Russian national customs. Russian rituals, holidays and traditions

Most families have their own overt or unspoken traditions. How important are they to raising happy people?

Traditions and rituals are inherent in every family. Even if you think that there is nothing like this in your family, most likely you are a little mistaken. After all, even the morning: "Hello!" and evening: "Good night!" It is also a kind of tradition. What to say about Sunday dinners the whole family or the collective production of Christmas tree decorations.

To begin with, let's remember what such a simple and familiar word “family” means from childhood. Agree, there may be different options on the topic: “mom, dad, me”, and “parents and grandparents”, and “sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts, etc.”. One of the most popular definitions of this term says: "A family is an association of people based on marriage or consanguinity, connected by a common life, mutual moral responsibility and mutual assistance." That is, these are not just blood relatives living under the same roof, but also people who help each other and are mutually responsible. Family members in the true sense of the word love each other, support each other, rejoice together on cheerful occasions and grieve on sad ones. They seem to be all together, but at the same time they learn to respect the opinions and personal space of each other. And there is something that unites them into one whole, inherent only to them, in addition to the stamps in the passport.

This "something" is family traditions. Remember how in childhood you loved to come to your grandmother for the summer? Or celebrate birthdays with a large crowd of relatives? Or decorate the Christmas tree with mom? These memories are filled with warmth and light.

What are family traditions? Explanatory dictionaries say the following: "Family traditions are the usual norms accepted in the family, behaviors, customs and views that are passed down from generation to generation." Most likely, these are the habitual standards of behavior that the child will carry with him to his future family, and will pass on to his children.

What do family traditions give people? First, they help harmonious development child. After all, traditions involve the repeated repetition of some actions, and, therefore, stability. For a baby, such predictability is very important, thanks to it, over time, he ceases to be afraid of this big, incomprehensible world. Why be afraid if everything is constant, stable, and your parents are nearby? In addition, traditions help children see in their parents not just strict educators, but also friends with whom it is interesting to spend time together.

Secondly, for adults, family traditions give a sense of unity with their relatives, bring together, strengthen feelings. After all, these are often moments of pleasant pastime with those closest to you, when you can relax, be yourself and enjoy life.

Thirdly, it is the cultural enrichment of the family. It becomes not just a combination of separate "I", but a full-fledged cell of society, carrying and making its contribution to the cultural heritage of the country.

Of course, these are far from all the “pluses” of family traditions. But even this is quite enough to think: how do our families live? Maybe add some interesting traditions?

Family traditions in the world there is a huge variety. But still, in general, we can try to conditionally divide them into two large groups: general and special.

Common traditions are traditions found in most families in one form or another. These include:

• Celebration of birthdays and family holidays. This tradition is sure to be one of the first significant events in a baby's life. Thanks to such customs, both children and adults receive many "bonuses": anticipation of the holiday, good mood, the joy of communicating with the family, the feeling of being needed and important for loved ones. This tradition is one of the warmest and most cheerful.
• Household duties of all family members, cleaning, putting things in their places. When a baby is taught to do his household duties from an early age, he begins to feel included in the life of the family, learns to care.
• Joint games with children. Both adults and children take part in such games. Doing something together with children, parents show them an example, teach them different skills, show their feelings. Then, as the child grows older, it will be easier for him to maintain a trusting relationship with mom and dad.
• Family dinner. Many families honor the traditions of hospitality, which helps to unite families by gathering them at the same table.
• Family Council. This is a "meeting" of all family members, at which important questions, the situation is being discussed, future plans, the family budget is being considered, etc. It is very important to involve children in the advice - this way the child will learn to be responsible, as well as better understand his relatives.
• Traditions of "carrot and stick". Each family has its own rules, for which it is possible (if possible) to punish the child, and how to encourage him. Someone gives extra pocket money, and someone gives a joint trip to the circus. The main thing for parents is not to overdo it, excessive demands from adults can make a child inactive and lethargic, or, conversely, envious and angry.
• Rituals of greeting and farewell. Good morning wishes and sweet dreams, kisses, hugs, meeting when returning home - all this is a sign of attention and care from loved ones.
• Days of memory of deceased relatives and friends.
• Joint walks, trips to theaters, cinemas, exhibitions, travel trips - these traditions enrich the life of the family, make it brighter and richer.

Special traditions are special traditions that belong to one given family. Perhaps this is a habit on Sundays to sleep before dinner, or go on a picnic on weekends. Or home theater. Or hiking in the mountains. Or…

Also, all family traditions can be divided into those that have developed on their own and deliberately brought into the family. We will talk about how to create a new tradition a little later. Now let's look at interesting examples of family traditions. Perhaps you will like some of them, and you want to introduce it into your family?

How many families - how many examples of traditions can be found in the world. But sometimes they are so interesting and unusual that you immediately start to think: “But shouldn’t I come up with something like that?”.

So, examples of interesting family traditions:

• Joint fishing until the morning. Dad, mom, children, night and mosquitoes - few will dare to do this! But on the other hand, a lot of emotions and new impressions are also provided!
• Family cooking. Mom kneads the dough, dad twists the minced meat, and the child makes dumplings. Well, so what, which is not quite even and correct. The main thing is that everyone is cheerful, happy and soiled in flour!
• Quests on the occasion of a birthday. Each birthday person - whether it be a child or a grandfather - is given a card in the morning, according to which he is looking for clues leading him to a gift.
• Trips to the sea in winter. Collect backpacks with the whole family and go to the sea coast, breathe fresh air, have a picnic or spend the night in a winter tent - all this will give unusual sensations and unite the family.
• Draw postcards for each other. Just like that, without a reason and special artistic talent. Instead of being offended and pouting, write: “I love you! Although you are sometimes unbearable ... But I am also not a gift.
• Together with the kids, bake shortcakes for the feast of St. Nicholas for orphans. Joint selfless good deeds and trips to Orphanage help children become kinder and more sympathetic, and grow up to be caring people.
• Night story. No, not just when a mother reads to her baby. And when all adults read in turn, and everyone listens. Light, kind, eternal.
• Celebrate the New Year every time in a new place. It does not matter where it will be - on the square of a foreign city, on the top of a mountain or near the Egyptian pyramids, the main thing is not to repeat yourself!
• Evenings of poems and songs. When the family gets together, everyone sits in a circle, composes poetry - each line by line - and immediately come up with music for them, and sing along with the guitar. Great! You can also arrange home performances and puppet theater.
• "Putting" gifts to neighbors. Going unnoticed, the family gives gifts to neighbors and friends. What a pleasure to give!
• We speak nice words. Everyone talks to each other before every meal pleasant words and compliments. Inspiring, right?
• Cooking with love. "Did you put love?" “Yes, of course, I will now. Give it to me, please, it's in the locker!
• Holiday on the top shelf. The custom is to meet all the holidays on the train. Fun and on the move!

In order to create a new family tradition, you need only two things: your desire and the principled consent of the household. The algorithm for creating a tradition can be summarized as follows:

1. Actually, come up with the tradition itself. Try to involve all family members to the maximum to create a friendly close-knit atmosphere.
2. Take the first step. Try your "action". It is very important to saturate it with positive emotions - then everyone will look forward to the next time.
3. Be moderate in your desires. Do not immediately introduce many different traditions for each day of the week. It takes time for habits to take hold. Yes, and when everything in life is planned out to the smallest detail, this is also not interesting. Leave room for surprises!
4. Reinforce the tradition. It is necessary to repeat it several times so that it is remembered and began to be strictly observed. But do not bring the situation to the point of absurdity - if there is a blizzard or a downpour on the street, it may be worth refusing to walk. In other cases, the tradition is better to follow.

When a new family is created, it often happens that the spouses do not have the same concept of traditions. For example, in the groom's family, it is customary to celebrate all the holidays in the circle of numerous relatives, and the bride met these events only with her mother and father, and some dates could not be coped with at all. In this case, the newlyweds may immediately brew a conflict. What to do in case of disagreement? The advice is simple - only a compromise. Discuss the problem and find the most suitable solution for both. Come up with a new tradition - already a common one - and everything will work out!

In Russia, from time immemorial, family traditions have been honored and protected. They are a very important part of the country's historical and cultural heritage. What family traditions were in Russia?

Firstly, important rule for each person there was knowledge of their pedigree, moreover, not at the level of “grandparents”, but much deeper. In each noble family was drawn up family tree, a detailed genealogy, carefully kept and transmitted stories about the life of their ancestors. Over time, when cameras appeared, management and storage began family albums passing them on to younger generations. This tradition has come down to our times - many families have old albums with photographs of loved ones and relatives, even those who are no longer with us. It is always pleasant to reconsider these “pictures of the past”, to rejoice or, conversely, to feel sad. Now, with the widespread use of digital photographic equipment, there are more and more frames, but most often they remain electronic files that have not “flowed” onto paper. On the one hand, it is much easier and more convenient to store photos in this way, they do not take up space on the shelves, do not turn yellow over time, and do not get dirty. And yes, you can shoot more often. But even that trepidation associated with the expectation of a miracle has also become less. After all, at the very beginning of the photo era, going to a family photo was a whole event - they carefully prepared for it, dressed smartly, everyone walked joyfully together - why not a separate beautiful tradition for you?

