RT Presents… Catholics Around the World Celebrate Christmas

Thousands of believers gathered in the biblical town of Bethlehem (Bethlehem Governorate. PALESTINE) in the West Bank to celebrate Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve at the Church of the Nativity.

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Pilgrims prayed inside a grotto where Christians believe the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus, under the Church of Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, during Christmas Eve Midnight Mass.

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Catholic clergy waiting for the arrival of Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal at the Church of the Nativity.

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Pope Francisco Bergoglio served a traditional Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at St Peter Basilica at the Vatican, urging the world to find courage, warmth, and tenderness.

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Pope Francisco venerated a statue of the Baby Jesus as he arrived to serve Christmas Eve Mass at St Peter Basilica at the Vatican.

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Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at Sacred Heart parish in Baghdad (Baghdad Governorate) IRAQ.

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At Sacred Heart parish in Baghdad, they sang “Praise Jesus our Lord, O Praise Him”. Worshippers remembered the thousands of Christians displaced by Islamic State militants this year.

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Refugee Iraqi Christians gather for Christmas Eve Midnight Mass in Amman (Amman Governorate) JORDAN.

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Iraqi refugees at St George the all-Victorious Catholic Church in Amman JORDAN for Christmas Eve Midnight Mass.

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25 December 2014

RT

http://rt.com/in-vision/catholics-world-celebrate-christmas/

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Sputnik International Presents… Soviet Nostalgia: Vintage Holiday Decorations

   

Many people around the globe wonder why New Year in Russia seems to be more popular than Christmas. The answer lies in the Soviet period.

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A set of decorations based on The Fire Horses made by the Moscow Holiday Tree Decorations Factory.

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Christmas tree decorations made during the Great Patriotic War shown at the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War at the Poklonnaya Gora as part of the Victory Holiday Tree exhibition.

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Decorations from the Ariel Factory.

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Ceramic holiday tree ornaments created by 20th-century craftsmen on display at the Exhibition of Holiday Tree Decorations.

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In contrast with traditional Christmas decorations… angels and the Child Jesus… Soviet decorations mirrored the daily life and achievements of the people. Glass tractors, satellites, cosmonauts, and airships hung together with baby hares, bears, and icicles.

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During the Great Patriotic War, decorations pictured planes, soldiers, tanks, guns, and dogs.

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A set of tree decorations base on Russian fairy-tale figures from the beginning of 1950s, made by the Moscow Holiday Tree Decoration Factory.

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Items at the Back to Childhood exhibition of Soviet holiday tree decorations in Vladivostok objectively portray the epoch.

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In the USSR, Christmas and New Year traditions mingled. Although the ruling Communist Party enshrined atheism as the official ideological party line, Christmas celebrations went through the test of time and survived. How? Let’s plunge into the history and find out. Surprisingly, after an unexpected U-turn in Communist Party policy in 1935, Christmas had a revival in the form of New Year festivities. The fir tree came back, but now as the symbol of the New Year, not Christmas. Thus, it isn’t surprising that Russians usually call it a “New Year Tree” rather than a “Christmas Tree”. The Soviet five-pointed star replaced the Christmas Star, and former Christmas presents under the tree became New Year gifts. Tree decorations of the Soviet period weren’t fancy and luxurious, as the country went through harsh conditions. However, the decorations, often hand-made by family members for each other, were full of heartfelt love. New Year is the most important family holiday in Russia. In 1935, the state put on the first New Year festival with a decorated fir tree. In 1938, a 15-metre-tall fir adorned with 10,000 decorations stood in the centre of Moscow. This tradition survived, and the Moscow tree is the country’s main holiday tree.

27 December 2014

Sputnik International

http://sputniknews.com/photo/20141227/1016302505.html