Holidays of the Slavs from antiquity to the adoption of Orthodoxy. Pagan holidays of the Slavs that have survived to this day The main holiday of the pagan Slavs
Ancient pagan and Slavic traditional holidays, main memorable dates and rituals, the significance of which is important for the entire Family, were in the calendar of a certain date or month for a reason. All holidays of Slavic peoples and traditions are closely connected with Nature and its rhythm of life. Wise ancestors understood that it was impossible to reverse it and it was pointless to rewrite old styles with new ones.
In our calendar of pagan holidays of the Slavs, we indicate dates according to the new style for your convenience. If you want to celebrate them the old way, simply subtract thirteen days from the indicated date and month. We will be sincerely glad that you will be imbued with the honesty and usefulness, reasonableness and grace of the pagan holidays of Ancient Rus' and the Slavic Ancestors, their traditions and help revive and pass them on to your Descendants to strengthen the strength of the entire Family. For those who want to enter a new rhythm with protective amulets, go to our catalog -.
The natural calendar of the Slavs is based on four main points - the days of autumn and spring equinox, winter and summer solstice. They are determined by the astrological location of the Sun relative to the earth: possible shift in dates from 19 to 25
| Summer (year) | ||||
| 2016 | December 22,23,24 (25 -Kolyada) | March 19 | 21st of June | September 25 |
| 2017 | 18th of March | 21st of June | September 25 | |
| 2018 | December 20,21,22 (23 – Kolyada) | March 19 | 22nd of June | September 25 |
| 2019 | December 22,23,24 (25 - Kolyada) | 21 March | 21st of June | 23 September |
| 2020 | December 21,22,23 (24 - Kolyada) | 20th of March | 21st of June | September 22nd |
The annual Wheel itself - the Kolo of Svarog - consists of twelve rays-months. By the power of the Gods and the Family, it is launched into continuous rotation and forms the Cycle of Nature.
The very love of the Slavs for their Earth and the Cycle of the elements and seasons is reflected in the ancient pagan names of each month. One capacious word reflects the essence of time and an affectionate appeal to Nature, an understanding of its difficult year-round work for the benefit of its children.
This is what our Ancestors called the months in which the main Slavic holidays were celebrated:
- January - Prosinets
- February - Lute
- March - Berezen
- April - Pollen
- May - Traven
- June - Cherven
- July - Lipen
- August - Serpin
- September - Veresen
- October - Leaf fall
- November - Breast
- December - Jelly
Winter Slavic holidays and rituals
Pagan and Slavic holidays in December
December 3rd Day of Remembrance of the Hero Svyatogor
On this day, the Slavs remember and honor the giant hero Svyatogor, who brought great benefit to Rus' in the fight against the Pechenegs. His exploits are described on a par with the heroism of Ilya Muromets in Slavic epics; he lived on the high Holy Mountains, and according to legend, his body was buried in Gulbishche, a boyar mound large sizes. On such a holiday, it is good to tell your Descendants about the giant Svyatogor and prolong the Memory of his heritage, and tell about the Native Gods of the Slavs.
December 19-25 Karachun
Karachun is the second name of Chernobog, who descends to earth in the days winter solstice, Kolovorota (lasts 3 days between December 19 and December 25). Karachun is an evil underground spirit and has servants in the form of bears - blizzards and wolves - blizzards. This is frost and cold, shortening days and impenetrable night. However, at the same time, Karachun is considered a just God of death, who does not violate earthly Orders just like that. To protect yourself from the wrath of Chernobog, it is enough to follow the Rules and wear Slavic amulets.
At the end of Karachun comes the holiday - Kolyada, Sunny Christmas
Kolyada is the young Sun, the embodiment of the beginning of the New Year's cycle. From this day began the Great Winter Holidays and the turn of the Sun to spring. At this time, children and adults dressed up as fairy-tale characters and animals and, under the name Kolyada, entered the huts of wealthy families. Accompanied by lively songs and dances, they demanded treats from the set table and wished the owners happiness and longevity. To offend carolers meant to incur the wrath of Kolyada himself, so on the eve of Sunny Christmas the preparation of sweets and cooking of kutya began.
December 31st Generous evening, Shchedrets
On this day of the Great Winter Christmastide, they prepared for the New Year coming at midnight and, just like on Kolyada, they gathered and went out through the streets to play performances. Collect treats, praise generous owners and jokingly scold misers. Generous, good evening! - they shouted in greeting to every passerby. This is where the name of this winter Slavic holiday comes from the times of pagan faith.
Pagan and Slavic holidays in January
January 6 Turitsa
Tur is the son of Veles and Mokosha, the patron saint of shepherds, guslars and buffoons, young men - future warriors and breadwinners of families. In that Slavic holiday a rite of passage to become a man was performed, and the chief shepherd of the village was also chosen. This holiday closes the Veles Winter Holidays and therefore everyone is in a hurry to tell their fortunes for the last time, what awaits them in the future, and set a rich table.
January 8 Babi porridge
On this Slavic holiday, midwives and all senior women of the Family are honored. They are presented with generous gifts and praise, and in return they sprinkle their children and once-adopted babies with grain with blessings and wishes for a generous Share and an Easy Fate. Symbol of the Family Slavic amulets It also helps to maintain connections between generations and instill in Descendants respect for their Ancestors.
January 12 Kidnapping Day
On this not a Slavic holiday, but a memorable day, Veles kidnapped Perun’s wife, Dodola, or otherwise Diva, in revenge for refusing a marriage proposal, and later Marena, the wife of Dazhdbog, who became Kashchei’s wife and bore him many demoness daughters. Therefore, on January twelfth, they are careful not to let girls go out alone and work to strengthen personal protection: they make jewelry-amulets, embroider protective ornaments on women’s shirts.
January 18 Intra
This is an ancient pagan holiday of the Slavs, on the day of which they honor the participant of the Military Triglav Intra. He, Volkh and Perun compiled a Code of qualities necessary for a warrior. Intra symbolized Light and Darkness as a struggle of opposites and the need to choose the right, sometimes tough, decision. Also, Intra, the Indrik-beast, is also the patron of wells, clouds, snakes, the Navi God, so on such a night the Sorcerers charmed all the chimneys for protection, so that dark spirits in the form of snakes could not penetrate the house.
January 19 Vodosvet
It can be noted that the customs of this holiday are very reminiscent of the Christian holiday of Epiphany. However, Christians replaced the name of the pagan holiday “Water Light” with “Epiphany”, but the essence and traditions remained the same, although this is not a Christian holiday and even Catholics do not celebrate January 19.
On this day, the Slavs celebrated the pagan holiday Vodosvet. It was believed that on this day, the water became light and turned into healing. According to tradition, on this day we swam in the ice hole. If it was not possible to plunge, then they doused themselves with water in a warm place. After everyone had bathed, the guests gathered and wished each other health until the next Water Light.
It was believed that such bathing energizes a person with health for the whole year. The Slavs believed that on this day the Sun, the Earth, as well as the center of the Galaxy are located in such a way that the water is structured and a channel of communication opens between people and the center of the Galaxy, a kind of connection with space. That is why water and what consists of water were considered a good conductor. Water is able to “remember” both negative and positive information. And naturally it can either restore a person, or, on the contrary, destroy him.
Our ancestors believed in the healing properties of water and understood that human health depends on the quality of water.
January 21 Prosinets
This Slavic holiday is dedicated to the glorification of Heavenly Svarga and the revival of the Sun, the mitigation of cold weather. In ancient times, the pagan Sorcerers remembered and thanked Kryshen, who gave people fire to melt the Great Ice and shed life-giving Surya from Heavenly Svarga - water, which on January 21 makes all springs healing and rejuvenating.
January 28 Brownie Treat Day - Velesici, Kudesy
On this day they glorify the children of Veles - his heavenly warriors and thank God for such protection of the Family. They also don’t forget about the Brownie, treat him to the most delicious food in the house and ask him not to be offended by anything, sing him songs and fairy tales, try to appease him and entertain him. On this day there is a lot of everything: from spirits to people, so you shouldn’t be surprised at the miracles that happen and Father Veles’s jokes on us. If you want, you can bring prayers under the spruce tree or a made idol of the Native God right in the forest.
Pagan and Slavic holidays in February
February 2 Gromnitsa
On this winter Slavic holiday, you can hear amazing single peals of thunder - this is how Perun congratulates his wife Dodolya-Malanitsa, Molniya, inviting us to praise the goddess and ask her for mercy - not to burn barns and courtyards in anger, but to work for the glory of the future harvest, causing rains. Also at such times they looked at the weather and determined whether the year would be dry or not.
February 11 Great Veles Day
The Great Veles Day marks the middle of winter, a certain milestone. On this holiday, they glorified Father and performed game rituals of a comic fight between Marena and Veles, as a symbol of the imminent end of the cold, his retreat together with Mara. Also on this day, they protected the cattle and applied Veles’ chira to all the gates of the farmstead, praised and brought demands to the Cattle God, and asked for health to the cows, pigs and other breadwinners of the family.
February 15 Meeting
This is an ancient Slavic holiday of the meeting of Spring and Winter, the last winter cold and the first spring thaw. As a sign of respect for the Sun, required pancakes were baked, and at noon they burned Erzovka, a doll made of straw, releasing the spirit of Fire and the Sun to freedom. It is curious that all the numerous signs associated with this day are quite accurate. Therefore, we recommend observing the weather for Candlemas and making plans based on what Nature predicted.
February 16 Pochinki
Pochinki is an important date that comes immediately after the pagan holiday of the ancient Slavs, Candlemas. From that day on, they began to repair carts, fences, barns, barns and agricultural equipment. Prepare your cart in winter - it was from Pochinok that such a wise proverb came to us. You should also not forget about Domovoy, bring him treats and talk in peace and harmony to establish contact and receive support in working for the benefit of the farm.
February 18 Troyan Winter, Day of the Stribozh’s Grandsons”, commemoration of those who fell at Troyanov Val
This wonderful Slavic holiday is the day of remembrance of fallen soldiers worthy of Svarozh’s grandchildren. In their honor, ritual reconstruction battles were held and generous memorials were given, and Descendants were told and clearly shown how much the warriors who took part in the battle at Troyanov Val did for the entire Russian Family.
Spring Slavic holidays and rituals
Pagan and Slavic holidays in March
March 1st Madder Day, Vyunitsa Day, Navii Day
On this day they glorify the goddess of Winter and Death Marena, who owns the Navy world and helps people reach Kalinov Bridge after life. Along it you can pass through the line of Yavi and Navi, the Smorodina River. On the night before this holiday, all the undead, forgotten and unburied souls of the dead awakened in Yavi. They could walk around the yards, trying to get attention and even possess the living. That is why at that time people put on masks - animal masks, so that the evil spirits would not notice them and could not harm them. On the last Navi day, it is customary to honor one’s departed Ancestors and prepare a funeral table, bring demands and give Glory for the life lived and the Descendants of the Family given by them. You can treat your deceased Relatives both at the graves and by floating the shells of colored eggs on the water - if they left for another world a long time ago and the person is sorry, there is no longer a grave left or it is very far away.
March 14 Small oatmeal
According to ancient Slavic custom, Little Ovsen marked the New Year - the beginning of the awakening of Nature and its readiness for agricultural work and fertility. Accordingly, March was previously the first month of the year, and not the third. Ovsen, who was born a little later and is considered the younger twin brother of Kolyada. It is he who conveys his brother’s knowledge to people and helps to translate it into practical experience. On this day, it is customary to rejoice in the new year and make plans for the future, start new things, and glorify the awakening of Nature.
March 19-25 Komoeditsa or Maslenitsa, Velikden
The pagan holiday Maslenitsa is not easy Slavic meeting spring and happy farewell winter. This is the day of the spring solstice, a turning point in the calendar and way of life. IN Orthodox holiday Maslenitsa pagan Komoeditsa has been preserved with almost all its traditions: burning the effigy of winter - Madder, treating pancakes - Komy and eating them all week. The first sunny pancakes were usually given to the Bear, the personification of Veles. They were laid out on forest stumps, and then they went to burn ritual bonfires, in which they burned unnecessary old things and cleansed themselves and their family of unnecessary burdens. They started celebrating Komoeditsy a week before the Equinox and continued to have fun for another week after it.
March 22 Magpies or Larks
This Slavic holiday is a continuation of the glorification of the spring equinox, and is so called because, according to custom, forty new species of birds begin to arrive from the winter, including the first larks. And even they were late this time, each family baked their own butter larks, which were supposed to attract the real ones. Usually this was entrusted to the children, who happily ran to call for spring, and then feasted on delicious pastries. Wooden amulets for the home were also made in the shape of a lark. They attracted happiness, health and good luck.
March 25 opening of Svarga or Invocation of Spring
At the last, third invocation of spring, with rye aromatic larks, games and round dances, the Opening of Heavenly Svarga takes place and Zhiva descends to earth. Finally, nature will wake up, come to life and begin its growth in the rivers and seedlings, young shoots and new tree branches. On this Slavic holiday one can feel the Living Breath of the Gods, who favor the living Descendants.
March 30 Ladodenie
On this March day they glorified Lada: the goddess of love and beauty, one of the two heavenly Mothers of Birth, the Mother of God. This Slavic holiday was accompanied by round dances and round dances, as well as the baking of cranes from unleavened dough for home-made family amulets. The bright day of goodness and warmth made it possible to charge jewelry for girls or married women - earrings, pendants and bracelets with ladins, symbolizing the harmony of female beauty, health and wisdom.
Pagan and Slavic holidays in April
April 1st is Brownie Day or his awakening
This cheerful Slavic holiday was dedicated to the Domovoi - the very spirit that protected your home, yard and bins. On the first of April, he woke up from hibernation, during which he did only important things - guarded your property, and began active work to bring comfort and bring prosperity to the family. In order for him to wake up faster and become more cheerful, they treated him with milk and other goodies, began to joke and play with him and with each other - act out and tell jokes, put them on inside out, and keep socks or shoes separate.
