What is the difference between Orthodox Christmas and Catholic Christmas? Why are Catholic and Orthodox Christmas at different times?
On December 25, 2017, Catholics and Protestants celebrate Christmas, what date do Orthodox Christians celebrate, and why. What are the similarities and differences between the celebration of Christmas among Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Christians, Christmas carols.
Catholics and Protestants celebrate Christmas in 2017 on December 25. Due to the discrepancy in church calendars among the Orthodox, Christmas falls on January 7, which corresponds to December 25 according to the old style. If the Catholic and Orthodox celebration of the Nativity of Christ are somewhat different from each other, then this holiday in the Protestant, Reformed Church has significant differences.
On the night of December 24-25, Christmas begins for Catholics and Protestants. This is preceded by Christmas Eve - the last preparatory day before the holiday. Catholics and Protestants make wreaths from evergreens, decorate them and hang them over their doors. Not infrequently, four candles are placed on the wreaths, symbolizing the four Sundays of Advent - a special preparatory time for Christmas. It should be noted that Protestants do not have a special fast for Christmas, while Catholics celebrate the time before Christmas with fasting.
Catholics try to be sure to attend mass on the evening of Christmas Eve, as well as three masses on the holiday - at night, at dawn and during the day.
In the evening, after the first star rises, before visiting the temple, Catholics traditionally sit down at a table full of symbolic food.
During the day on Christmas Day itself, Catholics prepare traditional dishes for their countries. Catholic churches and parishioners' homes are decorated with festively decorated nativity scenes - scenes from the Christmas story. Among Catholics, sculptural depictions of this subject are common. The theme of the Nativity of Christ was especially popular among Catholic painters of the Early Renaissance.
Christmas for Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Christians, similarities and differences
Members of some Protestant churches also set up nativity scenes in their homes. Although Protestants also have a special meeting with the singing of Christmas carols and a festive word from the pastor, Christmas itself is usually celebrated at home, with family. Like all Christians, Protestants consider this holiday one of the twelve main ones.
There is an opinion that the installation of Christmas trees in homes originates from Protestants. The evergreen tree, which uniquely symbolizes eternal life, began to be decorated with candles as a symbol of the gospel light of truth. Protestants rejected icons, all saints, the sacred hierarchy, liturgies, leaving the strict faith of the early Christians. But they wanted to somehow highlight this day, make it joyful especially for children, so decorating the Christmas tree turned out to be very useful.
Saint Nicholas - Santa Claus - was also rejected by Protestants, so Luther introduced Christkind - the Child Christ, appearing as an angel, more often depicted as a girl or girl. Kriskind gives gifts to children from Protestant families at Christmas, like St. Nicholas among Catholics and some Orthodox (the pronunciation of the name differs in different countries), as well as Father Frost.
Christmas for Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Christians, similarities and differences
Orthodox Christians observe a 40-day fast before Christmas, and on Christmas Eve, with the onset of darkness, they traditionally eat sochivo (kolivo), without arranging a large symbolic feast. Then many go to church for Vespers, after which they most often confess and await the festive Divine Liturgy, where they partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
The Orthodox mainly use icons of the Nativity holiday, but they also create nativity scenes for joy. In Russia, Christmas trees and pine trees are also decorated - the only trees that look beautiful at this time of year.
Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Christians have a time after the Nativity of Christ when the holiday continues and believers bring the Good News of the birth of the Savior to the world.
Gaudete (Latin: Rejoice) is a Christian Christmas hymn created in the 16th century.
Deck the Halls (also Deck the Hall, Russian: Decorate the Hall) is a famous Christmas and New Year's song.
Christmas for Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Christians, similarities and differences
Christmas is one of the most important Christian holidays. Only they celebrate it on December 25, while the Orthodox celebrate it on January 7
What is the difference between Catholic and Orthodox Christmas? And why is Catholic Christmas celebrated earlier?
Let's start with the fact that the exact date of birth of Jesus Christ is unknown. Therefore, a day was simply appointed to celebrate the birth of Christ in the flesh. In the Roman Empire, from the 4th century, they began to celebrate the Nativity of Christ on December 25, the day of the old pagan festival of the Sun and the winter solstice.
How did it happen that now Catholic Christmas is celebrated earlier, and Orthodox Christmas “lags behind”?
