A Brief Explanation of Eastern Orthodox Christmas Traditions
By Andrew Lentz
For Orthodox Christians, the traditions surrounding the celebration of Christmas will vary by ethnicity, but one thing remains constant among them all—they are unified by the same Faith in Christ. The celebration of Christmas is not limited to 1 day, but spans an entire season; encompassing other feast days with their ethnic customs that surround it. The interesting thing about the Orthodox Faith is how it assimilates to a culture. The customs and traditions of a people are not destroyed or forgotten, they are rather “baptized” and given a new meaning and purpose of guiding us to Christ. The very date of Christmas today is a baptism of the pagan celebration of the winter solstice. Christ, the True Light, has replaced the light of the sun and “gives light to everyone” (John 1:9).
When you enter an Orthodox Church, you can often figure out what season is being celebrated based on the color of the covers on the icon stands and Altar in the church. During the Christmas season many Orthodox Churches use red. This color is used for feasts of martyrs and the Holy Cross. Red in the Christmas season calls to mind the ultimate sacrifice that the Christ-child will one day make for us. The Orthodox structure of the Christmas services and celebration mirror the great feast of Pascha (Easter). Jesus’ entire purpose here on earth was His ultimate sacrifice for us on the Cross and His Resurrection from the dead. Thus, the color we decorate our churches in, the period of preparation, and the structure and hymns of our Christmas services are all pointing towards this marvelous Glory of God.
For the Orthodox, the celebration of Christmas begins with a 40-day fasting period, beginning on November 15, where we abstain from meat and dairy products in order to prepare ourselves spiritually for the coming of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ. During this time is the feast of St. Nicholas on December 6. In Slavic traditions, candy, fruit, and money are placed in the shoes of children on this day. This is done in memory of St. Nicholas, who helped those in need without drawing attention to himself by leaving these items in the middle of the night. It is this tradition upon which the myth and customs surrounding “Santa Claus” are based. In the Slavic lands, a traditional meal made up of simple fasting foods is prepared on Christmas Eve. This meal is called “Sviata Vechera” or “Holy Supper.” The children of the family watch for the first star to appear in the eastern sky, in remembrance of the journey of the Magi. Once the star is spotted, Holy Supper can begin. Families will stuff hay under the tablecloth or around the table calling to mind the manger. The traditional greeting at this time is “Christ is Born!” The response when this is said to you is “Glorify Him!”
The Orthodox celebrate Christmas on December 25 with Divine Liturgy and families spend the day in celebration with each other. Foods that they have been abstaining from are enjoyed and a variety of rich, sweet, cookies are prepared. The Serbians prepare a traditional bread called “Chesnitsa,” in which a coin is baked. At the dinner table on Christmas, the loaf is blessed and passed around for each person to tear off a piece. The person who receives the coin is thought to receive blessings from God in the coming year. The Greeks have a similar tradition, but their bread blessing and the exchanging of gifts is done on St. Basil Day, January 1. On this day Greek children enjoy a visit from St. Basil the Great. The “Vasilopita” (literally translated “Basil bread”) is blessed and divide among the whole family.
The Orthodox may prepare for a long time before a big celebration, but they also celebrate longer! The Christmas celebration continues for 12 days (hence the carol “The 12 Days of Christmas”) up to the feast of Theophany (also known as Epiphany) on January 6. On this day, we commemorate God revealing himself to us as the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and Jesus accepting baptism from St. John the Baptist. We bless water on this day (Holy Water) and use it to bless ourselves, our churches, and homes. The parish priest will take this water and bless all of the homes of his parishioners. Receiving the priest for this blessing is like receiving Christ into your home. The churches are decorated in bright white as Jesus is revealed to us as the Messiah (Christ) and part of the Holy Trinity. This is culmination of our celebration of Christ, the True Light, coming into the world and shining among us.
Andrew Lentz is the Pastoral Assistant at Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church.
If you have any questions, or would simply like to speak with our Pastor, Fr. Tom Pappalas, please contact the Church Office at (610) 374-7511 or email us at office@stsconstantinehelen.org. Merry Christmas and may God bless you all! Christ is born! Glorify Him!