For a Russian person, his historical heritage is very important. Russians folk traditions and the customs have been observed for centuries both among and among the townspeople. These include both Christian and pagan rituals that have come into modern life since ancient times. Christianity gave the people Easter and Christmas, paganism is reflected in the Russians’ celebration of Ivan Kupala and Maslenitsa. Christmas carols and wedding customs have also firmly entered modern life.
Traditions are especially observed during the celebration of Easter. Before the onset of this holiday, everyone bakes Easter cakes and paints eggs. Not only believers, but also people far from religion participate in this ritual. At night everyone collects Easter and painted eggs They put all kinds of food prepared for the holiday into baskets and take them to the church. The priest walks around with a bucket and a broom, and, splashing holy water on the food and parishioners, says: “Christ is Risen!”, and all the people echo him: “Truly He is Risen!” This means the joy of the resurrection of Christ, which is celebrated on this day. Then everyone goes to “break their fast,” that is, to eat fast food that could not be eaten during the entire Lent.
In winter, the traditions of the Russian people are especially evident in the celebration. Particularly interesting are the carols that take place on the night of January 7th. People go from house to house, sing songs (carols), and their owners thank and treat them for this. Children especially love this tradition. They take special pleasure in gathering in small groups and going caroling. Before the Christmas holiday, many people buy candy, cookies, and fruit in advance to treat their little guests. They are believed to bring good luck and prosperity to the home.
The traditions of the Russian people are interesting in celebrating the New Year - the favorite holiday of everyone, from young to old. For children, the joy and anticipation of the holiday begins a week before the New Year - on the day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. At night, parents hide gifts that Nikolai allegedly brought them into their children’s boots. When children wake up in the morning, the first thing they do is run to look for gifts, have fun and enjoy the holiday. On New Year It is customary to decorate the Christmas tree with the whole family. At night everyone gathers around the Christmas trees festive table, make wishes, congratulate each other, give gifts.
Russian customs are especially evident in the rite of baptism. Children are usually baptized in infancy. For the child's parents, godmothers and fathers are chosen, who will, along with the baby's parents, be responsible for him and help him throughout his life. Usually godparents and real parents always support warm friendly relations, and godchildren at Christmas bring the so-called “supper” to their godparents. Rolls are wrapped in a scarf, gifts are folded, and the child goes to visit - he brings treats to his family. They treat him in return and give him gifts.
Very beautiful ceremony church wedding which, honoring Russian customs, is performed by newlyweds after marriage. It is believed that after the wedding, when the Lord sanctifies their relationship, the young people will live happily under the auspices of heavenly powers. Before the wedding, the groom “buys” the bride from his relatives, going through a lot of tests that the bridesmaids arrange for him. This ritual seems to show how much the groom values and knows his bride, as well as his desire for marriage. When the newlyweds come home after the wedding, according to tradition, their parents meet them at the door with bread and salt, wishing them happiness and longevity.
The traditions of the Russian people found an interesting manifestation in the celebration of Ivan Kupala. This is an echo of pagan rituals, so beloved among the people. On this day, in the evenings there are dances and dances, people jump over the fire. The bravest of them go in search at night. People believed that whoever finds this color will discover all the happiness of life. Maslenitsa is no less loved by the people. Throughout the week, people bake pancakes, treat each other, ride sleighs and have fist fights. This the last week fun and revelry, because he is following her Lent.
Tradition, custom, ritual are a centuries-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 are still observed today, passed on from grandparents to their grandchildren and great-grandchildren as a memory of their ancestors. In rural areas, traditions are observed more widely than in cities, where people live separately 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 can be calendar, related to field work, family, pre-Christian, the most ancient, religious, which entered our lives with the adoption of Christianity, and some pagan rituals mixed with Orthodox beliefs and were somewhat modified.
Calendar rituals
The Slavs were cattle breeders and farmers. In the pre-Christian period, the pantheon of Slavic gods included several thousand idols. The supreme gods were Svarozhichi, the ancestors of all living things. One of them was Veles, the patron of cattle breeding and agriculture. The Slavs made sacrifices to him before sowing and harvesting. On the first day of sowing, all villagers went out to the field in new, clean shirts with flowers and wreaths. The oldest resident of the village and the smallest one began sowing, and they threw the first grain into the ground.
The harvest was also a holiday. Everyone, even the old and sick, villagers gathered at the border of the field, a sacrifice was made to Veles, most often a large ram, then the strongest and handsome men and young guys with scythes in their hands and simultaneously walked through the first lane. Then the girls and young women, always fast and healthy, tied the sheaves and placed the money. After successful cleaning, a rich table was set for all residents of the village; a large sheaf, decorated with ribbons and flowers, was placed at the head of the table, which was also considered a sacrifice to the god Veles.
Maslenitsa also refers to calendar rituals, although currently it is considered to be semi religious holiday. In ancient times, this ritual invoked Yarilo, the god of the sun and heat, on whom the harvest directly depended. That is why the custom arose on this day to bake pancakes, fatty, rosy, hot as the sun. All people danced in circles, which are also a symbol of the sun, sang songs praising the power and beauty of the sun, and burned an effigy of Maslenitsa.
Today Maslenitsa has abandoned its pagan meaning and is considered almost a religious holiday. Each day of 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 give up meat and dairy foods for seven weeks.
Yuletide rituals
When Christianity was firmly established in Rus', new church holidays appeared. And some holidays that have a religious basis have become truly popular. This is precisely what should be included in the Christmas festivities, which take place from January 7 (Christmas) to January 19 (Epiphany).
On Christmastide, young people went from house to house with performances, other groups of boys and girls caroled, girls and young women told fortunes in the evenings. All village residents were required to participate in preparations for the holidays. They slaughtered livestock and prepared special dishes. On Christmas Eve, January 6, the evening before Christmas, they cooked uzvar, a sweet compote with rice, prepared cheesecakes and pies, sochevo, a special dish of cabbage with grain.
Young people sang special comic carol songs, asked for treats, and jokingly threatened:
“If you don’t give me some pie, we’ll take the cow by the horns.”
If they didn’t give treats, they could play a joke: close the chimney, destroy a woodpile of firewood, freeze the door. But this happened rarely. It was believed, and is still believed, that generous gifts, songs with wishes of happiness and prosperity, and grain brought into the house by guests bring happiness to the house for the entire New Year, and relieve illness and misfortune. Therefore, everyone tried to treat those who came and give them generous gifts.
