Despite the cold and bad weather, winter gives us the expectation of wonderful holidays and long vacations, permeated with the warmth of loved ones. Celebrating Christmas is the most significant and magical date. According to a long-standing tradition, Christmas begins to be celebrated on January 6, Christmas Eve, with a Lenten feast of 12 dishes. The next day, January 7th, meat treats are added.

Christmas story

The history of Christmas as a holiday dates back to the first centuries of Christianity and is celebrated in honor of the birth of Jesus Christ by the Virgin Mary. The Son of God was born in a cave for driving cattle, on the route of the Virgin Mary and her husband Joseph to Bethlehem, where the population census was carried out. Along with the birth of Jesus, a wonderful star lit up in the sky - since then this event has been celebrated immediately after the first star appears in the evening sky.

The celebration of Christmas with its bright biblical story attracts even people who are far from faith and religion, but are united by identical moral values. Christmas is an occasion to strengthen family ties, to feel support and unbreakable ties with family and friends. It is customary to fast for forty days before Christmas. And on Christmas Eve, January 6, which precedes Christmas and is the final day of the Nativity Fast, do not eat anything. With the first star, the table is served with juice, or a special treat made from wheat, rice, nuts and honey.

Christmas Eve Traditions

It is believed that on the night of Christmas, before the first star on Christmas Eve on January 6, the confrontation between good and evil is most clearly expressed. Some people celebrate Christmas Eve with loved ones and attend church services. And there are those who gather at the Sabbath with evil spirits and create disorder. It is important to maintain a good mood on this magical day and the following night, to protect yourself from bad thoughts and actions.

Konstantin Trutovsky “Carols in Little Russia”, 1864

In addition to carols with mummers, special Christmas performances - nativity scenes - were popular in Rus'. The nativity scene was a box of a special design for a portable puppet theater. Various biblical scenes were played out using thematically decorated dolls. Who knows, maybe you are destined to revive this interesting tradition? Try it and bring joy to your children and loved ones!

What to serve on the Christmas table

Orthodox and Catholic Christmas

Catholics around the world celebrate Christmas on December 25, or more precisely, on the night of the 24th to the 25th, after the appearance of the first star; Orthodox - on the night of January 6-7. In both cases, Christmas is a holiday that includes church services, a lavish family feast, and the exchange of gifts.

Carl Larsson (Sweden), "Christmas Eve", 1904-1905

Norman Rockwell, American artist, "Santa Claus", 1921

Followers of the Catholic faith have a number of features of the Christmas menu, including:

Traditional goose or turkey stuffed with apples with a delicious golden crust is the main dish of a European feast.

Cute gifts for children, which are brought by the kind Santa Claus (Saint Nicholas) and placed in socks hanging over the fireplace. On the eve of Christmas, symbolic gifts in the form of small souvenirs are given with best wishes to absolutely everyone - acquaintances, colleagues, neighbors and just passers-by.

Rich and not so rich decoration of the rooms in the house and the courtyard area - glowing lanterns and stars at the entrance, on nearby trees, wreaths of spruce paws on the doors, garlands of branches, pine cones and berries, bells, etc.

Alexander Buchkuri, “Christmas Market”, 1906

Signs for Christmas

As on any other church holiday, on Christmas It is not customary to do sewing and knitting, sweeping and washing, doing housework. There are a lot of signs on this score that foreshadow losses and troubles. It is also not recommended to hunt and kill animals.

To attract wealth to your home at Christmas It is customary to show generosity and hospitable hospitality. There should be no resentment or sadness, all guests, random and welcome, should be gifted and fed, no one should be offended or left dissatisfied. Even yourself: be sure to give yourself what you have long wanted.

From the evening of Christmas Eve and three days of Christmas it's customary to carol- Children usually do this. At least three of them go to carols, playing the roles of a star, a bell ringer and a bell bearer. The first carries a star - the main symbol of Christmas and sings carols and songs of congratulations. The second - the bell ringer - sings along and rings the bell. And the third - the strongest - collects all the gifts, sweets and coins into a prepared bag. Receiving such a congratulation from mummered carolers is the best omen. But there is no point in guessing on this day.

In table decoration There may be hay (straw) and thick candles that can burn throughout the significant night. The fire of the hearth has always had a certain sacred meaning - to attract wealth on Christmas Eve, a specially prepared log soaked in honey was burned on it. Straw, as a reminder of the birthplace of Christ, is also an integral attribute of the holiday; it is usually placed under the table and tablecloth.

All water from any source is considered on this holy day endowed with special life-giving properties. You can collect it in prepared vessels for drinking and washing - health and beauty will accompany you all year.

It is considered a good sign to go out and look at the sky waiting for the first star. This promises new prospects and growth. But you can’t eat or drink until the first star. As well as cutting pies specially prepared for this occasion.

There are many signs regarding the weather on Christmas Eve. The best of them are snowfall and generous frost on the branches, as a promise of profit, abundance and a good harvest in the coming year.

What to wear for Christmas

It is very inappropriate to dress in black “mourning” clothes or wear old, worn out, casual clothes during the Christmas celebration. Even in the old days, when the dress was carefully worn for decades, on Christmas Eve they tried to put on everything new and elegant. Now that there is no acute shortage of purchasing a new wardrobe, it is not difficult to adhere to this tradition.

When choosing, you should be prudent and tactful. Still, for many, this holiday remains the holiest and brightest, so revealing and extravagant outfits, bright makeup, lush hairstyles, and flashy jewelry will be inappropriate. Especially if you plan to visit the temple. Those who gravitate toward folk motifs in their clothing can wear an elegant blouse embroidered at the collar; for lovers of modern clothing, a stylish dress will be the best option.

Want to make the evening memorable? Prepare colorful satin ribbons for your guests and tie miniature bells to the ends. In the old days, during the holiday, such ribbons were tied under the collars of men and woven into braids, tied around the heads of women and girls.

Christmas presents

You can congratulate relatives, loved ones, friends who are far away or colleagues with themed positive cards and small memorable souvenirs in the form of angels, magic glass balls, beautifully decorated candles, photo albums and frames.

