Folklore lesson “Traditions of Russians. Russian folk holidays in Rus'

There are many of them. And this is connected with the amazing history of our state, which is many, many centuries old. Some scientists count thirteen of them and date back to the reign of the Varangian Rurik. Officially, the 1153rd anniversary of Russia was celebrated in 2015. And the first mention of Rus' was discovered in chronicles dating back to 862. By the way, “Russia” is not an original Russian name: the Greeks named our ancient state with it. And somehow it naturally stuck with us. What is Ancient Rus'? In addition to the main thing - powers, these are customs, traditions, beliefs and the like, which have developed over centuries and have taken root with us, even if against the backdrop of modernity they look archaic, divorced from reality, stuffed to the gills with technologies on a cosmic scale that our ancestors never dreamed of. .

Official holidays, state holidays

Of course, in Mother Russia they come first. And there are more than three hundred of them. To paraphrase the great Gogol, we can say: “Which Russian doesn’t like good holidays?!” Among the popular and beloved state ones are International Day, May Day, and so on and so on in order. A few years ago they added . And although it does not have official or state status, the holiday is declared a day off.

And how many professional holidays we have! Let's start with peaceful professions - Dentist Day, Russian Science Day, Transport Police Day, Cosmonautics Day, Geodesy and Cartography Workers Day. Let's continue - related to military historical and memorable events - Navy Day, Engineering Troops Day, Tankman Day, Missile Forces and Artillery Day, Day of the defeat of Nazi troops by Soviet troops in the Battle of Stalingrad (1943) Military Glory Day - a list is available continue. And there are, although purely professional, widely celebrated by the population - Day of Agricultural Workers, Day of Trade Workers, Day of Workers of Consumer Services and Housing and Communal Services - and the list goes on. There are 365 days in a year on the planet, in a leap year there are a day more, 366. And almost every day we celebrate something, celebrate something. This is how it happened in Russia!

National holidays stand apart

And so they, as races, are closely connected with faith (religion), customs and traditions. Let's take Easter for example. During the Soviet era, especially for communists and Komsomol members, celebrating it was not only not recommended, but strictly forbidden! "Religion is the opium of the people!" This expression, which later became popular, was first uttered by the English socialist Charles Kingsley (1819 - 1875). Then it was actively used by Lenin in the fight against religion. The result was that churches and temples were destroyed, and clergy were persecuted for their faith in God. It got to the point that the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was blown up in Moscow. But hard times passed and it was restored, including with money raised by the people. And Easter has now become one of the most beloved national holidays and is celebrated widely, as in the old days - they paint eggs, bake Easter cakes, greet each other: “Christ is Risen” and answer: “Truly He is Risen!” Easter treats are illuminated in the church and generously distributed to relatives, friends, orphans, and the poor. This is the custom.

The custom of celebrating the Old New Year has also taken root in Russia. All over the world people are very surprised by this. And for Russians, this is another reason to meet at the festive table, once again celebrate the onset of the New Year, enjoy watching Eldar Ryazanov’s favorite sparkling comedy “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!”, and for some, “Blue Light” - and you never know how entertaining programs shown on Russian television during the Old New Year! The origin of this popular holiday is explained by the thirteen-day discrepancy between the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The latter is used throughout the world. This is where the “old style” came from. According to him, on January 13, we and many other countries celebrate the Old New Year. As, indeed, a little later - the New Year according to the eastern calendar, which falls on the night of January 27-28.

Among the popular holidays are Trinity, Holy Week, Apple Day, Maslenitsa, Palm Week, Intercession Day, Clean Monday, Elijah's Day, Christmastide, Epiphany Christmas Eve, Peter and Fevronia Day, Epiphany and others. Let's look at some of them in more detail.

Pagan rituals have become an organic component of many Christian holidays (Christmas, Easter, Intercession). Back in the middle of the 20th century. Belarusian peasants sincerely revered Saint Nicholas, but at the same time performed various ritual actions in order to protect themselves from the machinations of witches against Ivan Kupola. Different-stage ideas not only do not conflict, but also coexist perfectly, complementing each other. The form of their coexistence is the system of folk rituals and customs, called folk Orthodoxy. Let's make a distinction between custom and ritual. Customs have long been

the order of performing any social actions that has taken root in everyday life and has become traditional. Traditional rules of behavior in certain situations.

