What customs were in Russia. Rites in Russia in pagan and Christian traditions

Since ancient times, pagan beliefs have been widespread in Russia, placing above all the relationship between man and nature. People believed and worshiped various gods, spirits and other creatures. And of course, this faith was accompanied by countless rituals, holidays and sacred events, the most interesting and unusual of which we have collected in this collection.

1. Naming.

Our ancestors approached the choice of a name very seriously. It was believed that the name is both a talisman and the fate of a person. For a person, the rite of naming could occur several times during his life. The first time the name of the born baby is given by the father. At the same time, everyone understands that this name is temporary, childish. During initiation, when the child turns 12, a naming ceremony is performed, during which priests of the old faith wash away their old childhood names in sacred waters. They changed their name throughout their lives: for girls who got married, or warriors, on the verge of life and death, or when a person did something supernatural, heroic or outstanding.

The rite of naming among young men took place only in flowing water (river, stream). Girls could undergo this rite both in flowing water and in still water (lake, backwater), or in Temples, in Sanctuaries and other places. The rite was performed as follows: the beneficiary takes a wax candle in his right hand. After the words uttered by the priest in a state of trance, the cursed must plunge his head into the water, holding a burning candle above the water. Small children entered the sacred waters, and nameless, renewed, pure and pure people came out, ready to receive adult names from the priests, starting a completely new independent life, in accordance with the laws of the ancient heavenly gods and their families.

2. Bath ritual.

The bath ceremony should always begin with a greeting from the Master of the Bath, or the spirit of the bath - Bannik. This greeting is also a kind of conspiracy, a conspiracy of space and environment in which the bath ceremony will be held. Usually, immediately after reading such a conspiracy-greeting, a ladle of hot water is supplied to the stone and steam rising from the heater is evenly distributed in circular motions of a broom or towel throughout the steam room. This is the creation of light steam. And the bath broom was called the master in the bath, or the biggest (most important), from century to century they repeated: “The bath broom and the king are older, if the king is steaming”; “A broom in the bath is the boss for everyone”; “In the bath, a broom is more expensive than money”; "A bathhouse without a broom is like a table without salt."

3. Trizna.

Trizna is a funeral military rite among the ancient Slavs, which consists of games, dances and competitions in honor of the deceased; mourning for the deceased and a memorial feast. Initially, the funeral feast consisted of an extensive ritual complex of sacrifices, war games, songs, dances and dances in honor of the deceased, mourning, lamentations and a memorial feast both before and after burning. After the adoption of Christianity in Russia, the feast was preserved for a long time in the form of funeral songs and a feast, and later this ancient pagan term was replaced by the name "commemoration". During sincere prayer for the dead in the souls of those who pray, there always appears a deep sense of unity with the family and ancestors, which directly testifies to our constant connection with them. This rite helps to find peace of mind for the living and the dead, promotes their beneficial interaction and mutual assistance.

4. Opening the earth.

According to legend, Yegory Veshny possesses magic keys that unlock the spring land. Rites were held in many villages, during which the saint was asked to "open" the land - to give fertility to the fields, to protect livestock. The ritual itself looked something like this. First, they chose a guy called "Yury", gave him a lit torch, decorated him with greenery and put a round cake on his head. Then the procession, led by "Yury", went around the winter fields three times. After that, they made a fire and asked for a prayer to the saint.

In some places, women lay naked on the ground, saying: "As we roll around the field, so let the bread grow into a tube." Sometimes a prayer service was held, after which all those present rolled on the winter - so that the bread would grow well. St. George released dew on the ground, which was considered healing "from seven ailments and from the evil eye." Sometimes people rode on the St. George's dew to get health, not without reason they wished: "Be healthy, like St. George's dew!" This dew was considered beneficial for the sick and infirm, and they said about the hopeless: “Can’t they go to St. George’s dew?”. On the day of Yegory the spring, in many places, rivers and other sources were blessed with water. Crops and pastures were sprinkled with this water.

