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CD & book MERRY CHRISTMAS

(CD Divna Ljubojevic and Melódi The most beautiful Carols of the Orthodox East & book Liturgical celebration of Christmas, folk customs and traditions)

CHRISTMAS
The Nativity of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ
“And when the fullness of time was come, God sent His only-begotten Son” (Gal. 4:4), to save the human race... Thus He came into the world Whose coming had been foretold by the prophets and Who was born in the way that they had prophesied: of the most holy Virgin, in the city of Bethlehem, of the lineage of David according to the flesh, at the time when there was no longer in Jerusalem a king of the tribe of Judah, but Herod the stranger was on the throne. After many types and prefigurings, messengers and heralds, prophets and righteous men, wise men and kings, finally He appeared, the Lord of the world and King of kings, to perform the work of the salvation of mankind that could not be performed by His servants (Saint Bishop Nikolai).

Christmas is celebrated in memory of the Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ, on 25th December (7th January, according to the Gregorian calendar). Although, Easter is the greatest one of the Christian feasts, known as The Feast of the feasts, the most interesting and varied Serbian national customs are related to Christmas and corresponding feasts. The weeks surrounding Christmas, which is the feast of children and family, are the most beautiful and solemn in the year. This booklet gives an overview of the national customs, as well as of the Orthodox Christmas services.
The religious poetry related to Christmas is particularly charming. One of the most delightful songs is the kontakion “Djeva dnes” (“Today the Virgin”), sung in three versions: the ancient Byzantine, traditional Russian (Valaam chant) and traditional Serbian chant. It is a song by our Holy Father Romanus the Melodist, one of the greatest religious poets, born in Emesa, Syria, who initially served as a church keeper in Beirut, and then as a deacon of the Great Church in Constantinople (end of 5th – beginning of 6th century). The booklet contains the kontakion’s lyrics in Serbian and English, as well as the lyrics of other most beautiful Nativity songs of the Orthodox East.

With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Coastlands