Strictly speaking, Christmas is a holiday for those closest and dearest. And gifts for Christmas should be chosen taking into account interests, be truly dear to the heart and useful.

Adults can be given rare books and expensive wines, jewelry and household appliances, warm clothes in the form of cozy sweaters or sets of scarves, hats and gloves.

Teenagers will be delighted with various devices and gadgets, and preschoolers will be delighted with toys and creativity kits. Don’t neglect the beautiful shiny packaging - sign it and put it under the Christmas tree - unpacking such a gift will be pleasant and exciting not only for a child, but also for an adult! Give joy to your loved ones!

Prepare 12 delicious Lenten dishes for Christmas using the recipes in this article.

On January 7, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Nativity of Christ. The day before, January 6, the 40-day fast of Christmas ends and Holy Evening begins. Needless to say, Christmas has been popularized?

Many consider it one of the New Year holidays, a reason to meet with friends, eat at the table, or have a glass of strong drink. Not only do they not fast, but they don’t even know basic Christmas traditions.

But for our ancestors, Christmas had a special meaning; they prepared for it very carefully: they cleaned up their home, went to church, observed religious canons, and invited only their closest and loved ones to the house that evening. Perhaps we should think about resuming traditions? First of all, prepare the right Lenten dishes for Christmas.

What festive dishes are served at Christmas?

Those who observe Orthodox canons do not eat anything on January 6 until the first star lights up in the sky in the evening. She notifies the world that Jesus Christ was born. This means that you can sit down at the table and have a delicious meal.
Festive dishes for Christmas are served following certain rules:

1. There should be 12 dishes, that’s exactly how many apostles Jesus Christ had. The Slavs also believed that 12 dishes on the table at Holy Evening symbolize 12 months, and as tasty as the dishes are, those months will be so generous in food and harvest.
2. Dishes must be lean. That is, there should be no butter, milk, sour cream, eggs or meat on the holiday table. You can eat fish.
3. Before preparing each dish, you need to read a prayer.
4. It is advisable that all family members take some part in preparing food for the holiday table.

IMPORTANT: There should be no alcohol on the table on Holy Eve!

Each housewife has the right to choose which Lenten dishes will be included in the holiday menu. But two will be mandatory:

1. Kutya. - a symbol of resurrection after death, it must be prepared for funerals. You can read about how to cook it deliciously in.
2. Uzvar is also a symbolic drink, which was always prepared when a child was born in the family.

Together, kutya and uzvar represent memories of the birth and death of the Savior and every person who lived on earth.

VIDEO: Lenten recipes

12 delicious Lenten dishes for the Christmas table

So, an approximate Christmas menu, in addition to kutia, may include the following dishes:

Uzvar

The tradition of cooking uzvar originated in Ukraine, and was later adopted by residents of many Eastern European countries. Essentially, the drink is a compote of dried fruits, dried berries, honey and sugar. But not simple, since after the water boils it does not cook, but is immediately removed from the heat.

Uzvar turns out to be concentrated, since it is customary to take 0.5 kg of dry berries and fruits for 2 liters of water. Which ones exactly are up to the hostess to decide. Take 3 tbsp of honey for the specified volume of drink. spoons, sugar - to taste.

Here is one of the uzvar recipes for which they take:

• dried apples -100 g
• dried plums or prunes – 100 g
• dried pears – 100 g
• raisins - 100 g
• dried apricots – 50 g
• dried cherries – 50 g
• honey - 3 tbsp. spoons
• sugar – 3 tbsp. spoons

1. Dried fruits and dried berries must be soaked. They do this in different ways: overnight, for 2 hours or for 15 minutes.
2. Pour in the straightened, soaked fruits and berries, fill them with water, bring to a boil and immediately remove. Sometimes they do it differently - they simply pour boiling water over the ingredients.
3. Honey and sugar can be added immediately. But in boiling water, honey loses its strength and becomes harmful. Therefore, it is better to put it in the already cooled uzvar.
4. Uzvar is prepared 3-4 hours before the feast so that it has time to brew. Serve and drink either chilled or slightly warm.

IMPORTANT: Uzvar on the table on Christmas Eve replaces alcoholic drinks. Both adults and children drink it throughout the feast. Sometimes uzvar is poured over kutya.

• potatoes – 5 pcs.
• carrots – 2 pcs.
• onions – 2 pcs.
• pickled cucumbers (medium) – 5 pcs.
• parsley root (small) - 2 pcs.
• tomato paste – 2 tbsp. spoons
• lemon
• different greens
• salt, sugar, pepper
• olives and olives
• water - 3 l

1. Potatoes are put into salted water first. To do this, it is cleaned, washed, and cut quite finely. You can also throw a bay leaf there if you wish.
2. At this time, the dressing is prepared in a frying pan: finely chopped onions, grated carrots, parsley root, and cucumbers are sautéed.
3. Add tomato paste and pepper to the sautéed vegetables. They will be stewed, as it were, since the cucumbers and paste will give a lot of liquid.
4. Add the dressing to the potatoes, cooked until done. Cook the hodgepodge covered for 5 minutes. If desired, add cucumber pickle and a little sugar to it.
5. When serving, Lenten solyanka is decorated with chopped herbs, rings of olives or black olives, and lemon slices.

Does cabbage with mushrooms seem like a simple dish? It will turn out festive if instead of champignons you take dried porcini mushrooms and beautifully decorate the stew.

• white cabbage – 1 kg
• dried porcini mushrooms – 300 g
• carrots – 1 pc.
• onion – 1 pc.
• tomato juice - 0.5 cups
• salt, pepper, herbs

1. Porcini mushrooms are soaked for 1 hour.
2. Prepare frying of onions and carrots.
3. Finely chop the cabbage and send it to stew. If you salt it at the very beginning and lightly crush it, there will be a lot of juice, you won’t have to add water.
4. Immediately add finely chopped porcini mushrooms to the cabbage and cover the saucepan with a lid. Simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add frying, tomato juice and pepper to the prepared dish, simmer for another 10 minutes.
6. When serving, lay out the dish in a neat mound and decorate with herbs.

