The history of most Russian folk holidays is very complex; they originated in ancient times, when the Slavs knew nothing about writing or even Christianity. After baptism, some of them were banned, while others were transformed and were not persecuted. For example, Komoeditsa becomes, and the holiday of the Sun turned into Kupala. Orthodoxy greatly changed the life of Russian people, but he tried to adapt to the changes in his own way, which led to the emergence of new signs, spells, songs, and fortune telling. Purely Christian Russian holidays began to acquire folk customs, in many ways similar to pagan rituals.

Main Russian folk holidays and traditions

With the onset of cold weather, commoners could relax, there was an opportunity to calmly play weddings, organize mass celebrations, and go on visits. Maybe that’s why there are so many winter Russian folk holidays. The most real cheerful Slavic complex is, which is celebrated from January 6 to January 19. Over the course of two weeks, large-scale games take place, with caroling, sowing, and visiting. There are many rituals that have nothing to do with Christianity, such as fortune telling or rituals that are supposed to increase fertility.

Epiphany Christmas Eve precedes the festival of Epiphany (18.01) and is also called Hungry Kutya. The strictest fast was observed; one should abstain from food until the first star appeared. At the evening service, people bless water and then, with the help of ears of corn, consecrate their home, barn, and all corners of the estate with it, so that the family avoids illness and prosperity comes to the house.

Many Russian folk spring holidays are directly related to Easter. Preparations for the Resurrection of Christ took place during Holy Week. The house had to be cleaned, people had to bathe, paint eggs and bake Easter cakes, and dead relatives had to be remembered. Easter itself turned into an event of enormous significance for the people. Near the church, Easter cakes, eggs, and various dishes were blessed; people were allowed to break their fast and take a walk after the strictest fast. It was imperative to christen yourself when meeting and congratulate distant relatives with postcards and letters.

Summer Russian folk holidays are no less revered. Trinity celebrated in June on the 50th day after the Resurrection of Christ. The seventh week had its own mystical meaning and was also called “Russian week”. Its other popular name is Green Christmastide. The girls were supposed to weave wreaths and wish fortune on Trinity Day; if they swam well, then one could expect marriage soon. Bouquets and branches were blessed in churches, and then houses were decorated with greenery. Later they were not thrown away, but dried and stored as strong amulets.

It was considered a pleasant and expected event Honey Spas(14.08) from which the collection of the sweet product began. According to tradition, on this day it was recommended to bless wells and clean old springs. For Orthodox Christians, this event is the beginning of the Dormition Lent.

Now Elijah's day(2.08) is dedicated to a Christian prophet, but some are original folk traditions testify about the deep Slavic roots of the holiday. In fact, for the ancestors, this saint replaced the formidable Perun. It is not for nothing that there is still a belief that Ilya controls thunderstorms and rain. After this holiday, it was not recommended to swim in the river.

On Apple Spas(19.08) the blessing of apples was carried out and it was allowed to eat them; before this day, people were forbidden to eat sweet fruits. It was best to first treat the poor and orphans with apples, thus remembering their ancestors, and only then treat themselves. In fact, this Russian folk holiday meant welcoming autumn. Before sunset on Yablochny Spas, people went out into nature with a song to see off the sun and the passing warm summer.

Looking through the history of winter holidays in Rus', you understand that most of the holidays have sunk into oblivion, and mentions of them can only be found on the pages of history. It is not so far left before the onset of traditional New Year's holidays, and we decided to make a short review of the winter holidays and briefly describe their features.

The calendar of winter holidays opens with one of the twelve church holidays - the Entry into the Temple of the Virgin Mary, celebrated on December 4th. It was believed that it was from this moment that winter officially came into its own. It was on this day that in the old days they tried the sleigh ride. This right was given to the newlyweds on a beautiful, light painted sleigh.

December 7 is the day of Katerina the Sunny. On this day, sleigh races were traditionally held in Rus'. The whole village gathered on some hillock, and watched the breathtaking sight of sleighs winding along a snowy road. The evening “under Catherine” was considered one of the best for fortune telling and divination.

New Year In Russia, they began to celebrate January 1 by decree of Emperor Peter I. It was he who ordered to decorate houses and streets with New Year's decorations and arrange fireworks, which he simply adored.

But the custom of decorating a Christmas tree came later and was borrowed from the Germans. Did you know that the first Christmas trees were sold in candy stores because they were decorated with sweets? And only then, after a certain number of years, the Christmas tree could be bought at the market in Moscow.

The holiday of Vasiliev's evening falls on the eve of the Old New Year - January 13, just at the time when a new chronology was introduced in Russia. We celebrated this day by singing carols. The mummers went from house to house singing and putting treats from generous owners into a bag prepared for this occasion. Nowadays, this holiday does not lose its relevance, and, as statistics show, every second resident of our country celebrates the Old New Year. After all, this is an occasion to see your loved ones and loved ones once again; in the bustle of everyday life, sometimes it is not so easy to do this.

The Feast of the Nativity of Christ is one of the most important holidays of the winter calendar. In terms of the solemnity of the celebration, Christmas is inferior to another Orthodox holiday - the Resurrection of Christ (Easter), but in the West it is the most important holiday of the year.

The most accurate fortune telling fell on the holy week before the feast of Epiphany (celebrated on January 19). Both science and the church consider fortune telling an empty superstition, but people nevertheless turn to this kind of predictions of the future.

On February 15, the church holiday of the Presentation of the Lord is celebrated. On this day, according to the narration of the Evangelist Luke, the Mother of God with the Child Christ in her arms came to the Jerusalem Temple.

On February 23, the whole country celebrates Defender of the Fatherland Day. It would be a little wrong if on this day we congratulate only military personnel. Every man, regardless of his status and type of activity, is first of all a defender of his Motherland, his family. The older generation remembers that this holiday was called the Birthday of the Red Army, in Soviet time it bore the proud name - Day of the Soviet Army and Navy, but no matter what it is called, for us it is, first of all, the Day of Real Men. After all, if real men are nearby, then we feel completely safe.

And, of course, Maslenitsa. This holiday was considered the most fun in Rus', and even now it is celebrated no less interestingly. The whole day was like a continuous kaleidoscope of different fun. This includes sledding, a serious wall-to-wall fight, as well as fist fights, and, of course, the most important thing - a delicacy of pancakes! In terms of the scope of the celebration, Maslenitsa is similar to foreign carnivals. During Maslenitsa it was customary to visit close relatives, friends, and neighbors. IN last days Maslenitsa made a doll out of straw, which was dressed up and seated in a large sleigh, followed by mummers, singing songs. On Sunday evening, the effigy of Maslenitsa was burned in the presence of the entire village on a bonfire built on a hill near the village - with jokes and shouts. Thus, it was believed that winter would finally recede and the long-awaited warming would come.

The modern population does not celebrate all the holidays described above, and if they do, it is not celebrated on such a grand scale as they did in Rus'. Nowadays, we mainly celebrate New Year, Christmas, Defender of the Fatherland Day and Maslenitsa. Gradually, the traditions that the previous generation adhered to during celebrations are fading into the background.

Christmas- one of the favorite holidays of the Russian people. With it began the Winter Holidays (a two-week period from Christmas to Epiphany, in the middle of which the New Year was celebrated). Christmas coincided in time with the winter solstice, when daylight hours began to gradually increase (69, p. 80).

