Christmas – Bozic

 

Christ Nativity – Christmas

When Adam and Eve, persuaded by the devil disguised as a snake, sinned against God's command and tasted the fruit (apple) of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, God rightfully punished them by expelling them from Paradise, where they had lived until then without a care. The original ancestors were left to care for themselves, recognizing stress, fear, illness, sorrow and even death.

 Happy and carefree in Paradise, Adam and Eve became unhappy and cursed.

 

 

 

However, man is a picture and image of God, and therefore the Creator did not entirely reject man from Himself. Rather, he gave him hope that in His time He will send the Saviour who will reconcile man with God, and Who will with His blood redeem man's relationship from the original sin and by His resurrection destroy sin and death.

For a long time individual religious men anxiously awaited the arrival of the Saviour, and only when the time had come for the realization of the prophecy of the Old Testament prophets and the fulfillment of the calculations of the Prophet Daniel, on the 5508 years since the creation of the world, or the 753 years since the founding of Rome, "God sent His Only-Begotten Son, Who was born of a woman," nine months after the Annunciation, in Judea, in the image of man.

At that time Judean rule had long ceased and the Hebrew people, after prolonged slavery to many masters, were under the rule of the Romans. Prior to the Birth of Christ, the Roman Emperor Augustus issued a proclamation that a census be taken within the Roman Empire. Everyone had to go to the city of their ancestors. Because Mary was from the house of David, who was from Bethlehem, and so was her guardian Joseph, they departed from Nazareth in Galilee, where they lived, for Bethlehem, at the time when Jesus Christ was to be born.

The tired travelers arrived in Bethlehem in the evening, and because of their poverty they could not find lodging. They sought shelter in a cave in the vicinity of Bethlehem, in which shepherds during a storm took refuge for their livestock.

That night the Virgin Mary gave birth to her First and Only Son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger. "Under the worst conditions, in a manger, lays He, Who today sits on the highest throne." During the night when Jesus was born, over Bethlehem and vicinity there was a great calm; only the shepherds of Bethlehem were awake, by their livestock in pasture. In one moment they saw a great light and the angels who came from heaven.  The shepherds were overcome with fear,  but the angel stood among them and said: "Fear not, God has sent me to bring you glad tidings, which will be to all people. At this moment is born in Bethlehem God's promised Saviour of the world, Jesus. In a cave by the city you will find the swaddled Child, lying in a manger." Because the angel disappeared, the shepherds, filled with joy hurried to the cave and saw little Jesus and humbly bowed to Him. After that they told Joseph and Mary everything that God had revealed to them and what they had heard from the angels, and went forth praising and thanking God.

At the same time, upon the land of Israel there appeared a great and shining star, which was unusual in that it did not move from the east to the west, as all stars do. Rather, it moved towards the south, and it was not as high as the other stars, but only as high as a bird's flight. According to the belief of those times, every man had his own star in the sky, which was as big and bright as the man's prominence and reputation on earth. This unusual star led the three Wise Men from the Par East, from Persia, to conclude that a very prominent man, and in all probability a king, was born. Therefore, the Persian Wise Men set forth following the star to search for the Newborn King, so that they may present themselves.

According to tradition, there were Three Wise Men: Gaspar, Balthasar and Melchior. These Wise Men were guided by the movement of this unusual star. They traveled afar and in that way they arrived in Jerusalem. Here the star was lost to them , so they stopped off in the city, believing that a King of the Jews was born. Their luxurious garments, the title of Wise Men, as well as the place they had come from disturbed all the citizens of Jerusalem, and the news of the travelers reached the ears of King Herod Antipas, whom the news of the Newborn Judean King frightened very much. In fear that the Newborn King might seize his throne, he thought of killing Him while He is still a child, but he did not know where to find Him. Therefore, he gathered all his chieftans, priests and learned men, knowing that they possessed books of prophecy, and he asked of them: "Where is Christ supposed to be born?" "In Bethlehem of Judea, so said the Prophet Micah," they answered. Afterwards Herod secretly invited the Three Wise Men to the palace and asked them, when they find the Child, to return and tell him where He is so that he can go and present himself.

The Wise Men left that same evening, and as soon as they were out of Jerusalem the star reappeared and led them to Bethlehem, where it stopped over the cave where Christ was born. The Wise Men entered, and finding Joseph and Mary with Little Jesus, they fell down and worshipped Him and gave Him gifts: gold as to a king, frankincense as to God, and myrrh as to first priest and teacher. During the night God came to the Wise Men in their dreams and told them not to return to Herod, but to return by another route to their country, and that is what they did.

