Family rituals. Russian people: culture, traditions and customs

Introduction…………………………………………………………..……………...…3

Chapter 1

1.1. Birth of a child…………………………………………………….…………..4

1.2. Baptism…………………………………………………………….……………9

1.3. Angel Day……………………………………………………………..……..12

1.4. Wedding………………………………………………………………….……..15

1.4.1. Matchmaking…………………………………………………………..………16

1.4.2. Views………………………………………………………………...…….17

1.4.3. Handshake. Announcement of the decision on the wedding………………………….…….17

1.4.4. Preparing for the wedding day. Vytiye………………………………...…..18

1.4.5. Rites on the eve of the wedding day…………………………………………….19

1.4.6. First wedding day…………………………………………………...…..20

1.4.7. The second day of the wedding……………………………………………………….23

1.5. Housewarming…………………………………………………………………...………23

1.6. Russian Orthodox burial rite……………………………………..25

1.6.1. Communion…………………………………………………………...…….26

1.6.2. Unction……………………………………………………………...…26

1.6.3. Burial…………………………………………………………………..27

1.6.4.Remembrance of the dead………………………………………………..……….27

Chapter 2. Orthodox holidays and rituals

2.1. Christmas………………………………………………………….28

2.1.1. Christmas post…………………………………………………...…..30

2.2. Maslenitsa………………………………………………………………………..31

2.3. Easter……………………………………………………………………..…….33

Conclusion…………………………………………………………...………………38

List of used literature……………………………………………….40

Introduction

Our country is rich in traditions and holidays. For centuries, the Russian people have sacredly honored and preserved their traditions, passing them on from generation to generation. And today, after tens and even hundreds of years, many customs still have not lost interest for us. So, for example, on Maslenitsa, like a hundred years ago, they burn an effigy, bake pancakes, and arrange funny games. And at folk festivals and these days, cities continue to play scenes from ancient Russian rituals. And this is understandable, because these traditions are part of the rich history of the Russian people, and you need to know the history of your country.

Each nation has its own views and customs on the conduct of rituals. The rite is a folk play full of secret meaning, full of great power, systematically repeated, interesting in general, as it best illustrates the content of folk consciousness. Here the old merges with the new, the religious with the folk, and the sad with the cheerful.

National culture is the national memory of the people, what distinguishes this people among others, keeps a person from depersonalization, allows him to feel the connection of times and generations, receive spiritual support and life support.

In my test work, I would like to talk about the main national customs and rituals of the Russian people that have evolved over the centuries.

Chapter 1

1.1. Birth of a child

Caring for a child began long before he was born. From time immemorial, the Slavs tried to protect expectant mothers from all sorts of dangers.
If the husband was away, the young woman was advised to gird herself with his belt and cover herself with something from his clothes at night, so that the “strength” of the husband would guard and protect his wife.

In the last month before the birth, the pregnant woman was not recommended to leave the yard, but rather from the house, so that the brownie and the sacred fire of the hearth could always come to her aid.

To protect a pregnant woman, there was a special prayer that had to be read at night, so that sinful deeds committed (even accidentally) during the day would not affect the child being born. Protective amulets and amulets with incantations and prayers were hung to the bed of the woman in labor and the baby.

The pregnant woman had to observe a number of prohibitions, for example, to avoid looking at everything ugly so that she would have a beautiful child; do not stroke cats, dogs, pigs - otherwise the child may be born dumb or will not speak for a long time; not be present at the slaughter of animals - the baby will have a "relative", etc.

During pregnancy, a woman could in no case work on church holidays - a violation of this prohibition by a pregnant woman, as they believed, would inevitably have an effect on the newborn.

The pregnant woman should have consumed more milk, then, according to legend, the baby's skin will be white, like milk; she must eat red berries (lingonberries, cranberries) so that the baby is ruddy.

Particular importance was attached to determining the sex of the child. The material well-being of a peasant family depended on whether a boy or a girl was born: with the birth of a boy, they expected an assistant, a new owner, the birth of a girl often led to a decrease in material well-being - she needed a dowry.

Often, peasant women generally paid little attention to pregnancy and worked until childbirth began.

In accordance with the beliefs about the “impurity” of a pregnant woman and women in childbirth, so that she would not “desecrate” a residential building, she even in winter went to give birth away from housing - in a bathhouse, a barn, a barn.

Or, at the onset of childbirth, all the people in the house said goodbye to the woman in labor and went to another hut or other place, without telling outsiders about what was happening (it was believed that childbirth is the more difficult, the more people know about them).

Her husband and a called midwife remained with the mother. The midwife and husband tried to alleviate the suffering of the puerperal.

The midwife could not refuse a request to come to a woman in labor: her refusal was regarded as an unforgivable sin that could lead to immediate punishment.

Peasants rarely turned to midwives who appeared in the villages in the second half of the 19th century. Peasant women preferred midwives, as they could immediately speak a hernia. And midwives; in the majority of girls, they could jinx the baby, they said among the people, besides, the use of obstetric instruments was considered a sin.

Midwives, if necessary, could baptize newborns. Not every woman could become a midwife. A village grandmother is always an elderly woman of impeccable behavior, not seen in infidelity to her husband. In some places, it was believed that only widows could intervene. They avoided inviting childless women or those whose children of their own or those adopted by her were dying.

When the woman in childbirth recovers sufficiently and the grandmother finds it possible to leave, the purification of all those present and taking any part in the birth took place. They lit a candle in front of the icons, prayed, and then with water in which they put hops, an egg and oats, they washed themselves and washed the baby.

Usually, mother and grandmother poured water, into which various objects bearing a certain semantic load, were poured three times on each other's hands and asked for mutual forgiveness. After that, the midwife could go to receive the next child.

The rite of purification, or washing of hands, necessarily ended with the fact that the woman in labor gave the midwife a gift (soap and a towel). In the second half of the 19th, and especially at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, the gift was supplemented with a small amount of money. The midwife was fed the best food, tea with sugar.

The midwife cooked or at least served the so-called babina porridge. Ceremonies with Babin's porridge necessarily included the collection of money (the sale of porridge).
The midwife received the main monetary reward precisely “for porridge” from the guests and household members present (the woman in labor, who, even if she was present at the christening, did not participate in the collection of money).

There was one day in the year when a holiday was held especially for midwives - "babiny", or "baby porridge". This is the second day of Christmas - December 26, old style.

The last rite in which the midwife participated was the rite of girdling the baby on the eve of the fortieth day: the midwife reminded the woman in labor of the need to accept a cleansing prayer and performed the rite of girdling. The belt with which she tied the child was considered both as a magical amulet against evil forces and as a sign of longevity and health.

Playing the role of a grandmother creates a certain relationship between her and the child, whom she from that moment calls her grandson, and he calls her grandmother. Every year, such grandmothers bring a birthday present to the child, they are invited to all the main events in the life of her "grandson" - both to the wedding and to the farewell to the army.

After giving birth, the mother was taken to the bathhouse. Whatever the birth, the midwives prepared “water from the lessons” in the bathhouse. For this, river water was used, the grandmother specially went after it with a clean bucket and always scooped it up along the river. Returning from the river to the bathhouse and saying the Jesus prayer, the midwife immersed her right hand in a bucket and, scooping up a handful of water there, lowered it down her arm through her elbow into the prepared tues, whispering: “Just as water does not hold on the elbow, so on the servant of God (name ) don’t hold on to lessons or prizes. ” At the same time, she kept counting up to nine with a denial - not one, not two, not three, etc. In this way, she scooped up water for a cubit three times.

With a prayer, the grandmother lowered three red-hot coals into this water. Then with a handful of the right hand through the elbow of the left she poured this water three times on the outer stone of the heater, then three times on the door bracket, holding the tues so that the spilled water again flowed into it. At the same time, the grandmother would say every time: “Just as water does not hold on a stone (or bracket), so do not hold on to the servant of God (name), neither lessons nor prizes!”

After that, the water was considered so strongly charmed that not a single sorcerer could destroy its healing power.

Then the grandmother put the puerperal with her face to the east - if only she could stand, otherwise she put her on the bath threshold and sprinkled her face three times with the slandered water, saying: “Just as water does not hold on the face, so on the servant of God ( name) don’t hold on to lessons or prizes! Having poured out the remaining water from the tuesa on the head of the mother, the grandmother collected the water as it fell from the head into the right handful and sprinkled it on the heater from under her left foot.

The husband often screamed and groaned instead of his wife, diverting evil forces from the woman in labor.
In difficult childbirth, a whole set of magical means of helping a woman in labor was used. It was believed, for example, that any isolation prevented childbirth, so they resorted to actions that symbolized or imitated the break in isolation: they untied all the knots on the clothes of the woman in labor and her husband, unlocked all the locks in the house, untwisted braids, etc.

They also used a three-fold round by the woman in labor of the table, on the corners of which heaps of salt were poured.

When a woman had to suffer in childbirth for two or three days, they asked the priest to serve a moleben to the female saints, “decreers”, assistants during childbirth - the Great Martyr Catherine, the Most Holy Theotokos of Fedorov, or the Three Hands, or the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. In some places, a church belt was taken from a priest to tie a woman in labor with it.

When a child was born, the boy's umbilical cord was cut on an ax handle or an arrow so that he would grow up as a hunter and craftsman, in a girl - on a spindle so that he would grow up as a needlewoman. They tied the navel with a linen thread woven with the hair of the mother and father. After the successful completion of childbirth, the midwife buried the child's place in some corner of the hut. Then she washed the newborn with heated water, in which silver coins were usually placed, wishing the baby wealth in the future.