From Christmas morning on Orthodox Rus' It was customary to carol (from the word “kolyada”). The exact meaning and origin of the word “kolyada” have not yet been established. There is speculation that it has something in common with the Roman word "calenda", which means the beginning of each month (hence the word "calendar"). Another hypothesis comes down to the fact that the word “kolyada” comes from the word “kolo” - circle, rotation and means the end of the solar circle, its “turn” to the summer (“The sun is for summer, winter is for frost,” says the Russian proverb ).

Most often children and youth caroled, less often adults. The owners gave gifts to the mummers, invited them into the house, and treated them.

Christmas Day was celebrated everywhere by glorifying Christ. Children, teenagers, young people, and sometimes married men and women walked around peasant households with congratulations and wishes for well-being. At the head of the small procession they carried a star.

P. Trankovsky. Traveling with a star

Christmastide were celebrated from December 25 (January 7) to January 6 (January 19). The first six days were called "holy evenings", the second six - "terrible evenings". The ancient Slavs had holidays during this period associated with the cult of nature, its revival, the turning of the sun towards spring and the increase in the length of daylight hours. This explains many conditionally symbolic actions that have come down to us since pagan times. Religious and magical rituals aimed at caring for the future harvest, spells about the offspring of livestock symbolized the beginning of preparation for spring, for a new cycle of agricultural work.

Again, children and youth went from house to house with congratulations and carol songs. Each participant in the ritual had his own favorite carol, which he sang to the owner of the house and members of his family.

For two weeks, the entire population gathered for festive parties - the so-called gatherings and games, at which they sang round dance and dance songs, ditties, arranged all kinds of games, and acted out skits; the mummers came here.

Mummering was one of the favorite pastimes of young people. Mummering once had a magical meaning, but over time it turned into entertainment.

The Christian holiday ends the winter holidays - Baptism, on the eve of which Epiphany Christmas Eve is celebrated, the last day of Christmas festivities. Epiphany is one of the twelve main (twelfth) Christian holidays. It is based on the Gospel story of the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John the Baptist.

On the eve of Epiphany, the girls wondered. At the same time, so-called sub-dish songs were often heard, under which objects belonging to one or another participant in the fortune-telling were taken out from a vessel with water. The words of the song performed at the same time were supposed to predict certain events in the girl’s life.

In Rus', the celebration of Epiphany was accompanied by rituals associated with faith in the life-giving power of water. The main event of the holiday is the blessing of water - the rite of great consecration of water. It was held not only in Orthodox churches, but also in ice holes. A hole was made in the ice in the shape of a cross, which is traditionally called Jordan. After the church service, a procession of the cross headed by the priest goes to her. Blessing of water, ceremonial procession near Jordan, filling vessels with holy water are the components of this ritual

According to custom, at Epiphany the people organized bride viewings: elegant girls stood near the Jordan and the boys with their mothers looked for brides for themselves.

On this day, the Russian people carefully monitored the weather. It was noted that if it snows while walking on water, then next year will be a grain-bearing year.

One of the favorite holidays of the Russian people was Maslenitsa- an ancient Slavic holiday marking farewell to winter and welcoming spring, in which the features of agrarian and family-tribal cults are strongly expressed. Maslenitsa is characterized by many conditionally symbolic actions associated with the expectation of the future harvest and offspring of livestock.

A number of ritual moments show that Maslenitsa festivities were associated with appeals to the sun, “going into the summer.” The entire structure of the holiday, its plot and attributes were designed to help the sun prevail over winter - the season of cold, darkness and temporary death of nature. Hence the special significance of solar signs during the holiday: the image of the sun in the form of a rolling burning wheel, pancakes, horseback riding in a circle. All ritual actions are aimed at helping the sun in its fight against cold and winter: primitive people did not seem to believe that the sun would certainly complete its circle; it had to be helped. A person’s “help” was expressed in seminal magic - the image of a Circle or circular movement.

Maslenitsa is the most cheerful, riotous holiday, awaited by everyone with great impatience. Maslenitsa was called honest, broad, and cheerful. They also called her Lady Maslenitsa, Mrs. Maslenitsa.

Already on Saturday, on the eve of the holiday, they began to celebrate “ small oiler" On this day, children rode down the mountains with special excitement. There was a sign: whoever rides further will have longer flax in his family. On the last Sunday before Maslenitsa, it was customary to pay visits to relatives, friends, neighbors and invite everyone to visit Maslenitsa.

Maslenitsa week was literally overflowing with festive activities. Ritual and theatrical performances, traditional games and fun filled all the days to capacity. In many regions of Russia, it was customary to make a Maslenitsa effigy from straw, dress it in a woman’s dress and carry it through the streets. Then the scarecrow was placed somewhere in a prominent place: this is where Maslenitsa entertainment mainly took place.

An atmosphere of general joy and fun reigned at Maslenitsa. Each day of the holiday had its own name; each day was assigned certain actions, rules of conduct, customs, etc.

The first day - Monday - was called “Maslenitsa meeting”. The second day of the holiday - Tuesday - was called “flirts”. The third day of Maslenitsa - Wednesday - was called "gourmet". “Broad” Thursday is the culmination of the holiday, its “revelry”, “turning point”. Friday is “mother-in-law’s evening”: the holiday is still in full swing, but is already beginning to move towards its end. Saturday is “sister-in-law’s get-together.” On this day, the young daughter-in-law invited her relatives to her place. The last day of Maslenitsa - Sunday - is called “farewell”, “tselovnik”, “forgiveness Sunday” (69, pp. 80-90).

Spring holidays. The arrival of spring in the popular consciousness was associated with the awakening of nature after winter sleep and, in general, with the revival of life. March 22, the day of the vernal equinox and the beginning of astronomical spring, was celebrated in Rus' Magpies. There was a belief that it was on this day that forty birds, forty great birds return to their homeland and the magpie begins to build a nest. For this day, housewives baked spring birds - larks - from dough. Throwing them up, the children sang chants - short inviting songs, calling (“hooking”) spring (69, p. 90).

The arrival of spring, the arrival of birds, the appearance of the first greenery and flowers have always evoked joy and creativity among the people. After the winter trials, there was hope for a good spring and summer, for a rich harvest. And therefore, people have always celebrated the arrival of spring with bright, beautiful rituals and holidays.

Finally, spring came, the long-awaited one. She was greeted with songs and round dances.

On April 7, people celebrated a Christian holiday Annunciation. On this day, every Orthodox Christian considered it a sin to engage in any business. The Russian people believed that the cuckoo somehow violated this custom by trying to make a nest for itself, and was punished for this: now it can never have its own nest and is forced to throw its eggs into others.

Annunciation - a Christian holiday - is one of the twelve. It is based on the Gospel legend about how the Archangel Gabriel brought the good news to the Virgin Mary about the impending birth of her divine baby Jesus Christ.

The Christian religion emphasizes that on this day the beginning of the mysterious communication between God and man was laid. Hence the special significance of the holiday for believers.

The Feast of the Annunciation coincides with the beginning of spring sowing. Many of its rituals involve turning to the Mother of God with prayers for a good, abundant harvest, a warm summer, etc.

The main spring Christian holiday is Easter- “holiday of holidays.” It is celebrated by the Christian Church in honor of the resurrection of Jesus Christ crucified on the cross.

Easter belongs to the so-called moving holidays. The date of its celebration is constantly changing and depends on lunar calendar. Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. To determine the day of Easter celebration, special tables are compiled - Easter. Easter's roots go back to the distant past. Initially, it was a spring festival of cattle-breeding and then agricultural tribes.

Easter is preceded by seven weeks Lent. His last week is called Holy Week and is dedicated to remembering the passion (suffering) of Christ. In the old days, preparations were underway throughout Russia for Easter: they cleaned, washed, cleaned homes, baked Easter cakes, painted eggs, in preparation for the big celebration.