Herod impatiently awaited the return of the Wise Men, but when he heard that they had returned by a different route, he was angered and ordered the soldiers in Bethlehem and vicinity to slay every male child up to two years of age, and thus Jesus also would be executed. At that time forty thousand innocent children were slain, and the cries and screams of the unfortunate mothers resounded on all sides. But Jesus was spared, because Joseph, by order of the angels, promptly took the mother and Child to Egypt and lived there until Herod died.

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The Christian era began on the day of Christ's Birth, and from that day on the Christian people and the rest of the world began to count the years.

In memory of Christ's Birth, from the time of the apostles, the Great Holy CHRISTMAS was established. St. John Chrysostom said that Christmas is the source of all Christian holy days, because if it were not for Christ's Birth there would be no baptism, no Resurrection, nor any others.

From the beginning, Christmas was not celebrated on the same day. It wasn't until the 4th century, at the time of Czar Archadeus, that it was separated from Theophany and celebrated on December 25 by the Julian calendar (January 7 by the new Gregorian calendar) . On that same day the Romans had a holiday which was called "Dies natalis solis invicti," a day celebrating the sun which constantly returns toward summer and renews itself, so the celebration of Christmas was decided to be celebrated on that day so that this Roman holiday be eliminated.

In order for the Christians to properly prepare for Christmas, a fast was established from November 28 to the evening of January 6 (November 15 to December 24) , which is not as strict as the Easter Fast. However, regardless of which day it falls on, Christmas is not a fast day.

The icon of Christ's Nativity is portrayed in this way: a cave and in it a manger; the Holy Mother with Joseph and the Infant Jesus; the shepherds are bowing, and a bright star with its light illuminates the Newborn Christ. The angels fly on high, behind the manger are tied mules, and a lamb is in the foreground.

At Christmas time, instead of the usual greeting, people greet each other with "Christ is Born" and "Indeed He is Born."

No other holiday has more national traditions than Christmas, which are observed on this day. The most popular customs are: the laying of the yule log, strewing the homes with straw, clucking and peeping (like chickens and peeps), baking chesnitsa and roast pig, the polozhajnik, and there are many other beliefs, maxims and proverbs.

The Church has given a new meaning to the badnjak: gathered around the badnjak, the household is warming with love, sincerity and unity, and by its light it is dispersing the darkness of ignorance and superstition and enlightens with happiness and pleasure, health and abundance.

Earlier, when more people lived in the villages, and even now here and there, before the sun rises on Badnji Dan a member of the household goes into the forest and selects a tree, which must be a young oak. Before he strikes with the ax he first sprinkles it with wheat and says: "Good morning and a good Badnji Dan." He cuts into two places so that a wedge drops out, and that wedge he takes with him. The cut tree is pruned, he takes it home, and in the evening he places it on the fire. When it burns through, the bottom end is carried around to the pens and barns and the other end is set aside for the polozhajnik. That is why on that day a badnjak is lit and the day is called Badnji Dan. Today, of course, in the cities a badnjak is purchased at the market place from the villagers, but the symbol is the same. But the ritual is shortened, or the badnjak is simply kept in the house.

On Christmas Eve straw is strewn about the house, with which the house is transformed into that cave in Bethlehem in which Christ was born and in which straw was strewn for the livestock to lie on. In the villages the straw stay

An interesting and very old custom is when the straw, which will be strewn about the house, is carried around the house. One of the elders clucks, followed by the children who peep, while the happy head of the household throws various grains with which he supposedly is feeding his chicks. The true pagan meaning of this custom is not clear (some assume that by the clucking and peeping they are calling the souls of their deceased ancestors, which were believed to be in the bodies of animals) , but today this custom portrays: Just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings and warms them with motherly love, so has Christ come to bring them together and unite them in one Christian society and warm them with love; and just as the chicks feed on wheat, so He has fed and inspired them with His knowledge, because He said: "Who is hungry come to me and I will feed you, who is thirsty come to me to drink the living water."

The chesnitsa which is made at Christmas time is thought to have derived its name in honor of Jesus Christ or because it is broken into so many pieces, as many as there are people in the home. The money which is put in the chesnitsa should be of gold or silver, or of pure metal which will not rust, because that is a gift to the Newborn Christ.

