Thanksgiving: how harvest festivals are celebrated in different countries. Autumn rituals and customs Autumn gifts in different countries

Photo 1 of 1

Russia

According to the old calendar, the beginning of autumn fell on September 14th. The First Ecumenical Council (325) established this day as the beginning of the year. According to Orthodox tradition, the world was created in September.

Osenins - the first meeting of autumn. On this day, it was supposed to “wipe out” the “new” fire with the help of two planks, and with this pure fire to start sittings, or gatherings. From that day on, in Rus', they began to celebrate autumn weddings (until November 15), moved to new homes, carried out the rite of “monastic vows” (initiation) of boys who had reached the age of seven, into youth, marking their new role in the community.

On the festive day of the first Osenins, an ancient amusing rite of burial of flies and cockroaches, annoying inhabitants of the Russian summer, was timed. September 14 is the beginning of the Indian summer, which lasts up to three weeks in some areas. They noticed: if Semyon is a clear day, then the whole Indian summer will be warm, and a warm winter must be expected.

September 14 is the day of Seeds of the Pilot. Simeon the Stylite (5th century) became famous as a man of a selfless lifestyle. In the history of mankind, he discovered a new kind of asceticism. Wanting to test his spiritual strength, faith in God, he built a 4-meter-high pillar on the mountain with a platform at the top, surrounded it with a wall, and read sermons to numerous pilgrims from this “mountainous” place. Then Simeon settled on a pillar in a small cell, indulging in intense prayer and fasting. Gradually, he increased the height of the pillar on which he stood. His last pillar was 40 cubits (16 meters) high. He spent 80 years in enhanced monastic deeds, of which 47 stood on a pillar. His life was well known in Rus', they learned from him to endure in the name of a holy cause the numerous difficulties of human existence. According to an ancient tradition, it was believed that on this day it is necessary to do charitable deeds, to be merciful. In Muscovite Rus', not a single beggar was left without abundant alms on this day, even prisoners in dungeons were presented with gifts.

Western Europe

September 29 - Mikel's Day (among different peoples of Europe - Michel or Mattis) - a holiday on the occasion of the end of all summer-autumn work, this is the day of bazaars and trade. According to church legend, Mikel (Archangel Michael) is a commander, a fighter against evil, evil forces.

If the night is frosty on September 29, then the winter will be frosty. If the foliage on the trees keeps until the day of Mikel, then there will be a cold spring. If on this day the weather is good and sunny, then the summer of next year will also be good.

In Holland, there was a way to predict the future exactly on September 29 using oak ink nuts. On the day of Mikel, they opened nuts and guessed from their contents: if they are full and healthy inside, then we can expect a good harvest of all the fruits of the earth; if the nuts inside are wet and dirty, next year will be raw; if the nuts are dry and skinny, a hot and dry summer is ahead; if there are few oak nuts at all, then this is a harbinger of an early and snowy winter.

Korea

From September 24 to 26, Korea celebrates harvest day - Chuseok (Chusok). In honor of the harvest, thanksgiving celebrations are held. On this day, Koreans present food prepared from newly harvested grains and fruits from the new harvest to their ancestors. On this day, they also cook and eat "songpyeong" - "tteok" rice cakes in the form of a crescent.

China

On the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar (September or October), the “Mid-Autumn Festival” (“Zhongqiujie”) is held, essentially the “Harvest Festival”. On this holiday, Chinese women worshiped the full moon, symbolizing family well-being and prosperity. An integral attribute of Zhongqiujie are "moon cakes" - "yuebing", which are baked from wheat flour with various fillings (it is different in different parts of China). It is customary to give cakes to friends, acquaintances and relatives. Not only the taste of the cake is appreciated, but also its external design. Many of them resemble Russian printed gingerbread. Interestingly, their packaging is sometimes O it is more than the cakes themselves.

Based on materials from www.prazdniki.ru, www.prazdnik.by, www.calendar.rin.ru.

Subscribe to our telegram and be aware of all the latest and most current news!

India

Onam(Thiru-onam) - the harvest festival in India - is celebrated in late August - early September, on the day when Chandra [Moon] passes the Shravan nakshatra.

Onam is celebrated as the day of Mahabali's return from exile. On this auspicious day, King Maha Bali visits his kingdom and his people again. The whole state is alive with festivities and energy. This is a time of ceremonies, celebrations and joy, fun and sports.

Onam is often referred to as Kerala's folk harvest festival. It celebrates the bounty of nature and the year of a good harvest. Ten days of feasting, songs and dances.

The festival begins ten days in advance and flower garlands (Pukkalam) decorate every home. Elephants dressed up in a spectacular procession, fireworks and Katakali dances are an integral part of the festivities.

The beauty of floral decorations, melodies and songs of Onam, the grace of traditional dances characterize the celebration of the golden era of King Maha Bali, under whose rule there was prosperity.