Young girls most often wondered about their fate, about their suitors. The bravest ones told fortunes in a bathhouse with a mirror by candlelight, although this was considered very dangerous, because in the bathhouse they removed the cross from themselves. The girls brought armfuls of firewood into the house; by the number of logs, even or odd, one could tell whether or not she would get married this year. They fed the chicken with counting grain, melted the wax and looked at what it predicted for them.
Family rituals
Perhaps the most rituals and traditions are associated with family life. Matchmaking, wedding, christening - all this required compliance with ancient rituals that came from grandmothers and great-grandmothers, and their strict observance promised a happy family life, healthy children and grandchildren.
The Slavs used to live 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. Such an elder big family there was usually a father or older 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 “Red Hill” - the week after Easter. Myself wedding ceremony took a fairly long period of time and included several stages, and therefore a large number of rituals.
The groom's parents came to woo the bride together with their godparents, and less often other close relatives. The conversation should have started allegorically:
“You have goods, we have a merchant” or “Didn’t a heifer run into your yard, we came for her.”
If the bride's parents agreed, a viewing party should be held where the bride and groom would get to know each other. Then there will be collusion or handshaking. Here the new relatives agree on the wedding day, the dowry, and what gifts the groom will bring to the bride.
When everything was discussed, her girlfriends gathered at the bride’s house every evening and helped prepare the dowry: they wove, sewed, knitted lace, embroidered gifts for the groom. All girls' get-togethers were accompanied by sad songs, because no one knew what the girl's fate would be. In her husband's house, a woman expected hard work and complete submission to her husband's will. On the first day of the wedding, the songs sounded mainly lyrical, majestic, farewell laments. Upon arrival from church, the newlyweds were greeted on the porch by their parents 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 a completely different matter. On this day, according to custom, the son-in-law and his friends went “to their mother-in-law for pancakes.” After a good feast, the guests dressed up, covered their faces with bandages or canvas, and drove around the village, visiting all their new relatives. This custom is still preserved in many villages, where on the second day of the wedding, the costumed guests themselves harness themselves to the cart and drive the new matchmakers through the streets.
And, of course, speaking of customs, one cannot miss the rite of infant baptism. Children were baptized immediately after birth. To perform the ceremony, they consulted for a long time, choosing godparents. They will be second parents for the child and, equally with them, are responsible for the life, health and upbringing of the baby. Godparents become godfathers and maintain friendly relations with each other throughout their lives.
When the child turned one year old, the godmother sat him on an inside-out sheepskin coat and carefully cut a cross in his hair on the crown of his head with scissors. This was done so that evil spirits would not have access to his thoughts and further actions.
Every year, on Christmas Eve, the grown-up godson always brought the godfather kutya and other treats, and the godfather gave him 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, slightly changing their appearance. It was the same with Maslenitsa. A widely known ritual is the celebration of the night of Ivan Kupala. It was believed that only on this single day of the year does the fern bloom. Whoever can find this flower that cannot be handed over will be able to see the treasures underground, and all the secrets will be revealed to him. But only a person who is pure in heart, sinless, can find it.
In the evening, huge fires 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 throughout your life. They danced in circles and sang songs. The girls wove wreaths and floated them on the water. They believed that if the wreath floated to the shore, the girl would remain alone for another year, if she drowned, she would die this year, and if she floated with the flow, she would soon get married.
Description of the presentation by individual slides:
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Customs, rituals and traditions of the Russian people for organizing work in the direction of “Art + Computer” 1st year. Municipal Autonomous educational institution Additional Children's Education Center children's creativity Prepared by: Additional education teacher Gribova Alena Valerievna Birobidzhan 2014
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Very often, behind the events and the hustle and bustle of the days, we don’t remember our Antiquity, We forget about it. Flights to the Moon have become more familiar to us. Let's remember the old customs! Let's remember our old days!
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Russian people The indigenous area of settlement of the Russian people is the East European Plain. As the lands were developed, the Russians were in close contact with other peoples. Thanks to this, there is a great geographical and historical space united by the concept of Rus' and Russia. Russia is a multinational state, on whose territory more than 180 people live; the importance of this fact is reflected in the preamble to the Constitution of the Russian Federation. But according to the criteria of the United Nations, Russia is a mononational state, since more than 67% of its population is of one nationality, while in official UN documents Russia is a multinational state.
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National culture is the national memory of a people, what distinguishes a given people from others, protects a person from depersonalization, allows him to feel the connection of times and generations, receive spiritual support and support in life. Mentality - every nation has its own unique properties mentality, inherent only to it, depending on the mentality of the nation, traditions, rituals, customs and other components of culture are built. The mentality of the Russian people, of course, is qualitatively different from other nationalities, primarily in its special hospitality, breadth of traditions and other features. “Tradition”, “custom”, “rite” are the most important elements of the culture of every nation; these words are familiar to everyone, evoke certain associations and are usually associated with memories of that “gone Rus'”. The invaluable value of traditions, customs and rituals is that they sacredly preserve and reproduce the spiritual image of a particular people, their unique features, accumulating all the accumulated cultural experience of many generations of people, bringing into our lives the best of the spiritual heritage of the people. Thanks to traditions, customs and rituals, peoples are most different from one another.
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Tradition, custom, ritual are identical concepts in general terms, but have their own characteristic features and characteristics. Tradition is the transmission of customs and rituals from previous generations, aimed at the spiritual world of the individual and serves as a means of reproducing, repeating and consolidating generally accepted public relations not directly, but through the formation of the moral and spiritual image of a person, which develops in accordance with these relationships. (For example: Russian hospitality)
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Custom prescribes more detailed behavior and actions for a person in certain situations. It is not only symbolic, but any generally repeated action established by tradition. (For example: handshakes when meeting close friends or relatives, morning and evening prayers to God, the harmful custom of serving alcohol when meeting relatives, friends and acquaintances).
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The ritual specifies the form of expression of behavior generally accepted in a particular area in a particularly bright moments human life (For example: wedding rituals, baptisms, burials) Rituals were considered just as necessary a component of life as holidays. Ritual culture is order in all its manifestations public life To this case, ritual actions of the people, an ethical code regulating collective moods and emotions.