5. Start building a house.

The beginning of the construction of a house among the ancient Slavs was associated with a whole range of ritual actions and ceremonies that prevented possible opposition from evil spirits. The most dangerous period was considered to be moving to a new hut and starting life in it. It was assumed that the "evil spirits" would seek to interfere with the future well-being of the new settlers. Therefore, until the middle of the 19th century, the ancient ritual of housewarming was preserved and carried out in many places in Russia.

It all started with finding a place and building materials. Sometimes a cast-iron with a spider was placed on the site. And if he began to weave a web during the night, then this was considered a good sign. In some places on the proposed site, a vessel with honey was placed in a small hole. And if goosebumps climbed into it, the place was considered happy. Choosing a safe place for construction, often at first they released a cow and waited for it to lie on the ground. The place where she lay down was considered successful for the future home. And in some places, the future owner had to collect four stones from different fields and lay them out on the ground in the form of a quadrangle, inside which he put a hat on the ground and read the plot. After that, it was necessary to wait three days, and if the stones remained intact, then the place was considered well chosen. It should also be noted that a house was never built on the site where human bones were found or where someone cut their arm or leg.

6. Mermaid week.

According to popular belief, all week before Trinity, mermaids were on the ground, settled in forests, groves and lived near people. The rest of the time they stayed at the bottom of reservoirs or underground. It was believed that dead unbaptized babies, girls who died of their own free will, as well as those who died before marriage or during pregnancy, became mermaids. The image of a mermaid with a fish tail instead of legs was first described in literature. The restless souls of the dead, returning to earth, could destroy the growing bread, send disease to livestock, and harm the people themselves and their households.

These days it was not safe for people to spend a lot of time in the fields, to go far from home. It was not allowed to go into the forest alone, to swim (this was of a special nature). Even livestock were not allowed to pasture. During the Trinity week, women tried not to do their daily chores in the form of laundry, sewing, weaving and other work. The whole week was considered festive, so they organized general festivities, dances, danced round dances, mummers in mermaid costumes sneaked up on gaping people, frightened and tickled them.

7. Funeral rites.

The burial customs of the ancient Slavs, especially the Vyatichi, Radimichi, Severyans, Krivichi, are described in detail by Nestor. They performed a funeral feast over the deceased - they showed their strength in military games, equestrian competitions, songs, dances in honor of the deceased, they made sacrifices, the body was burned on a large fire - theft. Among the Krivichi and Vyatichi, the ashes were enclosed in an urn and placed on a pillar in the vicinity of the roads in order to support the warlike spirit of the people - not to be afraid of death and immediately get used to the idea of ​​the perishability of human life. A pillar is a small burial house, log house, domino. Such dominoes survived in Russia until the beginning of the 20th century. As for the Slavs of Kyiv and Volyn, they buried the dead in the ground since ancient times. Special ladders woven from belts were buried along with the body.

An interesting addition about the Vyatichi funeral rite can be found in the story of an unknown traveler, set out in one of Rybakov's works. “When someone dies with them, their corpse is burned. Women, when a dead person happens to them, scratch their hands and faces with a knife. When the deceased is burned, they indulge in noisy fun, expressing joy over the mercy shown to him by God.

Very often, people who are just starting to be interested in the Native Faith and the history of the Slavic, Russian land, its rites, traditions and rituals, are faced with the problem of perceiving information about paganism due to difficult to understand terminology and scientific disputes, studies, tables. We will try to briefly and simply, in our own words, explain how and why Slavic beliefs and ancient pagan traditions arose, what meaning they carry, what happens during each ritual and why it is performed.

The most important events for each person have their point. The most important for him, his Ancestors and Descendants are birth, family creation and death. In addition, it is precisely with these situations that the most frequent question is connected: why is there such a similarity between pagan rites and Slavic rituals with Christian ones? Therefore, below we will consider and compare exactly them.