Vallamkali (boat racing) is one of the main events of Onam. Hundreds of rowers sit in a row in huge and beautiful boats (odi) with scarlet silk umbrellas. Their number shows the wealth of the family or village that owns the boat. The oars of each boat are lowered to the rhythm of the drums.

At Aranmulla, where the temple of Krishna and Arjuna is located, thousands of people gather on the banks of the Pamba River to witness the spectacular "Snake Boat" races. About 30 boats participate in the festival. The boats belong to the villages near the river from the hills of the plains for 40 kilometers and are driven by rowers dressed in white clothes.

Singing traditional songs, the rowers of the boats lower their oars into the water to the rhythm of the songs. They drive their boats like a fish moves in a river. Although they seem to compete, this festival is more of a visual enchanting performance for the audience.

By the eve of Onam, boats float down from Katurman, accompanied by the sound of shells, music and drums, and burning torches. A colorful boat festival is held in Utruttati - the fifth day after Thiru-onam.

Each boat belongs to a village on the banks of the Pamba River and is revered like a Devata. You can even enter the boat only barefoot. Every year the boat is oiled with coconut oil and coal. The black compound keeps the wood strong and the boat glides well in the water. Every year the boat is lovingly repaired by the village carpenter and the people are proud of their boat, which represents their village and is named after it.

Traditionally, the Nambudiri Brahmin controls the rudder of the boat, which is approximately 4 meters long. Four rowers provide the movement of the boat. And instantly the boat can turn only by turning the rudder. Everyone - a carpenter, a hairdresser, a jeweler, a blacksmith, a peasant - has a place in the boat. And in close harmony and synchrony they row with oars. A flamboyant procession with beautifully decorated elephants departs from Trichur.

legends

Many years ago, a boat loaded with food was going down the river. Suddenly she rolled over.
The spiritual head Bhattatiripad considered this to be a bad omen and went to the bank of the river. There he saw a hut in which a dim light burned.

Entering the house, he heard the cry of a poor widow and saw children sleeping on the kitchen floor.
The widow told the Nambudiri Brahmin that they did not have any food and that her children were fast asleep.
The Nambudiri Brahmin brought food and gave it to a poor family.
This long tradition has been going on for years among the landowners and the spiritual heads of the villages to feed the poor people before the holiday. Feeding the poor is considered a service to God.

The second legend about the festival of Onam is mentioned in the stories of King Mahabali, the emperor of the asuras.

The people of his kingdom were very happy and contented during his reign, a golden era. When Mahabali ruled his kingdom, all people were equal, they lived a happy life and no one was in distress. There was no dishonesty, no deceit, no lies in words, no injustice. Perfect harmony reigned in society and it was a time of perfect well-being.

But the gods became jealous of the king and asked the ruler Vishnu to take his kingdom. Vishnu, disguised as the dwarf Brahmin Vamana, asked the king for three paces of land, which the king readily agreed to give. Then Vishnu threw off his disguise and passed the Earth and the Sky in two steps. For the third step, King Mahabali offered his head. However, before placing his foot on Mahabali's head, Lord Vishnu granted the king's last wish that he be able to visit his kingdom once every year.

Since then, people have been waiting and welcoming Mahabali to his kingdom that Onam is celebrated with great joy and merriment.

Holiday preparations

Preparations for the celebration begin ten days in advance - a flower decoration is made in the front yard of the house. Women decorate the entrances to their houses to welcome Mahabali. Murti Trikkakkara-Appana, made of clay, is placed in the middle of the flowers.
On the day of Onam itself, each person takes a bath early in the morning and visits the temple.
Gifts are given to younger members of the family.
Then Onam's feast begins with delicious food served on plantain leaves.
Relatives who live far from their native places visit their family home to celebrate Onam in the company of their relatives, friends and loved ones.

Keralites (Kerala residents) celebrate Onam by organizing community dinners, cultural programs and so on.

After dinner, there are sports and games for men and women of all ages. Comic wrestling, ball games, chess are the favorite pastimes of men, while women find pleasure in folk games (Unjalattom, Tumbitullal, Thiruvatirakalim, Kaikottikali and others). Boat racing (regatta) attracts thousands of people, including tourists from other countries.

Every year in August, the Scottish capital turns into the European capital of festivals and creativity. The International Festival in Edinburgh is more than three hundred thousand people who came to watch theatrical performances, exhibitions of artists, listen to concerts. City streets become a stage for unknown artists performing in various genres. Each of them expects to attract the attention of famous directors and producers. An alternative program of performances that goes beyond the festival has long been an integral part of it.

A festive military parade takes place every evening on the square in front of the castle. It has already become a tradition at the festival. Very bright performances of national Scottish kilt skirts are carried out by pipers from all countries. To view it, places for spectators are erected near the square.

Holidays in Bulgaria

The traditional and festive events of the Bulgarians consist of old national, religious and family holidays, and new customs that have appeared during the years of communism. The traditions of the people can be assessed by their appearance, dances and songs, magical actions that always accompany weddings, dances on fading coals, ritual scenes during Shrovetide.