Secondly, honoring the memory of relatives, commemoration of the departed, as well as care and constant care for elderly parents has been and remains a primordially Russian family tradition. In this, it is worth noting, the Russian people differ from European countries, where special institutions mainly deal with elderly citizens. It is not for us to judge whether this is good or bad, but the fact that such a tradition exists and is alive is a fact.

Thirdly, in Russia since ancient times it has been customary to pass on from generation to generation family heirlooms - jewelry, dishes, some things of distant relatives. Often young girls got married in the wedding dresses of their mothers, who had previously received them from their mothers, etc. Therefore, in many families there have always been special "secret places" where grandfather's watches, grandmother's rings, family silver and other valuables were kept.

Fourthly, earlier it was very popular to name a born child in honor of one of the family members. This is how “family names” appeared, and families where, for example, grandfather Ivan, son Ivan and grandson Ivan.

Fifth, an important family tradition of the Russian people was and is the assignment of a patronymic to a child. Thus, already at birth, the baby receives part of the name of the genus. Calling someone by name - patronymic, we express our respect and courtesy.

Sixth, earlier very often the child was assigned church name in honor of the saint who is honored on the birthday of the baby. According to popular beliefs, such a name will protect the child from evil forces and help in life. Nowadays, such a tradition is observed infrequently, and mainly among deeply religious people.

Seventh, in Rus' there were professional dynasties- whole generations of bakers, shoemakers, doctors, soldiers, priests. Growing up, the son continued the work of his father, then the same work was continued by his son, and so on. Unfortunately, now such dynasties in Russia are very, very rare.

Eighth, an important family tradition was, and even now they are increasingly returning to this, the obligatory wedding of the newlyweds in the church, and the baptism of infants.

Yes, there were many interesting family traditions in Russia. Take at least the traditional feast. No wonder they talk about the "broad Russian soul." But it’s true, they carefully prepared for the reception of guests, cleaned the house and the yard, set the tables with the best tablecloths and towels, put pickles in dishes stored especially for special occasions. The hostess came out on the threshold with bread and salt, bowed from the waist to the guests, and they bowed to her in return. Then everyone went to the table, ate, sang songs, talked. Eh, beauty!

Some of these traditions hopelessly sunk into oblivion. But how interesting it is to notice that many of them are alive, and they are still passed down from generation to generation, from father to son, from mother to daughter ... And, therefore, the people have a future!

The cult of family traditions in different countries

In Great Britain important point in the upbringing of a child is the goal to raise a true Englishman. Children are raised in strictness, they are taught to restrain their emotions. At first glance, it may seem that the British love their children less than parents in other countries. But this, of course, is a deceptive impression, because they are just used to showing their love in a different way, not like, for example, in Russia or Italy.

In Japan, it is very rare to hear a child crying - all the wishes of children under 6 years old are immediately fulfilled. All these years, the mother is engaged only in raising the baby. But then baby go to school, where strict discipline and order await him. It is also curious that under one roof usually lives the whole big family both old people and babies.

In Germany, there is a tradition of late marriages - it is rare for anyone to start a family before the age of thirty. It is believed that until this time, future spouses can realize themselves at work, build a career, and are already able to provide for their families.

In Italy, the concept of "family" is comprehensive - it includes all relatives, including the most distant ones. An important family tradition is joint dinners, where everyone communicates, shares their news, and discusses pressing problems. Interestingly, the Italian mother plays an important role in choosing a son-in-law or daughter-in-law.

In France, women prefer a career to raising children, so after a very short time after the birth of a child, the mother returns to work, and her child goes to kindergarten.

In America, an interesting family tradition is the habit of early childhood accustom children to life in society, supposedly this will help their children in adulthood. Therefore, it is quite natural to see families with small children both in cafes and at parties.

In Mexico, the cult of marriage is not so high. Families often live without official registration. But male friendship there is quite strong, the community of men supports each other, helps in solving problems.

As you can see, family traditions are interesting and cool. Do not neglect them, because they unite the family, help it become one.

“Love your family, spend time together and be happy!”
Anna Kutyavina for site site

The Russian people are representatives of the East Slavic ethnic group, the indigenous inhabitants of Russia (110 million people - 80% of the population Russian Federation), the largest ethnic group in Europe. The Russian diaspora has about 30 million people and is concentrated in such states as Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, in countries former USSR, in the US and EU countries. As a result of sociological research, it was found that 75% of the Russian population of Russia are followers of Orthodoxy, and a significant part of the population does not identify themselves with any particular religion. The national language of the Russian people is Russian.

Each country and its people have their own meaning in the modern world, concepts are very important folk culture and the history of the nation, their formation and development. Each nation and its culture is unique in its own way, the color and originality of each nation should not be lost or dissolved in assimilation with other nations, the younger generation should always remember who they really are. For Russia, which is a multinational power and home to 190 peoples, the issue of national culture is quite acute, due to the fact that in recent years its erasure is especially noticeable against the background of the cultures of other nationalities.

Culture and life of the Russian people

(Russian folk costume)

The first associations that arise with the concept of "Russian people" are, of course, the breadth of the soul and fortitude. But the national culture is formed by people, it is these character traits that have a huge impact on its formation and development.

One of the distinguishing features of the Russian people has always been and is simplicity, in the old days Slavic houses and property were very often plundered and completely destroyed, hence the simplified attitude to everyday life. And of course, these trials, which befell the long-suffering Russian people, only tempered his character, made him stronger and taught him to get out of any life situations with his head held high.

Kindness can be called another of the traits that prevail in the character of the Russian ethnos. The whole world is well aware of the concept of Russian hospitality, when "they will feed and drink, and put to bed." The unique combination of such qualities as cordiality, mercy, compassion, generosity, tolerance and, again, simplicity, very rarely found in other peoples of the world, all this is fully manifested in the very breadth of the Russian soul.

Diligence is another of the main features of the Russian character, although many historians in the study of the Russian people note both her love for work and huge potential, and her laziness, as well as complete lack of initiative (remember Oblomov in Goncharov's novel). But all the same, the efficiency and endurance of the Russian people is an indisputable fact, against which it is difficult to argue. And no matter how scientists all over the world would like to understand the “mysterious Russian soul”, it is unlikely that any of them can do it, because it is so unique and multifaceted that its “zest” will forever remain a secret for everyone.

Traditions and customs of the Russian people

(Russian meal)

Folk traditions and customs are unique connection, a kind of "bridge of times", linking the far past with the present. Some of them are rooted in the pagan past of the Russian people, even before the baptism of Rus', little by little their sacred meaning was lost and forgotten, but the main points have been preserved and are still being observed. In villages and towns, Russian traditions and customs are honored and remembered to a greater extent than in cities, which is associated with a more isolated lifestyle of urban residents.

A large number of rituals and traditions are associated with family life (this includes matchmaking, wedding celebrations, and the baptism of children). The conduct of ancient rites and rituals guaranteed a successful and successful future. happy life health of offspring and the general well-being of the family.

(Colorized photograph of a Russian family in the early 20th century)

Since ancient times, Slavic families have been distinguished by a large number of family members (up to 20 people), adult children, having already married, remained to live in their own home, the father or elder brother was the head of the family, they all had to obey and implicitly fulfill all their orders. Usually, wedding celebrations were held either in the fall, after the harvest, or in the winter after the Feast of the Epiphany (January 19). Then the first week after Easter, the so-called "Red Hill", was considered a very good time for a wedding. The wedding itself was preceded by a matchmaking ceremony, when the groom’s parents came to the bride’s family together with his godparents, if the parents agreed to give their daughter in marriage, then the bride was held (acquaintance of the future newlyweds), then there was a rite of conspiracy and handshake (the parents decided on issues of dowry and the date of the wedding festivities ).

The rite of baptism in Rus' was also interesting and unique, the child had to be baptized immediately after birth, for this godparents were chosen, who would be responsible for the life and well-being of the godson all his life. At the age of one, the baby was put on the inside of a sheepskin coat and sheared, cutting a cross on the crown, with such a meaning that impure forces would not be able to penetrate his head and would not have power over him. Every Christmas Eve (January 6), a slightly grown godson should bring kutya (wheat porridge with honey and poppy seeds) to his godparents, and they, in turn, should give him sweets.

Traditional holidays of the Russian people

Russia is a truly unique state where, along with the highly developed culture of the modern world, ancient traditions of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, going back centuries and preserving the memory of not only Orthodox vows and canons, but also the most ancient pagan rites and sacraments. And to this day, pagan holidays are celebrated, people listen to the signs and centuries old traditions, remembers and tells his children and grandchildren old traditions and legends.