Slavic rites of birth and naming

The birth of a child with or without midwives was an important Slavic rite. They tried to approach him with all care and take the Child of the Family from the womb of the Mother, show and arrange his life in Reveal correctly. The umbilical cord of the child was cut off only with special objects symbolizing its gender and purpose. The pagan ritual of the birth of a boy meant cutting the umbilical cord on an arrow, an ax or just a hunting knife, the birth of a girl and her entry into the Family required the following Slavic rite - cutting the umbilical cord on a spindle or on a wide plate. All this was done by the Ancestors in order to make the children understand their duties from the first minutes and touch the Craft.

At the birth of a child, the ancient Slavs did not conduct the now popular, but transformed under the binding of a person to a Christian egregore, the rite of baptism - naming. Pagan traditions allowed giving children only Nicknames, that is, names known to everyone. Until the age of 12, and then they could continue to call him that, the child went under this nickname and was protected from the evil eye and slander.

He was called by his real name when performing the Slavic rite of naming. Pagan Priests, Magi, Veduns or simply Elder Clans - call it what you want, called the child to him and began the ritual. In flowing water, they dedicated him as a Descendant of the Gods of the Family, dipping several times into the river with his head and, finally, they quietly informed him of the Name sent by the Gods.

Slavic wedding ceremony

The Slavic wedding ceremony actually includes many rituals and traditions, the pagan roots of many of which have remained in modern times. Usually, wedding activities lasted for a year and began with Matchmaking - asking for the girl's consent to create a family with the groom.

Next, Smotriny was held - the acquaintance of two Slavic families connecting their clans into a single one. After their successful passage, Betrothal took place - the final stage of matchmaking, where the hands of the future newlyweds were tied as a sign of the strength and inviolability of the union. Having learned about this, the girlfriends and friends of the young people began the rite of wreath weaving for the newly created family and later placed them on the heads of the bride and groom. Further, cheerful bachelorette parties and Molodetsky evenings were organized and held. To say goodbye to the heroes of the occasion with their parents, before creating a new one, another pagan rite was performed - Sazhen.

Then the direct preparation for the pagan wedding began and the Slavic rite itself, connecting the two Fates into a single Genus:

• Washing young with decoctions of medicinal herbs to cleanse them of alluvial before creating a family.
• Dressing young friends and matchmakers in new Slavic shirts with special symbols for the wedding ceremony.
• Bganie - cooking loaves of various types. The Eastern Slavs, during the wedding ceremony of connecting the Fates, baked a round loaf as a symbol of a good and satisfying life without corners and obstacles.
• Requests are an official ceremonial invitation to the wedding ritual and celebration of relatives, acquaintances and friends of the bride and groom.
• The escort of the young from the family by the mother to create a new one from the groom's house to the house of the betrothed, and then to their new common house.
• The bride price is a symbolic attempt to keep the young woman from marrying and the groom's decisive actions to remove these obstacles. There were several ransoms throughout the ceremony, and they ended with a wedding chant.
• Posad - the ritual distribution of places in the Family and the role of each: the newlyweds and their Relatives, the exchange of gifts and the consolidation of the Union of Clans.
• Covering - the bride was untwisted or even cut off the braid as a symbol of binding to the Old and covered her head with a scarf - an ochipka, otherwise - a cap. Since then, the girl became a wife.

After the most ancient wedding ceremony with putting on rings with Slavic amulet symbols - the Svedebnik began the following pagan rituals:

• Posag (dowry) - the transfer of dowry by the Bride's Parents to create a new family and clan. Everything: from towels to kitchen utensils, began to gather from the birth of a girl.
• Komora - a cycle of rites of the wedding night and checking the bride for Purity and Virginity before Childbirth on both sides, the birth of a new Family.
• Kalachins, Svatins, Gostiny - pagan traditions of treating and giving thanks to Relatives, Brothers and Sisters in Spirit and Heart - solemn feasts and gifts from all sides to the newlyweds and by them for everyone who came to congratulate.