The discrepancy between the astronomical calendar and the nominal calendar grew more and more, and finally, Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 announced a reform of the calendar. To restore the time difference, 10 days were missed, and after October 4, by decree of the Pope, October 15 came immediately.
Pope Gregory XIII - calendar reformer
In the Gregorian calendar, however, extra time also accumulates, but not so quickly: only 1 extra day in 10 thousand years. This is because it allows for fewer leap years.
On the night of January 6-7, Christmas is also celebrated by the Georgian, Jerusalem and Serbian Orthodox Churches, Athos monasteries that adhere to the Julian calendar, and some local Catholic churches. Thus, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church celebrates Christmas also on January 7th.
At the same time, all other Orthodox churches, the Roman Catholic Church and Protestants celebrate Christmas on the night of December 24-25.
What is the difference between old and new style? Why do Catholics and Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on different days? Many have asked these questions, but the answer is usually simple - different calendars, and that’s it. What if we agreed to bring the calendars into line?
Let's try to figure it out. Is this really important and why - in the material of the Moscow 24 portal.
Photo: Portal of the mayor and government of Moscow
At first glance, a single date for Christmas would immediately simplify a lot - Orthodox believers would again, as in pre-revolutionary years, begin to celebrate Christmas on December 25, they would not have to observe the Nativity Fast during the New Year, and foreign friends would not have to explain why every time we do not celebrate the main Christian holiday with the rest of the world. In fact, everything is not so simple, but first you will have to understand the differences between the calendars and everything that they ultimately led to.
Julian calendar was introduced into the Roman Empire by decree of Julius Caesar, after whom it was named, on January 1, 45 BC. Previously, the Roman year lasted 355 days, which is why they periodically introduced an additional month to keep up with the tropical year - the actual period of time during which the sun completes the cycle of changing seasons. The structure of the year of the Julian calendar looks the same as we are used to - 365 days, every fourth year is a leap year. Thus, the average length of the year is 365 ¼ days. This calendar year, unlike the previous one, has already become longer than the tropical one. Just 11 minutes and 15 seconds - it would seem quite a bit, but every 128 years one extra day accumulated. Because of this, Christmas gradually shifted from being close to the winter solstice towards spring, and the day of the vernal equinox also shifted - and Easter is counted from it. Ultimately, the discrepancy between calendar time and real time was difficult to ignore. Then the need for a new calendar arose.
Gregorian calendar was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in Catholic countries on October 4, 1582 - there, after this day, October 15 came immediately. This system of calculating time was called the new style (and the Julian calendar, accordingly, became known as the old style). Russia did not switch to the Gregorian calendar and continued to live in the Julian calendar. So we had Christmas, like everyone else, on December 25th. Only for Catholics it was already January at that time. And then the revolution happened, and the Council of People's Commissars adopted a decree - to switch to the same number system with the whole world. This happened on January 31, 1918 - after it, February 14 came in the RSFSR, thus we “synchronized” with other countries.
What about the Church?
This is where the fun begins. In secular chronology, we began to live simultaneously with the West. But the Russian Orthodox Church (and with it the Serbian, Georgian, Jerusalem and Athos) refused to change the calendar. And the point here is not at all a stubborn reluctance to follow the Catholics - there are very important reasons for the church behind this decision.
First of all, according to Christian canons, the New Testament Easter must follow the Old Testament. This is dictated by chronological considerations - Jesus Christ was crucified on the eve of the Jewish Passover, and resurrected on its third day. For Christians living according to the Gregorian calendar, this rule is sometimes violated, which, in theory, distorts the logic of liturgical time calculation - and in the Orthodox church calendar, the events of the life of Jesus Christ strictly follow one after another. In addition, it is on the eve of Orthodox Easter that the Holy Fire traditionally descends on the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, and on Epiphany night the water is blessed. These miracles are another argument of Orthodox Christians in favor of the truth of their calendar. Agree, the reasons are more than serious, so the position of the majority of Orthodox churches is clear - let the Catholics return to the correct calendar. And we'll wait.
On a note
It is interesting that 11 local Orthodox churches (among them Greek, Romanian, Bulgarian and others) celebrate Christmas, like Catholics, on the night of January 25. In 1923, they switched to the New Julian calendar - that is, in fact, a calendar with the Julian Easter and the Gregorian calendar at the same time. It turns out that they celebrate Easter with the Orthodox, and immutable holidays with the Catholics.