Orthodox holidays were not welcomed by the communist government. They began to be celebrated again only in 1990. The official holidays in Bulgaria are the New Year, the Day of the country's liberation from the Turkish yoke (celebrated on March 3), the holiday of the unification of Bulgaria (celebrated on September 6), World Labor Day (celebrated on May 1), the holiday of Slavic writing (traditionally celebrated on May 24 ), wine growers' day (February 14), the holiday of all students (December 8), December 25 is celebrated as Catholic Christmas.

Constitution Day - Spain

Spain has its own constitution relatively recently. The adoption of democratic theses after forty years of dictatorship opened a new stage in the history of Spain. On December 6, 1978, the Spaniards held a referendum on the adoption of the country's constitution. About 18 million out of 27 million citizens took part in the voting, of which about one and a half million were against, and another part of the ballots were spoiled and became invalid.

Constitution Day is a public holiday and an official holiday. On this day, the Congress of Deputies always holds an open day so that anyone can go to the Lower House of Parliament and see its work.

Italy - Holiday of equestrian competitions

The Palio equestrian day is held twice a year: in early July and mid-August, in the main square called Piazza del Campo in the small town of Siena, near Florence.

On weekends in Siena, long before the Palio is celebrated, a group of drummers starts touring. Their sounds tell all residents that a holiday is approaching, and tourists who are unaware of this are quickly introduced to this custom.

The history of the holiday has been going on for a thousand years, during which time it has made it world famous. During the days of celebration, tourists from all over the world come to the small town of Siena, dreaming of watching the incomparable and short-lived competitions of horse riders, each representing their own district of Siena. The most interesting thing is that the horse that accidentally loses its rider along the way can bring victory.

Epiphany, or the Baptism of the Lord, is celebrated on January 6th. This holiday is officially fixed by the decree of the President of the Republic.

On this day, a fabulous atmosphere reigns in all cities of the country. The good sorceress Befana is an ancient symbol of this holiday. Her image has been preserved since the pre-Christian era. However, the tradition is purely Christian in nature. Befana gives gifts to children in the same way as the wise Magi once brought their gifts to the newborn Jesus.

Usually on Epiphany night, a good witch flies on a broomstick through a chimney into the house, and puts a gift in stockings for each baby. Good guys - sweet candy, beautiful candles, something sweet, and bad and naughty leaves black coals, which are colored sugar. Outwardly, this sugar really looks like coal. These things can be bought at any store.

In Rome, a one-day fair is held on Epiphany, where you can buy sweets and souvenirs. A beautiful holiday camp is being built in the center of the capital. In Venice, a procession of boats is held along the city's many canals.

Summer Solstice - Latvia

All Latvia for two days - June 23 and 24 - celebrates the day of Ligo, the summer solstice. This holiday is similar to Midsummer Day in some other countries.

The traditions of the holiday are very similar to the celebration of Ivan Kupala Day. In Latvia, this is officially a weekend throughout the country, and is the brightest holiday in the country. Ligo is celebrated more strongly than the New Year. Therefore, the main holiday does not take place at night from December 31 to January 1, but in June. Ligo is such an unforgettable holiday in Latvia, like the Brazilian carnival, European Christmas or Russian New Year.

In all companies, it is customary to congratulate customers on this day. To do this, posters are hung, videos are broadcast, postcards are sent. They broadcast congratulations to each other on the radio and talk about the process of preparing for the holiday. Various performances and concerts are being prepared. All cases are transferred to the days following the holiday. As a rule, holidays begin from this moment, and you can forget about normal work in Latvia until autumn.

Among people, this holiday is also called the day of love. People walk in every city. Songs, dances, beer by the river, guys give bouquets of flowers to girls. In any house it is customary to treat guests with delicious beer. You can’t refuse - you can offend the owners. At the end of the holiday, at night, they drink a lot, sing songs to the League, dance and jump over the fire.

The Ligo holiday is the name day of the Janis and Lig. In Latvia, it is customary to celebrate name days much more than people's birthdays. On this day, birthday people put on wreaths of oak leaves and prepare to receive congratulations.

Sinterklaas Holiday - Netherlands

This holiday is also known as Saint Nicholas Day. Dutch children love to celebrate it very much. It is celebrated on December 6th. The night before, it is customary to give each other beautifully wrapped gifts. This is usually accompanied by reading poems about the addressee, allegedly written by Santa Claus. The city of Amsterdam was built in honor of Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas).

According to Dutch myths, Sinterklaas is a close relative of Santa Claus. In ancient times, Dutch customs were transferred to America, and have changed a lot in recent times. The first settlers of the city of New Amsterdam (in the future New York) “brought” St. Nicholas here with them, who protected them from various bad weather. Gradually, the Saint transformed into Santa Claus in his new homeland, absorbing some elements of other cultures. During World War II, American soldiers made Santa Claus the symbol of Christmas in Europe, where many continued to celebrate Saint Nicholas Day. Thus, there were two grandfathers with a beard and a bag of gifts. So, the American Santa is the same Dutch Sinterklaas, or St. Nicholas.

