7th of January – Orthodox Christmas

The Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is one of the most important Christian holidays and a public holiday in more than 100 countries of the world. In Orthodoxy, Christmas is celebrated on January 7 (unlike Catholics, who celebrate this holiday on December 25), is one of the twelve holidays, and is preceded by the Nativity Fast.

This great holiday is established to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. On this day, an unprecedented event took place in the small town of Bethlehem - the Infant God, the Son of God, was born into the world. Jesus Christ was born supernaturally from the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.

Having come to earth, Christ was not greeted with honor, nobility, and wealth. He didn’t even have a cradle, like all children, and He didn’t have a shelter - He was born outside the city, in a cave, and was placed in a manger where animal feed is placed.

The first guests of the divine infant were not kings and nobles, but simple shepherds, to whom the Angel announced the Nativity of Christ.

The shepherds were the first to hasten to bow to the newborn Savior. At this time, with gifts to the King of the World came the wise men (ancient sages) from the east. They expected that soon the great King of the World would come to earth, and a wonderful star showed them the way to Jerusalem.

The Magi brought gifts to the Child: gold, incense, and myrrh. These gifts had a deep meaning: they brought gold as a tribute to the King, incense as to God, and myrrh as a person who must die (in those distant times, the dead were anointed with myrrh).

But was the born Christ really so greeted? The Holy Church sings that all of God's creation met the Savior: the angels brought Him singing, the Magi brought gifts, the shepherds met the Baby, the earth prepared a cave-den, and the Virgin Mary became the Mother of the Lord.

The Nativity of Christ ends the forty-day Nativity Fast, and a strict fast is observed on the eve of the holiday. On the night of January 6-7, Christmas services are held in Orthodox churches. After Christmas comes Christmastide - holy days or 12 days, during which the holiday is celebrated.

Congratulate you lady in Online Chat or in a letter with this bright holiday! It is as important for your lady as the 25th of December! Slavic ladies celebrate this holiday with their families and exchange gifts. You can also send her a Gift to congratulate and let her know that you care about her traditions as much as she does about yours!