April 3 Vodopol Water Day
It was on this day that Vodyanoy woke up and ice drift and river flooding began. This Slavic holiday was dedicated to him: the fishermen brought generous gifts to Vodyanoy in the hope that he would restore order in the water kingdom and thank those treating them with a generous catch, not tear their nets, bring large fish into them, and also order the mermaids not to touch them and their loved ones. Some artels could donate a whole horse, but most often the requirements were limited to milk, butter or bread and eggs. By throwing them into cold spring water, the Slavs hoped that the Water Spirit would wake up in a good and well-fed mood.
April 14 is Semargl day
On this Slavic holiday, Semargl-Ognebog melts the last of the snow, turning into a flaming winged wolf and flying across the fields. It is this God of the Sun and Fire who protects crops and gives good harvests, and it is he who can burn to the ground all living things. They say that Semargla was forged from a spark by Svarog himself at his sacred forge. Every night he stands guard over Order with a fiery sword and only on the day of the autumn equinox he comes to Kupalo so that they can have children – Kupalo and Kostroma. Requests are brought to the Fire God by throwing them into the fire; amulets with Semargl are also activated in its flame with a request to God for protection.
April 21 Navii Day or Remembrance of Ancestors
On this spring holiday, the souls of deceased Ancestors come down to us to visit and hear about our lives, joys and sorrows. Therefore, relatives are commemorated at their graves and a funeral feast is brought: treats in memory of them. Elders in the Family are remembered by dipping shells from colored eggs into water, so that on Mermaid Day they will be given to them as dear news from loved ones. Just like the first of April, on the day of Madder, on this Slavic holiday, the restless, restless, restless, offended deceased souls come out to the side of reality. That is why many again take on disguises to protect themselves from them.
April 22 Lelnik Krasnaya Gorka
On this amazing holiday and for a long time after it, they glorified Lelya, the goddess of spring, youth and helper in obtaining the future harvest. They sat the youngest and most beautiful girl on a high hill, Krasnaya Gorka, brought her all sorts of gifts: milk, bread, sweets and eggs, danced around her and rejoiced at the life awakened after winter. Painted and painted eggs were distributed to relatives and friends, and were also carried to the already deceased Ancestors as a memorial. Such colored, painted eggs are generally part of Slavic culture, some of them should have been saved for subsequent ones one after another spring holidays awakening of Nature and glorification of Yarila, Zhiva, Dazhdbog.
April 23 Yarilo spring
On this Slavic holiday, people go out into the street to meet and thank the patron of shepherds and protector of livestock from predators, Yarila the Spring Sun. From this period, the first spring weddings begin and symbolic fertilization is carried out - the opening of the Yarila Earth and the release of the first dew, which was considered strong and was used during ritual rolling of men on the ground to increase their health and heroic will. Yarilin's dew was carefully collected and used for future use as living water to treat many ailments.
April 30 Rodonitsa
On this last day of April and Krasnaya Gorka, the spring cold ends and people go to commemorate their ancestors, bringing them the standard requirements: kutya, pancakes, oatmeal jelly and written eggs. Also on this day there are competitions: rolling eggs down a mountain. The winner is the participant whose egg rolls the furthest without breaking. This rolling out of the earth with eggs symbolizes its future fertility. By midnight, all the celebrants prepare the beginning and gather a huge large bonfire on the same mountain to celebrate Zhivin’s day.
Pagan and Slavic holidays in May
May 1st Zhivin's day
Immediately at midnight on the first of May, the Slavic spring holiday begins in honor of Zhiva: the goddess of spring, fertility, and the birth of life. The daughter of Lada and the wife of Dazhdbog, Zhivena gives life to all living things and fills the entire Family with this creative power. When a fire is lit in her honor, women and girls, who are patronized by the goddess, take brooms in their hands and perform a ritual dance to clean up evil spirits, jump over the Life-Creating Fire, cleansing themselves of winter sleep and darkness. Alive is the movement of nature, the first shoots, the first streams, the first flowers and the first love.
May 6 Dazhdbog Day - Big Oats
On this day they glorify Dazhdbog, the Ancestor of the Slavs, the God of Fertility and the spouse of Zhiva. It was on this day that he renounced Madder and made a choice in favor of his daughter Lada, thereby becoming, together with Living, in defense of Nature and its Fruits. On the sixth of May, people go out into the field and make the first ritual sowings, take livestock to fresh fields, and also begin building new houses, and of course, they bring generous demands to grandfather Dazhdbog and rejoice in the hot sun as a symbol of real spring and a future bountiful harvest.
May 10 Veshnee Makoshye
This is a day of honoring Mother Raw Earth and her patrons - Mokosh and Veles. On this day, it was forbidden to injure the earth: dig, harrow, or simply stick sharp objects into it - after all, it wakes up after winter sleep and is filled with life-giving juices. All the sorcerers and Slavic brothers who simply revere Nature went out on this day with generous gifts to the fields and poured full glasses for Mother Earth, praising her and asking for a good harvest, lay down on her and listened to her affectionate parental whisper with advice and instructions.
May 22 Yarilo wet Troyan, Trigods day
On this day there is a farewell to Yarila - the spring Sun and the three summer Gods of Svarog Triglav, strong in Rule, Navi and Reveal, are glorified: Svarog, Perun and Veles. It is believed that Troyan has collected the strength of each of them and daily stands guard over Nature from the attack of Chernobog. Troyan initiated boys into warriors, commemorated ancestors and made amulets against the souls of the restless dead, including plowing entire villages with a protective, protective circle from evil forces, and women and girls were cleared of trouble before wedding ceremonies and childbirth.
May 31 Cuckoo Festival or Kumlenie
This very interesting Slavic holiday implies that we are all brothers and sisters of the same Family. Therefore, on the last day of spring, those who want to make love - to become related, without having a direct blood relationship, are given such an opportunity. You can also ask Zhiva for what you want - just tell your hopes and dreams to the cuckoo, she will bring them to the Goddess and tell her about you. Also on this ancient pagan holiday, the Slavs exchanged gifts and amulets with people dear and close to them in spirit.
Summer Slavic holidays and rituals
Pagan and Slavic holidays in June
June 1 is Spiritual Day or the beginning of Rusalya Week
Spiritual Day begins on the first day of summer and continues throughout the week called Rusalya. From this day on, Marena lets her deceased ancestors out to visit Yav, and their Descendants invite them to their homes, placing birch branches in the corners, symbolizing Ancestral ties. However, people who are not dead, who committed suicide and who drowned are also activated along with them. Most often these are women and Mermaids. At this time, water most actively receives and conducts the energy of Prav, Silavi and Yavi. With its help you can recover, damage or learn something. As a requirement, clothes were also brought to the river banks for mermaid children, and so that spirits could not penetrate the body, they wore amulets with.
June 19-22 Kupalo
This is the main summer pagan holiday among the Slavs - Solstice Day, Kolovorot. Many rituals are performed on this day - after all, the power of such a period is very great. The herbs collected at Kupala are of great value. The ardent fire of a fire cleanses people, and the water washes away all sorrows and illnesses from them. The feast, games and round dances with rituals continue from dawn to dusk. This is a Slavic cheerful and cheerful holiday, the symbol of which remains for the whole year in amulets with the Odolen-grass, the Fern Flower and the Colo of the Year.
June 23 Agrafena Swimsuit
This pagan ancient Slavic holiday opened the swimming season. In each house, healing bath brooms began to be prepared and a ritual heating of the baths was carried out for cleaning relatives - steaming, and subsequent charging - restoring health by plunging into open bodies of water. On the day of Agrafena the Bathing Suit, as on other Christmastides, girls of all ages went with praises and requests to present gifts: Slavic outerwear, silver jewelry with protective symbols.
Pagan and Slavic holidays in July
July 12 Sheaf of Veles Day
From Veles Day, the heat begins to arrive and hay is cut for the cattle, and the first sheaves are formed, absorbing the fertile spirit of the fields. Therefore, demands and praises are brought to Veles, as the patron of agriculture and cattle breeding. Also on this day, Alatyr was also called, and Veles was asked to move it for a while and allow the souls of their ancestors to pass to Nav and find their peace there. On this Slavic summer holiday, Veles' chirs were applied to his idols, as well as personal and home amulets. Also on this day, prayers are offered in the Holy Fire.
Pagan and Slavic holidays in August
August 2 Perunov day
This ancient pagan Slavic holiday was dedicated to honoring and glorifying the Supreme God of fire and thunder, Perun. On such a date, all men consecrated their weapons so that they would serve their owner faithfully, be sharp, and also cause rain after a long drought to save fields and harvests. Sacrifices and simply generous demands were made to Perun at the altar with an idol and a dish: baked goods, bread, wine, kvass. Worn with the blessing of God or another Slavic talisman, they protected the owner in a foreign land and in difficult situations.
August 15 Spozhinki
Spozhinki, pozhinki or crimping is a pagan holiday of the ancient Slavs with the glorification of Veles and the cutting of the last harvest sheaves of grain. In each field, the last bunch of wheat was left and tied in the shape of Veles’s beard, as a sign of respect and understanding of all the great gift of agriculture given to him. Also at this time, they began to consecrate the collected honey, apples and grain on the Great Fire, and bring them as required along with bread and porridge to the Native Gods.
August 21st Stribog Day
This is a Slavic holiday in honor of Stribog, the lord of the wind and God who controls tornadoes and natural disasters. On this day they bring demands to assure their respect: scraps, grain or bread and ask for indulgence - a good harvest next year and whole roofs over their heads. Stribog is the brother of Perun and holds the seventy-seven winds in his fist, living on the island of Buyan. That is why the ancestors believe that he can convey a request or desire to the Native Gods and punish the offenders, no matter where they are.
Autumn Slavic holidays and rituals
Pagan and Slavic holidays in September
September 2nd Memorial Day of Prince Oleg
Russian Prince Oleg did a lot for his people: he concluded an agreement with Byzantium and established trade routes with duty-free sales, united disparate Slavic Clans into the United Kievan Rus, gave a worthy education to Rurik’s son Igor, and nailed his shield as a symbol of victory to the gates of Constantinople. Prophetic Oleg died due to the fault of his horse, as the wise Priests predicted. No matter how hard he tried to change the course of fate, it was impossible.
September 8 Rod and Mother in labor
This Slavic holiday is dedicated to the family and its well-being. On such a bright day, they glorify the Rozhanits: Lelya and Lada and the entire Family produced by them. After bringing the demands to the Native Goddesses, ritual games and ritual funerals of flies begin, symbolizing the rapid numbness of all insects and hibernation until spring. In addition to the feast for the whole house, close people exchanged gifts and amulets with Slavic symbols: Ladinets, Rozhanitsa, Rod and Rodimych, and also solemnly hung and placed the faces and idols of the Gods on the Altar.
September 14 First Autumn, Day of the Fiery Magus
On this day, farmers began to celebrate the First Autumns - Harvest Day and thank Mother Earth for it. It is also worth remembering the honoring of the Fiery Volkh - the son of Indrik the Beast and Mother Earth, the husband of Lelya, whose love withstood all obstacles and circumstances, and the wise, brave and pure image of the Volkh is clearly reflected in Slavic fairy tales in the main character Finist the Clear Falcon.
September 21st Svarog Day
On this September day, the Slavs celebrated the holiday of Svarog and praised him for the fact that he condescended and taught people crafts together with Veles, and gave the sacred Ax and Forge. Thus, the Russian Family could survive and get down to business in the autumn and winter. On this day, it is customary to slaughter chickens that have been fattened over the summer, and give the first one from the farmstead to Svarog as a requirement. Autumn viewings and weddings also began on this day, and the brothers gathered a huge number of young guys in the girls' huts. On this day, the closing of Svarga and the departure of the goddess Zhiva into it until spring also took place.
September 22 Lada Festival
Lada, as the Mother of God and the giver of family well-being, the patroness of all living things, deserved a holiday from the Slavs in honor of herself. At this time, she was thanked for the harvest and prosperity, as well as for sending her soul mate and creating new family, played weddings with ritual wedding rings, and also gave their grown daughters protective jewelry with Ladins as a talisman for beauty and harmonization of women's destiny.
September 19-25 Radogoshch, Tausen, Ovsen or Autumn Equinox (New Year)
On this day, the results were summed up and the harvested crops and supplies made were counted. People praised the main God of Rod and Rozhanitsy and brought them generous demands in gratitude for their protection and help. In some territorial regions, the Slavs began to celebrate the Autumn Equinox with the closing of Svarga, the Festival of the Heavenly Blacksmith or the Rich Man, and all this time they had lavish feasts.
Pagan and Slavic holidays in October
On October 14, Intercession, with the introduction of Christianity, this holiday was celebrated in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her miraculous payment.
In folk tradition, this day marked the meeting of Autumn with Winter, and this holiday goes back very deeply. Popular beliefs associated the name itself with the first frost that “covered” the ground, indicating the proximity of winter cold, although the exact name of the holiday has not been preserved. The Day of the Intercession coincided with the complete completion of field work and serious preparation for winter.
October 30th Day of the Goddess Mokosh
On an autumn day they glorified Makosh, the one who spins human destinies, patronizes families and children in her, gives a happy bright hearth and helps to learn women's crafts: weaving, spinning, sewing, embroidery. Requirements were brought to her under the idols on the Altar or in the fields and rivers: sweet buns, red wine, coins and wheat as a symbol of prosperity. Also on this day, pre-embroidered amulets for the home, chiras and Slavic amulets-decorations were activated.
Pagan and Slavic holidays in November
November 25 Madder Day
IN last days In autumn, Marena finally drives Yarila out and covers Reality with her blanket of cold, snow and ice. This pagan holiday of the Slavs does not contain joy. People come to terms with the fact and initially make modest demands to the Goddess, but still try to show Mara their fearlessness and readiness to survive even in the most severe winter. Also on this date, they are attentive to the spirits of the deceased Ancestors, their whispers in the last remaining leaves and try to bring remembrance and appease the Navya Forces.
