IN ancient Rus', the celebration of Christ's Nativity was accompanied
by many rites, and it bore within itself the character of that piety
and Christian splendour which was natural to our ancestors. All of
them, from the least to the greatest, from the commoner to the Tsar',
profoundly honoured the Great Day on which the Saviour of the world
was born.
In the morning of the eve of the feast, on December 24th, the Tsar'
himself usually would go to the Dining Chamber or to the Golden
Palace, and sometimes even ? into one of the court churches, in time
for the Royal Hours; he would be accompanied by his boyars, all his
councillors, his privy-functionaries, and his officials. In the
evening of that same day, the Gosudar' [Sovereign] would sally forth
to the Uspenskii Sobor [the Cathedral of the Dormition] in time for
the Vechernya [Vespers] and the "rite of many years," likewise in the
company of his boyars and other high-ranking officials. During this
excursion, the Tsar' would wear elegant attire: a fur-lined silken
cloak, with exquisitely shaped golden lace and gleaming embroidery,
while his boyars would be dressed in fur-lined cloaks of white
taffeta.
During the service, the protodeacon of the cathedral would
pronounce "Mnogoye lyeto!?"["Many years!..."] to the Gosudar' and to
the entire Royal House, by name. At the conclusion of this "rite,"
the Patriarch, with the authorities and the entire congregation of
the cathedral would felicitate the Gosudar', and would also wish
him "Mnogoye lyeto!..." Thereupon, the Gosudar's boyars, dignitaries,
councillors and privy-functionaries, table-attendants, gentlemen-in-
waiting, clerks and men of other ranks would also felicitate him.
With his "kind word," the Gosudar' would greet both the dignitaries
and the people.
Around the fifth or sixth hour of the day, when the dusk would
already be lowering, the cathedral protopopes, popes and "the singing
classes," i.e., the Gosudar' s choirs, would come to the palace to
laud the New-born Christ. The Gosudar' would receive them in the
Dining Chamber or in the Throne Room and would gift them each with a
ladle of white and red honey-mead.
As for the commoners, they also would prepare themselves to greet the
Feast with joy and devout preparedness and expectation, spending the
eve of the Feast in prayer and in God-pleasing activities.
On the very Feast of the Nativity itself, the Tsar' attended the
Utrenya [Mattins] service in the Dining Chamber, or in the Golden
Palace. When the peal of the bells would announce the beginning of
the Liturgy, he would go out into the Dining Chamber, where he then
would await the arrival of the Patriarch and other men of the cloth.
In the front corner, a "place" was set for the Gosudar', and next to
him, a chair for the Patriarch. The Patriarch, preceded by the
cathedral protopopes, who bore the cross and the holy water, and
accompanied by the clergy, would approach the Gosudar' to laud Christ
and to felicitate him [i.e., the Gosudar'] upon the occasion of the
Feast.
Having seen off the Patriarch, the Gosudar' would array himself in
royal garb, in which he would walk to the cathedral for the Liturgy.
After the Liturgy, having exchanged his attire into his usual dress
for going out, the Gosudar' would return to the palace, where a
festive table would be set "for the Patriarch, the authorities, and
the boyars ." With this, the Christmas festivities would come to a
close.
On the day of Christ's Nativity, and during other great feastdays, as
well, the pious Tsars of Russia would make a so-called "secret
excursion" to the prisons and the poor-houses, where from their own
hands they would distribute alms to the prisoners, to captives, to
the lame, and to all those who were impoverished and needy. The same
sort of alms would be distributed by the Tsars on the Eve of the
Nativity, early in the morning of the day prior to the Feast.
The people would comport themselves with decorum and good behaviour
during the holy days of the Christmas season; and, with very few
exceptions, there would be no drunkenness or wild and loose
behaviour, whether at home or on the streets.
The rich and wealthy folk, during those days, would set aside a
bountiful bit of largesse for their poor brethren from out of their
abundance, and they would act in such a fashion that their left hand,
in accordance with Christ's commandment, frequently would not know
what their right hand was doing (Matt. 6, 3). The majority would
spend the holy days in salvific works: the reading of the Word of
God, and in peaceful, soul-profiting conversations; and it was even
customary for the adults to go from house to house and to laud
Christ. It was clearly evident that a Great Day was being celebrated
in Holy Rus' ? the Nativity of Christ, the Saviour of the world.
Translated into English by G. Spruksts from the Russian text
of "Rozhdestvenskiya torzhestva v drevnei Moskvye" ["Nativity
Solemnities In Ancient Moscow"], as it appeared in "Pravoslavnaya
Rus'" ["Orthodox Rus'"], Vol. 68, No. 24 (1573), 15/28 December,
- English-language translation copyright
