Today is Christmas Eve. In Russian it is a very beautiful name - 'Sochel'nik'.
I am an Orthodox Christian and we celebrate Christmas on the 7th ofJanuary.
But I recpect traditions of Catolics and really I believe in God, not confessions.
Now we are in Czechia and this country is very dear to my heart. And people today come to us and bring
christmas homemade cookies and I prepared nuts and cakes for our neighbours too.
So, today I want to rell about Christmas, first Christmas, but not about well known legend, but Chritmas de facto.
The first documental mention about Christmas celebration is ept in Rome, in Philokalia chronograph, that was written by Furiy Dionisius Philokaley in 354. In this document Christmas is defined as a holiday.
Everybody knows that Cgristmas is celebrated on the date of former Roman pagan holiday. Today I want tell about this.
Many church people did things to populaze Chritmas, to celebrate it.
But ** the Pope Gregory The Great (Gregory I)** did a lot and was very succesful in "Christmas promotion". Gregory made many people to celebrate Christmas and he gave the principal profound meaning to Christmas celebration. And very important fact is that he did it during dangerous and very hard historycal moment when in Rome were the Langobardians and plague.
Source http://www.1200.ottonenzeit.de
Gregory the Great (this person is famous in orthodox tradition like Gregory the Dialogist, Dvoeslov for his book "Dialogues") set Advent tradition and religious services in churches during Advent period and the exact day of Christmas he set three services. First church service at Christmas Eve, All-night Virgil, Divine liturgy. During Gregory the Great time The Roman episcope was in charge for this Divine all-night service.Later ceremony moved to the Curch of Saint Anastasia, in honour of Byzantine, this service was made near Jesus Christ "cradle". And the third service was in The Saint Peter's Cathrdral again as first one.
Gregory by himself told to people and his sermons were kind and sincere. He talked and communicated with people a lot and made titanic labour to populize ans spread Christianity and Christmas celebration.