Christmas is a wonderful holiday, it’s a feast of Christ’s birth and it’s celebrated on the eve of 7th of January. In the mid-4th century it was established by the Roman Catholic church as a separate feast and was celebrated on 25 December according to the Julian calendar. In the 10th century with the introduction of the Christianity into Rus it was fused with the local pagan celebrations of the sun’s return or the commencement of the agricultural year. In some areas was used the pre-Christian name of the feast — Koliada. The Christmas Eve is considered as the most interesting part of Christmas as it has ritual and magic acts aimed at ensuring a good harvest and a life of plenty. Caroling is a characteristic feature of the feast, it expresses respect for the master of the house and his children, and sometimes it’s accompanied by a puppet theatre (vertep). The religious festival lasts three days and involves Christmas liturgies, caroling, visiting and entertaining relatives and acquaintances. The Christmas tree was adopted from Western Europe, but today it’s the element of the New Year celebration in Ukraine.
Christmas is a wonderful holiday, it’s a feast of Christ’s birth and it’s celebrated on the eve of 7th of January. In the mid-4th century it was established by the Roman Catholic church as a separate feast and was celebrated on 25 December according to the Julian calendar. In the 10th century with the introduction of the Christianity into Rus it was fused with the local pagan celebrations of the sun’s return or the commencement of the agricultural year. In some areas was used the pre-Christian name of the feast — Koliada. The Christmas Eve is considered as the most interesting part of Christmas as it has ritual and magic acts aimed at ensuring a good harvest and a life of plenty. Caroling is a characteristic feature of the feast, it expresses respect for the master of the house and his children, and sometimes it’s accompanied by a puppet theatre (vertep). The religious festival lasts three days and involves Christmas liturgies, caroling, visiting and entertaining relatives and acquaintances. The Christmas tree was adopted from Western Europe, but today it’s the element of the New Year celebration in Ukraine.