Sometimes the midwife corrected the child's head. It was believed that she could make him chubby or long-faced.

Then the grandmother busied herself around the puerperal: she steamed her in a bathhouse or in an oven, ruled her stomach and squeezed her breasts to remove the first bad milk.

In order for the child to be calm, after birth they wrapped him in his father's ports or when swaddling they used thick threads, the so-called verti, and covered them with a green cloth on top.

In general, the belt as an amulet, a magical attribute played a big role in paganism. This was reflected in many later religions. The belt symbolically divides the human body into two halves - earthly and heavenly, impure and pure, and performs the function of protection from evil forces. The same protective role was played by the belt with which the godmother tied the child after six weeks from the date of his birth. It was believed that an ungirded child could die.

Thus, the modern custom of tying a newborn, swaddled in a blanket, at discharge from the hospital with a ribbon - a blue (light blue) boy, and a red (pink) girl - has an explanation. The royal house of the Romanovs had a custom to award a newborn boy with the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (blue sash), and a girl with the Order of St. Catherine (red sash).

The father's shirt served as the first diaper for the son, the mother's for the daughter: In general, all the very first actions with the baby (bathing, feeding, cutting hair) were surrounded by rituals.

On the fortieth day, a mother with a newborn, according to the rules of the church, entered the temple: the mother listened to a cleansing prayer, and the baby was churched, that is, introduced into the community of believers.

In the first postpartum days, women - relatives, neighbors, mostly of childbearing age - came to visit the woman in labor and brought various foods to her family - bread, rolls, pies, cookies.

Later, especially in cities, this custom was transformed into offering money to a newborn “for a tooth”, “for washing the legs”. It has survived to this day, more often in the form of gifts to a newborn from relatives and friends in the form of toys, children's clothing, etc.

1.2. Baptism

Wanting to introduce the newborn to the Christian faith, the parents carried him to the church, where the priest baptized him, lowering him into a font of water. At the same time, his name was called.

Fearing the impact of evil spirits (belief in the evil eye, etc.), people sought to baptize the child as soon as possible. There were numerous stories among the peasants about the unfortunate fate of the souls of children who died unbaptized and did not have peace as a result. It was possible to calm them down only by giving a name. And they buried such children at the crossroads, where they could be “baptized” by passers-by.

Before leaving for the church to perform the rite of baptism, the midwife performed a series of magical actions on the child: she bathed him in a trough filled with running water, accompanying the ablution with the utterance of conspiracies. Then she dressed the child in a cut paternal or maternal shirt (according to the sex of the baby) and, bringing it to the father for blessing, handed the child to the godfather if it was a boy, or to the godfather if it was a girl.

Godfathers were invited for the rite of baptism. The invitation of the recipients was made by the father of the newborn.

The main characters at baptism are godparents or godparents (that is, those who accept a child from the font), among the people they were called godfather and godfather.

Among the people, the recipients were considered the second parents of the child, his guardians and patrons. They often chose one of the relatives - adults, respected and wealthy. An invitation to be a godfather was considered an honor, and the rejection of nepotism was assessed as a sin. Those families in which children often died invited the first person they met to be godfathers, believing that his happiness would pass to the newborn.

The recipients sometimes incurred very significant expenses. The godfather bought a cross, paid off with the priest, the godfather had to bring the child a shirt and several arshins of chintz or canvas, as well as a towel for the priest to wipe his hands after the child was immersed in the font. After six weeks, the godfather brought the child a belt.

The main role at the christening did not belong to the father of the newborn, who kept himself isolated, but to the godfather, the godfather. For many peoples, adoption was a hereditary affair, and the godfather remained a permanent person, that is, he baptized all the children of a given family.

In Russian wedding ceremonies in various localities, the planted father, who was usually the godfather of the groom, was called a friend, or uncle, which he often was. As a matchmaker, he sometimes played a greater role than his own father in choosing a bride.

The custom of nepotism was not recognized by the Orthodox Church for a long time. Until the end of the 15th century, the participation of godfathers in the church ceremony was prohibited. Perception gave rise to relationships similar to kinship - nepotism. A quarrel with godfathers was considered a special sin, women were afraid to appear barefoot or bare-haired in front of their godfather. On the other hand, they usually condescendingly treated the close relationship between the godfather and the godfather, their cohabitation was not considered a special sin. Naturally, such folk practice was condemned by the Orthodox Church as contrary to religious morality. But the folk custom was steadily preserved, so the church made concessions and allowed to participate in the church rite of baptism at first one godfather - the godfather. And much later, she introduced the godmother into the rite of baptism, initially only for girls. The gender of the recipient had to match the gender of the child being baptized.

On the eighth day after birth or earlier - if the baby is weak - baptism was performed.

With a boy, the godfather (godfather, or godfather) must be Orthodox, and with a girl, an Orthodox godmother.

After baptism, the sacrament of chrismation takes place. If in the sacrament of baptism a person is born for a new life - spiritual, then in the sacrament of chrismation he receives grace that strengthens the strength of a baptized person for the passage of this new life.

Upon returning from the church after the rite of baptism, another rite, already of a pagan nature, was performed in a peasant family. This is a rite of introduction of the child to the family hearth. The baby was placed on a bench under the image on a sheepskin coat, as a symbol of wealth, sometimes on the stove or brought to the forehead (outer hole) of the stove, which was considered the dwelling of the brownie - the owner of the house, and they turned to the brownie with a request to take the newborn into the house.

After the christening, father and mother were congratulated on their son or daughter, godfathers on their godson or goddaughter, the midwife on their new grandson or granddaughter, and so on. Kuma and kuma were seated at the table and treated to snacks and tea prepared for them, and the hero of the occasion was twisted and laid to the mother on a fur coat spread up with wool, thereby wishing him wealth. When a newborn was baptized at home, the father treated the priest, along with the godfather and the godfather, to dinner.

Meanwhile, the owner of the house invited, whom he considered necessary, from his relatives and friends “to the baby for bread, salt, porridge”.

The Orthodox rite of baptism was not only a rite of introduction of a newborn to the Orthodox faith, but also an official act of registering a child.

One of the first cities where the naming ritual appeared was Leningrad. In 1965, the Baby Palace was opened in Leningrad, specially designed for this ceremony.

To the melody of Dunayevsky's song "Fly, doves," the participants of the holiday entered the ritual hall. Then the presenter spoke about the fact that the Leningrad City Council of Working People's Deputies entrusted to register a new citizen of the USSR in Leningrad in accordance with the Law of the Russian Federation on Family and Marriage. The National Anthem was sung in honor of the new citizen.

At the end of the ritual, relatives and friends congratulated the parents, gave them gifts to the song "Let there always be sunshine."

1.3. Day Angel

According to the church charter, the name of the child had to be given on the eighth day after his birth, but the church did not strictly adhere to this rule. It happened that the name was chosen both before the birth and on the day of the birth itself.

The naming was given to the priest. He chose a name according to the calendar in accordance with the honoring of one or another Orthodox saint, coinciding with the day of the child's baptism or close to this day. Naming the name, the priest brought the child to the icon of the Mother of God and raised him crosswise in front of the icon, as if entrusting the new Christian to her protection.

Name days are not only the day of a particular person, but also the day of the saint in whose honor this person is named.

The guardian angel is an invisible spirit assigned by God to every person from the moment of baptism. This Guardian Angel is invisibly with the Christian entrusted to him throughout his earthly life.

The name of a saint provides a person with his patronage, an Orthodox Christian had to know the life of the saint, in whose honor he is named, annually celebrate the day of his name day, follow the righteous life of his saint. It was allowed to choose the name and the parents themselves.

Many peoples believed in the magical connection of a person with his name. For a long time in Russia there was a custom to give, in addition to the Christian name, a pagan one.

It was believed that the Christian name provides the patronage of an angel. But in order for the attacks of harmful spirits to go, as it were, on another, a person often became better known under a pagan name than under a Christian one. Often, the parents themselves, especially in those families where children often died, gave the child offensive, teasing nicknames, ugly names, so that this name would scare away evil spirits.

To choose a happy name, they wondered: they recognized the name in a dream or called out to the child - what name he responded to was given.

With the help of the name, it was believed that it was possible to transfer the positive character traits of other people to the newborn. Therefore, children were given the names of deceased older relatives. Until now, according to tradition, from generation to generation it is customary to name boys after grandfathers, and girls after grandmothers.

Spiritual birth among Christians has always been considered more significant than bodily. Therefore, earlier the birthday remained invisible, many even forgot about it, but the day of the Angel, or name day, was celebrated by everyone who was financially able.

In the morning, the birthday man or the birthday girl sent birthday cakes to the guests; the nobility of the person to whom the pie was sent was measured by the size of the pie sent. The cake served as a kind of invitation to the name day. The one who brought the pies put them on the table and said: "The birthday man ordered to bow to the pies and asked for bread to eat." Sweet pies were usually sent to godfathers and mothers as a sign of special respect. In some provinces of Central Russia, instead of pies, the so-called birthday people were sent to relatives - large buns without filling, stuffed with raisins on top. One such cake was brought to each house.

Converging at the festive table, the guests brought gifts to the hero of the occasion; the clergy blessed the birthday people with images, while the secular ones gave cuts of matter, goblets or money.

The kings had their own rules for celebrating name days. So, on the day of his name day, the sovereign, leaving the temple from mass, he himself distributed birthday cakes. The queen did the same on her name days. Adult princes distributed pies for themselves, and on behalf of the princess or the young prince, the king distributed pies. If the boyar or okolnichy was the birthday boy, then he came with pies to the tsar; the tsar accepted pies and asked the birthday man about his health, then the birthday man introduced himself to the queen and also brought pies to her.