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The folk calendar in Rus' was called the monthly calendar. The month book covered the entire year of peasant life, “describing” it day by day, month by month, where each day had its own holidays or weekdays, customs and superstitions, traditions and rituals, natural signs and phenomena. The folk calendar is a kind of encyclopedia of peasant life. It includes knowledge of nature, agricultural experience, rituals, norms of social life and is a fusion of pagan and Christian principles, folk Orthodoxy.
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Festive and ritual culture The main winter holidays are two holy weeks (Yuletide): Christmas, New Year (old style) and Epiphany. On holidays, they started magical games, performed symbolic actions with grain, bread, straw (“so that there would be a harvest”), went from house to house to carol, girls told fortunes, and dressing up was an obligatory element of Christmastide.
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Maslenitsa (farewell to winter and welcome to spring) lasted a whole week and starting from Thursday of Maslenitsa week, all work stopped and noisy fun began. We went to visit each other, treated ourselves generously to pancakes, pancakes, pies, and there was drinking. Wide Maslenitsa- Cheese week! You came dressed up to greet us in Spring. We will bake pancakes and have fun all week, To drive the cold winter out of the house! Monday – “Meeting” Tuesday – “Flirting” Wednesday – “Gourmand” Thursday – “Walk” Friday “Evenings at Mother-in-Law’s” Saturday – “Sister-in-Law’s Treats” Sunday – “Forgiveness Day” Magnificent festivities are crowned by the Fair. Goodbye, Maslenitsa, come again!
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Easter (the blossoming of spring, the awakening of life) - religious holiday At Easter, they decorated the house with cut willow, baked rich bread (Easter cakes, Easter cakes), painted eggs (Krashenki), attended church, visited each other, exchanged dyes when they met, made Christ (kissed), greeted each other: “Christ is risen! » - “Truly risen!” Eggs are a symbol of the Sun and the birth of new life. On Easter they danced in circles, walked through the streets, rode on swings, and rolled eggs. After Easter week, on Tuesday they celebrated Parents' Day - they visited cemeteries, brought food to the graves of deceased relatives, including Easter food.
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Semik and Trinity. They were celebrated in the seventh week after Easter (Semik - on Thursday, and Trinity - on Sunday). On Semik, girls went into the forest, wove wreaths from birch branches, sang Trinity songs and threw wreaths into the river. If the wreath sank, it was considered bad omen, if he landed on the shore, it meant that the girl should soon get married. Before that, we brewed beer together and had fun with the guys on the river bank until late at night. Before that, we brewed beer together and had fun with the guys on the river bank until late at night. On Trinity Sunday it was customary to decorate the inside of the house with birch branches. The traditional food was eggs, scrambled eggs and other egg dishes.
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Gatherings (supredki) were held in the autumn-winter period. In the evenings, young people gathered at the lonely elderly woman, girls and young women brought tows and other work - spinning, embroidering, knitting. Here they discussed all sorts of rural affairs, told stories and fairy tales, and sang songs. The guys who came to the party looked after the brides, joked, and had fun.
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Gatherings (round dances, streets) - summer fun young people on the outskirts of the village, on the river bank or near the forest. They wove wreaths of wildflowers, played games, sang and danced, and danced in circles. We stayed late. The main figure was a good local accordion player.
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Russian wedding ceremony. Not only in every village, but even in the city there were their own characteristics, shades of this poetic and at the same time filled with deep meaning action. One can only be amazed at how thoroughly and respectfully our ancestors approached the birth of a new family. The memory of the main moment of their lives remained with the young forever. The young were showered with hops, since hops are ancient symbol fertility and many children. The bride takes her parents' blessing and a dowry chest with her to the groom's house. An ancient custom is the young wife taking off her husband's shoes. The meaning is that in this way the young wife emphasized her submission or consent to the dominance of a man in the family.
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Rite of Baptism The main rite that marked the beginning of a child’s life was his baptism. The ceremony was performed in church or at home. As a rule, the baby was baptized on the third or fortieth day after birth. Parents were not supposed to be present at the baptism; instead, there was a godmother who gave a shirt and Godfather, who was supposed to give the child a pectoral cross
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Riding on a Russian troika Troika, the troika has arrived, The horses in that troika are white. And in the sleigh sits Queen Belokosa, white-faced. As she waved her sleeve - Everything was covered with silver,
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Russian hut A Russian traditional house consists of two parts: a cold part (canopy, cage, basement) and a warm part (where the stove was located). Everything in the house was thought out to the smallest detail and verified over centuries. The house was built from pine. And the roof was covered with straw or aspen planks. The front end of the roof had a ridge - a sign of aspiration. Only the Russians compared the house to a chariot that should lead the family to a better future. The outside of the houses was decorated with carvings. The tradition of using platbands has survived to this day. The owners kept various utensils in the entryway, and in the house itself the so-called “woman’s kut” was clearly visible. Where housewives cooked and did handicrafts.
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No matter the tower or the hut - Gilding and carving. Tower, tower, tower, It is intricate and tall, It has mica windows, All the frames are carved, And on the roof there are golden combs of cockerels. And in the railings on the porch the Master cut out rings, curls and flowers and painted them by hand. There are carved doors in the mansion, Flowers and animals on the doors, Birds of paradise sitting in a row on the tiles on the stove.
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Next to the front room there is a bedroom in the next room, and the bed in it is high, high - up to the ceiling! There are feather beds, blankets, and a lot of pillows, and there stands, covered with a carpet, a chest with the owner's goods.
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Russian stove in the hut There are carved benches on the walls and a carved oak table. Herbs were drying near the stove, they were collected in the spring and an infusion was brewed to drink from the sickness in the winter. The main thing in the house was the stove. The walls are black, smoky, not beautiful from the inside, but did not rot and served good people from the heart. (the stoves were heated black)
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Russian towels A towel is a small towel for wiping hands and face, and was also hung for decoration in the red corner of the hut. A towel is a symbol of home and family. This is not only a towel, but also an object for ceremonies and rituals. A linen towel, embroidered with large roosters along the edges. Fun creation female hands: Two roosters - oblique combs, spurs; They blew the dawn, and flowers were woven around everything and patterns were laid out.
