Mystery and magic surround the celebrations of Christmas and New Year in Ukraine. Therefore, it is expected that there are many beliefs and signs connected to these holidays. We encourage you to discover the most interesting of them.
Christmas beliefs
Since Christmas is a family holiday, all beliefs are mainly related to the family‘s history and lineage. According to the ancestors’ beliefs, deceased relatives’ souls descend from heaven on Christmas Eve. They return to Earth for a short time to see how their loved ones live. Therefore, before sitting on a chair at the festive table, the household first blew on it because they were afraid to “sit on” invisible guests.
Ukrainians are famous for their friendliness and hospitality. It was believed that the more guests came to your home for Christmas dinner and the following days, the happier the next year would be. However, there was a condition for this belief to come true: pleasant people should come to visit, and you should not invite unkind people.
It is also crucial who will be the first to cross the house threshold on the morning of January 7th. If it is a man, the whole year will be prosperous. It won’t be a very good year if a woman comes.
Christmas omens
Festive clothing is the most critical part of the holiday. It was paramount to wear clothes of the right colors. So, there were 2 key aspects related to festive clothes:
– one should be light (since the dark can portend trouble in the family the following year);
– the other should be new (the old one attracts misery and poverty to the house).
The weather is another reason for occurring of folk signs. So, at Christmas, Ukrainians watched the weather: a snowstorm and frost on the branches of trees foreshadowed an excellent harvest, snow – early spring and good news, and a starry sky ensured a generous crop of peas and buckwheat.
Christmas prohibitions
Christmas, like any religious holiday, has many taboos. Directly on this day, it is forbidden to:
– sew (it is believed that in this case, someone in the family can go blind);
– knit (a child that is born to you or your relatives may become tangled in the umbilical cord);
– kill animals (the spilled blood of innocent animals leaves a negative imprint on the following year);
– tell fortune (because this is a pagan ritual, and the church does not approve it).
It is not known for sure how true all these prohibitions are. However, if Ukrainian ancestors followed these traditions, who are we to neglect them? This is especially true for religious people because Christmas is the biggest holiday for Orthodox Christians.
Christmas rituals
There are many other different rituals Ukrainians follow on Christmas. They aim to bring good luck, wealth, and prosperity to life.
So, starting from January 7, for 40 days, it is worth making a new wish every morning after sleep. This way, you will attract more goodness and joy into your life.
Ukrainian ancestors believed that the heavens open at three o’clock on the night of January 7. Therefore, if it is at this hour that you go out into the street and ask the higher powers to realize a specific dream, then it will undoubtedly come true. However, there is a condition: you cannot make a wish for others – the wish should be only yours. Also, in no case should you harm other people with your desire. Of course, such a desire can and will come true, but the troubles that you risk getting in return will make you regret it.
In addition to magic rituals, many ordinary things are connected with Christmas. So, it is considered important to finish all the housework before Christmas Eve. Throw out all the rubbish, put things in their places, and do a general cleaning.
It is vital to take time for your spiritual cleansing. It would help if you let go of hurt and anger so as not to carry “an extra load” in the New Year. Physical cleansing is also important: it is worth doing all the bath procedures.
Decorating the home is another lovely ritual. It involves putting up the Christmas tree and decorating the house. This will put you in the Christmas spirit. Nowadays, Ukrainians decorate their homes not only with generally accepted decorations but also with traditional Ukrainian ones – made of straw.
All these beliefs, rituals, and prohibitions play a unique role in preparing for Christmas. Some more, some less, but Ukrainians respect the traditions of their ancestors and do their best to follow them.