For the polozhajnik and the stoking in the fire of the burned portion of the badnjak, it is thought that this represents the Wise  Men   from  the   East  who   looked  to  the   countless heavenly stars, according to which they received their knowledge. Thus the polozhajnik looking at those sparks from the fire expresses his wishes for the host and his home. Cajkanovic even thinks that the polozhajnik (polozhenik) is the incarnation of the mythical ancestor who appears at the most important moments in the lifei of his descendants–for Christmas, slava, birth, wedding, and in the event of a death.

The first obligation of the polozhajnik is to wish for luck, health and progress for the host's household. That is why upon entering the house (being careful to step over the threshold with his right foot) he walks up to the fire and at the end of the badnjak stokes the fire to break out the sparks and says: "thisi many sheep, and this much money, hogs, horses and oxen, cows and calves, life and health, luck and success, and every progress, may God grant it!" or something similar. After mirbozhanja (the host and polozhajnik kiss each other on the cheeks and say "Christ is Born" and "Indeed He is Born", etc.) the polozhajnik places a gift on the hearth (puts money on the east end of the hearth), sits a while, drinks (frequently) hot whiskey, greets everyone and leaves. Upon leaving, the polozhajnik is given a gift, stockings or a towel, an apple or cakes which were baked along with the chesnitsa.

At one time on Christmas, as a sign of happiness and good cheer, guns were shot off and Christmas songs were sung, such as "Bozic, Bozic Bata …" and "u Bozica tri nozica … A nice custom is that on Christmas Day, in church after matins, everyone kisses each other and many make peace with someone with whom they were estranged for a long time. There are so many Christmas customs that an entire book could be written about them. Because of the customs, Christmas is the most joyous and happiest of all holidays. In the "Mountain Wreath" Njegos writes:    

There is no day without eyesight

Nor a real feast day without Christmas

One celebrated Christmas in Bethlehem!

One celebrated in Mount Athos

One celebrated in Holy Kiev

But this celebration stands apart

With simplicity and happiness

The fire better than ever blazes

Strewn before the hearth is the straw

The yule logs are crossed in the hearth

Guns fire,  the spit is turning

Gusle hum, kolo is sung

With grandchildren grandfathers dance ..

 

HRISTOVO RODJENJE – BOZIC

OBICAI

                         I ako je Vaskrs najve}I  hri{}anski praznik – praznik nad praznicima, kod Srba se Bo`i} I praznici vezani za njega najsve~anije proslavljaju I obiluju na{im lepimobi~ajima, koji vreme od nekoliko nedelja oko Bo`i}a ~ine najlep{im I najsve~anijim periodom u celoj kalendarskoj godini.                                                                                                                    

 Bo`i} se praznuje na dan ro|enja Gospoda Isusa Hrista, Sina Bo`ijeg, Spasitelja sveta. Ta ~injenica da je to praznik ra|anja neovog `ivota, praznika dece I detinjstva, praznik roditeljstva – o~instva I materinstva, ukrasio je kod Srba ovaj praznik najlep}im vaskrsnim obi~ajima I obredima. Svi ti obi~aji I obredi imaju jedan osnovni smisao I svode se na jedan cilj: Umoliti Boga da sa~uva I uve}a porodicu I imanje doma}ina. Sve je to izra`eno u kratkoj narodnoj zdravici I molitvi o Bo`i}u: “Daj, Bo`e, zdravlja i veselja u ovom domu, neka nam se ra|aju zdrava deca, neka nam ra|a `ito i lozica, neka nam se uve}ava imovina u polju, toru i oboru!” Bo`i}u se raduje i staro i mlado, i mu{ko i `ensko. Na nekoliko nedelja pred Bo`i} (ve} od Nikoljdana) I nekoliko nedelja posle Bo`i}a (do Savindana) traje sve~ano prazni~no raspolo`enje. Narod se veseli I raduje, u ku}ama I porodicama vlada prijatno duhovno raspolo`enje, u atmosferi se ose}ao tiho prazni~no bla`enstvo, pa se u takvim prilikama ljudi mire, pra{taju jedni drugima uvrede nanete preko godine I ceo narod postaje jedna du{a. U ovom periodu su najva`niji slede}I praznici: Detinjci, Materice, Oci, Tucindana, Badnjidan, Bo`i}, Nova Godina, Bogojavljenje, Jovanjdan I Savindan. Za svaki od ovih dana I praznika vezani su na{I lepi obi~aji. Zato po|imo redom.

