Sochelnik (Christmas Eve)
1.
New words: The Russian
Orthodox Church - Русская православная церковь; official holiday – официальный праздник; Christmas
Fast - Рождественский пост; Christmas Eve - сочельник, канун Рождества; believer - религ. верующий
1.1. Do you like
holidays?
1.2. Do you know
that many people celebrate the religious holidays? What orthodox
religious holidays believers celebrate in our country?
1.3. Read the text
below. Name two of the largest holidays in Orthodox Church.
In Russia, Christmas
is annually celebrated on January 7th, thanks to the Russian Orthodox Church
that has made it an official holiday in the country. The Russian Orthodox
Church is more than one thousand years old and most of the Christian population
in the country belongs to it. In Russia the Christmas Eve is called Sochelnik,
or Kolyada. It is the last day of Christmas Fast that lasts for 40 days.
This means that the believers observing this fast don’t eat meat, eggs and
dairy products during this period, go to church more often than usual, thus
preparing themselves for the second largest holiday in Orthodox Church –
Christmas (Easter is considered to be the most important one).
1.4. Is Christmas an
official holiday in our country?
1.5. What are the
synonyms of the Christmas Eve in Russia?
1.6. What does the
word Fast mean?
2.
New words: Star of Bethlehem
(вифлеемская звезда) - the
Bible says that when Christ was born a bright star appeared above Bethlehem.
The star on top of Christmas trees now represents the Star of Bethlehem; eight-angle
star – восьмиугольная звезда; tablecloths –
скатерть; rug - ковёр.
2.1. Look
at the picture. What are the children doing?
2.2. Do you help to
decorate a Christmas tree?
2.3. Read the text
below
Before
Christmas Eve, people clean and tidy their house and yard, and decorate the
house in a lavish manner (щедро). Beautiful decorations, tablecloths,
napkins, and rugs are used to create a festive atmosphere. A Christmas tree is
also common - sometimes adorned with foods due to the high cost of decorations.
On the top of it there is an eight-angle star, symbolizing the star of Bethlehem.
2.4. What decoration do
you use to create a festive atmosphere at home before Christmas Eve?
2.5. Project
work. Would you like to make a Christmas decoration? Research these links:
1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDvpQn3fUcg
2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9_-vBvoMxg
3) http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-a-christmas-tree-bauble
4) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiMuBAegh8k
5) http://www.squidoo.com/craftychristmas
6) http://adalin.mospsy.ru/ny/eligr.shtml
7) http://www.christmasheaven.ru/articles.php?article_id=94\
8) http://www.wild-mistress.ru/wm/wm.nsf/publicall/2008-10-31-83745.html
Try
to make this decoration just now.
3.
New
words: sochivo – сочиво; pancakes
– блины; оладьи; fish jelly – рыбное заливное; meat jelly – студень; roast young
pork with porridge - жареный
молочный поросенок с кашей; vzvars - прохладительный напиток из сухих фруктов и ягод, иногда с добавлением мёда; kutya – кутья; fast – пост а) (временное воздержание от некоторых видов пищи,
предписываемое различными религиями) б) (период такого воздержания); rye dough – ржаное
тесто
3.1. How do you like to
help your mother to prepare a holiday dinner?
3.2. What is your
favourite holiday food?
3.3. Have you ever
heard about special Christmas feast?
3.4. What are
traditional Russian Christmas dishes? List as many as you can remember. Compare
your list with that of your partner. Now read the text and complete your lists.
Sochelnik is
considered to be a family dinner. In the days of old the Christmas table was strewed
with hay and then only covered with a tablecloth. Twelve dishes (according to
the number of the Apostles) were put in the centre of the table. Apart from
sochivo the feast would offer pancakes, fish, fish and meat jelly, roast young
pork with porridge, honey cakes, vzvars, etc., depending on what the family
could afford.
Nowadays the
menu usually depends on the wealth of the families. A typical Christmas dinner
however, includes delicacies such as hot roast Pirog (Russian pies made out of
meat, fish, mushrooms, potatoes or cabbage), and Pelmeni (meat dumplings).
Sochelnik is the day of rigorous fast
(строгий пост). On this day there is a long-hour church service
(продолжительная церковная служба), which begins with the so called ‘Tsarskie
Chasy’ (царские часы)
or the Royal Hours. The Russian Tsar and his family used to attend this
kind of solemn (торжественной, священной)
service, including reading of psalms (псалмы) and prayers
(молитвы), so it got its name. On the whole, the service
is very long and after you have attended it, you may eat a little. That is why
there is a saying that you can’t eat anything on Christmas Eve, until the
first star has appeared in the sky.
People then eat
'sochivo'. It is made of boiled grains of wheat, barley or rice mixed with
raisings, honey and almond or poppy milk. The Russian word for Christmas Eve ‘sochelnik’
comes from the word 'sochivo'. (the grains symbolize hope and immortality), and
honey, raisings and poppy seeds remember of the sweet life everlasting. The ‘sochivo’
is eaten from a common dish to symbolize unity.
The other main dish is vzvar, of
apples, pears, plums, raisins, cherries and other fruits boiled in water. Vzvar
has symbolical meaning. It is cooked to celebrate the birth of a child.