On the day of the Angel, gifts were brought to the king without fail. All merchants had to make gifts to the tsar, which were sent to the state yard and sold from the state yard. It often happened that a merchant bought at the state yard the same thing that he had once presented to the king, and now offered it to the sovereign for the second time.

At the birthday tables, the invited guests sang for many years, and after the feast, the birthday king, for his part, presented the guests. After the feast, the guests danced, played cards, sang.

1.4. Wedding

The Russian wedding ceremony is one of the most important family rituals.

The wedding ceremony consists of many elements, among them: ritual songs, chants, obligatory ritual actions of the bride, boyfriend and other participants.

The Russian wedding ceremony is very different in different regions. So, in the north of Russia, the “musical” part consists almost entirely of parables, and in the south - almost entirely of cheerful songs, the role of the parable there is more formal. At the same time, a rite is always not an arbitrary set of songs and ritual actions, but a system that is very harmoniously organized.

The time of the formation of the wedding ceremony is considered to be the XIII - XIV century. At the same time, in some regional traditions, pre-Christian origins are felt in the structure and some details of the rite, there are elements of magic.

With all the variability of the rite, its general structure remains unchanged, including the following main components:

* Matchmaking

* Smotriny

* handshake

* Bachelorette / Bachelor Party

* This is followed by the sacrament of the wedding

* Walking

* Wedding feast

The rites originally symbolized the transition of a girl from her father's clan to her husband's clan. This entails the transition under the protection of male spirits. Such a transition was akin to death in one's own way and birth in another kind. For example, wailing is the same as lamenting for the dead. At a bachelorette party, a trip to the bathhouse is the washing of the dead. The bride is often led to church by the arms, thus symbolizing the lack of strength, lifelessness. The young woman leaves the church herself. The groom brings the bride into the house in his arms in order to deceive the brownie, to force him to accept the girl as a newborn family member who did not enter the house, but ended up in the house. When the bride was being wooed, they put on a red sundress and said, "Your goods are a merchant," which meant that the girl was a "merchant" and the man was a "merchant."

1.4.1. Matchmaking

The matchmaker was usually the relatives of the groom - the father, brother, etc., less often - the mother, although the matchmaker could not be a relative. Matchmaking was preceded by a certain agreement between the parents of the bride and groom.

The matchmaker, having entered the bride's house, performed some ritual actions that determined his role. For example, in the Simbirsk province, the matchmaker sits under the mother, in the Vologda province the stove damper was supposed to rattle, etc.

Often the matchmaker did not speak directly about the purpose of his arrival, but recited some ritual text. In the same manner, the bride's parents answered him. This was done in order to protect the rite from the actions of evil spirits.

The bride's parents had to refuse for the first time, even if they were happy about the wedding. The matchmaker had to persuade them.

1.4.2. Smotriny

A few days after the matchmaking, the bride's parents (or relatives, if the bride is an orphan) came to the groom's house to look at his household. This part of the wedding was more "utilitarian" than all the others, and did not involve special ceremonies.

The groom was required to guarantee the prosperity of his future wife. Therefore, her parents examined the farm very carefully. The main requirements for the economy were the abundance of cattle and bread, clothes, utensils. Often, after inspecting the household, the bride's parents refused the groom.

After the matchmaking, the parents gave the matchmaker an answer. The consent of the girl was not required (if asked, it was a formality), sometimes even the matchmaking could take place in the absence of the girl.

1.4.3. Handshake. Announcement of the wedding decision

If, after inspecting the groom's household, the bride's parents did not refuse him, a day was appointed for the public announcement of the decision on the wedding. In different traditions, this rite was called differently (“vaults”, “collusion”, “binge”, “sing out” - from the word “sing”, “zaruchiny”, “zaporuky” - from the words “strike on the hands”, “proclamation ”, “vaults” and many other names), but in any tradition, it was from this day that the actual wedding began. After the public announcement, only exceptional circumstances could upset the wedding (such as the escape of the bride).

Usually, the "collusion" takes place about two weeks after the matchmaking.

The "conspiracy" took place in the bride's house. Most of the villagers usually gathered for it, since the day of the "conspiracy" was determined after inspecting the groom's household, and a few days before the "conspiracy" itself, this news spread throughout the village.

At the "conspiracy" it was supposed to treat the guests. The parents of the bride and groom had to agree on the day of the wedding, who would be the boyfriend, etc.

Features in northern traditions. In the north, this rite is usually called "zaporuki", "zaruchiny". At this ceremony, the groom and the matchmaker are present.

In the north, the ceremony of commissioning the bride was one of the most dramatic of all the rites of the wedding cycle. Even if the bride was glad to be married, she was supposed to lament. In addition, the bride performed a number of ritual actions. So, she had to put out the candle in front of the icons. Sometimes the bride hid, ran away from home. When they tried to lead her to her father, she struggled. The bridesmaids were supposed to catch her and take her to her father.

After that, the key action of the whole day was performed - the "hanging" of the bride. The father covered the bride's face with a handkerchief. After that, the bride stopped escaping. The place of "hanging" varies (in different places of the hut or outside the hut).

1.4.4. Preparing for the wedding day. Vytiye

The next period in some traditions was called a "week" (although it did not necessarily last a week, sometimes up to two weeks). At this time, the dowry was being prepared. In northern traditions, the bride constantly lamented. In the south, every evening the groom and friends came to the bride's house (this was called "gatherings", "evenings", etc.), they sang and danced.

On the "week" the groom was supposed to come with gifts. In the northern tradition, all actions during the "week" are accompanied by the bride's laments, including the arrival of the groom.

Dowry. The bride, with the help of her friends, had to prepare a large amount of dowry for the wedding. Basically, the dowry was made by the bride with her own hands earlier.

The dowry usually included a bed (featherbed, pillow, blanket) and gifts to the groom and relatives: shirts, scarves, belts, patterned towels.

1.4.5. Rituals on the eve of the wedding day

On the eve and in the morning of the wedding day, the bride had to perform a series of ritual actions. Their set is not fixed (for example, in some regions the bride had to visit the cemetery), but there are obligatory rites inherent in most regional traditions.

Bath. The bride's going to the bathhouse is an indispensable attribute of most regional traditions. This ceremony could take place both on the eve of the wedding day, and on the wedding day itself in the morning.

Usually the bride did not go to the bathhouse alone, with her friends or with her parents.

Going to the bath was accompanied by both special verses and songs, and a number of ritual actions, some of which were given magical significance. So, in the Vologda region, a healer went to the bathhouse with the bride, who collected her sweat in a special vial, and at the wedding feast it was poured into the beer of the groom.

Hen-party. A bachelorette party is a meeting between the bride and her friends before the wedding. This was their last meeting before the wedding, so there was a ritual farewell of the bride to her friends.

At the bachelorette party, the second key moment of the entire wedding ceremony (after the “hanging”) took place - the untwisting of the girl's braid. The braid was untwisted by the bridesmaids. Unweaving the braid symbolizes the end of the girl's former life. In many traditions, the untwisting of the braid is accompanied by a "farewell to the red beauty." "Red beauty" - a ribbon or ribbons woven into a girl's braid.

The bachelorette party is accompanied by rhymes and special songs. Often the bride's reckoning sounds simultaneously with the song that the bridesmaids sing. At the same time, there is a contrast between the parable and the song - the parable sounds very dramatic, while it is accompanied by a cheerful song of girlfriends.

1.4.6. First wedding day

On the first day of the wedding, the following usually happens: the arrival of the groom, departure to the crown, the transfer of dowry, the arrival of the young at the groom's house, blessing, wedding feast.

However, in some northern traditions, the influence of a more archaic, apparently pre-Christian scheme of the rite is strongly influenced. So, in the Vologda region, the scheme of the ceremony is as follows: in the morning of the first day, a bathhouse and a meeting of girlfriends, then the arrival of the groom, “bringing to the tables” (bringing the bride to the guests and the groom), treating the guests. At the same time, the main thing is the “output in front of the tables”, since a number of magical actions are performed here, the bride is most elegantly dressed. At night, everyone stays in the bride's house, and the bride and groom are supposed to spend the night in the same room. This means that the actual wedding has already taken place. The next day there is a wedding and a feast at the groom.

Druzhka. Druzhka (or Druzhko) is one of the most important participants in the ceremony. Although all the participants in the ceremony know him well (since this is not a performance, but a ceremony), the friend to a certain extent directs the ritual actions.

The friend must know the ritual very well, for example, at what point should wedding sentences be pronounced, etc. Often the friend is ritually blasphemed and scolded, and he must be able to adequately respond to such jokes addressed to him. The groom is almost a passive figure; on the wedding day he does not say ritual words.

Usually the boyfriend is a relative of the groom (brother) or a close friend. Its attribute is an embroidered towel (or two towels) tied over the shoulder.

In some traditions, there may be not one boyfriend, but two or even three. However, one of them dominates over the others.

Arrival of the groom or ransom. In some traditions, on the morning of the wedding day, the groom must visit the bride's house and check if she is ready for the arrival of the groom. The bride should already be in wedding clothes by the arrival of her bridesmaid and sit in the red corner.

The groom with his boyfriend, friends and relatives make up the wedding train. While the train is moving to the bride's house, its participants (trainers) sang special "trainer" songs.

The groom's arrival was accompanied by one or more ransoms. In most regional traditions, this is the ransom of the entrance to the house. A gate, a door, etc. can be redeemed. Both the groom himself and his friend can redeem.

