Tatjana Filipovska
Christmas flower
The Story of the Christmas Flower
In a distant village, every year on the eve of Christmas, the priest made a grotto for the church. The villagers first went to church to attend the Holy Liturgy and, kneeling, lit candles in front of the grotto, which were supposed to burn out and go out on their own, slowly melting. That is why there were countless candles around the grotto and the church radiated and shone as if the sun had entered inside.
When the Liturgy ended, the people went to the inns around to rejoice in the joy of the Nativity of Christ.
The villagers began preparations for Christmas weeks in advance. The housewives baked pretzels, pies and sweets, while the men cleaned and tidied the village square, the church and the homes. The priest, with the children from the school and the teachers, carved the animals for the grotto, the three wise men, the shepherds, the star, the Virgin Mary and Christ in wood.
On the eve of Christmas, everything was ready. People dressed in their best clothes went to church and left a gift for Christ in front of the cave, each one as much as they could.
Maria, who was 6 years old, also went to church every year with her parents, carrying a basket of pretzels, which she made for the newborn Christ. But that year her mother fell ill, and her father left for a big city to find a job and to be able to make ends meet for medicine and other expenses. They didn’t have a single penny left to buy a gift for Christ. How could Maria go to church empty-handed now? At the moment when the bells rang, Maria shyly entered the church and hid behind one of the pillars. She didn’t want anyone to see her empty-handed. The others bowed to Christ, lit a candle and offered their gift. Seeing the cave from afar, she fell to her knees and prayed in a whisper: “Ah, my Virgin Mary, this year I will not come to the Liturgy. I have nothing to give to your newborn Child. My mother has fallen ill. We have no money at all. Will you explain to Christ why I did not bring Him a gift?” The people had already begun to sing along with the priest: “Christ is born today.” She had not taken three steps when she heard a voice behind her asking her:
– Why are you crying, little girl, on this joyful day? It was an old woman with a sweet face and eyes full of kindness.
– I am crying, old woman, because I do not have a single coin left to buy a gift for Christ.
– Mary, is that why you are crying? Christ is satisfied with just thinking about Him. With loving Him. Look, look at that bush with green leaves. Why don't you cut a bouquet and take it to Him?
The girl stopped crying, bent down, and began to cut and make a bouquet from the branches. She cut so many that her arms could no longer hold them.
- Is that enough, grandmother? - asked the old woman, turning around, but she had disappeared. Maria, with the branches in her arms, continued boldly and entered the church with a cheerful smile. Everything shone in the light of the candles. The people sang with tenderness. She stepped onto the red carpet that had been laid out in front of the cave and left her gift.
- Look at this girl - one of the women said quietly. She is bringing branches from the bush to Christ! God forbid that it gets worse!
When the troparion ended, whispers were heard in the church: - Look! Look at the branches from the bush! Maria was still on her knees with her arms crossed. Hearing voices, she raised her head in fear and saw the branches. Its branches blossomed and produced beautiful, red flowers that looked like stars.
– But what happened?
– A miracle!
– They were from a bush, and they blossomed!
The priest and the multitude of people knelt before the cave, praising Christ for that inexplicable phenomenon.
The old woman, whoever she was, was right.
A gift given from the heart is the most precious gift. The poor twigs were the most significant gift that Christ received that day. Since then, every year, on Christmas days, those bushes bloom with their countless red stars and the people call them “Christmas flowers”. From that distant village they reached our homeland and people called them “Christ’s stars”.
Christmas flower
The Story of the Christmas Flower
In a distant village, every year on the eve of Christmas, the priest made a grotto for the church. The villagers first went to church to attend the Holy Liturgy and, kneeling, lit candles in front of the grotto, which were supposed to burn out and go out on their own, slowly melting. That is why there were countless candles around the grotto and the church radiated and shone as if the sun had entered inside.
When the Liturgy ended, the people went to the inns around to rejoice in the joy of the Nativity of Christ.
The villagers began preparations for Christmas weeks in advance. The housewives baked pretzels, pies and sweets, while the men cleaned and tidied the village square, the church and the homes. The priest, with the children from the school and the teachers, carved the animals for the grotto, the three wise men, the shepherds, the star, the Virgin Mary and Christ in wood.
On the eve of Christmas, everything was ready. People dressed in their best clothes went to church and left a gift for Christ in front of the cave, each one as much as they could.
Maria, who was 6 years old, also went to church every year with her parents, carrying a basket of pretzels, which she made for the newborn Christ. But that year her mother fell ill, and her father left for a big city to find a job and to be able to make ends meet for medicine and other expenses. They didn’t have a single penny left to buy a gift for Christ. How could Maria go to church empty-handed now? At the moment when the bells rang, Maria shyly entered the church and hid behind one of the pillars. She didn’t want anyone to see her empty-handed. The others bowed to Christ, lit a candle and offered their gift. Seeing the cave from afar, she fell to her knees and prayed in a whisper: “Ah, my Virgin Mary, this year I will not come to the Liturgy. I have nothing to give to your newborn Child. My mother has fallen ill. We have no money at all. Will you explain to Christ why I did not bring Him a gift?” The people had already begun to sing along with the priest: “Christ is born today.” She had not taken three steps when she heard a voice behind her asking her:
– Why are you crying, little girl, on this joyful day? It was an old woman with a sweet face and eyes full of kindness.
– I am crying, old woman, because I do not have a single coin left to buy a gift for Christ.
– Mary, is that why you are crying? Christ is satisfied with just thinking about Him. With loving Him. Look, look at that bush with green leaves. Why don't you cut a bouquet and take it to Him?
The girl stopped crying, bent down, and began to cut and make a bouquet from the branches. She cut so many that her arms could no longer hold them.
- Is that enough, grandmother? - asked the old woman, turning around, but she had disappeared. Maria, with the branches in her arms, continued boldly and entered the church with a cheerful smile. Everything shone in the light of the candles. The people sang with tenderness. She stepped onto the red carpet that had been laid out in front of the cave and left her gift.
- Look at this girl - one of the women said quietly. She is bringing branches from the bush to Christ! God forbid that it gets worse!
When the troparion ended, whispers were heard in the church: - Look! Look at the branches from the bush! Maria was still on her knees with her arms crossed. Hearing voices, she raised her head in fear and saw the branches. Its branches blossomed and produced beautiful, red flowers that looked like stars.
– But what happened?
– A miracle!
– They were from a bush, and they blossomed!
The priest and the multitude of people knelt before the cave, praising Christ for that inexplicable phenomenon.
The old woman, whoever she was, was right.
A gift given from the heart is the most precious gift. The poor twigs were the most significant gift that Christ received that day. Since then, every year, on Christmas days, those bushes bloom with their countless red stars and the people call them “Christmas flowers”. From that distant village they reached our homeland and people called them “Christ’s stars”.