Thursday in Holy Week is called Maundy Thursday. On this day, church services are dedicated to memories of the Last Supper. The night of Holy Saturday usually presented a magnificent spectacle wherever there were Orthodox churches: to the sounds of the gospel ( special type bells ringing) the religious procession began. In Moscow, a solemn service on Easter night took place in the Assumption Cathedral in the presence of the Tsar.

On Easter the sun is shining. Its pure beneficial rays bring us purification and joy. That’s why in the old days the whole village went out at noon to watch the “sun play,” asking him for a good harvest and good health.

The Russian people have always respected their ancestors and deified them. One of these days of remembrance of people who have passed away was Radunitsa. Easter week passed, and the following Tuesday was celebrated as the memorial day of Kulich; they took colored eggs with them to the cemetery.

By popular belief the souls of our ancestors in these days of spring rise above the earth and invisibly touch the treats that we bring to please them. Memories of relatives, loved ones, care for your family, care so that the souls of your ancestors do not despise your family, and symbolizes Radunitsa - spring commemoration . The very word “care” contains the meaning of troubles, efforts with all your heart. To rejoice is also to care, to care. The people believed that by arranging spring commemorations, we both bring joy to the souls of our ancestors, and we care and take care of them.

The height of the spring holiday festivities falls on Red Hill. Red Hill begins on Fomin Sunday. This is one of the national holidays of the Red Spring; On this day, our ancestors welcomed spring, walked through the streets singing, danced in circles, played, and sang stoneflies. Betrotheds were married on Krasnaya Gorka and weddings were played.

The name of the holiday is due to the fact that the sun begins to shine brighter, turning the hillocks thawed from the snow reddish. Mountains and hillocks were always revered by the ancient Slavs and were endowed with magical properties: mountains, according to legend, the cradle of humanity, the abode of the gods. The dead have long been buried in the mountains. Hence the custom after mass on this day to go to the cemetery: to remember the dead, to clean up the graves and decorate them with flowers.

The holidays began at sunrise, when young people went out onto a sunlit hill or hillock. Led by a round dancer holding a round loaf of bread in one hand and a red egg in the other, they danced in circles and welcomed spring. Brides and grooms walked in festive attire, looking closely at each other.

Summer holidays. The sun was shining brighter, the earth was covered with lush green vegetation, and on Thursday, the seventh week after Easter, a holiday was celebrated in Russia Semik(this is where its name comes from). Semitic rituals originate in the pagan beliefs of the ancient Slavs, who revered nature and the spirits of vegetation. The custom of decorating a home with fresh greenery and fragrant herbs, branches and young birch trees, etc. has survived to this day.

Semik marked the end of spring and the beginning of summer. The ritual of the holiday is based on the cult of vegetation. Another name for Semik has also been preserved - Green Christmastide. They celebrated in groves, forests, on the banks of rivers, where young people sang, danced, wove wreaths, curled birch trees, etc. until late at night.

A cheerful crowd often headed to the river to throw wreaths: the girl whose wreath floats to the shore first will be the first to get married, but if the wreath spins in one place, its owner is destined to spend another year as a “girl.”

On the Sunday after Semik, Russia celebrated Trinity or Pentecost. For all Slavs, Saturday on the eve of Trinity is a traditional day of remembrance of the dead (in the Orthodox calendar it is called “ parent's Saturday"): on this day it is customary to visit the cemetery, order prayer services, and light funeral bonfires. Sometimes boys and girls dance in circles around the “Saturday bonfires.” These games reveal a ritual of purification by fire, widespread in ancient times, closely associated with the cults of the earth and ancestors. Thus, the ancient ritual combines the memory of the departed and the joyful meeting of spring shoots, a festive hymn to the nurse-earth and everything that lives and grows on it.

Trinity Sunday is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter, hence its second name.

The Christian meaning of the Trinity holiday is based on the biblical story of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles on the 50th day after the Resurrection of Christ, after which they began to understand all languages. In the Christian religion, this is interpreted as the desire of Christ to carry his teachings to all peoples of the earth in all languages.

On the holiday of Trinity, it is customary to decorate churches and homes with branches and flowers and stand at the service with flowers.

In Russia, Trinity has absorbed those customs and rituals that are characteristic of the Semik holiday. Since ancient times, the Trinity was accompanied by wreathing, fortune telling, boating, etc.

Ivan Kupala– the next big summer folk festival. Kupala Week, celebrated by the ancient Slavs, coincided with the summer solstice. The holiday was dedicated to the sun and was associated with the most ancient cults of the Slavs - the cult of fire and water. On this day, according to tradition, they lit fires, swam in warmer rivers, and poured water on each other.

On Ivan Kupala, medicinal plants are collected, which, according to legend, are full of special healing powers. The meaning of the word “Kupala” is interpreted differently. Some researchers consider it to be derived from the word “kupny” (together, joint, connected). Others explain its origin from the word "kupa". In some regions of Russia, the hearth as a place in which a fire is lit is called a “bathroom”.

Of the summer holidays, Ivan Kupala Day is the most cheerful and cheerful; the entire population took part in it, and tradition required the active inclusion of everyone in all rituals and mandatory observance of customs.

The main feature of the Kupala night is the cleansing bonfires. Having extracted “living fire” from wood by friction, bonfires were lit while singing special Kupala songs, undoubtedly having a symbolic meaning. They threw birch bark into the fire so that it would burn more cheerfully and brightly. Guys and girls in festive attire usually gathered around the fires, where they held round dances, and, holding hands, jumped over these fires in pairs, thinking that this would save them from all evils, illnesses, and grief . Judging by a successful or awkward jump, they predicted future happiness or misfortune, early or late marriage. Youth, teenagers, children, jumping over the fires, staged noisy fun games. We definitely played burners.

Herbs and flowers collected on Midsummer's Day are dried and preserved, considering them very healing compared to those collected at other times. They fumigate the sick, fight evil spirits, throw them into a flooded oven during a thunderstorm to protect the house from a lightning strike, and are also used to “kindle” love or to “dry it out.”

On the day of Ivan Kupala, girls make wreaths of herbs and in the evening they put them on the water, watching how and where they float. Mature women, being present, help interpret certain positions of the wreath, thereby pushing the girls to make one or another decision.

The main symbol of the holiday was the fern flower. According to legend, this fiery flower appears only on the night of Ivan Kupala. The one who manages to find a fern flower and pick it will become the ruler of the forest, will rule the paths in the forest, own treasures underground, the most beautiful girls will love him, etc.

The next big one summer holiday – Elijah's day, celebrated on July 20, Art. (August 2 N.S.) in honor of Elijah the Prophet, one of the especially revered Christian saints. Elijah's day served as a reference point for seasonal agricultural work; the end of haymaking and the beginning of the harvest are associated with it. It was these economic and everyday moments that made Elijah’s Day a significant celebration for the peasants. On folk calendar Until the beginning of the 20th century, this day was symbolized by the image of a wheel. A wheel with six spokes as a talisman against thunderstorms was common among Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians.

On Elijah’s day, rituals were performed to preserve and protect both the harvest and the person himself.

With Ilya’s Day, as the popular expression goes, the summer “red” days ended and the turn to autumn began, “Prophet Ilya ends summer and reaps the harvest.” The first morning colds appear, the nights lengthen: “Before Ilya, at least undress - after Ilya, put on a zipun,” says the proverb.