 

 

 DETINJCI:  U tre}u nedelju pred Bo`i} slavi se ovaj praznik. Toga dana ujutru rano, ili po dolasku iz crkve sa bogoslu`enja, odrasli ve`u svoju ili tu|u decu. Za vezivanje se obi~no koristi kai{, gajtan ili obi~an deblji konac. Obi~no se zave`u noge ili ruke, pa se jednim delom kanap ve`e za sto ili stolicu. Vezivanje na Detinjce, Materice I Oce, ima vi{estruku simvoliku. Prvo simvolizuje ~vrste porodi~ne veze, slogu, mir, po{tovanje I me|usobno pomaganje u svim prilikama. Drugo, upu}uje uku}ane na {tedljivopst I istrajnost u vrlinama, jer onaj ko poseduje po{teno zara|enu imovinu I dobra dela, lako }e sebe otkupiti u svim sporovima pred zemaljskim sudovima, a posebno na poslednjem Sra{nom sudu, gde }e se samo vrednovati ono {ta je ~ovek dobro u svom `ivotu u~inio. Dobra  I {tedljiva deca prikupe neto sredstava {tednjom pa za taj dan nabave neku ~ast I “dre{e” se onima koji ih ve`u.

MATERICE: U drugu nedelju pred Bo`i} pada ovaj przanik. Ovo je najve]I hri{]anski praznik praznik majki I ~ena. Toga dana deca porane I unapred pripremljenim kanapom, koncem, {alom, maramom ili kaj{em na prepad zave`u svoju majku, za noge, na isti na~in, kao {to su njih majke vezivale na Detinjce. Majka se pravi da ne zna za{to je vezana. Deca joj ~estitaju praznik, a majka onda deli deci poklone, I na taj na~in se “dre{I”. Na isti na~in se ve`u I sve druge `ene, koje se dre{e poklonoma deci: kola~ima, ili nekim drugim slatki{ima.

Praznik Materice se u novije vreme sve~ano proslavlja I pri na{im hramovima, naro~ito po gradovima. Bogomoljne `ene u dogovoru sa sve{tenikom pripreme prigodnu akademiju sa programom, u kome u~estvuju deca sa prikladnim recitacijama I pevanjem, a onda deca vezuju prisutne starije `ene. One im se “dre{e” poklonima I pripremljenim paketi}ima, knjigama, krsti}ima itd. Negde se organizuje posate bolnici, naro~ito de~ijim odelenjima, gde se deci nose pokloni, {to daje ovom prazniku punhri{}anski smisao.

OCI ili O^EVI. U prvu nedelju pred no`i} praznuje se ovaj praznik. Toga dana, isto kao na Materice, deca vezuju svoje o~eve, a ovi im se “dre{e” poklonima, isto kao I majke. Oci, Materce I Detinjci su ~esto porodi~ni praznici I za taj dan doma}ice pripremaju sve~ani ru~ak na kome se okupi cela porodica. Ovi praznici, I obi~aji vezani za njih, doprinose ja~anju porodice, slozi u njoj, razumevanju, po{tovanju izme|u dece I roditelja, starijih I mla|ih, {to sve zajedno ~ini porodicu jakom I zdravom. A zna se, da je porodica temelj jednog dru{tva, dr`ave I crkve.

TUCINDAN. Na dva dana pred Bo`i}, 5. januara, je Tucindan. Tog dana se kolje I redi pe~enica za Bo`i}. Nekada se pe~enica “tukla” – ubijala krupicom soli, kasnije u{icama od sekire, pa se onda, ubijeno ili o{amu}eno prase ili jagnje kla-lo I redilo. Zato je ovaj dan nazvan Tucindan.

Za pe~enicu se obi~no kolje prase ili jagnje, a uz to neko jo{ kolje I priprema pe~enu }urku, gusku ili koko{ku. Obi~aj  vezan za klanje pe~enice, ostao je verovatno iz starih mnogobo`a~kih vremena, vezan za `rtvoprino{enje. Crkva ga je prihvatila I blagoslovila, jer posle Bo`i}nog posta, koji traje {est nedelja, ja~a hrana dobro do|e, pogotovu {to su tada izuzetno jaki mrazevi I zime.

Na Tucindan, po narodnom verovanju, decu “ne valja” tu}I, jer }e cele godine biti nevaljala I bolova}e od ~ireva.