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Russian bathhouse The bathhouse was not only a place for washing, but also a special, almost sacred place. It was believed that the bath unites 4 main natural elements: fire, water, air and earth. Therefore, a person who visited the bathhouse seemed to absorb the power of all these elements and became stronger, stronger and healthier. It’s not for nothing that there was a saying in Rus': “When you wash yourself, it’s as if you were born again!” It is not for nothing that a broom is not only a symbol of a Russian steam bath, its decoration, but also a tool for treating or preventing diseases. Brooms collected from various tree species and medicinal herbs are used to treat a wide variety of diseases and ailments.
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Woman suit: Girl's shirt, festive hats, poneva Men's suit: Shirt, ports, belt, homespun Russian National Costume
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Lapti Lapti are one of the most ancient types of shoes. Bast shoes were woven from the bast of various trees, mainly linden (lychniki), and from bast - linden bast, soaked and torn into fibers (mochalyzhniki). Bast shoes were also made from the bark of willow (verzka), willow (willow), elm (elm), birch (birch bark), oak (oak), from tal (shelyuzhniki), from hemp combs, old ropes (kurpa, krutsy, chuni, sheptuny ), from horsehair - manes and tails - (hairworts), and even from straw (strawmen).
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Russian hospitality Russian hospitality is also an integral part of our cultural traditions. Guests were also always welcome and the last piece was shared with them. No wonder they said: “What is in the oven, swords are on the table!” Guests were greeted with bread and salt. With the words: “Welcome!” The guest breaks off a small piece of bread, dips it in salt and eats. We welcome our dear guests with a lush round loaf. It's on a painted saucer with a snow-white towel! We present the loaf to you, bowing and asking you to taste it!
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Russian feast The Orthodox festive feast has preserved many traditions, customs and rituals since ancient times. All family members and close relatives gathered at the table. Table etiquette was very restrained and strict. They sat decorously at the table, and they tried to have serious and kind conversations. A mandatory element of the holiday is prayer. For many holidays, strictly defined ritual dishes were intended, and they were often prepared only once a year. They knew in advance and waited for stuffed pig, goose or turkey, honey or poppy seed pie, fluffy and rosy pancakes, colored eggs and Easter cakes to be on the table.
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Traditions and customs of the Russian people
Introduction
National culture is the national memory of a people, what distinguishes a given people from others, protects a person from depersonalization, allows him to feel the connection of times and generations, receive spiritual support and support in life.
Both the calendar and human life are associated with folk customs, as well as church sacraments, rituals and holidays.
In Rus', the calendar was called a monthly calendar. The month book covered the entire year of peasant life, “describing” day by day, month after month, where each day had its own holidays or weekdays, customs and superstitions, traditions and rituals, natural signs and phenomena.
The folk calendar was an agricultural calendar, which was reflected in the names of the months, folk signs, rituals and customs. Even the determination of the timing and duration of the seasons is associated with real climatic conditions. Hence the discrepancy in the names of the months in different areas. For example, both October and November can be called leaf fall.
The folk calendar is a kind of encyclopedia of peasant life with its holidays and everyday life. It includes knowledge of nature, agricultural experience, rituals, and norms of social life.
The folk calendar is a fusion of pagan and Christian principles, folk Orthodoxy. With the establishment of Christianity, pagan holidays were prohibited, received a new interpretation, or were moved from their time. In addition to those assigned to certain dates in the calendar, movable holidays of the Easter cycle appeared.
Rituals dedicated to major holidays included a large number of different works of folk art: songs, sentences, round dances, games, dances, dramatic scenes, masks, folk costumes, and unique props.
MASLENITSA
What did you do on Maslenitsa?
A significant part of the customs for Maslenitsa, one way or another, was connected with the theme of family and marriage relations: newlyweds who got married during the past year were honored at Maslenitsa. The young people were given a kind of parade in the village: they were placed at the gate posts and forced to kiss in front of everyone, they were “buried” in the snow or showered with snow. They were also subjected to other tests: when the young people were riding in a sleigh through the village, they were stopped and thrown with old bast shoes or straw, and sometimes they were given a “kissing party” or “kissing party” - when fellow villagers could come to the house of the young people and kiss the young woman. The newlyweds were taken for rides around the village, but if they received a bad treat for this, they could take the newlyweds for a ride not in a sleigh, but on a harrow. Maslenitsa week also took place in mutual visits of two recently intermarried families.
This theme is also reflected in specific Maslenitsa customs dedicated to the punishment of boys and girls who did not get married during the past year (in fact, who did not fulfill their life purpose). Similar rituals became widespread in Ukraine and in Slavic Catholic traditions. For example, in Ukraine and in the southern Russian regions, the most famous custom was “pulling”, or “tying” a block, when a guy or girl was tied to a “block” - a piece of wood, a branch, a ribbon, etc. - and forced to walk with it for some time. To untie the block, the punished were paid off with money or treats.
Among the various Maslenitsa customs, a prominent place is occupied by rituals related to economic affairs and, in particular, magical actions aimed at enhancing the growth of cultivated plants. For example, in order for flax and hemp to grow “LONG” (HIGH), in Russia women rode down the mountains, trying to go as far as possible, and also fought, sang loudly, etc. In some places in Ukraine and Belarus, women they had fun and walked on Maslenitsa Thursday (called Vlasiy and Volosiy), believing that this would make the livestock on the farm better managed.
The most important day of Maslenitsa week was Sunday - the prayer before the beginning of Lent. In Russia this day was called Forgiveness Sunday when close people asked each other for forgiveness for all the insults and troubles caused to them; in the evenings it was customary to visit cemeteries and “say goodbye” to the dead.
Main episode last day there were “farewells to Maslenitsa,” often accompanied by the lighting of bonfires. In Russia, on this day they made a stuffed Winter from straw or rags, usually dressed it in women's clothing, carried it through the entire village, sometimes placing the stuffed animal on a wheel stuck on top of a pole; leaving the village, the scarecrow was either drowned in an ice hole, burned, or simply torn into pieces, and the remaining straw was scattered across the field. Sometimes, instead of a doll, a living “Maslenitsa” was carried around the village: a smartly dressed girl or woman, an old woman or even an old drunkard in rags. Then, amid shouts and hoots, they were taken out of the village and dropped there or dumped in the snow (“held Maslenitsa”).