Many agricultural tips and signs related to the harvesting of crops, the upcoming winter sowing, and the ripening of vegetables are associated with Ilya’s day (“On Ilya, cover the cabbage with a pot so that it is white”).

Most Ilyinsky agricultural customs and rituals relate to the harvest. Ilya was most often associated with one of the oldest agricultural rituals - “beard curling,” which was widespread in the past both in Russia and in many European countries. The original meaning of this ritual is to ensure the harvest for the next year: “Here is a beard for you, Ilya, a crop of rye, oats, barley and wheat.”

The variety of traditions and customs of Ilyin’s Day, which is a kind of symbol of a responsible period of agricultural activity, is reflected in folklore, first of all, in proverbs and sayings, apt words, signs, etc. They embodied in a unique form the results of centuries of experience and practical wisdom of the peasant relating to this period of the year.

In August, the Russian people celebrate three Spasa- holiday dedicated to the All-Merciful Savior (Savior): August 1 (I4) - honey Savior (Savior on the water), August 6 (19) - apple Savior (Savior on the Mountain), August 16 (29) - nut Savior (Savior on the canvas ). This saying is widely known. “The first Savior is to stand on the water, the second Savior is to eat apples, the third Savior is to sell canvases.”

The first Savior is called honey because, from this day to folk superstition Bees are already stopping taking honey from flowers. On this day, Russian people visited each other and tried the first new honey. From August 6, throughout Russia they began to collect and eat apples and fruits, which were blessed in churches on this day. Until this day, it was impossible to eat apples. The days following the Apple Savior are called “gourmets”. “On the second day of the Savior even a beggar will eat an apple,” says the people. The custom of sharing apples and other fruits with all the poor was carefully observed. From this time on, the full harvest of garden and horticultural crops began. Summer was coming to an end (69, pp. 90-94).

Autumn holidays. Farewell to summer began with Semyonov's day- from September 1 (14). The custom of welcoming autumn was widespread in Russia. It coincided in time with Indian summer. Celebrated in mid-September Autumn. Early in the morning, women went to the bank of a river or pond and met Mother Osenina with round oatmeal bread (69, p. 106).

Among the autumn agricultural holidays, the beginning of the harvest should be noted - stings, and its ending dozhinki.

Zazhinki and dozhinki are the most important agricultural holidays. Many researchers of Russian life talk about how they were carried out in Rus'. “In the morning, the farmers and women workers went out to their paddocks, writes A. A. Korinfsky in his work, - the fields bloomed and were full of peasant shirts and women’s scarves, the songs of life echoed from boundary to boundary. At each paddock, the hostess herself walked ahead of everyone else with bread and salt and a candle. The first compressed sheaf - “zazhinochny” - was called the “birthday sheaf” and was set apart from the others; in the evening she took him to dinner, walked with him ahead of her household, brought him into the hut and placed the birthday boy in the red corner of the hut. This sheaf stood - right up to the dozhinki. At dozhinkas in the villages they organized a “worldly fundraiser”, ... baked a cake from new flour ... and celebrated the end of the harvest, accompanied by special rituals dedicated to it. The reapers walked around all the harvested fields and collected the remaining uncut ears. From the latter a wreath was twisted, intertwined with wildflowers. This wreath was placed on the head of a young woman beautiful girl, and then everyone walked to the village singing. Along the way, the crowd increased with oncoming peasants. A boy walked ahead of everyone with the last sheaf in his hands.”

Usually dozhinki occur during the celebration of the three Saviors. By this time the rye harvest is over. The owners, having completed the harvest, carried the last sheaf to the church, where they consecrated it. Winter fields were sown with such grains sprinkled with holy water.

The last compressed sheaf, decorated with ribbons, rags, and flowers, was also placed under the icon, where it stood until the Intercession itself. According to legend, the sheaf had magical powers, promised prosperity, and protected against hunger. On the day of the Intercession, it was solemnly taken out into the yard and, with special spells, fed to domestic animals so that they would not get sick. Cattle fed in this way were considered prepared for a long and harsh winter. From that day on, she was no longer driven out to pasture, as cold weather set in.

A kind of milestone between autumn and winter was a holiday Cover Holy Mother of God , which was celebrated on October 1 (14). “On Pokrov before lunch it’s autumn, after lunch it’s winter,” people said.

The Intercession is one of the most revered by Orthodox believers. religious holidays In ancient church books there is a story about the miraculous appearance of the Mother of God, which occurred on October 1, 910. They describe in detail and colorfully how, before the end of the all-night service, at four o'clock in the morning, a local holy fool named Andrei saw that he was standing in the air above the heads of those praying The Mother of God, accompanied by a retinue of angels and saints. She spread a white veil over the parishioners and prayed for the salvation of the whole world, for the deliverance of people from hunger, flood, fire, sword and invasion of enemies. According to popular beliefs, the Mother of God was the patroness of farmers. It was to her that the Russian people turned to pray for the harvest. It was from her that he expected help in hard peasant labor.

The festive church service on the day of the Intercession is structured in such a way as to convince believers of the mercy and intercession of the Mother of God, of her ability to protect people from troubles and console them in grief. The service on the Feast of the Intercession is dedicated to revealing her image as the all-powerful patroness of this world and as a spiritual figure who unites heavenly and earthly powers around herself.

Thus, we examined the main calendar holidays, winter, spring, summer and autumn, the holding of which reflected the character of the Russian people, their beliefs, customs and traditions. Over the centuries, they have certainly undergone changes associated with certain historical events and changing eras. But the main meanings and meanings of these holidays are still important for our people (69, pp. 106-109).

Let's consider artistic elements of Maslenitsa holiday. Maslenitsa (Maslenka) is a holiday of farewell to winter; the eighth week before Easter is actively celebrated by the population today (90).

It takes place before Lent, during the cheese-free week. Orthodox calendar, and ends with Forgiveness Sunday. According to the canons of the Orthodox Church cheese week was intended to prepare believers for fasting, when each of them had to be imbued with a mood corresponding to the coming time of bodily abstinence and intense spiritual reflection - these are the Christian traditions of this holiday. But there are many traditions that came to the celebration of Maslenitsa from distant paganism.

In traditional Russian life, this week has become the brightest holiday filled with the joy of life. Maslenitsa was called honest, wide, drunken, gluttonous, ruinous (pagan elements, since Christianity preaches the rejection of all earthly joys. Its basis is a decorous and calm existence). They said that Maslenitsa “sang and danced, ate and drank for a whole week, visited each other, rolled in pancakes, bathed in oil.”

Maslenitsa is celebrated throughout Russia, both in villages and cities. Its celebration is considered obligatory for all Russian people: “Even if you pledge yourself, celebrate Maslenitsa.” In the villages, in the old days, all residents took part in it, regardless of age and social status, with the exception of the sick and infirm. Failure to participate in Maslenitsa fun could lead, according to legend, to “life in bitter misfortune.”

The festivities begin with Maslenitsa on the Sunday before Maslenitsa. However, this ritual was not widespread. Where it was known, Maslenitsa was greeted with pancakes, which were laid out on elevated places (a pagan symbol, since it was the hills during pagan times that were considered “sacred” places where communication with the gods took place) with calls: “Come to me in guests, Maslenitsa, go out into the yard: ride in the mountains, roll in pancakes, amuse your heart!”, as well as singing songs.

During the first three days of Maslenitsa week, preparations for the holiday take place: firewood is brought for Maslenitsa bonfires (the pagan symbol is fire), and huts are cleaned. The main festivities fall on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday - the days of Maslenitsa.