Ritual is a more local phenomenon than custom. This is the traditional order of performing any actions, for example, New Year's Eve, wedding or funeral. Ritualism united people and formed a single and inviolable way of life. It reflected the centuries-old experience of the people, its unique appearance and aesthetics. Rituals were passed down 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 material embodiment, allows us to connect together this disparate information and at least partially reconstruct its essence in its original form.

Many holidays have been preserved from pagan, pre-Christian times, which correlated with natural phenomena, the change of seasons - saying goodbye to winter and welcoming spring. Many folk holidays have preserved their pagan origins - Ivan Kupala, Maslenitsa, Semik.

Church holidays - Christmas, Easter, Epiphany - were celebrated on a special scale. Transfiguration, Assumption, Trinity. On such days, the bells of hundreds of Moscow churches hummed incessantly. Accompanied by choirs, religious processions moved. Smartly dressed townspeople went to church services. Holidays and rituals 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 specific saint or an event from biblical history.

Having combined, the folk and Christian calendars complemented each other in a unique way. The beginning of various agricultural works was associated with the Christian names of certain days. The holiday of the prophet Jeremiah, which coincided with the beginning of the spring sowing, received the popular name Ermiy -

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

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

Since ancient times, cheerful winter holidays have been celebrated at this time. They celebrated 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 powerful forces of nature and bring a new bountiful harvest.

The essence of the rituals and songs of the winter calendar was to ensure a future good harvest, offspring of livestock and a happy life in the family. The first half of winter rituals 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 rituals 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, dressing up, games and horse and sleigh rides, predictions and omens, fortune telling, songs and dances.

* Winter Christmastide. Not a single national holiday contains so many customs, rituals, and signs as Christmastide. 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 first include fortune telling, mummering, ancient ritual games, distinguished by scenic depiction; to the second - compression, or the walking of children and youth from house to house with a nativity scene and a star. According to its name and purpose, Christmastide should sanctify with piety a great and joyful event for the Christian world - the Nativity of Christ.

* Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve was a day of “lenten” service. We didn’t eat anything all that day until the first star in the sky. The ritual food these days was kutia (sochivo)

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

yard "watching the stars". On Christmas Eve, on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day, after

During the morning service, youth and children began to sing carols.

short songs in which they glorify Christ to the owners of the house, congratulate them on the New Year, wish them happiness, wealth and goodness. The coders carried with them a star on a pole, symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem, which announced to the world the birth of Jesus Christ. They also chose a fur-bearer. who collected gifts, the short carol consists of several parts.

Maslenitsa But winter has come to an end. On the threshold of spring, another joyful holiday was celebrated - Maslenitsa. It has been known since pagan times as a holiday of farewell to winter and welcome of spring.

The Church combined Maslenitsa with the eve of Lent, so the timing of its celebration is flexible: from the end of January - beginning of February to the end of February - beginning of March according to the old style. At this time, snow still covers the ground in a thick layer, but fine sunny days appear more and more often. The folk and Christian calendars have come together -

each other. The Christian names of certain days are associated with the beginning

various agricultural works. The holiday of the prophet Jeremiah, which coincided with the beginning of the spring sowing, received the popular name Hermiy - 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, and opened the way for spring

Most of the festive spring rituals are of pagan origin; they were organized 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 the resurrection and renewal of it in spring*

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

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

semik. Semik and Trinity were popularly associated with the cult of living nature. During these days, houses, courtyards, and temples were decorated with fresh flowers and tree branches. Trinity week in Rus' was called that way - green. Wildflowers collected on Trinity were illuminated in the church, dried and stored behind icons in the red corner of the hut, placed 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 these days was on the birch tree, a particularly beloved tree in Rus'. How many songs, stories, riddles have been written about her! Having put on their best outfits, the girls went to the birch grove. They found a beautiful young birch tree, curled its branches, decorated them with ribbons and flowers. Trinity is one of the great church holidays. The Day of the Holy Trinity falls on the fiftieth day from Easter, which is why it is also called Pentecost.