It should be noted here that the concept of “Maslenitsa Scarecrow” is somewhat erroneous, since in reality a stuffed animal of Winter was made, rolled around, seen off and burned, but since this action took place on Maslenitsa (that is, a holiday), very often the scarecrow is mistakenly called Maslenitsa, although this is not true.
Where scarecrows were not made, the ritual of “farewell to Maslenitsa” consisted mainly of lighting communal bonfires on a hill behind the village or near the river. In addition to firewood, they threw all sorts of old things into the fires - bast shoes, harrows, purses, brooms, barrels and other unnecessary things, previously collected by children throughout the village, and sometimes stolen specifically for this. Sometimes they burned a wheel in a fire, a symbol of the sun associated with the approaching spring; it was often put on a pole stuck in the middle of the fire.
Among the Western and Southern Slavs, the Russian “Maslenitsa” corresponded to Zapust, Mensopust, Pust and some other characters - stuffed animals, whose “seeing off” ended the Maslenitsa week.
In the central regions of Russia, “farewell to Maslenitsa” was accompanied by the removal of fast food, symbolizing Maslenitsa, from the cultural space. Therefore, in bonfires they actually sometimes burned the remains of pancakes and butter, and poured milk into it, but more often they simply told the children that all the quick meals were burned in the bonfire (“the milk burned and flew to Rostov”). Some customs were addressed to children and were supposed to frighten them and force them to obey: in the Nizhny Novgorod region, on the last Sunday of Maslenitsa week, a pole was installed in the center of the village, onto which a man with a broom climbed and, pretending to beat someone, shouted: “Don’t ask.” milk, pancakes, scrambled eggs.”
Farewell to Maslenitsa ended on the first day of Lent - Clean Monday, which was considered a day of cleansing from sin and savory food. Men usually “rinsed their teeth”, i.e. they drank vodka in abundance, supposedly in order to rinse the remnants of the meager food out of their mouths; in some places, fist fights, etc. were organized to “shake out the pancakes.” On Clean Monday they always washed in the bathhouse, and the women washed the dishes and “steamed” the dairy utensils, cleaning them from fat and remnants of the milk.
Other customs and entertainments of Maslenitsa week included mummers (in Russia, mummers accompanied a stuffed Maslenitsa), driving a “goat” or “goat” (eastern Ukraine), fist fights and ball games (sometimes very cruel and ending in injury), cock and goose fights , swings, carousels, youth parties, etc. Monday - meeting On this day, they made a scarecrow from straw, put old women's clothes on it, put this scarecrow on a pole and, singing, drove it on a sleigh around the village. Then Maslenitsa was staged on a snowy mountain, where sleigh rides began. The songs sung on the day of the meeting are very cheerful. Yes, for example: And we celebrated Maslenitsa, We met, dear soul, we met, We visited the mountain, Lined the mountain with pancakes, Stuffed the mountain with cheese, Watered the mountain with butter, Watered it, soul, watered it. Tuesday - a flirt From this day, various kinds of entertainment began: skating on sleighs, folk festivals, performances. In large wooden booths (rooms for folk theatrical performances with clownery and comic scenes) performances were given led by Petrushka and Maslenitsa grandfather. On the streets there were large groups of masked mummers, driving around familiar houses, where cheerful home concerts were held impromptu. In large groups we rode around the city, in troikas and on simple sledges. Another simple entertainment was also held in high esteem - skiing from icy mountains. Wednesday is a gourmet She opened treats in all houses with pancakes and other dishes. In every family, tables were set with delicious food, pancakes were baked, and beer was brewed together in the villages. Theaters and stalls appeared everywhere. They sold hot sbitn (drinks made from water, honey and spices), roasted nuts, and honey gingerbread. Here, right in the open air, you could drink tea from a boiling samovar. Thursday - revelry (turning point, wide Thursday) This day was the middle of games and fun. Perhaps it was then that the hot Maslenitsa fist fights took place, fist fights that originated from Ancient Rus'. They also had their own strict rules. It was impossible, for example, to hit a person who is lying down (remember the proverb “they don’t hit someone who is lying down”), two people to attack one (two people are fighting - the third one should not interfere), to hit below the belt (there is a saying: a blow below the belt) or to hit the back of the head. Violation of these rules was punishable. You could fight “wall to wall” (again the saying) or “one on one” (like the French tete-a-tete - “eye to eye”). There were also “hunter” fights for connoisseurs and fans of such fights. Ivan the Terrible himself watched such battles with pleasure. For such an occasion, this entertainment was prepared especially magnificently and solemnly. Friday - Mother-in-law's evening A whole series of Maslenitsa customs were aimed at speeding up weddings and helping young people find a mate. And how much attention and honors were given to the newlyweds at Maslenitsa! Tradition demands that they go dressed up “in public” in painted sleighs, pay visits to everyone who walked at their wedding, so that they solemnly roll down the ice mountain accompanied by songs (and in this there was also a secret meaning). However, (as you probably already understood from the name of this day of Maslenitsa week) the most important event associated with the newlyweds and celebrated throughout Rus' was the visit of the mother-in-law by her sons-in-law, for whom she baked pancakes and arranged a real feast (if, of course, the son-in-law was to her liking). In some places, “mother-in-law pancakes” took place for gourmet meals, i.e. on Wednesday on Maslenitsa week, but could coincide with Friday. If on Wednesday the sons-in-law visited their mothers-in-law, then on Friday the sons-in-law organized a “mother-in-law party” - they invited them to pancakes. The former friend usually showed up, playing the same role as at the wedding, and received a gift for his troubles. The mother-in-law was obliged to send in the evening everything necessary for baking pancakes: a frying pan, a ladle, etc., and the father-in-law sent a bag of buckwheat and cow butter. The son-in-law's disrespect for this event was considered dishonor and insult, and was the reason for eternal enmity between him and his mother-in-law. Saturday - sister-in-law's get-togethers Let's start with the fact that a “sister-in-law” is her husband’s sister. Where did this name come from? Maybe from the word evil? After all, she always noticed too many negative traits in her brother’s wife, and sometimes did not hide her dislike for her? Well, this also happened... (but not always). So, on this Saturday, young daughters-in-law received their relatives (the wives of sons were daughters-in-law for the mother of their husbands), i.e. who came not from here, from their village, for example, but from God knows where - this was the custom in some places before: “Do not marry your own, locals.” Sunday - farewell, kissing, forgiven day In the book of M. Zabylin “Russian People” it is told how, at the beginning of the 17th century, the foreigner Margeret observed the following picture: if during the year the Russians offended each other in some way, then, having met on “Forgiveness Sunday,” they would certainly greet each other with a kiss, and one of them would say: “Forgive me.” me, perhaps." The second one answered: “God will forgive you.” The offense was forgotten. For the same purpose, on Forgiveness Sunday they went to the cemetery, left pancakes on the graves, prayed and worshiped the ashes of their relatives. Maslenitsa was also called Cheese Week and was the last week before Lent.