Elements of magical actions in this part of the rite are especially important. Road sweeping is common. This is done so that under the feet of the young they do not throw an object that could be damaged (hair, stone, etc.). The specific road to be swept differs between traditions. This may be the road in front of the bride's house, along which the groom's train will go, it may be the floor of the room, along which the young people will go before leaving for the crown, the road to the groom's house after the crown, etc.

An essential detail of the rite, which has been preserved in urban conditions, is the direct ransom of the bride. The bride can be redeemed either from the bridesmaids or from the parents.

Sometimes there was a ritual deception of the groom. The bride was taken to him, covered with a scarf. For the first time, they could take out not a real bride, but another woman or even an old woman. In this case, the groom either had to go look for the bride, or redeem her again.

Wedding. Before going to church, the bride's parents blessed the young with an icon and bread. Before the wedding, the bride was untwisted with a girl's braid, and after the young people were married, two “woman's” braids were braided for her and her hair was carefully covered with a female headdress (warrior). Sometimes this happened already at a wedding feast, but among the Old Believers they braided two braids and put on a warrior either between betrothal and wedding, or even before betrothal.

Arrival at the groom's house. After the wedding, the groom takes the bride to his house. Here their parents should bless them. There is also a combination of Christian elements with pagan ones. In many traditions, the bride and groom were put on a fur coat. The skin of the animal performs the function of a talisman. Mandatory in the rite of blessing in one form or another is bread. Usually, during the blessing, he is next to the icon. In some traditions, both the groom and the bride are supposed to bite off the bread. A magical effect was also attributed to this bread. In some regions, it was then fed to a cow so that it would give more offspring.

Wedding feast. After the wedding, the bride never laments. From this moment, the joyful and cheerful part of the ceremony begins. Then the young people go to the bride's house for gifts.

Then the groom brings the bride to his house. There should already be ready a plentiful treat for the guests. The wedding feast begins.

During the feast, songs of praise are sung. In addition to the bride and groom, they called their parents and boyfriend.

The feast could last two or three days. On the second day, it is obligatory to move everyone to the bride's house, the feast continues there. If they feast for three days, on the third they return to the groom again.

"Laying down" and "waking up" the young . In the evening (or at night) the “laying of the young” was carried out - the matchmaker or the bed-maker prepared the marriage bed, which the groom had to redeem. The feast at this time often continued. The next morning (sometimes only a few hours later), a friend, matchmaker or mother-in-law "woke up" the young. Often, after the "waking up", the guests were shown the "honor" of the bride - a shirt or a sheet with traces of blood. In other places, the bridegroom testified to the "honor" of the bride, eating from the middle or from the edge of a scrambled egg, pancake or pie, or answering ritual questions like "Did you break the ice or trample the dirt?" If the bride turned out to be “dishonest”, her parents could be ridiculed, a collar was hung around her neck, the gates were smeared with tar, etc.

1.4.7. Second wedding day

On the second day of the wedding, the bride usually performed some ritual actions. One of the most common rites is the “search for the yarochka”.

This ceremony consists in the fact that the “Yarochka” (that is, the sheep, the bride) is hiding somewhere in the house, and the “shepherd” (one of her relatives or all the guests) must find her.

It was also common for the “young woman” to fetch water with two oars on a yoke, throwing garbage, money, grain in the room - the young wife had to carefully sweep the floor, which was checked by the guests.

Important is the arrival of the groom to his mother-in-law. This rite has many different names in different regions (“khlibins”, “yayshnya”, etc.). It consists in the fact that the mother-in-law gave the groom cooked food (pancakes, scrambled eggs, etc.). The plate was covered with a scarf. The son-in-law had to redeem her by putting money on (or wrapped in) a handkerchief.

1.5. housewarming

Crossing the threshold of a new home, a person seems to be entering a new life. Whether this life will be prosperous depends on the observance by the new settlers of many signs. It is believed that if you perform the necessary rituals when you move in, then life in the new house will develop happily.

In the old days, all construction projects started the same way. The eldest in the family was the first to start building a house: where the foundation of the dwelling would be, he poured grains, and placed a stone or log on them.

When the construction was coming to an end, a wreath woven from the simplest flowers and branches of birch or spruce was hung on the ridge of the roof. Neighbors, seeing such a wreath, understood: the housewarming holiday was coming soon.

By tradition, the eldest in the family not only started construction, but was also the first to cross the threshold of a new house.

In pagan times, people did not start life in a newly built house without receiving a divine blessing for it. To receive a blessing from the gods, it was necessary to propitiate them. And, as you know, pagan gods could only be propitiated by sacrifice. If there were old people in the family, then the oldest of them became this very victim for the gods. The old man entered the house before everyone else. Because the pagans believed: the first one to enter the house will be the first to go to the realm of the dead.

Then paganism was replaced by Christianity and customs also changed. The cat was the first to enter the house. Why is she? It was believed that this beast is known with all evil spirits. And in a newly built house, evil spirits can live, so you need to let someone in who is not afraid of them and to whom they will not do anything. And since the cat is connected with them, then she has nothing to be afraid of. They also believed that a cat always finds the best corner in the house. Where the cat lay down, then the owner and the hostess arranged their sleeping place or placed a crib.

Not only a cat was allowed into the new house. The rooster was supposed to spend the first night in the built dwelling. People were afraid to be the first to spend the night in the house - they were afraid of evil spirits. But the rooster just drove her away with his singing in the morning. But then an unenviable fate awaited him - a jelly was prepared from a rooster, which was served at the festive table.

And yet, the cat and the rooster were not the best defenders from evil spirits. The most important guardian of the house was considered, of course, the brownie. Moving from the old house, people called him with them. Even lured with different treats. For example, porridge. It was prepared in the evening in the oven of the house they were about to leave. A little porridge was put in a bowl especially for the brownie, in order to appease him, to call him in this way to a new home. The owners themselves did not eat the cooked porridge, but kept it until the next day. They sat down for a meal only in the new house. Before sitting at the table, an icon and a loaf were brought into the house. The icon was placed in the so-called red corner.

If the owners wanted the brownie to move from their old home to a new one, they simply took a broom with them. It was believed that then the brownie would definitely come to a new place. Leaving a broom is a bad omen. After all, with this broom, the woman diligently swept all the rubbish out of the old house, which she then burned and scattered in the wind. This was done so that no one would spoil the left debris or ashes. The broom was later to be useful to the hostess again. She swept a new hut for them. Only after that the old broom was burned.

Now moving into a new house is celebrated as follows: first they arrange a holiday for the closest, and then for all acquaintances, neighbors and relatives. Perhaps the only built country house will not be the best place to celebrate. However, if you do not arrange a housewarming party, the brownie may be offended and leave you.

If it was not possible to put things in order before the housewarming party and it was also not possible to lay a chic table, do not worry. Housewarming treats can be the simplest. Most importantly - do not forget about the loaf. It is he who on the festive table will become a symbol of wealth and a future happy life in a new home.

The Slavs assigned a special place to the housewarming loaf on the table - in the center. A lush loaf adorned with rowan or viburnum berries lay on red and green towels. After all, red is a symbol of well-being, and green is longevity.

Guests must bring bread with them. Or a small pie. This is necessary so that everyone in the new house is always full and rich.

1.6. Russian Orthodox burial rite

Death is the last earthly destiny of every person; after death, the soul, separated from the body, appears before the judgment of God. Believers in Christ do not want to die unrepentant, for in the afterlife sins will become a heavy, painful burden. The repose of the soul of the deceased depends on the correct implementation of the burial rite, and therefore it is extremely important to know and observe the smallest details of the funeral ritual.

1.6.1. communion

It is necessary to invite a priest to a seriously ill person, who will confess him and take communion, perform the sacrament of unction over him.

In the sacrament of confession (from the word to confess, that is, to tell another about oneself), the penitent is given remission of sins through the permissive prayer of a priest who has received grace from Christ to forgive sins on earth so that they can be forgiven in heaven. A dying person who no longer speaks the language and cannot confess, the priest can resolve from sins (forgiveness of sins), if the sick person himself ordered to call a confessor.

In the sacrament of communion, a person, under the guise of bread and wine, receives the Holy Mysteries - the Body and Blood of Christ, thus becoming a partaker of Christ. The Holy Mysteries are called Holy Gifts - because They are an invaluable Divine Gift of the Savior Christ to people. The sick are communed at any time - the priest brings into the house spare Gifts, which are kept in the church.

1.6.2. Unction

Unction (originally performed by an assembly of priests), or unction, is a sacrament in which, with the sevenfold anointing with consecrated oil (vegetable oil), the grace of God descends on a sick person, healing his bodily and spiritual infirmities. If the priest managed to anoint the dying at least once, the sacrament of unction is considered completed.

At the very moment of death, a person experiences a painful feeling of fear, vengeance. When leaving the body, the soul meets not only the Guardian Angel given to it in Holy Baptism, but also demons, the terrible appearance of which makes one tremble. To appease the restless soul, relatives and friends of a person leaving this world can themselves read a waste over him - in the Prayer Book this collection of songs-prayers is called "The canon of prayer when the soul is separated from the body." The canon ends with a prayer from the priest/priest), which is spoken (read) for the exodus of the soul, for its release from all bonds, release from any oath, for the forgiveness of sins and peace in the abodes of the saints. This prayer is supposed to be read only by the priest, so if the canon was read by the laity, the prayer is omitted.