People's Army Day - Poland

In 1920, the Red Army and the Polish Army fought near Warsaw. The battle was between the army of the Western Front (commander M.N. Tukhachevsky) and the Polish army of the Middle Front (commanded by Marshal Yu Pilsudski) and the Northern Front (under the command of General Yu. Galler). The battle lasted three days, from 13 August.

On the day of the church feast of the Assumption (celebrated on August 15), Warsaw residents held a religious procession, praying to the Mother of God with a request to ward off the enemy invasion from them. And on the same day, the Polish army threw back the Red Army from Warsaw. And the very next day, August 16, the Poles went on the attack.

August 15 is considered a public holiday in Poland. All institutions are closed, and a military parade is being held on the central Warsaw Square. Speech is given at rallies, concerts are held, films are watched, and various exhibitions are held. During the holiday, there are festivities, and prayers with gratitude, theatrical performances and dances.

Valentine's Day - Czech Republic

February 14 is not an ordinary day. This is the day of all lovers, their patron Saint Valentine has always been considered. According to tradition, Valentine was a Roman priest in the 3rd century. Once he fell in love with a blind girl and with the help of prayers he cured her of her blindness. But he was considered a sorcerer and ordered to be executed. In memory of him, all Christians celebrate this day as a holiday of love. Men give women flowers and postcards - "Valentines".

For many Czechs, the patron of all lovers is the poet Karel Gynek Macha. He was buried in one of the local cemeteries. It is symbolic that in the cathedral, which is located next to the cemetery, the remains of St. Valentine were discovered several years ago.

Sabantuy is a national Tatar holiday, which is celebrated after the completion of all spring work in the fields. It is also called the plow holiday, this is the most famous holiday among the Tatars. According to tradition, on this day it is supposed to sacrifice a mare, cow, or ram. Everyone invites guests from neighboring villages, before or after a hearty meal, wrestling, horse racing, runner competitions, and so on were always arranged. All festive actions were accompanied by prayers in cemeteries.

Since 2004, an embroidered snow-white towel with a red pattern at the end, which is tied around a pole, has become a traditional symbol of Sabantuy.

Concerts of masters of arts and amateur performances are held at specially organized venues for the holiday, various national dishes and handicrafts are sold.

The ram traditionally becomes the main prize of Sabantuy. It is received by the winner in the national wrestling kuresh.

Sabantuy is arranged in most regions of Russia, as well as in some other countries. The main assistance in organizing the holiday is provided by the government of the Republic of Tatarstan.

At one time, this holiday had a political connotation. At the end of the 19th century, the communist Clara Zetkin invited women around the world to unite in their struggle for equal rights with men. In 1907, the first meeting of socialist women from all over the world took place. It was decided to create a single international organization to coordinate the women's movement. The headquarters of the movement is located in Stuttgart. Members of this organization called themselves feminists and began to publish a magazine called "Equality".

On March 8, 1910, the Second Conference was held, at which Clara Zetkin proposed to arrange an annual Day for all the women of the world in the struggle for equal rights with men.

All over the world, the International Day of Women Fighting for Equal Rights with Men has been celebrated since 1911. In Russia, until 1913, women could not celebrate their day, as the police carefully monitored the revolutionaries.

In our time, this day is considered a holiday of spring and paying attention to women, and no longer has the same goals that it used to.

Winter houses in Japan are built of snow, not ice. They even have lighting - beautiful holiday candles. Building a snow house is much easier than building an ice palace. Small briquettes are made from snow, placed on top of each other, and thus walls and a roof are obtained. Looking at these houses is very modest, but at the same time you can stay in them for a long time, since they put a brazier in the middle of the room, from which heat comes.

They build snow houses and live in them - only children. They bring drinks and food to their snow houses in advance. The guys arrange trips to visit each other, with gifts, or just to see who settled down how. Adults are allowed to visit the children for a short time. But there is a condition - they must bring a gift to the owner of the snow house.

Snow festivals are also held in the homeland of the Snow Queen in Finland. In 1997, the largest snow house was built in the Finnish city of Kemi. Snow for him was hardly collected all over the country, although in Finland it is always in abundance.

The palace even has its own chapel where services are held for Lutherans and Orthodox.

This holiday comes right after the Chinese New Year. It usually starts by the evening of the 13th day and ends by the 17th day after the celebration of the New Year. At this time, China is buried in lights. They decorate absolutely everything - houses, temples, palaces, cities, roads .... Even large ships are decorated with lanterns.

Residents try to make the most beautiful lanterns. Lanterns are made of various types and shapes - both in the form of a vase of fruit, and in the form of butterflies, animals and fish. Also, lanterns can be in the form of modern technology - cars, aircraft, computers, and so on.

Some people show simply miracles of imagination, making lanterns out of ice. To do this, a human figure is cut out of ice blocks, and a lit candle is usually placed in its upper part.

