
During this time, the women also got up early and started with the most important thing – kneading the ritual pita. The youngest maiden carries “silent” water – she carries water from the well in complete silence all the way. The housewife mixes with this water pita with good luck. He puts in it a silver coin – a symbol of fertility and wealth, as well as dogwood buds, which bring health.
The pie is decorated with various elements – a cross symbolizing faith and God’s power, a circle symbolizing the eternal cycle, flowers, a symbol of youth and beauty, etc.
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Folk beliefs for Christmas Eve
The holy night before Christmas is full of superstitions that are strictly observed. Here are the most popular of them.
* If the Christmas tree burns well and sprinkles sparks, the harvest will be rich.
* If the weather is gloomy and cloudy, the spring crops will be good, the hives will be full of honey.
* Everyone in the family cracks a nut and guesses by the nut. If the nut is whole and nice, it will be healthy. If the nut is rotten – diseases await him.
* Girls who are about to get married next year do not knead bread, because it is believed that they will take the fertility out of the house.
* Do not get up from the table during dinner, so that the hens do not get up while they are mooing. If anyone has to get up, he must walk bent over, so that they weigh down the ears of wheat in the summer.
* A girl or boy can find out the name of their fiancee or fiancee. They must secretly get up from dinner and eavesdrop on what the neighbors are talking about. The first male or female name they hear is the name of the person they will be dating.
* Ivy leaves are placed under the pillow to predict health. If the leaves are still green and fresh in the morning, the person will be healthy in the coming year.
* After everyone goes to bed, the hostess cuts a head of onion and puts 3 pinches of salt in 12 flakes. He names each flake a month of the year and puts them on the roof of the house. In the morning, check whether the salt has melted or not. If the salt has melted, the corresponding month will be rainy and fertile. If the salt remains and has hardened, the month will be dry.
* If there are a lot of Christmas Eve ashes in the morning, the year will be fertile.
* If it snows on Christmas Eve, the bees will swarm a lot.