BADNJI DAN dan uo~i Bo`i}a, 6.januar, zove se BADNJIDAN. Naziv je dobio po tome jer se tog dana se~e badnjak I unosi u ku}u. Sa ovim danom ve} po~inje Bo`i}no slavlje. Ujutro rano, ve} u zoru, pucanjem iz pu{aka I prangija objavljuje se polazak u {umu po badnjak. ^im svane, lo`I se vatra I pristavlja se uz nju pe~enica. @ene u ku}I mese bo`i}ne kola~e, torte, pripremaju trpezu za Bo`i}. [ta je Badnjak? Badnjak je obi~no mlado, hrastovo ili cerovo drvo (u nekim krajevima, jelovo ili borovo), koje se na Badnjidan ujutro rano se~e I donosi pred ku}u. Uve~e, uo~I Bo`i}a, badnjak se preseca I zajedno se slamom I pe~enicom unosi u ku}u. Kako se se~e badnjak? Pre izlaska sunca, na Badnjidan, doma}in sa sinovima ili unucima odlaze u {umu da se~u badnjak. Bira se obi~no mlad I prav ceri}, ako nema ceri}a, mo`e I hrast. Stablo ceri}a teba da bude toliko, da ga doma}in na ramenu mo`e doneti ku}i. Kada odabere odgovaraju}e drvo, doma}in se okrene istoku, tri puta se prekrsti, pomene Boga, svoju slavu I sutra{nji praznik, uzima sekiru u ruke I se~e badnjak. Badnjak se se~e I zaseca sekirom ukoso, I to sa isto~ne strane. Po narodnom verovanju, badnjak se mora pose}I sa tri sna`na udarca. [to sekira od tri puta ne prese~e, dovr{ava se lomljenjem ili uvrtanjem. Taj lomljenu deo na badnjaku zobe se brada I po`eljno je da bude na svakom badnjaku. Vodi se ra~una da drvo prilikom pada padne direktno na zemlju. Ne sme se, dakle, zaustaviti na nekom drvetu. Iver od badnjaka se uzima I stavlja me}u karlice, da kajmak bude debeo kao iver. Kad se badnjak donese ku}I, uspravi se uz ku}u, pored ulaznih vrata, gde stoji do uve~e. [ta simvoli{e badnjak? Badnjak simvoli~ki predstavlja ono drvo, koje su pastiri doneli I koje je pravedni Josif zalo`io u hladnoj pe}ini, kada se Hristos rodio. Badnjak nagove{tava I drvoKrsta Hristovog.

 

BADNJE VE^E. Badnje ve~e, prakti~no spaja Badnji dan I Bo`i}. Zato se u na{em narodu ka`e za neke osobe, koje su prijateljski bliske I vezane da su kao “Bo`i} I Badnji dan”. Uve~e, kada padne mrak, doma}in sa sinovima unosi u ku}u pe~enicu, badnjak I slamu. Pe~enica se nosi na ra`nju, obi~no dvojica, nose izme|u sebe, I jedan od njih pozdravlja doma}icu I `ensku ~eljad re~ima: “Dobro ve~e! ^estit Bo`i} i Badnje ve~e!” Doma}ica i ~eljad posipaju pe~enicu i doma}ina sa zobi i p{enicom, odgovaraju}i: “Dobro ve~e! Sre}ne Badnje ve~e!” Pe~enica se unosi u sobu gde se obavlja ve~era na Badnjidan I Bo`i} ru~ak, prislanja na isto~ni zid, tamo gde su ikone I kandilo. Po{to se badnjak predhodno ise~e sa debljeg kraja na tri dela, veli~ine da mo`e da stane u {poret ili kakvu pe}, unosi se u ku}u. Isto se govori I radi kao kad seunosi pe~enica. Badnjak se stavlja na ognji{te, ali po{to ognji{ta nema vi{e, stavlja se pored {poreta, badnjak se stavlja kao pe~enica.