With the onset of evening, Chinese people go out into the street, showing everyone their lanterns and comparing them with others. Children dress up in various costumes, make noise and run through the streets, scaring and entertaining adults.

Large cities also hold a festive procession with a large dragon lantern, more than thirty feet long. The dragon's body is brightly illuminated by many light bulbs, it has golden eyes, silvery horns and a long green beard.

At the beginning of the procession, a large bright round lantern is carried; a dragon is already moving behind this lantern. The ball means the sun, and the dragon itself means clouds and rain. If you work out clearly all the actions to move the dragon, then the audience themselves get the feeling that the dragon is moving by itself and is ready to take off into the sky.

The Fisherman's Festival takes place annually in February in the small Nigerian town of Argungu on the Rima River.

In ancient times, the Keba and Fulani tribes lived in these places, constantly at enmity with each other because of the most fishy places on the river. Once the leaders of the tribe decided to finally stop all the bloody battles. They settled all conflicts and ordered their people to live in peace and harmony. To consolidate this wonderful event, it was decided to organize the first fishing competition. In the future, they began to hold this holiday every year.

Fishing holiday has long become a national holiday. Fishermen come to Argunga from all over Nigeria and other countries. They fish not only in teams, but also alone.

During the holiday, exhibitions of various products of local craftsmen are traditionally arranged. There are competitions in strength sports between local strongmen. Various dances are held, each village presents its own kind of dance. During the dance, the drum beats, as if telling the participants how to move, at what pace, and so on.

The competition of fishermen rightfully remains the finale of the festival. According to the rules, the one who catches the heaviest fish wins. Out of habit, she is caught with a net on wooden half-hoops.

The winner is rewarded with a free opportunity to make the Hajj to Mecca, and a certain amount of money. The same gifts and a slightly smaller amount of money are given to the second prize-winner. The rest of the competition participants receive incentive prizes for participation.

Fasnacht Holiday - Switzerland

Switzerland is a country of clear blue lakes and white mountain peaks. In ancient times, the Germanic tribe of the Alemans lived here. It was a very serious people, not fond of jokes and laughter. And it is here that the descendants of this people once a year have a very cheerful carnival - Fasnacht.

This holiday usually takes place in February, before Lent. The word Fasnacht is translated like this - “the night before fasting”.

Traditionally, Fasnacht is held in the ancient city of Basel and lasts three days.

Long before the start of the carnival, active participants are grouped into groups - cliques. The clique spend several months in the parks practicing playing the piccolo flute and the drums. This is the main musical accompaniment of the future carnival.

Costumes are designed throughout the year.

The carnival starts early in the morning, at 4 o'clock. There are 8-10 people in each clique, and they all sing their song. Many Harlequins, Pierrots, Petrushkas entertain the people by playing flutes and drums. Carts with clicks drive through the streets of the city and share oranges and sweets with the townspeople. Couplets on topical topics are heard on every corner. Crowds of people gather to listen to them.

The carnival also provides an opportunity for students to play pranks on their teachers and remain unrecognized at the same time. How nice it is to get an orange in the forehead of a teacher who gave you a deuce in an exam or test!

Forschung Holiday - Austria

In the southeastern part of Austria, almost on the border with Yugoslavia, the Styrian people live. Snow in Styria does not fall every year, but if it does, it melts very quickly. It is customary to celebrate the winter here with the Forshung holiday.

The holiday itself with the presence of mummers and round bread is very similar to Shrovetide among the Slavs. The only difference is that on Maslenitsa the Slavs burned a scarecrow made of straw, while among the Styrians the scarecrow consists of flowers. There are two of them and they are hand in hand. The scarecrows represent a married couple - the Little Man and his Wife. They are drowned in the Aussee lake.

An ancient legend says that a dragon once lived in the lake. And it was customary to sacrifice the most beautiful girl to him every year. One day, the parents of the only beautiful girl prayed to the dragon and offered to sacrifice themselves instead of her.

The dragon was very touched by such parental care and decided to stop accepting such sacrifices forever. He only asked for flowers to be brought to him, but figurines of people should be made from flowers.

Was there actually a dragon or not, but since the moment of the Forschung holiday in Styria, the onset of spring has traditionally been celebrated.

The mummers take to the streets. Performing dances and waving brooms, they pass through the entire village. Seeing them, Winter gets scared and leaves, and Spring comes to meet them.

The Little Man and the Wife are put on a cart decorated with various flowers and taken to the lake. There, a married couple is festively drowned in water.

Kaziukas Holiday - Lithuania

The calendar spring has already arrived, but winter is not going to leave yet. There is still snow everywhere. But one fine day, Vilnius just begins to be buried in flowers. This is the holiday of Kaziukas. Flowers can be seen everywhere, everyone has a bouquet in their hands.

In the central bazaar of the city, all places are given to flowers on this day. Flowers are whole torches, which are decorated with multi-colored immortelle and oat ears. There are also bouquets even higher than a person, they are called willows.

