Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. For millions of Christians throughout the world it is the happiest and the busiest time of the year. No one knows the exact date of Christ's birth but most Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25. The word Christmas comes from Christes masse, an early English phrase that means Mass of Christ.

People of different countries celebrate Christmas in various ways. People in the United States and Canada decorate their homes with Christmas trees, wreaths and ornaments. City streets are filled with colored lights; the sound of bells and Christmas carols can be heard everywhere.

Children write letters to Santa Claus and tell him what presents they would like to get. Many department stores hire people to wear a Santa Claus costume and listen to children's requests. People send Christmas cards to relatives and friends. Many companies give presents to their employees.

A Christmas tree is one of the main symbols of Christmas in most homes. Relatives and friends may join in trimming the tree with lights, tinsel, and colorful ornaments. Presents are placed under the tree. On Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, families open their presents.

Many children believe that Santa Claus arrives on Christmas Eve in a sleigh pulled by a reindeer and brings presents. Some children hang up stockings so Santa Claus can fill them with candy, fruit and other small gifts.

In many parts of the United States and Canada groups of people walk from house to house and sing Christmas carols. Some people give singers money or small gifts or invite them for a warm drink.

Many people attend church services on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. They listen to readings from Bible and singing Christmas carols.

A traditional Christmas dinner consists of stuffed turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and a variety of other dishes. Some families have ham or roast goose instead of turkey. Pumpkin pie, plum pudding, and fruitcake are favorite desserts.

Translation:

Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. For millions of Christians around the world, this is the happiest and busiest time of the year. No one knows the exact date of Christ's birth, but most Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25th. The word "Christmas" comes from "Christes masse", an Old English expression which means "the mass of Christ".

Men in different countries Celebrate Christmas in different ways. People in the United States and Canada decorate their homes with Christmas trees, wreaths, and various decorations. City streets are full of colorful lights, bells and Christmas carols are heard everywhere.

Children write letters to Santa Claus and tell him what gifts they would like to receive. Many department stores hire people to wear Santa Claus costumes and listen to children's requests. People send Christmas cards to relatives and friends. Many companies give gifts to their employees.

The Christmas tree is one of the main symbols of Christmas in most homes. Relatives and friends can gather to decorate the Christmas tree with lights, tinsel, colorful decorations. Gifts are placed under the tree. On Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, families open gifts.

Many children believe that Santa Claus arrives on Christmas Eve in a sleigh pulled by reindeer. Some children hang out stockings for Santa Claus to fill with candy, fruit, and other small gifts.

In many parts of the United States and Canada, groups of people go from house to house singing Christmas carols. Some give money or small gifts to the singers, or invite them inside for hot drinks.

Many people attend church services on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. They listen to passages from the Bible and sing Christmas carols.

Traditional Christmas dinner consists of stuffed turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and many other dishes. Some families eat ham or roast goose instead of turkey. Favorite desserts are pumpkin pie, plum pudding and fruit cake.

One of the warmest and most sincere holidays in our country is Christmas. And Christmas, like Easter, is the greatest Christian holiday. People on this day rejoice at the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

The history of this holiday date next. More than two thousand years ago, the Son of God came to Earth. He came as ordinary people come into the world: as a tiny baby. As a little boy, he lay in a manger. Even animals, donkeys and oxen welcomed his arrival. The earthly parents of Jesus the Virgin Mary and the carpenter Joseph were very happy. But they knew that

Their son will then have to suffer cruelly and die for human sins.

To honor Christ, who saved mankind by his death, Christians annually celebrate his birth. On Christmas Eve, people gather at the Christmas tree at the table with festive kutya. Catholics do it on the evening of the twenty-fifth of December, and Orthodox, Greek Catholics and some Protestants on the evening of the sixth of January.

Christmas is a family holiday for us. On this day in the morning they go to church for a festive service. They also visit close relatives, honor deceased ancestors, remember godparents and bring them kutya. And the youth

And the children go caroling and playing a nativity scene, that is, a traditional Christmas performance.

Colorful characters dressed in bright outfits play in the den. This is a horned goat, a witty gypsy, a cheerful grandfather, a bear, a doctor who treats a goat, and others. The youth congratulates everyone around on the birth of the Savior and glorifies him.