Main national holidays:

• Christmas Jan. 7
• Christmas time January 6 - 9
• Baptism January 19
• Maslenitsa from 20 to 26 February

• Forgiveness Sunday ( before Great Lent)
• Palm Sunday (the Sunday before Easter)
• Easter ( the first Sunday after the full moon, which occurs no earlier than the day of the conditional vernal equinox on March 21)
• Red hill ( first Sunday after Easter)

• Trinity ( Sunday of Pentecost - 50th day after Easter)
• Ivan Kupala July 7
• Day of Peter and Fevronia July 8
• Ilyin's day August 2

• Honey Spas August 14
• Apple Spas August 19
• Third (Bread) Spas August 29
• Veil day October 14

There is a belief that on the night of Ivan Kupala (from July 6 to 7), once a year, a fern flower blooms in the forest, and whoever finds it will gain untold wealth. In the evening, large bonfires are kindled near rivers and lakes, people dressed in festive old Russian robes lead round dances, sing ritual chants, jump over the fire, and let wreaths go with the flow, hoping to find their soul mate.

Maslenitsa - traditional holiday Russian people, celebrated during the week before Lent. A very long time ago, Shrovetide was rather not a holiday, but a rite, when the memory of departed ancestors was honored, appeasing them with pancakes, asking them for a fertile year, and spending the winter by burning a straw effigy. Time passed, and the Russian people, longing for fun and positive emotions in the cold and dull season, turned the sad holiday into a more cheerful and daring celebration, which began to symbolize the joy of the imminent end of winter and the arrival of the long-awaited warmth. The meaning has changed, but the tradition of baking pancakes has remained, exciting winter entertainments have appeared: sledding and horse-drawn sledge rides, the straw effigy of Winter was burned, all the Shrovetide week a relative went to pancakes either to mother-in-law or to sister-in-law, everywhere there was an atmosphere of celebration and fun , various theatrical and puppet shows with the participation of Petrushka and other folklore characters. One of the most colorful and dangerous entertainments on Maslenitsa was holding fisticuffs, they were attended by the male population, for whom it was an honor to take part in a kind of “military business”, testing their courage, courage and dexterity.

Christmas and Easter are considered especially revered Christian holidays among the Russian people.

Christmas is not only a bright holiday of Orthodoxy, it also symbolizes the rebirth and return to life, the traditions and customs of this holiday, filled with kindness and humanity, high moral ideals and the triumph of the spirit over worldly concerns, in the modern world are re-opened to society and rethought by it. The day before Christmas (January 6) is called Christmas Eve because the main course is holiday table, which should consist of 12 dishes, is a special porridge "sochivo", consisting of boiled cereals poured with honey, sprinkled with poppy seeds and nuts. You can sit at the table only after the first star appears in the sky, Christmas (January 7) - family celebration, when everyone gathered at the same table, ate a festive treat and gave gifts to each other. 12 days after the holiday (until January 19) are called Christmas time, earlier at this time the girls in Rus' held various gatherings with fortune-telling and rituals to attract suitors.

Bright Easter has long been considered a great holiday in Rus', which people associated with the day of general equality, forgiveness and mercy. On the eve of Easter celebrations, Russian women usually bake Easter cakes (festive rich Easter bread) and Easter, clean and decorate their homes, young people and children paint eggs, which, according to ancient legend, symbolize the drops of blood of Jesus Christ crucified on the cross. On the day of Holy Easter, smartly dressed people, meeting, say “Christ is Risen!”, Answer “Truly Risen!”, Then follows a triple kiss and the exchange of festive Easter eggs.

The synthetic form of culture is rites, customs, traditions and rituals, i.e. what are called patterns of behavior. Rituals are standard and repetitive team activities held at a set time and on a special occasion to influence the behavior and understanding of employees of the organizational environment. The strength of the rite is in its emotional and psychological impact on people. In the ritual, not only the rational assimilation of certain norms, values ​​and ideals takes place, but also the participants in the ritual action empathize with them.

Rituals are a system of rituals. Even certain managerial decisions can become organizational rituals that employees interpret as part of the organizational culture. Such rites act as organized and planned actions of great "cultural" significance.

IN Everyday life enterprise rituals perform a dual function: they can strengthen the structure of the enterprise, and on the other hand, by obscuring true meaning actions taken - to weaken. In positive cases, the rituals are stage performances of works of fundamental importance. Rituals symbolize beliefs playing essential role at the enterprise. In combination with outstanding events, rituals directly and indirectly highlight the image of the enterprise and the value orientations that dominate it.

Rituals of recognition, such as anniversaries, celebrations of success in foreign service, public incentives, participation in incentive trips - all these events should demonstrate what the interests of the enterprise are, what is rewarded and what is solemnly celebrated.

A similar function is performed by the so-called initiating rituals, which are usually performed when joining a team. They must clearly demonstrate to the new member what is really valued in the firm. If a newly-baked graduate engineer who graduated from an elite university, in the very first days of his service career in the representative office of a company in South America a broom is handed over and it is proposed to start by sweeping the room, then in young man this can cause frustration and confusion. At the same time, he is immediately made to understand that at this enterprise, first of all, it is not formal education that is valued, but personal participation in business. A parallel can be drawn with enterprises specializing in the production of high-quality products, where almost everyone, regardless of education, starts in sales.

In the negative case, the relationship between rituals and value orientations is lost. In this case, the rituals turn into an unnecessary, prim and ultimately ridiculous formality, with the help of which they try to kill time, evade decision-making, avoid conflicts and confrontations.

The most typical example of this in ordinary life is the negotiation of tariff agreements, especially when this was preceded by workers' protests. Dramaturgy prohibits reaching an agreement during the working day. No, we have to fight all night, and the new tariff agreement should be signed as soon as possible before dawn, so that union representatives and employers, completely exhausted, can appear in front of the cameras in the first rays of the sun.

And at enterprises one can often observe how rituals turn into an end in themselves, how they become ballast in the process of implementing the main active installations.

Rituals occupy an important place within the culture of the enterprise. At the same time, it is necessary to check whether they really convey value orientations that are relevant for everyday life as well.

A custom is a form of social regulation of the activities and attitudes of people taken from the past, which is reproduced in a particular society or social group and is familiar to its members. The custom consists in steadfast adherence to the prescriptions received from the past. Various rituals, holidays, production skills, etc. can act as a custom. A custom is an unwritten rule of conduct.

Traditions are elements of social and cultural heritage that are passed down from generation to generation and preserved in a particular community for a long time. Traditions operate in all social systems and are necessary condition their livelihoods. A disdainful attitude to tradition leads to a violation of continuity in the development of society and culture, to the loss of the valuable achievements of mankind. Blind worship of tradition breeds conservatism and stagnation in public life.

Ancient wedding ceremonies

Wedding ceremonies in Russia developed around the 15th century. The main components of wedding ceremonies are as follows:

Matchmaking- a wedding ceremony in which the prior consent of the bride's relatives for the wedding was obtained.

Smotriny- a wedding ceremony in which the matchmaker / (matchmaker), the groom, the groom's parents could see the future bride and evaluate her strengths and weaknesses. Brides were held after the matchmaking, before the handshake.

handshake(collusion, binge, zaruchiny, wooing, arches) - part of the wedding ceremony, during which a final agreement was reached on the wedding.

Vytiye- wedding ceremony, ritual lamentation. Occurs on the half of the bride. Its purpose is to show that the girl lived well in the house of her parents, but now she has to leave. The bride said goodbye to her parents, friends, will.

hen-party- a wedding ceremony, the day before the wedding, or the days from handshaking to the wedding.

Redemption, scolding- a wedding ceremony in which the groom took the bride from home.

sacrament of wedding

Church marriage or wedding is a Christian sacrament of blessing the bride and groom, who have expressed a desire to live together as husband and wife during their later life.

wedding feast- a wedding ceremony in which a wedding was celebrated over food and drink with jokes and toasts.

holiday ceremonies

Cover

IN Veil Day (October 14) the girls ran to church early in the morning and lit a candle for the holiday. There was a belief: whoever puts a candle first, he will get married sooner.

Soon, girls, cover,

We'll have a party soon

Will play soon

Dear talyanochka.

You will have a fun Pokrov - you will find a friend.

In some areas, it is customary to put coins in glasses for the bride and groom. Newlyweds should keep these coins on their table under the tablecloth, which will always ensure prosperity in the house.

If a girl spills some drink on the tablecloth at dinner, this portends a drunkard husband.

In other places, the newlyweds had to sleep on rye sheaves. And these sheaves should be an odd number, say, 21. If this condition was met, then this meant that they would not need anything.

On a holiday, girls go to church and put candles in front of the icon of the Intercession of the Virgin and say: “Protection - Holy Mother of God, cover my poor head with a pearl kokoshnik, a golden cuff. And if at such a moment a bewildered guy threw a veil over the head of a girl he liked, then she unquestioningly became his wife - noted one Arab writer who visited Rus' in the 12th century.