It is very difficult to make such bouquets. In the spring, gardeners begin to plant immortelle in the ground, and then the blooming flowers must be carefully dried in the shade, otherwise they can crumble in the sun. In summer, willow makers gather various herbs in the meadows and swamps - clover, rye, oats, yarrow. Some of them are dyed with aniline dyes. And by March 4, specialists make various willows, and whole works of art are obtained.

Once upon a time, on March 4, the townspeople celebrated the beginning of work in the fields. This was long before the adoption of Christianity by Lithuania. There was a tradition of decorating the juniper with ribbons of colored material and dry flowers. Thanks to this, today's willows appeared.

Kuomboko Holiday - Africa

This African holiday is so colorful that many tourists from all over the world come to look at it every time. The holiday usually takes place in early March. It is associated with the flooding of the Barotse valley. The rainy season is already coming to an end by this time, and the water level in the valley has not yet reached its peak. When the flood begins in the valley, the villages gradually turn into small islands. Their inhabitants are waiting for a sign from the chief leader to leave the valley. Ku-omboko is a festive migration from the villages in the valley to the villages located on the uplands.

The leader decides to signal the resettlement when the water is already on the way to his hut. In the village they begin to burn bonfires and, heating large drums-tam-toms on them, they beat them all night. In neighboring settlements, having heard the signal, they also begin to burn fires and beat tom-tams. Thus, the signal goes around the entire valley and people, having collected all the property, sail on boats to the leader. By this moment, near the leader's hut, there is already a huge pirogue for the leader himself, and a slightly smaller one for his wife.

The fleet must pass through the flooded valley for about twenty kilometers. But it is not customary to rush on a journey. Usually a stop is made at one of the islands, people rest, and then move on. At the end of the journey, a joyful meeting with relatives awaits them.

In Japan, March 3rd is Girls' Day. Perhaps thanks to him, Japanese children feel a close connection with their family, home, relatives.

There used to be a tradition at the beginning of spring to make the simplest grass dolls and on the day of the holiday put it on a sleeping child. When the baby woke up, the doll was thrown into the water. It was believed that along with the doll all children's problems and sores go away. If there was no reservoir nearby, then the doll was burned on fire. Then all the evil, together with the smoke, flew up to the sky.

Later, dolls for the holiday began to be made from ordinary white paper. Paper dolls were supposed to wipe the child's body. As time went on, dolls began to be made from more complex materials - for example, from clay or wood. It took a lot of time and effort, so gradually they stopped throwing dolls away. They were kept at home.

A respectful attitude towards toys helped the Japanese to come up with a new holiday - the Festival of Dolls. Since the 18th century, this holiday has received the status of a state holiday. And since more girls play with dolls, the holiday got its second name - Girls' Day.

On the eve of the holiday, special puppet fairs are held in parks and shopping centers. There you can buy both a doll and a dowry for it.

In the family where the daughter is growing up, doll exhibitions are organized on this day. All three days since the start of the holiday, the girl has been playing with these dolls. Then the dolls are wrapped in paper and put away in a box until next year. There is a sign that if the dolls are not removed, then the girl will not be able to get married.

Reindeer herder is a very honorable profession among the Khanty, Mansi and Nenets peoples. Although reindeer herders have a very difficult time in spring. Herds of wild deer from the mountains go to the Lena River, where they spend all the summer time. Usually the reindeer scatter, slowly, and often they are joined by domestic reindeer. The wolves also began to attack more often. In general, the life of reindeer herders is not easy.

The festival of reindeer herders is always held with sports competitions in which everyone tries to show their strength, dexterity and skills.

Many reindeer teams come to the place of the holiday in the tundra. Women wear the best outfits - fur coats embroidered with national patterns. The men dressed up too. Reindeer and team are decorated with bells, ribbons and artificial flowers.

And so the reindeer sledge race began. Everyone tries to overtake rivals and become the first. After awarding the winner of the race, the next competition begins. The sledges are placed in one line side by side to each other. The point of the competition is to jump over the largest number of sleds.

During the holiday, experienced reindeer herders compete in skiing, throwing hatchets, and playing round shoes.

At the end of the holiday, the presenter usually announces the winners in all competitions. Local poets are usually included in the crowd of spectators. They compose odes to the victors.

Ever since the first days of the Stone Age, the most favorite time of the year for representatives of Homo sapiens was Autumn! Autumn is the time of harvest, when nature showers humanity with its fruits. Behind the working days in the fields, gardens and vineyards, the bins are full of supplies - how can you not rejoice? And as people's beliefs have not changed over the centuries, harvesting has always been and remains a holiday that exists in any country in the world. Where can you go in the coming days of September to visit the most fun, colorful and generous holidays of the new harvest?

The traditions of celebrating the end of field work in many countries are similar: tying and honoring the last sheaf of bread, tasting wine and grapes, meeting fat herds from summer pastures. And all this on a grand scale and generosity, otherwise do not expect a rich harvest in the new year!