They need:

• champignons – 0.5 kg
• onion - 1 pc.
• loaf – 200 g
• milk – 200 ml
• starch – 1 teaspoon
• salt pepper
• flour or breadcrumbs

1. The champignons are cleaned and cut into quarters, and fried for 10 minutes along with finely chopped onion.
2. Onions and mushrooms are put into a meat grinder. They also roll a loaf soaked in milk.
3. Salt, pepper, and starch diluted in 30 ml of water are added to the minced mushroom (it is needed for the cutlets to “set”).
4. Cutlets are formed from the minced meat, breaded and fried on each side for 2-3 minutes.

Lenten cabbage rolls are stuffed with rice and carrots. Needed:

• cabbage with wide leaves - 1 head
• carrots - 4 pcs.
• onion – 1 sh.
• rice – 0.5 cups
• vinegar – 50 ml
• vegetable oil – 50 ml
• greens, salt, pepper, sugar

1. Rice is boiled as follows: add 1 part of it to 2 parts of salted water, bring to a boil, cook under the lid until the water boils away.
2. To ensure that the leaves are easily separated from the cabbage and do not tear, boil the cabbage head directly in boiling water for 5 minutes.
3. Peeled carrots are cut into strips or grated on a Korean grater and sautéed together with finely chopped onions.
4. Combine rice with carrots and add pepper.
5. Cabbage leaves are stuffed with minced meat and cabbage rolls are formed. Place them in a pan one by one, pour boiled water so that the cabbage rolls are covered.
6. When the water boils, add vinegar, vegetable oil, pepper, sugar and salt.
7. Simmer for 20 minutes.
8. Greenery is used for decoration.

The vinaigrette

A simple but beloved dish, vinaigrette, is quite suitable for the Christmas table.
It is prepared from:

• beetroot – 3 pcs.
• potatoes – 3 pcs.
• pickled cucumbers – 4 pcs.
• carrots – 2 pcs.
• salad onion – 1 pc.
• green peas – 200 g
• olive oil – 100 ml
• table or apple vinegar – 50 ml
• salt, pepper, herbs

1. The beets can either be boiled or baked in the oven (they are baked in foil for 2 hours).
2. Potatoes and carrots are peeled, washed and boiled.
3. If the peas are frozen, boil them in boiling water for 5 minutes.
4. All vegetables are cut into cubes approximately the size of peas.
5. Prepare a dressing from oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
6. Dress the salad, add chopped greens to it.
7. Stir it.
8. If desired, add sauerkraut to the vinaigrette.

Carp from the oven

You can bake carp for Christmas. In Eastern Europe they love this river fish and know how to cook it. It is often baked with sour cream and cheese, but on Christmas Eve the dish should be lean, and these ingredients should be discarded. Instead they take:

• carp – carcass 1-1.5 kg
• onion – 1 pc.
• honey - 4 tbsp. spoons
• vegetable oil – 100 ml
• balsamic vinegar – 3 tbsp. spoons
• coriander seeds – 3 tbsp. spoons
• rosemary sprigs – 3 pcs.
• salt pepper

1. The fish is washed and scaled. Leaves his head. The carcass is cut in the rib area.
2. Prepare a marinade from melted honey, seasonings, balsamic vinegar and vegetable oil.
3. Keep the carp carcass in the marinade for about 1 hour.
4. Place the carp on a greased baking sheet and cover with foil. You can completely wrap the carcass in foil and pour the remaining marinade into this “cocoon”.
5. Bake at 200 degrees for 40 minutes.
6. Carp baked in this way can be served on a bed of potatoes or any other vegetables.

Bean pancakes

At Holy Evening, pancakes are often made, but you can make pancakes not from potatoes, but from beans. Take:

• beans – 100 g
• flour - 2 cups
• water – 1.5 cups
• starch – 1 teaspoon
• yeast – 2 g
• sugar, salt
• vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. spoon.

1. A dough is made from warm water, yeast, sugar and a small amount of flour.
2. The beans are boiled and mashed with a fork.
3. Add bean puree to the dough, a spoonful of vegetable oil, diluted in 2 tbsp. spoons of water starch and remaining flour. Salt the dough.
4. It should rise twice for half an hour.
5. Bean pancakes are fried in vegetable oil until golden brown on both sides.

Dumplings with potatoes and mushrooms

For this dish you need:

• potatoes - 4 pcs.
• champignons – 200 g
• onions – 3 pcs.
• flour – 2 cups
• water - how much dough will take
• salt, pepper, herbs

1. Champignons and 1 pc. chop the onions, fry together in vegetable oil for 5 minutes, they will turn golden.
2. The potatoes are peeled, washed, and boiled until tender. Add salt and pound into puree.
3. Combine mashed potatoes and mushroom frying.
   Steep dough for dumplings is kneaded from water, flour and salt.
4. Dumplings are made and filled with potato and mushroom mixture.
5. Boil the dumplings in salted boiling water until they float.
6. 2 pcs. Finely chop the onion and fry until golden in a large amount of oil. Prepared dumplings are coated with this dressing.

We already have ten dishes for the Christmas table. The other two can be anything. For example:

• fried porridge
  boiled, stewed or baked potatoes
• pickles and salads made from them
• fresh fruits
• pies with vegetable and fruit filling
• dressings from garlic, vegetable oil, herbs, etc.
• Lenten cookies

VIDEO: Real rich uzvar made from dried fruits

VIDEO: Uzvar in a slow cooker

Christmas table decoration

On Christmas Eve, the family sits at a large table:

• a white tablecloth or a tablecloth decorated with traditional patterns is laid on it
• napkins are chosen to match the tablecloth
• straw is placed under the tablecloth, symbolizing the manger in which Christ was born

IMPORTANT: Today I often set the table in the colors of Catholic Christmas - red and white.

Church candles are also placed on the table and lit at dinner.

There is always one more device than there are people at the table. It will be for deceased relatives who are usually remembered at Christmas. There should also be a glass of uzvar.