Christmas time

Christmas divination

Young people of both sexes gather for the evening, take rings, rings, cufflinks, earrings and other small things and put them under the dish along with slices of bread, and cover everything with a clean towel, napkin or fly (a piece of cloth). After that, those participating in divination sing a song dedicated to bread and salt, and then other observant (Christmas, fortune-telling) songs. At the end of each, turning away, one object is taken out from under the closed dish, which first came to hand. It's kind of like a house lottery. A song was used for this rite, from the content of which a prediction was derived. But since things taken out from under the dish do not always come across to those to whom they belong, a ransom of things is awarded on this occasion. To the last one, who has already taken out the last thing from under the dish, they usually sing a wedding song, as if foreshadowing an imminent marriage. Then the ring is rolled along the floor, watching in which direction it will roll: if to the door, then for the girl - the proximity of marriage; for the guy - departure.

New Year fortune telling

In order to find out what kind of bride or groom will be, big or small, you need to go to the firewood shed on New Year's Eve and immediately take a log. If large, then large growth, and vice versa.

If a girl cuts or pricks her finger until it bleeds new year's eve She will definitely get married next year.

They freeze water in a spoon for the New Year: if the ice is convex and with bubbles - to a long life, if a hole in the ice - to death.

But this is how Bulgarian girls guessed on New Year's Eve: they gathered together somewhere at a source, at a well, scooped up in complete silence a bucket of water, to which they attributed special magical powers. In this bucket, each girl threw a handful of oats, a ring or a bouquet with her mark. The little girl took out these items in turn, singing special ritual songs: the words of the songs referred to the future husband of the girl, whose ring was taken out. Then the girls took a little bit of oats from the bucket and put them under their pillows in the hope that they would dream of their betrothed.

Not all fortune-telling was only of a love nature, it happened that the girls guessed the weather in the coming year, and through this they made forecasts for the future harvest.

Christmas

Before Christmas was coming 40-day Filippov fast. They did not eat meat, they managed with fish. The whole house fasts, and the old people have Christmas Eve. The first pancake on Christmas Eve - for sheep (from pestilence)

IN Christmas eve(on the night of December 24-25) do not eat until the first star. On the first day of Christmas, figurines of cows and sheep are baked from wheat dough. They are kept until Epiphany, but on Epiphany, after the blessing of water, the hostess soaks these figurines in holy water and gives them to livestock (for offspring, for milk yield).

At Christmas time, in the second half, when the two-week “terrible evenings” between the New Year and Epiphany began, the girls guessed especially a lot.

Baptism

“The Christian procedure of Baptism,” writes A.Yu. Grigorenko, - is a magical ceremony. Thrice immersion of the body in water, dressing the baby in a clean white shirt in order to preserve the purity of his soul, etc. - all this comes from homeopathic magic, based on the belief that "like produces like", "the effect is similar to its cause."

The custom of blowing on a baby, on water, oil, in order to give them grace and at the same time drive away Satan, to spit on Satan during Baptism also came from an ancient belief - the belief that human breath and saliva have a special witchcraft power. Primitive people believed that a breath, a spittle were ways to communicate holiness and drive away evil. The same primitive rite is “toothing hair”. Cutting the hair of a child (or an adult) at Baptism and throwing it into the font is a vestige of the ancient belief that by laying an animated particle of one’s body, which has the miraculous property of growth, at the feet of a deity, a person establishes a strong relationship with him. In ancient times, many peoples had a custom to donate hair to the gods. So, in the Phoenician temples of Astrata there was even a special position - Galab Elim - God's barber. Statues depicting gods in ancient temples were often covered with male and female hair from top to bottom.

And the main element of Baptism is water? Christian theologians explain Baptism with water by the fact that Jesus Christ blessed the Jordanian waters by receiving the first Baptism from John the Baptist. However, the magical rite of washing with water is actually much older than Christ and Christianity. Many centuries before the emergence of Christianity and the birth of the Messiah himself, the ancient Egyptians dipped babies in water, the Zoroastrians (fire worshipers) of Iran carried newborns to the temple, where the priests bought them in special vessels with water, the Romans bathed the boy on the ninth day after his birth, and girls - on the eighth. The rituals of bathing a newborn in water, sprinkling it with water are known among the peoples of Ancient Mexico, China, Japan, Tibet, New Zealand, Africa, etc. Practically in all pre-Christian religions there were rites of ritual washing of a newborn, whose purpose was to purify him from evil spirits. The central role in all these rituals was played by water, to which people have long attributed magical qualities. And this is understandable. Water, without which life on Earth is impossible, quite naturally seemed to people to be a beneficent force.

Winter meets summer at the Candlemas. In northwestern Rus', writes I.P. Kalinsky, - this holiday is known as the tombs, since there is a custom here to bring candles to church on this day for the consecration, which are called tombs. Introducing the consecration of candles instead of pagan torches into the Christian church, the Romans tried to give them a special meaning in the eyes of the people and called them tombs. The clergy claimed that “these candles smash the power of demons, so that they do not harm with thunder and lightning, torrential rains and hail, easily brought down by the permission of God, sorcerers or wizards; and therefore the faithful (believers) during a thunderstorm light these candles in order to experience the fruits of prayer; they also give the dying into the hands of a tomb to defeat and drive away Satan, the prince of darkness.

Maslenitsa

And we rolled Shrovetide,

And we did not see in the eye,

We thought: carnival for seven weeks,

It’s already a carnival for seven days,

Maslenitsa beckoned

Great post planted

And to hell, to the radish,

For white cabbage.

It is known, - writes R.N. Sakharov, - that since ancient times in Rus' Maslenitsa has served as the most cheerful and spacious public holiday. At Shrovetide, every day in the old days had a special meaning, according to which the very nature of folk amusements and entertainments was usually determined. Monday, for example, is called a meeting, because then the beginning of Shrove Tuesday was celebrated; Tuesday - flirting, since from this day various kinds of entertainment, dressing up, riding began; Wednesday is a gourmet, since then treats were opened for everyone with pancakes and other similar dishes; Thursday - wide, because Shrovetide revelry began with it; Friday - mother-in-law parties, when sons-in-law treated their mothers-in-law; Saturday - sister-in-law gatherings, as on this day young brides invited relatives to their feast. Saturday was also the day of seeing off Shrovetide, since the next day was the day of forgiveness.

“Our Maslenitsa,” we read from I.P. Kalinsky, - could not do without the commemoration of the dead. Our Church usually devotes the Saturday before Shrovetide week to the commemoration of the deceased forefathers, fathers and brothers, and this Saturday is popularly known as Parental or Grandfather's Saturday. On the day of forgiveness, there is a touching farewell to each other, which is a kind of request for the remission of each other's sins. And this forgiveness is accompanied by kisses and the saying: "May the sun not go down in our anger."

The kids rode on a sleigh from the mountains. There was a sign: whoever slides down the mountain further, those in the family will have longer flax.

“Winter entertainment for men and women,” writes historian N.I. Kostomarov, - it was to skate on the lew: they made wooden horseshoes with narrow iron strips that bent up in front, so that the iron cut the ice comfortably. The Russians skated with amazing ease and agility.

Winter festive evenings were held in the home circle and with friends: songs were sung, swags (storytellers) told tales, interlocutors made riddles, dressed up, made each other laugh, girls wondered.

The first pancake was dedicated to the memory of the souls of the parents "our honest parents, here's a pancake for your darling!" - with these words, a pancake is placed on the dormer window of the house.

Our ancestors said that the Annunciation is God's biggest holiday. On this day, as on Easter, Ivan Kupala, Christmas, Peter's day, the sun plays at its sunrise. Our ancestors considered it not only a grave sin to undertake any business for the annunciation, but they believed that even an unreasonable creature honors this great holiday. They said that if a bird sleeps through the Annunciation Matins and curls a nest on that day, then as a punishment for this, its wings are taken away from it for a while, and it cannot fly, but instead walks on the ground. According to ancient folk belief, on the day of the Annunciation, God himself blesses the earth, opens it for sowing. From here the custom originated on the eve of this holiday or on the very holiday to consecrate prosphora or seeds: both are then stored by our farmers until the first spring crops, as a sign of God's visible blessing, for good growth and fertility of the fields. Many signs and observations are associated with the day of the Annunciation, according to which our commoners guess about the weather and the future harvest. Between the rites and beliefs associated with the Annunciation, some have survived from pagan antiquity. Such, for example, is the custom of burning straw beds and old shoes, jumping over bonfires (he who jumps higher will have higher flax), fumigation as a preventive measure against all kinds of diseases. These rites are close in nature to the Kupala rites. They expressed faith in the cleansing and healing power of fire, which is characteristic of all ancient pagan religions, and in particular the ancient Russian one.