• Christmas essay

Composition on the theme “Christmas”

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Nativity. There is not a single holiday that would be so rich in ancient customs, rituals, signs. Christmas is the most magical and joyful holiday. On this day - January 7, a mysterious baby was born - the savior of all people - Jesus Christ - the son of God. From December 25 to January 7 of the following year, Russian ceremonies took place - Christmas time, bright days. These were the days of fun on the eve of the Holy celebration - the Nativity of Christ.

Our family is small: grandmother, mother and me. We love this holiday very much and we start preparing for it in advance. Christmas is a holiday of light and purity of soul. Therefore, we begin preparations for the holiday with cleaning the apartment. From the fact that the apartment becomes cleaner and brighter, from the joy of joint work, our souls brighten. By December 25, a Christmas tree in festive decoration appears in the house. According to the tradition that began in our family when my mother was little, each member of the family makes a paper Christmas angel for the Christmas tree - a symbol of Christmas. On the wings we write wishes to each other, which we read on Christmas night. A few days before Christmas, we go shopping for the holidays. We try to buy a gift for everyone that we have been dreaming about for a whole year, the purchased gifts are kept secret and are placed under the Christmas tree on the eve of Christmas.

The most solemn and mysterious day is Christmas Eve - Christmas Eve. This year, the neighborhood boys gave us a surprise that day. In the evening the doorbell rang. Mummers stood on the threshold. They had a star in their hands. Their faces shone with joy, their eyes glittered fervently. They congratulated us on Christmas, wished us good health and sang together: “On the eve of Christmas, Kolyada came. Through snowdrifts. She walked, laughing and having fun, both to acquaintances and to strangers.

We invited the boys into the house, gave them tea with sweets and, after thanking them according to an old Russian tradition, added sweets to their bag.

On Christmas Eve we gathered for festive table, lit candles. Everyone read the written wish and received a long-awaited gift. Then we watched the solemn Christmas service from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. It's incredibly beautiful and exciting. I really wanted to attend such a festive service in one of our churches. On the next year my grandmother and I will definitely try to go to the service and, together with other Orthodox, celebrate Christmas.

The holiday is over. But in the heart of each of us there will remain a Christmas mood, the hope that our dreams and wishes will come true, that we will all be healthy and happy. After all, for the sake of our salvation, the Son of God came to earth, whose birth is celebrated in our family.

The Christmas holiday is one of the brightest holidays. He brings to every home the hope for happiness, for the fulfillment of desires, for deliverance from misfortunes and troubles. In the Christian world, this day marks the birth of Christ the Savior, who brought people healing from illnesses, forgiveness of sins, fulfillment of the most cherished desires.

More than two thousand years ago, in the small town of Bethlehem, not far from Jerusalem, the Virgin Mary, the wife of Joseph, gave birth to a boy who was named Jesus, which in Hebrew means "Savior." Long before the birth of the Baby, the heavenly angel told Joseph: “And she will give birth to a son, but you will give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” According to legend, Jesus Christ was born at night - this event was announced by the first, brightest star in the sky, which showed the way for the Magi to the birthplace of the Divine Infant. This is what the Bible says about the birth of Jesus Christ. And since then, on January 7, the entire Orthodox world celebrates Christmas.

The birth of the Son of God was a miracle in itself, and therefore all people expect the most incredible miracles that night. The night before Christmas is shrouded in mystery and unpredictability. It is believed that both dark and light forces dominate the world at this time. Between them there is a constant struggle - but victory remains for good. Every evil spirit, as if sensing its near end, is trying its best to prove itself as “... and the devil, who was left to roam the white world last night and learn the sins of good people. Tomorrow, with the first bells for matins, he will run without looking back, tail between his legs, to his lair, ”we read in N.V. Gogol’s The Night Before Christmas. To protect themselves from the intrigues of evil spirits, people put a clove of garlic on the table, made notches on the threshold with an ax, saying: “Get lost, disappear, evil spirits!” The mystical halo of the night before Christmas even in ancient times inspired people to believe that on this night you can see your destiny. Therefore, Christmas divination is widespread among the people. From time immemorial, people have believed that on the night before Christmas, all ordinary objects become magical, endowed with magical powers. Mirrors, shadows from candles, circles on the water - everything acquired the ability to change shape and show a person vivid images of his future. If a person went to bed that night, uttering a few words of a conspiracy, he must have dreamed of his fate. According to ancient beliefs, on that night, wine could be drunk from the well at a certain time; if a girl brings water from three springs in her mouth, she will successfully marry.

