Christians celebrate the Nativity of God
Today, December 25, Christians celebrate Christmas new style, according to the Gregorian calendar. People go to church in the morning and then meet with their families for a festive meal to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
The Christmas holiday marks the birth of Christ about two thousand years ago. Christmas is one of the most important Christian holidays. Christmas traditions and customs differ according to the geographical area of the country.
In the Republic of Moldova, one of the oldest Christmas traditions is keeping the light. Christmas is closely related to the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Although this custom is still kept by very few inhabitants, in some villages, people still work hard to keep the light on. On Christmas Eve, Moldovans light a fire to keep the light as long as possible.
On Christmas day, groups of people sing Christmas carols. The children walk with the "star", heralding the Birth of the Savior. The traditional gift for carolers is bread - a symbol of abundance. Also, an old tradition is "walking with the icon". Priests go through the villages with the icon of the Nativity, blessing houses, households and Christians.
December 25th is a day off by law. Most of the inhabitants of the Republic of Moldova celebrate Christmas on old style, on January 7-8.
