A script of carols - from Ancient Rus to our time

New Year holidays continue with the expectation of Christmas - which means cheerful congratulations and carols. This tradition, like much in Russian Christianity, is strongly intertwined with pagan rituals. So, the script of Christmas carols of Ancient Rus assumed the celebration of the birth of the fertility goddess Kolyadoy son - a little Bozhich. And this Bozhich was none other than a young, newly growing sun during the winter solstice. The baby was considered to be not strong, it was necessary to protect it - so they walked around the yards with hymns that glorified all the heavenly bodies, and this rite helped to drive away all the unclean spirits that prevent the Bozhich from growing up. And the name of these songs was given by the name of the mother of the baby - carols.

After the baptism of Rus, custom was reflected in the celebration of Christmas. Now people walked around the yards with a star on a high pole, symbolizing the star of Bethlehem. Everyone was informed of the joyful news about the birth of the Savior, church hymns were sung. The hosts, meeting the Christmas course, set the tables and treated the guests. In Russia, celebrate Christmas on January 7, in Western Europe - on December 25. This discrepancy arose from ignorance of the exact date of the birth of the Messiah - but the customs and meaning that is put on the feast are very similar.

In Russian people, what is inherent in tradition, is very strong. So the Christmas carols turned into Christmas carols. The script of the holiday has changed a little - poems and songs that glorify the baby of Christ were added, Bozhich, his mother Kolyada, left the texts. But the custom of walking around the houses of a noisy company has been preserved. Songs also contain the original meaning of carols - they wish the owners well-being, good. Frequent wishes for a good harvest in the coming year, "honey on Easter cakes" - a symbol of abundance, wish to return all good deeds.

The script of carols indicates the behavior of the owners: singers must be treated: baking, fruits, sweets. You can give money. But since the praise of the supreme deity is the main meaning of the Christmas holidays, it was customary in Russia not to take money for itself, but to take it to church. But the treat can be eaten - but at the same time it is equally important to divide it into everyone who has been caroling together.

In addition to funny song-wishes, which usually end with phrases about the need for food, there are special Christmas carols. The script of the holiday assumes that they can be sung while going home, or you can simply gather in a group on the street and tell passers-by about the holiday in about this form:

Quiet Christmas night

The baby in the manger is asleep

And the Lord smiles,

When the world looks.

So, if you follow all the traditional and newfangled rules, then the carol scene may look like this: a group of people is originally going to, who, after visiting the temple in the street, praises the bright holiday of the Nativity of Christ. After that, you can dress up in such a way that it's fun and pleasant for the people to meet, take the accordion, wooden spoons and go loudly to inform all familiar (and not so) about the annual miracle of the revival of life, faith, the completion of another round of development of everything living and the beginning of a new one. Russian clothes here are quite appropriate: sarafans, kokoshniki, scarves and caps. Everything should look smart, festive. You can arrange and changing clothes: chic ladies are obtained from the guys, and they get the most festive treats. Of course, the scenario of Christmas carols involves the completion of the evening with merry gatherings - after all, the food should be eaten together, remember? And more: at this time, the owners of houses should let in everyone who came to them with wishes of happiness - after all the more carols are singing in the house, the more it will prosper in the coming year. Therefore, there was a custom (and now it is quite relevant) to decorate the front door so that it attracts caroling people.