  SLAMA  Posle badnjaka u ku}u se unosi slama. Prilikom uo{enja slame doma}in I doma}ica govore I postupaju kao kad se unosio badnjak I pe~enica. Slama se posipa po celoj ku}i. Doma}ica u slamu pod stolom, gde se ve~era, staclja razne slatki{e, sitne I poklone I igra~kice, koje deca tra`e I piju~u kao pilici. Slama simvolizuje onu slamu u p}ini na kojoj se Hristos rodio. Ve~era uo~I Bo`i}a. Kada se unese pe~enica, badnjak I slama, uku}ani svi zajedno stanu na molitvu, otpevaju tropar “Ro`destvo tvoje…”, pomole se Bogu, pro~itaju molitva koje znaju, ~estitaju jedni drugima praznik I Badje ve~e I sedaju za trpezu. Ve~era je posna, obi~no se priprema prebranac, sve`a ili su{ena riba I drguga posna jela. Bo`i} najradosniji praznik me|u svim praznicima, kod Srba je Bo`i}. Praznuje se tri dana. Prvi dan Bo`i}a je uvek 7. januara. Na Bo`i} ujutro, pre svitanja, svoner sva zvona na pravoslavnim hramovima, puca se iz pu{aka I prangija I objavljuje se dolazak Bo`i}a I Bo`i}nog slavlja. Doma}in i svi uku}ani obla~e najsve~anije odelo I odlaze u crkvu na jetrenje I Svetu Liturgiju. Posle slu`be u crkvi se prima nafora I prvo se ona uzima na Bo`i}. Ljudi se pozdravljaju re~ima: “Hristos se rodi!” I otpozdravljju: “Vaistini se rodi!” Valj napomenuti da se ovako pozdravlja I govori sve od Bo`i}a do Bogojavljenja. Kada doma}in do|e ku}I iz crkve, pozdravi sve uku}ane sa ovim radosnim bo`i}nim pozdravom, I oni mu otpozdrave ljube}I se me|usobom I ~estitaju}I jedni drugima praznik.

 POLO@AJNIK... Na Bo`i}, rano pre podne, u ku}u dolazi specijalno gost, koji se obi~no dogovori sa doma}inom, a mo`e biti I neki slu~ajni namernik, I on se posebno do~ekuje u ku}I, I zove se polo`ajnik.

Polo`ajnik pozdravi dom Bo`i}nim pozdravom, ljubi se sa uku}anima I odlazi kod {poreta. Otvara vrata na {poretu ili pe}I, ranije na ognji{tu. Dzara vatru I govori zravicu: “Koliko varnica, toliko sre}ica, koliko varnica toliko parica, koliko varnica toliko prasadi I janji}a, a najvi{e zdravlja I veselja, Amin, Bo`e daj”. Polo`ajnik simvoli~ki prestavlja one Mudrace koji pratili zvezdu sa Istoka I koji su se poklonili Bogomladencu Hristu. Doma}ica poslu`I polo`ajnika I daruje ga poklonom.

^ESNICA. Rano ujutru doma}ica zamesi testo u koje stavi metalni nov~i} zlatni, srebrani ili obi~ni I stavi da ispe~e. Kada ~esnica bude pe~ena, iznosi na sto gde je ru~ak postavljen. Doma}in zapali sve}u, uzme kadionicu okadi sto Ikonu I uku}ane, I preda nekom mla|em da okadi celu ku}u. Odpeva se Bo`i}n tropar ili o~ita “O~e na{“. Posle molitve okre}e se ~esnica kao kola~, pristup se lomljenje ~esnice I svako uzima po par~e I  onaj koji uzme parce u kome je novcic, po narodnom verovanju bice srecan citave godine. Posle toga clanovi cestitaju jedni drugima praznik i nastavljaju sa ruckom.

Srbi su Bozic, isto kao krsnu slavu, slavili u teskim ratnim uslovima – u rovu, na strazI, na frontu, tim pre lakse ga je slaviti u svetlim, prostranim, toplim i kofornim stanovima, u gradskim sredinama. Umesto velikog badnjaka uzme se mala hrastova grancica i malo slame, sve se to sa pecenicom, uoci Bozica unosi u kuzu i stavlja ispod slavske ikone. Zapali se sveca i kandilo sto simvolise vatru i ognjiste.

 

Bozic je prvenstveno praznik dece. Na Bozic se rodilo najlepse i najsvetije dete u istoriji ljudskog roda. Zato I oni roditelji koji svoju decu, iz bilo kojih razloga li{avaju praznovanja Bozica i dozivljaja  vezanih za taj praznik, cine prema svojoj deci neoprostiv greh. Uostalom Bo`i} je praznik i privilegija dece u celom civilizovanom hri{}anskom svetu.

 Nema dana bez o~wega vida,

   Niti prave slave bez Bo`i}a!

          Slavio sam Bo`i} u Vitlejem,

                 Slavio ga u Atonsku Goru,

                        Slavio ga u Sveto Kijevo;

Al je ova slava odvojila,,

      Sa prostotom I sa vesolo{}u,

           Vatra boqe nego igda plama,

              Prostrta je ispred ogwa slama,

Prekr{}eni na ogwu badwaci,

      Pu{ke pucu, vrte se peciva,

            Gusle gude, a kola pevaju,

                       S unu~adi |edovi igraju….