All Maslenitsa entertainment usually takes place on the street. People enter houses only to warm up a little, if it’s frosty, and to treat themselves to festive dishes (gluttony is a pagan element, since Christianity imposes a large number of prohibitions on eating large amounts of food). Smartly dressed people - girls, boys, couples, children, old men and women - all pour out into the street, take part in festive festivities, congratulate each other, go to the fair, which operates in all large squares, where they buy necessary and unnecessary things, in the old days they were amazed at the miracles that were shown in booths - traveling theaters, they rejoiced at puppet shows and “bear fun” - performances by a leader with a bear (traditions that came to us from pagan times, when there were a large number of rituals and beliefs associated with the cult of animals. The bear Many tribes considered it a sacred beast, it was believed that from communicating with it, a person would be given part of his abilities - strength, endurance, courage. In addition, the bear was considered the patron of forest lands).

The Maslenitsa complex includes such entertainment as mountain skiing, sleigh rides, various rituals honoring the newlyweds, fist fights, mummers' processions, war games, such as "Taking the Snow Town", etc.

Characteristic feature Maslenitsa is the consumption of large amounts of fatty foods, as well as intoxicating drinks (pagan element). For drinks they prefer beer, and for food - sour cream, cottage cheese, cheese, eggs, all kinds of flour products: pancakes, cheesecakes, yarn, brushwood, flatbreads. The predominance of dairy foods was determined by the church ban on eating meat in the week preceding Lent (Christian element).

During Maslenitsa in the old days, many songs, jokes, and sentences were heard, most of which had no ritual significance; they were cheerful songs dedicated to Maslenitsa and the Maslenitsa festivities (90).

Skiing from the mountains- winter entertainment for children and single youth. Skating down the ice mountains for young people has always been one of the main entertainments of Maslenitsa week. “We ride in the mountains, we overeat on pancakes,” was sung in an old Maslenitsa song.

For skiing, natural mountains or specially made ones made of wood were filled with water. The ice slope turned into a long ice path, often descending to a river or lake. They tried to decorate the roller coasters: they placed Christmas trees next to them, hung lanterns, etc.

Towards evening, all the village youth gathered around the hill. For skating they used sleds, matting, skins, skates, ice boats - round flattened baskets frozen at the bottom, rollers - wide hollowed out boards, korezhki - wooden troughs that resembled dugout boats, short benches turned upside down with their legs. The children sat on the sleds, but only a few people. The guys, wanting to show the girls their prowess and youth, rolled down from the highest mountains: they sat down in a nimble basket and maneuvered along steep slopes, steering it like a boat with the help of a special short stick, or, taking a screaming girl in their arms, they descended, standing on legs. However, most often they rode in pairs on
Sudeikin S.Yu. Maslenitsa

sledding: the girl sat on the guy’s lap, and then had to thank him for the ride with a kiss. If the girl did not follow this rule, the youth “froze” the sled, that is, they did not allow them to get up from it until the guy and girl kissed.

According to custom, newlyweds were also supposed to take part in skiing from the mountains. They sat on the sled and slid down the mountain while shouting: “Salt the saffron milk caps, salt the saffron milk caps” (i.e., kiss in front of everyone). Skiing from the mountains was not prohibited for married people; there was even a belief that a married woman who rode down the mountain during Maslenitsa would receive a good flax harvest (pagan element - agricultural magic) (90).

Sledging- winter entertainment, typical for Christmastide, Maslenitsa, patronal holidays.

The Maslenitsa rides were especially exciting. They were called “sezdki”, since residents of all surrounding villages took part in them.

They carefully prepared for the festive riding: the horses were washed, their tails and manes were combed; they paid the same attention to the harness; put the sleigh in order.

Young people usually rode in the morning, newlyweds could go at any time they wished, and married couples, especially “big people, condos and rich peasants,” could go in the late afternoon. Even today, boys and girls in the Smolensk region go skating with noise and fun: horses rush forward, bells ring, towels tied to the back of the sleigh flutter, an accordion plays, songs sound. In the old days, newlyweds were supposed to travel sedately, with dignity, bow to all residents they met, and stop at their first request to accept congratulations and wishes.

The ceremonial departure of a wealthy family was decorated quite solemnly. The owner slowly brought the harnessed horses to the gate of the house, the hostess carefully packed the sleigh with pillows in elegant pillowcases, a fur or felt blanket, and beautifully tied ribbons and shawls to the bow. Then the smartly dressed family got into the sleigh. The front seat was intended for the owner and his son, the back seat for the owner and daughters. Old people came out onto the porch to watch the parade ride, small children ran screaming after the sleigh.

Everyone who arrived at the meeting place usually rode for five to six hours, breaking for a short feast at the houses of relatives and giving the horses a rest. Those who rode followed the established rules: one sleigh had to follow another along the main street of the village or in a circle, without overtaking or exceeding speed. The guys gave rides to girls walking along the street, politely inviting them and the sleigh: “Please take a ride!” The rules of decency obliged the guy to ride the same girl for no more than three or four laps, and then invite another. The girls tied small shawls to the arch of his horse as a sign of gratitude. The newlyweds, for whom skating on Maslenitsa was mandatory, stopped at the request of fellow villagers to “salt the saffron milk caps,” that is, to kiss in front of all the honest people.

The skating reached its culmination in the afternoon on Forgiveness Sunday, when especially many sleigh teams gathered, and the speed of their skating increased sharply. Dashing guys, trying to show their prowess in front of the girls, controlled running horses while standing, jumped into sleighs while moving, played accordions, whistled and shouted. Sunday skating was supposed to end instantly, immediately after the first strike of the bell, calling for evening. This moment gave especially great pleasure to the young people, who rushed headlong out of the village on sleds, overtaking each other.

Sleds for Maslenitsa

Atkinson D.A. Skiing from the mountains on the Neva

Fist fight- festive entertainment for boys and young men, elements of which can be found during the celebration of Maslenitsa today.

Geisler H.-G. Fist fight. Engraving

Fist fighter. Porcelain

“Brave fellows, good fighters.” Splint

Fist fights were held in winter during the Christmastide period, Maslenitsa and sometimes in Semik. At the same time, preference was given to Maslenitsa, the riotous nature of which made it possible for the male part of the city and village to show their prowess and youth to everyone.

Teams were composed based on the social or territorial community of the participants. Two villages could fight each other, residents of opposite ends of one large village, “monastic” peasants with landowners, etc. Fist fights were prepared in advance: the teams jointly chose a place for the battle, agreed on the rules of the game and the number of participants, and chose atamans. In addition, moral and physical training of the fighters was necessary. Men and boys steamed in the baths, tried to eat more meat and bread, which, believe me, gave strength and courage (pagan element).

Some participants resorted to various kinds of magical techniques to increase fighting courage and power. So, for example, one of the ancient Russian medical books contains the following advice: “Kill a black snake with a saber or knife, and take out the tongue from it, and screw green and black taffeta into it, and put it in the left boot, and put the shoes in the same place.” . When walking away, don’t look back, and whoever asks where you’ve been, don’t say anything to him” (pagan motive - appeal to magic, magical actions (spells), which were absolutely permitted and necessary in the pagan religion). They also tried to ensure victory in a fist fight with the help of a spell (pagan element) received from a sorcerer: “I, the servant of God, having blessed myself, will go crossing myself, from the hut to the door, from the gate and gate, into the open field, to the east, to the eastern side, to the Okiyan-Sea, and on that holy Okiyan-Sea there stands an old master man, and at that holy Okiyan-Sea there is a damp, cracking oak, and that master husband chops down the damp oak with his damask ambition, and as chips fly from that damp oak, In the same way, a fighter, a good fellow, would fall to the damp ground from me, every day and every hour. Amen! Amen! Amen! And to those words of mine, the key is in the sea, the castle in the sky, from now to eternity.”