Kolyadki,
or kalitki, are small pastries made of fresh rye dough with various fillings,
fruit liqueurs, brushings or bakings. Fresh rye dough is rolled out into a thin
5mm layer and cut into squares. The edges are bent up, and the corners are
pinched to make a flat box. It is filled with various fillings and baked. The
name derives from Kolyad – an ancient pagan holiday that later merged with
Christmas.
Like
the words of colloquial (разговорной)
speech get borrowed (заимствованный),
the original national cuisine or individual dishes penetrate (входит)
into other cuisines, if they are especially enjoyed. That is what happened to
kolyadki.
It is now common
practice, especially in little Russian towns and villages, for groups of
masquerading children having self-made Bethlem stars in their hands, to travel
from house to house singing songs known as ‘kolyadki’. Kolyadki are pastoral
carols to the baby Jesus. In return for their songs, the singers called
‘kolyadovshchiki’ are offered chocolates, sweets and coins, which they gladly
accept before moving on to the next home. This happens on Christmas Day and
some days afterwards.
Kolyada
has arrived,
On the Eve of the Nativity,
Holy Kolyada
Through all the courts, in all the alleys.
Give us a cow with a buttered head
Give us a pancake,
You’ll have a smooth stove!
We
found Kolyada
In Peter's Court.
Round Peter's Court
There is an iron fence,
In the midst of the court
There are three rooms,
In the first room is the bright Moon,
In the second room the red Sun,
And in the third room, the many stars.
May the Lord give health,
May the Lord give you wealth!
This magnificent
original dish is very easy to cook. Probably, this is why it has been
appreciated (оценено, признано)
by many peoples, having become part of their national cultures, lives, fairy
tales, songs, proverbs and sayings. However, in some countries the name of the
dish is different. In Karelia and Finland, in particular, kolyadki are refered
to as kalitki.
3.5. Finish
the sentences:
1)
Sochelnik
is considered to be …
2)
Apart
from sochivo the feast would offer …
3)
A
typical Christmas dinner however, includes …
4)
Sochelnik
is
the day of …
5)
The
Russian word for Christmas Eve ‘sochelnik’ comes from the word …
6)
The
other main dish is vzvar, of ….
7)
Kolyadki,
or kalitki, are small pastries made of …
8)
The
name derives from Kolyad …
9)
It
is now common practice, especially in little Russian towns and villages, for
groups of masquerading children having self-made Bethlem stars in their hands,
…
10)
This
magnificent original dish is …
3.6. Choose
the right answer
1) …
dishes were put in the centre of the table in the days of old the Christmas. a)
ten; b) twelve.
2) There
is a saying that you … eat anything on Christmas Eve, until the first star
has appeared in the
sky
a) can’t b) can
3) The
‘sochivo’ is eaten from a common dish a)
to symbolize unity; b) celebrate the birth of a child.
4) Kolyadki,
or kalitki, are
a) are small pastries made of fresh rye dough; b) pastoral carols to
the baby Jesus
5) Kolyadki,
or kalitki, are small pastries made of fresh a)
rye dough; b) wheat dough
3.7. Would
you like to listen to Russian Christmas kolyadki? Research this link: http://www.pravmir.ru/rozhdestvenskie-kolyadki/
3.8. Would
you like to help your mother to cook sochivo or kolyadki for Christmas dinner?
Research these links:
1) http://www.russianfoods.com/recipes/item001F6/default.asp
2) http://www.russianfoods.com/recipes/item001EC/default.asp
3.9. Work
in pairs. Imagine your pen-friend from Great Britain wants to know more about
typical Christmas dinner in Russia. Make lists of
traditional Russian Christmas dishes. Compare your lists.
4
Do you want to
know how to say Merry Christmas in Russian?
In Russia people don't say exactly Merry Christmas! They wish each other
-
Have
your Christmas full of Light!
-
So
Svetlym Rozhdestvom Hristovym! -Со Светлым Рождеством Христовым!
Ссылки:
http://www.theholidayspot.com/christmas/worldxmas/russia.htm
http://www.russian-language-for-lovers.com/russian-christmas.html
http://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/russia.shtml
http://en.restoran.ru/msk/news/masterclass_or_study/kolyadki
http://www.travelcentre.com.au/travel/russia/russian_christmas.htm
http://www.russia-ic.com/culture_art/traditions/645/
http://ana-sm.ru/2008/01/05/sochelnik.html
http://www.otvetin.ru/page/365/
http://rus.glas.org.ua/projects/trapeza/kutya.html
www.start.crimea.ua
http://www.photographer.ru/events/afisha/1090.htm
http://adalin.mospsy.ru/ny/eligr.shtml
http://www.wild-mistress.ru/wm/wm.nsf/publicall/2008-10-31-83745.html
Литература:
- Азаров
А. А. Русско-английский словарь религиозной лексики. - М.: РУССО, 2002
- Ляховская
Л. П. Энциклопедия православной обрядовой кухни. - М.: Издательский дом
МСП, 1995
- Михайлов
В.С. Православная кухня. - М.:КУбК-а,1996
- Полный
церковно-славянский словарь: В 2 т./ Состав. священник магистр Г.Дьяченко.
– М.: Терра –Книжный клуб,1998
- Смолянский
Б.Л., Григоров Ю.Г. Религия и здоровье. Киев.: Здоров’я,1995
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