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

In many regions of Russia there was a custom to see off spring and welcome summer. All night long, the peasants outside the outskirts burned fires, danced in circles, greeted the first sunrise, sang solar hymns and chants. Many rituals of this period, similar to each other, pursue a common goal - to ensure the growth of developing plants, ripening of fruits and successful harvesting. In the summer, the ritual of “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 holiday of Ivan Kupala, who in ancient times was considered the god of earthly fruits

On Ivan Kupala (July 7), they doused themselves with water and took night baths. It was believed that they provided healing powers. After bathing, a common table was set, and everyone took part in the ritual meal of Kupala - a pagan holiday of human worship of the natural elements. Two of them - fire and water - took part in the festive ritual. It was believed that fire cleanses a person, and water washes him, so bonfires were always set on fire at Kupala. Usually, mass swimming in rivers and lakes began on this day.

* Three rescues. In August, workdays associated with harvesting began. “The first Savior - 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 the beehouses. And in other places this holiday was also called the Maccabees, since the time was approaching to collect poppies.

The second Spas is apple. By this time the apples were ripe, and it was considered a sin to eat any fruits before the second Savior or the Transfiguration of the Savior. In the old days, on the second Spas, a round dance of young people gathered and headed to the field. Here on the hill, boys and girls admired the sunset, had conversations and sang songs with which they saw off the sun into sunset and winter peace.

The Third Savior was celebrated on the day of the Dormition of the Mother of God and was called Spozhinki. Before the Dormition, one was supposed to have time to harvest the last sheaf in the field. That’s why it was called “Spozhinki-Dozhinki”. By the third Spas, the whole summer is in time, after which the Autumn season begins.

Autumn calenpaw

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

farmer - harvesting grain. So that the harvest would be quick, and work would be without Fatigue, the work was entrusted to the most respected woman in the village, a good worker. On the eve of the harvest, late in the evening, sneaking so that no one would see or cross the road, she made her way to her strip, tied three sheaves and laid them out in a cross. And the next 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 shared, then the joy is shared. at

Our ancestors celebrated autumn three times. On the first day of September, the first holiday of meeting Oseki is the first autumn. On the eighth day, the second autumn, and the third - on Vozdvizhenie, when the grain moved from the fields, and the birds began to fly away (moved).

* Day of the Intercession. Intercession was approaching - the time for weddings, matchmaking, and each one hoped to attract the attention of one of the guys watching 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 all-night vigil, the Mother of God appeared, with a veil in her hands, and announced that this was a saving veil. She spread a white veil (omophorion) over the people and offered a prayer to save the world from adversity and suffering. With this veil, the Mother of God protects believers and brings them love and joy, strengthens their spirit and strength. In memory of the bummer of an unusual event, a holiday was established. In the popular imagination, the day of the Intercession holiday is the boundary between autumn and winter.

31. Pushkin’s fairy tales: “the tale of Tsar Saltan.” It begins: three girls under the window... Spinning time in Rus' is winter, all the work in the field has ended and accordingly the girls are talking about it, and the king overheard this (a sign that what he overheard will come true). After 9 months, the hero is born. The barrel is a theme of travel, traditional for Russian fairy tales. The ocean is a global element, and the theme is travel. The king is sailing and there is 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 (West and Russia). On the island, a squirrel is gnawing on nuts (squirrel fur was a measure of retribution).

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

Fairy tale “Smarter than everyone else” by Mom’s 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 lined up in a circle, entertainment, buffoons.

19. Vladimir-Suzdal icon painting school. Saved by Golden Hair. 13th century, characterized by intense images. The predominant color is blue, brownish-red. “Boris and Gleb”, “Archangel Michael”.

The Poskov school developed around the 14th century. Gloomy, harsh images, although somewhat flat. There is ornamentation. Image of Varvara.

Moscow school - 15th century - the pinnacle of Russian art. Rubdev, Feofan the Greek. New shades of “Rublevsky cabbage roll” are appearing, not blue, but light blue.

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

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

In the 16th century The Palevsky school originates from icon painting. The variety of elements of the composition is characteristic. There are shadow and light floats.

Rostov school 14th century Pale shades compared to Novgor. "Savior Immanuel with the Archangels."

Stroganovskaya highway 17th century – iconographic miniature, not a deep content of the composition. Fine lettering, ornamentation, multicolor.

