The Night Before Christmas by Nikolai Gogol

In the story 'The Night Before Christmas' we see young guys and girls who go from house to house with carols. In every family was covered festive table where kutia was always present - a sign of a rich harvest, as well as fish, borscht, dumplings, all kinds of pies, 'varenukha, vodka distilled for saffron and many other things edible.' People believed that if you make a wish that evening, it will certainly come true. For a long time, this event was accompanied by various folk rituals, such as fortune telling, caroling and others. Gogol, who knew the traditions of the Ukrainian people well, describes the celebration of Christmas very reliably, with all the details. It is no coincidence that Gogol depicts on this very night the appearance of a witch and a devil in the sky, theft by the devil of the month.

In addition, it was believed that on this evening all evil spirits manifest themselves most fully. So the night before Christmas is credited with the ability to endow ordinary objects magic power. At this time, the birth of another, unknown life took place, and people always attribute extraordinary properties to everything new and unknown. Since ancient times, people have considered Christmas Eve a magical time. According to the Bible, Christmas marks the birth of Jesus Christ. The story describes Christmas Eve - the evening before Christmas. He lovingly reflected the same theme in the story 'The Night Before Christmas', picturesquely recreated in his work the way of life of Ukrainians, their way of life, traditions and customs. Gogol's creativity was the theme of the people.

They have become an integral part of our life, they help us to better know and understand the past and present. Nowadays it is difficult to meet a person who would not be familiar with the heroes of Nikolai Gogol's book 'Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka' and especially the story 'The Night Before Christmas'.

The Night Before Christmas by Nikolai Gogol