A man who ate alone. What happens if you eat only meat?

Winter is a time of different magical holidays when everyone gives each other gifts and various surprises. And the wonderful “gift” period begins with “St. Nicholas” - a day celebrated by Catholics on December 6, Christians on December 19. And no one should have any doubt about when St. Nicholas Day is in 2016: it is still the same date - December 19.

St. Nicholas is also called the second Father Frost or Santa Claus, because he, like these two wizards, puts various gifts under the pillow or in the shoe of obedient children, and rods for grumblers and capricious children.

History of the Feast of St. Nicholas

In 280, a boy was born into a rich family of devout Christians, who was named Nicholas. From infancy he was amazing child– began to walk early, turned away from his mother’s breast on days of strict fasting, as well as on Wednesday and Friday. When Nikolai grew up, he began to spend a lot of time in the temple of God in prayer, renouncing worldly goods and entertainment. When he visited the holy places of Israel, he returned with full confidence that the time had come to become a monk, which he did, but first he sold his rich estate, inherited from early deceased parents. He distributed the money he received to the poor. Very soon he became the bishop of the city of Myra. After this event, he was named Nikolai Mirliysky.

Legends about the deeds of Nicholas

He was a very kind and merciful person - he helped with advice and deeds, for which he was canonized after his death (he died at the age of 75). Nikolai loved children very much, always gave them gifts, most often sweets, and worked miracles. There are many legends about his magic.

One day Nikolai walked past the house of three orphan sisters. In one of the rooms the window was open, and he heard the conversation of the girls, complaining to each other that they had not eaten anything for several days and most likely in the near future they would not have the opportunity to eat a hearty meal, since they only had a crust of bread left, which they were donated by a compassionate neighbor. Nikolai felt sorry for the sisters and at night, when they fell asleep, he threw three pieces of gold into the chimney, which could be sold and bought for himself everything he needed. The gold got into the girls' socks, which were drying by the fireplace. In the morning, the sisters saw the gift and told the whole village about it. Since then, a tradition has emerged on St. Nicholas Day to hang socks near the fireplace in anticipation of a gift.

Another legend says that one poor townsman had three marriageable daughters, but because he could not give them a dowry, no one married them. When Nikolai learned this story, he decided to help and threw bags of gold into each girl’s shoes standing on the windowsill. According to this story, in anticipation of surprises from the saint, a tradition arose of putting shoes out in the window.

Well, the third legend tells that many years ago there lived little orphan boy with Grandma. When his grandmother got sick, the boy was forced to work hard to buy medicine and food for himself and her. An old and poor teacher lived next to him; he did not have the strength to chop wood and light the stove, so he was helped in this by a child, whom the teacher taught to read and write as a thank you, and he also recommended asking Nikolai for help through a letter. The boy began to write and fell asleep with it in his hands, so his message ended up under the pillow. At that time, a saint was walking past their house; he looked into the house, in which the light was burning at such a late hour, and saw a thin boy lying on a pillow, from under which the tip of a letter was sticking out. He took it and noticed that it was addressed to him. Nikolai fulfilled all the boy’s requests - the grandmother recovered, and the boy did not have to work so hard.

Customs on St. Nicholas Day

It was customary, despite the strict Christmas fast, to feast on this day - they prepared barley or wheat kutia, “Nikolaychiki” - gingerbread cookies with various fillings, they even used them to predict the future, as well as honey sweets with nuts. There was joy and hubbub in the houses - everyone was dancing and singing, and on the street they were having fun riding horses and sleighs, decorated with ribbons and bells. Mummers walked around the courtyards, one of them always put on a costume of St. Nicholas, he handed out sweets, most often “Nicholaichiki” - gingerbread cookies in the shape of the silhouette of a saint, or rods and twigs, with which he frightened naughty children, but then he always gave goodies, if they promised to be peaceful and flexible.

Among unmarried girls It was customary on this day to gather together in a quiet and secluded place, most often in a bathhouse, and guess about the betrothed and the future by the light of a splinter. It was believed that all the predictions would definitely come true very soon.

Today, some continue to observe long traditions, however, most celebrate December 19 only with gifts; they are placed under the children’s pillow or in their shoes. These are usually sweets, gingerbread, coins, things, books and, of course, toys. Some may receive a rod or a rod, but only for preventive purposes, because St. Nicholas is kind.

On this day, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is glorified. This day is also called International Day for the Poor, and is popularly called St. Nicholas Day. You will learn the history and traditions of the holiday in this article.

St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Day 2018 date, number when noted

Christians celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 19, 2018 (or December 6th Gregorian calendar). On this day they honor Archbishop Nicholas, who died around 345 and was famous for his kindness and mercy.