Among the Greeks and Romans, during solemn public purifications, as well as during the performance of cleansing rites by private individuals, the fire on the altar played, apparently, middle role between the means of burning the victim and the purifying agent. Belief in the cleansing power of fire passed to its derivatives - smoke, coals, smut, ash. We have seen many examples when people explained jumping over ritual bonfires precisely medicinal purposes. For the same purpose, cattle were driven through the smoke near the fires. This also includes fumigation with smoke (incense) of houses, sheds, cattle, etc. Often magical rites purifications dealt not with one element of fire, but with various combinations: fire was combined with water, iron, garlic and other charms. The neutralizing properties of fire and smoke, noticed in practice, are transferred to the realm of the supernatural. Hence the idea that fire can destroy all evil, protect from witchcraft, from witches, from evil spirits. Sometimes the defense against evil spirits takes very real forms. For example, in some parts of Finland on Thursday Holy Week(3 days before Holy Easter) they drove out evil spirits from the yard: “... they lit a fire in a tar box or in a tar barrel, put it on a sleigh and drove around the yard. Old shoes, pieces of leather, rags were thrown into the fire.

Many ritual actions associated with fire belong to the complex of fertility magic. It is known to fertilize the soil with ash. Scattering firebrands or scattering sparks across fields and gardens is already a magical technique. The Poles tried to put straw with long stems in ritual fires, so that flax would grow tall. The joint jumps of a guy and a girl through the flames of a ritual fire were supposed to secure their future marriage. In some regions of Switzerland, in ancient times, bread baked on the coals of Ivan the fire (Ivan Kupala) served as a sacrifice to the elements; later it became one of the elements of the holiday meal.

From pagan times, rather rude and ignorant signs have been preserved on the day of the Annunciation: thieves on this day try to steal something in the hope that if they fail to do this now, then they can be sure of the success of their enterprises for a whole year.

To be lucky, one must burn a pinch or two of salt in the oven: burnt salt is also useful in the treatment of fever or delirium.

Whoever happily played toss on the Annunciation will win money in this game all year long.

If the hostess drives the hens off the perch with a broom on this day between morning and midday, then by Easter they can already lay fresh eggs for Christ.

If the day is rainy on the Annunciation, then in summer and autumn there will be a lot of mushrooms, and fishermen can count on good catches.

If swallows did not fly to the Annunciation, then spring is expected to be cold.

Whatever you celebrate the Annunciation, such is the whole year.

Easter

“For the Passion Day throughout Rus', they were preparing for the meeting of Easter. Everywhere they made Easter, baked Easter cakes, painted eggs, washed, cleaned, cleaned. The youth and children tried to prepare the best and most beautiful painted eggs for the Great Day.

Colored eggs are an inevitable part of the Easter break. There are many legends among the people about the origin of Easter eggs and, in particular, about the origin of Easter eggs. According to one of them, drops of the blood of the Crucified Christ, having fallen to the ground, took the form of chicken eggs and became hard as a stone. The hot tears of the Mother of God, who sobbed at the foot of the Cross, fell on these blood-red eggs and left traces on them in the form of beautiful patterns and colored specks. When Christ was taken down from the Cross and placed in the tomb, the believers collected His tears and divided them among themselves. And when the joyful news of the Resurrection swept among them, they welcomed the tears of Christ from hand to hand. After the Resurrection, this custom was strictly observed by the first Christians, and the sign of the greatest miracle - tears-eggs - were strictly kept by them and served as the subject of a joyful gift on the day of the Bright Resurrection. Later, when people began to sin more, Christ's tears melted away and were carried away along with streams and rivers to the sea, coloring the sea waves in a bloody color ... But the most common custom of Easter eggs was preserved even after that ... "

Another legend says the following:

“Jesus Christ, as a child, loved chickens, willingly played with them and fed them. And the Mother of God, in order to please Him, painted chicken eggs and gave them to Him as toys. When the trial of Christ began, the Mother of God went to Pilate, and, in order to propitiate him, brought him a gift of painted the greatest art eggs. She put them in her apron, and when she prostrated herself before Pilate, begging for the Son, the eggs rolled out of her apron and rolled all over the world ... Since then, they have served for us as a remembrance of the sufferings of Christ and of His resurrection that followed."

“The images and patterns reproduced on Easter eggs are very diverse and originated in antiquity. Both simple arabesques and stylized images of various sacred and simple objects that serve as decoration for Easter eggs were created a long time ago and are passed down from generation to generation by inheritance and tradition. The technique of making Easter eggs and the art of their tradition. The technique of making Easter eggs and the art of painting them are among the Little Russian and South Slavic women at a very high level. A special brass handle with horsehair is made, natural colors are selected (yellow, red, green and less often black). Paints are certainly bred on “clean” water, that is, brought from a well or source that has not yet been clouded by anyone, especially an “unclean” woman or animal. The Easter egg craftswoman is very afraid of any witchcraft and the evil eye. Therefore, anyone who enters the house while painting eggs considers it his own to spit in the direction of the artist for a long time and say: “Chur, chur, do not jinx it!” And she, in turn, takes a pinch of salt, sprinkles it on paints, eggs, a writing pen and wax, and says: "Salt in your eyes." The culmination of painting eggs falls on Good Thursday. Here comes the egg yolk, wax, both brushes. The artist heats the eggs on the stove and begins to paint them with wax. Wax applied to a warm egg does not allow the paint to soak the shell in this place. Under the wax, a white pattern will remain, and the paint (say, purple, obtained from sunflower seed husks, will cover the entire egg with a purple tint). The wax will rub off, but the pattern will remain. The process then continues with other colors - in a word, a whole art.

On Easter days, girls do not take salt in their hands so that their palms do not sweat.

They also wash themselves with water from a red Easter egg in order to be ruddy ...

“The whole Easter week is one day; for when Christ was risen, then the sun did not set all that week.”

“On the Easter holiday,” writes N.I. Kostomarov, - some organizers of the games made up a profitable business for themselves from this: they arranged a swing and let it swing, collecting silver money (half a penny) from their faces.

The Germans of the Rhinelands held an "auction of girls", first timed to Shrovetide, later to May 1 or Easter. The girls were played as at a real auction: which of the guys offered the maximum price for the girl, he received her as a dancing partner for a month or the whole year. The girl for whom the highest price was paid was considered the “May Queen”, and the guy was the “May King”. The guy had to protect and protect the girl in every possible way. Sometimes such comic grooming turned into a real one. (Spring holidays)

Trinity

When the magicians (they are also magicians and astrologers) who lived east of Palestine saw the appearance of a wonderful star, they realized that the messiah, the "king of the Jews", was born. They go to Jerusalem to inform the Jewish king Herod about this, and at the same time ask for help to find this baby. Herod was frightened and called on his wise scribes, who reported that, according to ancient predictions, such a messiah should be born in Bethlehem. Herod sends aliens there so that they find out the name of their future rival, the pretender to his throne.

The star accurately indicates to the magi the place where the baby Christ could be. The Magi bow before him as before the future king, bring him a gift of gold, incense and fragrant resin - myrrh.

A prophetic dream predicts to them that it is dangerous for them to return to Jerusalem, and the Magi go to their homeland. According to the number of gifts presented by the Magi, it was established that there were three of them. This correlated with the three persons of the Trinity, with the three ages of man and the trinity human race, with the Three Hands - one of the revealed icons of the Virgin.

The trinity of fingers puts a cross.

Trinity Trinity, but three candles are not placed on the table.

But Trinity rain - a lot of mushrooms.

Holy Trinity Day is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter. Since ancient times, “Pentecost” has been accompanied by many rituals, such as weaving wreaths, divination, swinging, boating, decorating the house with flowers and birch branches inserted behind the images.

The holiday was associated with the ancient Slavic cult of commemoration and veneration of ancestors, as well as the glorification of blossoming nature. The young birch served as its symbol. On Trinity Saturday, families went to the cemetery. The graves were carefully decorated with wreaths and birch branches.

People have long believed in the magical power of a naked human body, which can serve as a factor in the fertility of the earth. The Lusatians ( Slavic tribe in Germany) there was a custom: a girl who weeded flax had to, having finished weeding, run around the field three times, stripped naked and uttering a conspiracy.

On the night before the Trinity, it was customary in Rus' to “plow the village” so that the cattle would not fall. The girls in all white are harnessed to the plow, and the guy with the whips is escorted in complete silence. They plow a cross with a plow, put incense, bread, juniper or birch branches in the middle. The procession goes around the whole village and returns to this cross. After that, the girls begin to guess.

- They are spinning, and whoever falls in which direction, from there, wait for the groom.

- They scatter the fragments of the old plow: in which direction the fragment fell - from there the betrothed will come.

- They burn old men's trousers - then there are more brides.

Whit Monday

Every evil spirit is afraid of the spirit of the day. People said: "From the Spirit of the day, not from one sky - from under the ground heat comes."

Before sunrise on the Spirits of the day reveals its secrets mother earth cheese. That is why on this day, after praying to the Holy Spirit, the treasure hunters go to “listen to the treasures”.

Meet the wedding on the road - the day will be unprofitable, and the funeral - on the contrary.

The lip itched - you have to kiss with a sweetheart.

Eyebrows itch - to the meeting. If the right eyebrow itches - to a date with a loved one, if the left eyebrow itches - a meeting with a deceitful and hypocritical person.