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"SUBSTITUTE" CHRISTIAN HOLIDAYS ESTABLISHED BY THE CHURCH TO REPLACE THE FORBIDDEN GREAT PAGAN SOLAR HOLIDAYS1) Current Maslenitsa (cheese week) is a holiday of the Russian Orthodox Church, replacing the great Slavic Solar celebration and having no pagan roots.
The clergy fought for a long time and cruelly, at times bloodily, but unsuccessfully against the Slavic holiday of Komoeditsa. When the Slavic celebration could not be defeated, the churchmen used the well-known Jesuit technique - if you cannot defeat the enemy, unite with him and destroy him from the inside.
The 7-day Maslenitsa (cheese week, the last week of preparation for Lent) was introduced by clergy in the 16th century to replace the ancient Komoeditsa, a 2-week celebration of the vernal equinox and the beginning of the Slavic New Year.
Because the former pagan Komoeditsa fell on Lent, when holidays and fun are strictly prohibited by the Church, the clergy “shifted” their Maslenitsa holiday in time from the Vernal Equinox to almost a month closer to the beginning of the year, devoting it a week before Lent, i.e. made a false substitution of what was given by Heaven itself. In addition to the temporary “shift,” the previous popular celebration was shortened from two weeks to one.
This was not a “transfer” of the Slavic spring holiday Komoeditsa (Komoyeditsa cannot be moved, since it is associated with an annual astronomical event, over the date of which the priests have no control), but the establishment of a new church holiday instead of the former pagan one, in order to destroy and erase past traditions from the memory of the people. And they completely succeeded - now few of us remember Komoeditsa, the cheerful spring holiday of their Slavic ancestors. Jesuit techniques always work well and effectively.
2) The second “replacement” holiday - Orthodox day of Ivan Kupala, which replaced the Slavic Day of Kupaila (the day of the entry into the rights of the mighty summer sun, Kupaila), prohibited by the churchmen, the pagan celebration of the Summer Solstice.
The ritual part of the Christian holiday of Ivan Kupala (John the Baptist, who baptized Christ by bathing in the Jordan River) is timed to coincide with the birthday of John the Baptist - June 24th.
Since the Russian Orthodox Church lives according to the old style, the date of birth of John the Baptist (June 24 according to the old style) falls on July 7 according to the new style.
Current admirers of former paganism claim that the Christian day of Ivan Kupala is a Slavic pagan holiday, without wondering where the Slavic god of the summer sun Kupala could have gotten the Hebrew name Ivan (John).
3) The third is a one-day celebration of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, replacing the previous 2-week Slavic Veresen, a pagan celebration of the entry into the rights of the aging wise autumn sun-old man Svetovit on the Day of the autumn equinox, an ancient holiday of the harvest.
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on September 21 according to the new style (September 8 according to the old style).
4) Fourth - Nativity of Christ, in 273 AD. e. replacing pagan celebration of the Nativity of the baby sun Kolyada the morning after the Winter Solstice Night (the longest night of the year).
Around the world, Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. Russian Orthodox Christians living according to the old Julian calendar celebrate this holiday also on December 25 according to Art. style, i.e. January 7, new style.
Why did this happen?
In those days when a new faith was introduced - Christianity, two calendars continued to be used in all Slavic lands.
In Rus', two calendar systems existed in parallel - the old and the new.
But the church and secular authorities were not happy with the fact that people celebrated holidays according to both calendars. But most of all, I was not satisfied with the confusion that the chroniclers created, because the Russian chroniclers used the dates of the old, Slavic calendar, and the invited Greek chroniclers used the dates from the new calendar, where the New Year was counted from the first spring full moon.
For example, the date is March 1, 1005 AD. according to the Slavic calendar it fell on Summer 6513 from S.M.Z.H, and according to the Christian calendar it fell on Summer 6512 from S.M. Thus, the difference between the Slavic calendar and the calendar from the Nativity of Christ was 5508 years, and the Christian calendar was 5507 years.
In order to somehow streamline the inconsistency of the new calendar, in Summer 6856 (1348 AD) by decree of Tsar Ivan III, the New Year in the new calendar was fixed on March 1, and the number of the year was taken from the old Slavic calendar.
The new calendar began to be adjusted to everyday life, some holidays were prohibited, others, which were celebrated despite the prohibitions, the Christian Church began to adapt to itself. In particular:
- Day God Veles was replaced by the Day of Blaise;
- Day Maslenitsa-Maryony was declared simply Maslenitsa;
- Day God Kupala became the day of John the Baptist, or as it was called in the Russian manner - Ivan Kupala, i.e. Ivan, who bathed everyone in the river;
- Day Triglav (Svarog-Peruna-Sventovita), turned into Trinity;
– Supreme Day of God Perun replaced by the Day of Elijah the Prophet... etc.
But most of all, the church and secular authorities were not happy with the fact that the people used two calendars and celebrated two New Years - the Christian New Year on March 1 and the Slavic New Year on the Day of the Autumn Equinox.
No prohibitions of the Slavic calendar helped. But the adoption of harsh measures, including executions, had the opposite effect - in many cities and villages, unrest began and uprisings arose, and everywhere there was a wholesale extermination of Christian priests and their assistants. Things got to the point where many thousands of “God’s people” were destroyed, and then Tsar Ivan III had to “go to the people,” because this was the only way the authorities could calm the rebellious people.
To prevent further unrest and ruin, Dual Faith and two calendars were officially legalized on Russian soil. Church calendar began to be considered official, i.e. state, and the old calendar - folk.
The next change in the official calendar occurred after 1 Circle of Years (144 years). As the Summer of 7000 from the Creation of the World (1492 AD) approached, apocalyptic sentiments grew among Christians in the Russian lands. Everyone was waiting for the end of the world and did not even prepare Easter for the following years. But when all the expected dates for the end of the world had passed, the Moscow Church Council in September of Summer 7000 (1492) approved a new Easter and decided to move the beginning of the year from March 1 to September 1. This decree is still in force in the Christian Church.
In Summer 7090 (1582), the Catholic Church, at the direction of Pope Gregory XIII, introduced new calendar, which received his name. In the new calendar, the dating was no longer from the Creation of the World, but from the Nativity of Christ.
In ancient times, this day was a holiday - the day of insemination of the earth.
The white icing on the cake is sperm, the colored sprinkles are sperm. Our neo-pagans interpret this Easter cake as the phallus of God Fuck. Initially, before Christianity, it was a holiday of the first shoots. In early spring, before sowing, a strict fast was established, because the grain had to be saved for sowing. Whoever broke the fast - that is, ate the grains of the future harvest - was condemned. Then the grain was buried - the sowing itself. Then it died in the ground. It was the most tragic period - everyone was waiting - will it be revived - will it sprout? When the first shoots appeared, this was the resurrection of the grain, a return to the cycle of eternal life. Osiris has risen. Once there is a new harvest, it means there will be no hunger, which means you can eat the supplies and have fun. Including conceiving children.
This is the original meaning of this holiday.
The current generation of people observes the world through the prism of modern science. Even the most amazing manifestations of the elements, such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes or tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, solar and lunar eclipses, do not cause as much awe as it did for our ancestors. Modern people in most cases see themselves more as masters of nature than as its victims. In ancient times, people had a completely different worldview.
Everything that happened to them or around them was not entirely accessible to their understanding, and everything that happened to them had to be explained somehow. According to modern science, in their ignorance, people attributed everything to a wide variety of otherworldly forces - gods, demigods, fairies, elves, devils, demons, ghosts, restless souls, etc.
Moreover, all this lived in heaven, underground, in fire, and also in water. People considered themselves dependent on these entities, because a lot, in fact, their entire way of life depended on their location. As a result, it is precisely because of the fear of the unknown that almost all religions, including the Slavic ones, begin.
Accurate information has not yet been found on how and where the Slavs came from in Europe, and which peoples are their ancestors. Scientists believe that in the 1st millennium AD. The Slavs occupied a vast territory: from the Balkans to Central Europe and the Dnieper. At that time, there were no Slavic tribes on the territory of modern Russian borders.
Around the 6th century, three branches emerged in pan-Slavic unity: southern, western and eastern Slavs. The South Slavic peoples (Serbs, Montenegrins, etc.) later became the Slavs who settled on the borders of Byzantium, gradually merging with its inhabitants. The Western Slavs occupied modern Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and partly Germany. And the eastern ones occupied the vast territory of modern Belarusians, Ukrainians and Russians.
The Slavs were engaged in the cultivation of wheat, barley, rye, millet, peas, buckwheat, cattle breeding, hunting and fishing. At the everyday level, the Slavs used the so-called ritual calendar, which reflected agricultural magic. It marked all the days associated with the spring-summer agricultural season, everything was calculated: both sowing seeds and harvesting.
Pagan holidays of the ancient Slavs
The basis of the rituals of the Slavic farmers was the doctrine of how to successfully influence the deities of the elements in order to obtain good harvests. A large number of ancient sanctuaries have survived to our time, in which a wide variety of rituals were held at one time. The echoes of these sacred events can be considered children's games and round dances that are now well-known to everyone.
The temples were mainly located under open air. They had round shapes, the basis of which was made up of two concentric shafts. Fires were lit around their circumferences, and wooden idols were installed inside. Right there on the burning altar they made sacrifices to the gods, and they were not limited to human ones. The outer circles of the temples were intended for people to eat sacrificial ritual food, and they were called “treasures.” And the round shapes of such temples determined their name - “mansions” (from the word “horo”, which meant circle).
The ritual component of Slavic paganism was conventionally divided into two spheres. The first of these involved rituals associated with the community. This calendar holidays, agricultural cult, as well as holidays as a tribute to honor to the gods. The second included family rituals and ceremonies, such as weddings, “birthing” ceremonies and funerals. Most of the community rituals belonged to calendar cycles, and family ones - to life ones.
Winter holidays of the ancient Slavs
At the end of cold December, when daytime has already arrived, a holiday called Kolyada is celebrated. So, on December 25, on the day of the winter solstice, carolers dressed up as bears, goats, horses, and walked from house to house singing songs called “carols.” Along with wishing all the best for the house and collecting alms - pies, loaves and sweets, they playfully promised the misers ruin and poverty.
Then it was generally accepted that while people were caroling, evil spirits had to go on a rampage and steal the Moon and stars from the heavens. The festival embodied the transition of the luminary from winter to spring, the victory of light forces over dark ones. To help the sun defeat evil spirits, people burned fires, sang songs and danced around the fires. In some places Kolyada was called Avsenya or Tauseney, which, according to researchers, came from Ash and was one of the solar names.
The ancient Slavs believed that the dead were not deprived of all the sensations of life. That is why winter was simply night, darkness for the souls of ancestors, and spring was the awakening of new life. During the festival of the birth of the sun - Kolyada, it was generally believed that the dead rose from their graves, and their souls wandered around the world, frightening the living. Consequently, during the celebration of Kolyada, there was a mixture of the solar cult with the cult of the dead, which was also characteristic of other pagan holidays of the Slavs.
Spring holidays of the Slavs
Another holiday that has survived to this day was called Myasopusta, which was later renamed Maslenitsa. It was celebrated at the beginning of spring, but since Lent fell during this period, with the adoption of Christianity the celebration was moved to the week before it and partially to Easter Sunday.
Maslenitsa is a holiday in honor of the Sun God, of which the Slavs had four, so the following solar ritual was carried out: during the celebration, a masked man was carried on a large sleigh, sitting on a wheel, which was located on a pole fixed to the sleigh. And the wheel, of course, symbolized the sun among the Slavs. In addition, during the celebration of Maslenitsa, men engaged in fist fights and wrestling, and children were delighted with performances with bears. Pancakes were and remain a traditional Maslenitsa dish.
In addition, Maslenitsa was also considered a memorial week, and pancakes were baked for the funeral. The first pancakes were always given to the poor so that they could remember the dead. The dough was prepared near a river or lake in the evenings, when the stars appeared with the call of the month to look and blow on the dough. All this was done in secret from everyone, be it at home or outsiders.
There is also the so-called undisturbed Maslenitsa. This is the time when, with the beginning of spring, people visit the graves of their deceased ancestors. It was believed that their souls rose from their graves to share funeral pancakes with those who brought them. The arrival of spring was usually celebrated at the “red hills”, where round dances were held, spring ceremonies were held, and finally a straw effigy was burned. This was Mara, who was considered the personification of not only winter, but also death.
Navii Day was celebrated on April 12th. On this day, people visited the graves of their deceased relatives. Navy Day was considered a rite of resurrection of the dead.
Summer holidays of the Slavs
Third the most important holiday It was the holiday of Ivan Kupala. It was celebrated on Midsummer's Day in honor of the deity of summer and fertility, Kupala. It should be noted that on the night of June 23-24, it was believed that herbs had miraculous powers.
People believed that only on this night did the fern bloom, and the one who found it recognized the language of all living creatures. At this time, the riverbeds were covered with a silvery glow, and the trees moved and communicated with themselves through the noise of their branches. The sun itself rode out from its home to meet the month in a team of three horses, which were: one gold, the other silver, and the third diamond.
On this day, fires were lit in the forests to hold all sorts of nightly meetings and games. So, young people, holding hands, jumped over the fire, which was considered ritual cleansing. In addition to everything, on the day of Ivan Kupala they repeated the ritual extermination of a straw effigy, the same Mara, with the only difference that he was allowed to sink.
Autumn holidays of the Slavs
Of course, in the autumn, as in all other times of the year, the Slavs had many holidays, but we can focus on two of them. These are such holidays as: the closing of Svarga (Vyria) and Svarog Day. These days were celebrated on September 14 and 21, respectively.
September 14 - Svarga (Vyria) day
It was believed that on this day the goddess Zhiva, who was the personification of fruitfulness, youth, the beauty of all nature and people - in general, spring - leaves the Earth, and Frost and Winter begin to enter their domain. The harvest is ending, and people are trying to thank Zhiva for the absence of hunger and for the fertility she sent to the Earth. The ancient Slavs believed that birds planning to fly to warmer climes fly to the upper world, where the souls of the departed are located. At such moments, people had to turn to the birds with a request to deliver news from them to their deceased relatives.