EASTER CHRISTIAN.
Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the most important holiday in the Christian calendar.
Easter Sunday does not fall on the same date every year, but always occurs between March 22 and April 25. It falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following March 21, the vernal equinox.
The date of Easter Sunday was approved by the church council in Nicaea in 325 AD.
The name "Easter" is a direct transfer of the name of the Jewish holiday, celebrated annually for a week, starting from the 14th day of the spring month of Nissan. The name "Easter" itself is a Greek modification of the Hebrew word "pesah", which was interpreted as "passing"; was borrowed from the more ancient pastoral custom of celebrating the transition from winter to summer pastures.
The death and resurrection of Christ coincided with the holiday of Easter, and He Himself was likened to an innocent lamb, slaughtered according to custom before the beginning of this holiday. Christians honored Sunday as the day of the Resurrection of Christ.
The events of the gospel history coincided with the Jewish holiday of Passover; they were close in time of celebration.
The calculation of the time of Easter celebration is currently carried out in most Christian denominations according to the lunisolar calendar.
Any sacred rite can only benefit us when we understand its meaning and spiritual importance. When in Orthodox Church Has the custom come to greet each other with the words “Christ is risen”, give colored eggs for Easter and decorate the table with Easter cakes and cottage cheese? There is a church tradition that after the ascension of Christ, Saint Mary Magdalene, traveling to different countries preaching about the risen Savior, was in Rome. Here she appeared to Emperor Tiberius and, presenting him with a red egg, said: “Christ is risen,” and thus began her sermon about the risen Christ. The first Christians, having learned about such a simple, heartfelt offering of the Equal-to-the-Apostles wife, began to imitate it, and when remembering the Resurrection of Christ, they began to give each other red eggs. This custom quickly spread and became universal. Why did they give eggs? This symbol has ancient origins. Ancient philosophers depicted the origin of the world with the image of an egg. In Christianity, the egg reminds us of the future resurrection after death, and the red color means joy about our salvation by the risen Lord. When people experience great unexpected joy, they are ready to pass it on to everyone they know. Likewise, Christians, out of an abundance of Easter joy, exchange kisses when they meet, expressing brotherly love with the words: “Christ is risen!” - “Truly he is risen!” By the way, the custom of making Christ and giving eggs is a distinctive feature of Rus'. There is nothing like this in other countries.
Russian Easter is also characterized by a number of traditions, such as decorating tables with blessed Easter cottage cheese and Easter cakes. Cottage cheese Easter is made in the form of a truncated pyramid - a symbol of the Holy Sepulcher. On its sides are depicted the instruments of Christ’s suffering: a cross, a spear, a cane, as well as symbols of the resurrection: flowers, sprouted grains, sprouts, the letters “H.V.”
But the most important culinary masterpiece of the table has always been the Easter cake consecrated in the temple, which is like a homemade Artos, which is an obligatory symbol of the Easter service. Artos is a complete prosphora, a large bread with an image of a cross, which recalls the sacrificial death of the Savior in atonement for the sins of mankind. The artos is placed on a lectern in front of the iconostasis and stands until the end of Holy Week, and then is divided into small pieces and distributed to believers in the temple.
NATIVITY
Christmas is not only a bright holiday of Orthodoxy. Christmas is a holiday returned, reborn. The traditions of this holiday, full of genuine humanity and kindness, high moral ideals, are being discovered and comprehended again these days.
Why are Christmas trees decorated at Christmas?
It is believed that the first undecorated Christmas trees appeared in Germany in the 8th century. The first mention of spruce is associated with the monk Saint Boniface. Boniface read a sermon about Christmas to the Druids. To convince the idolaters that the oak was not a sacred and inviolable tree, he cut down one of the oaks. When the felled oak fell, it knocked down all the trees in its path except the young spruce. Boniface presented the survival of the spruce as a miracle and exclaimed: “Let this tree be the tree of Christ.” In the 17th century, the Christmas tree was already a common attribute of Christmas in Germany and Scandinavian countries. At that time, the Christmas tree was decorated with figures and flowers cut out of colored paper, apples, waffles, gilded items, and sugar. The tradition of decorating a Christmas tree is associated with the tree of paradise, hung with apples.
The success of the Christmas tree in Protestant countries was even greater due to the legend that Martin Luther himself was the first to light candles on the Christmas tree. One evening he was walking home, writing a sermon. The brilliance of the stars twinkling among the fir trees filled him with awe. To show this magnificent picture to the family, he placed a Christmas tree in the main room, attached candles to its branches and lit them. The first Christmas trees were decorated with fresh flowers and fruits. Later sweets, nuts and other foods were added. Then - Christmas candles. Such a load was certainly too heavy for the tree. German glassblowers began producing hollow glass Christmas tree decorations to replace fruit and other heavy decorations.
Christmas wreath
The Advent wreath is of Lutheran origin. This is an evergreen wreath with four candles. The first candle is lit on Sunday four weeks before Christmas as a symbol of the light that will come into the world with the birth of Christ. Every next Sunday another candle is lit. On the last Sunday before Christmas, all four candles are lit to illuminate the place where the wreath is located, perhaps the altar of a church or the dining table.
Christmas candles
Light was an important component of pagan winter holidays. With the help of candles and fires they drove out the forces of darkness and cold. Wax candles were distributed to the Romans on the holiday of Saturnalia. In Christianity, candles are considered an additional symbol of the importance of Jesus as the Light of the world. In Victorian England, merchants gave candles to their regular customers every year. In many countries, Christmas candles signify the victory of light over darkness. The candles on the tree of heaven gave birth to our all-loved Christmas tree.