1.6.3. burial

Not a single nation left the bodies of their dead without care - the law on burial and the rites corresponding to it was sacred for all. The touching rites performed by the Orthodox Church over a dead Christian are not just solemn ceremonies, often invented by human vanity and saying nothing to either the mind or the heart. On the contrary, they have a deep meaning and meaning, since they are based on the revelations of the holy faith (that is, they are open, bequeathed by the Lord Himself), known from the apostles - disciples and followers of Jesus Christ. The funeral rites of the Orthodox Church bring consolation, serve as symbols that express the idea of ​​a general resurrection and a future immortal life. The essence of the Orthodox burial rite lies in the Church's view of the body as a temple of the soul sanctified by grace, the present life as a time of preparation for the future life, and death as a dream, upon awakening from which eternal life will come.

1.6.4.Remembrance of the dead

Commemoration is carried out on the third, ninth and fortieth day, since at the indicated time the soul of the deceased appears before the Lord. For the first three days after death, the soul roams the earth, visiting places where the deceased committed sins or righteous deeds. From the third to the ninth day, the soul wanders among the paradise. From the ninth to the fortieth day, she is in hell, watching the torment of sinners. On the fortieth day, the question of determining the whereabouts of the soul in the afterlife is finally resolved.

The commemoration of the deceased is also carried out on the anniversary of death, on the days of earthly birth and on name days. The Church has established special days of remembrance - ecumenical memorial services:

Saturday before meat-fare week (Meat-fare Saturday), two weeks before Great Lent - is celebrated as a commemoration of all those who died a sudden death - during floods, earthquakes, wars;

Trinity Saturday - on the fortieth day after Easter - for all Christians;

Dimitrov Saturday (the day of Dmitry Thessalonica) - a week before November 8, established by Dmitry Donskoy in memory of those who died on the Kulikovo field;

Second, third and fourth Saturdays of Great Lent;

Radonitsa (Tuesday of St. Thomas Week) when for the first time after Easter cemeteries are visited, where visitors carry colored eggs and where they tell the dead the news of the resurrection of Christ.

By decree of Catherine II of 1769 (the time of the war with the Turks and Poles), the all-Russian commemoration of all the dead soldiers is carried out on the day of the beheading of John the Baptist (September 11).

The canonical attributes of the funeral feast are: kutya, pancakes, jelly, milk.

2.1. Nativity

Christmas is not only a bright holiday of Orthodoxy.
Christmas is a holiday returned, reborn. the traditions of this
holiday filled with genuine humanity and kindness, high
moral ideals are now being discovered and comprehended again.

Before Christmas, a general cleaning was carried out in the house, a Christmas tree was put up and decorated, and preparations were made for the Christmas table. The whole week was festive. Children were given gifts.

On the first day of the Nativity of Christ, the peasants had to defend the liturgy, then break the fast, and only after that they began to celebrate.

Arriving under the windows of the house, they first sang the troparion and kontakion for the holiday, and then the grapes; meanwhile the star revolved incessantly in a circle. Having sung grapes, the owner and hostess were congratulated on the holiday, and finally, they exclaimed to the glory of God, thereby asking for food. Then the owner allowed one of the worshipers to enter his house and gave him money.

Mummers went from house to house. Fortune-telling and other amusements were arranged, which were condemned by secular and spiritual authorities. Everyone dressed up - young and old, men and women. They dressed up as a soldier, a peasant, a gypsy, a mistress, a coachman, etc.

"Carols" called cookies that were baked in the form of figures of animals and birds - "cows", "goes", etc. The largest "carol" was taken to the barn and left there until Epiphany. On Epiphany, they crumbled her into holy water and fed the cattle so that they would not get sick, be fruitful, know the house. The Komi-Permyaks kept bread "kozulkas" until Baptism in a shrine, and then they also fed them to animals, which this or that "kozulka" depicted.

The rest of the "carols" were awarded to mummers and carolers who came to the house for their songs.

At Christmas, it is customary to cook and eat poultry: duck, goose, chicken, turkey. This custom is of very ancient origin. The bird was considered a symbol of life. To eat a bird means to prolong life.

The Christmas holiday came to Rus' along with Christianity in the 10th century and merged here with the ancient Slavic winter holiday - Christmas time, or carols.

Slavic Christmas time was a multi-day holiday. They began at the end of December and continued throughout the first week of January. Later, Christmas time, holy days, began to be called 12 days of celebration from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany. The first week was called Christmas time, and the second - terrible evenings.

Christmas holidays began with cleanliness. People cleaned their houses, washed themselves, threw away or burned old things, driving away evil spirits with fire and smoke, sprinkled cattle with water.

During Christmas time, it was forbidden to quarrel, swear, mention death, and commit reprehensible acts. Everyone was obliged to do each other only pleasant.

At the same time, games, caroling, walking mummers, fortune-telling, Christmas markets - auctions, bazaars were arranged.

2.1.1. Christmas post

The establishment of the Nativity Fast, as well as other multi-day fasts,
refers to the ancient times of Christianity.

The Nativity Fast (also Lent, Philip's Fast, in the vernacular of Filippovka) is an Orthodox forty-day fast established in honor of the Nativity of Christ, one of the four many-day fasts of the church year. Serves as a preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ.

Observed from November 15 (28) to December 24 (January 6) inclusive and ends with the feast of the Nativity of Christ. The conspiracy (the eve of fasting) - November 14 (27) - falls on the day of memory of the holy apostle Philip, therefore the fast is also called Filippov. If the spell falls on one-day fasts - Wednesday or Friday - then it moves to November 13 (26).

Initially, the Advent fast lasted seven days for some Christians, and a few more for others. At the cathedral of 1166, which was at
Patriarch Luke of Constantinople and the Byzantine emperor Manuel, all Christians were supposed to fast for forty days before the great feast of the Nativity of Christ.

2.2. Maslenitsa

Maslenitsa - first an ancient Slavic pagan multi-day holiday of "seeing off winter", which marked the transition to spring agricultural work. The Church has included Maslenitsa among its holidays that precede Great Lent. In ancient times, this holiday consisted of various ritual actions of a magical and religious nature, which then turned into traditional folk customs and rituals.

In pagan times, the celebration of Maslenitsa was timed to coincide with the day of the vernal equinox (March 22). The Christian Church left the main celebration of Spring, so as not to conflict with the traditions of the Russian people, but shifted the people's favorite holiday of seeing off winter in time so that it would not contradict Great Lent. Therefore, after the baptism of Rus', Maslenitsa is celebrated on the last week before Lent, seven weeks before Easter.

The name “Maslenitsa” arose because this week, according to Orthodox custom, meat was already excluded from food, and dairy products could still be consumed. To walk freely before the seven weeks of fasting, strict in all respects - such was the spirit of this holiday. But he also absorbed the very ancient traditions of the festivities that were once celebrated on the verge of winter and spring.

Maslenitsa is a mischievous and cheerful farewell to winter and a meeting of spring, which brings revival in nature and the warmth of the sun. From time immemorial, people have perceived spring as the beginning of a new life and revered the Sun, which gives life and strength to all living things. In honor of the sun, at first they baked unleavened cakes, and when they learned how to cook leavened dough, they began to bake pancakes.

The ancients considered the pancake a symbol of the sun, because, like the sun, it is yellow, round and hot, and they believed that together with the pancake they eat a piece of its warmth and power.

With the introduction of Christianity, the rite of celebration also changed. Maslenitsa got its name from the church calendar, because during this period of time - the last week before Lent, it is allowed to eat butter, dairy products and fish, otherwise this week in the Orthodox Church is called cheese. The days of Shrovetide change depending on when Lent begins.

Every day of Shrove Tuesday has its own name.

Monday- meeting. By this day, mountains, swings, booths were being completed. Those who were richer began to bake pancakes. The first pancake was given to the poor in remembrance of the dead.

Tuesday- games. In the morning, young people were invited to ride down the mountains and eat pancakes. They called relatives and friends: “We have mountains ready, and pancakes are baked - please favor.”

Wednesday- gourmets. On this day, the son-in-law came "to the mother-in-law for pancakes." In addition to the son-in-law, the mother-in-law invited other guests.

Thursday- wide range. From that day on, Shrovetide unfolded in full breadth. The people indulged in all kinds of fun: ice mountains, booths, swings, horseback riding, carnivals, fist fights, noisy revels.

Friday- mother-in-law evenings. Sons-in-law invited their mother-in-laws to visit, treated them to pancakes.

Saturday- sister-in-law gatherings. Young daughters-in-law invited their sister-in-laws to visit. The newlywed daughter-in-law had to give her sister-in-law a gift.

Last day of Maslenitsa- Forgiveness Sunday. In churches, at the evening service, the rite of forgiveness is performed (the rector asks for forgiveness from other clergy and parishioners). Then all the believers, bowing to each other, ask for forgiveness and, in response to the request, say "God will forgive." Solemnly burned the "effigy of Maslenitsa"

In the Orthodox Church, it is believed that the meaning of Cheese Week is reconciliation with neighbors, forgiveness of offenses, preparation for Great Lent - a time that needs to be devoted to good communication with neighbors, relatives, friends, and doing good. Lenten services begin in churches. On Wednesday and Friday, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated, the Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian is read.

On the last day of Maslenitsa week, the ritual of seeing off Maslenitsa took place, which in different provinces of Russia consisted both in burning an effigy of Maslenitsa and in its symbolic funeral.

The burning of an effigy was traditional for the northern, central and Volga provinces. The effigy of Maslenitsa was carried by the participants of the Maslenitsa train (sometimes there were several hundred horses in it). Traditional funeral food (pancakes, eggs, cakes) was thrown into a fire with a burning effigy.

2.3. Easter

Easter (Resurrection of Christ) is the main holiday of the Orthodox calendar, established in memory of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Easter does not have a fixed date, but is calculated according to the lunar calendar. The celebration begins on the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox. If the full moon falls on a Saturday or Sunday, then Easter is celebrated on the following Sunday. Usually, the holiday falls on the time from March 22/April 4 to April 25/May 8.

