Ancient holidays according to the old calendar. Russian folk holidays. September Day of Svarog

Comes from the Latin traditio, meaning "to convey". Initially, traditio was used in its direct meaning, denoting a material action: for example, in the Roman Empire it was used when handing over an item and even when giving a daughter in marriage. In our times, the word "tradition" also has a connection with the past, with what has lost its novelty, but, invariably, despite all historical cataclysms, it symbolizes the stability of their perception and observance. There were many holidays in Rus'. Many holidays have been preserved, which we continue to observe, getting used to them, without even thinking about their origin. But there are holidays that, after many years, are again applicable in our lives. Ancient Slavic traditions are being revived with unique ethnic baggage.

and the Christmas tree entered our lives since 1700 by decree of Peter I. Until that time, bush cherries were placed in the huts. By the holiday they put on new, beautiful clothes, put off all worries for later and have fun. Beautiful clothes have always been a good omen: how you celebrate the New Year is how you spend it. The most popular holiday greeting is “Happy New Year! With new happiness!" One of the very first, such phrases could have been heard as far back as 153 BC. During that period, the ancient Romans came up with the idea of ​​giving holiday gifts with wishes of good luck and happiness. When preparing for the holiday, decorating the Christmas tree, we do not think why we are doing it. The decoration of the Christmas tree, since ancient times, has been associated with the belief of the ancient Germanic tribes that spirits are hiding in the crowns of evergreen firs, and in order to appease them, one must give them gifts. Recently, a new Russian feature of the New Year holiday has appeared, listening to the president's address on New Year's Eve, and only after that, to the sound of glasses and chimes, congratulate everyone on the New Year.

wedding ceremonies

From time immemorial, a wedding has been considered the most important event in a person's life. Many customs and signs were associated with it. Until modern times, the wedding ceremony, as a sequence of certain ritual actions, has not survived. Despite this, elements of the Slavic wedding ceremony are preserved, but often in a modified form. However, an increasing number of young people are striving to conduct this main event in accordance with the old ways.

wedding ceremony

1. Acquaintance of future relatives, the bride's bride, girl fortune-telling.
2. The matchmaking of the bride, the bride of the newlyweds, the conspiracy of the parents, the bachelorette party, the groom's gatherings.
3. The main action of the ceremony begins with the ransom of the bride, riding, wedding in the church, ends with a walk.
4. The next day, after the wedding, matchmakers pay mutual visits.
In ancient times, marriage by mutual sympathy was infrequent, much more often the couple was picked up by the parents. Where can a guy meet a girl? In modern times, this is possible at any time and in any place. In ancient times, acquaintances of boys and girls, in everyday life, were limited, there was an opportunity to communicate in the allotted place and at a certain time. Such as festivities at Christmas time, at Easter, at Trinity and parties, usually in autumn and winter. Getting married has always been a girl's main dream. The expectation of marriage, the expectation of the wedding, and the future chosen one disturbed her soul. Therefore, all girlish fortune-telling about the future betrothed and family life. Currently, there have been big changes in the relationship between a man and a woman, this has also affected wedding ceremonies. Pre-wedding customs are undergoing great changes. In most cases, these rituals have become entertainment, a joke.

The modern wedding is now divided into the following stages

1. Pre-wedding (marriage proposal, families getting to know each other, engagement, bachelorette party, stag party).
2. Wedding (bride price, wedding cortege, marriage registration ceremony, wedding feast).
3. Post-wedding (second day, visits, honeymoon).
But the wedding always retains its important, enduring significance as a transition from a single life to a family life, with its own joys and values. The decision to follow the traditional rites, rituals, and which ones, the newlyweds make themselves.

Conclusion

Traditions are very important in the life of any society. Russia, a country that carefully preserves the traditions of the national culture, deeply rooted in Orthodoxy, and even in paganism. The Russian people continue to celebrate traditional holidays, they believe in folk signs and legends. Christianity gave amazing holidays, such as Easter, Christmas, the rite of Baptism, and paganism - Maslenitsa and Ivan Kupala.

Easter in Russia

- the bright holiday of the resurrection of Christ. A holiday that came from Byzantium to Rus' along with baptism at the end of the 10th century. Since then, this Christian holiday has been solemnly celebrated in Russia. On the eve of Easter, all-night vigils and a procession are held in churches. By this time, festive Easter cakes are being baked, symbolizing the body of Christ, eggs are being painted. In the morning, believers go to visit with refreshments, give colored eggs, saying: "Christ is risen!" “Truly Risen!” These greetings, congratulations, accompanied by hugs and kisses, are called "christening." The Easter holiday lasts seven days and is called Week, or Holy Week.

Easter Day is the day of breaking the fast after Great Lent. The variety of dishes on the tables is amazing. Among them, the main place is occupied by ritual treats. First of all, these are Easter cakes, painted eggs. An egg painted in various colors has become an attribute and symbol of Easter since the 12th century. Kulich was baked from yeast dough, tall and round, and decorated with the image of a cross. There was a belief that if Easter bread was a success, then this year would be prosperous in the family. The cake is cut across, leaving the top whole to cover the rest of the cake. According to the old Russian custom, on Easter days, gifts were distributed to the poor and needy, relatives and strangers in orphanages, hospitals. The people said that "from Easter to the Ascension, Christ wanders the earth with the apostles, experiencing the mercy and kindness of everyone."

Christmas in Russia

Christmas - the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ is celebrated. The advent gave people hope for kindness, mercy and eternal life. The birth of the Savior is celebrated on January 7 according to the Julian calendar, the churches of the Old World celebrate this date according to the Gregorian calendar, December 25.

Christmas post

Before Christmas, a forty-day Advent fast was observed, ending on Christmas Eve. The Advent Fast is the last long fast. Its observance renews spiritually, uniting with God during the ceremony of preparation for the holiday.

Christmas Eve

The last day before Christmas was called "Christmas Eve". It received such a name not by chance, but from the name of the ritual dish of this day - sochiva. Sochivo, also called kutya - porridge made from cereals, wheat or barley, mixed with honey. The number of dishes was always twelve (the number of the apostles). The table on this day was always prepared as richly and richly as possible. Following the ritual, the table was first sprinkled with hay - remembering the birthplace of Christ in the den and the manger. Food could be taken after the appearance of the first star, according to the legend, the Star of Bethlehem was the first to announce to the magi about the Nativity of the Savior. Everyone sat down at the table with the best wishes to each other. Christmas is a family holiday. From January 6 to 7, people did not sleep: they walked, went from house to house, ate and caroled. Caroling is an ancient ritual and song of glorification of the Nativity of Christ. Carols often turned into a real carnival with dressing up in unusual clothes, or simply pulling on clothes turned inside out, putting on animal masks. Caroling is gaining popularity these days: songs are being learned, festive costumes, masks are being prepared. Such companies of mummers go to neighbors, relatives, friends. The holiday lasts three days. Most believers spend them in the temple. On the second day of Christmas, Orthodox Christians in churches glorify the Mother of God, who gave birth to the Savior. This day is called the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Christmas time

After the Nativity of Christ, Christmas time comes, that is, holy days lasting until Baptism itself.
In Christmas time, lasting two weeks, they go to visit, give gifts, visit the sick, the elderly.
Holy days, according to custom, began with caroling. It was the turn of the youth to dress up, go around all the houses with songs, jokes, burning fires, arranged games, gatherings. At this time, the girls were guessing at the betrothed. It was believed that eight days after the birth of Jesus Christ, evil spirits roam the streets, frightening people. The mummers played the role of evil spirits, dressed in masks and implausible robes, they tried to scare and cheer people.

Epiphany

Christmas time ends with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This day is the day of the baptism by John the Forerunner of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River. During the baptism of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove flew down from heaven, proclaiming Jesus Christ to be his beloved son. In honor of this event, the holiday is called Epiphany. On this day, water is blessed in temples. Holy water is brought home and carefully stored. Orthodox Christians consider it healing, they drink it, wash themselves with it, sprinkle their house with it.

Maslenitsa, rites on Shrovetide week

Maslenitsa was a holiday of remembrance. The apotheosis of the holiday was the burning of an effigy of Maslenitsa - it's like her funeral, cooked pancakes - were considered a memorial treat. Initially, a sad holiday gradually turned into a daring Maslenitsa. To the holiday with pancakes, round yellow and hot, like the sun, sleigh rides, skiing from the mountains, wall-to-wall fights, mother-in-law gatherings were added. Maslenitsa was a ritual celebration of the end of winter, and at the same time the opening of a new period of spring holidays and rituals.