Slavic funeral rite

The ancient pagan burial rites of the Slavs included the custom of burning the deceased. This was done so that the body would not prevent the human soul from going to Nav and starting a new life there, waiting for the next incarnation in the Cycle of Nature and returning to Yav in a new guise. At the beginning of the Slavic funeral rite in Ancient Russia, a boat was prepared to transport the deceased across the Smorodina River to the other World. Krada was installed on it - a fire made of logs, surrounded by sheaves of grass or simply dry branches, the body and gifts to the Navi Gods were placed in it. The power of Krada - Sacrificial Fire annealed the bindings of the deceased with the Yav World, and the launch of the already lit boat on the river at sunset, so that the moonlight showed the right path, was accompanied by the universal last words of the Memory of the Ancestor and Slavic Brother.

In regions where running water burials were not available due to the aridity of the area, this ancient Slavic burial rite was slightly modified. The resulting ashes were collected in a pot and buried in burial mounds. Often, the personal belongings of the deceased were put there, so that he could arrange a comfortable life in Navi. Before the forced conversion to the Christian faith and insistence to follow their rules, the Eastern Slavs also preserved the following interesting tradition. After the ritual of burning and collecting the ashes, the pot was placed on a high pole at the road intersection of the Fates and covered with a domina - a wooden house specially made for this. Thus, they could come to the deceased to say goodbye and leave a commemoration, and he also ended up in the Navier Kingdom, where he could choose his further path of the Rebirth.

After all types of the above pagan funeral rites, the ancient Slavs arranged a funeral feast - a feast in the memory of the deceased and ritual battles, symbolizing the battle with the Three-Headed Serpent on the Kalinov Bridge for the opportunity for the deceased to choose his path, thereby helping him reach his new place of residence.

Trizna, as a way of honoring the Ancestors of the Family, was also held on special calendar dates for commemorating the dead: Krasnaya Gorka, Rodonitsa and other ancient Slavic holidays. As can be seen from the description of the ancient pagan rite of burial of a Slav, everything possible was done to facilitate his Further Path, but the appearance of mourners as a tradition is interpreted by many as Christianity imposing its dogmas and attempts to make a person’s departure from Yavi the most difficult and long, tie him to living Relatives and inspire guilt.

Calendar holidays and rituals in Russia: spring, winter, summer and autumn

The most important calendar pagan holidays and Slavic rites on this day were held according to the Kolo Goda: on the dates of the Solstice and Equinox. These turning points meant a big role in the life of the Slavs, as they announced the beginning of a new Natural Season and the passage of the Previous One, they made it possible to set a good Beginning and get the desired result: harvest a generous harvest, get a rich offspring, build a house, etc.

Such calendar winter, spring, summer and autumn holidays of the ancient Slavs with the most important rites of sowing, harvesting and other rituals are and were:

• Spring equinox March 19-25 - Komoyeditsy or Maslenitsa, Velikden

• Summer Solstice June 19-25 - Kupala

• Autumn equinox September 19-25 - Radogoshch

• Winter Solstice December 19-25 - Karachun

You can read a description of these ancient pagan holidays and Slavic rites or rituals held in Russia on these and other strong days during the Kolo Goda Movement in ours.

Bringing the Treb as a pagan rite of gratitude to the Native Gods: what is it

Special attention should be paid to the Requirements of the Native Gods before the Slavic rite, during the ritual or the onset of a calendar holiday in honor of one of the Patrons. Gifts from the bottom of the heart and with sincere gratitude to the Gods of the Slavic Pantheon were brought without fail - they could be of any price, since the wealth of each Slavic family was different, but they had to pay respect to the Family and the guardians of Yavi, Navi and Rule. The place of their offering was the Temples and Temples in which the churs of the Gods and Goddesses were located, as well as the Altars.

Very often, the trebs were brought in Nature during the performance of ritual pagan actions by the Slavs and the glorification of one or another Patron on his personal holiday, as well as during the activation of amulets and. Nowadays, few primordially ancient Slavic rites of presenting requirements and turning to the Gods have been preserved, therefore, the Veduns and Magi advise many, when conducting the ceremony, to simply communicate with Relatives, as with Relatives - with sincerity and courtesy, with an understanding of the importance of their role as a Descendant of the Russian Land and Successor Slavic Family. If what you ask is really important and necessary, if you have the Right, the Gods will definitely help and stand up for protection.