The Catholic day of St. Nicholas in 2018 is celebrated on December 6, in Greece this holiday is also celebrated on December 6.

Spring, second day dedicated to Nicholas Pleaser - St. Nicholas Day is celebrated on May 22, 2018. Transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

The story of children's favorite holiday

He was the only beloved son of rich family, his parents died early. Nicholas lived in the city of Mira, located in Asia Minor, in its southeastern part. There are many legends about him.

One of them talks about poor girls. One poor man wanted to send his daughters to earn money through fornication, since they could not get married without a dowry. Nikolai decided to help. For three nights in a row, Nikolai threw a piece of gold through the sisters’ window.

This is how the girls got a dowry. The young man secretly did many good deeds - he brought medicine to the sick, gave children toys and things. Being rich, this man secretly helped the poor.

Then they finally tracked him down, found out who brought everything to the poor townspeople, and the people appointed Nicholas bishop. When Nicholas died, the sick came to his grave to be healed. Children receive gifts from him for many centuries and still do.

Nikolin's day

People call this day St. Nicholas Day. On this day, St. Nicholas is remembered; he is credited with the tradition of giving gifts. It is believed that the custom of giving gifts to children was founded by Saint Nicholas, that it was he who began to bring gifts to children and hide them in certain places.

Orthodox Christians have a tradition of putting a gift under their pillow for obedient and polite children. And for Catholics, Saint Nicholas gives out gifts; he is sometimes called Father Frost. He places gifts in large gift socks that the children leave near the bed.

Traditions of the holiday St. Nicholas Day

On this day, charity events are held for orphaned children. Youth and youth organizations are engaged in this. St. Nicholas Day is called International Day for the Poor. On this day, Christians are allowed to relax the Nativity Fast. You can eat fish.

In Russia, from St. Nicholas Day, “Nikolshchina” was celebrated for several days. We celebrated together, with beer and mash. The fun lasted for at least 3-4 days. All close relatives and neighbors were invited to it.

It was not customary to refuse to celebrate; it was considered disrespectful not to celebrate St. Nicholas Day with everyone. Community affairs were decided at the table, debaters were tried on, and news was discussed. At this time, young people were walking and having fun.

From St. Nicholas Day, the young people began to get married. We were preparing for the gatherings that would take place on Christmastide. They bought a hut for gatherings, prepared firewood and outfits. And they even started making Christmas masks for the mummers.

It is believed that Nicholas the saint walks through snow-covered fields on this day, having descended from the heavenly fields. In one day he travels around the entire Russian Land. Banishes all dark spirits. There is also a symbol for this day - these are Nikolaychiki, honey gingerbread cookies.

Before the holiday, Saint Nicholas bakes cookies that look like the moon or stars. He is helped in this by his assistants - angels. This day is fun for both adults and children.

Saint Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, became famous as a great saint of God. He is especially revered as an ambulance in the most seemingly hopeless and insoluble problems - both spiritual and everyday.

The Wonderworker is especially revered by sailors - many ships and ships have icons of St. Nicholas.

Life

Saint Nicholas was born thanks to the prayer of desperate parents who for a long time there were no children. He was born in 270 in the town of Patara, which was located in the region of Lycia in Asia Minor and was Greek colony.

The parents of the future archbishop were very wealthy people, but at the same time they believed in Christ and actively helped the poor. From childhood, the saint completely devoted himself to faith and spent a lot of time in church. Having matured, he became a reader, and then a priest in the church, where his uncle, Bishop Nicholas of Patarsky, served as rector.

Fresco by icon painter Dionysius "St. Nicholas of Myra"

After the death of his parents, Nicholas the Wonderworker distributed all his inheritance to the poor and continued his church service. In the years when the attitude of the Roman emperors towards Christians became more tolerant, but persecution nevertheless continued, he ascended the episcopal throne in Myra. Now this town is called Demre, which is located in the Antalya province of Turkey.

People loved the new archbishop very much - he was kind, meek, fair, and sympathetic. Not a single request to him went unanswered. With all this, Saint Nicholas was remembered by his contemporaries as an irreconcilable fighter against paganism - he destroyed idols and temples, and a defender of Christianity - he denounced heretics.

During his lifetime the saint became famous for many miracles. He saved the city of Myra from a terrible famine with his fervent prayer to Christ. He prayed and thereby helped drowning sailors on ships, and brought unjustly convicted people out of captivity in prisons.

Nikolai Ugodnik lived to a ripe old age and died peacefully around the year 351.

His venerable relics were kept incorrupt in the local cathedral church and exuded healing myrrh, from which many received healings. In 1087 his relics were transferred to Italian city Bari, where they rest to this day.