The ancient Eastern Slavs called Vyriy (or Iriy-sad) Paradise. They believed that on the other side, behind the clouds or where the warm eastern sea with endless summer is located, was the location of the bright heavenly kingdom. In Paradise there grew a world tree (according to scientists, it could be an oak or birch), at the top of which birds or the souls of the dead lived. Once upon a time, a crow held the keys to the Iriy Garden, but after the gods were angry with her, a swallow received the keys.
In accordance with folk legends, in the Iriy Garden near the wells there were places prepared for the future lives of good, kind people. There was clean spring water in them, and flowers were fragrant around the wells, many rejuvenating apples were ripening on the trees, and flocks of birds of paradise sang sweet songs.
September 21 - Svarog Day
With the onset of the holiday of the Heavenly Blacksmith - Svarog, the closure of Svarga was already taking place, which was considered to be an interruption of the connecting link between Heaven and Earth. The earth is gradually being frozen, and the influence of the light Forces is decreasing.
The girls had to remove their huts in order to organize fraternities. Sometimes they gathered throughout the village, and for a three-day period they invited young men to parties, and the brides present in the company were considered mistresses in such houses. During the evenings, many magical, scary and playful tales were told, with naughty games that included kisses.
Bratchina (eve, candle) was a joint meal in which full members of the community from the same village participated. She chipped in after the prayer service was held. Despite the fact that the authorities banned fraternities, they were preserved everywhere at the everyday level among the peasants. The brotherhood was based on pious customs. These were commemorations of saints, to whose help communities once turned to save themselves from disasters.
Holidays of the ancient Slavs and Christianity
At Troyan, boys were initiated into warriors, ancestors were commemorated and amulets were made against the souls of the restless dead, and women and girls were cleared of trouble before wedding ceremonies and childbirth.
People changed, thought processes changed, consciousness changed, religions became more complex and changed. Christianity, which came to the territory of Kievan Rus through the most severe violence from the sword of Prince Vladimir, was destined to trample pagan shrines, idols and temples. Christianity, as a religion given for one people, for its mentality and its level of consciousness, came into conflict with Slavic paganism. It opposed the ethical considerations of the people, their aesthetic habits, and naturally did not take into account the established way of life Eastern Slavs. However, paganism did not give up just like that. It simply could not leave the mass consciousness of entire nations in an instant. For this, it took at least three hundred years for many pagan symbols, such as the swastika or the bracelet, to disappear from Christian churches, although they did not disappear completely.
For example, on the royal crowns of the Romanovs you can find a swastika, which meant the rotation of the sun, and not the symbol of Nazi Germany during the time of Adolf Hitler. By the way, the swastika could also be found on some of the first awards of the young Soviet republic.
Even after a thousand years of the march of Christianity across Rus', many pagan holidays, and Maslenitsa is not the only one of them.
In addition, neither winter nor summer Christmastide, considered games in honor of the deity Svetovid, which took place during solar turns either towards summer or towards winter, also remained forgotten forever. Summer Christmastide to some extent had to merge with the Trinity of Christianity, and winter Christmastide with the Christmas festivities.
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1-6 - Hair days. Otherwise called wolf days. These days you need to pray to the patron saint of cattle - God Hair and Cattle. Protect your flock these days from the outrages of wolves, bring gratitude to your animals for feeding us from time immemorial.
3 - Memorial Day of the legendary Princess Olga. Today is a toast in honor of the great pagan Olga. She glorified her name throughout the centuries with her deeds worthy of memory and glory - she took revenge on the Drevlyans for her murdered husband, gave birth to the Great Prince Svyatoslav and united Rus'.
6- Turitsy. The holiday of Yar-Tur, a bull symbolizing fertility and vitality. On this day, people wear bull masks and dance in circles. Young people play turitzi - funny Games. This day marks the end of the New Year holidays.
8 - Babi Kashi. Day of midwives - midwives. In Rus', it was customary on this holiday to go to the midwives, treat them to vodka, pancakes, and give gifts. It was believed that if a young woman gave a gift to the midwife, then she (the girl) would have a healthy and strong child.
18 -Day of Intra(lord of snakes). In Slavic, Intra is the god of clouds, snakes, wells, and springs. Identified with Navy (spirit of the dead). At night, the sorcerers had to cast spells on chimneys - pipes through which Nav could enter the house. Intra is a dungeon dweller, so it was necessary to say: “If the Sun is in the sky, then Intra is in Navi.” Intra patronizes warriors, personifying courage, strength and valor.
21 - Prosinets. Midwinter, the return of the sun's heat to the earth. Prosinets was celebrated with a blessing of water. The Slavs swam in cold ponds and set rich tables. Among other foods, there must have been dairy products on the table - milk, cottage cheese, curdled milk, cheeses and others.
30 - Day of Father Frost and the merry Snow Maiden. The symbolic end of winter. On this day, it is customary to tell stories about Father Frost and his daughter, Snegurochka.
February (sec)
10 - Kudesy, Velesici. Day . Brownie in 
Offerings should be made on this day to appease him. They left a pot of porridge behind the stove, having previously wrapped it and surrounded it with hot coals so that the food would not cool down when the brownie arrived. “Grandfather-neighbor! Help yourself, eat the porridge, yes! Eat the pies and take care of your master’s house!” The brownie helps the family, where he is valued. This is a good spirit, sometimes a little mischievous. On the contrary, if you don’t feed your “master”, he begins to go wild and causes a lot of trouble for the residents.
15 - Meeting. The border between winter and spring. If it gets warmer on Candlemas, wait for early spring. On the contrary, a cold day means cold spring. At Candlemas, common people set fire to each other's hair on their heads, believing that it was good remedy against headaches. The hair should be set on fire in a crisscross pattern using Sretensky candles. On this day, round golden pancakes are baked, symbolizing the sun, bonfires are lit, people dance and have fun.
18 - Winter Troyan. Day of Military Glory. On this day, something heroic is done, fraught with danger, but with benefit for the Motherland or for the family. They remember the fallen soldiers at the table.
29 - Day of Kashchei Chernobog. Kashchei is the ruler of Navi (the dead), Hell and Darkness. God of death, destruction, hatred and cold. The embodiment of everything black, crazy and evil. The world of the Slavs is divided into two halves, good and bad.
March (dry). Spring holidays
1-Naviy day (loaches). Day of the Dead among the ancient Slavs. Today people invite their ancestors to festive table, making sacrifices. Vyunitsa is one of the four prayers to the ancestors.
3 - Memorial Day of Prince Igor. The pagan prince kept Byzantium - the center of Christianity - in fear, and went to Constantinople. The Varangians helped him fight his enemies and govern the principality. Their cruel and greedy actions destroyed Igor - he was killed by the Drevlyans during Polyudye.
21 - Maslenitsa. Today people celebrate the Spring Equinox, the end of winter, the ancient Maslenitsa. On this day you should have fun, feast, and dress up. On Maslenitsa they bake pancakes, pancakes and yarn, symbolizing the Sun.
24 - Komoeditsy. One of the oldest holidays of Paganism. Today they pray to the Bear God and make sacrifices to the Great Honey Beast - the bear. It is believed that this day was a continuation of the Week of Olives.
April (berezozol)
7th Day of Goddess Karna. The second day of prayer to dead ancestors, the day of the goddess of lamentation and crying. On this day, it was customary to light fires at the gates of houses and burn rags, old things, etc. on them. “... by that fire the souls passing by warm up...” There should be kutia and water for the dead on the table.
22 - Lelya's Holiday. Lelya was one of the main ancient Slavic goddesses. On this day toasts are made in her honor.
May (grass)
1 - Rodonitsa. This day is named after the god Rod, the patron saint of the family and the universe. Day of remembrance and third prayer to the ancestors. Today the dead are given vodka, beer and food. The funeral celebrants call their dead to the table - to drink and eat at the funeral feast.
20-30 - Dewy chest. These days they made sacrifices to Rod, praying to him for a good harvest.
June (Sunday)
4 - Yarilin Day. Fertility Day, Yarila - the Sun God. On this day, the Slavs organized mass games and dances, which were accompanied by voluptuous movements and loud screams.
19-24 - Mermaid Week. The deities of reservoirs and rivers are glorified -. There are many stories and legends associated with this week. It is customary to tell fairy tales. It is believed that the spirits of drowned people can fly freely over lakes and fields at this time.
24 -Kupala. This day is celebrated as the holiday of the Summer Solstice and human sacrifice to the Lizard (Yashche) - the owner of the underwater world. It is customary to gather in a crowd at night, have fun, sing songs, tell fortunes, and dance in circles. Fires are lit near reservoirs, rituals are performed and Kupala is drowned in the river. The victim was later replaced with a doll made of straw.
The only Slavic holiday that is celebrated at the state level in the Slavic states is the New Year. Once upon a time, the god of severe cold Morok walked through the villages, sending severe frosts. The villagers, wanting to protect themselves from the cold, put gifts on the window: pancakes, jelly, cookies, kutya. Now Morok has turned into a kind of kind old man, Santa Claus, who himself gives out gifts. This is how it became quite recently, in the middle of the 19th century. By the way, there is a deep ritual meaning in decorating a Christmas tree: according to legend, the spirits of ancestors live in evergreens. Therefore, by decorating the tree with sweets, we bring gifts to our ancestors. Like this ancient custom. New Year family celebration. On this day it is better to visit your family. During the New Year celebration, spells were cast for the entire next year and at the same time fortune telling was made about the future. The number 12 is most often found in New Year’s rituals: 12 “elders” leading the ritual, 12 sheaves used to tell fortunes about the future harvest in the beginning of the year, water from 12 wells for fortune telling; the sacred fire “badnyak” burns for 12 days (six days at the end of the old year and six at the beginning of the new). The solemn cycle of New Year's rituals began with memories of the past (singing ancient epics), and ended with fortune-telling about the future. It was the end of Christmastide, the famous “Epiphany evening”, that was considered the most convenient time to question fate. For January spells and fortune-telling associated with sub-bowl songs, special vessels were required for sacred water into which they were dipped Golden ring. The idea of water is emphasized by a massive relief zigzag line running around the entire vessel just under the rim. Agrarian-magical character these fortune-telling have been sufficiently clarified by the works of V.I. Chicherov; One of the main sub-bread songs was “glory to the bread.” Water and gold are obligatory attributes of New Year's agrarian-magical fortune-telling, just like water and the sun, provided the ancient Slav with a harvest.
Day of Ilya Muromets (Avegi of Perun)
Ilya Muromets was from the village of Karacharova, near the city of Murom. At that time, the Finno-Ugrians, the Murom tribe, lived here (it is known that many local Finno-Ugrians still adhere to the faith of their ancestors, and their neighbors - the Meadow Mari - were never Christians and retained the priesthood). Because Ilya Muromets was from the Murom tribe, he also says Name- distorted Finnish Ilmarinen. Ilmarinen is the Finnish Perun, the warrior god and blacksmith, forge. However, people from Belogorye-Caucasus - Karachais - could also live in this village. For his exorbitant strength and for his military exploits, Ilya Muromets, who lived in the 12th century, was revered by both the Slavs and Finno-Ugrians as the embodiment of the Thunderer (by the Finns - Ilmarinen, by the Slavs of the Vedic faith - by Perun or Ilm, by Christians - by the prophet Elijah). In Russian epics about Ilya Muromets, the image of the hero merged with the image of Perun. In essence, these epics completely preserved the texts of ancient songs about Perun. Those born on this day were entrusted by people to conduct fair and just justice. “If the first day of the year is cheerful (happy), then the year will be so (and vice versa).” On this day, they tell fortunes: they peel 12 onions from the top scales, pour a pile of salt on each onion and put them on the stove overnight. On which onion the salt becomes moist overnight, the month will be rainy. Or they took 12 cups out of the bulbs, poured salt into them and placed them on the window on the night of New Year. Whether the salt was wet or not, that month will be wet, rainy or dry. On this day, the Russian Orthodox Church also commemorates Saint Ilya of Murom, whose relics rest in the catacombs of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. According to the testimony of Kalnofoysky, a monk of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, who lived in the 17th century, Ilya Muromets lived 450 years before him, that is, in the 12th century.
Turitsy
Turitsa are dedicated to the aurochs, one of the oldest animals revered among the Slavs and possessing magical powers. The tour embodies the union of Veles and Perun for the glory and prosperity of the Slavic Family. The son of Veles and Mokosha, Tour, like the Greek Pan, patronizes shepherds, guslars and buffoons, valiant prowess, games, dancing and fun, as well as groves and forest animals. In the North, Tur appears as a proud deer, and in the taiga forests as an elk. On this day, people make fortunes for the entire next year, since the holiday closes the winter holidays. The 12th day of Christmastide corresponds to the 12th month of the year. Fortune telling occurs in the evening, with the onset of darkness. They collect snow to bleach the canvas. Snow collected this evening and thrown into a well can store water for the whole year. The Slavs saw in the holiday of Tours the most ancient rite of youthful initiation into men, when, incarnating as a wolf, young man had to show hunting abilities and military courage and kill his first round. The ancient Slavs took their example from these formidable animals, who did not take care of themselves in order to protect the herd. They tried to teach the younger generation to attack and defend, to show resourcefulness and perseverance, endurance, courage, the ability to unite to repel enemies, to protect the weak and to find the enemy’s weak point. For many years, aurochs, wild bulls, served people as a symbol of honor and courage. Cups and horns were made from turk horns, which were blown invitingly during military campaigns, and even bows were made from especially large horns. But Turitsa is also a shepherd’s holiday, at this time the community invites a shepherd to its place for the next season, negotiates with him about work, entrusting him with a precious herd for long time. The shepherd, the servant of the Veles, puts intoxicating drinks on the common table, and the community - food, and celebrate their agreement with a holiday. From this moment on, the shepherd takes care of the herd, and the tour helps him in this matter, protecting young heifers and cows preparing to calve in February from various misfortunes and diseases.