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Moscow, "Bit of Life!", - Miraslava Krylova.

Autumn rituals and customs

Rites and customs are part of the culture of every people, whether it is a huge nation or a small community. They accompany us throughout our lives. Some of them go back centuries, and we forget them or do not know about them at all. Others continue to exist. We invite you to get acquainted with the autumn rites, the history of their occurrence and essence. The traditions associated with the onset of autumn are interesting and varied in different countries.

Autumn is the time of holidays

Since ancient times, autumn has been the time for various celebrations. Diverse and numerous, for example, ceremonies and rituals on the day of the autumn equinox. Why did it happen? The fact is that the time of agriculture was ending, everyone was harvesting, preparing for winter. Most of the population in those days were peasants, so seasonality had a significant impact on their way of life. Full bins and free time gave people the opportunity to relax.

Autumn holidays among the Slavs

Autumn holidays among the Slavs often have pagan and Orthodox roots. The most famous were Obzhinki or Dozhinki (among Belarusians). In the nineteenth century, this holiday was celebrated everywhere among the Slavs, only at different times, mainly depending on the climate. So, among the Eastern Slavs, the mentioned holiday coincided with the Assumption of the Mother of God, and in Siberia - with the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. On this day, people performed several autumn rites. For example, the last sheaf was reaped in silence, and then the women rolled through the stubble with certain words-songs. A few ears of corn twisted into a beard were left on the field. This ceremony was called "curling the beard."

Traditions and rituals of autumn in Russia

The first of September in Russia was called the Indian summer, in some areas the countdown was from September 8th. Already somewhere from Ilyin's day, and somewhere from Uspenyev, in many settlements, autumn dances began to dance. It is worth noting that the round dance is the oldest of the dances of the Russian people, rooted in the rites of worship of the sun god. The round dance in Russia was of great importance. This dance reflected three epochs in a year: spring, summer, autumn.

On Semyonov's day - the first of September - they mounted a horse. In each family, the first-born was seated on a horse. In addition, the New Year was celebrated on the same day for 400 years. It was canceled only in 1700 by decree of Peter 1. And on September 14, Osenins began to celebrate in Russia. People thanked mother earth for a rich harvest. They renewed the fire, extinguished the old, mined a new one. From that time on, all activity on the field ended and work began in the house and in the garden, in the garden. In the houses on the First Osenins, a festive table was laid, beer was brewed and a ram was slaughtered. A pie was baked from the new flour.

September 21 - Second Osenins. On the same day they celebrated the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. September 23 - Peter and Pavel Ryabinniki. On this day, they collected mountain ash for compote, kvass. The windows were decorated with rowan clusters, it was believed that they would save the house from all evil spirits.

Third Osenins - September 27. In another way, this day was called the snake holiday. According to popular beliefs, all birds and snakes moved to another country on this day. With them, requests were passed on to the deceased. On this day, they did not go to the forest, because it was believed that the snake could drag.

Belarusian autumn traditions

Autumn holidays among Belarusians are similar to autumn rites and holidays among other Slavic peoples. It has long been celebrated in Belarus the end of the harvest. This holiday was called dozhinki. One of the main autumn rituals was held in dozhinki. The last sheaf was intertwined with flowers and dressed up in a woman's dress, after which it was taken to the village and left until the next harvest. Now dozhinki is a holiday of national importance. Similarly to the Osenins, Belarus celebrated the harvest festival - the rich man. Lubok with grain and a candle inside was considered a symbol of the holiday. The "rich man" was in one of the houses of the village, where a priest was invited to conduct a prayer service. After that, a lubok with a lit candle was carried through the whole village.