The difference between the dates of the Julian and Gregorian calendars is constantly increasing - every 400 years by three days. Thus, Orthodox churches using the Julian calendar will begin to celebrate Christmas on January 8th from 2101.
A very important time has come for Christians of all denominations - preparation for one of the two most important holidays - Christmas. However, followers of different branches of Christianity not only celebrate this holiday at different times, but also prepare for it in different ways.
Christian churches living in Gregorian calendar(so-called new style), note Nativity at night from 24 to 25 December. Lives according to the new style Catholic Church and that's all Protestant denominations. Ten out of 15 local Orthodox Churches celebrate holidays according to the so-called New Julian calendar, which currently coincides with the Gregorian calendar. All churches living according to the new style, as well as most residents of countries whose culture is based on Western values, will celebrate the birth of the son of God on the night of December 24-25, 2017.
By Julian calendar(so-called old style) Christmas Day will come 14 days later. Believers who adhere to the old style will celebrate this amazing holiday on the night from 6 to 7 January.
The five Orthodox churches of the world live according to the Julian calendar. These are the Russian Orthodox Church, Jerusalem, Georgian, Serbian and Polish Orthodox churches, as well as Athos monasteries. Together with them, some Catholics of the so-called Eastern Rite and a small number of Protestants will celebrate Christmas on the night of January 6-7.
This question is quite complicated, especially considering that the celebration Easter Orthodox and Catholics sometimes have the same thing.
The Gregorian calendar was first introduced by the Pope Gregory XIII in Catholic countries in 1582 instead of the previous Julian. This was done due to the backlog that arose due to the fact that the Julian calendar did not take leap years into account.
In Soviet Russia, the Gregorian calendar was introduced by decree of January 26, 1918, but the Russian Orthodox Church never recognized this, although such attempts were made.
In 1923, most local Orthodox churches adopted the New Julian calendar, similar to the Gregorian, and began to celebrate holidays at the same time as Catholics and Protestants. However, the Russian, Jerusalem, Georgian and Serbian Orthodox churches, as well as the monasteries of Athos, refused to comply with this decision. Thus, the Russian Orthodox Church still adheres to the old style, and the majority of Russians, even those far from religion, celebrate Christian holidays according to the Julian calendar.
That's why Catholic Christmas will come December 25, A Orthodox - Jan. 7.
Why Christmas doesn’t coincide for Catholics and Orthodox Christians, but with Easter everything is more complicated
As you know, in Christianity there are holidays intransient, that is, fixed in the calendar and always celebrated on the same day, and moving (that is, having a floating date).
So, in 1948, at the Moscow meeting of Orthodox churches, a resolution was adopted that Easter and all moving holidays should be calculated according to the Julian calendar, and non-moving ones - according to the calendar according to which the local church lives.
But in fact, all this just needs to be accepted and remembered, and as for moving holidays, for example, Easter, you just need to check their date annually according to the church calendar.
How Orthodox and Catholics prepare for Christmas
Orthodox Christians begin preparing for Christmas more than a month in advance - for this there is Christmas post which begins November 28 and lasts 40 days - until the evening of January 6. Read more about how it is customary to observe the Nativity Fast in Orthodoxy.
Catholics and Lutherans call preparations for Christmas Advent, this time is also accompanied by fasting and traditional rituals, which have not only a religious, but also a cultural meaning.
What is Advent
Advent(from the Latin word adventus - arrival) is the name of the pre-Christmas period, in its spiritual meaning similar to the Nativity Fast among the Orthodox.
Advent is especially important for Catholics - after all, it is a time of spiritual and physical preparation for the holiday of the Nativity of Christ. It should be noted here that if the Orthodox consider the main Christian holiday Easter, then in the Western tradition the first place is precisely Christmas, therefore, everything connected with it is extremely important for Catholics and Protestants.
Advent lasts four weeks - until Catholic Christmas, that is, it is about a third shorter than the 40-day Orthodox Nativity Fast. During Advent, it is also customary for Western Christians to fast, although not as strict as in Orthodoxy, and to perform various good deeds.