Fist fights in Russia could take place not only with fists, but also with sticks, and fist fighting was more often chosen. The fighters were required to wear special uniforms: thick, tow-lined shanks and fur mittens that softened the blow. Fist fighting could be carried out in two versions: “wall to wall” (found today) and “clutch-dump”. In a “wall to wall” battle, the fighters, lined up in one row, had to hold it under the pressure of the enemy’s “wall”. It was a battle in which various types of military tactics were used. The fighters held the front, walked in a wedge - “pig”, changed fighters of the first, second, third row, retreated into an ambush, etc. The battle ended with the enemy breaking through the “wall” and the enemies fleeing. In a “pitch-dump” battle, everyone chose an opponent based on their strength and did not retreat until complete victory, after which they “coupled” into battle with another.

Russian fist fighting, unlike a fight, was carried out in compliance with certain rules, which included the following: “do not hit someone who is lying down”, “do not fight in a crippled manner”, “do not hit a smear”, i.e. in the event of blood appearing on the enemy finish the fight with him. It was impossible to strike from behind, from the rear, but to fight only face to face. An important point Another thing about fist fighting was that its participants always belonged to the same age group. The battle was usually started by teenagers, they were replaced by boys on the field, and then young married men - “strong fighters” - entered the battle. This order maintained the equality of the parties.

The battle began with the passage of the main fighters, i.e., boys and men, surrounded by teenagers, along a village street to the chosen battlefield. On the field, the guys became two “walls” of teams facing each other, demonstrating their strength in front of the enemy, slightly bullying him, taking militant poses, encouraging themselves with appropriate shouts. At this time, in the middle of the field, the teenagers were setting up a “dump-clutch”, preparing for future battles. Then the ataman’s cry was heard, followed by a general roar, a whistle, a cry: “Let’s fight!”, and the battle began. The strongest fighters joined the battle at the very end. The old men watching the fist fight discussed the actions of the young people and gave advice to those who had not yet entered the fight. The battle ended with the enemy fleeing the field and a general merry drinking session between the boys and men who took part in it.

Fist fights have accompanied Russian celebrations for many centuries. Fist fights instilled in men endurance, the ability to withstand blows, stamina, dexterity and courage. Participation in them was considered a matter of honor for every guy and young man. The exploits of the fighters were praised at men's feasts, passed on from mouth to mouth, and were reflected in daring songs and epics (90).

Surikov V.I. Taking the snowy town. Maslenitsa fun.

Pancakes – an obligatory attribute of Maslenitsa, which came from the times of paganism. They baked wheat, buckwheat, millet, rye, barley, oat pancakes and pancakes, and ate them with all sorts of additives - frozen milk, raw or boiled eggs and fish, butter and honey. Pancakes mixed with milk were called “milk”, and pancakes made with buckwheat flour were called “red”. Sometimes housewives mixed buckwheat flour with high-grade white semolina flour when baking.

Rural Maslenitsa. Rice. from a popular print

They also prepared pancake pies for the holidays, which were pancakes stacked and baked in a Russian oven, coated with a mash of cow butter and raw eggs. In the capital and provincial cities, wealthy families complemented pancakes with expensive varieties of fish and caviar. Pancakes were the most favorite food during Maslenitsa. They were prepared and eaten in huge quantities not only in their own homes and guests, but also feasted on at holiday fairs. “Damn is no damage to the belly,” the celebrants said, indulging in Maslenitsa riotous gluttony on the eve of the impending Strict Lent.

In some villages, the first pancakes were made already on the eve of Maslenitsa on Saturday, which was called “little Maslenitsa”. On this day, there was a tradition in the peasant community to remember deceased parents (a pagan element - the cult of deceased ancestors). A rich table was set especially for them and they were respectfully invited to taste the treats. But rich families started baking large quantities of pancakes on Monday, and poor families started baking them on Wednesday or Thursday of cheese week, and continued to do so throughout the rest of the days of the holiday. “It’s not Maslena without a pancake,” the peasants said.

Particular importance was attached to the preparation of the first pancake dough. They trusted the “elder” women, respected in the family, and good cooks, to cook it. The dough was kneaded in the snow on a lake, river bank, near a well or in the yard. This ritual action began only after the rising of the month and the appearance of the first stars in the sky (pagan tradition - the sacredness of a certain time of day). The process took place in complete secret from everyone, on the night before the first day of Maslenitsa. The centuries-old peasant tradition strictly prescribed to do this so that forces harmful to people would not be able to notice all the peculiarities of preparing the dough and would not send the entire cook to Maslenitsa week melancholy and melancholy (belief in otherworldly dark forces is an element of paganism).

The baking of the first pancakes was often accompanied by special rituals. For example, a boy of eight to ten years old was sent with a freshly baked pancake to ride around the garden on a grip or poker and call on Maslenitsa with a special call.

The consumption of the first pancake among peasants was also strictly regulated. It was generously smeared with cow butter and honey, and placed on a dormer window, shrine, or roof “to treat dead ancestors” (the cult of dead ancestors was formed during pagan times). The pancakes could not be cut; they had to be torn into pieces by hand. This custom repeated the tradition of eating the first pancake, known during the wake. According to popular belief, the soul of the deceased in this case could be saturated with the steam emanating from the pancake. “Our honest parents, here’s a pancake for your soul!” - said the owners. Sometimes the first baked pancake was thrown over the head behind the back, thus symbolizing “feeding the spirits” (a pagan element - belief in the soul and spirits).

Pancake seller. Pancake table.

Scarecrow Maslenitsa- a pagan attribute of the holiday that has survived to this day. On a sheaf of straw, which served as the basis for the body of Maslenitsa, the head and arms made of straw bundles were tied with a frill.

One of the most important ritual actions when making such a doll was dressing it - “dressing up”. The Maslenitsa costume must be old, shabby, torn, and sometimes they also put on a fur coat with the fur turned outward. At the same time, both the straw for Maslenitsa’s body and all the items of her clothing had to be collected from different houses or bought together, turning the figure performed in human height into a ritual symbol of the entire village or village and thus emphasizing the involvement of everyone in the act of its creation. members of a specific peasant community. As a rule, the character was also given a personal name - Dunya, Avdotya, Garanka, etc.

Maslenitsa effigy

In villages, in addition to the main ritual character, many houses made a significant number of their own “family” dolls, which had a similar name. Unlike the village-wide Maslenitsa, they, as a rule, had an attractive appearance. They drew eyes, eyebrows, noses with charcoal, dressed them up in bright elegant costumes, characteristic in their composition for married women: festive shirts decorated with polychrome bran weaving, embroidery and appliqué, bright cotton sundresses or checkered ponevas embroidered with colored woolen and garus threads and ornamented aprons. . Red calico or silk factory scarves were tied on the head with the ends back. But even in domestic figures, signs of gender were always emphasized in the same way. Maslenitsa was provided with the attributes appropriate to the holiday - a frying pan, a ladle, pancakes, and was seated on a bench in the house in a position as if she were baking pancakes. No serious ritual significance was attached to such images. They made five or six of these figures and sat them for the whole week in a place of honor - on a bench by the window. The girls took them with them to all gatherings and games in a hut specially rented for this purpose, walked with them along the village streets, rode them in sleighs, singing love “sufferings”. Such characters appeared mainly in those houses from which they took money. new family young people, where the “newlyweds” were expected to arrive or where girls of marriageable age lived. Sometimes the costumed figure turned into a simple toy,

At the same time, several similar figures could coexist in the village, but only one of them personified the symbol of the holiday for the entire peasant community of this village or village, only it was used in all ritual actions during Maslenitsa and at the end it was “seen off” or “buried” by the entire village.