No less famous ritual holiday of late autumn in Belarus is Dzyady. This holiday of commemoration of ancestors falls on November 1-2. Dzyady means "grandfathers", "ancestors". Before the Dzyads, they washed in the bathhouse, cleaned the houses. In the bath, they left a bucket of clean water and a broom for the souls of their ancestors. The whole family gathered for dinner that day. Various dishes were prepared, before dinner the doors were opened in the house so that the souls of the dead could enter.

At dinner, they did not say unnecessary words, behaved humbly, remembered only good things about their ancestors, commemorated the dead. Dzyadov was given to beggars who walked around the villages.

Autumn equinox.

Ceremonies and rituals in different countries of the world The autumn equinox falls on September 22, sometimes 23. Day and night become equal at this time. From time immemorial, many peoples have attached mystical significance to this day. Traditions, celebrations and rituals on the Day of the autumnal equinox are commonplace. In some countries it is a public holiday, such as Japan. Here, according to tradition, the ancestors are remembered on this day. Conduct the ancient rite of the Buddhist holiday Higan. The Japanese on this day prepare food only from vegetable ingredients: beans, vegetables. They make a pilgrimage to the graves of their ancestors and worship them. In Mexico, on the day of the autumnal equinox, people go to the pyramid of Kukulkan. The object is arranged in such a way that on the days of the equinox, the sun's rays create triangles of light and shadow on the pyramid. The lower the sun, the more distinct the contours of the shadow, in shape they resemble a snake. Such an illusion lasts a little more than three hours, during which time you need to make a wish.

Autumn equinox among the Slavs

The day of the autumn equinox among the Slavs was one of the main holidays. His names were different: Tausen, Ovsen, Radogoshch. Rites and rituals were also performed in different areas. Ovsen is the name of the deity in mythology, which was responsible for the change of seasons, so in the fall he was thanked for the fruits and harvest. They celebrated the day of the autumn equinox (with rites and rituals) for two weeks. The main celebratory drink was honey, made from fresh hops. Pies with meat, cabbage, lingonberries - this is the main delicacy on the table. The ceremony for the autumn equinox was the seeing off of the goddess Zhiva to Svarga - the heavenly kingdom, which was closed in winter. On the day of the equinox, the Slavs also revered the goddess Lada. She was the patroness of weddings. And weddings were most often celebrated after the completion of field work.

On the day of the autumn equinox, special autumn folk rites were held. To attract good luck and happiness, they baked pies with cabbage and round apples. If the dough quickly rose, then next year the financial situation should have improved.

All old things that day were taken out into the yard and burned. Special rituals for the autumn equinox were performed with water. She was believed to have special powers. They washed themselves in the morning and in the evening with the belief that water would keep children healthy, and women attractive. Often our ancestors used trees in autumn rituals and holidays. So, they protected the house and themselves with rowan branches. It was believed that the mountain ash, plucked on this day, has great energy and will not let the evil into the house. The girls used walnut branches. They put a second pillow on the bed in order to get married soon, burned the branches of the walnut, and scattered the ashes on the street. By clusters of rowan trees they judged winter. The more berries, the more severe the winter.

Sacrifice was a special autumn rite in Russia. In gratitude for a good harvest in pagan times, the Slavs sacrificed the largest animal to Veles. They did this before harvest. After the sacrifice, sheaves were tied and "grandmothers" were placed. After the harvest, a rich table was laid.

Orthodox autumn holidays, traditions, rituals

The biggest holiday is the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin (September 21). The holiday coincided with the second autumn. September 27 - Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In the 4th century, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great found the Cross and the Holy Sepulcher. Many then wished to see this miracle. So the Feast of the Exaltation was established. From that day on, they began harvesting cabbage for the winter. And young guys and girls were going to the cabbage. They laid the table, the guys looked after the brides. October 14 - Protection of the Virgin. The holiday was established by Andrey Bogolyubsky. In Russia, they believed that the Mother of God took Russia under protection, therefore they always relied on her protection and mercy. At this time, they were finishing work in the field, collecting the last fruits. In Pokrov, women made ten-handled dolls, which, it was believed, were supposed to help around the house, since the woman did not have time to do everything.