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

Iconography of northern writing - 15-16th century. Expressive lines, snowy colors: blue, yellow, dark blue. "John the Baptist in the Desert."

32. Lubok- small tablet, a type of fine art, folk (folklore0 picture on wood, 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 were called “amusing sheets”. They were printed on special sawn boards made of linden, maple and pear. Drawing on a board and coloring was called signification. Copying boards - translation. In a special artel, women painted crimson, yellow, green, red and blue paints with bristle brushes. Lubok is divided into several types: 1. Spiritual and religious (in the Byzantine style, an image of the icon type, Lives of the Saints." 2. Fabulous (fairy tales, heroic, everyday, animals that did not actually exist. 3 .Joker (amusing popular prints, caricatures, basques) “a bear and a goat are having fun.” 4. Historical (events, battles, cities)... 5 Cavalry: Legal (“Shemyakin Court”) 6 Holidays (depictions of Saints). 7 Philosophical.

Each country is rich in different traditions. For example, there are many folk holiday rituals that are worth learning, because some of them are still carried out today.

Russian folk holiday rituals

The history of the Slavs goes back more than one century. Over the course of 12 calendar months, they celebrated more than one holiday. For most of these festivities, it was customary to wear the best dresses available. It is also equally important that for almost all holidays the table was set with certain dishes. However, every folk holiday in Rus' had its own characteristics. Let's talk about the most popular dates of that time.

Easter was considered one of the most grandiose holidays. We prepared for this day in advance. Easter is always celebrated on Sunday, but the main preparation for it begins on Thursday. It is on this day that it is customary to completely clean the house, visit the bathhouse, and most importantly, put the dough on the Easter cake and bake it. Holiday rituals associated with Easter also involve coloring eggs. This tradition is still followed by many people.

Maslenitsa is celebrated no less interestingly. It lasts a whole week before Lent. On these days, pancakes are baked, which symbolize the sun and the onset of spring. And on the last day of the celebration, an effigy is burned. This folk holiday ritual in Rus' is due to the fact that the doll made symbolizes winter, which must be burned for the rapid onset of warm weather.

Summer holiday rituals in Rus'

Perhaps the most unusual tradition is the celebration of the summer solstice or. On this night, it is customary to light fires, gather around them and play various entertaining games. For example, jumping in pairs over a burning fire. It was believed that this cleanses a person of negativity.

By the way, in former times, it was often on this day that it was customary for young people to agree among themselves to ask for parental blessings for marriage. So we can say that this is also the date on which couples in love finally agreed to be together.

There is also such a festive ritual as seeing off the summer at Honey and Apple Spas. It is believed that summer is definitely ending on these days and should be spent with gratitude for the warm days and the opportunity to grow crops. At Yablochny Spas they harvested apples; this happens after Honey Spas. By the way, the first date associated with the end of summer is celebrated on Honey Spas.

The Russian people are distinguished by a rich culture, multiple customs and colorful folklore. , like a memory, distinguishes the Russian people from others, allows you to feel a genuine connection between times and generations, makes it possible to receive vital support and spiritual support.

Basically, they are connected with the calendar, and with church sacraments, holidays and difficult rituals. The calendar in Rus' was called a monthly calendar, which covered and described absolutely the entire year of life of the peasants. In it, each day corresponded to certain or everyday events, folk signs, all kinds of weather phenomena, customs, and superstitions.

The folk calendar was agricultural, which was significantly reflected in the names of the months, and was a kind of encyclopedia that included and continues to include agricultural experience, norms of social life, and rituals.

The folk calendar of the Russian people is a fusion of Christian and pagan principles with the help of folk Orthodoxy. Rituals, which from time immemorial have been dedicated to fairly large events, included a huge number of songs, round dances, games, sentences, dances, masks, dramatic scenes, folk costumes and peculiar props. Russian traditions are undeniably rich in imagination and works of art.

They are interesting at Maslenitsa. They are related to the theme of family and marriage relations, since at Maslenitsa those newlyweds who got married the previous year were honored. But the customs associated with are characterized by the Holy Scripture - the Bible, as well as the decoration of tables with blessed Easter cakes made from cottage cheese, painted eggs and Easter cakes.

Christmas is traditionally a symbol of return and rebirth; its customs are filled with genuine kindness, humanity, and high moral ideals. At Christmas they give suppers, gathered and gather dear relatives and guests, and young girls on the night before this holiday were fond of folk fortune-telling.

But the Russian people personified the day of the summer solstice with the holiday of Ivan Kupala. On warm evenings, songs were sung and young people jumped over the fire. This action mixed pagan and Christian tradition.

In everyday life they are associated with such events as the expectation and birth of a baby, christenings, weddings and funerals. A new addition to the family has always been good news and is associated with many signs that many expectant mothers observe to this day. After the birth of a child, it was not customary to show it to strangers for 40 days.

The rite of christening was personified by washing the child in holy water and naming it, that is, the child was given a name. Weddings were held with bride price, various competitions and the kidnapping of the young wife. But the funerals were carried out only according to church rites.
Despite the similarity of customs with other nations, Russian folk rituals are the most colorful, musical and eloquent.

Perhaps nothing characterizes a people so clearly as those that they love and celebrate. The holidays, like a mirror, reflect the character, culture and identity of each nation. After all, even the territory in which these people live leaves its mark, giving only this area a characteristic flavor.

And although any holiday is, first of all, joy and fun, you will never confuse a festive celebration in a fishing village on the shores of the Baltic Sea with a holiday in a high-mountain village or in the Kazakh steppe. So what are they? They are the same as our land, the same as the Russian character - broad, bright, free-spirited, with irrepressible joy and slight sadness.

The word "holiday" comes from the Old Slavonic word "idle", meaning rest, idleness. Therefore, most were associated with the working agricultural calendar, with the change of seasons. They began and completed all stages of peasant labor.

Another significant part of Russian holidays is associated with pre-Christian pagan beliefs. These holidays were also associated with natural phenomena. The latest Russian holidays came to us with the adoption of Christianity and are associated with the Orthodox calendar.

What was allowed and what was prohibited in? It was considered bad manners to quarrel and use foul language these days, to mention illnesses and other unpleasant things. It was considered a special sin to offend someone on a holiday. Even an enemy was supposed to do something good, or better yet, forget the offense and make peace. Well, everything else that the soul desired was allowed - to walk, have fun on a grand scale and daring.

None of them did without songs, dances, and a hearty feast. It was believed that the more abundant the table, the more varied it is laden with dishes, the more guests are at your table, the richer, more plentiful and happier your future life will be. On such days, they did not forget about domestic animals - on a holiday they had to be well-groomed and fed better than usual.

What else makes it different? Well, of course, the Russian troika and a breathtaking ride! Unbridled fun, well-fed, elegant horses with manes decorated with ribbons! Everything about the holidays had to be the best! Well, when it was getting close to night, the time for girls’ fortune telling came, and the magic of the holiday turned from wild and free to quiet and mysterious.

Holiday fortune-telling and omens there was a great multitude. And although fortune telling was considered a girlish pastime, the older generation did not hesitate to go out into the garden at night, knock on the tree trunks, saying “magic words” so that the trees would give birth generously, or look into the barn to find out from special signs whether they would bear fruit well. pets, will they be healthy?

Everyone asked about their own things - the girls about love and marriage, the elders about wealth and health. It was believed that on holidays, fate is especially favorable to a person, and saints, angels, and the souls of ancestors come so close that you just have to ask, and everything will come true.

If they knew how to work in Rus', they knew how to relax. Unfortunately, many Russian folk holidays are now forgotten. A whole layer of original Russian culture has been lost. Let's hope that the revival of interest in our culture will allow, at least partially, bit by bit, to restore what has been lost.

The wisdom of the Russian people cannot be overestimated: nothing happens by chance, symbolism is present everywhere, everything is given meaning. True, in the 20th century, due to changes in ideology, many holidays and signs were lost and forgotten. This also affected wedding ceremonies.

The Third Savior is a Christian folk holiday. It falls on August 29 and ends the Assumption Fast.

For believers, “Spas” is a holiday of the Savior, dedicated to his good deeds, but some researchers believe that the holiday has more ancient pre-Christian roots.

Religious holiday

In the church calendar it is better known as the “Transfer of the Image of the Lord Not Made by Hands.” According to legend, Abgar, the ruler of Edessa, suffered from leprosy. The rumor about the miracles that Christ performed reached him. He believed in the Son of God and sent a letter with a messenger in which he asked for healing.

In the presence of the messenger, Christ washed his face with water and dried himself with a towel; to the amazement of many, the imprint of his Face remained on it.

The national holiday "Ryabinka's Name Day" was held at the Municipal Budgetary Educational Institution Secondary School No. 12 in Volgodonsk. The children got acquainted with the traditions and customs of celebrating “Ryabinka’s name day” on the Don. We learned a lot of interesting things about rowan, the beneficial properties of the fruit, how rowan was prepared for the winter, and also how rowan was revered in the old days.

Each nation has its own age-old traditions and customs, which are not only fundamental features that determine the entire way of thinking, lifestyle and the very future of a particular people, but also the main connecting bridge between many generations.

How many countries and peoples there are, so many different rituals and customs that differ in ideological orientation, a kind of philosophy, semantic and emotional content. The Russian people have many traditions that go back hundreds of years.

A wedding is a very important moment in a person's life. This is a ritual, an important event and a holiday. It is the beginning of a new family life for two people. Of course, the rituals and customs characteristic of the pre-wedding period, as well as the wedding itself, were not always the same.

Gradually coming from the depths of centuries, these rituals and customs were transformed, some of them completely disappeared. That is, they are not represented in modern culture or have been preserved as echoes of those distant times.

Increasingly, we greet each other with a short and often faceless “hello.” How did you say hello? The custom or ritual of greeting among the Slavs goes back centuries and is fraught with many interesting and even mysterious things. For representatives of different social status and different gender, the form of greeting and its content differed. And yet, the main greeting among the Slavs has always been the wish for health, peace and prosperity. The Slavs have always been a peaceful people and believed that they were surrounded only by living beings. In surviving epics, the hero-hero refers to the forest, river or field as a living being. According to the customs of the Slavs, wishes for health should have been answered in kind, unless you were enemies, of course. Therefore, they believed that a greeting in the form of a wish for health forms a protective circle through which evil cannot penetrate.

Until now, in rural areas, especially in small villages, people will definitely say hello to a stranger. A wish for health is not only a sign of good manners, but also a tribute. Before the adoption of Christianity, the Slavs revered many gods, and among the most revered was the god Rod. Hence the cultic attitude towards ancestors and the veneration of ancestors. What remains from this cult is the tradition of greeting the owner of the house and all his relatives with the words “Peace to your home!”

According to the church calendar, this is celebrated on November 21, and in church tradition this is not only the day of the Archangel Michael, but also all other archangels. The folk calendar gives its names to this day: Mikhail, Mikhailovskie mud, Kudelitsa Pomorye, Dvorovoy.

Church significance of the holiday. In the Christian tradition, Archangel Michael is one of the most revered. St. John the Theologian in his revelation spoke of him as a protector of Christians from temptations and bodily illnesses. They pray to him for the gift of healing, as well as for deliverance from sorrows and troubles. In addition, a prayer is usually offered to him when starting the construction of a house and crossing its threshold for the first time. In the Russian Orthodox tradition, Michael was revered as a heavenly warrior who leads the army of the Lord.

The meaning of the holiday . This holiday is intended to remind all Christians of the event that happened, according to church history, in 326 near Golgotha ​​in Jerusalem (the place where the Savior was crucified) - it was in this year that the cross on which Christ died was found. Later, from the 7th century, this day was combined with the day of the return of the Cross from the lands of Persia by the Greek emperor. Both times, both during the discovery and during the glorification, the Cross was raised (erected) by the primate so that all those gathered to honor the Shrine could see it.

This one is one of the least known, and goes unnoticed by most people. However, its importance cannot be overestimated, since it is on September 14, according to the new style, that the church year begins. The establishment of the holiday on September 1 (old style) in 312, Emperor Constantine the Great defeated Maxentius, and in honor of his victory granted Christians the right to freely practice their faith.

In memory of such mercy, in 325 the fathers of the First Ecumenical Council decided to consider the first of September as the beginning of the year, since this day became the first day of “Christian freedom.”

Russian folk festivals are coming to us from ancient times. Mass outdoor events in honor of any holiday have now become a good tradition.