The day of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ got its name from the Jewish holiday of Passover, dedicated to the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and their liberation from slavery. The borrowing of the name of the Jewish holiday is explained by the fact that all the tragic events of the earthly life of Jesus Christ occurred before the Jewish Passover, and His Resurrection took place on the night of Easter.

In the Orthodox tradition, Easter is considered "the king of days", "the feast of all holidays, the triumph of all celebrations." Throughout Russia, Easter was celebrated as a day of great joy. The main event of the festival was a solemn divine service in the temple. Easter service began on the night from Saturday to Sunday. The first part of it was called Midnight Office. It was held in memory of the night prayer of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, which preceded his betrayal into the hands of the Pharisees. After reading the prayers and hymns, the priest, together with the clergy, brought the shroud from the middle of the temple into the altar, which remained there until the Ascension. At midnight, a bell ringing (blagovest) was heard, all the candles and chandeliers were lit at the same time, the priests in bright vestments, with a cross, lamps and incense, left the altar and, together with all those present in the church, sang the surplice: “Thy Resurrection, Christ the Savior, the angels sing on heaven, and vouchsafe us on earth to glorify Thee with a pure heart, ”and then, to the sound of bells, the procession around the church began. Upon returning to the temple, the priest sang the troparion of the holiday: "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death." Then the royal doors were opened, which symbolized the opening by Christ of the heavenly gates, closed to people after the fall of Adam and Eve, and matins began. The canon was sung: “It is the day of Resurrection, let us be enlightened people...”, and then the eternal victory of Christ over death and hell was proclaimed: “Where is your sting, death? Where is your, hell, victory? Christ is risen, and thou hast fallen. Christ is risen and life lives. Christ is risen, and the dead is not one in the tomb. After matins, a festive liturgy began, at the end of which artos was illuminated - a special bread depicting a cross and a crown of thorns.

The elegant decoration of the temple, a lot of lit wax candles, bright vestments of priests, the smell of incense, joyful chimes of bells, festive chants, a solemn procession, exclamations of “Christ is Risen!” - all this evoked joy in believers, a feeling of involvement in a miracle. After the end of the service, the parishioners congratulated each other on the bright holiday, kissed three times and uttered the words that the apostles spoke to each other when they learned about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ: “Christ is Risen!” - "Truly Risen!", Exchanged eggs, painted red.

On the feast of Easter, the breaking of the fast began after a long Great Lent. As a rule, it was a family meal at which guests did not appear. On a table covered with a white tablecloth, they put painted eggs, Easter cake - high bread made from rich dough and Easter (paskha) - a sweet dish of cottage cheese with raisins, consecrated in the church on Holy Saturday. The red egg in the view of an Orthodox person symbolized the world, stained with the blood of Jesus Christ and through this reborn to a new life. Kulich was associated with the body of the Lord, to which believers should partake. In the popular mind, the Christian understanding of Easter food was combined with pagan ideas about the egg as a symbol of rebirth and renewal, a sign of fertility and vitality, and about bread as a living being and even the incarnation of God. The pagan analogue of Easter cake was bread, which was baked in the spring before the start of agricultural work and used in producing agricultural and pastoral rites, as well as a wedding loaf, which, according to legend, could provide a married couple with numerous offspring. The first dish during the Passover meal was an egg, which was cut into pieces according to the number of people sitting at the table. After that, everyone received a piece of Easter cake and a spoonful of curd Easter. Then the rest of the festive food prepared by the hostess was put on the table, and a joyful feast began.

In folk tradition, Easter was celebrated as a holiday of renewal and rebirth of life. This was due not only to the Christian idea of ​​the Resurrection of Christ and the prospect of eternal life associated with it, but also to the widespread existence among the people of pagan ideas about the spring awakening of nature after a winter sleep-death, about the death of the old and the beginning of a new time. According to widespread beliefs, each person had to meet Easter spiritually and physically renewed, prepared for it during the long Great Lent. Before Easter, it was considered necessary to put things in order in the house and on the street: wash the floors, ceilings, walls, benches, whitewash the stoves, renew the icon case, repair the fences, put the wells in order, remove the garbage left after the winter. In addition, it was supposed to make new clothes for all family members and wash in the bath. On Easter, a person had to discard all bad, impure thoughts, forget evil and resentment, not sin, not enter into marital relations, which were perceived as a sin.

There are many different beliefs associated with the Easter holiday. According to popular beliefs, Easter day is so pure and holy that devils and demons with the Easter good news fall through the ground, and their cries and groans, caused by anger at the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, can be heard during the Easter Vigil and the entire first day of Easter. The peasants believed that on this day something that you would not see on other days becomes visible, and it is allowed to ask God for what you really want. It was believed that during the Easter service, if you turn the candle with the flame down, you can see the sorcerer: he will stand with his back to the altar, and horns will be visible on his head. And if you stand at the door with cottage cheese, it will be easy to identify the witch passing by and waving her little tail.

Easter was associated with the Russians with the miraculous fulfillment of the desired. It was believed that on this day you can secure success in business for the whole year. If, for example, a person is the first to come home after the Easter service, then the whole year will be successful for him. If an old man combs his hair on Passover, he will have as many grandchildren as there are hairs on his head. If during the liturgy a girl whispers to God in a whisper: “Give me a good groom, in boots and with galoshes, not on a cow, but on a horse,” then the groom will be engaged in the near future, gamblers, according to legend, could ask God for constant luck in cards: for this, it was necessary to take the ace of spades with you to church - “wine and, when the priest says “Christ is Risen!” for the first time, answer “The cards are here!”, the second time - “Whip here!”, And the third time - "Aces are here!". Good luck will not leave the blasphemer until he repents of his deed. They believed that a thief would also be lucky if he steals an item from praying people during matins and does not get caught stealing.

The idea of ​​the resurrection from the dead formed the basis of the idea that on Easter night the souls of the dead come to earth. If desired, people yearning for the death of their loved ones can see them in church at the Easter service, listen to their requests and complaints. After the liturgy, the Russian peasants, despite the prohibitions of the priests, went to the cemetery to christen with the dead.

The continuation of the Easter day was Easter (bright) week, which lasted eight days, until Fomin Sunday inclusive.

Conclusion

In the Russian way of life there was a combination of extremes, a mixture of simplicity and primitive freshness of the virgin people with Asian effeminacy and Byzantine relaxation. When a noble person dressed all in gold and pearls, ate on silver and forced dozens of dishes to be served at a time, the village poor, during frequent crop failures, ate bread from straw or from quinoa, roots and tree bark. When noble women and girls did not even take care of the household and, condemned to inactivity, only to kill the tedious boredom, they took up the embroidery of church vestments, peasant women worked twice as much as their husbands. On the one hand, the dignity of every significant person was inactivity, effeminacy, immobility; on the other hand, the Russian people amazed foreigners with their patience, firmness, indifference to any deprivation of comforts in life. Since childhood, Russians have been taught to endure hunger and cold. Children were weaned at two months old and fed on roughage; the children ran in nothing but shirts without hats, barefoot in the snow in bitter cold. Fasts accustomed the people to coarse and meager food, consisting of roots and bad fish; living in tight quarters and smoke, with chickens and calves, the Russian commoner received a strong, insensitive nature.

But no matter how opposite the way of life of the noble and the simple seems, the nature of both was the same: let only happiness favor the poor simpleton, and he will immediately arrange for himself immobility and heaviness; on the other hand, a noble and rich, if circumstances force him, will easily get used to a harsh life and work.

The customs of the Russian people combined piety and superstition, ceremony in relations with society and rudeness, cruelty to loved ones. The Russian character, formed under the influence of the cultures of neighboring peoples, absorbed many of their traditions and customs, some of which even contradicted each other. Merging together, these qualities made Russian culture special, amazing, unlike all the others.

List of used literature

1. . G. Samitdinova, Z. A. Sharipova, Ya. T. Nagaeva "Native Bashkortostan", publishing house: Bashkortostan Ufa, 1993;

2. L.I. Brudnaya, Z.M. Gurevich "Encyclopedia of rituals and customs", St. Petersburg: "Respeks", 1997;

3. N.P.Stepanov "Folk holidays in Holy Rus'", M .: Russian rarity, 1992; 4. A team of authors "Russian folk holidays, rituals and customs", Publisher: New Disc, 2005 - E-book; Internet resources:

5. M. Zabylin " Russian people. His customs, rituals, legends, superstitions and poetry”, M.: Edition of the bookseller M. Berezin - the Internet version of the book is provided by the Folklorus website (http://folklorus.narod.ru);

6. http://lib.a-grande.ru/index.php - Site about the culture of the peoples of Bashkortostan; 7. http://ru.wikipedia.org/ - Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia.

Rites, customs and traditions of the Russian people are rooted in ancient times. Many of them have significantly changed over time and have lost their sacred meaning. But there are some that still exist. Let's consider some of them.

The calendar rites of the Russian people are rooted in the days of the ancient Slavs. At that time, people cultivated the land and raised cattle, worshiped pagan idols.