Israel

The festival of Sukkot has several names: "the festival of gathering" (the festival of harvesting) and "the festival of tents" (the festival of tabernacles). The Jewish Feast of Tabernacles begins on the 15th day of the new year (in 2013 it is September 19) and lasts 7 days. The name of the holiday gave the word sukkah(tent, hut, booth). which symbolizes protection and safety under the roof. On this day, a special ceremony is performed - ascension lulava, consisting of 4 plants, each of which symbolizes a certain type of people:

Etrog, with a specific taste and smell, these are those who know the Torah and do good deeds.
The leaf of the date palm, which gives sweet fruits, but without aroma, these are those who know the Torah, but do not do good deeds.
Myrtle, inedible, but with a pleasant aroma, these are people from whom, like a fragrance, good deeds come.
Willow, without taste and smell, these are those who do not know the Torah and do not do good deeds.

All together they are connected so that each one helps another, teaches and takes responsibility for another person.

On the eve of the holiday, special bazaars are organized where you can buy etrogs, lulavs, palm branches for roofing, decorations for the bitch. On the days of the holiday, huts can be seen in every yard, front garden, on a balcony or veranda, in parking lots, even military bases arrange festive sukkahs on this day. Of course, these days, few people live in a hut all 7 days of the holiday, but the whole family will certainly gather in it for dinner. Children love this holiday most of all - for them this is an interesting adventure!

The climax of the holiday comes on the eighth day - Shemini Atzeret("stay on the eighth"). On this day, prayers are offered for rain, on which the new harvest depends.

Korea

Chuseok autumn festival

This holiday, which falls on the full moon, is eagerly awaited by all of Korea. Chuseok is a harvest festival, gratitude to the earth for its bounties, and family day. The holiday lasts three days, while the first and third days are spent on packing and the road. Where is all of Korea going? Everyone longs for their native places, so the highways are full, plane or train tickets are sold out in a few months! On this day, everyone gathers in the homes of their parents, visit the graves of their ancestors. If you want to get to know the culture of Korea, then these days are the best time to get acquainted.

Early in the morning on the day of Chuseok, each family holds a ceremony to worship the spirits of their ancestors, offering them rice, wine, and songpyeon rice cakes from the new harvest. After the ceremony, family members are treated to dishes from the sacrificial table. Then the whole family goes to the graves of their ancestors to put them in order ( polcho), showing deference and respect to the ancestors.

Dancing can be seen at four royal palaces (Gyeongbokgung, Changgyeonggung, Changdeokgung, and Deoksugung), Minseokcheon Village, and Namsan Mountain Traditional Hanok Village kangan sulle take part in wrestling competitions Sirim and visit various performances of the holiday.

Geneva, Switzerland

Young Wine Festival.

The most fun holidays from the "harvest" category are grape holidays. In mid-September, just such a holiday takes place in Geneva, gathering in the village Russin every year since 1963 the best winemakers of Switzerland and thousands of lovers of young wine. From all over Switzerland, 150 varieties of wines are brought here for tasting, the most popular of them are white Chasselas, red AOC Gamay and Must. But not only white wine tasting will attract guests of the holiday: street shows and dances, fruit and flower markets, choral performances and a big ball at the end of the holiday! If you do not have time to taste the white wine of the first extraction in Russin, then hurry to another grape festival - the wine festival Mendrisio Wine Festival in Mendricio, which this year takes place from 27 to 29 September 2013.

England Ireland, Scotland, Austria, Scandinavia

If you find yourself on the day of the autumn equinox in any of these countries, you will certainly get to the holiday! In Scandinavia, on this day they bake a special pie "mikkyelekake" and cook porridge from the grains of the new crop. You can see the processions of shepherds with herds decorated with flowers and ribbons, wagons of cheese and barrels of butter. The holiday is accompanied by feasts, round dances and the collection of acorns, which are used to judge the future harvest.

In England, it is the day of the roast goose, and special cakes in honor of St. Michael, baked from flour ground from a mixture of all types of grain from the new harvest.

In France, the holidays of the last sheaf are held, similar to our carols - with refreshments from the owners.

China

Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiujie)

This is a celebration of the rite of "moon cakes" baked for the goddess of the moon and for oneself. It is also called the Harvest Festival, since the time of its holding coincides with the end of harvesting. This is one of the most solemn and long-awaited holidays. Children are especially waiting for him, because on this day they are entitled to all sorts of concessions.

On this day, the whole family gathers at one table, on which the main dish - "moon gingerbread" - yuebins. Everyone admires the round moon, lighting incense in the house. On the days of the holiday, gingerbread is sold everywhere, surprising with a variety of fillings: fruit, honey, nuts and even meat.