First Sunday of Advent
One of the most important days before Catholic Christmas is first Sunday of Advent, which in 2017 falls on December 3.
On this day the first candle in the traditional Advent wreath is lit - Candle of prophecy, which symbolizes the connection between the Old and New Testaments.
Second Sunday of Advent
In second Sunday of Advent, which falls on December 10, the second candle is lit along with the first. The second candle is called Bethlehem- it is lit in memory of the maiden’s journey Maria and saint Joseph to Bethlehem and the birth there Jesus.
Third Sunday of Advent
Third Sunday of Advent will come December 17. This day is symbolized by the third candle, which is called Shepherds Candle. It is lit along with the first two. The third candle is dedicated to the shepherds who were the first to come to worship the baby Jesus.
Christmas Eve for Catholics
IN Christmas Eve- Christmas Eve (December 24) - light up fourth Advent candle, which is called Angels Candle. This candle symbolizes the divine essence of Christ.
On Christmas night, all four candles in the Advent wreath are lit.
Read about how Western Christians celebrate Christmas in the materials Federal News Agency.
Although Advent is considered a period of prayer and fasting, in Western countries it is also a very fun time dedicated to waiting for a miracle, with which Christmas is invariably associated. In all settlements - from lush European capitals to small mountain villages - fairs and sales are held, and Christmas markets are opened, which tourists love to visit. Everyone is trying to stock up on gifts, which are usually given to both children and adults at Christmas.
Catholics and Protestants who live according to the Gregorian calendar, as well as local Orthodox churches of the world who adhere toNew Julian calendar, celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of Christ on the night of December 24-25.
Christmas is one of the most important Christian holidays, established in honor of the birth of the baby Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. Christmas is celebrated in many countries around the world, only the dates and calendar styles (Julian and Gregorian) differ.
The Roman Church established December 25 as the date of celebration of the Nativity of Christ after the victory of Constantine the Great (approx. 320 or 353). Already from the end of the 4th century. the entire Christian world celebrated Christmas on this day (with the exception of the eastern churches, where this holiday was celebrated on January 6).
And in our time, Orthodox Christmas “lags” behind Catholic Christmas by 13 days; Catholics celebrate Christmas on December 25, and Orthodox Christians on January 7.
This was due to a mix-up of calendars. The Julian calendar came into use in 46 BC Emperor Julius Caesar, adding one more day in February, was much more convenient than the old Roman one, but still turned out to be insufficiently clear - the “extra” time continued to accumulate. For every 128 years, one unaccounted day accumulated. This led to the fact that in the 16th century one of the most important Christian holidays - Easter - began to “arrive” much earlier than expected. Therefore, Pope Gregory XIII undertook another reform, replacing the Julian style with the Gregorian one. The purpose of the reform was to correct the growing difference between the astronomical year and the calendar year.
So in 1582 In Europe, a new Gregorian calendar appeared, while in Russia they continued to use the Julian calendar.
The Gregorian calendar was introduced in Russia in 1918, however, the church did not approve of such a decision.
In 1923 On the initiative of the Patriarch of Constantinople, a meeting of the Orthodox Churches was held, at which a decision was made to correct the Julian calendar. Due to historical circumstances, the Russian Orthodox Church was unable to take part in it. Having learned about the meeting in Constantinople, Patriarch Tikhon nevertheless issued a decree on the transition to the “New Julian” calendar. But this caused protests among the church people and the decree was canceled less than a month later.
Together with the Russian Orthodox Church, on the night of January 6-7, the Feast of the Nativity of Christ is celebrated by the Georgian, Jerusalem and Serbian Orthodox Churches, Athos monasteries living according to the old Julian calendar, as well as many Catholics of the Eastern rite (in particular, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church) and some Russian Protestants.
All the other 11 Local Orthodox Churches of the world celebrate the Nativity of Christ, like Catholics, on the night of December 24-25, since they do not use the “Catholic” Gregorian calendar, but the so-called “New Julian” calendar, which still coincides with the Gregorian calendar. The discrepancy between these calendars in one day will accumulate by 2800 (the discrepancy between the Julian calendar and the astronomical year in one day accumulates over 128 years, the Gregorian - over 3 thousand 333 years, and the "New Julian" - over 40 thousand years).
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