Nikolozoba

The Wonderworker is one of the most revered Saints in Georgia. The day of remembrance of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Georgia is called Nikolozoba. Festive services are held on this day in all existing churches in the country.

He is considered one of the patrons of the Georgian Orthodox Church. There are five in Tbilisi alone Orthodox churches, bearing the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

photo: courtesy of Tbilisi City Hall

Georgian Orthodox Church celebrates St. Nicholas Day twice a year: December 19 is the day of his remembrance and May 22 is the feast of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, to the Italian city of Bari.

Patron

Saint Nicholas was originally the patron saint of sailors and children. According to legend, he helped needy children - he fed them, sometimes gave them gifts, saved them from death and healed them. Therefore, after his death, when a holiday was established in his honor, a tradition arose in Holland of giving gifts to children.

They celebrated St. Nicholas Day on December 9, and since he was the patron saint of sailors, the bishop sailed on a ship and distributed gifts to children on behalf of the Saint. And later he began to delight children not only on December 9, but also on Christmas.

Approximately the same tradition existed in Germany, when on the Saint’s Day, December 6, the ministers of the Cologne Cathedral distributed pastries and fruits to children.

But the birth of Santa Claus is more likely associated with the birth of the work of Clement Clarke Moore, who in the poem “The Parish of St. Nicholas” described him as a kind, well-fed old man. Since then, this tradition has spread throughout the world and has taken root most in the United States.

Since then, on this holiday, it has been traditional to hold charity events that are aimed at helping poor and orphaned children.

What to gift

Making children happy on St. Nicholas Day has become a good tradition in many countries. Accordingly, the question of what to give arises every year.

If you want to give your child something necessary, for example, pajamas or a warm jacket, then it should be bright, maybe with his favorite cartoon character, since children love everything bright. You can complement the gift with sweets. Sweet gifts can also be given as the main gift.

Toys always remain a welcome gift. These can be small toys, soft ones, puzzles, construction sets, everything that your baby likes.

For older children, who can no longer be pleased with toys, you can give sets - cosmetics or jewelry for girls, and shower gel, good shampoo for boys, eau de toilette and so on.

If desired, gifts can also be given to adult “children” - parents, loved one or loved one. As a gift, you can choose sweet sets or some trinket that will remind your family and friends of childhood.

Gifts for adults can also be practical - warm bathrobes, pajamas, gadgets; women can be given perfume, various accessories, dishes or kitchen utensils, depending on preferences, and men can be given tools for the car or home, and so on.

Traditions and signs

St. Nicholas Day is celebrated during the Nativity Fast, so traditional dishes there were mushroom pies and beer.

In the old days, the Slavs considered this day to be the last day of the year, when it was necessary to pay off all debts. People believed that if this was not done, then the family would be poor in the coming year. On this day, it was customary to make peace with those with whom you are in disagreement.

It was also believed that if the owner of the house did not go around his yard first, then there would be trouble in the coming year. Therefore, on St. Nicholas Day, men tried to get up early and walk around the entire yard.

Many believed that this magical day when any dreams and desires come true. Therefore, before going to bed, the girls put a glass of water by the bed and said: “Betrothed, come to me to drink some water.” Whoever dreams will be her destiny.

In order to find out whether a girl will get married or not, girls in ancient times took the ring of a lucky girl. married woman and hung him by his own hair. Having suspended this ring over a glass of water, they carefully monitored it.

If the ring hit the edge of the glass, then the girl would not get married this year; if the ring spun quickly, without touching the glass, then there would be a wedding soon; if the ring moved slowly, then the girl would get married twice.

You can also pick a small branch of a cherry tree and put it in a vase; if it blooms in the spring, then it will be married, if not, then you will have to wait.

The weather on St. Nicholas Day also spoke about what kind of winter it would be. If it’s cold, then the whole season will be the same, but if it’s warm, then the winter will be clear and without severe frosts. If it snows before the holiday, then the winter will be cold, frosty and harsh.

But if frost appears before the day of the Wonderworker, then the year will be rich and fruitful.

What do they pray for?

People pray to Nicholas the Wonderworker in a variety of life trials, and, as people testify, he soon answers the prayers of believers. Nicholas the Wonderworker is also asked for the well-being of travelers.

Nicholas Roerich "Saint Nicholas".

They pray to St. Nicholas for the successful marriage of their daughters, remembering how the saint secretly donated money for a dowry to the daughters of a ruined man so that they could get married. They also pray to the saint for deliverance from hunger.

During his lifetime, Nicholas the Wonderworker became famous as a pacifier of warring parties, a defender of the innocently convicted, and a deliverer from needless death.