According to popular beliefs, Maslenitsa, regardless of the method of its implementation, was endowed with supernatural magical powers (pagan motive). The demonstration of these exaggerated qualities was the most important ritual action, while they tried to exaggerate not only external, but also internal properties. Maslenitsa was traditionally called wide, riotous, gluttonous, drunkard. “Fat Maslenitsa. I ate too much pancakes, I ate myself!” - shouted the participants in the street celebrations. In all incarnations of Maslenitsa, the obligatory details were torn and ridiculous clothes, old sleighs and the dilapidation and unusualness of the “departure”. So, probably, they tried to emphasize to the character the obsolescence of the allotted period of possession of ritual power and the time of earthly existence. The appearance of this attribute of the holiday, which in pagan times personified fertility, winter and death and was the main character in a number of ritual actions, was always accompanied by noise, laughter, screams and general fun - actions to which the peasants attributed certain protective properties (pagan element).

The performers of ritual dolls in the villages were predominantly young married women (a pagan element). This was probably due to the fact that such an action was compared in the national consciousness in its significance with the birth of a new member - a child. Therefore, the entire action of making the Maslenitsa symbol had the character of a women's ritual. In addition to its immediate executors, young children also had the right to be in the room at this time.

Component of the rite of seeing off Maslenitsa – Maslenitsa bonfire (pagan tradition). One large fire was made for the entire village, and each family had to make a contribution. In advance, old, out-of-use things, worn-out bast shoes, parts of dilapidated wattle fences, collapsed firewood, empty tar barrels and cart wheels, rakes, harrows without teeth, old brooms collected by children during the year, straw left over from autumn threshing and from the bed on which they slept all year. All the rubbish was usually collected by small children during the previous week. To do this, they went around each yard with a special song.

Often, in the center of the fireplace, a high pole with a wheel, or a barrel, or a sheaf of straw attached to a broom was placed on it. As a rule, an elevated place was chosen to build a bonfire, usually the same place where the meeting of Maslenitsa (pagan element) originally took place. The fire must be bright and burn well so that it can be seen from afar. It was believed that the brighter it was, the richer the village. Often the objects being burned were additionally lifted upward using a special lever.

The fires were lit at seven or eight o'clock in the evening on the last day of the holiday - Forgiveness Sunday. The ritual action took place outside the village, in a winter field, on the ice of a lake or on the bank of a river (pagan belief in the sacredness of these places) and symbolized the end of the holiday. After the fire burned out, everyone gathered went home.

In some counties, bonfires in Maslenitsa rituals were replaced by lighted sheaves of straw mounted on poles. They walked around the village and around it with such torches, installed them in large numbers outside the villages along the roads, and the youth danced and sang around. Such actions probably carried an echo of ancient rituals of fumigation of villages, which were attributed with great magical power to influence human life and the environment. The performance of such rituals promised the village deliverance from unclean, destructive and hostile forces to all living things, as well as an abundance of livestock and an increase in the harvest (pagan tradition).

Maslenitsa is a complex and ambiguous phenomenon. This holiday goes back to the spring agrarian rituals of the pre-Christian era of life of the Slavs (pagan period), when Maslenitsa was timed to coincide with the vernal equinox - the line separating winter from spring. Ritual actions were aimed at ensuring that the hardships of winter would end and spring would come, followed by a warm summer with abundant bread. In the 19th and early 20th centuries. in the celebration of Maslenitsa, elements of an entertaining nature came to the fore, having pagan roots, echoes of which we find today (90).

Do you think winter holidays are only New Year, Christmas and sometimes Maslenitsa? Oh yes, we have recently added Valentine's Day. That's all? Not so! This cold season is rich in joyful events, some of which may become traditional in your family or company.

December holidays

The first month of winter ends very enchantingly, which is what it is famous for. But it is better to start preparing for the main event of winter gradually, from the beginning of December. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities for this:

Have you ever written letters to Santa Claus? It's time to start, there is a special day for this - December 4;
- December 7 Civil Aviation Day is celebrated all over the world;
- December 10 you are given a choice: either celebrate World Football Day if you love this sport. Or host a feast in honor of Human Rights Day;
- don’t know what winter holidays can be celebrated on the move? Prepare a revealing outfit and fiery music for the most passionate holiday - Tango Day December 11th, and before that study dance at home on your own to amaze everyone;
- 12 December Constitution Day of the Russian Federation;
- tea for the winter is like gasoline for a car: without it, no one would get further than the bed. His World Day is celebrated December 15;
- Winter presents Orthodox holidays in the guise of St. Saint's Day St. Nicholas the Wonderworker December 19;
- December 22 professional celebration for energy workers;
- December 25 knocks on the doors of all Catholics and some Orthodox;
- folk holidays in winter cannot do without 31th of December when the exciting, troublesome, but beloved preparations begin, because it’s New Year’s Eve!

List of January holidays

An abundance of official holidays, a refrigerator bursting with goodies and a constant flow of guests - this is what we love about January. We know what holidays are celebrated in winter, and we will help you not to get confused in the endless string of red days of the calendar:

— 1st of January- the first winter holiday in the new year. Few people remember its daylight hours, but only babies miss the night part of the celebration; - church holidays in winter include such a significant event as that celebrated by all Orthodox Christians Jan. 7;

- January 11 The most polite of holidays is celebrated - Thank You Day. How more words the gratitude you give, the more positive you will receive in return;
- there can never be too much of a good thing - January 14- Old New Year;
- 15 January I'm celebrating my birthday Wikipedia. Thanks to her for our encyclopedic knowledge!
- what holidays in winter allow you to test the strength of spirit and faith, so this is the Baptism of the Lord January 19;
- take advantage of the moment to enjoy warm communication with loved ones – January 21 Hug day and let the whole world wait;
- Popsicle Day on January 24 is an official occasion to enjoy an atypical sweetness for the winter season;
- students are those who tested the power of attraction for themselves during morning lectures, set a record for the speed of writing coursework on the last night before delivery and they have their own holiday - Tatiana's Day, January 25;
- January 26– International Customs Day;
- test your willpower with International Day spent without the Internet January 31. Can you hold out?

Holidays in February

The shortest month of the year also has something to surprise you with:

- February 2. It's noted somewhere Groundhog Day, but in Russia - Homecoming day. On this day, teachers are congratulated and gathered at school and in cafes.
- February 5th the holiday is celebrated by all scholars for whom a book is a faithful companion in life, friend and brother;
- February 5th - Chinese . If you haven’t managed to make all your wishes, then you have the opportunity to do so
- February 6 there is a reason to visit entertainment and drinking establishments. So you will not only congratulate you on your professional holiday bartenders, but also get the opportunity to take part in competitions, watch competitions between hard workers;
- February 7– a real winter sports holiday – Day winter species sports;
- an excellent reason to visit the dentist and at the same time congratulate him on his international holiday - February 9;
- The 14th of February The world is illuminated with light from the heavenly white wings of the messenger of love, Cupid. This is a day of cute valentines, memorable souvenirs, and warm confessions - Valentine's Day! Send to your loved ones.
- February 17, Spontaneous Kindness Day is celebrated. On this day you cannot restrain your noble impulses: if you want to feed a kitten - go ahead, take part in a charity marathon - please, the main thing is that you sincerely want it;
- it’s hard to imagine winter holidays in Russia without Maslenitsa. In 2019, Maslenitsa will begin in March
- February 23 is celebrated in a number of countries;
- each of us has our own lottery ticket, we just don’t always take it seriously. Trust fate and take part in the lottery on her birthday 2 February 4.

