December 13, 2007

Russian Orthodox Christmas


Russian Orthodox Christmas

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, January 7th has become an official national holiday. This is the date of the Russian Orthodox Christmas; Nativity of Christ; celebration. Many Orthodox Christian traditions have adopted December 25th for their Nativity or Christmas celebration which culminates with the observance of Theophany (Feast of the Manifestation), the Baptism of Our Lord, on January 6th; January 20th on the old calendar.

In the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches, January 6th, is acknowledged as the Epiphany; the time when the Christ Child was visited by the Magi from the East, or Three Wise Men. The Baptism of Our Lord is celebrated the following Sunday.

During the ages of the early Church, there was one celebration for Christ's birth (nativity), acknowledgment as the Divine (visit of the Magi) and the onset of His ministry (Baptism). This was the Theophany celebrated on January 6/7th. Later, the West divided this celebration; Nativity (Dec. 25), Epiphany (Jan. 6 or the proceeding Sunday) and Baptism (Sunday following Epiphany). Today, many Eastern Churches celebrate the Nativity on December 25th and the Theophany or Baptism on January 6th. They do have a feast for the appearance of the Magi. The differences between East and West evolved after the Great Schism of 1054.

The Russian Orthodox Church follows the Julian or Old Calendar. Thus, the Orthodox Church Feasts and Holidays of January are:
Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas) ~ January 7th
New Year's Day ~ January 14th
Theophany (Christ's Baptism) ~ January 20th.

The celebration of the Nativity begins the day prior with the readings of the Hours. These nine sets of Scripture lessons include passages from the Old Testament prophets followed by readings from the Epistles and Gospels. Vespers, in this case Vigil, features the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil. The liturgy for the Feast of the Nativity itself is that of St. John Chrysostom.

Readings for the Hours and Vespers:

Old Testament readings include: Micah 5:2-4; Baruch 3:36-4:4; Isaiah 7:10-8:4 and 9-10. Additionally, Genesis 1:1-13 and Numbers 24:2-3, 5-9 and 17-18 are read in the ninth hour, just prior to Vespers. Vespers includes Isaiah 11:1-10; Daniel 2:31-36 and 44-45.

New Testament readings include: Matthew 1:18-25, 2:1-23; Luke 2:1-20; Hebrews 1:1-12, 1:10-2:3, 2:11-18 and Galatians 2:23-29. At Vespers, Hebrews 1:1-12 and Luke 2:1-20 are read.

On the day of the Nativity, Galatians 4:4-7 and Matthew 2:1-12 are incorporated into the Divine Liturgy.

The Scripture readings for the Hours and Vespers proceeding the Theophany are as follows:

Old Testament readings: Isaiah 35:1-10, 16-20, 23:3-6 and 49:8-15. Additionally, Genesis 1:1-13, Exodus 14:15-18, 21-23, 27-29 and 15:22 - 16:1; Joshua 3:7-8, 15-17, II Kings 5:9-14 and Isaiah 1:16-20 are read at Vespers. A second series of readings include Genesis 32:1-10; Exodus 2:5-10; Judges 6:36-40, I Kings 18:30-39, II Kings 2:19-22 and Isaiah 49:8-15.

New Testament readings: Acts 13:25-33, 19:1-8; Mark 3:1-6, 1:1-11; Romans 6:3-11; Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-7; Matthew 3:13-17 or Luke 3:1-18. Vespers includes I Corinthians 9:19-27 and Luke 3:1-18.

The Divine Liturgy of St. Basil is celebrated at Vespers. The feast of the Theophany features the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. The readings include Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-7 and Matthew 3:13-17.

The Divine Liturgy of the Synaxis (Sobor) of John the Baptist is celebrated the day following the Theophany. The Gospel passage is John 1:29-34 and the Epistle is Acts 19:1-8.

Terminology . . . .

Vespers: from the Latin, vesper, meaning the evening. Refers to evening prayer, usually at sunset. Vespers is one of the two primary periods of daily prayer. The other being morning prayer or Matins.

Vigil: From the Latin vigilia; meaning a night of watchfulness. Prayer service which combines Vespers and Matins. Vigil is observed on the eve of Sundays and Feast Days. In its purest form, Vigil lasts all night, usually 12 to 14 hours.

Hours: From the Greek, hora meaning a time or season. Refers to the various observances of daily prayer; aka the Liturgy of the Hours.

Synaxis: Greek word meaning assembly. This is any gathering of the faithful for non-eucharistic worship. The Synaxis usually includes psalms, Scripture lessons and prayers.

Mother and Child Russian Lacquer egg is part of the Artshop of St. Petersburg collection.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955