Many folk rituals, observed on Holy Evening and Christmas, originate from ancient times, when the cult of "dying and resurrecting" gods was revered. Since ancient times, at this time, people celebrated the birth of God the Savior, awakening nature to a new life. Since then, many Slavic peoples have retained the custom of lighting a “live” fire on Christmas Eve, the coals from which are able to protect people from diseases. Also associated with the customs of celebrating the turn from winter to summer is the tradition according to which the owner of the house on the evening before Christmas brings a sheaf into the house - a symbol of harvest and prosperity. This sheaf was called “carol”, therefore an indispensable attribute of Christmas “carols” is a sheaf used either in masquerade clothes of carolers, or in the form of a separate sheaf that is carried in the hands.

On the evening before Christmas, kutya was prepared in every house - a dish of rice, raisins, honey, which was treated to guests or carried with them, going to relatives for a dinner. Kutia is the main ritual food: as far as it succeeds, how cool and rich it is, the harvest is expected to be so rich, and there will be a lot of happiness and prosperity in the house. The hostess, going to visit, puts money in her sleeve, takes a kutya and walks through the village. And the children loudly quack, bellow, cluck, so that the family economy is fruitful and healthy. The first spoonful of kuti was thrown on the hives so that bees would be found and carry honey, the second - on the snow so that the frost would not bring losses, then kuti was given to chickens to rush. And then they carried it to the godfather and mother. The remains of kutya were left on the table for the night - for the ancestors who would come to visit the living from the other world.

During the gala dinner, there were to be twelve dishes on the table - always Lenten. There were fish, borscht, dumplings, greek, pies. Pies with cabbage, mushrooms, beans, peas, plums, apples, etc. were also obligatory. It was possible to start dinner after the evening star had risen, and the first one was supposed to taste kutya. In each house they tried to sit down to supper as early as possible - in order to start the harvest earlier. That evening it was not allowed to drink from a bucket - so that it would not rain during the harvest. Holiday songs were sung around the table, various Christmas stories were told, most often fanned with mysticism and mystery. After dinner, the owner always distributed a piece of each dish to animals - cows, pigs, goats, horses - so that they would not be offended.

The morning of January 7 was marked by the joyful news of the birth of the Savior. Boys and girls walked around the village with songs and carols. In carols they praised Christ and wished health to the owners, their children, and the whole house. The hosts had to throw sausage, bread, pies, money into the bag for the carolers - whoever is rich in what. N.V. Gogol in his wonderful story “The Night Before Christmas” surprisingly accurately, brightly, colorfully conveyed the soup and the mood of the Christmas festivities: “Songs and shouts were heard noisier and noisier through the streets. The crowds of the jostling people were enlarged by the arrivals from neighboring villages. The lads were naughty and furious enough.

Often, between the carols, some cheerful song was heard, which one of the young Cossacks immediately managed to put together. Then suddenly one of the crowd, instead of a carol, would release a carol and roar at the top of his voice:

Shchedryk, bucket!

Give me a dumpling

A little porridge

Ring of sausage!

Laughter rewarded the entertainer. The small windows were raised, and the lean hand of the old woman, who alone remained in the huts together with the staid fathers, protruded from the window with a sausage in her hands or a piece of pie. The boys and girls vying with each other set up bags and caught their prey. In one place, the lads, coming in from all sides, surrounded a crowd of girls: noise, screaming, one threw a clod of snow, the other pulled out a bag with all sorts of things. In another place, the girls caught the lad, put their foot on him, and he flew headlong to the ground together with the bag. It seemed that they were ready to have fun all night long. And the night, as if on purpose, glowed so luxuriously! And even whiter seemed the light of the moon from the brilliance of snow.

Composition on the topic: "A wonderful Christmas"

4 "A" class MBU school No. 1 in Togliatti, Samara region

Head: Lopatina Ekaterina Nikolaevna

Miraculous Nativity of Christ… Miraculous - has many meanings - beautiful, long-awaited, breathtaking, and miraculous - a miracle. Indeed, this is a miracle holiday, because the Baby appeared to the world - the Savior for the atonement of human sins.