Christmas dinner lasts a long time, followed by measured conversations in a measured manner. Those present must try each of the dishes. And only then you can sing carols or arrange a nativity scene and give gifts to the children.

VIDEO: Dishes for the Holy Eve before Christmas

Hello dear readers. Christmas is no less important a holiday than New Year, although many today completely forget about it. On this day we celebrate the birth of Christ, which means that the celebration must take place according to all the rules. Many of us, while celebrating Christmas, completely forget about the true meaning of this holiday. It is for these reasons that we believe that any dishes can be prepared for the holiday table. Although in fact there is a list of certain dishes that would be appropriate for a holiday meal. This holiday involves preparing exclusively Lenten dishes, so you will have to give up some of the usual delicacies. At Christmas, the whole family gathers together at one table, so it is necessary to prepare a sufficient number of festive dishes.

There are a huge number of similar dishes, but for celebrating Christmas you should choose the most suitable ones.

Of course, today not everyone adheres to fasting, but still some lenten dishes are traditional today and are served at the Christmas table.

What dishes are prepared for Christmas? What to cook for Holy Evening

If for the New Year we can prepare absolutely any dishes, then for Christmas we need to prepare a somewhat restrained menu. Ideally, all dishes should be lean, which means they should not contain meat, milk or eggs.

Now, many do not follow this important rule when preparing various meat delicacies.

But if you are used to sticking to traditions, then during the celebration you will have to give up your usual meat treats. Therefore, you should prepare traditional dishes for Christmas.

The main dish that everyone is used to preparing on this important day is kutia. Traditional kutia is made from boiled wheat, which is supplemented with liquid honey. In this case, it acts as a symbol of fertility and prosperity.

Today, boiled rice, which is also served with a small amount of honey, is becoming a popular substitute for wheat. Each family prepares kutya according to its own special recipe, so today there are a huge number of variations of this traditional dish.

Dinner is prepared the day before Christmas, and the hostess must be in a good mood during preparation. At this time, we need to forget about all existing problems, because our mood can affect not only the preparation of dishes, but also the general festive atmosphere.

The festive table should consist of 12 traditional Lenten dishes, personifying all the apostles. Therefore, it is necessary to think through the holiday menu in advance, which will contain only lean dishes. Also, let me remind you that it is better to celebrate Holy Evening with close people.

An obligatory dish is kutia, which is ceremoniously placed on the family table, giving the owner of the house the right to be the first to try this delicacy. Only after this can the rest of the family taste the kutya, scooping it up with a spoon.

And now it’s time to get acquainted with the rest of the festive dishes that will be present on the Christmas table.

12 dishes for Christmas - recipes

Nowadays, not many people would agree to give up a baked bird or meat pie. In this regard, a festive menu was compiled, consisting of meat dishes, without which the celebration would hardly be considered successful. Although many still fast without experiencing any discomfort.

We will look at a modern version of the Christmas menu, which consists of a wide variety of dishes prepared according to a special recipe.

1. Kutya

If earlier this dish was prepared exclusively from wheat grains and honey, today there are a huge number of options for its preparation, which differ in the variety of ingredients.

Today, in addition to wheat, rice is also used, which is supplemented with raisins and walnuts.

We will consider the next version of kutya, for the preparation of which we will need the following ingredients.

Ingredients:

- a glass of rice and wheat grains;

- a glass of raisins;

- 100 g honey;

- sugar and salt to taste.

Preparation

The cooking process takes a small amount of time, so this dish will please any housewife.

First of all, you need to boil the rice in lightly salted water, then transfer it to a colander and rinse under running water. Place the washed rice in a separate bowl, where we mix it with honey and sugar. We thoroughly wash the raisins, then pour boiling water over them so that they gain moisture.

Add softened raisins to the rice and mix thoroughly. Actually, the dish is ready, which means it can already be served.

2. Pie with cabbage and mushrooms

This dish is considered lean, because mushrooms are used as a meat substitute. This option is perfect for those people who still adhere to fasting during these holidays.

That is, there may be meat dishes on the table, but it is always important to provide a choice to guests who can follow the good old traditions.

Preparing such a pie will not take too much time, because we will use ready-made dough for its base.

Let's take a look at the list of products that will need to be prepared to prepare such a pie.

Ingredients:

- half a kilogram of puff pastry;

- 200 g champignons;

- 100 g hard cheese;

- half of white cabbage;

- a third of a glass of milk;

- 20 g butter;

- two medium-sized potatoes;

- two tablespoons of vegetable oil;

- a mixture of dried herbs, salt, pepper.

Preparation

Despite the fact that this is a pie, it does not take long to prepare. At least most of the time will be spent baking the pie itself. But first of all, you need to try to chop the cabbage as finely as possible, adding a little salt and pepper.

A small amount of vegetable oil is added to a heated frying pan, in which we will fry our cabbage until fully cooked. Cut the mushrooms into small slices and fry in a separate frying pan along with the basil. The frying process will take at least 10 minutes, and the prepared mixture should be poured with soy sauce.

Next, we begin to prepare the potatoes, which need to be boiled until fully cooked and the prepared butter and milk added to it. Essentially, we are preparing a puree that will become part of the filling. Mix the mushrooms with cabbage and cheese, then add the prepared puree.

Preheat the oven to 210 degrees, into which we place two layers of puff pastry. After just 15 minutes, the cakes will be completely ready, after which they will need a little time to cool completely.

After the cakes have cooled, distribute all the prepared filling onto one of them, and cover with the second cake on top. Sprinkle grated cheese on top of the pie and place in the oven for another five minutes until the cheese is completely melted.

3. Compote with dried fruits

Since at this time of year it will be problematic to prepare compote from fresh fruits, dried fruits come to our aid, which will be an ideal basis for uzvar.

You can use not only dried fruits, but also various spices that will give the drink a special piquancy.

In order to prepare such an uzvar, we will need:

- two liters of purified water;

- half a kilogram of various dried fruits;

- 3 tablespoons of sugar;

- a tablespoon of honey.

