Traditions in Russia — страница 2

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symbolizing the star which once told us about Christ’ birth. In temples at these celebratory evening hours there was a solemn divine service... Despite of a church origin of a holiday, in Russia the custom of singing special songs called “kolyadki” under windows was kept. Kolyada is a word of pagan origin. It symbolized worship the Sun giving fertility and pleasure, and in these songs people sang about natural phenomena: months, the sun, thunderstorms, wished a good crop, happy marriages. Guessing is the important part of Christmas days. Priests, and then Slavic magicians were engaged in guessing, calling supernatural forces to open the future. Gradually this ceremony has firmly grown during a national life. It was possible to guess at any time, but as the real

"true" was considered to be on " sacred days " - 12 days from January, 7 till January, 19. This tradition can be explained by the importance of guessing, first, to what on crisis of time of old and New Year of the person especially sharply interests the future. And second, during this period evil spirit - frights, banniks (special breed house, the malicious spirit settling in a bath) and others are most active and, hence, are more accessible to contact. In fact it was possible to receive from "evil spirit" the answer to questions during a guessing, and here the main thing to observe special rules of behaviour. Otherwise it is possible and to be lost. After the establishment of the Soviet authority Christmas have ceased to play such important role, as

it was a holiday religious. Therefore New Year received special popularity. New year during pagan times was celebrated in Russia on March 22 – on the day of a spring equinox. With acceptance of Christianity in Russia the Byzantine calendar started to supersede gradually old. Now a new year began on September 1. And January 1 became a holiday in 1700 when tsar Peter I on the Red area has burnt a torch to the first New Year's rocket, having given a signal to opening festival and the statement of new custom. " On notable streets at a gate to make some ornament from trees and branches pine, fur-tree..." Illumination, burned fires and other amusements proceeded seven days. People didn’t got used to a new holiday at once. But the tsar steadily watched that the holiday on

January, 1 was celebrated diligently as in other European countries, and the annual calendar has fixed this transformation. Was considered, that it will be the first day of the year. Therefore it was necessary to put at the New Year eve all new clothes, to postpone cares and to have fun with all the heart all night long. The house was decorated with a fur-tree. The custom to decorate a New Year tree is connected with the tradition of old Germanic tribes that spirits disappear in evergreen fur-trees, and that we should give them some gifts to make them kind. The first public fur-tree in Russia has been lit in 1852 on Ekateringofskaya station in Petersburg. The traditional heroes of New Year are Grandfather the Frost, who symbolizes generosity and kindness, and the Snow Maiden, a

symbol of a youth, pleasure, fun. And in connection with transition to new calendar style in Russia one more holiday has appeared - old New Year, therefore Russian traditions give us a unique opportunity to celebrate New Year two times a year. 1.2 Night of Ivan Kupala On 6 for July 7 (with 24 for June, 25 on old style) one of the most ancient and important holidays of a Slavic calendar - Ivan Kupala, or Ivanov day is celebrated. The tradition of celebrating of Ivan Kupala has come to us from paganism. This day - ancient Slavs’ thanked day of Dazhd'bog, the god of the sun. But the name of a holiday occurs from a national variant of a name of John the Baptist. It was a way the Orthodox Church tried to overcome pre-Christian customs. Called Bathed, it is connected to verbs

"to bathe”, " to boil", because it was a holiday in honour of solar wedding, and one of the attributes of this wedding was bathing of the sun in water. According to the ancient representations fire and water were a brother and у sister whose symbol was the dark yellow and blue flower known as Ivan-and-Maria, or the flower of Кupala. On that day young girls collected Kupala’s flowers in woods and fields as grass and flowers during the holiday served as the decoration of the village. Bouquets, wreaths, brooms were used also in guessing. They were put on water and girls guessed about a marriage, about life and death or about the future: if the wreath will sink - to a trouble, will float - fortunately. At night a huge fire was settled. As soon as its flame