Babi's porridge
On Baby Porridge Day, celebrated on January 8, it was customary to honor midwives. They were brought generous gifts and treats. They came with their children so that the grandmothers would bless them. Especially on this day, expectant mothers and young girls were recommended to visit their grandmothers. Later, the Orthodox Church began to celebrate the Feast of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary on this day. The midwife is a distant relative to everyone in the village. Not a single homeland could do without a midwife. The grandmother helped the woman in labor. And she was, as they used to say, with her hands. Knowing the customs of the old days, the grandmother knew her business. In the throes of the woman in labor, she flooded the bathhouse and carried the woman in labor out into the sun. The babbling - the waving - was accomplished with a kind word, kind herbs, kind prayers. By smoking the woman in labor, that is, by lighting a birch splinter and setting fire to wormwood with immortelle grass, the grandmother cared about easy homelands. And also, not so distant times, mother gathered the children in the evening and taught them to glorify Christmas, sprinkle it with grain - for a long life, for happiness, for well-being. It was as easy as shelling pears to give out a slice of pie at the holiday hour and pamper the children with cranberries and honey. But mother knew: “Not every house bakes a loaf of bread, especially so that there is enough for the whole family.” And so the children had to earn a treat, the whole childish world had to taste equally both food and sweets. “Give me the cow, the buttered head, the baked cow, the gilded cow!” And from every house both the big women and the bride-maids carried ritual cookies, which in their appearance were akin to cattle, into a child’s box. And the kids egged me on: “You, mistress, give it to me!” You, sweetheart, give it to me! Give it - don't break it! If you break it off a little, it will be Ermoshka. If you break off the top, it will be Andryushka. And if you serve the middle, there will be a wedding!” And so the childish box grew heavier. And a crowd of praisers ran to someone’s heated bathhouse and shared the treat among themselves. It was a joyful time of games and fun. The children recognized each other and were childishly happy, remembering this wonderful winter time. They also observed signs: if this day is clear, then there will be a good harvest of millet. The porridge will brown in the oven - it will turn into snow. If tits squeak in the morning, you can expect frost by night. But the continuous cry of crows and jackdaws promises snowfalls and blizzards.
Kidnapping Day
On this day they remember how, in the era of Kupala, Veles kidnapped Diva-Dodola, the wife of Perun. During the wedding of Perun and Diva, Veles was rejected by Diva and cast down from heaven. However, then he, the god of love passion, managed to seduce the goddess of thunder, the daughter of Dyya. From their connection the spring god Yarilo was born. Also on the Day of Abductions, they remember how, in the era of Lada, Koschey kidnapped his wife Marena from Dazhdbog (God of summer and happiness). From the connection between Koshchei and Marena, the Snow Queen was born, as well as many demonesses. Dazhdbog went in search of his wife. He will look for her all winter, and therefore the frosts will become more severe, and the blizzards will sweep everything around.
Intra
Intra (Zmiulan, Indrik-beast, Vyndrik) is the son of Zemun from Dyya (Night Sky), the brother of the “Lizard” and his opponent. Intra is the god of springs, wells, snakes and clouds. The connection with the water elements indicates his Navya nature (Nav in East Slavic mythology is the spirit of death, as well as the dead man). At night, the sorcerers cast a spell on the pipes of the houses, through which Nav penetrated into the houses. Intra is an inhabitant of the dungeon, and in the legends of the Slavs it is said: “Like the Sun in the sky, so Intra is in Navi.” In the Indian Vedas, Intra is a demon and a serpent king. The latter is indicated by the fact that Interia is inhabited by snakes, and Intra himself is the husband of the Snake Paraskeva. According to our knowledge, Zmiulan is the winner of the goat Pan (son of Viy), essentially his cousin (since Dyy and Viy are brothers). Intra's deeds contain valor and baseness, honest victories and cruelty. Despite the fact that he is the husband of the snake demon, he fights on the same side with Perun. He is closest to the people from “Military Triglav” (Perun-Intra-Volkh). If Perun is pure “military truth”, Volkh is sorcery, cruelty and dark anger, then Intra is Light and Darkness, the struggle of opposites. Intra, riding a unicorn, is the patron saint of warriors, a symbol personifying military valor and courage. Sensitive Intra, hear our call! Receive our chants! Oh, we know you, you raging bull! Defeat the enemy, powerful Intra! Crush the power of the Viev tribe!
Prosinets
Prosinets is the name of January, it is celebrated with the blessing of water. Today they glorify the Heavenly Svarga - the Host of all Gods. “Shine” means the rebirth of the Sun. Prosinets falls in the middle of Winter - it is believed that the Cold begins to subside, and the warmth of the sun returns to the lands of the Slavs at the behest of the gods. On this day, in Vedic temples they remember how in ancient times Kryshen gave fire to people who died from the cold during the Great Glaciation. Then he rained the magical Surya from the heavenly Svarga onto the Earth. Surya is honey fermented on herbs! Surya is also the Red Sun! Surya - Vedas understanding is clear! Surya is the trace of the Most High! Surya is the truth of the god Krsna! Milk and dairy products were sure to be present on the table that day. Surya poured onto the earth on this day makes all waters healing, so believers bathe in the blessed waters. In the annual circle of Perun's festivities, this day also corresponds to Perun's victory over the Skipper-beast and the bathing of his sisters Zhiva, Marena and Lelya in the milk river. On this day, the Slavs bathed in cold river water and gave grandiose feasts, which certainly had to include milk and dairy products.
Brownie Treat Day - Velesici, Kudesy
Kudesy is the day of treating the brownie. Brownie - baker, joker, cricket protector. The name of the holiday - kudesy (tambourines) - indicates that our ancestors communicated with the brownie or simply had fun, delighting the ears with music: Grandfather-next-door! Eat the porridge and take care of our hut! If the grandfather-next-door is left without gifts, then from a kind keeper of the hearth, he will turn into a rather fierce spirit. After dinner, they leave a pot of porridge behind the stove, surrounded by hot coals, so that the porridge does not cool down until midnight, when the brownie comes for dinner. On this day, both Veles himself and his army are revered. It tells about the origin of the Velesichs, the heavenly warriors of Veles. Usually the Velesichs are revered as the children of Veles, the Svarozhichs, who obeyed Veles, the head of the heavenly armies. On this day, the brownie is fed porridge... But among them there are also those who came down from heaven to Earth and settled among people: these are ancient heroes: volotomans, asilks, spirits of ancestors, as well as spirits of forests, fields, waters and mountains. Those of them who ended up in the forest became goblin, those in the water became water goblins, those in the field became field goblins, and those in the house became brownies. Brownie is a good spirit. Usually he is a zealous owner, helping friendly family. Sometimes he gets mischievous and plays pranks if he doesn’t like something. He frightens those who do not care about households and livestock. On this day, the brownie is fed porridge, leaving it on the bench. They feed and say: Master-father, accept our porridge! And eat pies - take care of our house! In some areas the holiday is celebrated on February 10th.
Father Frost and Snow Maiden Day
The Day of Frost and Snow Maiden is an ancient pagan holiday. These days they usually tell fairy tales and legends about Father Frost and the Snow Maiden. About how the Snow Maiden at the whim of God love Lelya fell in love with the man and therefore, with the arrival of Spring, she did not fly to the North. But as soon as “a bright ray of sun cuts through the morning fog and falls on the Snow Maiden,” she melts. On this day, the Slavs revered the enemy of Perun - Moroz - the hypostasis of Veles. We can say that Frost is the winter aspect of Veles, just as Yar (the son of Veles and Diva) is the spring form. Frost was married to the Snow Queen, daughter of Mary and Koshchei. Frost and the Snow Queen had a beautiful daughter - Snegurochka. The Day of Father Frost and the Snow Maiden was a symbolic end of winter, and the wide and generous Maslenitsa was just around the corner.
Gromnitsa
Gromnitsa is the only day in winter when a thunderstorm can occur - you can hear thunder and see lightning. That’s why the Serbs call this holiday “Svetlo”. The day is dedicated to Perun’s wife Dodola-Malanitsa (Lightning) - the goddess of lightning and feeding children. A thunderstorm in the dead of winter reminds us that even in the midst of the most terrible disasters, there can be a ray of light - like a bright lightning bolt in the middle of a bitter winter. There is always hope. The Slavs honored Malanitsa because she gave them hope for a speedy spring. “Oh Dodola-Dodolyushka, bright Perunitsa! Your husband is on a campaign, He is leading the war; Diva in the forests, Kryshen in the skies. Come down to the Slavs with zealous lightning! We have plenty of bread - Come down to us from heaven! We have plenty of salt - Don't deprive us of our share! Come down loudly, Come down happily, Come down beautifully - Honest people are amazed! Dodola is glorious, given hope!” The weather for Gromnitsa was predicted based on the weather. What the weather is like on this day, so is the whole month of February. A clear, sunny day brought early spring. On the Thunderstorm of Drops - believe in early spring, if the blizzard clears up - there will be blizzard weather for a long time, until the end of the month.
Great Veles Day
The Great Veles Day is the middle of winter. All nature is still in an icy sleep. And only lonely Veles Korovin, playing his magic pipe, walks and wanders through cities and towns, not letting people become sad. Marena-winter is angry with Veles, unleashing a severe frost on him, and “cow death” on the cattle, but he cannot overcome it in any way. On this day, villagers sprinkle water on their livestock, saying: “Veles, god of cattle! Give happiness to sleek heifers, To fat bulls, So that they come from the yard and play, And when they come from the field, they gallop.” On this day, young women drink strong honey so that “the cows will be gentle,” and then beat their husbands with a bottom (flax spinning board) so that “the oxen will be obedient.” On this day, cow butter is brought to the demand. After conception, women perform the plowing ritual to ward off “cow death.” For this purpose, a narrator is selected, which announces to all houses: “It’s time to calm down the cow’s fury!” Women wash their hands with water and wipe them with the towel worn by the narrator. Then the narrator orders the male sex “not to leave the hut for the sake of great misfortune.” Veles is the patron saint of livestock and shepherds. The announcer screams - “Ay! Ay!” - hits the frying pan and leaves the village. Behind her come women with grips, brooms, sickles and clubs. The narrator, throwing off his shirt, furiously pronounces an oath to “cow death.” They put on a collar, bring the plow and harness it up. Then, with lighted torches three times, they plow the village (temple) with a “inter-water” furrow. Women follow the narrator on brooms wearing only their shirts with their hair down. Woe to anyone who comes across during the procession, be it an animal or a person. The person they meet is beaten with sticks without mercy, suggesting that “cow death” is hidden in his image. In ancient times, those who came across them were beaten to death. Now it’s hard to believe that women suspected of malicious intent were tied into a bag with a cat and a rooster, and then buried in the ground or drowned. At the end of the procession, a ritual battle between Veles and Marena took place. To the encouraging cry of those gathered: “Veles, knock the horn off the winter!”, a mummer dressed as Veles (Turkey mask, skin, spear) knocks the “horn off Madder.” Then a feast begins, at which it was forbidden to eat beef, accompanied by games.
Candlemas
Meeting serves as the border between winter and spring, which is why the very name of the holiday of Meeting is explained by the common people as the meeting of winter and spring: at Meeting, winter met spring; At Candlemas the sun turned to summer, winter turned to frost. Common people of the Western Russian region have the custom of setting fire to each other's hair in a cross shape with Sretenya candles on the Feast of the Presentation, considering this very useful for headaches. In agricultural life, based on the weather conditions on the Candlemas holiday, rural residents judge the coming spring and summer, especially the weather and the harvest. Spring was judged like this:
What is the weather on Candlemas, such will be the spring. If a thaw sets in at Candlemas, it will be an early warm spring, if the cold weather has turned away, it will be a cold spring; Snow falling on this day means a long and rainy spring. If snow blows across the road on Candlemas, spring is late and cold. It was on this day that they used to say: sun for summer - winter for frost. And also: there will be snow - there will be yeast in the spring. When a blizzard sweeps the road, spring is late and cold; if it’s warm, early and warm. On Candlemas morning, snow is a harvest of early grain; if at noon - medium; if in the evening - late. On the Meeting of Drops - the wheat harvest. From name the holiday of the Presentation in our common people the last winter frosts and the first spring thaws are called Sretensky. At Candlemas, breeding birds are fed (fed): chickens are given oats so that they lay eggs better and the eggs are larger and tastier. From this day on, it was possible to drive the cattle out of the barn and into the paddock - for warming up and warming up; they also began to prepare seeds for sowing, clean them up, work on them, and check for germination. Fruit trees were whitewashed. On this day, peasants usually made calculations of their reserves of bread, hay, straw and other feed: did they fill half of them, and if not, they made adjustments to the feeders, and even tightened their belts. On this day, festivities used to be held in villages. On Candlemas they bake pancakes, round and golden - they symbolized the Sun. On the Day of the Presentation, our ancient ancestors worshiped the Sun: the priests of the Sun performed rituals of meeting and greeting the luminary and invoked warmth. And when the Sun was at its zenith, they burned a doll made of straw - the so-called Erzovka. This doll personified the Spirit of Fire and the god of Love. She was decorated with gifts and offerings - flowers, beautiful ribbons, festive clothes, and people turned to her with requests for well-being and prosperity. It was believed that by burning, Erzovka destroyed the cold, brought warm summers and a good harvest. And while the doll was carried on a pole, lovers turned to it for help in love and with requests for happiness in the house. On Candlemas they bake pancakes, round and golden - they symbolized the Sun. This was the call for his return. In the Kostroma province, peasant women baked bagels and fed these bagels to livestock in order to protect the animals from diseases. On this day, bonfires were lit and people had fun with ritual dances. You cannot be bored on Candlemas - the God of Love does not accept sadness, but responds to a joyful meeting with joy.