Christmas presents
This tradition has many roots. Saint Nicholas is traditionally considered the giver of gifts. In Rome there was a tradition of giving gifts to children on the occasion of Saturnalia. The gift giver can be Jesus himself, Santa Claus, Befana (Italian female Santa Claus), Christmas gnomes, and various saints. According to an old Finnish tradition, gifts are distributed around homes by an invisible man.
Christmas on a silver platter
Christmas Eve is called "Christmas Eve", or "sochevan", and this word comes from the ritual food eaten on this day - sochiva (or watering). Sochivo - porridge made from red wheat or barley, rye, buckwheat, peas, lentils, mixed with honey and almond and poppy juice; that is, this is kutia - a ritual funeral dish. The number of dishes was also ritual - 12 (according to the number of apostles). The table was prepared in abundance: pancakes, fish dishes, aspic, jelly from pork and beef legs, suckling pig stuffed with porridge, pork head with horseradish, homemade pork sausage, roast. honey gingerbread and, of course, roast goose. Food on Christmas Eve could not be taken until the first star, in memory of Star of Bethlehem, which announced to the Magi and the Nativity of the Savior. And with the onset of dusk, when the first star lit up, they sat down at the table and shared the wafers, wishing each other all the best and brightest. Christmas is a holiday when the whole family gathers together at a common table.
HOW TO SPEND HOLIDAYS
The twelve days after the Feast of the Nativity of Christ are called Christmastide, that is, holy days, since these twelve days are consecrated by the great events of the Nativity of Christ.
For the first time in three centuries of Christianity, when persecution interfered with the freedom of Christian worship, in some Eastern Churches the feast of the Nativity of Christ was combined with the feast of Epiphany under the general name of Epiphany. A monument to the ancient union of the Nativity of Christ and the Holy Epiphany is the perfect similarity in the celebration of these holidays, which has survived to our times. When these holidays were separated, the celebration spread to all days between December 25 and January 6, and these days seemed to constitute one day of the holiday. People call these days holy evenings, because according to ancient custom, Orthodox Christians stop their daily activities in the evening, in remembrance of the events of the Nativity and Baptism of the Savior, which took place at night or in the evening. The Church began to sanctify the twelve days after the Feast of the Nativity of Christ in ancient times. Already in the church charter of the Venerable Savva the Sanctified (died in 530), which included even more ancient rites, it is written that on the days of Christmastide “there is no fasting, there is lower kneeling, lower in the church, lower in the cell,” and it is forbidden to perform the sacred rite of marriage .
The Second Council of Turon in 567 named all days from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany as holidays.
Meanwhile, the sanctity of these days and evenings is now being violated by calls for the customs of pagan festivals. From TV screens, on the radio, from newspapers, we are told that in Rus' during the holidays, fortune-telling, dress-up games, and folk festivals were common. The Church, caring for our purity, has always prohibited these superstitions. The rules of the Sixth Ecumenical Council say: “Those who resort to wizards or others like them in order to learn something hidden from them, in accordance with the previous paternal decrees about them, should be subject to the rule of six years of penance. The same penance should be imposed on those who perform fortune-telling about happiness, fate, genealogy, and many other similar rumors, equally so-called cloud casters, charmers, makers of protective talismans and sorcerers, we determine that those who are stubborn in this and do not turn away from these harmful and pagan fictions are completely thrown out of the Church, as the sacred rules command. For what fellowship does righteousness have with lawlessness? What is the agreement between Christ and Belial (2 Cor. 6:14-16). the celebration of Pan), Vrumalia (celebration of the pagan deity - Bacchus) and the public gathering on the first day of March we wish to completely eradicate from the lives of the faithful. Also, national dances, which can cause great harm and destruction, as well as in honor of the gods, whom the Hellenes so falsely call, dances and rituals performed by men and women, performed according to an ancient and alien to Christian rite, we reject and determine: none of the husbands dress in women's clothing, not characteristic of a husband; don't wear masks. Therefore, those who from now on, knowing this, dare to do any of the above, clerics, we command to be expelled from the priesthood, and the laity to be excommunicated from church communion.”
The Holy Scripture says: “A woman must not wear men’s clothing, and a man must not put on a woman’s clothing, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God” (Deut. 22:5). The Orthodox government of the Russian Empire in its laws prohibited “on the eve of the Nativity of Christ and throughout Christmastide, according to ancient idolatrous legends, starting games and, dressing up in idol robes, performing dances in the streets and singing seductive songs.”
Yuletide fortune telling
Everyone always wants to look at least a little into the future, and Christmas time was considered the ideal time for fortune-telling - and people did. For fortune-telling, they chose “unclean” places where it was believed that evil spirits lived, which became very active during the Christmas period - non-residential and non-standard places: abandoned houses, bathhouses, barns, basements, canopies, attics, cemeteries, etc.
Fortune tellers had to take off their crosses and belts, untie all the knots on their clothes, and the girls unraveled their braids. They went to fortune telling in secret: they left the house without crossing themselves, walked silently, barefoot in just a shirt, closed their eyes and covered their face with a handkerchief so as not to be recognized. In order not to completely disappear, they took “protective” measures against evil spirits- they drew a circle around themselves with a poker and put a clay pot on their head.
The topics of fortune-telling ranged from issues of life, death and health to the offspring of livestock and the honey production of bees, but the main part of the fortune-telling was devoted to marriage issues - the girls tried to find out the most detailed information about their betrothed.
The technology of fortune-telling was based on the universal belief that if certain conditions are met, “signs” of fate will be received, which, if interpreted correctly, will lift the veil of time and tell the future. “Signs” could be anything - dreams, random sounds and words, the shape of melted wax and protein poured into water, the degree of wilting of plants, the behavior of animals, the number and oddness of objects, etc., etc. and so on.
The barking of a dog indicated from which direction the groom would arrive, the sound of an ax promised trouble and death, the music of a quick wedding, the tramp of a horse - a road; They guessed not only by random sounds and provoked them: they knocked on the barn gate, on the fence, etc. And they guessed about the disposition of the future husband by the behavior of cockroaches, spiders and ants.