Preparation

First, let's start with our dried fruits, which will include: pear, apple, cherry and apricot. You can choose the ideal combination of fruits for yourself, that is, you don’t have to use them all.

We wash the dried fruits and leave them in warm water so that they have time to soften. Boil water for the compote and add the prescribed amount of sugar, after which we place the fruit in the syrup.

Boil the compote for about half an hour, after which we give it a little time to cool. Add a spoonful of honey to the warm drink.

4. Easy baking

No holiday table is complete without baking, but more often than not, we make do with the store-bought version. For such a holiday, you can take the time to bake delicious homemade pies yourself.

For this we need the following products:

- half a kilogram of apples;

- 500 g flour;

- 60 g margarine;

- 1 pack of yeast;

- one glass of milk;

- three tablespoons of sugar;

- 2 teaspoons sunflower oil;

Preparation

It is necessary to dissolve the yeast in milk, adding a teaspoon of sugar. Beat the eggs together with melted margarine and sugar.

Pour a few tablespoons of vegetable oil into the mixture, and begin to gradually introduce the prescribed amount of flour. Gradually knead the dough, after which we leave it for about an hour so that it has time to rise.

Peel the apples and cut them into small cubes, which will need to be fried in a frying pan, adding a small amount of sugar. Next, we form the pies themselves by placing an equal amount of filling into the dough.

The pies will be ready 15 minutes after they are placed in the oven, and the oven should be preheated to 200 degrees.

5. Salad “Poloninsky”

This salad is a meatless dish, so it will please everyone. In addition, it is quite simple to prepare, which will not take you too much time.

For preparation you will need the following ingredients:

- two small beets of the same size;

- about a dozen walnuts;

- one onion;

— 300 frozen mushrooms;

- a few cloves of garlic;

- a teaspoon of vinegar;

- about five tablespoons of vegetable oil.

Preparation

The beets are baked in the oven for about an hour, after which they are peeled and cut into strips. Add a little vinegar to it.

Grind the garlic and nuts using a meat grinder. Mix all ingredients and season with vegetable oil.

6. Vinaigrette

This salad is familiar to everyone, because it is prepared from the simplest vegetables, which are first boiled until fully cooked, peeled and cut into cubes.

To prepare, we need potatoes, beets, carrots, pickled cucumbers and beans.

All these ingredients are thoroughly mixed, and the salad is complemented with vegetable oil and fresh onions.

7. Dumplings with potatoes

For dumplings, prepare ordinary yeast-free dough from wheat flour. The filling can be boiled potatoes with the addition of fried mushrooms and onions. Both wild and porcini mushrooms can be used.

8. Stuffed cabbage rolls

Ordinary cabbage rolls are prepared with meat, but if you are fasting, then this ingredient can be replaced, for example, with the same mushrooms. Most often, rice is used for the filling, but you can also replace it with millet.

The Lenten version, consisting of mushrooms and millet, is complemented by stewed carrots, onions and tomatoes. The further course of action is probably known to everyone.

9. Pickles

We need to create an interesting mixture of sauerkraut, tomatoes and frozen cranberries.

This light, slightly spicy salad will please absolutely everyone, and at the same time, it will serve as an ideal snack.

Cranberries and cabbage are a rather unusual combination, but the taste is quite interesting.

10. Vegetable stew

To prepare such a lean dish you will need carrots, celery, onions and parsnips. If this combination of vegetables seems boring to you, then you can supplement it with the same mushrooms. They will give the dish a special taste and aroma.

By the way, it is best to use dried mushrooms, because only they can make vegetable stew so fragrant.

11. Cabbage

The classic version of this dish involves the use of meat broth, but if we are fasting, then it should be cooked in water.

To prepare cabbage we need sauerkraut or raw cabbage, to which millet is added. You can add potatoes or parsnips to the resulting mixture; the choice is yours.

The carrots are grated and then fried along with the onions in vegetable oil. Boil the dish until fully cooked.

12. Baked apples with honey and nuts

To prepare such a festive dessert, you will only need sweet varieties of apples. The secret to cooking apples evenly is to first pierce them with a fork all over the surface.

Remove the core from each apple and place inside each apple a teaspoon of honey and walnuts, which must be chopped in advance. Sprinkle sugar mixed with cinnamon on top of the apples and place in the oven.

Please note that a small amount of water must be poured into the bottom of the mold to prevent the fruit from burning.

Lenten dishes for Christmas

Each of the proposed recipes has several cooking variations. In fact, even from an ordinary dish containing meat, you can prepare a lean version by replacing the meat with another ingredient of similar calorie content.

Traditional delicious dishes for Christmas are rich in a fairly large number of different vegetables, which makes them lean. If you are not used to fasting, then you can prepare classic versions of such dishes.

Each of us wants to spend Christmas at the festive table, enjoying delicious homemade dishes. Some strictly adhere to fasting, while others do not deny themselves anything even on such a day.

But both have their own ideal menu, the dishes of which may vary depending on the ingredients used.

Prepare 12 dishes for Christmas that will decorate your table and delight not only you, but also your guests. I hope you liked the recipes!

January 6 - the evening before Christmas - is called Christmas Eve (Nomad). This name is associated with the ancient custom of Orthodox Christians to eat sechivo on this day - bread grains soaked in water - porridge. Sochiv can be not only porridge and vegetables, any lean food, as well as juice - lean milk from different seeds: almond, nut, poppy seed, hemp, which is used to season porridge on Christmas Eve.

On the eve of Christmas, it is strictly necessary not to eat until the first star appears in the sky. The evening meal on Christmas Eve begins with kutya. This is a special, ritual porridge. It is brewed from barley, wheat, rice, peas, and seasoned with honey, raisins, poppy seed, almond or other lean milk. The grain symbolizes resurrection life, and honey and other sweet seasonings symbolize the sweetness of the blessings of the future blissful life.

