Making a Christmas Tradition
A New Take on a Russian Tradition
A favorite Russian Christmas Eve Traditions is “ The Holy Supper.” The family gathers around the table to honor the coming Christ Child. A white table-cloth, symbolic of Christ’s swaddling clothes, covers the Table. Hay is brought in as a reminder of the poverty of the stable where Jesus was born.
A tall white candle is placed in the center of the Table, symbolizing Christ as “the Light of the World.” A large round loaf of Lenten bread, “pagach,” symbolic of Christ the Bread of Life, is placed next to the Candle. For our take on this Russian tradition, we have a gold tray in the center of our dining room table, on it is a white cloth doily, a single candle stick with a white candle and a miniature bale of hay.
This is just one example of the many ways you can incorporate your child’s heritage and your own to create your own family tradition.