Autumn holidays among the Slavs

Rodogoshch (Tausen)

Harvest holidays among the Slavic peoples have always been special. Harvesting is over, a short time of rest and holidays comes. Rodogoshch, Tausen, Oseniny (which were celebrated three times throughout September) are the most ancient holidays of the Slavic peoples. Rodogoshch (tausen) is a harvest festival that could not do without a honey cake in the growth of a man. As usual, a priest hid behind him and asked if people saw him, and if the answer was positive, he wished that the next harvest would be richer. On this day, they were guessing at the future harvest, telling fortunes over bowls of wine and starting a "feast with a mountain". The history of this expression lies precisely in the tradition of the holiday to put food on the tables in a slide, which melted by the end of the feast. In honor of the holiday, a performance was played out about the Sun and the coming Winter, during which the priest walked barefoot over hot coals.

Autumn or backs

The holiday of Thanksgiving to Mother Earth, fertility and family well-being. First O Seniny fall on September 14, the second - September 21 (the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin) was celebrated especially solemnly, the third falls on September 27.

The meeting of Osenin was celebrated with the renewal of the fire - they extinguished the old fire in the hearths and lit a new one. By this time, the harvest was over, and harvesting in the gardens, harvesting hops, began. In Oseniny, treats were arranged for the whole family: they brewed beer, slaughtered a ram, baked pies from the flour of the new harvest. On this day, they thanked the Mother of God for the patronage of agriculture, the family, and especially mothers.

Golden autumn outside the window itself creates a feeling of the Holiday, well-being and peace. Let's congratulate each other on the Osenins?

Source

Many creative people sang this wonderful time. After all, where else can you see such a variety of colors, if not in autumn? The first month of September is called affectionate, because the weather has not changed much, reminiscent of summer. October always grieves us with rains, many are enveloped in sadness and melancholy. No need to be upset, because the weather is preparing for a long rest. November finally exposes the last trees. At this time, the weather becomes cold and damp, along with the rain, the first snow can fly. But in this gloomy weather, we want to cheer you up with a calendar of all kinds of autumn holidays.

Autumn opens with such a bright holiday as the day of knowledge - September 1, the Day of Moscow and the Day of Oil and Gas Industry Workers.

9th of September- International Beauty Day. Since 1995, in all countries and cities, people have been admiring everything beautiful and wonderful. It is on this day that beauty contests are organized.

September 13- Day of the programmer. This holiday is celebrated on the 256th day of the year. This number was not chosen by chance. After all, using an eight-bit byte, you can express 256 different values.

16 of September- World Day for the Protection of the Ozone Layer. The ozone layer protects our earth from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation. Many scientists are working in this direction.

October opens its gates for us with holidays: International Music Day, World Vegetarian Day, Day of the Ground Forces of the Russian Federation and Day of the Elderly.

October 7th- International Doctor's Day. Despite the fact that the doctor is one of the oldest professions. More than 500 medical workers work in various hot spots of the world. For the first time, Hippocrates himself felt all the hardships of this vocation. This is a very responsible and important profession.

October 13- Day of the worker of agriculture. Since 1999, by decree of the President of the Russian Federation, this day is celebrated not only by workers in agriculture and processing products, but also by those who work and thanks to them we have all the food on our tables.

halloween celebrate October 31. This is the "youngest" holiday, arose recently. It is celebrated on October 31, on the eve of All Saints' Day. Until recently, this holiday was celebrated only in English-speaking countries. But now Halloween paraphernalia has burst into other countries at a rapid pace.

November holidays start from Nov. 1- All Saints Day. This day has always been considered mystical. They thought that on this day magical entities come to the human world, and people can visit another world. It is believed that on this day the souls of the dead return to their homes and demand refreshments.

2 October- International Men's Day. On this day, the organizers of the celebrations try to draw public attention to gender discrimination and inequality between men and women, and also talk about the positive impact of men on raising children.

November 7- Day of consent and reconciliation. After the collapse of the USSR, the public was divided into opponents and adherents of this event. In order to avoid all kinds of troubles and conflicts between people, in 1996 the President of Russia decided to rename the anniversary of the Great October Revolution to the Day of Accord and Reconciliation. Until 2005, this day was a day off, but later November 4, the Day of National Unity, was made a day off.

Since 2005, November 7 has ceased to be a day off - instead, November 4, the Day of National Unity, was "appointed" as a day off.

On this day, for the first time, a computer appeared on the shelves of our stores.

November 17- International student day. On October 28, 1939, in German-occupied Czechoslovakia, students from Prague universities came out to celebrate the birth of the Czechoslovak state. Their demonstration was dispersed, but student Jan Opletal was killed. At his funeral, students again tried to protest, but many were arrested and imprisoned in camps, some were executed. Two years later, a meeting of all the students who fought against Nazism was held in London. It was decided to celebrate this painful date as Student's Day, in honor of all the students who died.

20 November- World Children's Day. The history of the establishment of this holiday begins in 1954. It is dedicated to world brotherhood and mutual understanding of children.

We hope that our little calendar will be useful to you and, opening it someday, you will learn something new for yourself. Let this calendar become a ray of light for you on a rainy day at this not very pleasant and inspiring time. Look, perhaps tomorrow you will have a professional holiday.