This is how Abbot Pamfil, who lived in the 16th century in the Pskov region, describes this festival, which has come down from pagan times: splashing and dancing; wives and girls and nodding heads, and their mouths are hostile to screaming, all bad songs, and their backbone is wobbling, and their feet are jumping and stomping; there is a great fall, male, female and girlish whispering, fornication to them, and defilement to wives of men, and corruption to virgins.

“From these rites of the Kupala holiday,” writes I.P. Kalinsky, one cannot fail to see that for our ancestors it was some great day of purification by fire and water, and at the same time served as the holiday of the summer solstice, when nature acts with a special all-revitalizing and all-exciting force. In order to prove that it was the ancient Russian Kupala that was a cleansing holiday, it is enough to recall that in general, among many peoples of antiquity (we have already talked about this above), fire was revered as the highest cleansing element. It is known, for example, that our princes could appear before the face of the Tatar khans only after passing through fiery bonfires. In the same way, washing with water was constantly recognized among almost all ancient peoples as an act of purification.

In the Rumyantsev collection of 1754 we read: “On Ivanovo night, treasures are guarded, and they bathe on the grasses in the baths, and tear the grasses, and dig the roots, tie up the birch trees, weave the branches, so that the person will live that summer.” In Little Russia, the feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist is simply called Ivan Gulyashchiy, as can be seen from the fact that this day has long been celebrated with all sorts of folk pleasures, amusements, and entertainment.

Grass Nechuy-wind

Along with ferns and other herbs endowed with magical powers, our people also revere immortelle. It is called so because it does not fade for a long time, but dries up and retains its color and shape well. Ancient people endowed it with supernatural properties, believing that the soul of the deceased moves into this flower so that through it it can communicate with friends and relatives. It is also popularly called in a special way - nechuy-wind. This nechuy-wind, according to legends and legends, helps the blind to open treasures. On the night of Ivan Kupala with a crazy wind, a catchment area and a flowering fern in your hands, you had to pick a gap-grass flower and walk around the lawn until a pain appeared in your eyes. And as soon as she appears, pick up a spade and quickly tear the ground: the cursed treasure should be under your feet.

This grass, according to the sorcerers, grows in winter along the banks of rivers and lakes. The common people think that the one who possesses this grass can always stop the wind on the water, save himself and the ship from drowning, and finally catch fish without nets. Nechuy-wind should be collected on January 1, under Vasiliev evening, at dead midnight. The villagers think that at this time, the evil spirits, walking along the lakes and rivers, throw the Nechuy-wind grass to destroy the storm. Only blind people can find it, and even then they should take it not with their hands, but with their mouths. Then they begin to wield her power.

Grass Adam's head is highly respected by the villagers. The sorcerers, like the fern, collect it on Midsummer's Day and keep it secretly until Maundy Thursday. According to the popular concept, the magical power of Adam's head extends only to wild ducks. Hunters who received this herb from the hands of a sorcerer's note, fumigate all the shells they use when catching ducks on Maundy Thursday, not otherwise.

Midsummer night is starry - there will be a lot of mushrooms!

Midsummer Day came, he went to collect grass.

On Midsummer's Day, as on the eve of it, they lay out bonfires, light them, jump over them, and also bathe in water and dew, dance around a tree. On this day, brownies, mermen, mermaids and goblin commit pranks. The fern blooms at midnight on Ivan Kupala, and with its help they open treasures. Kupala dew is sprinkled on the walls of the house, beds and furniture to drive away bedbugs and cockroaches.

On this day, everyone pours water on each other, laughs, and has fun. In the evening, the bath is heated. Girls from the roofs of the baths throw a broom and find out which side to wait for the groom.

The night of Ivan Kupala or Kupala Night is the time of the highest power of nature: the herbs collected that night were considered the best medicine, just like the dew of that night. IN European countries girls tell fortunes by throwing wreaths on the water on Midsummer Night. On this night, the girls ride naked in the dew. Everything is done in silence. Silence is a sign of belonging to the world of the dead. Silently they collect and bring water for magical actions, and it is called "silent water."

The girl silently tears and brings flowers home to put them under her pillow and see her betrothed in a dream.

Polish girls guessed at Ivan Kupala on flowers: they pour water taken from a spring or a fast-flowing stream into a basin and throw into it two flowers without stems, say, two daisies; if they parted ways, then the lovers will part, if, while floating, the flowers converge, then they will be married this year.

To bewitch the groom, you need to feed the rooster from the stove damper, while saying: “As if this damper kept its mouth, so the rooster would keep its home.”

“Fun and laughter,” writes A.Ya. Gurevich, - are not ordered to a Christian, we see that the preachers themselves often strive to make their listeners smile. But excessive laughter is sinful. Jacques of Vitry tells of a person who saw the Blessed Mary with many virgins and wished to be with them. The Mother of God told her: "Do not laugh for thirty days, and you will be with us." She did so, did not laugh for a whole month, after which she died and gained the promised glory. Undoubtedly, concludes Jacques de Vitry, that if she had not abstained from laughter, songs and round dances, the Virgin would never have accepted her into her host.

Wet Honey Spas

On the first Savior, holy wells.

On the first Spas the last bathing of horses and other cattle.

Bees stop carrying honey.

Beekeepers break (cut) honeycombs.

Collection of raspberries, bird cherry, harvesting of medicinal herbs.

If the first berries are large when raspberries ripen, then winter rye should be sown earlier.

Poppies are harvested on Makavei.

The poppy was not born, we will stay like that.

The wild poppy was also collected as a remedy for witches. It was taken on faith that it was only necessary to sprinkle the house with this poppy - and after all, all the intrigues would be removed as if by hand.

From this day on, it is allowed to eat honey.

On the first Spas, peas are pinched.

In the Urals and Siberia, the beginning of the cone formation of cedars.

From the first Savior, cold dews.

In August, the sickles are warm, and the water is cold.

The month of August is rich - just enough.

August and fish have a full time.

During the harvest, the reapers tried to find the largest number of grains on one stalk. Such an ear is called a "vital uterus" or "ergot". They are cherished all year until a new sowing, sowing begins with these grains, with the hope of getting a big harvest from them.

These days follow stock up weed-grass, which protects from all misfortune and human malice. “Weapon grass,” writes I.P. Sakharov, - grows into an arrow; the color of her crimson, horned root. It is good to make a cross from such a root and wear it on yourself - then do not be afraid of the enemy and adversary. God will keep you from every calamity."

“Healers,” writes Zabylin, “use the root of Plakun to expel brownies, witches and evil spirits guarding the treasure. This herb is credited with making unclean spirits weep, hence the name."

Apple Spas

The Second Savior is an hour for everything (fruits ripen).

On the second Savior, fruits and honey are consecrated, apples are eaten (and before that, only cucumbers).

And an increase in hay. Otava - autumn hay, summer hay will save.

love apples

“These are apples through which you can win the attention and love of a desired person. This is done very simply: you just have to cut the apple in half, put a note with the name of your beloved person in the middle of it and put it in the sun. As if, as the apple dries, the beloved person will also suffer for you.

The first farewell of summer and the meeting of autumn, autumn; people went to the field with songs to see off the sunset.

Nativity of the Virgin

On this day, women meet autumn by the water. Osenins, the second meeting of autumn. Relatives are visiting the newlyweds. And after three days Fedora - soak your tails. It is believed that on this day autumn rides on a bay mare. “Autumn Fyodors tuck in their hem,” says the proverb. And I remember the summer, when the girls, during festivities and games with the guys, did not really hold their skirts, flying on a rope swing over the heads of astonished men. A.M. Gorky wrote about how the guys liked to “bare the hemlines for the girls, pulling them right up to the very head ...” The girls perceived this quite peacefully, and were not even in a hurry to hide their naked bodies, but deliberately fiddled with the hem stretched over their heads for a long time. "Not every Indian summer will reach Fedora." Ripe rowan. It is collected directly with tassels and hung under the roof. Rowan is used for rowan kvass or strong tincture. Mature viburnum is also hung out. In the cold, the berries become sweet. These days, a peasant's house is filled with all sorts of vegetables: mountains of carrots, turnips and rutabaga, from which they prepare "boys" (boiled and dried in a Russian oven). The bow is tied and hung on the walls. Cabbage is chopped and sour in tubs. Sunflowers peel, bite seeds, having gathered with the whole house. There is a thick layer of husk on the floor - this is done on purpose so that the day of harvest celebration will be remembered. The smell of apples and vegetables, currant leaves, oak, dill reigns in the house.

September smells like apples, October - cabbages.

In October (dirty) neither on wheels nor on sledges.

“These days, Kapustin's parties begin,” writes I.P. Kalinsky, for two weeks. Bread moved from the field to Vozdvizhenie (the last hay from the field), the bird moved away, snakes and snakes hid. "Wheel road!" - they shout to the cranes to turn them back. IN Astafiev day they guess the weather from the winds: north to cold, south to heat, west to bad weather, and east to the bucket. Among the steppes, the south winds are called "sweet" and promise fertility.