It happened two thousand years ago. In the small town of Bethlehem, on the night of January 6-7, a Divine Infant was born into the world. Many prophets had been waiting for his appearance for a long time and knew that he would be from the lineage of King David. It was ordained by God, because God is all-inclusive love. He loves everyone without exception: good and evil, rich and poor. And for people to live in peace and harmony - God sent his only begotten Son to earth. And how wisely it was planned to come into the world as a Human from birth.

He was born in a cave, on the way to the city of Bethlehem, where his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and her husband Joseph went to the census announced by the Roman Emperor Augustus. He did not even have a cradle, swaddled, he was laid on straw in a manger, where shepherds put food for animals. And all this is not accidental. By this, the Lord shows us what meekness and meekness were in these holy people - the Virgin Mary, Joseph, the Savior himself. And the first guests of the Divine Infant were not kings and nobles, but simple shepherds, to whom the Angel announced the Nativity of Christ. This is how it is written in the “Law of God”: “I proclaim to you great joy that will be for all people: for today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, has been born to you in the city of David! And here is a sign for you: you will find the Baby in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. At this time, the wise men from the east also came with gifts to the King of the World. The star showed them the way, and having brought them to the cave, it stopped. The Magi brought gifts to the Child: gold, myrrh and fragrant incense: “And they laid down their valuable gift before the baby, descending to the valley, And to their country with humble longing, departed according to God’s word.” This is how it is described in F. Glinka's poem "The Adoration of the Magi". These gifts also have deep meaning: they presented gold as a King, incense - as God, myrrh - as a person who also faces trials. The name of the Infant was called Jesus, which means the help of God, or the Anointed One, since he was from the family of King David. This name is a short symbol of the Christian faith. These events show us that illiterate shepherds and educated scientists are all magicians for Christ, all are equal and desirable. And isn't it a miracle that Jesus Christ walked his way on earth, starting with the Baby in swaddling clothes, thus showing how close he is to us. He also fed on his mother's milk, and he also cut teeth. His mother also sang lullabies for him, she also worried about him when he was somewhere far away. From the Bible for children, I remember such an incident when, at the age of twelve, Jesus was lost, returning home from a holiday. The Virgin Mary and Joseph were very worried when they did not find him nearby. Returning back for him, they found him conversing with the wise priests. He taught them with parables, and all, crowding together, attentively listened to him. Ordinary people then did not even suspect that before them was the God-man. They only marveled at his intelligence and simplicity of communication. By this, the Lord God showed all people what they should be, how worthily they should carry through life the image of God, the image of Jesus Christ.

It can be repeated many times that the feast of the Nativity of Christ is a miracle of miracles. It brings such mystery, silence and light. There is such a very good belief that on Christmas night angels descend to earth. But no one notices them, because everyone is in a hurry about their business. And at night, when everyone is sleeping, little winged angels fly into the houses. Nothing stands in the way of them - neither closed windows, nor walls, nor a roof, because they are also God's. And in every house they leave gifts, or simply scatter them like silver dust around the apartment. And it's not simple gifts You can't see them, but you can feel them. Someone lacks health, someone has luck, joy, and if a person sincerely desires this with a good heart, the Angels will definitely give it to him. You just need to believe, because it was not without reason that Christ, the Savior of the world, was born. This is the salvation of man, if the soul always rejoices and love reigns in it.

And I always feel the mystery of the holiday, being on Christmas night at the festive service in the temple. Candles are burning, it smells of fragrant incense, the choir sings, and it seems to me that these are Angels, as small as the born Christ in the cave, with luminous halos lighting fires. The priest in a beautiful white robe, symbolizing the purity of the Infant, evenly swings the censer and a lot of people with calm, joyful faces - they all came, like magicians, to bow to the born Infant. And after the service you go out into the street, and in the night sky thousands of stars are scattered across the sky and in each star there is a wish that we all made. Everyone congratulates each other on the holiday, someone jokes, someone sings, children laugh fervently. It seems that the whole living world, all nature glorifies the birth of Christ. And we all want to be kinder, live according to the Commandments of God, learn to love and never offend anyone. And whisper to little Jesus: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRIST!”