Kutya is served not only on Christmas Eve (which is also called “Lenten kutya”), but also on the second day of Christmas: for women - woman’s porridge, at christenings - baptismal porridge, at wakes - funeral kutia - kolivo; on New Year's Eve (old) on Vasilyev's evening - "rich kutia" and on Epiphany - ("hungry kutia").

Rice kutia

Sort the rice, rinse, add water, and bring to a boil. Place on a sieve, pour over cold water, put back in the pan and cook in plenty of water until soft. Place back on the sieve and cool. Scald the almonds, peel them, chop and grind them in a bowl intended for kutia. Add granulated sugar, dilute slightly with water, stir, combine with rice, raisins and sprinkle with sugar. Served with lean milk.

Christmas puff pastry

For the dough, mix a glass of boiled cream and flour, add 1 tsp. butter or margarine and salt. Cover with a napkin, let stand for a while, or put in the refrigerator overnight. Peel the apples, remove the core and add granulated sugar. Cut the dough into squares large enough to wrap an apple.

Explosions(uzvar, vzvarets)

This is the name of various decoctions: beef onion, cabbage, cranberry, which are prepared on Christmas Eve and served with kutya. But at Christmas, kutya is served with vza| from fruits and berries, sweetened with sugar, honey or raisins.

With starch

Take a mixture of different dried fruits and berries, add water, add 1 tbsp. starch, cook until soft. Place on a deep dish, sprinkle with sugar, pour over the strained squash | fill the napkin with the broth and cool.

With rice

Boil the rice, place in a sieve, and pour cold water over it. Boil various dried fruits with sugar, place in a sieve, mix with rice. Place on a deep dish, pour in the broth.

2 cups rice, 400 g dried fruits, 2 cups sugar.

Lean milk

Prepared from walnuts or other nuts, or a mixture of them, poppy seeds, almonds. Accordingly, nut, poppy or almond milk is obtained. Prepare nut milk as follows: grind 200 g of nuts in a mortar, gradually adding 3-4 glasses of cooled boiled water. Strain. Add sugar to taste, cool and serve with kutia. Lenten milk is prepared from poppy seeds and almonds in the same way.

Wheat kutia

Pour the wheat into boiling water, bring to a boil, place on a sieve, pour over cold water, put in a saucepan or pot, add water, boil, close the lid tightly and put in the oven to simmer until soft. After this, remove and cool. Rinse, rinse with boiling water, then cold water, crush, add sugar or honey, a little salt, mix with wheat. If the kutia turns out to be thick, add a little cooled water in which the wheat was boiled.

2 cups wheat, 1 cup poppy seeds, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tbsp. honey, salt.

Kutya with raisins

Cook the fluffy rice, mix with granulated sugar, cinnamon and scalded sultanas, bring to a boil. To serve, pour over almond milk.

1 cup rice, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup sultanas, cinnamon.

"Christmas cookies"

Chop the butter together with some of the flour with a knife, pour in sour cream, knead into a homogeneous dough, roll part of it into a layer. Then add sifted flour with sugar and grated lemon peel to the remaining dough, knead again and roll out the second layer (both 1 cm thick). Bake in the oven over medium heat until light brown. Place plum jam on the hot layer, cover with another layer and cut into oblique pieces. Decorate the top of the cookie slices with candied fruits and strips of plum marshmallow.

200 g margarine, 3 cups flour, 1/2 cup each sugar and sour cream, grated lemon peel, 1 cup plum jam. Fold the edges into an envelope, pinch so that the juice does not leak out, grease the egg and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake until the puff pastry is golden brown, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

How to properly celebrate Christmas. What not to do. Christian traditions and customs. Signs for Christmas. How to wish Merry Christmas.

On the night of January 6-7, the entire Orthodox world celebrates the Nativity of Christ - one of the most important Christian holidays.

This is a holiday symbolizing renewal. After all, it was the birth of Christ that proclaimed a new, bright era for humanity. It is no coincidence that a new calendar was even established - from the Nativity of Christ.

The birth in the flesh of Jesus Christ from the Virgin Mary is one of the miracles revealed by the Lord to humanity. Therefore, on the holiday of the Nativity of Christ, everyone expects a miracle and prays that the next year will be better and happier than the outgoing one.

This bright holiday in Orthodoxy is one of the twelve lordly holidays and is preceded by a 40-day Nativity Fast.

Christmas celebrations begin on January 6th with the appearance of the first star in the sky. As you know, after the birth of Jesus, the first people to come to worship him were the shepherds, notified of this event by the appearance of an angel. According to the Evangelist Matthew, a miraculous star appeared in the sky, which led the Magi to the baby Jesus.

everything about Christmas

Christmas Eve is called Christmas Eve. In Russian, the name comes from the word “sochivo”. It means soaked grains of wheat - a prototype of the well-known kutya. Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas Eve on January 6th.

On Christmas Eve, an All-Night Vigil with Great Compline is served, at which prophecies about the Nativity are sung and read.

Around midnight, Matins begins, which is performed according to the rites of the great holidays. On it they read fragments of the Gospel about the Nativity and sing the canon “Christ is born...” - one of the most beautiful canons in Orthodox worship. Next they serve the festive Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

The All-Night Vigil is a liturgical service that consists of Vespers and Matins, which received these names based on the time they took place. Before the holidays, morning and evening services are combined into the so-called “all-night vigil,” that is, prayer that continues all night. This prayer happens only twice a year - at Christmas and Easter. Before Christmas, at the All-Night Vigil, they serve not Vespers, but Great Compline: it is performed after Vespers served on Christmas Eve, hence the name.

What to cook for Christmas:

It is customary to place 12 dishes on the Christmas table, and Kutya decorates the table. On January 6, Lent ends and Christmas Eve begins.

Each housewife prefers her own recipe for preparing Kutya. There are a great many recipes. The simplest one: take the cereal and soak it overnight, then cook until tender and add all sorts of sweets. So, for example, you can take rice, honey and marmalade, as well as millet, poppy seeds and honey, some even cook kutya from pearl barley and millet. You can add marmalade or candied fruits to Kutya.

It is also customary to serve Uzvar, a dried fruit compote, on the Christmas table.

