On the night of January 6-7, solemn services were held in Orthodox Christian churches in honor of one of the most important church holidays - the Nativity of Christ.
The atmosphere of Christmas is an atmosphere of unity, spiritual purity and joy, filling people with confidence in happiness, fullness of life, and the triumph of good changes.
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In the Christmas services, calls are made to assimilate the fruits of this sacred holiday, so that a virtuous and pious life becomes an example for the people around them, a guarantee of world peace, prosperity and good-neighborly relations between peoples. Church choirs these days perform Christmas liturgical chants.
The main attributes of the holiday: a Christmas wreath, it is a symbol of the light that came into the world with the birth of Christ; bells, they are needed to drive out evil spirits; Christmas candles, with the help of which the forces of darkness and cold are expelled; as well as bright Christmas cards.
According to the Orthodox tradition, Christmas Yuletide days will last until the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, which is celebrated on January 19. At this time, it is customary to visit each other, congratulate and treat loved ones with sweets, and help those in need.
Turkmenistan, being a democratic, legal and secular state, recognizes the importance of interfaith harmony, religious tolerance.The bright holiday of the Nativity of Christ celebrated by our Orthodox compatriots is consonant with the principles of the neutral status of the country, where peoples of different nationalities and religions live in peace, harmony and mutual respect, honoring each other's traditions and culture.
Recall that this year one of the Orthodox churches in Ashgabat, named after St. Alexander Nevsky, is celebrating its 140th anniversary. Its history began in 1882, a year after the founding of the Turkmen capital. The building survived the devastating Ashgabat earthquake in 1948 and is now included in the list of architectural monuments protected by the state.