Prayer

O all-praised, great wonderworker, saint of Christ, Father Nicholas!

We pray to you, awaken the hope of all Christians, protector of the faithful, feeder of the hungry, joy of the weeping, doctor of the sick, steward of those floating on the sea, feeder of the poor and orphans, and quick helper and patron of all, may we live a peaceful life here and may we be worthy to see the glory of God’s elect in heaven , and with them unceasingly sing the praises of the one worshiped God in the Trinity forever and ever. Amen.

The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.

Santa Claus

Nikola Winter, Nikola Autumn, Nikola Veshny, “Nikola Wet”

Folk traditions of celebrating the day of memory of Nikolai Ugodnik

When is the memory of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker celebrated?

Saint Nicholas in Orthodox church calendar More than one holiday is dedicated. On December 19, according to the new style, the day of the saint’s death is remembered, and on August 11, his birth. People called these two holidays St. Nicholas Winter and St. Nicholas Autumn. On May 22, believers remember the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas from Myra in Lycia to Bari, which took place in 1087. In Rus', this day was called Nikola Veshny (that is, spring), or Nikola Summer.

All these holidays are permanent, that is, their dates are fixed.

How does St. Nicholas the Wonderworker help?

Saint Nicholas is called a miracle worker. Such saints are especially revered for the miracles that occur through prayers to them. Since ancient times, Nicholas the Wonderworker was revered as an ambulance to sailors and other travelers, merchants, unjustly convicted people and children. In Western folk Christianity, his image was combined with the image folklore character- “Christmas grandfather” - and transformed into Santa Claus ( Santa Claus translated from English - St Nicholas). Santa Claus gives children gifts for Christmas.

Life (biography) of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

Nikolai Ugodnik was born in 270 in the town of Patara, which was located in the region of Lycia in Asia Minor and was a Greek colony. The parents of the future archbishop were very wealthy people, but at the same time they believed in Christ and actively helped the poor.

As his life says, from childhood the saint completely devoted himself to the faith and spent a lot of time in church. Having matured, he became a reader, and then a priest in the church, where his uncle, Bishop Nicholas of Patarsky, served as rector.

People loved the new archbishop very much: he was kind, meek, fair, sympathetic - not a single request to him went unanswered. With all this, Nicholas was remembered by his contemporaries as an irreconcilable fighter against paganism - he destroyed idols and temples, and a defender of Christianity - he denounced heretics.

During his lifetime the saint became famous for many miracles. He saved the city of Myra from a terrible famine - with his fervent prayer to Christ. He prayed and thereby helped drowning sailors on ships, and brought unjustly convicted people out of captivity in prisons.

Nikolai Ugodnik lived to a ripe old age and died around 345-351 - exact date unknown.

Relics of St. Nicholas

Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker reposed in the Lord in the years 345-351 - the exact date is unknown. His relics were incorruptible. At first they rested in the cathedral church of the city of Myra in Lycia, where he served as archbishop. They streamed myrrh, and the myrrh healed believers from various ailments.

It just so happens that all people are divided into two opposite camps - those who eat meat and other animal sources of protein and those who prefer to eat food of plant origin. Most avid meat eaters cannot imagine a day without this protein product, but they have also probably heard more than once about the supposedly harmful effects of meat on our body. We invite you to finally find out what happens if you eat only meat.

So, your body may go crazy. So don't do it, even if you really hate cauliflower.

Firstly, eating only meat leads to a deficiency of fiber in the body, which, in turn, leads to constipation and discomfort. And these are not the most unpleasant consequences

Giving up carbohydrates means giving up the easiest way to get energy. The body will have to switch to burning fat and increase the rate of protein breakdown to maintain life, which has a rather dangerous side effect.

Protein poisoning - symptoms of which include dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, and a chance of death - is excess urea produced in the liver when converting protein into glucose for energy.

Rabbit meat is even more dangerous in this sense. It contains so little fat that the body will have to absorb its reserves. It has been proven that eating only rabbit meat can lead to extreme malnutrition.

Another potential killer - if the previous one is not enough - is a lack of vitamin C. Humans are one of the few living creatures unable to produce it themselves

Lack of this vitamin in the diet causes scurvy, symptoms of which include tooth loss, bleeding gums and even personality changes. In extreme cases, scurvy leads to death

But how do the Eskimos survive in Chukotka, since their diet consists mainly of meat?

Well, they often eat liver, rich in vitamins D and A, and fish oil with its Omega-3 fatty acids. Eskimos are also adapted to convert proteins into glucose thanks to their enlarged liver and have a large bladder to get rid of excess urea. Yes, and they also eat a lot of raw meat.