On Christmas Day itself, believers celebrate and feast - “break their fast”; it is already allowed to eat not only fasting food, but also “meat” food.

Traditional on the Christmas table are a variety of pork dishes: jellied meat, roasted pig, stuffed pig's head, roast. Baked poultry and fish, fried and baked meat in large pieces are also served on the Christmas table, since the design of the Russian oven made it possible to successfully prepare large-sized dishes. Finely chopped meat and offal were cooked in pots along with traditional porridge. A variety of pies are also filled with meat: rolls, cheesecakes, koloboki, kulebyaki, kurniks, pies, etc. They prepare casseroles and pancakes. In addition to meat fillings, a variety of vegetable, fruit, mushroom, fish, curd and mixed fillings are prepared.

Folk traditions of celebrating Christmastide from Christmas to Epiphany are rooted in the Slavic customs of celebrating the winter solstice. Mandatory attributes of the holiday were dressing up (massaging using skins, masks and horns), caroling (visits to houses by a group of fellow villagers who performed “well-wishing” sentences and songs addressed to the owners of the house, for which they received treats), carol songs, or carols, youth games and fortune telling.

Christmastide began on Christmas Eve with dinner with Christmas kutya and porridge, pie with pretzels, and for the holiday they baked figurines of animals from wheat dough, which were used to decorate tables, hut windows and which were sent as gifts to relatives and friends.

When the family gathered at the table, the elders remembered the year - all the good and bad in the past year, the site informs. At the end of the meal, the children took part of the remaining kutya to grandparents, as well as to the poor, so that they too could celebrate Christmas. In some places, food and tablecloth were not removed from the table until the morning, believing that the souls of the deceased parents would come to the table to also eat.

Then the mummers, dressed in sheepskin coats with the wool upside down and animal masks, in order to be unrecognized, staged dances in houses and on the streets, staged skits and entire performances. At the end of the 17th century, nativity theater came from Poland to Russia: in a special den-box, scenes about the birth of Jesus Christ and other scenes were acted out with the help of dolls.

Echoes of pagan beliefs were also evident in the fact that it is customary to tell fortunes on Christmastide. In some villages, straw was burned on Christmastide - according to legend, dead ancestors came to warm themselves by the fire at these moments. The Church, not approving of witchcraft superstitions and pagan rituals, assimilated “harmless” customs, and they organically entered people’s life.

For Christmas, the owners always cleaned the house, washed in the bathhouse, laid out a clean tablecloth, stocked up on new clothes, which they put on at the beginning of the day, and invited single people to Christmas dinner. But in some places, superstitions associated with the holiday were also widespread: they did not drink plain water at breakfast, since it was believed that a person who drank water on Christmas morning would be thirsty all summer.

What not to do at Christmas:

On pain of all sorts of troubles, nothing could be bent, weaved or sewed on Christmas Day. The legs of the dining table were tied to each other with a rope so that the cattle would not run away from the herd. The remains of the evening meal were taken outside the fence - “so that the wolves would not harm the peasant cattle.”

A popular proverb says: Whoever slaughters cattle on Christmas Day will die in three years.

You cannot lend anything related to fire on Christmas Eve, for example, a flint, matches, a lighter, a bucket of coal or firewood, etc., otherwise misfortune will befall you.

Never sew, wash your hair, do laundry or lend money on three-day holy holidays (Christmas, Easter and Trinity), otherwise you will set yourself up for tears and poverty.

On Christmas Eve, do not borrow bread, salt or money from home, otherwise all the goods will pass through your hands. They do not cut hair or spin wool. Do not wash or boil laundry. Believers must finish all dirty work by this day on Maundy Thursday, and whoever “pulls” dirt on Christmas Eve will sit in it for the whole year.

You cannot sit at the Christmas table in mourning, that is, in black clothes - you will invite disaster.

If on this bright day a dog howls in your yard, then there will be trouble. To get rid of it, you need to immediately go up to the dog, untie it and say: “Just as the rope doesn’t hold you, so the trouble wouldn’t hold on to my house!”

Do not buy ropes on January 8, the second day of Christmas, so that there will never be someone hanged or strangled in your family. Do not cook or eat jelly on this day, so as not to invite the deceased into your house.

On the ninth of January, the third day of Christmas, do not cut wood before sunset.

Things to do for Christmas:

According to popular beliefs, in order for your loved ones to be happy and healthy throughout the whole year, on the Feast of the Nativity of Christ on January 7, ask the oldest member of the family to treat all relatives with milk. When bringing milk to someone, he must say every time: “The Lord was born, the people were baptized. May you be cheerful and healthy. Amen".

On the eve of Christmas in the old days, food was taken out and left for people in need or treats were distributed - it was believed that in this way all deceased ancestors who did not have time to eat before their death satisfied their hunger. After the festive feast, food was not removed from the table so that the souls of dead relatives would also eat the festive food, and for this they would pray for you.

In a family where there is no peace and harmony, on Christmas night they put a bucket out in the cold, and in the morning they put it on the fire and say: “The ice will melt, the water will boil, and [so-and-so]’s soul will ache for me.” This water is given to the husband to wash his face or in the form of tea/soup, and they also wash the husband’s underwear in it. Holy Christmas water always helps a woman's troubles.

Ask God for what you really need at Christmas. Ask seventy-seven times and it will be given to you. Whoever asks God for something at three o'clock in the morning on Christmas Day will be given it.

If on Christmas night you look for a flying star in the sky and make a wish, then it will definitely come true.

On January 7, in the cold, jump out into the street lightly and, as soon as goosebumps appear on your body, say: “As there are so many pimples on my skin, so that I have so much money too.”

Signs for Christmas:

♦ If a drunk person shows up at your house first, the whole coming year will be filled with noise and quarrels. If a woman crosses your threshold first, then this is a sign of gossip and failure. If a man or boy - to prosperity. If an old man or woman - to a long life. If a bird knocks on your window, this is surprising news. If a beggar or a beggar woman comes to you, it means loss and need. If several people appear at once - to a rich life.