Carnival on Monday.

Monday started with a Maslenitsa meeting. They made a scarecrow out of straw, dressed up in tattered, old women's clothes, and with singing and dancing they drove on a sleigh through the village. After that, it was installed on the mountain, from which the skiing began. Moreover, it was not just entertainment, but it was considered a ritual, it was believed that the more times a person descends from the mountain, the higher his flax will be.

Maslenitsa on Tuesday.

The second day of Shrove Tuesday is called "flirting". The holiday continues, folk festivals, buffoons, puppet shows led by Petrushka are added to it. Mummers walk the streets, ride troikas and sleighs, and impromptu concerts are held. Bear performances were traditional for cities and Moscow. Hand bears made the audience laugh by portraying various characters.

Carnival on Wednesday.

"Gourmet" - the third day also began with pancakes, tables were set, beer was brewed. Trade begins on the streets, in which food, drinks, nuts, and honey gingerbread were sold. All this could be washed down with hot tea from a boiling samovar. The mother-in-law treated the son-in-law with pancakes.

Thursday.

Thursday was the hottest day of the holiday. Traditionally, fisticuffs took place on Thursdays.

Friday.

The sons-in-law now received the mother-in-laws at their place and treated them to pancakes. Sons-in-law often violated such an event, which offended the mother-in-law, which often became the cause of eternal enmity. Friday was devoted to the theme of family relations, the newlyweds were honored. The newlyweds should dress smartly, ride around in a painted sleigh, visit all the invitees who walked at their wedding. Relatives of the young, who became related after the wedding, also paid visits to each other.

Saturday.

On Saturday, the sister-in-law gatherings were arranged. Young daughters-in-law invited relatives to their place.

Sunday.

"Forgiveness Sunday". This day provided a unique opportunity, without looking for any reason, to improve relations with relatives and friends, for the grievances that have accumulated over the past year. Leftovers of food, pancakes were thrown into the fire. Maslenitsa ends, Great Lent begins. Fasting began on Clean Monday, the day of cleansing from sin and fast food. On this day, they always visited the bathhouse, washed all the dishes, removing the remnants of fatty and fast food.

Ivan Kupala in Russia.

Ivan Kupala is the holiday of the top of summer. It is celebrated on the night of June 23-24. This is one of the most mystical and mysterious holidays, at the same time it is wild and cheerful with many rituals, prohibitions and rules, songs and signs, sentences and fortune-telling, entangled in legends. Kupala is an ancient deity of fertility. In honor of him, songs were sung in the evenings, jumping over the fire was arranged. Gradually, this ceremony turned into a holiday of midsummer, the days of the solstice, embodying the tradition of Christians and pagans. The deity of Kupala began to be called Ivan after the baptism of Rus' in honor of John the Baptist, who baptized Christ himself, whose Christmas fell on June 24.

Kupala rites

On the day of Ivan Kupala, people decorated themselves with wreaths, bandages of flowers and herbs, sang songs, danced round dances, kindled fires around a pole with a flaming wheel fixed on it, a symbol of the sun. On this day, the girls wove wreaths and floated them on the water, watching them. If the wreath sank, it means that the betrothed fell out of love, marriage is postponed. On this day, everyone was doused with dirty water. There was a belief that the more often a person bathes, the purer his soul. And bathing at dawn endowed with healing power.
On the bathing night, bonfires were lit. It was believed that on this night the bonfires were cleansing, mothers burned things taken from sick children so that diseases would burn with them. Dances were arranged around the bonfires, jumping over them, whoever jumped higher would be happier. After the bonfires, the youth organized noisy games, fun competitions. The people believed that only on the night of Ivan Kupala miraculous, medicinal herbs bloom, which healers and village healers invariably collected to last for the whole year. A legend about a fern blooming that night, the flower of which could indicate where the treasure is located. Many miracles are associated with this day, and on the coming night it was impossible to go to bed, because all evil spirits came to life: witches, werewolves, mermaids who celebrated their holiday, trying inflict as much harm on people as possible. So they have long celebrated and continue to celebrate the day of Ivan Kupala - observing rituals, traditional fortune-telling and various other pranks.

Rus' is a northern country, and from that the calendar of the Slavs was originally not lunar, but solar, and therefore the holidays were solar, according to the solar calendar! People lived in unity with nature. The change of seasons influenced the whole way of life and was the basis of rituals and holidays.


The Slavs have long loved winter; in folk art, many proverbs and sayings, riddles and counting rhymes are dedicated to it. Winter in the imagination of our distant ancestors appeared as a big woman, that is, a portly, prominent, strong woman, a real mistress who knows a lot about her business. And her clothes were appropriate: a warm bearish coat, boots with wolf fur and an elegant headdress - a kika.
Winter commanded snow and snowdrifts, snowstorms and blizzards, winds and severe frosts, she was presented as a harsh mistress.
The image of frost is also interesting in the representation of the Russian people. Folklore mentions Morozko, Frost-Treskun and Studeney, who has a mysterious powerful power. They even said: "Frost and iron breaks, and beats a bird on the fly." But the favorite winter fun - sleigh rides - fell precisely on frosty days, when the bright sun illuminates the fields and forests decorated with silver, and the snow creaking underfoot calls for a fun walk!
Among other things, winter in Rus' was a favorite time for weddings. “From Epiphany to Maslenitsa is the time of weddings,” the proverb says.
The old names of the winter months are filled with folk wisdom: December - “cold”, “snow”, “frown”, “windchill”, “fierce”, “gates of winter”, January - “prosinets”, “student”, “winter”, “ the turning point of winter”, February - “cut”, “snow”, “bokogrey”, “lute”. These ancient names show how closely the people followed the slightest changes in nature and weather. Almost every day in the folk calendar meant something. From snow, ice, wind, hoarfrost, the sun, stars, and the behavior of animals, our ancestors predicted what the harvest would be like, whether spring would come soon, whether hot summer was coming.
Many people try to maintain the origins of culture, preserve traditions - they create Slavic communities, popularize Slavic culture in books and on Internet sites, try to revive the ancient Slavic holidays, understand their meaning. The modern calendar has long moved away from the dates of the solstice and equinox. That is why there is so much confusion about the dates of pagan and Christian holidays. Everything needs to be aligned. Otherwise, there is no point in holidays.
Karachun (Korochun) - Winter Solstice Day
The day of the pagan veneration of Karachun (the second name of Chernobog), celebrated on December 21, falls on the day of the winter solstice - the shortest day of the year and one of the coldest days of winter. It was believed that on this day the formidable Karachun, the deity of death, the underground god commanding frosts, an evil spirit, takes over. The ancient Slavs believed that he commands winter and frost and shortens the daylight hours.
Among the people, the concept of "karachun" in the sense of death, death is still used. They say, for example: “a karachun came to him”, “wait for a karachun”, “ask a karachun”, “grabbed a karachun”. Skoryachilo - squirmed, reduced. Perhaps Karachun was so called because he, as it were, forced the daytime to go in the opposite direction, to back away, giving way to the night.
Kolyada December 25
“Once upon a time, Kolyada was perceived not as a mummer. Kolyada was a deity, and one of the most influential. They called the carol, called. New Year's Eve was dedicated to Kolyada, games were arranged in her honor, which were subsequently performed at Christmas time. The last patriarchal ban on worshiping Kolyada was issued on December 24, 1684. It is believed that Kolyada was recognized by the Slavs as the deity of fun, which is why he was called upon, cheerful gangs of youth called on New Year's festivities. A. Strizhev "People's Calendar"
Kolyada - the baby sun, in Slavic mythology - the embodiment of the New Year cycle, as well as a holiday character similar to Ovsen. Kolyada was celebrated during winter Christmas time from December 25 (turn of the sun to spring) to January 5-6. The Slavs celebrate Kolyada when the day "for sparrows" has arrived and the winter sun begins to flare up.
On the eve of the New Year, the children were going to carol under the windows of rich peasants, called the owner in songs, repeated the name of Kolyada and asked for money. Sacred games and divination are the remnants of this feast of the ancients. The rituals have been preserved among the people, and have recently become more and more popular. "Carolers" dress up in clothes, depict animals, devils, with music, with sacks in which they collect treats, walk the streets, sing carols. Kolyada is a cheerful, desired deity.
Eating ritual cookies in the form of cows (loaf, bagels), they commemorate Tour. Instead of a sacrificial lamb, they eat cookies in the form of a lamb's head (bagel, pretzel). You should definitely try uzvar and kutya.
Schedrets December 31
The last day of the outgoing year is called "Schedrets". Since ancient times, a big festive feast has been arranged on this day, and generosity songs (generous songs) are heard everywhere.
Among the plentiful festive treats, there is certainly a place for pork dishes. It was believed that this symbolizes a rich harvest and fertility.
Before the feast, as usual, you need to amuse the people with generous gifts. The composition of the mummers is the same as in Kolyada.
Carolers approach a house or a crowd of people and sing: “Generous evening! Good evening!"
Then the carolers begin to “torment the carol”, that is, to beg the owners for gifts, complaining that they “come from afar”, “the goat’s legs hurt” ...
The hosts are resting, laughing it off. Then the mummers start singing generous songs, some of which contain comic threats. It is considered a great shame not to give gifts to carolers. To such greedy hosts, the mummers send a "curse":
“Give them, Svarozha, on the back and in the face. Smash them, Father Perun! An empty bag for them, a holey pot!”
Having collected a bag of goodies, the carolers disperse to celebrate the New Year in the family circle.
The last and most magical 12th night of the great Yule is coming (our New Year's Eve).
Tourists 6 January
Turitsy are dedicated to the tur, one of the most ancient animals revered among the Slavs, possessing magical powers. The tour embodies the union of Veles and Perun for the glory and prosperity of the Slavic clan.
The son of Veles and Makoshi, Tur, like the Greek Pan, patronizes shepherds, guslars and buffoons, valiant prowess, games, dances and fun, as well as groves and forest animals. In the North, Tur appears as a proud deer, and in the taiga forests as a elk.
On this day, they tell fortunes for the whole next year, as the holiday closes winter Christmas time. The 12th day of Christmas time corresponds to the 12th month of the year. Fortune-telling takes place in the evening, with the onset of darkness. Snow is collected to bleach the canvas. The snow collected this evening, thrown into the well, can save water for the whole year.
The Slavs saw in the holiday of the Tour the oldest rite of youthful initiation into men, when, incarnating as a wolf, the young man had to show hunting abilities and military courage and fill up his first tour.
The ancient Slavs took an example from these formidable animals, who did not know fear and did not spare themselves to protect the herd. They tried to teach the younger generation to attack and defend, to show resourcefulness and stamina, endurance, courage, the ability to unite to repulse enemies, protect the weak and find a weak spot in the enemy.
For many years, tours, wild bulls, served people as a symbol of honor and courage. Cups and horns were made from turi horns, which were invitingly trumpeted in military campaigns, and even bows were made from especially large horns.
Turitsy is also a shepherd's holiday, at this time the community invites a shepherd for the next season, agrees with him about work, trusting him with a precious flock for a long time. The shepherd, the servant of the Veles, puts intoxicating drinks on the common table, and the community - food, and celebrate their collusion with a holiday.
From this moment on, the shepherd takes care of the herd, and the tour helps him in this matter, protecting young heifers and cows preparing for calving in February from various misfortunes and diseases.
Babi porridge January 8
On the day of Babi porridge, it is customary to honor midwives. They brought gifts and treats, vodka, pancakes. They came with children so that the grandmothers would bless them. It was especially recommended that expectant mothers and young girls go to grandmothers on this day.
Later, the Orthodox Church began to celebrate the feast of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos on this day.
A midwife is a distant relative in the village. Not a single homeland could do without a midwife. The grandmother helped the woman in labor. And she was, as they used to say, with hands. Knowing the customs of antiquity, the grandmother knew her business. In the throes of a woman in labor, she flooded the bathhouse, pulled out the woman in labor in the sun. Babkanie - waving - was made good by a kind word, good herbs, good prayers. Smoking a woman in labor, that is, setting fire to a birch torch and setting fire to wormwood with immortelle grass, the grandmother cared about easy homelands.
Not so far back in time, mother used to gather the children in the evening and teach them to praise Christmas, sprinkle it with grain - for a long life, for happiness, for well-being. It was as easy as shelling pears to give out a piece of cake at the festive hour, to pamper the children with cranberries on honey. But mother knew: “Not every house has a loaf baked, and even so that the whole family has plenty.”
And so the children had to earn a treat, to taste the whole world of children equally and satiety and sweets. “Give a cow, a butter head, a liver on the hearth, a golden cow!” And in the children's box from every house they carried out both big women and brides ceremonial cookies, which in their appearance are akin to cattle. And the kids urged: “You, hostess, give it! You, sweetheart, come on! Give it - don't break it! Break off a little - there will be Yermoshka. If you break off the crust, there will be Andryushka. And give the middle - to be a wedding!
And so the childish box was heavy. And the praisers ran in a crowd to someone's heated bathhouse, shared a treat among themselves. It was a joyful time of games, fun. Children got to know each other and were childishly happy, remembering this wonderful winter time.
They also watched the signs: if this day is clear, then there will be a good harvest of millet. Porridge in the oven will brown - to the snow. If titmouse squeak in the morning, frost can be expected by night. But the continuous cry of crows and jackdaws promises snowfalls and blizzards.
January 12 Abduction Day
On that day, they remember how, in the era of Kupala, Veles kidnapped Diva-Dodola, the wife of Perun. During the wedding of Perun and Diva, Veles was rejected by Diva and overthrown from heaven. However, later he, the god of love passion, managed to seduce the goddess of thunder, the daughter of Dyya. From their connection, the spring god Yarilo was born.
Also on the Day of Abductions, they remember how, in the era of Lada, Koschey stole his wife Marena from Dazhbog (God of summer and happiness). From the connection between Koshchei and Marena, the Snow Queen was later born, as well as many demonesses.
Dazhbog went in search of his wife. He will look for her all winter, and therefore the frosts will become stronger and stronger, and blizzards will sweep everything around.
On this day of Sunday, the sacred stone Alatyr was revered (or two stones of God and God: the stones of Veles and Yasun - Buri Yagi).
Intra January 18
Intra (Zmiulan, Indrik the Beast, Vyndrik) is the son of Zemun from Dyya (Night Sky), the brother of the "Lizard" and his opponent, the patron saint of snakes. Intra is the god of springs, wells, snakes and clouds. The connection with the water elements indicates its Navi nature (Navi in ​​East Slavic mythology is the spirit of death, as well as a dead man).
At night, the sorcerers spoke the pipes of the houses through which Nav entered the houses. Intra is an inhabitant of the dungeon, and in the legends of the Slavs it is said like this: “As the Sun is in the sky, so is Indra in Navi”
In the Indian Vedas, Intra is a demon, and the serpent king. The latter is indicated by the fact that Inderia is inhabited by snakes, and Indra himself is the husband of the Paraskeva Snake. According to our Vedas, Zmiulan is the winner of the goat-Pan (son of Viy), in fact, his cousin (since Dyy and Viy are brothers).
In the deeds of Intra there is both valor and meanness, and fair victories, and cruelty. Despite the fact that he is the husband of a snake demon, he fights on the same side with Perun. Most of all, he is close to people from the "Military Triglav" (Perun-Intra-Volkh). If Perun is pure “military truth”, Volkh is sorcery, cruelty and dark anger, then Intra is Light and Darkness, the struggle of opposites.
Intra, riding a unicorn, is the patron saint of warriors, a symbol that personifies military prowess and courage.
Prosinets January 21
Prosinets is the name of January, it is celebrated with blessing of water. Praise today the Heavenly Svarga - the Host of all Gods. "Shine" means the resurrection of the Sun.
Prosinets falls in the middle of Winter - it is believed that the Cold begins to subside, and the solar heat returns to the lands of the Slavs at the behest of the gods.
On this day, Vedic temples remember how in ancient times Kryshen gave fire to people who died from the cold during the Great Glaciation. Then he spilled the magical Surya from the heavenly Svarga onto the Earth.
Surya, poured out on the earth, on this day makes all the waters healing, so believers bathe in the consecrated waters.
In the annual circle of Perun's festivities, this day also corresponds to the victory of Perun over the Skipper-beast and the bathing of his sisters Zhiva, Marena and Lelya in the milk river.
On this day, the Slavs bathed in cold river water and gave grandiose feasts, in which milk and dairy products must certainly have been present.
Day of Father Frost and Snow Maiden January 30
These days, they usually tell stories about Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden. About how the Snow Maiden, at the whim of the goddess of love Lely, fell in love with a man and therefore, with the advent of Spring, she did not fly to the North. But as soon as "a bright ray of the sun cuts through the morning fog and falls on the Snow Maiden", she melts.
On this day, the Slavs revered the enemy of Perun - Frost - the hypostasis of Veles. We can say that Frost is the winter hypostasis of Veles, just like Yar (the son of Veles and Diva) is spring.
Frost was married to the Snow Queen, the daughter of Mary and Koshchei. Frost and the Snow Queen had a beautiful daughter - the Snow Maiden.
The Day of Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden was a symbolic end to the period of severe winter cold.
Gromnitsa February 2
Gromnitsa - according to the beliefs of the ancient Slavs, the only day in winter when a thunderstorm can happen - you can hear thunder and see lightning. Therefore, the Serbs call this holiday "Light".
The day is dedicated to Perun's wife Dodola-Malanitsa (Lightning) - the goddess of lightning and feeding children.
Thunderstorm in the dead of winter reminds us that even in the midst of the most terrible disasters there can be a ray of light - like a bright lightning in the middle of a severe winter. There is always hope. The Slavs honored Malanyitsa because she gives them hope for an early spring.
“Oh Dodola-Dodolyushka, Perunitsa bright! Your husband is on a campaign, Rule is at war;
The diva is in the woods, the roof is in the sky. Come down to the Slavs with zealous Lightning!
We have plenty of bread - Come down to us from heaven! We have plenty of salt - Do not deprive us of a share!
Descend loudly, Descend happily, Descend beautifully - To honest people marvelously!
Dodola is glorious, Given hope!
The weather on Gromniu predicted the weather. What is the weather on this day - such is the whole of February. A clear, sunny day brought early spring.
On the Gromnitsa drops - believe in early spring, if a blizzard clears up - the weather will be blizzard for a long time, until the end of the month.
Velesichi (Kudesy) - Brownie Day February 10
Kudesy - the day of treating the brownie. Brownie - baker, joker, cricket protector. The name of the holiday - kudes (tambourines) - indicates that our ancestors communicated with the brownie or simply had fun, delighting the ear with music:
Grandpa Neighbor!
Eat porridge, but keep our hut!
If the grandfather-neighbor to Kudes is left without gifts, then from a good keeper of the hearth, he will turn into a rather fierce spirit. After dinner, a pot of porridge is left behind the stove, lined with hot coals, so that the porridge does not cool down until midnight, when the brownie comes to have dinner.
On this day, both Veles himself and his army are revered. It tells about the origin of Veles, the heavenly warriors of Veles. Usually Velesichs are revered by the children of Veles, the Svarozhichs, who obeyed Veles, the head of the heavenly armies.
But among them there are those who descended from heaven to Earth and settled among people: these are ancient heroes: Volotomaniacs, asilks, spirits of ancestors, as well as spirits of forests, fields, waters and mountains. Those of them who got into the forest became goblin, some into the water - water, some in the field - field, and some into the house - brownies.
Brownie is a good spirit. Usually he is a zealous owner, helping a friendly family. Sometimes he is mischievous, naughty, if he doesn’t like something. He frightens those who do not take care of the household and livestock. On this day, the brownie is fed porridge, leaving it on the stump. They feed and say:
Master-father, take our porridge!
And eat pies - take care of our house!
Veles day February 11
Veles (Volos) - the patron of livestock ("cattle God") and shepherds, was revered by the Slavs as a beloved God, on whom the well-being of every family and the entire Slavic clan depends.
Veles day - the middle of winter. All nature is still in an icy sleep. And only the lonely Veles Korovin, playing his magic pipe, walks and wanders around the cities and villages, not letting people get sad. Marena-winter is angry with Veles, letting a severe frost on him, and “cow death” on the cattle, but he can’t overcome him in any way.
On this day, the villagers sprinkle livestock with water, saying:
“Veles, cattle god! Give happiness to smooth heifers On fat bulls
So that they would go from the yard - they would play And they would go from the field - they would gallop"
Young women on this day drink strong honey so that "the cows are affectionate", and then beat their husbands with the bottom (a board for spinning flax) so that "the oxen are obedient". On this day cow's butter is brought in the requirement.
After conception, women perform a plowing ritual to drive away the “cow death”. For this, a hanger is selected, which announces to all houses: “It's time to calm the cow's dashing!” Women wash their hands with water and wipe them with a towel worn by a hanger. Then the hanger orders the male sex "not to leave the hut for the sake of a great misfortune."
Hanger with a cry - “Ay! Ai! - hits the frying pan and leaves the village. Behind her are women with tongs, brooms, sickles and clubs. The hangman, throwing off his shirt, utters with fury an oath on "cow death". The hanger is put on a collar, a plow is brought up and harnessed. Then, with the torches lit three times, the village (temple) is plowed with a “cross-water” furrow. The women follow the hanger on broomsticks wearing nothing but shirts with loose hair.
At the end of the procession, a ritual battle between Veles and Marena took place. To the encouraging cry of the audience: “Veles, knock off the horn from the winter!”, Mummers, dressed by Veles (Turya mask, skin, spear), knocks the “horn off Marena”. Then a feast begins, at which it was forbidden to eat beef, accompanied by merrymaking.
Candlemas February 15
On the Meeting of the winter with the spring met. Candlemas serves as the border between winter and spring, which is why the very name of the Candlemas holiday in the common people is explained by the meeting of winter with spring: on Candlemas, winter met spring; in the Presentation of the sun for the summer, winter turned to frost.
In agricultural life, according to the state of the weather on the feast of the Candlemas, the villagers judge the coming spring and summer, especially the weather, the harvest.
Spring was judged as follows:
What is the weather on the Meeting, so will spring.
If a thaw sets in at the Meeting, an early warm spring, if the cold is wrapped up, a cold spring; snow that fell that day - to a long and rainy spring. If on the Meeting of the Sretenye it carries snow across the road, the spring is late and cold. It was on this day that they used to say: b> The sun for the summer - the winter for frost. And also: there will be snow - yeast in the spring.
On behalf of the Feast of the Presentation, in our common people the last winter frosts and the first spring thaws are called Sretensky.
On the Candlemas, they feed (feed) breeding birds: chickens are given oats so that they rush better and the eggs are larger and tastier. From that day on, it was possible to drive the cattle from the barn to the paddock - for warming up and warming up, they also began to prepare the seeds for sowing, clean them, earn extra money, and check for germination. Whitewashed fruit trees.
The peasants usually on this day made a calculation of the stocks of bread, hay, straw and other feed: did they fit in half, and if not, they made adjustments to the feeders, and they themselves tightened their belts. On this day, festivities used to be held in the villages.
On the day of the Meeting, our ancient ancestors worshiped the Sun: the priests of the Sun performed the rites of meeting and greeting the luminary, calling for warmth. And when the Sun was at its zenith, they burned a doll made of straw - the so-called Yerzovka. This doll personified the Spirit of Fire and the god of Love. She was decorated with gifts and offerings - flowers, beautiful ribbons, festive clothes, and people turned to her with requests for well-being and prosperity. It was believed that with its burning, Erzovka destroys the cold, brings a warm summer and a good harvest. In the meantime, the doll was carried on a pole, lovers turned to her for help in love and with requests for happiness in the house.
On the Candlemas they baked pancakes, round, golden - they symbolized the Sun. This called for his return. Peasant women baked bagels and fed livestock with these bagels to protect animals from diseases. On this day bonfires were lit, people had fun with ritual dances.
It is impossible to be bored at the Meeting - the god of Love does not accept sadness, but replies with joy to a joyful meeting.
Pochinki February 16
Following the proverb “Prepare the sleigh in summer and the cart in winter”, the owners immediately after the Candlemas, early in the morning, began to repair agricultural equipment, calling this February day “Repairs”.
When arranging Pochinki, the peasants remembered: the sooner you start farming, the more you will please the spring. It is not proper for a real owner to delay repairs until the real warm days. Opening the sheds, the peasants pondered: what kind of work should we take up in advance?
They worked together, with the whole family, finding a feasible job for both the young and the old: “In Pochinki, Grandfather gets up a little before light - he repairs the summer harness and the centenary plow.” The repaired harness was hung out in a conspicuous place not without pride - they say, we are ready for plowing and sowing. And the housewives did not sit idle at that time: they cooked, washed, sorted out things in the chests.
There is an erroneous opinion, and it is mentioned specifically in Pochinki, that the Brownie disturbs the horses at night and can drive them to death. The brownie is an assistant to a good owner, and not an enemy in any way, otherwise why would the Brownie be transferred from the old house to the new house in a scoop with coal from the old stove. Brownie - a talisman for the house and not an evil spirit!
Troyan Winter February 18
Winter Troyan is an important date for the ancient Slavs. On that day, the invincible Roman soldiers were defeated and expelled from the Slavic lands. Our ancestors considered this day the day of Military Glory, when many Slavic soldiers fell from Roman soldiers in the Danube region, near Troyanov Val (the etymology of the name has not yet been clarified). Most likely, Troyan Val was a defensive embankment, but perhaps a small outpost was erected on this site.
Those warriors fought without laying down their weapons and without showing their backs. This holiday is also known under the names "Stribog's grandchildren", "commemoration of the fallen at Troyanov Val".
Unfortunately, today much has not been clarified from the history of the heroic deed at Troyanov Val, including the exact date (about 101 AD) and other details. This episode in the history of Ancient Rus' is praised in the Tale of Igor's Campaign.
The ancient Slavic warriors thought about their descendants and the Greatness of the Russian Lands - they were not afraid of death, but entered the battle, not even allowing thoughts of betrayal, retreat or surrender to enemies.
So let us also be worthy of the lives of our ancestors - since ancient times, it was customary for the Slavs to do something heroic, dangerous, useful for the Motherland or family and commemorate brave warriors at the table on this day.
Madder Day March 1
The last holiday of the evil Navi Gods before the coming of Spring.
Day of Mara Marena - the Great Goddess of Winter, Night and Death. Mara-Marena is a powerful and formidable Deity, the Goddess of Winter and Death, the wife of Koshchei, the sister of Zhiva and Lelya.
In the people, she was called Kikimora one-eyed. A proverb, remembered on this day, has been preserved: “Yarilo lifted winter (Marena!) On a pitchfork.”
On this day, they remember and honor the goddess who will lead the people to the Kalinov Bridge. Marena's possessions, according to ancient Tales, lie beyond the Black Currant River, which separates Yav and Nav, across which the Kalinov Bridge is thrown, guarded by the Three-Headed Serpent.

The whole life of a person is divided into weekdays and days of rest from daily work. There are also holidays when people do not just relax, but have fun, dance and sing, perform ritual actions related to the thematic component.

Historically, the calendar combines church and folk holidays. What is their difference and unity, when did they originate and how are they celebrated today?

History of occurrence

In already forgotten pagan times, people honored nature, rightly considering it their mother and nurse. They worshiped the sun and asked him to warm them with warmth. They raised the water and persuaded her to give them a lot of fish for food. People worshiped the sky and asked him to water the earth for a good harvest. They honored mother earth and asked her for generosity and abundance. Rich sacrifices were made to the pagan gods, prayers and thanksgiving were offered, people tried to attract their favor with ritual dances.

They addressed the deities with solemnity, reverence and fear. Fearing to anger them with fuss and insufficient attention, the ancient Slavs prepared for the rituals in advance and set aside for this not only whole days, but sometimes whole weeks, if the issue was already very important. These traditions were the sacred values ​​of the community, passed down from generation to generation.

Interestingly, in the old days, folk children's holidays were not distinguished, since their main idea was the mythological personification of natural forces, they were magical in nature and were designed to ensure the well-being of the community.

Stages of development

The first turning point occurred in 988, when Prince Vladimir christened Rus'. This act of epochal significance changed the calendar and the nature of pagan rites. Folk holidays, which were of a magical nature and aimed mainly at obtaining a good harvest, a rich offspring of livestock, began to be gradually replaced by church holidays, the basis of which was the praise of the one God, receiving forgiveness and mercy from above.

Further deepening of the separation of folk and church traditions is due to the emergence and rapid growth of cities. When handicrafts and manufactory became the basis of the well-being of the townspeople, folk holidays and rituals closely related to the agricultural calendar receded even further into the shadows.

The second turning point in the history of the development of this component of culture was the transformation of Peter the Great, when European traditions were actively introduced to the masses.

The collapse of the autocracy left another imprint on the Russian holiday calendar. In this difficult period of changing eras, paganism moved to the most remote parts of Russia. Now only in the hinterland in the northeast (in separate ethnic groups) have preserved folk holidays. History has modified them, and today they differ from the rites of the ancient Slavs.

The importance of folk holidays

Nature itself has laid in each of us an organic need for alternating working days with rest days. Bright and optimistic folk holidays are an excellent base not only for moral and physical relaxation, but also a source of self-expression, an opportunity for spiritual unity, the birth of solidarity.

The accumulated energy needs to be released, it can be thrown out in different ways. Worst options: have a reckless disco dance, an ugly party with soft drugs and alcohol. But how much better to hold a folk festival with beautifully dressed people, round dances and songs, with traditional games or secret fortune-telling.

As an element of the revival of spirituality

Russian folk holidays are not only beautiful and cheerful, they are filled with meaning and spirituality, the thematic content of each carries an ideological load, which is especially important for young people. This form of leisure puts a person in conditions of active spiritual activity, its function is not only cultural and creative, but also developing or information and educational work.

The atmosphere of community, a single root and familiarization with the sacred values ​​of the people contribute to the formation of national pride and patriotism.

Look back to the past and return to the present

Today, Russian folk holidays in their natural form are exotic. Only in rural hinterlands, which have not yet been absorbed by mass urbanization, can one find living folklore. In order to preserve the Slavic identity, respect for cultural traditions, respect for mother nature and promote a healthy lifestyle, active work is underway to revive the forgotten cult festivities of our ancestors.

Mass events are organized according to chronicle legends. People are happy to take part in a colorful action, which has an exclusively historically authentic basis. Creativity and modern interpretation lose in this case, folk holidays in a technological arrangement lose their exceptional originality, mythological mystery and sacredness, which is their main highlight.

What did the festivities have in common?

The holidays of the Slavs, regardless of the theme and season, were endowed with common features:

• A veto was imposed on any hard work - it was forbidden to plow, sow, mow, chop wood, build, make, needlework.
• The huts were clean, quarrels were not allowed, all enmity ceased.
• It was impossible to complain or bring bad news, it was allowed to talk only about joyful and pleasant things. For violation of this rule, rods were relied upon.
• You had to dress smartly.
• A rich meal was prepared. Our ancestors believed that fun and satiety give rise to a special energy. And she will enter the earth, sky and water, which will return her with good rain and a rich harvest.

And what folk holidays did without festivities, songs and round dances, without mummers and magic?

Today, the ancient traditions of paganism are not at all outdated. They, having passed through temporary layers, organically joined the rules of Christian festivities. The Orthodox Church on special days forbids parishioners to work, swear and grieve. These days it is customary to dress smartly, praise God with songs, lay rich tables and share with others. Pagan magical acts were transformed into Christian rites.

The folk holidays of Russia and church traditions are so closely intertwined that even according to the calendar, many holidays coincide - the Nativity of the Virgin, Intercession, Epiphany, the Annunciation and others.

folk calendar

The Old Slavic tribes celebrated such festivities (according to the new style):

• January 6-7 - Kolyada.
• January 7-19 - Christmas time.
• February 15 - Candlemas.
• End of February - beginning of March - Maslenitsa. The start date of the holiday "floats", it is associated with the lunar calendar, it begins 8 weeks before the first spring full moon.
• March 22 - Magpies.
• April 7 - Annunciation.
• The first Sunday after Easter - Red Hill.
• May 22 - Yarilo.
• On the night of June 23-24 - Ivan Kupala.
• July 8 - the day of Peter and Fevronia.
• July 29 - Athenogen.
• August 2 - Ilyin's day.
• August 28 - Spozhinki.
• August 31 - Flora and Lavra.
• September 14 - Semyon Letoprovodets.
• September 27 - Exaltation.
• October 26 - Big Osenins.
• December 9 - St. George's Day.

The list does not include church ceremonial days. This is the national holiday of the Trinity, as well as the Savior, Christmas, Easter, the Ascension of the Lord and others that are not originally pagan.

Winter holidays

On St. George's Day, complete calm from autumn labors was celebrated. The people said that on this day even the bear in the den falls asleep.

Kolyada has a primordially pagan origin and is associated with the winter solstice. On this day, winter turned to summer. The participants of the ceremony caroled - sang songs, wished everyone a rich harvest and offspring next year, health and strength. Kolyadnikov was expected and treated in every house.

Christmas time is a continuation of Christmas carols. Costumes, sowing, songs, fun, feast, fortune-telling, magic - the festive week is oversaturated with all this.

The meeting of winter and spring was celebrated on Sretenie.

Maslenitsa is one of the brightest winter Slavic holidays. It lasted a whole week, in which they said goodbye to winter loudly and cheerfully. For 7 days, the housewives baked pancakes and treated them to everyone around. The mummers walked the streets, played musical instruments and sang, people rode sleds and sledges, winter fun was arranged. The climax was the burning of a straw effigy of Maslenitsa on a fire and the scattering of ashes over the fields.

From January 6 until Shrovetide itself, Wedding Weeks continued in the old days. This period was considered the best for matchmaking and weddings.

spring holidays

In Magpie day equals night. Birds arrive: a finch - to a cold, a lark - to warmth, a seagull - the ice will quickly come down, I saw a starling - spring is at the porch. The ancient Slavs baked figurines of birds from dough, sang stoneflies, called out the "red" spring.

Annunciation - spring finally overcame winter.

In Krasnaya Gorka they rejoiced at the arrival of spring, the complete awakening of nature.

Yarilo is the sun god. It was believed that it gives courage and strength, gives life and happiness.

summer holidays

Ivan Kupala is an amazing holiday. Celebrated at night. Walkers burned sacred bonfires, jumped over the fire, danced round dances, wove colorful wreaths and let them float on the water "to swim to the betrothed and indicate the share." The symbol of the holiday is Ivan da Marya flower. From the depths of centuries, a legend has come down to us that on the night of Ivan Kupala, a fern blooms, indicating the place of hidden treasures.

Many summer folk holidays are closely related to the agricultural calendar. For example, on the day of Peter and Fevronia, bathing games were held, feasts and fun folk festivals were held along the banks of reservoirs. It was believed that on this day it was necessary to carry out the first mowing, then there would be plenty of hay. If it rained, then they expected a rich harvest of honey. Athenogen marked the beginning of the harvest. The first sheaf was kept in the hut as a talisman.

On Ilyin's day, winter begins to struggle with summer, after lunch the rivers freeze - you can no longer swim.

In Spozhinki, they collectively celebrated the end of the harvest.

According to legend, Flor and Laurus are the patrons of all domestic animals, especially horses. On this day, magical rites were performed for a good offspring and from the loss of livestock. They bathed the horses, combed their manes, treated them with selected hay and oats, and freed them from any work.

autumn holidays

Semyon Pioneer saw off the summer and welcomed the autumn. On this day, it was customary to celebrate housewarming, it was believed that life would be happy. Folk signs: the last thunderstorm will thunder on Seeds, the harvest is not harvested - consider it lost, geese fly away - wait for early winter.

On the Exaltation, the pagans escorted the last birds. Nature calmed down, mother earth rested.

Sergius of Radonezh - a holiday on which they chopped and pickled cabbage, had fun and began to wait for the first snow.

Intercession - in pagan times, this holiday marked the final arrival of cold weather. The Slavs burned their old bast shoes, straw beds and asked nature for help to survive the winter. If the snow had already covered the fields, then they were waiting for a rich harvest.

Big Osenins - celebration of the collection of gifts from the earth.

In everyone's heart...

The ethnic and historical memory of the people preserves ancient pagan beliefs and rituals. It is the memory of ancestors on a subconscious level that makes us believe in signs:

• Spas came - prepare mittens in reserve.
• What is the weather on Pokrov - this will be the winter.
• The Kazan sky is crying - for the coming winter.
• If it’s cold and clear on Epiphany, the summer will be dry, if it’s cloudy, wait for the harvest.
• It is cold and dreary on Sidor - the summer will be rainy.
• In a motley week, whoever marries - to that every trouble is glued.
• To marry in the Wedding week is to intermarry with goodness.

All Russian folk holidays are very distinctive. The Slavic soul is close to cheerful round dances, jumping over a fire, snow fun, gatherings with songs - perky and sad, sincere. Gogol also wrote: "What Russian does not like to drive fast?" And today, the daring sleigh ride pulled by the Russian troika is very popular in the festivities!

The Russian people are representatives of the East Slavic ethnic group, the indigenous inhabitants of Russia (110 million people - 80% of the population of the Russian Federation), the largest ethnic group in Europe. The Russian diaspora has about 30 million people and it is concentrated in such states as Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, in the countries of the former USSR, in the USA and EU countries. As a result of sociological research, it was found that 75% of the Russian population of Russia are followers of Orthodoxy, and a significant part of the population does not identify themselves with any particular religion. The national language of the Russian people is Russian.

Each country and its people have their own significance in the modern world, the concepts of folk culture and the history of the nation, their formation and development are very important. Each nation and its culture is unique in its own way, the color and originality of each nation should not be lost or dissolved in assimilation with other nations, the younger generation should always remember who they really are. For Russia, which is a multinational power and home to 190 peoples, the issue of national culture is quite acute, due to the fact that in recent years its erasure is especially noticeable against the background of the cultures of other nationalities.

Culture and life of the Russian people

(Russian folk costume)

The first associations that arise with the concept of "Russian people" are, of course, the breadth of the soul and fortitude. But the national culture is formed by people, it is these character traits that have a huge impact on its formation and development.

One of the distinguishing features of the Russian people has always been and is simplicity, in the old days, Slavic houses and property were very often plundered and completely destroyed, hence the simplified attitude to everyday life. And of course, these trials, which befell the long-suffering Russian people, only tempered his character, made him stronger and taught him to get out of any life situations with his head held high.

Kindness can be called another of the traits that prevail in the character of the Russian ethnos. The whole world is well aware of the concept of Russian hospitality, when "they will feed and drink, and put to bed." The unique combination of such qualities as cordiality, mercy, compassion, generosity, tolerance and, again, simplicity, very rarely found in other peoples of the world, all this is fully manifested in the very breadth of the Russian soul.

Diligence is another of the main features of the Russian character, although many historians in the study of the Russian people note both her love for work and huge potential, and her laziness, as well as complete lack of initiative (remember Oblomov in Goncharov's novel). But all the same, the efficiency and endurance of the Russian people is an indisputable fact, against which it is difficult to argue. And no matter how scientists all over the world would like to understand the “mysterious Russian soul”, it is unlikely that any of them can do it, because it is so unique and multifaceted that its “zest” will forever remain a secret for everyone.

Traditions and customs of the Russian people

(Russian meal)

Folk traditions and customs are a unique connection, a kind of "bridge of times", linking the far past with the present. Some of them are rooted in the pagan past of the Russian people, even before the baptism of Rus', little by little their sacred meaning was lost and forgotten, but the main points have been preserved and are still being observed. In villages and towns, Russian traditions and customs are honored and remembered to a greater extent than in cities, which is associated with a more isolated lifestyle of urban residents.

A large number of rituals and traditions are associated with family life (this includes matchmaking, wedding celebrations, and the baptism of children). Carrying out ancient ceremonies and rituals guaranteed a successful and happy life in the future, the health of descendants and the general well-being of the family.

(Colorized photograph of a Russian family in the early 20th century)

Since ancient times, Slavic families have been distinguished by a large number of family members (up to 20 people), adult children, having already married, remained to live in their own home, the father or elder brother was the head of the family, they all had to obey and implicitly fulfill all their orders. Usually, wedding celebrations were held either in the fall, after the harvest, or in the winter after the Feast of the Epiphany (January 19). Then the first week after Easter, the so-called "Red Hill", was considered a very good time for a wedding. The wedding itself was preceded by a matchmaking ceremony, when the groom’s parents came to the bride’s family together with his godparents, if the parents agreed to give their daughter in marriage, then the bride was held (acquaintance of the future newlyweds), then there was a rite of conspiracy and handshake (the parents decided on issues of dowry and the date of the wedding festivities ).

The rite of baptism in Rus' was also interesting and unique, the child had to be baptized immediately after birth, for this godparents were chosen, who would be responsible for the life and well-being of the godson all his life. At the age of one, the baby was put on the inside of a sheepskin coat and sheared, cutting a cross on the crown, with such a meaning that impure forces would not be able to penetrate his head and would not have power over him. Every Christmas Eve (January 6), a slightly grown godson should bring kutya (wheat porridge with honey and poppy seeds) to his godparents, and they, in turn, should give him sweets.

Traditional holidays of the Russian people

Russia is a truly unique state, where, along with the highly developed culture of the modern world, they carefully honor the ancient traditions of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, which go back centuries and keep the memory of not only Orthodox vows and canons, but also the most ancient pagan rites and sacraments. And to this day, pagan holidays are celebrated, people listen to the signs and centuries-old traditions, remember and tell their children and grandchildren ancient traditions and legends.

Main national holidays:

• Christmas Jan. 7
• Christmas time January 6 - 9
• Baptism January 19
• Maslenitsa from 20 to 26 February

• Forgiveness Sunday ( before Great Lent)
• Palm Sunday ( the Sunday before Easter)
• Easter ( the first Sunday after the full moon, which occurs no earlier than the day of the conditional vernal equinox on March 21)
• Red hill ( first Sunday after Easter)

• Trinity ( Sunday of Pentecost - 50th day after Easter)
• Ivan Kupala July 7
• Day of Peter and Fevronia July 8
• Ilyin's day August 2

• Honey Spas August 14
• Apple Spas August 19
• Third (Bread) Spas August 29
• Veil day October 14

There is a belief that on the night of Ivan Kupala (from July 6 to 7), once a year, a fern flower blooms in the forest, and whoever finds it will gain untold wealth. In the evening, large bonfires are kindled near rivers and lakes, people dressed in festive old Russian robes lead round dances, sing ritual chants, jump over the fire, and let wreaths go with the flow, hoping to find their soul mate.

Shrovetide is a traditional holiday of the Russian people, celebrated during the week before Lent. A very long time ago, Shrovetide was rather not a holiday, but a rite, when the memory of departed ancestors was honored, appeasing them with pancakes, asking them for a fertile year, and spending the winter by burning a straw effigy. Time passed, and the Russian people, longing for fun and positive emotions in the cold and dull season, turned the sad holiday into a more cheerful and daring celebration, which began to symbolize the joy of the imminent end of winter and the arrival of the long-awaited warmth. The meaning has changed, but the tradition of baking pancakes has remained, exciting winter entertainments have appeared: sledging and horse-drawn sledge rides, the straw effigy of Winter was burned, all the Shrovetide week a relative went to pancakes either to mother-in-law or to sister-in-law, everywhere there was an atmosphere of celebration and fun , various theatrical and puppet performances were held on the streets with the participation of Petrushka and other folklore characters. One of the most colorful and dangerous entertainments on Maslenitsa was holding fisticuffs, they were attended by the male population, for whom it was an honor to take part in a kind of “military business”, testing their courage, courage and dexterity.

Christmas and Easter are considered especially revered Christian holidays among the Russian people.

Christmas is not only a bright holiday of Orthodoxy, it also symbolizes the rebirth and return to life, the traditions and customs of this holiday, filled with kindness and humanity, high moral ideals and the triumph of the spirit over worldly concerns, in the modern world are re-opened to society and rethought by it. The day before Christmas (January 6) is called Christmas Eve, because the main dish of the festive table, which should consist of 12 dishes, is a special porridge "sochivo", consisting of boiled cereals poured with honey, sprinkled with poppy seeds and nuts. You can sit down at the table only after the first star appears in the sky, Christmas (January 7) is a family holiday, when everyone gathered at the same table, ate a festive treat and gave each other gifts. 12 days after the holiday (until January 19) are called Christmas time, earlier at this time the girls in Rus' held various gatherings with fortune-telling and rituals to attract suitors.

Bright Easter has long been considered a great holiday in Rus', which people associated with the day of general equality, forgiveness and mercy. On the eve of Easter celebrations, Russian women usually bake Easter cakes (festive rich Easter bread) and Easter, clean and decorate their homes, young people and children paint eggs, which, according to ancient legend, symbolize the drops of blood of Jesus Christ crucified on the cross. On the day of Holy Easter, smartly dressed people, meeting, say “Christ is Risen!”, Answer “Truly Risen!”, Then follows a triple kiss and the exchange of festive Easter eggs.

Pagan rituals have become an organic component of many Christian holidays (Christmas, Easter, Intercession). Even in the middle of the XX century. Belarusian peasants sincerely revered St. Nicholas, but at the same time performed various ritual actions in order to protect themselves from the intrigues of witches on Ivan the Dome. Different-stage ideas not only do not conflict, but also perfectly coexist, complementing each other. The form of their coexistence is the system of folk rites and customs, called folk Orthodoxy. Let us distinguish between custom and ritual. Customs - long time ago

rooted in everyday life and which has become traditional, the procedure for performing any public actions. traditional rules of conduct in certain situations.

A rite is a more local phenomenon than a custom. This is the traditional order of performing any action, for example, New Year's Eve, a wedding or a funeral. Ritualism rallied people, made up a single and indestructible way of life. It reflected the centuries-old experience of the people, a peculiar face and aesthetics. The rites were passed down from generation to generation, from generation to generation, and, ultimately, they form the basis of Russian folk culture. The image of the fishing calendar, in which the ancient calendar knowledge and ideas of the Komi people found a material embodiment, makes it possible to link together these disparate information and at least partially reconstruct their essence in their original form.

Many holidays have been preserved from pagan, pre-Christian times, which correlated with natural phenomena, the change of seasons - seeing off winter and welcoming spring. Pagan origins have been preserved by many folk holidays - Ivan Kupala, Maslenitsa, Semik.

Church holidays - Christmas, Easter, Epiphany - were celebrated on a special scale. Transfiguration, Dormition, Trinity. On such days, the bells of hundreds of Moscow churches hummed incessantly. Accompanied by the choirs, the religious processions moved. Smartly dressed townspeople went to church services. Holidays and ceremonies have acquired enormous, colossal significance. People asked nature for mercy for the future harvest, they identified natural phenomena with living beings.

Christianity brought its own calendar to pagan Rus', in which the circle of holidays was also repeated from year to year. Each day was dedicated to the memory of a particular saint or event from biblical history.

Combining, the folk and Christian calendar complemented each other in a peculiar way. The beginning of various agricultural works was associated with the Christian names of certain days. The feast of the prophet Jeremiah, to which the beginning of spring sowing was timed, received the popular name Ermiy -

bring up the network. Some saints began to be perceived as heavenly patrons of certain types of work.

and various folk winter festive rites played out the dying of nature in winter and renewal, its resurrection in spring. With the onset of the shortest days and the longest nights of the year, according to our distant ancestors, it is believed that winter has defeated the sun, that it has grown old and is about to fade.

From time immemorial, merry winter holidays have been celebrated at this time. They marked the end of the past agricultural year and the beginning of preparations for the next. At this time, various magical ceremonies were performed, which, according to the beliefs of the ancients, could influence the mighty forces of nature and bring a new bountiful harvest.

The essence of the rites and songs of the winter calendar was to ensure a future good harvest, livestock offspring and a happy life in the family. The first half of the winter rites refers to the time from Christmas to Epiphany inclusive, the second - from Epiphany to Maslenitsa and is distinguished by preparation for spring agricultural work. The ceremonies of the first half of winter were performed mostly in the hut, and the second - on the street. This time in the life of the people was full of caroling, caroling, games and riding on horses and sleighs, predictions and signs, fortune-telling, songs and dances.

* Winter holidays. Not a single folk holiday contains as many customs, rituals, signs as in Christmas time. The Yuletide period is an ancient mixture of completely heterogeneous elements: here you can find both superstitious pagan customs and some Christian memories of the Nativity of the Savior. The former include divination, dressing up, ancient ritual games, which are distinguished by scenic depiction; to the second - compression, or walking of children and youth from home with a den and a star. According to their name and purpose, Christmas time should hallow with piety a great and joyful event for the Christian world - the Nativity of Christ.

* Christmas. Christmas Eve was the day of "lenten" service. All that day they did not eat anything until the first star in the sky. Ritual food these days was kutya (sochivo)

* thin porridge made from rice or barley with honey and raisins: before Christmas - lean, at Christmas - generous. On Christmas Eve in the evening, before sitting down at the table, on which the main dish was honey kutya, the whole family went out to

yard "to look at the stars". On Christmas Eve, on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day, after

morning service, youth and children began to carol Carols

short songs in which the owners of the house are glorified by Christ, congratulated on the New Year, wished happiness, wealth and goodness. who collected gifts, a short carol consists of several parts.

Maslenitsa But now the winter has come to an end. On the threshold of spring, another merry holiday was celebrated - Maslenitsa. It has been known since pagan times as a holiday of seeing off winter and welcoming spring.

The Church combined Maslenitsa with the eve of Great Lent, so the dates for its celebration are flexible: from the end of January - the beginning of February to the end of February - the beginning of March, according to the old style. At this time, the snow still covers the ground with a thick layer, but more and more often fine sunny days are given out. Combining the folk "and the Christian calendar" -

each other. With the Christian names of certain days, the beginning was associated

various agricultural activities. The holiday of the prophet Jeremiah, to which the beginning of spring sowing was timed, received the popular name Ermiy - raise the net. Some saints began to be perceived as heavenly patrons of certain types of work.

spring calendar

The cheerful, riotous Maslenitsa died down, spent the winter, opened the way for spring

Most of the festive spring rituals are of pagan origin; they were arranged by the ancient Slavs at the turn of the seasons in honor of Morana, the goddess of death. The meaning of all rituals is the dying of nature in winter and resurrection, its renewal in spring *

In Rus', there was no single day of celebrating the meeting of the red spring. In each locality, this date was determined according to folk signs and was celebrated around the time when the paths turned black and the snow was disturbed.

Trinity. Among the spring holidays, Semik was especially revered by the people. Trinity. The Trinity was celebrated on Sunday, on the 50th day after Easter, and Semik was celebrated the day before, on Thursday. Since it was the seventh post-Easter week, the holiday was called

semik. Semik and the Trinity were popularly associated with the cult of wildlife. Houses, yards, temples were decorated with fresh flowers and tree branches during these dins. Trinity week in Rus' was called that - green Wildflowers, collected on the Trinity, were illuminated in the temple, dried and stored behind icons in the red corner of the hut, put in granaries from mice, in attics, protecting houses from fires. The holiday itself took place in a forest or company, among trees and flowers.

The focus of attention these days was the birch - a tree especially loved in Rus'. How many songs, stories, riddles are composed about her! Having put on their best outfits, the girls went to a birch grove. They found a beautiful young birch, curled its branches, decorated them with ribbons, flowers. Trinity is one of the great church holidays. The day of the Holy Trinity falls on the fiftieth day from Easter, so it also has the name Pentecost.

Summer calendar. The best time of the year is coming - nature has set in motion all its life-giving forces. The days have become long and warm, the plants are in full sap, the blessed rains are falling. The cuckoo cuckooed, the mountain ash blossomed, the birch buds bloomed.

In many regions of Russia there was a custom to see off the spring and meet the summer. All night the peasants outside the outskirts burned bonfires, led round dances, met the first sunrise, sang solar hymns, chants. Many rituals of this period, similar to each other, have a common goal - to ensure the growth of developing plants, the ripening of fruits and the successful harvest. In the summer, the rite "seeing off the mermaids" was also performed.

* Ivan Kupala. July is the time of full summer. The zenith of heat, the sun rejoices in July. This month, the Slavic people celebrated the feast of Ivan Kupala, who in ancient times was considered the god of earthly fruits.

On Ivan Kupala (July 7), they poured water over them and arranged night baths. It was believed that they give healing power. After bathing, a common table was laid, and everyone took to the ritual meal of Kupala - a pagan holiday of human worship of the natural elements. Two of them - fire and water - participated in the festive ceremony. It was believed that fire cleanses a person, and water washes, so bonfires were always set on Kupala. Usually from this day began mass bathing in rivers and lakes.

* Three rescues. In August, workdays began associated with the harvesting of the crops "The First Spas - the first sowing!" This day should be considered an agricultural holiday. It is also called the Honey Savior, since on this day the first honey was broken in bee houses. And in other places, this holiday was also called Maccabees, since the time was right to collect poppies.

Second Spas - apple. By this time, apples ripen, and it was considered a sin to eat any fruits before the second Savior or Savior-Transfiguration. In the old days, on the second Spas, a round dance of young people gathered and headed to the field. Here, on a hillock, the boys and girls admired the sunset, had conversations and sang songs that accompanied the sun to sunset and winter peace.

The Third Spas was celebrated on the day of the Assumption of the Virgin and was called Spozhinki. Before the Assumption, it was supposed to have time to compress the last sheaf in the field. That's why it was called "Spozhinki-Dozhinki". By the third Savior, “everything is ripening,” after it the Osenins begin.

autumn calenlap

The countdown of autumn days began in August, as the main concern came

farmer - harvesting bread. In order for the harvest to be quick, and work to be without fatigue, the beginning was entrusted to the most respected woman in the village, a good worker. On the eve of the harvest, late in the evening, stealthily, so that no one would see or cross the road, she made her way to her strip, tied three sheaves and laid them in a cross. And in the morning all the reapers gathered in the field. Having finished reaping their plot, they went to help the lonely, the weak, those with many children. When the work is done together, then the joy is shared. at

Our ancestors met autumn three times. On the first day of September, the first holiday of the oseki meeting is the first autumn. On the eighth day, the second autumn, and the third - on the Exaltation, when the bread moved from the fields, and the bird went (moved) away.

* Day of the Protection. The Veil was approaching - the time for weddings, matchmaking, and everyone hoped to like one of the guys who watched the "funeral" of the flies. There were many holidays in October, but the most significant was the Feast of the Intercession (October 14). The history of this holiday goes back centuries. In 910, a vision happened in Constantinople: during the vigil, the Mother of God appeared, with a veil in her hands, and announced that the ego was a saving cover. She spread a white veil (omophorion) over the people and offered up a prayer for the salvation of the world from adversity and suffering. With this veil, the Mother of God protects believers and brings love and joy to them, strengthens their spirit and strength. In memory of the bummer unusual event, a holiday was established. The day of the Feast of the Intercession is in the popular imagination a boundary between autumn and winter.

31. Pushkin's fairy tales: "The Tale of Tsar Saltan". It starts: three girls under the window ... Spinning time in Rus' is winter, all work in the field has ended and, accordingly, the girls talk about it, and the king overheard this (a sign that what was overheard comes true). After 9 months, a hero is born. A barrel is a theme of wanderings, traditional for Russian fairy tales. The ocean is a world element, the theme of travel is coming. The king is swimming and an unusual structure: there is an island in the ocean (described

huts, barely sticking out of the ground. The description of the princess is a mixture of cultures (the West and Russia). On the island, a squirrel gnaws nuts (squirrel fur was a measure of retribution).

"The Tale of the Goldfish" - the division of male and female labor. 33 years - a holy number, 33 letters in the alphabet, procession 3 times - the union of a man and a woman).

Fairy tale "Smarter than everyone" Mamin Sibiryak. Ural stories. Proverb - Smart as a turkey.

40 The fair appeared in the 18th century. The most famous is Makaryevskaya in the Nizhny Novgorod province on the territory of the Makaryevsky monastery. They were built in a circle, an entertainment program, buffoons.

19. Vladimir-Suzdal icon-painting school. Saved the Golden Hair. 13th century, distinguished by intense images. Blue, brown-red color prevails. "Boris and Gleb", "Archangel Michael".

Poskovskaya school took shape around the 14th century. Gloomy harsh images, although somewhat flat. Ornamentation is present. Image of Barbara.

The Moscow school of the 15th century is the pinnacle of Russian art. Rubdev, Theophan the Greek. There are new shades of "Rublevsky cabbage roll" not blue, but blue.

Yaroslavl school - all the traditions of icon painting in Rus' have been preserved in everyday details - “Christmas”.

Vologda school 15th century .- fusion of the Novgorod, Rostov, Tver schools. Saints Zosima and Sabati of Solovetsky. Faded, cold colors prevailed, a golden background and architectural details were drawn.

In the 16th century Palevskaya school originates from icon painting. Characterized by a variety of elements of the composition. There are shadow and light surfacing.

Rostov school 14th c. Pale shades compared to Novgor. Saved Immanuel with the archangels.

Stroganovskaya sh. 17th century - an icon-painting miniature, not a deep content of the composition. Small writing, ornamentality, multi-color coloring.

School of the Armoury, 17th century Transfer of volume, depth of space, interest in architectural and landscape backgrounds. Icons have a greenish-blue background.

Iconography of the northern letter -15-16th century. Expressiveness of lines, snow colors: blue, yellow, blue. "John the Baptist in the Wilderness".

32. Lubok- small board, a type of fine art, folk (folklore0 picture on a tree, combining folk and religious principles, which is characterized by the capacity of the image. Appeared not in Russia, but in India and China. In Europe in the 15th century. In Russia in the early 16th in Germany they were called "funny sheets". Printed on boards of special sawing from linden, maple and pear. Drawing a picture on a board and coloring was called signing. Copying boards - translation. In special artels, women painted crimson, yellow, green, red and blue paints with bristle brushes Lubok is divided into several types: 1. Spiritual-religious (in the Byzantine style, an image of an iconic type, the Lives of the Saints. 2. Fairy tales (magical, heroic, worldly tales, animals that did not really exist. 3 .Joker (amusing popular prints, caricatures, fables) "a bear and a goat are having fun". 4. Historical (events, battles, cities).. 5 Cavalry.: Legal ("Shemyakin Court"). 6 Holidays (image of the Saints). 7 Philosophical.