According to the folk calendar - Christmas

Christmas is considered one of the main holidays among the people It is celebrated on January 7 (December 25) according to the old style According to legend, on this day Jesus Christ, the son of the Lord and the Virgin Mary, was born Christmas is a family holiday, first of all it is celebrated among relatives They prepare for it in advance by observing Great Lent for forty days from November 28th On the night before Christmas, the fast ends and people set the table with 12 dishes An obligatory dish on the table is kutia (sochivo) and uzvar - dried fruit compote Also among the dishes are meat delicacies: jelly, sausages, baked poultry Housewives decorated their houses for the holiday - they laid a new tablecloth on the table, placed garlic and coins in the corners, signifying health and prosperity They placed sheaves of straw in the house, symbolizing the manger of the newborn Christ, lit a candle and made sure that it burned down completely Household members should wear clean clothes, not swear, and read prayers before the feast All homework was completed before Christmas On January 7, 12 days of Christmastide began, during which people rested, had fun, told fortunes and performed carols Young people and children, dressed in costumes, walked around the courtyards, sang carols, wishing their owners happiness and health In return they were thanked, treated to cookies, sweets, and given coins With carols and evenings, children visited their relatives and godparents The obligatory characters in carols were fellow villagers dressed up as goats and bears The goat symbolized the well-being of the family, its fur was stroked to promote good luck, and the bear was represented as a symbol of strength The carolers wore an octagonal star on a pole, signifying the night star under which Jesus Christ was born Among the customs common at Christmas were maiden fortune telling Unmarried young ladies gathered after sunset and cast a spell on their betrothed Women performed rituals to exorcise evil spirits from the corners of the house To do this, they took a nettle broom, poured boiling water over it and swept it in all corners People believed that if a man entered the house first on Christmas morning, happiness would come to the family The appearance of a woman promised female illness If two people come in, the family will avoid quarrels and illnesses If the frost lasted for three days at Christmas or the growing moon was visible at night, a bountiful harvest was determined A strong snowstorm foreshadowed a cool summer A cat seeking warmth meant a cold snap was coming Christmas Day predicted similar weather for Peter's Day, July 12th