On the third day of November, Kazanskaya was celebrated. This is the Day of the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan.

Autumn signs in Russia

September 11 - Ivan Poleniy, Flight Pilot. A day later, they started pulling out root crops, digging potatoes. September 24 - Fedora-Ripped off. Two Fedoras uphill - one in autumn, one in winter, one with mud, the other with cold. September 16 - Corniglia. The root does not grow in the ground, but chills. September 28 - goose flight. On this day sheep were sheared. October 1 - crane years. It was believed that if the cranes fly that day, then the first frost will come to Pokrov. If not, frost should not be expected before November 1. October 2 - Zosima. The hives were removed into the omshanik. November 8 - Dmitriev's day. On this day, the dead were commemorated. November 14 - Kuzminki. Cock name days were celebrated on Kuzminki. The girls arranged a feast-conversation, invited the guys. On this day, a ceremony called "the wedding and funeral of Kuzma-Demyan" was performed. The girls made a scarecrow out of straw, dressed it up as a guy and held a comic wedding. They seated this effigy in the middle of the hut and “married” some girl, then they took it to the forest, burned it and danced on it. They made Kuzma and Demyan dolls. They were considered the keepers of the family hearth, the patrons of women's needlework.

Photos and text: Miraslava Krylova

Rites, customs and traditions of the Russian people are rooted in ancient times. Many of them have significantly changed over time and have lost their sacred meaning. But there are some that still exist. Let's consider some of them.

The calendar rites of the Russian people are rooted in the days of the ancient Slavs. At that time, people cultivated the land and raised cattle, worshiped pagan idols.

Here are some of the rituals:

1. Sacrificial rites to the god Veles. He patronized pastoralists and farmers. Before sowing the crop, people went out into the field, wearing clean clothes. They decorated their heads with wreaths, they held flowers in their hands. The oldest villager began to sow and threw the first grain into the ground
2. The harvest was also timed to coincide with the festival. Absolutely all the villagers gathered near the field and sacrificed the largest animal to Veles. The men began to plow the first strip of land, while the women at that time gathered the grain and gathered it into sheaves. At the end of the harvest, they set the table with a generous treat, decorated it with flowers and ribbons.
3. Maslenitsa is a calendar rite that has survived to this day. The ancient Slavs turned to the sun god Yaril with a request to send a rich harvest. They baked pancakes, danced round dances, burned the famous Maslenitsa scarecrow
4. Forgiveness Sunday is the most important day of Shrovetide. On this day, people asked for forgiveness from relatives and relatives, and also forgave all offenses themselves. After this day, Great Lent began.

Despite the fact that Maslenitsa has lost its religious meaning, people still take part in mass festivities with pleasure, bake pancakes and enjoy the coming spring.

Christmas traditions

It is impossible not to say about the Christmas rituals, which remain relevant to this day. They are traditionally held from January 7 to January 19 in the period from Christmas to Epiphany.

The sacred rites are as follows:

1. Kolyada. Youth and children go from house to house dressed up, and the residents treat them with sweets. Now they rarely carol, but the tradition has not yet become obsolete
2. Holy divination. Young girls and women gather in groups and arrange fortune-telling. Most often, these are rituals that allow you to find out who will become narrowed, how many children will be born in marriage, and so on.
3. And on January 6, before Christmas, in Russia they cooked compote with rice, cooked delicious pastries and slaughtered livestock. It was believed that this tradition helps to attract a rich harvest in the spring and provide the family with material well-being.

Now the Christmas rites have lost their magical sacrament and are used mainly for entertainment. Another reason to have fun in the company of girlfriends and friends is to arrange a group fortune-telling for the betrothed, dress up and carol on holidays.

Family rituals in Russia

Family rituals were given great importance. For matchmaking, wedding or baptism of newborns, special rituals were used, which were sacredly honored and observed.

