Christmas

P razdnik Christ came to Ruc along with Christianity and became one of the two major Christian holidays. He said on December 25 (January 7, New Style). The date of Christ's birth is defined on 25 December, Catholics and Protestants and Orthodox on Jan. 7. 

Different numbers due to the fact that in 1582 Pope Gregory introduced a new calendar, called the "Gregorian", instead of Julian. 
The Gregorian calendar taught him the definition of a new style, and Julian - as the old. Orthodoxy has not adopted the new calendar (new style) and to this day enjoys the Julian (old style). 
The difference between the new and old style of every one hundred years increases by 1 day and in the XX century. is 13 days. Christmas is celebrated annually in the same numbers. Like all religious holidays, it is accompanied by only his peculiar traditions, rites, including cooking. 
In the Orthodox Church of the Nativity is the second holiday after Easter. Days of Christmas in every nation bear its name. In Britain - Carol in Germany - the holy night, in the Ukraine and Belarus - Christmas in Russia - Yuletide. 

Ended Christmas night, to begin the main celebration of Christmas - a holiday of peace, serenity, relaxation. This is one of their most cherished Christian holidays, which the whole Christian world celebrated with special reverence. Divine baby was born in Bethlehem, where the Virgin Mary and her husband, Joseph went from Nazareth to the census announced by the Roman emperor Augustus. The houses, inns and hotels in Bethlehem were filled with people who appeared on the census, and Mary and Joseph found shelter in a cave, only to cave, where the shepherds in bad weather zagonyadi herd. There, and was born the Savior of the world, and swaddled, was laid in the manger for straw. 

With regard to the culinary side, to the celebration was preparing a large quantity of meat products: goose, sausage, various rolls, flood dishes. Catholics traditional dish was Bigos - cabbage (it was prepared in advance). On the table put the vodka, liqueurs, cordials, wine. In those days went to the guests and invite you. 
It should be noted that in the holidays and customs of the calendar cycle particularly closely intertwined with elements of ancient pre-Christian church. Three climactic winter holidays (Christmas, New Year's, Epiphany) coincide with the winter solstice and contains many ancient, pure folk traditions associated with the glorification of the power of the sun and its influence on the blessed land. At first glance it may seem that to prepare for Christmas is not under force. Of course, if you do everything in recent days, it is so. But for the feast prepared in advance, in many activities involved the whole family (cleaning the apartment, the decoration of Christmas trees, harvesting food, etc.). 
In the financial side, too, has its own specifics. Some dishes were prepared only once a year and only for Christmas (kutya, gingerbread, Medovikov, products with poppy seeds, honey). Nuts, raisins, candied fruit purchased in advance. Gifts prepared gradually. So everything is relative, and the joy of the holiday was not commensurate with the financial costs. 13 dishes for kuti at first glance seem a lot. But look, please, to the list of them and see for yourself that everything is available. Fed herring, fish, salad, red borscht, mushroom or fish soup, ears or patty with mushrooms, juicy, kutya or other dish with poppy seeds (for example, lazanki), roll with poppy seeds or poppy seed cake, gingerbread, Honey cake, cranberry jelly, fruit compote of dried fruits, apples, nuts, bread. 

Signs of Christmas approaches, its colors, smells and even tastes vividly described Shmelev in the story "Summer of the Lord:" Our Christmas approaches from afar, quietly. Deep snow, frost stronger ... As you'll see - the horse pulled wagons area - soon Christmas. Every livestock being taken, with the whole of Russia: 
pigs, pigs, geese ... - For the whole carnivore, frozen, fiery frost ... Six weeks of fasting, eating fish. Who is richer - beluga, sturgeon, pike-perch, navazhku; victory - herring, somovinu, bream ... But at Christmas - pork, all ... Cheaper, as the Cavalry, can not buy ... Bad, bad, and two or three carcasses of pork should ... order to zagovin enough, yes, turkeys, geese, kurutok, yes giblets, and even corned beef not forget 

yes Siberian grouse, capercaillie, teterok yes, yes ... - Must take three sleds. 
At Cavalry ... Today is the whole of Moscow ... littered with people, black, black. At high poles hanging pigs, beams grouse, пупырчатые geese, chickens, Black-wood grouse ... You know - Grouse! Blue, perhaps ... It's called - the game, forest bird. It feeds on mountain ash, cranberry, mozhzhevelkoy. And the taste, brother! .. 
Traders praised goods ... 
- Voiced moloshnye! .. porosyatki ... 
- Nobility most turkeys! .. Knyazhego genus penzinskogo factory! .. Gorkin says - has long been a bargaining without having seen ... ever heard of it ever! "Cherniak" - eight cents a pound? "white hare" - eleven! Dirt-cheap ... 
Pig being dragged through the snow on the ropes, are tied at the back of clusters - a bunch in advance, the other behind - take away a great bargain ... Soul-soul, and Mammon, and requires its own for the holidays ... 
Before Christmas, day three, markets, squares, - forest trees. And what a Christmas tree! This is good in Russia as you like ... At Theater Square, happened, - the forest. They stand in the snow. The snow tumbled down - lost the way! .. Dogs in elkah - like wolves, right. Fires are burning ... Sbitenschiki walk, halloo to one another in elkah: "Hey, sweet sbiten! Kalachik hot! .." 
The samovar, the long bow - sbiten. Sbiten? And so hot, better tea. With honey, ginger, - fragrant, sweet ... And in the home - Christmas. It smells of polished floors, mastic, tree. Lamps do not burn, and all the lamps. 
Crackle-burning stoves. Silent light, holy ... Wide furnace burning. What smells. Smells like meat pies, fatty soup with pork, goose and suckling pig with porridge ... after the post - so sweet. These thick smell of Christmas, home. Sacred ... Hot, light and satisfying. 

To this day preserved the tradition of cooking Christmas special ritual meal, play a symbolic role. Kutia welded from cereal grains, represented the continuity of life was the key to family well-being (grains in it were many), but also indicates the link between generations in the family. 
Confirmation may be widespread among the Belarusians and Ukrainians custom "Babino porridge. Kids before Christmas were "woman", ie, their midwife, supper, which consisted of kuti, 2-3 pies or rolls, depending on income. "Baba", in turn, treated their purchase snacks (cakes, pretzels, candy), and gifts to gifts or money. In some areas, but money in the bowl from the kuti sprinkled corn or peas, gave the nuts, sometimes "the woman" invites children to the table and regale them kutey and pies. With him also gave money instead brought by poured into the pot of his kuti with honey and putting several pies.