Bread is dried in barns by making a fire in it. On the fire, the boys bake potatoes, they say different stories associated with a barn or bean goose - the owner of a barn, who can shove in the side so that he takes his breath away if you don’t please him with something. It can also throw fire on sheaves and burn the crop. So you can’t sleep, but you have to guard the fire day and night.

A handful of bread for the owner, and a pot of porridge for threshers.

You can't thresh a sheaf with folded hands.

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For a long time, it is the wedding that is considered the most important event in life. Our ancestors created a family, adhering to traditions and strictly observing special rules. Echoes of the wedding ritual traditions of Rus' are also present in modern marriage.

The traditions of the wedding ceremonies of the Slavs date back more than one century: our ancestors followed the rules very carefully. Starting a family was a sacred and meaningful act that took an average of three days. Since that time, wedding signs and superstitions have come down to us, in Rus', passed down from generation to generation.

Wedding rites of the ancient Slavs

For our ancestors, the wedding ceremony was an extremely important event: to the creation new family approached extremely responsibly, hoping for the help of the Gods and fate. The word "wedding" itself consists of three parts: "swa" - heaven, "d" - an act on earth and "ba" - blessed by the Gods. It turns out that historically the word "wedding" stands for "an earthly act blessed by the Gods." From this knowledge the ancients proceeded. wedding ceremonies.

Entry into family life is always primarily aimed at the continuation of a healthy and strong family. That is why the ancient Slavs imposed several restrictions and prohibitions on creating a new couple:

• the age of the groom must be at least 21 years old;
• the age of the bride is not less than 16 years;
• the family of the groom and the family of the bride should not be related by blood.

Contrary to popular belief, both the groom and the bride were rarely given in marriage or married against their will: it was believed that the Gods and life itself help new couple find each other in a special, harmonious state.

Nowadays, a lot of attention is also paid to achieving harmony: for example, all more people begin to use special meditations to attract love. Our ancestors considered dance to be the best way to harmoniously merge with the rhythms of mother nature.

On the day of Perun or on the holiday of Ivan Kupala, young people who wanted to meet their fate gathered in two round dances: the men led the circle “salting” - in the direction of the sun, and the girls - “anti-salting”. Thus, both round dances went with their backs to each other.

At the moment of convergence of the dancing guys and the girl who collided with their backs, they were taken out of the round dance: it was believed that the Gods brought them together. Subsequently, if the girl and the guy were in love with each other, the bride was arranged, the parents got to know each other, and if everything was in order, the date of the wedding was set.

It was believed that on the day of the wedding, the bride died for her family and its guardian spirits, in order to be reborn in the groom's family. This change was of particular importance.

First of all, about symbolic death brides for a kind of wedding dress spoke: our ancestors adopted a red wedding dress with a white veil instead of the current translucent veil.

Red and white in Rus' were the colors of mourning, and the thick veil that completely covered the bride's face symbolized her being in the world of the dead. It could only be removed during wedding feast when the blessing of the Gods over the young has already been accomplished.

Preparation for the wedding day for both the groom and the bride began the night before: the bride's friends went with her to the bathhouse for a ritual bath. Under bitter songs and tears, the girl was washed with water from three buckets, symbolically indicating her presence between the three worlds: Reveal, Navi and Rule. The bride herself had to cry as much as possible in order to receive the forgiveness of the spirits of her kind, whom she was leaving.

On the morning of the wedding day, the groom sent the bride a gift that meant the fidelity of his intentions: a box with a comb, ribbons and sweets. From the moment the gift was received, the bride began to change clothes and prepare for the wedding ceremony. While dressing and combing, the friends also sang the saddest songs, and the bride had to cry even more than the day before: it was believed that the more tears shed before the wedding, the less they would be shed during married life.

Meanwhile, the so-called wedding train was gathering in the groom's house: wagons in which the groom himself and his team went to fetch the bride with gifts to her friends and parents. The richer the groom's family, the longer the train should be. When all the preparations were completed, the train went to the bride's house with singing and dancing.

Upon arrival, the bride's relatives checked the groom's intentions with questions and comic tasks. This tradition has been preserved in our time, turning into a "ransom" of the bride.

After the groom passed all the checks and got the opportunity to see the bride, the wedding train, together with the young, the squad and relatives, was sent to the temple. They always went to him on a long road, covering the bride’s face with a thick veil: it was believed that at that time future wife half is in the world of Navi, and it was impossible for people to see her "fully alive".

Upon arrival at the temple, the sorcerer, who was waiting for the young, performed the rite of blessing the union, thereby confirming the harmony in the couple and sealing the oath of the young before the Gods. From that moment on, the bride and groom were considered family.

After the ceremony, all the guests, led by married couple went to a feast in honor of the wedding, which could last up to seven days with interruptions. During the treat, the young received gifts, and also repeatedly presented their guests with belts, amulet dolls and coins.

In addition, within six months of family life, the new family, having appreciated the gift of each guest, had to pay a return visit and give the so-called “gift” - a return gift worth more than the guest’s gift. By this, the young family showed that the guest's gift went for the future, increasing their well-being.

Over time, unshakable wedding traditions have undergone some changes caused by migrations and wars. The changes took root and brought us the memory of Russian folk wedding rites.

Russian folk wedding ceremonies

With the advent of Christianity in Rus', wedding ceremonies have changed radically. For several decades, the ceremony of blessing the Gods at the temple turned into a wedding ceremony in the church. People did not immediately accept the new way of life, and this directly affected the holding of such an important event as a wedding.

Since the marriage union was not considered valid without a church wedding, the wedding ceremony consisted of two parts: a church wedding and a ritual part, a feast. "Sorcery" was not encouraged by higher church ranks, but for some time the clergy participated in the "non-wedding" wedding part.

Just like the ancient Slavs, in the tradition of the Russian folk wedding, traditional customs were preserved for a long time: matchmaking, bride and collusion. At the general bridegroom, held at the festivities, the groom's family looked after the bride, inquiring about her and her family.

Having found a girl of suitable age and status, the groom's relatives sent matchmakers to the bride's family. Matchmakers could come up to three times: the first was to announce the intentions of the groom's family, the second was to look at the bride's family, and the third was to get consent.

In the event of a successful matchmaking, bride-to-be was appointed: the bride's family came to the groom's house and inspected the household, making a conclusion: will their daughter live well here. If everything was in order and met their expectations, the bride's parents accepted the invitation to share the meal with the groom's family. In case of refusal, the matchmaking was terminated.

If the bride-to-be was successful, then the groom's parents came with a return visit: they personally got acquainted with the bride, observed her housekeeping skills and communicated with her. If in the end they were not disappointed in the girl, then the groom was brought to the bride.

The girl had to appear in all her outfits, to show how good she is as a hostess and companion. The groom also had to show his best qualities: on the evening of the “third wedding”, the bride in most cases had the right to refuse the groom.

If the young people were able to please each other and did not object to the wedding, their parents began to discuss the material costs of the wedding of their children, the size of the dowry of the bride and gifts from the groom's family. This part was called “handshaking”, because, having agreed on everything, the father of the bride and the father of the groom “beat hands”, that is, they sealed the contract with a handshake.

After the completion of the contract, preparations for the wedding began, which could last up to a month.

On the day of the wedding, the bridesmaids dressed her in a wedding dress to lament about her girlish happy life. The bride had to constantly cry, seeing off her girlhood. Meanwhile, the groom with friends came to the bride's house, preparing to buy his future wife from her family and friends.

After a successful ransom and symbolic tests of the groom, the young people went to church: the groom and his friends set off noisily and with songs, and the bride went separately, on a long road, without attracting much attention to herself. The groom certainly had to arrive at the church first: in this way, the future wife avoided the stigma of the “abandoned bride”.

During the wedding, the bride and groom were placed on a spread white cloth, sprinkled with coins and hops. The guests also watched wedding candles: it was believed that whoever holds his candle higher will dominate the family.

After the wedding was over, the couple had to blow out the candles at the same time in order to die on the same day. Extinguished candles should be kept for life, protected from damage and lit for a short time only during the birth of the first child.

After the wedding ceremony, the creation of a family was considered legal, and then a feast followed, at which the ritual actions of the ancient Slavs were largely manifested.

This custom existed for a long time, until it changed into modern wedding traditions, which nevertheless retained many of the ritual moments of ancient weddings.

Ancient wedding ceremonies

Many people in our time are not even aware of the sacred meaning of the familiar moments of any wedding. Instead of an authentic rite at a temple or a wedding in a church, which has been mandatory for a long time, now there is state registration marriage followed by a banquet. It would seem that this is left of the ancient way of life? It turns out, a lot.

The tradition of exchanging rings. The exchange of rings has existed for a very long time: even our ancestors put on each other a ring as a sign of union before the Gods in heaven and on earth. Only in contrast to the modern custom of wearing wedding ring on right hand, earlier it was worn on the ring finger of the left hand - closest to the heart.