Here are some of the rituals:

1. Sacrificial rites to the god Veles. He patronized pastoralists and farmers. Before sowing the crop, people went out into the field, wearing clean clothes. They decorated their heads with wreaths, they held flowers in their hands. The oldest villager began to sow and threw the first grain into the ground
2. The harvest was also timed to coincide with the festival. Absolutely all the villagers gathered near the field and sacrificed the largest animal to Veles. The men began to plow the first strip of land, while the women at that time gathered the grain and gathered it into sheaves. At the end of the harvest, they set the table with a generous treat, decorated it with flowers and ribbons.
3. Maslenitsa is a calendar rite that has survived to this day. The ancient Slavs turned to the sun god Yaril with a request to send a rich harvest. They baked pancakes, danced round dances, burned the famous Maslenitsa scarecrow
4. Forgiveness Sunday is the most important day of Shrovetide. On this day, people asked for forgiveness from relatives and relatives, and also forgave all offenses themselves. After this day, Great Lent began.

Despite the fact that Maslenitsa has lost its religious meaning, people still take part in mass festivities with pleasure, bake pancakes and enjoy the coming spring.

Christmas traditions

It is impossible not to say about the Christmas rituals, which remain relevant to this day. They are traditionally held from January 7 to January 19 in the period from Christmas to Epiphany.

The sacred rites are as follows:

1. Kolyada. Youth and children go from house to house dressed up, and the residents treat them with sweets. Now they rarely carol, but the tradition has not yet become obsolete
2. Holy divination. Young girls and women gather in groups and arrange fortune-telling. Most often, these are rituals that allow you to find out who will become narrowed, how many children will be born in marriage, and so on.
3. And on January 6, before Christmas, in Rus' they cooked compote with rice, cooked delicious pastries and slaughtered livestock. It was believed that this tradition helps to attract a rich harvest in the spring and provide the family with material well-being.

Now the Christmas rites have lost their magical sacrament and are used mainly for entertainment. Another reason to have fun in the company of girlfriends and friends is to arrange a group fortune-telling for the betrothed, dress up and carol on holidays.

Family rituals in Rus'

Family rituals were given great importance. For matchmaking, holding a wedding or baptizing newborns, special rituals were used, which were sacredly honored and observed.

Weddings, as a rule, were scheduled for a time after a successful harvest or baptism. Also, the week following the bright holiday of Easter was considered a favorable time for the ceremony. The newlyweds were married in several stages:

• Matchmaking. In order to marry the bride to the groom, all close relatives from both sides gathered together. They discussed the dowry, where the young couple would live, agreed on gifts for the wedding
• After the blessing of the parents was received, preparations for the celebration began. The bride and her bridesmaids gathered every evening and prepared a dowry: they sewed, knitted and wove clothes, bed linen, tablecloths and other home textiles. Singing sad songs
• On the first day of the wedding, the bride said goodbye to girlhood. Girlfriends sang sad ritual songs of the Russian people, farewell laments - after all, the girl from that moment turned out to be in complete submission to her husband, no one knew how her family life would turn out
• According to custom, on the second day of the wedding, the newly-made husband, along with his friends, went to his mother-in-law for pancakes. They arranged a stormy feast, went to visit all the new relatives

When a child appeared in a new family, he had to be baptized. The rite of baptism was performed immediately after birth. It was necessary to choose a reliable godfather - this person bore great responsibility, almost on a par with parents, for the fate of the baby.

And when the baby was one year old, a cross was cut off on his crown. It was believed that this rite gives the child protection from evil spirits and the evil eye.

When the child grew up, he was obliged to visit his godparents every year on Christmas Eve with refreshments. And those, in turn, presented him with presents, treated him with sweets.

Watch a video about the rituals and customs of the Russian people:

mixed rites

Separately, it is worth talking about such interesting rituals:

• Celebration of Ivan Kupala. It was believed that only from that day on it was possible to swim. Also on this day, a fern bloomed - the one who finds a flowering plant will reveal all the innermost secrets. People made bonfires and jumped over them: it was believed that a couple who jumped over the fire, holding hands, would be together until death
• From pagan times came the custom to commemorate the dead. At the memorial table, there must have been a rich meal and wine

To follow the ancient traditions or not is everyone's business. But you can not build them into a cult, but pay tribute to the ancestors, their culture, the history of their country. This applies to religious practices. As for entertainment events, such as Shrovetide or the celebration of Ivan Kupala, this is another reason to have fun in the company of friends and soulmate.

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: sledding 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.

Tradition, custom, ritual is an age-old connection, a kind of bridge between the past and the present. Some customs are rooted in the distant past, over time they have changed and lost their sacred meaning, but they are still observed at the present time, passed from grandparents to grandchildren and great-grandchildren as a memory of their ancestors. In rural areas, traditions are observed more widely than in cities, where people live apart from each other. But many rituals have become so firmly established in our lives that we perform them without even thinking about their meaning.

Traditions are calendar, associated with field work, family, pre-Christian period, the most ancient, religious, which entered our lives with the adoption of Christianity, and some pagan rites were mixed with Orthodox beliefs and changed somewhat.

calendar rites

The Slavs were pastoralists and farmers. In the pre-Christian period, the pantheon of Slavic gods included several thousand idols. The supreme gods were Svarozhichs, the progenitors of all living things. One of them was Veles, the patron of cattle breeding and agriculture. The Slavs made sacrifices to him before the start of sowing and harvesting. On the first day of sowing, all the villagers went out into the field in new clean shirts with flowers and wreaths. Sowing was started by the oldest resident of the village and the smallest, they threw the first grain into the ground.

Harvesting was also a holiday. All, even the old and sick, the inhabitants of the village gathered at the border of the field, a sacrifice was made to Veles, most often a large ram, then the strongest and most beautiful men and young guys with braids in their hands stood in a row and at the same time passed the front page. Then the girls and young women, always fast and healthy, tied the sheaves and placed the money. After a successful cleaning, a rich table was laid for all the inhabitants of the village, at the head of the table they placed a large sheaf, decorated with ribbons and flowers, which was also considered a sacrifice to the god Veles.

Maslenitsa also belongs to the calendar rituals, although at present it is already considered a semi-religious holiday. In ancient times, this rite called Yarilo, the god of the sun and heat, on which the harvest directly depended. That is why the custom was born on this day to bake pancakes, fatty, ruddy, hot as the sun. All people danced round dances, which are also a symbol of the sun, sang songs praising the power and beauty of the luminary, and burned an effigy of Maslenitsa.

Today Maslenitsa has lost its pagan meaning and is considered almost a religious holiday. Each day of the Maslenitsa week has its own purpose. And the most important day is Forgiveness Sunday, when you should ask all your family and relatives for forgiveness for involuntary offenses. Sunday is the turn to Great Lent, the strictest and longest, when believers refuse meat and dairy food for seven weeks.

Christmas rites

When Christianity was firmly established in Rus', new church holidays appeared. And some holidays that have a religious basis have become truly popular. It is to these that the Christmas celebrations that take place from January 7 (Christmas) to January 19 (Epiphany) should be attributed.

At Christmas time, young people went from house to house with performances, other groups of guys and girls caroled, girls and young women guessed in the evenings. Be sure all the villagers participated in the preparations for the holidays. Cattle were slaughtered and special dishes were prepared. On Christmas Eve, January 6, the evening before Christmas, they cooked uzvar, a sweet compote with rice, cooked cheesecakes and pies, sochevo, a special dish of cabbage with grain.

Young people sang special humorous carols, asked for treats, jokingly threatened:

"If you don't give me a pie, we'll bring the cow by the horns."

If treats were not given, then they could play a trick: close the pipe, destroy the pile of firewood, freeze the door. But that was rare. It was believed, and still is considered, that generosity, songs with wishes of happiness and prosperity, and grain brought into the house by guests bring happiness to the house for the whole new year, relieve illness and misfortune. Therefore, everyone tried to treat the visitors to their heart's content and distribute generous gifts to them.

Young girls most often guessed at fate, at suitors. The most daring fortune-tellers in the bath with a mirror by candlelight, although this was considered very dangerous, because in the bath they removed the cross from themselves. The girls brought armfuls of firewood into the house, according to the number of logs, even or odd, it was possible to say whether or not she would get married this year. They fed the chicken with counted grain, drowned the wax and considered what he predicts for them.

family rituals

Perhaps most of the rituals and traditions are connected with family life. Matchmaking, weddings, christenings - all this required the observance of ancient rituals that came from grandmothers and great-grandmothers, and their exact observance promised a happy family life, healthy children and grandchildren.

The Slavs used to live in large families, where adult children who already had their own families lived with their parents. In such families, three or four generations could be observed, families included up to twenty people. The elder of such a large family was usually the father or elder brother, and his wife was the head of the women. Their orders were carried out unquestioningly along with the laws of the government.

Weddings were usually celebrated after the harvest or after Epiphany. Later, the most successful time for weddings was Krasnaya Gorka - a week after Easter. The wedding ceremony itself took a rather long period of time and included several stages, and hence a large number of rituals.

The bridegroom's parents came to woo the bride together with godparents, less often other close relatives. The conversation had to start allegorically:

“You have goods, we have a merchant” or “Did a heifer run into your yard, we came for it.”

If the bride's parents agreed, it was necessary to hold a bridegroom where the bride and groom would get to know each other. Then there will be collusion or handshake. Here, new relatives agree on the wedding day, dowry, and what gifts the groom will bring to the bride.

When everything was discussed, her bridesmaids gathered at the bride’s house every evening and helped prepare the dowry: they wove, sewed, knitted lace, embroidered gifts for the groom. All girl gatherings were accompanied by sad songs, because no one knew what fate the girl would have. In the house of her husband, a woman was expected to work hard and complete submission to the will of her husband. On the first day of the wedding, the songs sounded mainly lyrical, majestic, farewell laments. Upon arrival from the church, the parents met the young on the porch with bread and salt, and the mother-in-law had to put a spoonful of honey in her new daughter-in-law's mouth.

