Before I begin, this is not a post to try to convert you! This is me simply explaining a religious holiday I partake in, what it means to me, and the traditions and customs of it.
Ever since I was a little girl, the Orthodox Christmas celebrated the night of January 6th into the entire day of January 7th has just been the same ol’ thing. You wake up on the 6th of January, take care of any business you need to during the day, then get ready for church at night. The next day, we don’t go to school or work and we spend the day with our families. This is a special occasion for many reasons. For one, it’s the day we (the Orthodox churches) recognize our Savior Jesus’s birth. It is for this reason that we go out, buy an extravagant dress for ladies, suit and tie for men (think fancy wedding apparel), buy new shoes, jewelry, etc. We dawn our new apparel the night of the sixth and head off to church for a special service commemorating His birth. Even the priest has his own special attire for the occasion.
This year, the Orthodox Christmas meant a little more to me than it did before. I used to think I went to church looking as elegant as I could to impress my friends and family, but I was wrong. It is more than that. Yes, we see the church as the house of God, so we must look our very best, especially if we are attending a service commemorating his birth, but what does it all mean? Standing in that church, I saw several things. One, it was crowded. There was hardly anywhere to sit, but that is to be expected because so many people only come to church only on our Christmas and Easter services. Two, the church was decorated in pure white flowers. They were hung up in front of the altar, and around the icons of the saints, as well. Aside from all of that, the real difference I felt was inside. I felt a sort of calmness that I haven’t felt in a long time. I’ll admit, I’ve strayed away from the church and I haven’t really been the same since, but being there, I felt that all my stress, worries, and angst has been lifted off my shoulders. It was also great just being able to pray around my friends and family, the fact that we all came together for one reason.
Of course, most cultures that celebrate certain customs always have traditional foods that they eat, just for the event. The Coptic Orthodox Christmas is no different. We have dishes such as wara anab, which is rice and beef wrapped in grape leaves and steamed with cloves of garlic. This is similar to the Greek version of dolmades, except not vegetarian and cooked. Another dish that we have is a soup of beefy broth with chunks of beef in it. It is served with white rice and fatta, which is baked pita bread. It becomes “fatta” when soaked in the soup. The Copts also eat a popular dish called “kibda” which is liver cooked over a fire with jalapeños and other spices. Aside from all of these popular Egyptian dishes, we also serve feta cheese, basturma, and mortadella on the side. After fasting for forty days, being vegan and being able to eat fish only, coming home from church to a feast is probably one of the most traditional parts of this holiday. It certainly gives the day a great end, considering we all sleep like babies after.
This year was definitely a great one, and I’m excited for Easter especially since the customs are slightly different, and my mom said she’d teach me how to cook this different traditional dishes! Stay tuned, loves! And Merry Christmas from me to you.
More.. https://buriedbeneaththesea.wordpress.com/blog/lifestyle/orthodox-christmas/
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