Our country has a rich history full of many events and accomplishments. The main way to unite people in the state has always been the traditions and customs of the Russian people, which have been preserved for a long time.

Popular traditions

feasts

Photo: Traditions and customs of the Russian people. feast

Noisy feasts are very popular. Since ancient times, any respected person considered it his duty to periodically arrange feasts and invite a large number of guests to them. Such events were planned in advance and prepared for them on a grand scale.

At present, the tradition of noisy Russian feasts has not changed at all. Relatives, groups of friends, colleagues can gather at a large table. Such events are always accompanied by the use of a large amount of food and alcoholic beverages.

The reason for the feast can be any significant event - a visit distant relative, seeing off to the army, family celebrations, state or professional holidays, etc.

Christening

Photo: Traditions and customs of the Russian people. Christening

The rite of baptism has existed in Rus' since ancient times. The child must be sprinkled with holy water in the temple, and a cross must be put on his neck. This ceremony is designed to protect the baby from unclean forces.

Before the rite of baptism, the child's parents choose for him a godmother and a godfather from their inner circle. These people are henceforth responsible for the well-being and life of their ward. In accordance with the traditions of baptism, it is believed that every January 6, a grown child should bring kutya to his godfather, and they give him sweets in gratitude.

commemoration

Photo: Traditions and customs of the Russian people. commemoration

After the burial of the body, all relatives and friends of the deceased are sent to his house, to the house of one of his relatives, or to a special hall for a commemoration.

During the ceremony, all those present at the table remember the deceased kind word. It is customary to hold a commemoration directly on the day of the funeral, on the ninth day, on the fortieth day a year after death.

Holidays

Folk traditions and customs of the Russian people include not only certain rituals, but also the rules for meeting calendar and Orthodox holidays.

Kupala

Photo: Traditions and customs of the Russian people. Kupala

The Kupala holiday was formed in those days when, in honor of the god of fertility, people sang songs in the evenings and jumped over the fire. This ceremony eventually became a traditional annual celebration of the summer solstice. It mixes both pagan and Christian traditions.

God Kupala acquired the name Ivan after the baptism of Rus'. The reason is simple - the pagan deity was replaced by the image of John the Baptist created by the people.

Maslenitsa

Photo: Traditions and customs of the Russian people. Maslenitsa

In ancient times, Maslenitsa was considered a day of commemoration of dead people. Therefore, the process of burning an effigy was considered as a funeral, and eating pancakes was a commemoration.

Over time, the Russian people gradually transformed the perception of this holiday. Shrovetide has become the day of seeing off winter and anticipating the onset of spring. On this day there were noisy festivities, entertainment was held for people - fist fights, fairs, horse sleigh rides, sledding from ice slides, various competitions and competitions.

And the main tradition remained unchanged - to bake pancakes in large quantities and invite guests to get-togethers with pancakes. Traditional pancakes are supplemented with all kinds of additives - sour cream, honey, red caviar, condensed milk, jams, etc.

Easter

Photo: Traditions and customs of the Russian people. Easter

Easter in Rus' is considered a bright day of universal equality, forgiveness and kindness. On this day, it is customary to prepare treats that are standard for this holiday. Easter cakes and Easter cakes are traditionally baked by Russian women, housewives, and eggs are painted by young family members (youth, children). Easter eggs symbolize the drops of Christ's blood. Currently, they are not only painted in all sorts of colors, but also decorated with themed stickers and patterns.

Directly on Easter Sunday, it is customary to say “Christ is Risen” when meeting with acquaintances. Hearing this greeting, you need to answer it "Truly Risen." After the exchange of traditional phrases, a triple kiss and the exchange of festive treats (Easter cakes, Easter eggs, eggs) follow.

New Year's and Christmas

Photo: Traditions and customs of the Russian people. Christmas and New Year

New Year in Russia is celebrated in all families, not everyone gathers for Christmas. But, in all churches, services are held on the occasion of the "Christmas". Usually on New Year's Day, December 31, they give gifts, set the table, see off old year, and then they celebrate the New Year under the chiming clock and the address of the President of Russia to citizens. Christmas is an Orthodox holiday that has closely entered the life of the Russian people. This bright day is celebrated by all citizens of the country, regardless of their faith. Christmas is traditionally considered a family celebration, which is celebrated in the circle of loved ones.

Photo: Traditions and customs of the Russian people. New Year's and Christmas

The day before Christmas, which falls on January 6, is called Christmas Eve. It comes from the word "sochivo", which refers to a special Christmas dish consisting of boiled cereals. From above, the cereal is poured with honey and sprinkled with nuts, poppy seeds. It is believed that there should be 12 dishes on the table in total.

They sit down at the table when the first race appears in the night sky. The next day, January 7, the family holiday itself begins, on which the family gathers together, relatives give gifts to each other.

The next 12 days after Christmas Day are called Christmas time. Previously, during Christmas time, young unmarried girls gathered together to conduct various rituals and fortune-telling, designed to attract suitors and determine their betrothed. The tradition has been preserved to this day. Girls still gather together at Christmas time and guess at the grooms.

wedding customs

occupy a special place in everyday life wedding customs and traditions of the Russian people. A wedding is the day of the formation of a new family, filled with many rituals and entertainment.

Matchmaking

Photo: Traditions and customs of the Russian people. wedding customs

After the young man has decided to choose a candidate for a life partner, it becomes necessary to conduct a matchmaking. This custom involves a visit by the groom with his confidants (usually parents) to the bride's house. The bridegroom and his accompanying relatives are met by the bride's parents at the laid table. During the feast, a joint decision is made on whether the wedding will take place between the young. The decision is fixed by the handshake of the parties, which marks the engagement.

Currently, standard matchmaking is not as popular as it used to be, but the tradition of the groom turning to the bride's parents for their blessing still persists.

Dowry

Photo: Traditions and customs of the Russian people. wedding customs

After making a positive decision regarding the marriage of the young, the question arises of preparing the dowry of the bride. Usually the dowry is prepared by the girl's mother. It includes bed linen, crockery, furnishings, clothes, etc. Especially rich brides can get a car, apartment or house from their parents.

The more dowry a girl has, the more enviable a bride she is considered to be. In addition, its presence greatly facilitates the life of the young in the first time of their life together.

hen-party

Photo: Traditions and customs of the Russian people. wedding customs

Closer to the day of the celebration, the bride appoints a bachelorette party. On this day, she gathers with her girlfriends and relatives to finally have some fun as free girl unburdened by family worries. A bachelorette party can take place anywhere - in a bathhouse, in the bride's house, etc.

ransom

Photo: Traditions and customs of the Russian people. wedding customs

The most fun and immediate stage of the wedding celebration. The groom, along with his relatives and friends, arrives at the bride's doorstep, where all the other guests are waiting for him. On the threshold, the procession is met by representatives of the bride - girlfriends and relatives. Their task is to test the groom for endurance, ingenuity and generosity. If a young man passes all the tests offered to him or is able to pay for the defeat with money, he gets the opportunity to approach the bride.

Competitions during the ransom can be very diverse - from very playful and light riddles to real tests for physical strength, endurance. Often, to pass the tests, the groom has to resort to the help of his friends.

At the end of the ransom, the groom enters the room where his betrothed is.

Photo: Traditions and customs of the Russian people. wedding customs

Blessing

Photo: Traditions and customs of the Russian people. wedding customs

According to tradition, the mother of the bride approaches the young with a family icon and blesses them for a long and happy life. The icon must be covered with a towel, since it is forbidden to touch it with bare hands.

During the blessing, the young should kneel. The mother of the bride describes a cross with an icon three times over their heads, while delivering a parting speech. Usually this speech contains wishes to live in peace and quiet, not to quarrel and not be offended over trifles, to always be one.

wedding feast

Photo: Traditions and customs of the Russian people. wedding customs

The culmination of the celebration is a wedding feast, during which everyone makes speeches to the newlyweds. These speeches always contain a lot of parting words, wishes, good jokes.

An invariable tradition of the Russian wedding feast is shouting out the word "Bitter!". Every time you mention given word newlyweds should stand up and exchange a kiss. Exist different theories the origin of this tradition. According to one version, the word “bitter” in this interpretation comes from the word “hills”, since earlier during weddings an ice hill was built for the celebration, and the bride stood on top of it. The groom had to climb this hill to get a kiss.

Another version of the origin of the tradition has a rather sad meaning. From time immemorial, girls did not choose their own suitors, so getting married meant for the bride not only leaving her parents' house and saying goodbye to her youth, but also the beginning of family life with an unloved person. Now similar meaning the word is irrelevant, since the girls themselves have long chosen their suitors, and marriages are concluded by mutual consent.

According to another version, during the feast, guests drink vodka, which has a bitter taste, to the health of the bride and groom. The newlyweds should kiss during the toasts in order to dilute the bitterness of the liquor with a sweet kiss.