For our ancestors, who lived in ancient times in Rus', holidays were an important part of both family and public life. For many centuries, the Russian people honored and sacredly preserved their traditions, passed on from father to son in every generation.

The daily life of an ordinary Russian person in those days was difficult and dedicated to the hard work of obtaining his daily bread, so holidays were a special event for him, a kind of sacred day, when the life of the entire community merged with their sacred values, the spirits of their ancestors and their covenants.

Traditional Russian holidays included a complete ban on any daily activity (mowing, plowing, chopping wood, sewing, weaving, cleaning, etc.). During the holiday, all people had to dress in festive clothes, rejoice and have fun, conduct only joyful, pleasant conversations; failure to comply with these rules was subject to a fine or even punishment in the form of lashing.

Each season played its own specific role in the life of a Russian person. Winter period, free from work on the land, was especially famous for its festivities, noisy fun and games.

The main Russian holidays in Rus':

Winter

On January 7 (December 25), the Russian Orthodox people celebrated Christmas. This holiday, dedicated to the birth of God's son Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, ends the Nativity fast, which lasts for 40 days. In anticipation of it, people prepared to come to him with clean souls and bodies: they washed and cleaned their homes, went to the bathhouse, put on clean holiday clothes, helped the poor and needy, and distributed alms. On January 6, on Christmas Eve, the whole family gathered at a large festive table, where the obligatory first course was the ritual porridge kutya or sochivo. They started dinner after the first star appeared, eating silently and solemnly. After Christmas came the so-called holy days, which lasted until Epiphany, during which it was customary to go from house to house and glorify Jesus Christ with prayers and chants.

Christmastide (Holiday week)

Holidays among the ancient Slavs, and then turned into church celebrations, the days of Christmastide, begin from the first star on Christmas Eve until the holiday of Epiphany, the blessing of water (“from the star to the water”). The first week of Christmastide is called Christmastide week, associated with Slavic mythology associated with the turn of winter to summer, there is more sun, less darkness. During this week, in the evenings, called holy evenings, holiness was often violated by mythological rituals of fortune telling, which was not welcomed by the church, and during the day, dressed in clothes with flags and musical instruments magicians walked the streets, entered houses and amused the people.

On January 19, Orthodox Epiphany was celebrated, dedicated to the sacrament of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River, on this day the Great Blessing of Water was performed in all churches and temples, all water in reservoirs and wells was considered holy and had unique properties. medicinal properties. Our ancestors believed that holy water could not spoil and kept it in the red corner under the icons, and believed that this was the best cure for all ailments, both physical and spiritual. On rivers, lakes and other bodies of water, they made a special ice hole in the shape of a cross called a Jordan, swimming in which was considered a godly and healing activity that relieved illnesses and all sorts of misfortunes for the whole year.

At the very end of winter, when, according to the beliefs of our ancestors, the Red Spring, with the help of warmth and light, drove away the cold and cold, the Maslenitsa holiday began, known for its freewheeling joy, which lasted for a whole week on the eve of Lent. At this time, it was customary to bake pancakes, which were considered a symbol of the sun, go to visit each other, have fun and dress up, sled down the hills, and on the final Forgiveness Sunday, burn and bury a scarecrow symbol of the defeated winter.

Spring

On this feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, although in Orthodoxy there is no forefeast, since Holy Week begins next, believers bring willow branches to the church (in Slavic they replaced palm branches), which are sprinkled with holy water at Matins after the all-night vigil. Then the Orthodox decorate icons in their homes with consecrated willow trees.

Holy Easter was considered the greatest holiday of all Christian people in Rus'; on this day the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his transition from death on Earth to life in heaven was revered. People cleaned and decorated their houses, put on festive clothes, made sure to attend Easter services in churches and temples, went to visit each other, treating each other to Easter colored eggs and Easter cakes after Lent. When meeting people they said “Christ is Risen!”, in response they should say “Truly He is Risen!” and kiss three times.

The first Sunday after Easter was called Krasnaya Gorka or Fomin's Day (on behalf of the Apostle Thomas, who did not believe in the resurrection of Christ), it was a symbol of the arrival of spring and the long-awaited warmth. On this holiday, folk festivities began at night and lasted the whole day, young people danced in circles, rode on swings, young guys met and got to know girls. Covered festive tables with a hearty treat: fried eggs, loaves in the shape of the sun.

Summer

One of the most significant holidays of the summer was Ivan Kupala or Midsummer's Day, named after John the Baptist and celebrated on the day from July 6 to 7, the summer solstice. This holiday has ethnic origins and deep pagan roots. On this day, people burn large bonfires, jump over them, symbolizing the cleansing of the body and spirit from sinful thoughts and actions, dance in circles, weave beautiful wreaths of flowers and meadow herbs, set them adrift and tell fortunes about their betrothed.

One of the national holidays revered since ancient times, which is associated with many beliefs, signs and prohibitions. On the eve of the holiday, ritual cookies were baked on Thursday and Friday and field work was stopped. And on Elijah’s day itself it was strictly forbidden to carry out any household work; it was believed that it would not bring results. A “brotherhood” was held, all residents of nearby villages were invited to a common meal, and after the refreshments they ended with folk festivities with songs and dances. And most importantly, Ilya’s day is considered the border between summer and autumn, when the water becomes cold, the evenings are cool, and the first signs of autumn gilding appear on the trees.

In the middle of the last summer month, namely August 14 (1), Orthodox Christians celebrated the holiday of the Honey Savior (saved from the word savior), which honored the death of the seven Maccabean martyrs, who were martyred for their Christian faith by the ancient Syrian king Antiochus. The houses were sprinkled with poppy seeds, protecting them from evil spirits; the first honeycombs, collected on this day, when the bees stopped collecting nectar, were taken to the temple for consecration. This day symbolized farewell to summer, after which the days became shorter, the nights longer, and the weather cooler.

On August 19 (6), Apple Day or the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord began; among our ancestors it was one of the very first harvest festivals, symbolizing the beginning of autumn and the withering of nature. Only with its onset could the ancient Slavs eat apples from the new harvest, which were necessarily consecrated in the church. The festive tables were set and they began to eat grapes and pears.

The last, Third Spas (Bread or Nut) was celebrated on August 29 (16), on this day the harvest season ended and housewives could bake bread from the new grain harvest. Festive loaves were blessed in churches, and nuts were also brought there, which were just ripe at that time. Finishing the harvest, farmers always knitted the last “birthday sheaf”.

Autumn

One of the most revered autumn holidays that came to the ancient Slavs from Byzantium was Intercession Day, celebrated on October 14 (1). The holiday is dedicated to an event that occurred in the 10th century in Constantinople, when the city was besieged by the Saracens, and the townspeople brought prayers for help to the Holy Mother of God in temples and churches. Holy Virgin Mary heard their requests and, removing the veil from her head, hid them from their enemies and saved the city. At this time, the harvesting work was completely completed, preparations for winter began, round dances and festivities ended, and gatherings with handicrafts, chants and conversations began. On this day, tables were set with treats, gifts were brought to the poor and orphans, attendance at church services was obligatory, and the time for wedding celebrations began. Marriage during the Intercession was considered particularly happy, rich and long-lasting.