Folk celebrations in Rus' were always accompanied by all kinds of games, round dances, dancing, singing, jumping over a fire and, of course, delicious meals. Today, little has changed, only the number of events at folk festivals has expanded. Today, fairs have also been added to the main traditional ones, where you can buy food and souvenirs; photographers and presenters have begun to be invited to folk festivals; both ordinary people and professional singers sing.

Russian folk festivals have come to us from time immemorial. Previously, multi-day celebrations were common, and were always held on Christmas, Maslenitsa, Ivan Kupala, Christmastide and many other holidays. In other words, folk festivities were organized at the slightest occasion and sometimes lasted up to a week. In cities and villages, fairs were opened during folk festivals, where, as a rule, all kinds of sweets, ice cream, fruits and various drinks were sold. In general, everything that children and adults could not refuse. If the celebration took place outside the city or village, for example, in a grove or clearing, the classic tradition was to erect large canvas tents, under which all kinds of merchants were located.

In villages, Russian folk festivities usually took place on the main street, in the square or in a clearing near the village. All young people who reached marriageable age took part without fail. For them, attending all kinds of village festivals was not only a way to have fun, but also an opportunity to find a soul mate. If suddenly someone refused to take part in youth entertainment, then he immediately turned into a person who was mocked by the entire village. In addition, it was considered a great sin not to have fun when the situation obliges you, and you can pay for it with early widowhood, childlessness, celibacy or the death of loved ones.

An obligatory part of Russian folk festivals were games, mostly active ones, in which both girls and boys, both participants and spectators, took part. The main part of any folk festival is round dances, after which couples are chosen and dancing begins. A distinctive feature of all folk festivities was the attraction of the maximum number of people, young and old. Therefore, round dances and round dances were always held next to traditional bonfires, ice slides and village swings. This was done in order to provide entertainment to as many people as possible. Folk holidays and celebrations are inextricably linked. The biggest celebrations took place on the following holidays:

• Maslenitsa;
• Christmas;
• Ivana Kupala;
• Easter.

What kind of folk festivals were organized in Russia for these holidays? So, let's start with traditional festivities in the warm season. For example, on Ivan Kupala. This holiday is a kind of summer solstice among the Eastern Slavs, although their dates do not coincide. The night before the holiday is considered much more important than the holiday itself. Most rituals were performed at night, with the help of herbs, water and fire. These customs have been preserved to this day. At dusk, bonfires are lit, through which lovers subsequently jump, holding hands. He considers it a good omen to perform this ritual: if the fire could not separate the lovers, then they are not afraid of any troubles. Fortune telling was considered another important component of the night of Ivan Kupala. And it all ended with the launching of wreaths along the river. The girls remained on one bank, and the young men moved to the other. Wreaths woven from herbs and wildflowers were lowered into the water. According to ancient beliefs, if a wreath launched by a girl lands at the feet of a man, she will be destined to get married that year. But if the wreath sinks, it means the unmarried owner will have to wear it for several more years.

Another holiday marked by mass festivities is Easter. Festive festivities on this occasion could last from several days to two or three weeks, and were called Red Hill. During the Easter festivities, children organized cart rides (whose egg could roll farthest) and competitions to see whose egg was stronger. Traditionally, all Easter eggs are painted, which is a symbol of the beginning of a new life. Paints were often rolled on the ground to ensure good fertility. It is also traditional to bake Easter cakes and prepare a variety of dishes.

Don’t forget about the folk winter festivities, which involve the celebration of Christmas, New Year, and Maslenitsa. For Christmas festivities, all kinds of costumes were most often used: dressing up as old people and animals was not only fun, but was also considered a good omen. In addition, housewives set tables with delicious dishes, after tasting which Christmas fortune-telling began. They were popular among both young and older generations. Maslenitsa is also full of traditions: burning a straw effigy, preparing all kinds of pancakes, round dances, games, songs and dances. Folk festivities brought the village residents together and helped people feel like they were part of something bigger.

Despite the passing of the years, today folk festivals are as popular as before. In small villages or cities with a population of over a million, fairs and all kinds of entertainment in honor of the holidays have become commonplace. Our company organizes folk festivals for any holiday. Color your life with ASTRA Congress!