In the Orthodox Church there are several special holidays, the celebration of which is extended over a long period. One of these solemn periods of the church calendar is Christmas time.
Christmas time are the days of the celebration of the Nativity of Christ. These are special solemn days in which people celebrate the birthday of the Lord Jesus Christ in the world. Christmas time always lasts 11 days. Christmas time begins on the feast of the Nativity of Christ (January 7th according to the new style), and ends on January 17th inclusive. On the 18th of January in the Orthodox calendar is marked by the Epiphany Eve, and on the 19th of the day the Church celebrates the feast of the Epiphany.
During Christmas time fasting is canceled on Wednesday and Friday. This is evidence of the special triumph of the Church in honor of the birth of the Messiah.
During the Christmas time it is customary to visit each other, congratulating you on the bright holiday of the Nativity of Christ. Also during the Christmas time, festivities called carols are taken. Various Orthodox parishes prepare Christmas concerts at Christmas time, where viewers can see various scenes on the biblical theme of the Nativity of Christ.
Christmas time is a special solemn time in which an Orthodox person is allowed to rejoice with all his heart and soul. However, at the same time, it is necessary to remember the very essence of the birth of Jesus Christ. The Orthodox Church teaches that the Lord came to earth for the salvation of people, which was accomplished through the death of the Cross on the second Person of the Holy Trinity.
It should also be noted that during the period of Christmas time in the Orthodox churches the sacrament of the holy wedding is not performed. This is due to the fact that the main triumph for the Orthodox person in this period is the remembrance of the historical event of the Nativity of Christ.
It is also worth noting that in the minds of the Russian people are fixed some traditions associated with the period of Christmas time. So, it is believed that the holy divination is one of the most truthful. The Orthodox Christian needs to know that this practice is not Christian. Fortune-telling, as an appeal to the dark demonic forces, has nothing to do with the celebration of the Nativity of Christ. Therefore, the practice of fortune-telling is not acceptable for an Orthodox person.
