Old-style Orthodox Christians celebrate Birth of Lord

Orthodox Christians who follow the Old Calendar today are celebrating the Birth he Lord (Christmas), one of the 12 major feasts of the Lord or Imperial feasts, preceded by a 40-day fast. On this occasion, religious services are being held in holy places Moldova.

On Christmas morning, the faithful attend the Holy Liturgy at church, and later, at noon, families gather for the traditional festive meal. The Birth of Lord is generally a family holiday, focused on prayer, spirituality and the joy of the birth of the Savior.

One of the main Christmas traditions is caroling. Through the custom of children going from house to house with carols and the Star, the Nativity of the Savior is proclaimed.

On the occasion of the feast, Most Right Reverend Vladimir, Metropolitan of Chisinau and of All Moldova, emphasized that the Birth of Lord brings light into the homes of all believers.

“Through grace-filled carols, you keep alive the heritage of ancestral faith and make known the great mystery of the Nativity of Christ the Savior. The sound of carols calls us to spiritual renewal and to welcoming Christ into our hearts. We wish that the holy feasts of the Nativity of the Lord, the New Year, and the Baptism of the Lord may be for you an occasion of blessing, peace and spiritual joy, sharing in the light of the angels and the joy of the shepherds of Bethlehem,” Metropolitan Vladimir noted.

Another old tradition is the “procession with the icon,” a form of caroling carried out by village priests with the icon of the Nativity of the Lord, during which homes, households and Christians are blessed. Housewives also bake traditional sweet breads such, as cozonac and Crăciunei.

Old Calendar Christmas is marked in Belarus, as well as in communities in Ukraine, Bulgaria, Armenia, Georgia, and elsewhere. The tradition of celebrating the Nativity of the Lord according to the Old Calendar has also been preserved in Serbia and Montenegro, as the Serbian Orthodox Church continues to follow the Julian calendar, as in some cantons of Switzerland.

Old Calendar Christmas, according to the Julian calendar, is celebrated on January 7. Believers who follow the Gregorian calendar celebrated Christmas on December 25.

In order to allow everyone the opportunity to celebrate with their families, the authorities have ruled to declare official public holidays on December 25, January 7 and January 8.