An important church holiday on January 6 is Christmas Eve: what is strictly forbidden to do

Christmas Eve is one of the most solemn and anticipated days for Orthodox Christians. On the eve of the great holiday of Christmas, millions of believers prepare for festive divine services, observe strict fasting and follow ancient customs filled with special meaning and spiritual mood. This evening is filled with an atmosphere of anticipation of a miracle: the first stars in the winter sky remind of the star of Bethlehem, which showed the magi the way to the newborn Christ. But along with the bright expectation, this evening is accompanied by a number of important prohibitions that are not recommended to be violated in order to adequately celebrate the main church holiday of the year. Izvestia reports in more detail about the prohibitions related to Christmas Eve.

The Story of Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is the evening of January 6, which Orthodox Christians celebrate as the eve of the great feast of Christmas. The origin of this holiday goes back to ancient times. In the first centuries of Christianity, in the III–IV centuries of our era, in Russia and in other Orthodox lands, Christmas and Epiphany were celebrated together under a single holiday — Epiphany, which fell annually on January 6.

It was only by the middle of the fourth century that the Roman Church set a separate date for Christmas — December 25, and the Orthodox tradition preserved January 6 as Christmas Eve according to the Julian calendar, which corresponds to January 6 according to the new style among most Orthodox peoples. On this day, for the first time, a special divine service is being introduced, accompanied by solemn hymns, many of which were created and consolidated in the period from the fifth to the eighth century. It was then that the tradition of a special Christmas Eve service was born with the singing of troparia and kontakion, reflecting the expectation of the feast and the birth of the Savior.

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Strict prohibitions on Christmas Eve

On this day, Orthodox believers are advised to pay special attention to spiritual preparation for the great feast of the Nativity of Christ, so there are a number of important prohibitions that must not be violated. The first and main restriction is that it is strictly forbidden to eat food until the end of the festive service and the appearance of the first star in the sky. This ceremony is associated with the end of the 40-day fast from Philip, which ends on the night of January 6-7. Before the appearance of the star, it is customary to abstain from food, you can only drink water. This custom symbolizes the expectation of the Star of Bethlehem, the sign of the Savior's birth, which showed the magi the way to the infant Jesus.

The second important prohibition is fortune—telling and any pagan rituals. The Church categorically condemns fortune-telling, divination, caroling with pagan elements and dancing around the campfire, as they distract from the true spiritual meaning of the holiday and are considered a grave sin for believers. Despite the fact that folk tradition has linked Christmas Eve with mysticism and predictions for centuries, modern Orthodox practice strictly prohibits such activities.

It is also forbidden to quarrel, swear and provoke conflicts on this day — the day should be filled with peace, harmony and a spiritual attitude. It is forbidden to wear dark or dirty clothes, it is better to choose light ones to symbolize the purity of the soul and the joy of the holiday.

Household prohibitions include heavy physical labor, needlework, sewing, washing and taking out the trash, as these actions can "take out" good luck from home and disturb the peace of the family hearth. It is important to complete all household chores in advance and devote time to prayer, preparing for the arrival of Christmas.

Another traditional prohibition is that guests, even uninvited ones, should not be chased away or denied food on this day. Hospitality on Christmas Eve is a sign of mercy and benevolence that should reign in the house.

At night on Christmas Eve, it is also not recommended to sleep for a long time and look in the mirror: night vigil symbolizes the wakefulness of the soul in anticipation of a joyful event, and reflection in the dark could promise negative omens according to popular beliefs.