Pochinki
Pochinki is one of the holidays of the Slavic calendar, which was celebrated the day after Candlemas. Following the saying “Prepare the sleigh in summer and the cart in winter,” the owners, immediately after Candlemas, began early in the morning to repair agricultural equipment, calling this February day “Mending.” While clearing Pochinki, the peasants remembered: the sooner you start farming, the more you will please the spring. It is not appropriate for a real owner to delay repairs until the real warm days. Opening the sheds, the peasants wondered: what work should they take on first? They worked together as a family, finding something feasible for both the young and the old: “In Pochinki, Grandfather gets up at first light, repairing a summer’s harness and a hundred-year-old plow.” Not without pride, the repaired harness was hung out in a prominent place - they say, we are ready for plowing and sowing. And the housewives did not sit idle at this time: they cooked, washed, and sorted through things in chests. There is a misconception, mentioned specifically in Pochinki, that Domovoy disturbs horses at night and can drive them to death. A brownie is an assistant to a good owner, and not an enemy, otherwise why would a brownie be in new house from the old one they carried it in a scoop with coal from the old stove. Brownie is a talisman for the home and not an evil spirit!
Troyan Winter
Winter Trojan is an important date for the ancient Slavs. Our ancestors considered this day the day of Military Glory, when many Russian soldiers fell from Roman soldiers in the Danube region, near Troyan Val (the etymology of the name has not yet been clarified). Most likely, Troyan Val was a defensive embankment, but perhaps a small outpost was erected on this site. Those warriors fought without laying down their arms and without showing their backs. This holiday is also known as “Stribozh’s grandchildren”, “commemoration of those fallen at Troyanov Val”. Unfortunately, today much has not been clarified from the history of the heroic deed at Troy Val, including - exact date(about 101 AD) and other details. This episode in the history of Ancient Rus' is clearly mentioned in the Book of Veles and praised in the “Tale of Igor’s Campaign”:
“The Romans were jealous of us and planned evil against us - they came with their carts and iron armor and attacked us, and therefore they fought them off for a long time and drove them away from our land; and the Romans, seeing that we were firmly defending our lives, left us” (Veles’s book). “And they died on the direct path to the funeral feast, and Stribog’s grandchildren dance over them, and cry about them in the fall, and in the cold winter they lament about them. And the wondrous doves say that they died gloriously and left their lands not to their enemies, but to their sons. And so we are their descendants, and we will not lose our land” (Veles’s book). The ancient Slavic warriors thought about their descendants and the Greatness of the Russian Lands - they were not afraid of death, but entered into battle, not even allowing thoughts of betrayal, retreat or surrender to their enemies. So let us also be worthy of the lives of our ancestors - since ancient times, it was customary for the Slavs to do something heroic, dangerous, useful for the Motherland or family on this day and remember brave warriors at the table.
Madder Day
The last holiday of the evil Navya Gods before the arrival of Spring is the Day of Mary Madder - the Great Goddess of Winter and Death. Mara-Marena is a powerful and formidable Deity, the Goddess of Winter and Death, the wife of Koshchei, the sister of Zhiva and Lelya. She was popularly called the one-eyed Kikimora. There is a proverb remembered on this day: “Yarilo took the winter (Madder!) on a pitchfork.” On this day they remember and honor the goddess who will lead the people to the Kalinov Bridge. Madder's possessions, according to ancient Tales, lie beyond the black Currant River, separating Yav and Nav, across which the Kalinov Bridge, guarded by the Three-Headed Serpent, is thrown. Folk signs for this day: If the sun is visible at noon on this day, spring will be early; if there is a snowstorm, the whole week will be snowy. The more snow falls, the higher the grain harvest. If the windows and frames sweat in the cold, wait for warmer weather. “Snow plants” are climbing up the glass - the frost will continue, their shoots are bent - towards the thaw.
Memorial Day of Prince Igor
The pagan prince Igor (life: about 875-945, reign: 912-945) was the son of Rurik, after whose death Prince Oleg became Igor’s guardian. Oleg, having accepted the reign from Rurik, was for a long time the regent of the young Igor. In 912, after the death of Prince Oleg, Igor occupied the Kiev throne as sole ruler. The Drevlyans, one of the tribal associations of the Eastern Slavs, learned about the change of power and were in no hurry to pay tribute to the treasury of the new ruler. Igor was forced to force the Slavs to pay tribute. In 914, having defeated the Uglichs and pacified the Drevlyan tribes, Igor forced them to pay greater tribute than before. In 915, one of the governors of Prince Igor moved south and, after a three-year siege, took the city of Peresechen - as a reward for the victory, he received Drevlyan tribute. During his reign, Prince Igor summoned many Varangians who helped him govern the principality and fight his enemies. But something did not work out in Igor’s policy with the Slavic tribes, so Igor was brutally killed by the Drevlyans. Igor was buried under a high mound near the city of Iskorosten. The story tells that the widow of Prince Igor, Princess Olga, cruelly took revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of her husband. Olga imposed a heavy tribute on them, ordered the extermination of many people and the destruction of the elders. Subsequently, in 945, Iskorosten was burned on her orders. With the support of the squad and boyars of Prince Igor, Olga took the rule of Russia into her own hands until little Svyatoslav, the son of Igor and Olga, reached the age of rule.
Small oatmeal
In ancient times, the Slavs celebrated the New Year on the first day of spring - March 1, which according to the new style falls on March 14. Celebrations were widespread because the beginning of a new year was a symbol of the beginning of a new time. From this day it was possible to begin a new cycle of field work and engage in other agricultural work. This is the most ancient of the reliable and known New Year celebrations. After the adoption of Christianity, this holiday began to be celebrated as the day of the Venerable Martyr Evdokia, who took upon herself the image of Vesna (Vesenitsa). At the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325, it was decided to move the start of the New Year from March 1 to September 1.
Day of Gerasim the Rooker
This holiday in Rus' coincided with the arrival of rooks, which is why it received such a popular name - the day of Gerasim the rook. People used to say: “The rook is on the mountain - so spring is in the yard”, “I saw the rook - welcome spring.” The behavior of the rooks on this day was used to judge the nature of spring: “If the rooks fly straight to old nests, the spring will be friendly, the hollow water will run away all at once.” If the rooks arrived earlier than March 17, then this was considered a bad omen: they predicted a lean and hungry year. To speed up the onset of heat, on Gerasim’s day they baked birds called “rooks” from rye sour dough. There was another belief about this day: “Gerasim the rook-keeper will return the rook to Rus', and drive the kikimora out of holy Rus'.” On the day of Gerasim, birds were baked - “rooks” Kikimora - one of the varieties of the brownie from the ancient Russian belief. She was represented as a dwarf or a small woman. If she was depicted as a woman, then her head was small, about the size of a thimble, and her body was thin, like a straw. Her appearance was ugly, her clothes were sloppy and unkempt. If they were depicted as a dwarf, then they must have eyes of different colors: one for the evil eye, the other for leprosy. Less often, the kikimora was represented as a girl with a long braid, naked or in a shirt. In the old days, it was believed that if a kikimora appeared in your eyes, then you should expect trouble in the house. She was a harbinger of the death of one of the family members. They didn’t like kikimoras and tried to get rid of them by any means, which was extremely difficult. Just on Gerasim Day it was believed that they became quiet and harmless, and then they could be kicked out of the house. On other days, people protected themselves from kikimora with the help of prayers and amulets. The best amulet against kikimora, so that it does not take root in the house, was the “chicken god” - a stone with a natural hole created by nature. They also used the neck of a broken jug with a piece of red cloth, which was hung over a chicken roost so that the kikimora would not torment the birds. Kikimora is one of the varieties of the brownie from the ancient Russian belief. She is afraid of the juniper kikimora, the branches of which were hung throughout the house, especially carefully protecting the salt shakers so that at night she would not spill the salt, which in the old days was very expensive. And if the kikimora was annoying with the rattling of dishes, then it was necessary to wash it with water infused with fern. It was imperative to find a doll or foreign object in the house, with the help of which the kikimora was sent to the family. This item should have been carefully taken out of the house and thrown away, or best of all, burned. There is still a sign that if a person wants to harm another, he leaves a charmed object in his house, and in order to remove the damage, it is necessary to get rid of this object. According to popular beliefs, if you sweep the floors in a house with a wormwood broom, then evil spirits will not appear, including kikimora. The belief is based on the attitude towards wormwood as one of the amulets. People believed that the pungent smell of this herb repels evil spirits and evil people.
Komoeditsy – Maslenitsa
Now many have forgotten, and some never knew, that Maslenitsa is not just a welcoming of spring. Perhaps few people will remember the assumption that earlier in Rus' Maslenitsa was called Komoeditsa, marking the onset of the spring equinox. The vernal equinox, which falls on March 20 or 21 in the modern calendar, is one of the four main holidays of the year in the ancient pagan tradition and one of the most ancient. In essence, this is an agricultural New Year. In addition to welcoming Spring and celebrating the beginning of the New Year, the Slavic Bear God was also revered on this day. There is an opinion that in ancient times the Slavs called the bear Kom (and hence the saying - “the first pancake to the Kom,” i.e., bears). Therefore, early in the morning, before breakfast, with songs, dances and jokes, the villagers brought “pancake sacrifices” (pancakes baked for the holiday) to the forest to the Bear God and laid them out on tree stumps. And only after that the feasts and wide celebrations began. They were waiting for Komoeditsa, they carefully prepared for it: steep slopes of the banks were poured for skiing, high ice and snow mountains, fortresses, and towns were built. It was considered obligatory to go to the bathhouse before the last days of the holiday in order to wash away all the bad things that happened in the past year. It was forbidden to work on these days. On the ice of lakes and rivers, snowy towns were stormed, in which the stuffed Madder was hiding under the protection of mummers. Fierce fist fights were also held there, to which men came running of different ages and from different villages. They fought seriously, believing that the shed blood would serve as a good sacrifice for the coming harvest. On the last day of the festive festivities, ritual actions were mainly performed, saying goodbye to the winter. They burned an effigy of Madder, impaled on a pole, onto which they attached “nauzs” - old, worn-out Amulets or just old rags with a curse, in order to burn everything bad and outdated on the fire of a ritual fire. And immediately after the holiday, hard everyday life began, people began agricultural work, which continued throughout the warm season.
Magpies, Larks
At Zhavoronki day and night are measured. Winter ends, spring begins. This is one of the spring holidays, which was dedicated to the meeting of the Spring Solstice, which was almost the main event in the life of our Slavic ancestors (according to the old style, it fell on these dates). Russians everywhere believed that on this day forty different birds flew from warm countries, and the first of them was the lark. At Zhavoronki they usually baked “larks,” in most cases with outstretched wings, as if flying, and with tufts. The birds were distributed to the children, and they ran screaming and loudly laughing to call the larks, and with them spring. Baked larks were impaled on long sticks and ran out with them onto the hills, or birds were impaled on poles, on fence sticks and, huddled together, they shouted with all their strength: “Larks, fly in, Take away the cold winter, Bring the warmth of spring: We are tired of winter, All She ate our bread!” After the baked birds, they usually ate them, and their heads were given to the cattle or given to the mother with the words: “As the lark flew high, so may your flax be high. What kind of head does my lark have, so that the flax has a big head.” With the help of such birds, a family seeder was selected for Zhavoronki. To do this, a coin, a splinter, etc., was baked into the lark, and men, regardless of age, pulled out the baked bird for themselves. Whoever got the lot scattered the first handfuls of grains when sowing began.
Opening of Svarga - invocation of Spring
Larks, fly!
We're tired of winter
I ate a lot of bread!
You fly and carry
Red spring, hot summer!
Spring is red, what did you come with?
You're on the field, on the harrow...
Spring is red, what have you brought us?
I brought you three lands:
The first place -
Animal in a pole;
Another sweet spot -
With bipod in pole;
Third site -
Bees in flight;
Yes, even a good man -
Good health to the world!
Svarga opens, and the goddess Alive-Spring comes down to the people. Today, Spring is called and glorified not only by people, but by every living thing in the world, celebrating the victory of life over death. At the Opening, Spring calls for the third and last time, when Svarga opens, no one is working. The ritual of invoking Spring was associated with the first arrival of birds and the beginning of the melting of snow. When morning comes, they treat themselves to rye cookies in the shape of larks, and release live birds from their cages into the wild, calling for spring. The main, most active participants in the ceremony were girls and children. On this day, women “call out millet” and sing the famous song “And we sowed millet, sowed.” Everyone also plays the ritual game “round burners”.
Palm making
On this spring day, it is customary to glorify Mother Nature, who “wakes up” after a long winter. In other words, this is a holiday of spring and warmth, which our ancestors celebrated in honor of the goddess of the Slavic pantheon Lada, the patroness of love and marriage. Some researchers believe that Lada is one of two birth goddesses (there are similar deities in the pantheons of almost all Indo-European peoples). Meanwhile, Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov compared Lada with Venus. The Ladodeniya holiday was traditionally accompanied by special rituals among the Slavs. Everyone sings of the awakening nature. Girls and young people hold their first round dances dedicated to the Goddess Lada, the patroness of love and marriage. Women climb onto the roofs of houses, on hills, on high haystacks and, raising their hands to the sky, call for spring. Cranes are again made from the dough. Usually these birds made of lean dough are placed in a high place - above the door, like amulets, to maintain space. A belief is associated with Ladodeniya, according to which birds return from Iriy, the Slavic paradise, and therefore it is customary to imitate the dances of birds - to squabble (remember the expression: why are you quaking?). These ancient rites are associated with the return of the solar power of Life to earth.
Awakening of the Brownie
Many people know that they don’t trust anyone on April 1st. Where did this saying come from? After all, any proverb has some basis. In order to find out, we need to dive into the past; this is where the roots of many sayings and sayings are hidden. The history of our ancestors has deep pagan roots, echoes of which we can still observe today. Everything is in the same proverbs, sayings, beliefs and signs. On April 1, our pagan ancestors celebrated one interesting holiday. More likely, not even a holiday, but a certain milestone. This day was considered the Day of the Awakening of the Brownie. The ancient Slavs believed that during the winter he, like many animals and spirits, hibernated and woke up only occasionally to do the necessary housework. The brownie slept exactly until the time when spring fully came into its own. And she came, according to the ancestors, not in March at all, but in April. More precisely, the arrival of spring was marked by the vernal equinox, and all subsequent days until April 1 were the days of welcoming spring. On the first day, spring came finally and irrevocably, and the main guardian spirit of the hearth - the brownie - had to wake up to restore order in the house. As you know, when we sleep for a long time, and then wake up at the call of our alarm clock, spouse or mother, we are often unhappy with this. We yawn and grumble about why we were woken up so early. Small children generally begin to be capricious. And our brownie sometimes has the habits of a child, and after a long hibernation he wakes up not very happy either. And then he begins to play pranks, and sometimes become hooligans. Either he will pour out the remains of flour from the sacks, or he will tangle the horses' manes, he will scare the cows, he will dirty the laundry... Of course, our distant ancestor tried to butter the dissatisfied brownie with porridge, milk and bread... Of course, our distant ancestor tried to butter the dissatisfied brownie with porridge, milk and bread, but, as you know, circuses must also come with bread. Such spectacles for the awakened spirit were the widespread festivities, jokes, and laughter of people in the house who played pranks on each other all day long. In addition, to make it more fun for the brownie, and for everyone around him, the inhabitants of the house put on their clothes inside out, like the ancestor spirit himself, who, as you know, wears his fur vest with the seams facing out. There had to be different socks or shoes on their feet, and in conversation everyone tried to deceive each other or joke so that the owner-father of the brownie would forget that he had recently woken up. Over time, they forgot about welcoming spring and cajoling the brownie on the first of April, but the tradition of joking, pranking and deceiving on this day remained. Some Slavic communities celebrated Domovoy's Name Day on March 30th.
This holiday, or rather a ritual, is very ancient, originating in Rus' during the period of dual faith. Sometimes Vodopol is called Pereplut, Vodyanoy’s Day, Vodyanoy’s name day or Nikita Vodopol, but the essence remains unchanged - on the third day of flowering (April 3) in Rus' they welcomed the awakening from hibernation of Vodyanoy, mermaids and all aquatic life. Along with the arrival of spring and the awakening of nature, Vodyanaya also wakes up from hibernation. During the long cold winter, Grandfather the Waterman became weak and hungry. Having awakened, the Vodyanoy immediately wants to profit from something, and then goes to look around and inspect his watery kingdom. On this day at midnight, fishermen came to the water to treat and appease Grandfather Vodyany. They say that the fishermen treated Vodyany by drowning the horse and saying: “Here’s a housewarming gift for you, grandfather: love, favor our family.” For this occasion, they bought the most unsuitable horse from the gypsies. When the fishermen appease him with a good gift, a horse, he humbles himself, guards the fish, lures large fish from other rivers to himself, saves the fishermen from storms and drowning, and does not break the nets and nonsense. In some areas, fishermen give Vodyany a gift by pouring oil into the river, saying: “Here’s a housewarming gift for you, grandfather. Love and favor our family." Around this time, the Slavs expected the beginning of ice drift and river flooding. There was also a sign about this: when fishermen brought food to Vodyanoy on this day, they always noted: “If the ice does not move on this day, then fishing this year will be poor.”
Day of Karna the Mourner
Karna (Kara, Karina) is the goddess of sadness, sorrow and grief; among the ancient Slavs she was assigned the role of a mourning goddess and, possibly, a goddess of funeral rites. It was believed that if a warrior dies far from home, then the goddess Karna will be the first to mourn him. Heavenly Goddess is the patroness of all new births and human reincarnations. From the name of the Goddess, words appeared that have survived to this day: incarnation, reincarnation. It grants the right to every person to get rid of mistakes and unseemly actions committed in his life and to fulfill his destiny prepared by the supreme god Rod. Today is the second appeal to the ancestors, on the day of the goddess of funerals, crying, grief and tears. The Tale of Igor's Campaign says:
“Oh, far away go the falcon, beating the bird, to the sea! But don’t christen Igor’s brave regiment! I’ll call Karn after him, and I’ll jump across the Russian land, and I’ll moo in the flaming rose. The Russian wives burst into tears and muttered: “We can no longer comprehend our dear ones in thought, nor in thought, nor in eye, but we can even crush gold and silver!” (Oh, the falcon flew far, beating birds, to the sea! But the brave regiment of Igor can no longer be resurrected! Karna called for him, and Zhelya galloped across the Russian land, sowing fire from a fiery horn. The Russian wives burst into tears, saying: “We already have our dear ones okay, you can’t understand with your mind, you can’t think with your mind, you can’t bewitch with your eyes, but you can’t even hold gold and silver in your hands!”). On the table on the night of Karna, they leave funeral kutia (this is wheat porridge with raisins or honey), and in the courtyards of houses they burn fires, around which the souls of their ancestors warm themselves. Treasures are also brought to Karne-Kručina - flowers, especially carnations. Since pagan times, there has been an old Slavic tradition of bringing carnations to graves - a symbol of grief and sadness.
Day of Semargl Semargl (or Simargl) - Fire God.
Semargl (or Simargl) - Fire God. Its purpose has not yet been fully clarified. It is believed that this is the God of fire and the Moon, fire sacrifices, home and hearth. The Fire God guards seeds and crops and can turn into a sacred winged dog. Semargl is revered on those days when the folk calendar mentions rituals and signs associated with fire and bonfires. April 14 Semargl drowns the last snow. There are references to the emergence of Semargl from the flame. They say that once the heavenly blacksmith Svarog himself, striking the Alatyr stone with a magic hammer, struck divine sparks from the stone. The sparks flared up brightly, and in their flames the fiery god Semargl appeared, sitting on a golden-maned horse of a silver color. But, seeming to be a quiet and peaceful hero, Semargl left a scorched trail wherever his horse stepped. The name of the God of Fire is not known for certain, most likely because his name is extremely sacred. Holiness is explained by the fact that this God does not live somewhere in the seventh heaven, but directly among earthly people! They try to pronounce his name out loud less often, usually replacing it with allegories. The Slavs have long associated the emergence of people with Fire. According to some legends, the Gods created a Man and a Woman from two sticks, between which a Fire flared up - the very first flame of love. Semargl also does not allow evil into the world. At night, Semargl stands guard with a fiery sword, and only one day a year does he leave his post, responding to the call of the Bathing Lady, who calls him to love games on the day of the Autumn Equinox. And on the day of the Summer Solstice, 9 months later, children are born to Semargl and Kupalnitsa - Kostroma and Kupalo.
Navy day(the date is different for each year)
Navi day is a ritual of resurrecting the dead (in general, with the onset of dry days - birch), the Slavs begin ritual visits to graves with the offering of necessities). Treba is an original Slavic term meaning worship, offering, sacrifice, administration of a sacrament or sacred rite. In Slavic “treba” means “T” - teyu (I create), “R” - Ra (God), “B” - ba (soul) = “I create for God’s soul.” The Slavs buried their relatives in mounds; on these high mounds they performed funeral feasts, laid out the required food, and poured libations. On this day, people who have died long ago are brought to the water, saying:
Shine, shine, Sunshine! I’ll give you an egg, Like a hen lays in the oak grove, Take it to heaven, May it bring joy to all souls. The requirements of the Slavs are food, household items, but only those that are made with their own hands. From food and drink - these are: kutia, pies, rolls, pancakes, cheesecakes, colored eggs, wine, beer, kanun (a type of mash). “Already behold Rod and Rozhanitsa to steal bread and orchards and honey...”, i.e. The requirements of each God are accordingly determined. The shell of a blessed red egg is thrown into the water. It is believed that the shell will float to the forgotten souls of the dead (those who have not been remembered for a long time) on Mermaid Day. On the night before Navya Day, the Navyas (alien, abandoned, buried without ritual and not at all buried dead) rise from their graves, which is why people dress up in their disguises again for the spring holidays.
Lelnik
The holiday "Lelnik" was usually celebrated on April 22, on the eve of St. George's Day (Yegory of the Spring). These days were also called “Red Hill” because the scene of action was a hill located not far from the village. A small wooden or turf bench was installed there. The most beautiful girl was placed on it, who played the role of Lyalya (Leli). To the right and left of the girl on the hill, offerings were placed on the bench. On one side there was a loaf of bread, and on the other side there was a jug of milk, cheese, butter, egg and sour cream. Woven wreaths were laid out around the bench. The girls danced around the bench and sang ritual songs in which they glorified the deity as a nurse and giver of the future harvest. While dancing and singing, she was sitting on a bench young woman I put wreaths on my friends. Sometimes after the holiday, a fire (olelia) was lit on the hill, around which they also danced and sang songs. For modern people, the name Lelya is associated with the fairy tale by A.N. Ostrovsky's "Snow Maiden", where Lel is presented as a beautiful young man playing the pipe. In folk songs, Lel is a feminine character - Lelya, and the main participants in the holiday dedicated to him were girls. It is significant that the rituals dedicated to Lelya always lacked the funeral motif present in other summer holidays, for example, Rusal Week and Ivan Kupala Day. In spring rituals, various magical actions with eggs were widely used throughout the Slavic world. Throughout the spring, eggs were painted - “pysankas”, “painted eggs” - and various games were played with them. The church Easter calendar has largely obscured the archaic essence of rituals associated with eggs, but the content of the painting of Easter eggs takes us into deep archaism. There are celestial deer, pictures of the world, and many ancient symbols of life and fertility. Ethnographic museums store thousands of Easter eggs, which are the most widespread heritage of pagan ideas. Eggs, both colored and white, played an important role in spring rituals: departure for the first plowing was carried out “with salt, with bread, with a white egg”; the egg was broken on the head of a horse or a plowing ox; eggs and cross cookies were a mandatory part of sowing rituals. Often eggs were buried in the ground and rolled across a field sown with rye. Eggs were placed under the feet of cattle during pasture on St. George's Day and Lelnik, they were placed in the barn gates so that the cattle would step over them; They walked around the cattle with the eggs and gave them to the shepherd. Similar holidays exist among many peoples of Europe. In Italy they celebrate Primavera - the day of the first greenery; in Greece, since ancient times, they have been celebrating on this day the return to earth of Persephone, the daughter of the fertility goddess Demeter.
Yarilo Veshny
You save the little animal, Our little orphan, The whole little animal, In the field, and beyond the field, In the forest, and beyond the forest, In the forest behind the mountains, Behind the wide valleys, Give the cattle grass and water, And give the evil bear a stump and a log! With such a verdict, the youth walked around the yards early in the morning on the day when, for the first time after a long and cold winter, the cattle are solemnly driven out to pasture, to the so-called Yarilin dew. Before driving out the cattle, the owners stroked the animals along the back with a red or yellow-green egg, which they then presented to the shepherd. After which the cattle were driven into the yard with a willow branch and fed with “byashki” - special bread. Before being driven out of the yard, a belt was placed under the cattle’s feet so that it could step over it. This was done so that the cattle knew the way home. They grazed the cattle until the dew dried. They asked Yarila - the Patron of shepherds, the Guardian of livestock and the Wolf Shepherd - to protect the cattle from any predatory beast. The shepherd blows his horn, notifying the people about the beginning of the “walking” ritual, after which, taking a sieve in his hands, he walks around the herd three times, salting (for life) and three times salting (for death). After a correctly performed ritual, an invisible magical fence was built around the herd, which protected “from the creeping serpent, from the mighty bear, from the running wolf.” After which the magic circle was closed with an iron lock. On this day, an important rite was also carried out - the Unlocking of the Earth, or in other words - the Origin. On this day, Yarila “unlocks” (fertilizes) Mother Cheese-Earth and releases dew, after which the rapid growth of grass begins. They plowed the arable land to Yarila and said: “Even a lazy plow goes to Yarila.” From this day spring weddings began. Men and women rode through the fields, hoping with the help of the miraculous dew to become strong and healthy. The evening ended with a general celebration.
Rodonitsa
On the thirtieth of April the last spring cold ends. At sunset the opening is opened. On this day they commemorate their ancestors and encourage them to visit the land: “Fly, dear grandfathers...”. They go to the graves, bringing funeral gifts: pancakes, oatmeal jelly, millet porridge, painted eggs. After the beginning, the funeral service begins: the warriors on the mountain “wrestle with the dead,” showing their martial art. They roll colored eggs from a high mountain in competition. The winner is the one whose egg rolls further without breaking. By midnight, wood is laid out on the same mountain for a large fire. The holiday begins at midnight - Zhivin’s Day. Women, taking brooms, perform a ritual dance around the fire, clearing the place of evil spirits. They glorify Zhiva, the goddess of life, who revives nature, sending spring to the Earth. Women perform a ritual dance around the fire... Everyone jumps over the Fire, cleansing themselves of obsessions (Naviy) after a long winter. On the same high mountain there are merry games and round dances around the fire. They play a fairy tale about a journey to the world of Navii and return to Yav. When morning comes, they treat themselves to cookies in the shape of larks, and release live birds from their cages into the wild, calling for spring. Let us recall that the Orthodox Church celebrates Radonitsa on Tuesday of the second week after Easter, the day after St. Thomas Sunday (or Antipascha).
Zhivin's day
On the first of May, at midnight, the spring Slavic holiday begins - Zhivin’s Day. Zhiva (abbreviated form of the name Zhivena, or Ziewonia, which means “life-giving”) is the goddess of life, spring, fertility, birth, life-grain. Daughter of Lada, wife of Dazhbog. Goddess of Spring and Life in all its manifestations. She is the giver of the Life Force of the Family, which makes all living things actually alive. Alive - goddess Life-giving Forces Nature, spring seething waters, the first green shoots, as well as the patroness of young girls and young wives. Under Christianity, the cult of the goddess Zhiva was replaced by the cult of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa. On Zhivin Day, women, taking brooms, perform a ritual dance around the fire, cleansing the place of evil spirits. In this way they glorify Zhiva, who revives nature, sending spring to the Earth. Everyone jumps over the Fire, cleansing themselves of obsessions (Navi forces) after a long winter:
Whoever jumps high has death far away. Here, funny games are started and round dances are held around the fire: Kolo Yari with light, we will dawn Mara, we fight, we thank Yarilo, Yarilo, show your strength! They play a fairy tale about a journey to the world of Navi and return to Yav. When morning comes, they treat themselves to cookies in the shape of larks, release live birds from their cages into the wild, calling on spring: Larks, fly! We're tired of winter. We ate a lot of bread! You fly and bring a red Spring, a hot summer! The entire coming day of the first grass is devoted to rest. On this day, in the evening, ritual fires are lit along the banks of the rivers, they bathe, cleansing themselves with cold spring water.
Dazhdbog Day - Big Oats
Dazhdbog - Dab, Radegast, Radigosh, Svarozhich - this is different variants name of the same god. God of fertility and sunlight, life-giving force. He is considered the first ancestor of the Slavs (the Slavs, according to the text of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”, are the grandchildren of God). According to Slavic legends, Dazhdbog and Zhiva together revived the world after the Flood. Lada, Zhiva’s mother, united Dazhdbog and Zhiva in marriage. Then the betrothed gods gave birth to Arius, according to legend, the progenitor of many Slavic peoples - Czechs, Croats, Kyiv glades. Yarilo (Sun), the face of Dazhdbog, the revival of nature, was also revered on this day. God Yar was often compared to the plowman and warrior Arius, the son of Dazhdbog. Arius was revered, like Yar, as the embodiment of the Family (in other interpretations - Veles or Dazhdbog). On the day of Dazhdbog, people rejoiced that Dazhdbog rejected Marena and became engaged to Zhivaya. This meant the end of the long Winter, the beginning of Spring and Summer. At this time, Dazhdbog was noisily praised in Vedic temples and in plowed fields. “We praise Dazhdbog. May he be our patron and protector from Kolyada to Kolyada! And the patron of fruits in the fields. He gives grass to our cattle all the days. And the cows multiply, and the grains multiply in the granaries. And he does not allow the honey to ferment. He is the God of Light. Glory to Svarozhich, who renounces Winter and flows towards Summer. And we sing his glory in the fields, for he is our father” / Vel. 31/. Dazhdbog Day is also the time for the first cattle drive to pasture. That’s why they lit fires for Dazhdbog and asked him to protect the cattle: You, Dazhdbozh, are brave! Save the cattle, protect them from kidnappers! Protect from the fierce bear, Protect from the predatory wolf! It was believed that on this day the god Veles stole cloud-cows from Perun and imprisoned them in the Caucasus mountains. Therefore, Yara, Dazhdbog and Perun asked to free the clouds, otherwise all life on Earth would die. On this day they glorify the victory of Rain God over Veles.
Proletye
Many have heard that the end of winter is called Proletya. On this day, the Slavs perform protective rituals of awakening the earth, bringing strength and health. Maya Goldilocks, the Mother of All Gods, is famous; she was given a ritual of worship at the Temple of the goddess of fate Makoshi. Also in her honor, a sacred fire was lit, marking the beginning of summer. In general, in Proletye it was customary to light large bonfires so that they would burn in honor of the coming summer. A ritual of plowing was also carried out, bringing health and good luck, and the magical sorcery of Trigla (an ancient Slavic goddess, united in three forms: creating, preserving and destroying), which helps a woman maintain harmony in the family. The Proletya holiday was celebrated noisily, cheerfully and popularly. Traditionally, on this day there were buffoons and youthful entertainments, games, songs and round dances. Dances and songs took place to the accompaniment of Slavic instruments: drum, kugikly, pipes, pipes.
Veshnee Makoshye (Earth Day)
Holy Day, when Mother Earth, awakening from her winter sleep, is honored as the “birthday girl.” It is believed that on this day the Earth “rests”, so it cannot be plowed, dug, harrowed, stakes cannot be stuck into it and knives cannot be thrown into it. Veles and Makosh, the Earthly Intercessors, are especially honored on this day. The Magi go out into the field, lie down on the grass - listen to the Earth. At the beginning, grain is placed in the furrow plowed ahead of time and beer is poured, saying, facing the east: Mother of Cheese-Earth! Quiet all unclean reptiles from love spells, turnovers and dashing deeds. Turning to the west, they continue: Mother Earth of Cheese! Absorb the evil spirits into seething abysses, into flammable resin. Turning to noon, they say: Mother Cheese Earth! Quench all the midday winds with bad weather, calm the shifting sands with blizzards. At midnight they say: Mother Earth of Cheese! Calm the midnight winds with the clouds, hold back the frosts and blizzards. After each appeal, beer is poured into the furrow, and then the jug in which it was brought is broken. Once upon a time in the old days there was another ritual with a furrow and grain, after which children were born, but now, due to changes in morals, the ritual is limited to spells on the cardinal directions. After the spells, the Magi, digging up the earth with their fingers and whispering: “Mother Cheese Earth, tell me, tell me the whole truth, show me on (name),” they guess about the future using signs found in the ground. The warriors, putting aside their weapons and placing a piece of turf on their heads, swear allegiance to Mother Raw Earth, pledging to protect her from enemies. The opening ends with the glorification: Goy, You are the raw Earth, You are the hardened Earth, You are our dear mother, She gave birth to us all, She gave us water, fed us, And endowed us with land. For the sake of us, your children, you gave birth to potions and gave every grain to drink with Polga to drive away the demon and help in illnesses. They took off themselves to grab various supplies, lands for the sake of polga on the stomach. After conception, the consecrated handful of Earth is collected in bags and stored as amulets. A drunken feast and games complete the holiday. Yandex.Direct
Semik (Green Christmastide) (the date is different for each year)
Semik (Green Christmastide) was the main boundary between spring and summer. In the popular calendar, with the adoption of Christianity, the Trinity holiday was dedicated to these days. Green Christmastide rituals welcomed the first greenery and the beginning of summer field work. The cycle of the Green Christmastide consisted of several rituals: bringing a birch tree into the village, wreathing wreaths, kumeleniya, and the funeral of a cuckoo (Kostroma or mermaid). The birch tree was a symbol of inexhaustible vitality. As during winter Christmas carols, all rituals were attended by mummers portraying animals, devils and mermaids. In the songs sung during the Green Christmastide, two main themes can be distinguished: love and work. It was believed that imitation labor activity ensured the well-being of future field work. While singing the song “You succeed, succeed, my flax,” the girls showed the process of sowing flax, weeding it, harvesting it, carding it and spinning it. The singing of the song “We sowed millet” was accompanied by movements in which the participants reproduced the processes of sowing, collecting, threshing, and pouring millet into the cellar. In ancient times, both songs were performed in the fields and performed a magical function. Later, the ritual meaning was lost, and they began to be sung in places of celebration. It was customary to bring birch branches and bouquets of first flowers into the house. They were dried and stored in a secluded place all year. After the harvest began, the plants were placed in the granary or mixed with fresh hay. Wreaths were made from tree leaves collected during the holiday and placed in pots where cabbage seedlings were planted. Trinity plants were believed to have magical powers. To ensure a high harvest, a special prayer service was sometimes served. Associated with it is the custom of “crying on flowers” - dropping tears on the turf or a bunch of flowers. After completing special prayers, all participants went to the cemetery, where they decorated the graves with birch branches and provided refreshments. Having remembered the dead, they went home, leaving food at the cemetery. Green Christmastide ended with the ritual of funeral or farewell to Kostroma. The image of Kostroma is associated with the end of the green Christmastide; ceremonies and rituals often took the form of ritual funerals. Kostroma could be depicted beautiful girl or a young woman dressed in white, holding oak branches. She was chosen from those participating in the ritual, surrounded by a girl’s round dance, after which they began to bow and show signs of respect. “Dead Kostroma” was laid on boards, and the procession moved to the river, where “Kostroma was awakened,” and the celebration ended with a bath. In addition, the Kostroma funeral ceremony could be carried out with a straw effigy. Accompanied by a round dance, the effigy was carried around the village and then buried in the ground, burned at the stake or thrown into the river. It was believed that on next year Kostroma will resurrect and come to earth again, bringing fertility to the fields and plants.
Cuckoo Festival (cumulation) (the date is different for each year)
On the last Sunday of May, the Slavs celebrate the Cuckoo Festival or Kumleniya Day. The main feature of this holiday is the establishment of a spiritual connection between girls who have not yet had children, for mutual help and support. Young people, mostly girls, gathered in a clearing in the forest, danced in circles, sang funny songs about spring and Zhiva (the cuckoo represents the link between Zhiva and the young girls), jumped over a ritual fire and had a small symbolic feast. On this holiday, the only time a year, it was possible to make love, that is, become related in soul with any close person. To do this, you had to kiss through a birch wreath (birch is a symbol of love and purity among the Slavs) and say the following words:
Kumiš, kumiš, become dear, become dear, the two of us have a common life. Neither joy, nor tears, nor a word, nor an incident will separate us. Then, it was necessary to exchange something for memory. At the same time, the girl, dressed up as Zhiva, held the figure of the Cuckoo in her hands: they believed that the forest bird would hear the oath and pass it on to Zhiva. In different parts of Slavic Rus', the holiday had its own rituals and customs, but the idea of cumulation remained common to all.
Spirits day (beginning of mermaid week) (the date is different for each year)
Spirits Day - the holiday of Pitchfork and Madder, the Earthly Moisture, begins with the honoring of ancestors, who are invited to stay in the house, scattering fresh birch branches in the corners of the house. This is also a day of remembrance and communication with water, meadow and forest navyas - mermaid spirits of a kind. According to legends, those who die prematurely without becoming an adult or who pass away voluntarily become mermaids and merman. Women perform secret rituals, leaving the housework to men, sometimes for the entire week. And those who have children leave their children’s old clothes, towels, and linens for the mermaid children in the field or on the branches near the springs. We need to appease the mermaid spirits so that they do not pester children and other relatives, so that they contribute to the fertility of our fields, meadows and forests, and give them the juices of the Earth to drink. According to legend, during Mermaid Week, mermaids could be seen near rivers, in flowering fields, in groves and, of course, at crossroads and in cemeteries. It was said that during the dances, mermaids perform a ritual related to the protection of crops. They could also punish those who tried to work on the holiday: trample the sprouted ears, send a crop failure, rainstorms, storms or drought. A meeting with a mermaid promised untold riches or turned into misfortune. Girls, as well as children, should be wary of mermaids. It was believed that mermaids could take a child into their round dance, tickle or dance to death. Therefore, during Mermaid Week, children and girls were strictly forbidden to go into the field or meadow. If during Mermaid Week (the week after Trinity, already during Christianity) children died or died, they said that they were taken in by mermaids. To protect yourself from a mermaid's love spell, you had to carry sharp-smelling plants with you: wormwood, horseradish and garlic.
Yarilo Mokry, Troyan
Troyan (Tribog's Day) is a holiday of the end of spring and the beginning of summer, when the Trisvetny Dazhdbog replaces the young Yaril-Spring. A sanctuary dedicated to the victory of the Trojan God over the Black Serpent. At this time, Rodnovers glorify Svarog Triglav - Svarog-Perun-Veles, strong in Rule, Reveal and Navi. According to legends, Troyan was the embodiment of the power of Svarog, Perun and Veles, who joined forces in the fight against the Serpent, the offspring of Chernobog, who once threatened to destroy the entire Three Worlds. At this time, since ancient times, they commemorated their ancestors and created amulets against atrocities committed by mermaids and the restless souls of the “hostage” dead (who died “not their own,” that is, an unnatural death). On the night of Trojan, girls and women “plowed” the village in order to protect themselves from evil forces. The people said: “Since Spiritual Day, not only from heaven, but warmth comes from under the ground,” “When the Holy Spirit comes, it will be in the yard, as on a stove.” According to popular beliefs, all evil spirits are afraid of this day, like fire, and just before the sun rises on the Spirits, Mother Cheese-Earth reveals her secrets, and therefore healers go at this time to “listen to treasures.” As on Yaril Veshny, dew on this day is considered sacred and healing. After the beginning, the rite of tonsure is carried out for young men - initiation into warriors. Next they have a feast in the field. Ritual food: sweets, scrambled eggs, pies. When required, ritual beer is brought. Before the games, a fairy tale or an ancient legend is played out. Love games and dancing are required. After Yarila's day, hot weather usually sets in for seven days.
Birth of Vyshnya-Perun
Skipper Snake Day (Snake Day)
After the birth of Perun, the Skipper-Snake came to the Russian Land. He buried baby Perun in a deep cellar and took his sisters to Nav: Zhiva, Marena and Lelya - goddesses of life, death and love. It is not dust that is scattered in the field, It is not fogs that rise from the sea, It is from the eastern land, from the high mountains, that a herd of animals ran out, That the herd of animals is a snake. The fierce Skipper-beast was running ahead! “Veda of Perun” Then Perun will be freed by Veles, Khors and Stribog, and he will defeat the Skipper-beast. And these days, when the Skipper-beast with his army comes to the Russian land, many see wandering ghosts, signs of death and troubles. Suddenly, flocks of mice and wolves appear in the fields, and clouds of crows fly in. And if you bend your ear to the ground, you can hear the Mother of Cheese Earth moaning. Others see fire running across a winter field. Nav is especially strong, and therefore enemy invasions were expected in Rus' these days. There is evidence of this in history: the Patriotic War of 1812 (June 24) and the Great Patriotic War of 1941 (June 22) began near the day of the Skipper-Snake. Tales of Perun and Skipper were sung on this day by the wise men in Vedic temples and called upon believers to go to rivers and lakes to perform sacred ablutions in order to cleanse themselves of sins. According to the folk calendar, this day fell during the period of snake weddings. It is believed that at this time snakes crawl down and go by train to the snake wedding. In many settlements there are still “cursed places”, the so-called “snake hills”.