♦ If a man is the first to come to you on Christmas morning, wear plain clothes on this day, if a woman wears a colored dress, so that the whole year goes well.

♦ When a family sits down at the table on Christmas Day and when the first star appears, they begin to have supper, then an unmarried girl or an unmarried guy from this family, taking the first non-lenten piece into his mouth, must keep it on his tongue and not swallow until, going outside, by chance will not hear any name from people passing by. It was believed that the bride or groom would have the same name. People say that this sign has come true more than once.

♦ Cucumbers will be strong and crispy if you pickle them on the exact day of the week that Christmas was this year. A good housewife keeps the salt taken on Maundy Thursday in a secluded place for this purpose.

♦ It’s a good, good omen if during the Christmas feast a domestic cat sits under the table - this means that this year none of those sitting at the table will die.

♦ If two people come to you on Christmas morning, there will be no death, divorce or separation in your home for a year.

♦ If someone spills or breaks something in your house on this day, then the whole year will be turbulent for your family.

♦ If a person goes to church on Christmas Day and stumbles, then twelve years later, every day, he will get sick. To prevent this from happening, you must immediately say: “I am not going to the devil, but to God, He will save me.”

♦ On the ninth of January, be sure to visit your godfathers and parents.

♦ A child who takes his first steps independently on January 10 will be healthy, beautiful and live a long life.

♦ If a sick person sneezes loudly on the third day of Christmas, he will soon recover and live for a long time. If a person who is seriously ill starts talking about pancakes or horses on this day, then he will soon pass into another world.

♦ On the tenth of January, do not put out the dough or kneading bowl.

♦ On the eleventh of January, do not give your husband a towel, otherwise he will begin to loosen his hands.

♦ After they knock on your door or call on January 11, do not open it immediately. Wait until they knock or call a second time, otherwise you will invite illness into the house.

♦ If Christmas Day falls on a Monday, then many men will die that year. If Christmas Day coincides with Tuesday, an even number of guests are invited to the table so as not to invite poverty into the house. If Christmas falls on a Saturday, then this year many old people will die before the next Christmas.

♦ If a midwife was called to a woman in labor and she gave birth to a child on Christmas Day, then the midwife would never take even a penny for her labors; moreover, she was obliged to become the baby’s godmother. This custom was never violated; the old people knew: whoever takes money for childbirth will spend it on a coffin for themselves.

Merry Christmas greetings:

♦ Merry Christmas! Happy bright day!
May you be lucky in everything on this day!
Let joy come into your home,
New car - in the garage,
Profitable work - in the house,
And there are many, many children in it!

♦ Let the Christmas miracle
Will give you its warmth,
May it never be bad
Meet every day with goodness!

♦ The star of goodness and magic has lit up ‒
Merry Holy Christmas!
May God protect and people help!
Let the starlight in your soul not fade away!
May your home be filled with happiness and wealth!
Love, health, peace! Merry Christmas!

♦ Let the night sparkle with magic,
A flock of snowflakes rushes upward.
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you smiles and joy.
Flow of divine love
Let it flow with wonderful light,
And the Lord will bless you
Health, happiness and success!

♦ We wish you a Merry Christmas
Smiles, sincere laughter,
Good health, success
And a lot of good things.
Let the blood flow in the heart,
And the joy lasts forever.
And may they be with you forever
Hope, faith and love!

♦ Merry Christmas to you
And I want to wish from the bottom of my heart,
So that life is full of happiness,
So that you don’t know adversity and sorrow!
I wish you to come true
All your hopes and dreams,
To pure love and tenderness
You could always enjoy!

♦ May the bright holiday of Christmas
Everything you dreamed about will come true!
Let there be a lot of joy, goodness in the house,
And let the heart not know sadness!
I wish you many fabulous miracles,
Warmth of love, spiritual purity!
And let the snowflakes fall from the sky,
Keeping the peace of heavenly beauty!

♦ It's Christmas again ‒
Celebration of the Heavenly Forces!
On this day Christ came
To save our world from evil.
Glory to Him eternal,
Conqueror of darkness!
Congratulations with all our hearts
With this great joy!

♦ The flickering of candles warms the house
And sparkles with gold,
When have a magical Christmas
The Lord will appear!
He gave his life for us -
We must remember this
And what he bequeathed to the people -
Execute diligently!
May it protect your peace
From shutter to threshold
Long-suffering love
Simple faith in God!

♦ The star lit up ‒ Christ was born ‒
And the world was illuminated with love!
Let happiness enter every home!
Have a wonderful and bright Christmas!

♦ Today Christ appeared to us,
To teach people Love.
Friends, let's celebrate everything
And let's become at least a little kinder!

♦ Let the snowflake ring
Announcing the birth
And fill you with delight
Your mood!
After all, today is Salvation,
Love's triumph ‒
The saint is coming
Christ's Christmas!

♦ When the snow covers the ground,
And Christmas will come again
Raise a glass to happiness,
For peace, for friendship, for love!
And so that without grief and doubt
May you live many bright days!
Preserve comfort and family peace
And respect from friends!

♦ Merry Christmas,
What is already knocking on the house!
Open the doors wider
You are to Love, Hope, Faith!
Fur Christmas trees
The whole house smells
Every needle
Whispers: “Merry Christmas!”
Let grievances and losses
They fly away like leaves!
Let luck come through the door
On the bright holiday of Christmas!

♦ Congratulations on Christmas!
Let a miracle happen in your life!
May joy, inspiration and goodness
They will be able to live in your house!

♦ Today is the Birthday of Christ ‒
Good news is sweeping across the planet!
I wish you Christmas this holiday
Consent and joy without end!

♦ Happy New Year!
Happy New Year's treat!
Happy New Year's Eve!
Merry Christmas!
Let everything be fine in the family,
And luck will be nearby!
May your health be good
Happiness - bright, incomparable!

♦ Christmas has come to your home,
Happiness spread all around!
Let smiles soar in it,
And I also wish you:
Kindness and beauty
So that all your dreams come true,
May your health not fail you
And let good luck come!