The second day is completely different. On this day, according to custom, the son-in-law and his friends went "to the mother-in-law for pancakes." After a good feast, the guests dressed up, covered their faces with bandages or linens and drove around the village, visiting all the new relatives. This custom is still preserved in many villages, where on the second day of the wedding, costumed guests harness themselves to the cart and roll new matchmakers through the streets.

And, of course, speaking of customs, one cannot skip the rite of baptism of an infant. Children were baptized immediately after birth. To perform the ceremony, they conferred for a long time, choosing godparents. They will be the second parents for the child and, along with them, are responsible for the life, health and upbringing of the baby. Godparents become godfathers and maintain friendly relations with each other all their lives.

When the child turned a year old, the godmother would put him on a turned-out sheepskin coat and carefully cut out a cross in his hair with scissors on the top of his head. This was done so that the evil spirits did not have access to his thoughts and further actions.

On Christmas Eve, the grown-up godson always brought kutya and other treats to the godfather, and the godfather presents him with some sweets in return.

mixed rites

As we have already said, some rituals originated in the pre-Christian period, but continue to live to this day, having slightly changed their appearance. So it was with Shrovetide. The rite is widely known - the celebration of the night on Ivan Kupala. It was believed that only on this one day of the year the fern blooms. Whoever can find this flower that cannot be handed over will be able to see the treasures underground, and all secrets will be revealed before him. But only a person who is pure in heart, without sin, can find it.

In the evening, huge bonfires were lit, over which young people jumped in pairs. It was believed that if the two of you, holding hands, jump over the fire, then love will not leave you for the rest of your life. They danced and sang songs. The girls wove wreaths and floated on the water. They believed that if the wreath swims to the shore, then the girl will remain single for another year, if she drowns, she will die this year, and if she goes with the flow, she will soon get married.

Family rituals and traditions are in every family. And if you think that you do not have them, you are deeply mistaken. For example, the daily "Good morning!" or a good night wish can be safely called a tradition. And if you have a rule, for example, to gather with grandparents every Christmas or Easter, or, as in our family, traditionally fry barbecue on May 1 and 9, then this is a real family tradition.

Why are family rituals necessary? What can they give children? Agree that recently the concept of “family” has a slightly different meaning than before. Many couples believe that the main task of the family is to give birth to children, feed them, clothe them, give them a normal education (by the way, not everyone thinks about education, unfortunately). But a real family is not just living under the same roof and fulfilling the duties of parents. A real family, as one popular definition says, is “an association of people based on marriage or blood relationship, and connected by a common life, mutual moral responsibility and mutual assistance.”

Simply put, these are not just relatives living together under the same roof, these are people who help and love each other, support, rejoice and grieve together . They are together, but at the same time respect each other's opinions and interests. And they definitely have something more that unites them into one. And it's not a stamp in the passport. It is precisely this “something” that is family rituals (traditions).

In your memory, for sure, there are warm memories from childhood, in which you decorate the Christmas tree with the whole family or gather as a big family to celebrate some significant events together with grandparents, uncles and aunts. Such memories always warm the soul, because they are bright and pleasant. And you and I must make sure that our children, when they grow up and become adults, remember their childhood with the same warmth and love. .

Why are family rituals necessary?

What is the meaning of these traditions? What can they give children? How important are they for the full development of the child? Let's try to understand this topic. In my opinion, family traditions must be in every family.

In our family, there are several obligatory traditions that we always observe:

• Celebration of the new year exclusively at home.
• For each family member's birthday, I bake their favorite cake.
• On Victory Day, we always go to the parade, congratulate veterans, and then fry barbecue at home.
• On holidays we give gifts to all family members.
• For the new year also for pets.
• Recently we have another tradition : Celebrate September 1st and the last call at the end of the school year with our child's favorite meals.

In addition, there are a lot of everyday rituals that are so tightly integrated into our lives that we take them for granted. For example, kissing when meeting or saying goodbye, calling grandparents in the evening, wishing everyone a good day in the morning, having dinner with the whole family, before going to bed no one goes to bed until they wish the rest good night and kiss, etc. There are actually a lot of them. But the main question is: do these rituals really matter and affect the state of the family and its members? Psychologists assure that yes, family traditions are necessary and very important, especially for children. .

Because:

1. They contribute to the harmonious development of the child. . Because traditions are the regular repetition of the same actions, and, therefore, constancy. For children, such stability of actions is very important, it is thanks to it that the child eventually ceases to be afraid of the incomprehensible and frightening surrounding big world. And really, why be afraid if everything is stable and understandable, and most importantly, parents are nearby? In addition, family rituals help the child to see in parents not only strict mentors and educators, but also friends with whom you can have fun.
2. Adults need family rituals to feel unity with the family. They strengthen relationships and bring them closer. After all, most often in such joint moments, an adult relaxes and experiences the most positive emotions.
3. Cultural enrichment of the family . Tradition becomes not a combination of individual selves, but a full-fledged unit of society called the “family”, and this is important not only for the family itself, but also for the cultural heritage of the whole society.

From the foregoing, the conclusion suggests itself: family rituals are necessary and very important. As it turned out, not only for children, but also for adults. If your family does not yet have traditions, then you should think about creating them.

General and special family rituals

I bring to your attention the most popular (common) traditions that most families have:

• Celebration of family holidays (birthdays, wedding days and other holidays specific to your family).
• Distribution of household duties (cleaning, washing, putting things in order and putting things in their places, etc.), such a tradition will accustom the child to order, plus teach him to take care of others.
• Joint games with children with the participation of adults (well, can there be anything more unifying than having fun together?!), such games bring the child very close to the parents and make their relationship strong and trusting.
• Family dinner (breakfast, lunch - it doesn’t matter, the main thing is that at least once a day all family members gather at the same table).
• family council on which important issues or controversial (conflict) situations are discussed, plans are made, the family budget is planned (it is important to involve children in such a discussion in order to teach them responsibility).
• The "carrot and stick" tradition . Every family should have its own rules about what can and cannot be done and how to punish someone who breaks these rules. Encouragement for compliance with the rules should also be stipulated. Some parents encourage the child with money, some - going to the movies or rides. The main thing is not to overdo it, so that excessive demands do not make the child angry and envious.
• Traditions of greeting and farewell (I already wrote about them above using the example of my family).
• Days of Remembrance of the Dead relatives and friends.
• Joint cultural events (trips to the circus, cinema, theater, joint recreation and travel).

In addition to these traditions, there are also special traditions that are inherent in a particular family. For example, on weekends, send for a picnic (at any time of the year) or watch a movie together on Sunday evening and others.

Family rituals can be conditionally divided into two groups: those that have developed on their own and those that have been consciously created by each family. I suggest that you familiarize yourself with such created unusual traditions, maybe you will like some of them and eventually become your family tradition.

So:

• Joint night fishing for all family members, including mother and girls, if any.
• An evening walk before bed for the whole family. A great tradition, it seems to me, especially in winter. You have to offer to your family.
• Co-cooking Sunday lunch or dinner.
• football day (or any other sport). The whole family puts on sportswear, takes sports equipment and goes to the nearest sports ground to play football (volleyball, tennis, badminton, etc.).
• Quest for the birthday boy . And it doesn’t matter at all whether it’s a child or a grandfather, in the morning the birthday boy receives a card on which he looks for clues leading to his gift (I personally really like this idea, I’ll take note and offer it to my family).
• Family trip to the sea in winter . Believe me, a picnic in the fresh winter air near the sea, and then spending the night in a winter tent will give an unforgettable experience and unite the family.
• Draw postcards for each other . No reason, just like that, from the heart. Or, as an apology, a delinquent family member might draw a card and write to the person they offended: “I'm sorry, I was wrong. I love you very much".
• bedtime story . This does not mean when a mother reads a fairy tale to a child before going to bed, but all family members read in turn, even with a nightlight, so that the atmosphere is more fabulous and mysterious.
• Celebrate the new year every year in different places . If finances allow, then you can start a tradition of meeting in different cities and countries, if not, then it’s enough just to change places, for example, on a city square or on the roof of a high-rise building, or in an elevator. Who has some imagination here?
• Have creative Saturday nights . The whole family gets together and takes turns reading poetry, or telling different stories, or coming up with one big story all together, each line by line. You can also arrange a home performance.
• We speak kind words . Every time before a meal, all family members say pleasant words or compliments to each other.
• Holiday on the train . Some families have a tradition of celebrating all family holidays on the train.

How to create your own family tradition?

To create your own special family tradition, you only need two things: your desire and the consent of all households to it.

The principle of creating a new tradition looks something like this:

• Come up with a tradition . Try to involve all family members in this activity, so you will quickly find exactly what you need.
• Bring it to life, test your idea in practice . The main thing is to saturate it with positive, then with a high probability, everyone will accept this tradition, and will look forward to its repetition.
• Do not implement many different daily rituals at once . In order for your ritual to take root and be accepted by the family, a certain time must pass. You should not turn the whole daily routine into a ritual - leave room for pleasant surprises and surprises!
• Fix the ritual . Repeat it several times so that it is remembered and began to be observed by all households. But do not turn it into an absurdity, if you have come up with, for example, a daily evening walk, and there is a blizzard and minus 20 outside, then it is better to refuse a walk (especially if there are small children in the family). So that later the tradition of being treated by the whole family does not appear☺.

Sometimes it happens that in a newly created family, spouses have different ideas about family rituals. For example, in the bride's family, it was customary to celebrate all the holidays in the family circle, and in the groom's family, the holidays were celebrated in a close family circle, and not all of them. What to do in this case? The answer is simple - seek a compromise. Calmly discuss the problem that has arisen and come up with a new (own) tradition that will suit both spouses.