Eastern Orthodoxy

Christmas in the Eastern Orthodox Churches (limited to, for the purpose of this chapter, those patriarchates and jurisdictions that accept the Council of Chalcedon) is celebrated with liturgical services and feasting. The liturgical offices have changed little since the late Byzantine period: the hymnography for the feast contains prophetic, typological, and historical celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. The feast celebrates the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, which is understood to offer renewal to a fallen creation, along with the hope of eternal life. Patristic homilies, which inspired the hymns that are still used in churches today, stress the joy that is felt not only by humans but also by the whole of creation at the liturgical celebration of Christ’s Incarnation. The fasting that precedes the feast causes Orthodox Christians to appreciate the food and celebration on Christmas Day all the more. This chapter examines three main topics: 1) the liturgical services and their theological meaning; 2) the meaning of a standard Orthodox icon of the Nativity; 3) the celebration of Christmas in Orthodox communities, with special focus on Serbia and a mountain village in Greece. Whereas separate Orthodox jurisdictions celebrate the same liturgical services (albeit in different languages), local customs that are carried out in homes and villages throughout the Orthodox world show considerable variation.