To dream about prophetic dream, the girl had to wash herself with water brought from nine wells, weave blades of grass into her braid, sweep the floor before going to bed in the direction from the threshold to the corner and run around the house naked. It also helped to put it under the bed and under the pillow. men's pants, a pad of grain, a comb or a cup of water.
But still, the central moment of the Christmas celebrations was the family meal. An odd number of dishes were prepared, the main of which was kutia - a type of hard-cooked porridge made from barley or wheat groats (and sometimes prepared from a mixture of different types of grains), pancakes and oatmeal jelly were also prepared. Additional cutlery was placed on the table according to the number of family members who died in the past year.
Mummers - carolers - walked around houses in the evening and at night, specifically in order to receive ritual food from the owners and express good wishes to them in the coming year; the family's prosperity in the coming year was believed to directly depend on the degree of talent of the carolers.
CHRISTMAS POST
How the Nativity Fast was established
The establishment of the Nativity Fast, like other multi-day fasts, dates back to the ancient times of Christianity. Already from the fourth century St. Ambrose of Mediodala, Philastrius, and Blessed Augustine mention the Nativity Fast in their works. In the fifth century, Leo the Great wrote about the antiquity of the Nativity Fast.
Initially, the Nativity Fast lasted seven days for some Christians, and a little longer for others. At the council of 1166, which was held under the Patriarch Luke of Constantinople and the Byzantine Emperor Manuel, all Christians were ordered to fast for forty days before the great feast of the Nativity of Christ.
Antioch Patriarch Balsamon wrote that “the Holy Patriarch himself said that, although the days of these fasts (Assumption and Nativity - Ed.) are not determined by the rule, we are forced, however, to follow the unwritten church tradition, and we must fast... from the 15th day of November ". The Nativity Fast is the last multi-day fast of the year. It begins on November 15 (28 - according to the new style) and continues until December 25 (January 7), lasts forty days and therefore is called Pentecost in the Church Charter, just like Lent. Since the beginning of the fast falls on the day of remembrance of St. Apostle Philip (November 14, old style), then this post is called Philippov.
The rituals, customs and traditions of the Russian people go back to ancient times. Many of them have changed significantly over time and have lost their sacred meaning. But there are also those that still exist. Let's look at some of them.
The calendar rituals of the Russian people go back to the times of the ancient Slavs. At that time, people cultivated the land and raised livestock, and worshiped pagan idols.
Here are some of the rituals:
- Sacrificial rituals to the god Veles. He patronized cattle breeders and farmers. Before sowing the crops, people went out into the field, wearing clean clothes. They decorated their heads with wreaths and held flowers in their hands. The oldest resident of the village began to sow and threw the first grain into the ground
- 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 this time collected grain and gathered it into sheaves. At the end of the harvest, the table was set with generous food and decorated with flowers and ribbons.
- Maslenitsa - calendar ritual, which 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 in circles, burned the famous Maslenitsa effigy
- Forgiveness Sunday is the most important day of Maslenitsa. On this day, people asked for forgiveness from loved ones and relatives, and also forgave all insults themselves. After this day, Lent began.
Despite the fact that Maslenitsa has lost its religious meaning, people still happily take part in mass celebrations, bake pancakes and rejoice in the coming spring.
Yuletide Traditions
It is impossible not to talk about Christmas rituals, which remain relevant to this day. They are traditionally held from January 7 to January 19 during the period from Christmas to Epiphany.
Christmas rituals are as follows:
- Kolyada. Young people and children go from house to house dressed as mummers, and residents treat them with sweets. Nowadays caroling is rare, but the tradition has not yet become obsolete
- Christmas fortune telling. Young girls and women gather in groups and perform fortune telling. Most often, these are rituals that allow you to find out who will become the betrothed, how many children will be born in the marriage, etc.
- And on January 6, before Christmas, in Rus' they cooked compote with rice, cooked delicious pastries and slaughtered cattle. It was believed that this tradition helps to attract a rich harvest in the spring and provide the family with material well-being
Nowadays, Christmas rituals have lost their magical mystery 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 your betrothed, dress up and sing carols on holidays.
Family rituals in Rus'
Family rituals were given great importance. For matchmaking, weddings or baptism of newborns, special rituals were used that were sacredly revered and observed.
Weddings were usually scheduled for a time after a successful harvest or baptism. Also favorable time for the ritual the week coming after happy holiday Easter. The newlyweds were married in several stages:
- Matchmaking. In order to match the bride to the groom, all close relatives on both sides gathered together. They discussed the dowry, where the young couple would live, and agreed on wedding gifts.
- After the parents' blessing was received, preparations for the celebration began. The bride and her bridesmaids gathered every evening and prepared the dowry: they sewed, knitted and wove clothes, bed linen, tablecloths and other home textiles. Sang sad songs
- On the first day of the wedding, the bride said goodbye to her girlhood. The girlfriends sang sad ritual songs of the Russian people, farewell laments - after all, from that moment on, the girl found herself completely subordinate 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 and his friends went to his mother-in-law for pancakes. We had a wild feast and visited all our new relatives
When in new family When a child appeared, he had to be baptized. The baptism ceremony was performed immediately after birth. It was necessary to choose a reliable godfather - this person bore great responsibility, almost on an equal basis with the parents, for the fate of the baby.
And when the baby turned one year old, a cross was cut on his crown. It was believed that this ritual 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 a treat. And they, in turn, gave him gifts and treated him to sweets.
Watch a video about the rituals and customs of the Russian people:
Mixed rites
It is worth mentioning separately such interesting rituals:
- Celebration of Ivan Kupala. It was believed that only from this day onwards it was possible to swim. Also on this day, the fern bloomed - the one who finds the flowering plant will reveal all the hidden secrets. People made fires and jumped over them: it was believed that a couple who jumped over the fire holding hands would be together until death
- The custom of commemorating the dead has also come down from pagan times. There had to be rich food and wine at the funeral table.
Whether to follow ancient traditions or not is everyone’s business. But you can not elevate them to a cult, but pay tribute to your ancestors, their culture, and the history of your country. This applies to religious customs. As for entertainment events, such as Maslenitsa or the celebration of Ivan Kupala, this is another reason to have fun in the company of friends and your significant other.
Tell your fortune for today using the “Card of the Day” Tarot layout!For correct fortune telling: focus on the subconscious and don’t think about anything for at least 1-2 minutes.
When you are ready, draw a card:
