One of the main holidays of the whole Christian world is celebrated in dozens of countries, but not the same day

Catholics and several local Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas on December 25th. Armenian Apostolic Church - January 6. On January 7, Christmas, in addition to the Russian Orthodox church, celebrate Orthodox from Jerusalem, Georgia, Serbia, Poland, as well as the Ukrainian Grequocatolic Church and Old Believers ..

Feeding calendar

When the Christian world has not yet had time to split, Christmas was celebrated on December 25th. The first mention that it was on this day that the believers noted this particular holiday, refers to the 300th year. Then the whole world lived in the Julian calendar. It was better than the previous summer system, but still remained not quite accurate.

Because of these inaccuracies, once in 128 years has accumulated one who has not taken into account the day. With centuries, the difference between the year calendar and astronomical increased more and more increased. Easter began to celebrate too early and fell out on different days of the week. Looking at all this, Pope Roman GrigoryXIII. I decided: it's time to change something.

In 1582, Europe moved to gregorian calendar. Since then, the Catholic Church uses grigorian calendarAnd Russian Orthodox - Juliansky. Over time, other countries of the world began to move to the Gregorian calendar, including those in which part of the population refers to Orthodoxy.

Russia held to the last. Until 1917, our country lived on the Julian calendar, and therefore we have noted Christmas at the same time when the rest of the Christian world is December 25th. After the revolution, Russia moved to the "progressive" calendar. By that time, the gap between calendars was reached for 13 days.

The Russian Orthodox Church to go to the Gregorian calendar refused, despite the strongest pressure from the secular world. And the case was already far from astronomy. In Orthodoxy, it is believed that the Grigorian calendar districts the sequence of events described in the Bible, because of which Easter is celebrated not when necessary. Therefore, the Orthodox Church continued to live and determine the dates of the holidays in the Julian calendar. And Christmas in Russia, which passed to the new calendar, began to celebrate 13 days later than most of the Christian world, - December 25th old style, but on January 7, on a new style.

The story of the split

Despite the difference in almost two weeks, and Catholics, and Orthodox noted, in fact, the same holiday, and believe, if not going into details, almost into the same thing. But there are no unity in the Christian world, and there is no longer it for a very long time.

Officially, the date of the split church church on the Catholic centener in Rome and the Orthodox with the center in Constantinople is considered to be 1054. But the roots of this event leave even deeper.

The biggest religious dispute between the representatives of the two opposing parties is the difference in the teaching about the Holy Trinity. Western church fathers believe that the Holy Spirit comes from the Father, and from the Son. Eastern - that only from the Father. At the same time, everyone, of course he believes that his point of view is absolutely true, and the opponent is mistaken.

But the split also has many other prerequisites, not all of which are related to religion. There were political, and cultural reasons. Rome and Constantinople lived too differently and at the same time interact a little.

The difference in the culture and mentality of the Western and Eastern world, multiplied by the lack of dialogue, more and more gave each other two centers of the Christian world. Oils in the fire poured political disagreements, struggle for power. All this led to the fact that at the beginning of the second millennium, a representative of the two arguing parties turned out completely and betrayed each other anathema. In 1054, no one could imagine that all this would defier.

Difference in tradition

Divided, two Christian churches began to strengthen and multiply disagreements and discrepancies, turning small crack Between the Western and Eastern World in a huge abyss.

In addition to the different approach to the teachings about the Holy Trinity of Catholics and Orthodox argue and about a lot. Pope is infallible and never and can never be mistaken, the patriarch in Orthodoxy does not have such privileges. The Catholic Church believes that conception Virgin Mary. It was not possible, Orthodox do not think so. Catholics have purification, the Orthodox does not have it.

IN Catholic church All clergy should be unmarried, the Orthodox has priests-monks, but there are married. Catholics categorically against any contraceptives, Orthodox look at contraception less strictly. Catholics Divorces are prohibited, Orthodox allow them under certain circumstances.

Per cent a split different approaches To how to be baptized, praying, sitting or standing in the temple, coming, in what to go to church and so on and the like, just more strengthened. Therefore, even though the church and took a step towards reconciliation, the idea of \u200b\u200ba single Christian world seems to be real.

By the way : Catholics do not adhere to such a strict post before Christmas, as Orthodox. Catholic Christmas is more like New Year In Russia - the whole family dresses her fir, going to the festive table and gives each other gifts. The main christmas dish in many Catholics is a turkey or goose baked entirely.

Currently, against the background of the spiritual degradation of some countries, Russia wakes up from the lethargic sleeping challenge. In the temples are becoming more and more people. In fact, with each temple there is a Sunday school, a lot of orthodox literature is produced, sites have been operating, there is even distance learning. But sometimes there are a lot of questions about people who recently come to the temple, and where to find the correct answer among a colossal flow of information - not always clear.
Practice shows that people who have come to the temple concerned about the question: why virtually all Europe celebrates Christmas on December 25, and we are January 7, and the new year falls on the post?
In order to answer this question, it is necessary to understand in contractions between Julian, Gregory and Novyulian calendars. Therefore, let's start from the very beginning and answer the question, using the following plan:
1. Date of christmas Christ.
2. First Universal Cathedral and Easter Date.
3. Introduction of the Gregorian calendar.
4. Russian traditions.
So, try to figure out:
1. Each mother, remembers the day, and the hour of birth of every child. About this day of Mother of God, naturally, told the Apostles - this is December 25th. Lord Jesus Christ was born when the Julian calendar was developed on Earth, developed by a group of Alexandrian astronomers and introduced by Julia Caesar from January 1, 45 to the Nativity of Christ.
If we talk about written sources, then on December 25, as the day of the "birth of Christ in Bethlehem Juda", the Roman chronograph of 354, based on the calendar, as long as 336, mentions.
2. The most important holiday in Christianity is Easter and on the first Universal Cathedral In 325, held in Naja, the calculation of the date of Easter was proposed. All Christians should celebrate Easter on one day - on the first Sunday day after the full moon from the day of the Spring Equinox. Thus, Easter Christ is not performed in one day or before Easter Judaian.
After time, the date of Easter ceased to comply with the adopted settlement rule. The problem was that the equinox day was taken from the calendar, and not from observations. An error in the Julian calendar shifted the equinox day every 128 years old one day ago, and by 1582 the difference was ten days. It turned out that the rule "First Sunday Day after Full Moon from the Day of Spring Equinox" is violated. To get away from this problem and maintain the wording of the rule, the Gregory Calendar was introduced, whose task was to preserve the minimum difference between the natural (astronomical) spring equinox and the calendar coming on March 21.

3. So, in 1582, the Pope Gregory XIII introduced a new, "Grigorian" calendar, who received the definition " new style", And the old, Julian calendar, began to call the" old style ". On the one hand, the problem was solved, but on the other - the error went to the very essence of Easter - in determining the date of Easter. Orthodox tradition, while maintaining the true calculation of the date of Easter, unlike the Catholic Church, did not move to the Gregorian calendar and all the calculations of Orthodox events lead in the Julian calendar. Therefore, for example, the Christmas of Christ on calendar calculus - December 25, and it corresponds to the date on January 7 at the modern (Gregorian) calendar.
The difference between the new and old style every one hundred and more years is increased by 1 day and in the 21st century is 13 days, and in 2100 there will be a difference for 14 days, that is, on December 25 (Julian calendar) will correspond on January 8 (Gregorian).
4. While a new Gregorian calendar appeared in Europe, Russia continued to use Julian. When in 1918 the new government in the Soviet Union introduced the Gregorian calendar, the church of such a decision was not approved.
In 1923, at the initiative of Constantinople Patriarch, a meeting of the Orthodox Churches was held, at which the decision was made to correct the Julian calendar - thus, a "Novoyulian" calendar appeared. The Russian Orthodox Church, due to historical circumstances, could not participate in it.
On the night of January 6, January 7, the Nativity Day of Christ is celebrated Ukrainian, Georgian, Russian, Jerusalem and Serbian Orthodox Church, Afonov monasteries living in the Old, Julian calendar, as well as many Catholics of the Eastern Rite (in particular, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church) and Part of the Russian Protestants. From June 15, 2014, the Polish Orthodox Church passed on the Julian calendar.
All other 11 local Orthodox churches of the world celebrate Christmas, as well as Catholics, on the night of December 24-24, as they do not use the Catholic Gregorian calendar, and the so-called Novyuliansky, which still coincides with the Gregorian.
The discrepancy between the Gregorian and Novoylyan calendars is accumulated by 2800 (the discrepancy of the Julian calendar with the Astronomical Year to 1 day accumulates in 128 years old, Gregorian - for 3.333 years old, and Novyulian - 40,000).
Summarizing, we emphasize that the Lord Jesus Christ was born when the Julian calendar was on Earth, December 25, "Old Style". Orthodox no January 7 is celebrated. When a secular calendar (Gregorian) on the "New Style" shows the date on January 7 in the liturgical books costs the date on December 25, we celebrate it in the Julian calendar.

Congratulations to all with the upcoming holiday of the Nativity of Christ!
In the meantime, a favorable christmas post!

Why christmas in the west celebrate
December 25, and in Russia - January 7

IN Ancient Rome The beginning of the year for a long time was considered to be March 1, until in 45 BC, Julius Caesar did not transform the calendar. The beginning of the year became the shortest day of the year - the day of the winter solstice.

People celebrated the beginning of the New Year. The days became longer, the sun was born again and approached the end of winter. The Day of the Winter Solstice was considered the victory of Saturn over the winter. This holiday was called Saturnia. The Romans were donated and gave each other gifts. Call differences were not respected.

Saturnali's comic king was elected. Feasts were accompanied by carnival.

Poor citizens gave money. Saturnalia is modern Christmas and New Year, united together.

At the beginning of the 4th century, the Christian church came to power in the Roman Empire and legalized Christianity. The church did not approve the wild festivities of the "pagan" god Saturn. So approximately in the 10th century, the church was decided to replace Saturnia the birthday of Christ (the date of birth of Christ is actually unknown).

The word "Christmas" happened from the Staroangalian "Cristes Maesse" (eng. Mass of Christ - Mass of Christ). IN english language Instead of the word Christmas (Christmas), the Xmas abbreviation is often replaced.

By 1100, Christmas became the chief religious holiday in Europe.

Saint Nicholas was considered a gift donor in many European countries.

In the 15th century, many artists portrayed the scene of the birth of Jesus on their canvases.

The popularity of Christmas was somewhat undermined during the Reformation times (the religious movement of the 1500-x from which the Protestanium arose). In times of Reformation, many Christians began to consider Christmas with a pagan holiday because of non-religious rites accompanying the celebration of Christmas. In this regard, in the 17th century in England and some English colonies in America, Christmas celebrations were canceled.

A temporary discrepancy between Christmas celebration by various churches is currently due to the fact that a number of churches (Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian and other Orthodox churches) enjoy the Julian calendar, the 25th of which corresponds to the 7th of January of the Gregorian calendar.

In the Julian calendar, the average duration of the year in the interval of 4 years was 365.25 days, which is 11 minutes 14 with a longer tropical year.

The length of the year in the Grigorian calendar is on average equal to 365.2425 days, which is only 26 s exceeding the tropical year.

In our country, the Grigorian calendar was introduced in 1918, but the Russian church continues to use julian calendar To this day.

The difference between old and new styles in 1582 (a year, when he was introduced in Europe Pope Gregory, was 10 days, in the 18th century - 11 days, in the 19th century - 12 days, and 20 days, respectively - 13 days.

In the flesh to the beginning of the twentieth century in Russia, it was not customary to celebrate the New Year in the form in which we celebrate it now. The chief winter celebration was considered the Christmas of Christ - a holiday that came together with the Orthodox religion and dedicated to the birth of the Savior. Russian Christmas is somewhat different from European for their traditions and the date of the celebration. Why russian Christmas Celebrate January 7, and European - December 25?

history of the holiday

In ancient Rome, it was customary to honor God Saturn on the first day of the year. This was connected with the sun cycle - the longest night of the year remained behind, and the day began to grow. Romans believed that this is the merit of Saturn and raised his praise. I had to this holiday on December 25, according to the Julian calendar.

With the advent of Christianity, many pagan holidays popular in the people were adapted to a new religion, so as not to cause dissatisfaction with the people. Did not exception and Saturnalia. FROM light hands New Ukrainian workers at the beginning of the tenth century in Rome, this holiday was renamed Christmas. At the same time, a lot of pagan remains in the ritual part of the holiday. What, in fact, helped to keep the fun atmosphere, which so liked people.

The fact is that in the Bible there is no indication of the exact date when Christ was born, but the comparison of certain facts gives priests to believe that it could well happen on the first day of the year. But the celebration passed, as the priests managed to hold parallels between the Sun, which were honored by the pagans and the solarwise of Christ the Savior, who New Testament Calls the "Sun truth".

Since Christianity spread pretty quickly on the continent, then by 1100 the birth of Christ was noted as the main holiday in all of Europe.

IN orthodox world Christmas also became one of the main public holidays. It is believed to celebrate it in the tenth century after kiev Prince Vladimir Perevil's Russia. As in Europe, this holiday was celebrated on December 25th.

So why is Christmas celebrating on January 7?

It's all about the calendar. In the sixteenth century, Roman Pope Gregory XIII translated Rome to more accurate calendar. In subsequent years, the majority of world countries have passed on the same time reference system as Romans.

But Russian Patriarch Jeremiah II decided that Russia would go to her way and a new calendar she had nothing. Thus, at the time of the introduction of the Gregorian calendar, the difference in the dates between Russia and Rome was ten days, and up to fourteen increased to the twentieth century.

The Bolsheviks, having come to power, introduced the Gregorian calendar, but the ROC remained adamant in his beliefs. therefore an Orthodox xmas Celebrated two weeks later Catholic - January 7.

Traditions of russian Christmas

On the Christmas Eve lasted Great postSo on this day no feasts satisfied. But with the onset of the shin, mass folk festivities began.

The main tradition of the celebration of Russian Christmas is considered to be the glorification of Jesus. It passed not only during church services. Youth has been made to gather companies and walk from home to home, connecting songs that glorify God's Son.. In addition, they sang songs in which the owners of the house wanted good, health, well-being and other goods. For the performance of songs, young people were taken to encourage plentiful treats. It was not accepted to refuse to the Slavs in delicacies, so the performers of songs went with large bags to collect "thanks."

From the sixteenth century from Poland, a tradition came to arrange a vertel at Christmas. It was most often a puppet, and later the acting theater in which the story of Christ was invariably depicted. According to traditions, God's Mother And the infant "played" icons, but the magic and other characters dolls or people.

Tradition to decorate Spruce came to Russia from Germany. Entered this custom in 1699 Peter first. True, his decree kept ordered, decorate at home by branches coniferous plants. Directly dressing fir in Russia steel from the mid-nineteenth century. During the war with Germany in 1916, ROC banned to dress up a Christmas tree, since it was an enemy tradition. The Bolsheviks did not negotiate this ban until 1935, when the custom decorating the Christmas tree returned already as New Year's Eve.

As he became the prototype of the Son of God, and how it happened that the date of his birth (Christmas) was "postponed" at the end of December.

Today you will learn why we celebrate Christmas exactly that way - we are drinking, without giving up a few days in a row, dressing up like crops in costumes, caps and masks, let me give each other most often useless gifts. You will learn that in common between Merry Christmas and worship of the ancient Romans Saturn; What unites Santa Claus, Nicholas the Wonderworker and Death with Spit; why on christmas / new Year's tree - five-pointed star; What symbolize new Year's candles; And something else, what you will not read in school textbooks and duty journal articles dedicated to New Year holidays.

In short, as usual in my blog, you will learn
On the true nature of things - this time in connection with the tradition of celebrating the so-called. Christmas.

So, as you already know, there are very good reason to believe that in fact Jesus Christ was born not in the midst of winter, namely, these months, as a possible time of birth of Christ, logically follow from the analysis of the gospel of Luke and other Christian chronicles.

The fundamental source itself is the Bible, the information about the birthday of the Son of God did not save. Nevertheless, this date suddenly becomes known with absolute precision - December 25 (Gregorian style). Where did she come from and how can it be?

That's how.

In the IV century, our era, when the efforts of Emperor Constantine I, Christianity became the official religion of Rome, in order for the transition from paganism to Christianity for Roman citizens less painfully, it was decided to preserve the most popular pagan holidays, smoothly transforming them into Christian. So happened and merry christmas.

Similarly, many pagan traditions moved and in Orthodox Church. In particular, numerous rituals associated with the messenger of candles in christian temples, take their roots from pagan flames, Christian Maslenitsa - a modified pagan festival, dedicated to the Dazhbogu - the Sunny Divine, which in the pagan beliefs, "closes the winter and mocks the spring" (damn and symbolizes the sun), remembered triants on the graves of the ancestors for Christian holidays Easter and Parent Saturday - purely pagan tradition that christian church You could not win and could not win.

In the last few days - in the days of the Winter Solstice, the ancient Romans usually celebrated the holiday of Saturnali - these days the sun is in zodiac sign Capricorn, whose helper in astrology is Saturn.

It was precisely for the reason for finding the Sun in Capricorn, a custom is connected to fall on Christmas in Satirov and devils, and it is with Saturn that the figure of "death with oblique" is connected - a symbol of the harrow, chronology (summing up the year and wishes for the future), and winter hungry / cold time, Mortary in the event of a crop deficiency. So Santa Claus and death with a scythe in their mythological essence - the same image, two sides of the same medal: can generously approved in case good harvest And to cause the inevitable death of many people in lack of town years.

Nowadays, when the faulty years have ceased to be a scary of mankind and the cause of the patient of the population, the terrible hyposta "Santa Claus" - death with oblique, - was forgotten, and he began to be perceived by the people exclusively as a kind and generous old man from Lapland, although he was grandfather There was no time and there was a time when he came to people not with a bag, full of gifts, but with a blank bag and acute oblique, collecting his terrible harvest ...

The holiday itself accounted for the second half of December - time when agricultural work came to the end, and people received the right of deserved rest. From that moment on, so much desirable lengthening of the light day began.

The festivities lasted for several days in a row, so they were called in multiple number. During Saturnali, public affairs were suspended, the schoolchildren were released from classes, the criminals were raised to punish, slaves were exempted from ordinary labor. A religious feast was satisfied, in which senators and riders took part (officials appointed to high socially significant positions), dressed in special costumes, the streets were damaged by elegant folk crowds. In families, the day began with Saturn's sacrifice (they usually hardered a pig, which was manally eaten in the following days), and went to fun and beings, friends and relatives exchanged gifts. ...So that modern tradition To arrange a multi-day New Year (Christmas) feast and give each other gifts takes their beginning from there - from Roman Saturnali.

Among the festive attributes of the ancient Romans appeared, among other things, wax candles, the ignition of which symbolized an increase in the duration of the daylight, as well as the flushed from the terracotta (color clay) or a figure of the figure as part of the rite of sacrifice Saturn. In the Christian interpretation, this tradition was combined in the form of various types of candles, often executed in the form of animals, stars, houses, christmas, and the like, burned on festive tables, and their modern technological variations - Bengal lights, christmas-tree garland, crackers, fireworks.

So, on the one hand, the traditional Roman Saturnalia is one of the most popular pagan holidays, which was celebrated for many centuries, - and cancel which could not be without provoking massive folk unrest, on the other it was necessary to introduce Christmas in religious use of Christ and not just And so that it becomes one of the most important Christian holidays; that was done by the displacement of the date of the birth of Christ for the nearest traditional folk holidayswho were Saturnia.

As expected, the people gradually forgot the true motives of certain customs, although under new form Preserved their traditional content.

So in the IV century, in connection with the transition from paganism to Christianity, the holiday of the Public Roman Saturnal was reborn in the famous Christmas (the birthday of Jesus Christ), but remained unchanged in its essence. Under the Maskoy Christmas - all the same worship of Saturn with all the necessary attributes: sacrifices, messengers of candles, rimming, exchange gifts. The role of Saturn now executes Santa Claus (Finns Santa Claus is still called "Julupukki", What is translated as "Solstice Goat" - an opaque hint of Capricorn; Yol / Joul is the medieval pagan holiday of the winter solstice in the ancient German peoples).

But the holiday was supplemented with more modern customs associated with Christian mythology. The traditional Christmas tree is not one of the characters at all. former USSRAs some believe, and the Bethlehem Star, the outbreak of which, according to legend, accompanied the birth of Jesus. Magitors who came with gifts to the Virgin Mary - Some of the Previews of Modern Santa Claus from Christians, Santa Claus from Catholics, Christmas Father / Father Christmas. Normanov. By the way, who does not know, the Orthodox Christian St. Nicholas, which lived in the IV century, also became the prototype of Santa Claus, who gives people wonderful gifts at their request.

That is why in the modern church mythology the Christian son of God "was born" at the end of December - from the position of "promotion" of the Christian worldview and substitution of the pagan traditions, it turned out to be necessary "to move" the date of birth of Jesus Christ on a more "convenient" time. Although his prototype Yeshua Nazareyanin, as we were convinced most likely, actually appeared in September or October.

From the standpoint of sanity and respect for the history of the peoples and the identity of Jesus Christ himself, such a liberty looks blasphemy over the religious faith of millions of people and those who are considered to be the Son of God, but the church never had such hoaxes - for her purpose always justified any means to achieve it, leaving moral aspects far behind the scenes, and the church story has a huge number examples.

As for the date itself, December 25, then its first mention is found in the works Sex Julia African, The early Christian greek-speaking writer, one of the first Christian historians - in his chronicle, written in 221 and reached us in fragments, where the relationship of Jesus Christ is also said about the exploitation of Jesus Christ. Where he took it from - left unknown.

By the way, Julius was very educated in his times by a person, which did not prevent him from being convinced that the world was created in 5500 before the birth of Christ and should exist within 6,000 years before the apocalypse ... just like many of my interlocutors , leading to me in the proof of your education, the presence of two or three higher education and scientific degrees, exhibit aggressive medieval intolerance to any opinion that does not coincide with their own worldview, immediately recording it in "erroneous and surface". ... it is not familiar to you? ..

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