Weddings, as a rule, were scheduled for a time after a successful harvest or baptism. Also, the week following the bright holiday of Easter was considered a favorable time for the ceremony. The newlyweds were married in several stages:

• Matchmaking. In order to marry the bride to the groom, all close relatives from both sides gathered together. They discussed the dowry, where the young couple would live, agreed on gifts for the wedding
• After the blessing of the parents was received, preparations for the celebration began. The bride and her bridesmaids gathered every evening and prepared a dowry: they sewed, knitted and wove clothes, bed linen, tablecloths and other home textiles. Singing sad songs
• On the first day of the wedding, the bride said goodbye to girlhood. Girlfriends sang sad ritual songs of the Russian people, farewell laments - after all, the girl from that moment turned out to be in complete submission to her husband, no one knew how her family life would turn out
• According to custom, on the second day of the wedding, the newly-made husband, along with his friends, went to his mother-in-law for pancakes. They arranged a stormy feast, went to visit all the new relatives

When a child appeared in a new family, he had to be baptized. The rite of baptism was performed immediately after birth. It was necessary to choose a reliable godfather - this person bore great responsibility, almost on a par with parents, for the fate of the baby.

And when the baby was one year old, a cross was cut off on his crown. It was believed that this rite gives the child protection from evil spirits and the evil eye.

When the child grew up, he was obliged to visit his godparents every year on Christmas Eve with refreshments. And those, in turn, presented him with presents, treated him with sweets.

Watch a video about the rituals and customs of the Russian people:

mixed rites

Separately, it is worth talking about such interesting rituals:

• Celebration of Ivan Kupala. It was believed that only from that day on it was possible to swim. Also on this day, a fern bloomed - the one who finds a flowering plant will reveal all the innermost secrets. People made bonfires and jumped over them: it was believed that a couple who jumped over the fire, holding hands, would be together until death
• From pagan times came the custom to commemorate the dead. At the memorial table, there must have been a rich meal and wine

To follow the ancient traditions or not is everyone's business. But you can not build them into a cult, but pay tribute to the ancestors, their culture, the history of their country. This applies to religious practices. As for entertainment events, such as Shrovetide or the celebration of Ivan Kupala, this is another reason to have fun in the company of friends and soulmate.

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Many of the customs to which the life of the ancient Slavs was subjected now seem absurd and even ridiculous. But, nevertheless, these customs managed to be reflected not only in history and literature, but also in some moments of modern life. One way or another, but the subconscious confidence that traditions cannot be neglected lives in everyone to varying degrees.

Moreover, the ancestors have a lot to learn! After all, even taking into account the fact that their whole life was subject to the strictest rituals based on the worship of pagan gods, many of them should be noted. For example, those related to the upbringing of children.

How did initiation into members of the clan begin?

To this began to prepare the child literally from the moment of birth. At the earliest age, i.e. until at least three years old, the babies were in the full care of the mother, both girls and boys. But the difficult life of the ancient Slavs, based more on the struggle for survival, made their children grow up much earlier than modern kids are allowed to.

Three-year-old boys were waiting for the rite of "tons." This meant not only sacrificing strands of children's hair to the gods, but also the fact that boys began to accustom themselves to "male" activities. Girls, respectively, continued to patronize women.

At the age of about seven years, little Slavs had to spin their first ball. It was necessary to burn it, and dissolve the ashes in water and give the girl a drink.

Boys at this age for the first time, as a future warrior, were seated in the saddle. And at about 9-11 years old, when they mastered this science well, a series of difficult and even cruel trials that lasted several years awaited them.

“Training” took place in remote forest huts (this is where the appearance of such a character as Baba Yaga, who takes children into the forest, begins).

Having passed through them, the boy, as if being reborn again, had the right to be called a warrior and, having passed the rite of passage, become a full-fledged member of the clan.

Bogatyrs - who are they?

After the ceremony, the young warriors went to live in special forest shelters, and for several years they perfected the martial art there (practicing, first of all, attacking neighboring tribes).

These "forest heroes" were entrusted with the mission of protecting their settlement from attacks, and the princes formed their squads from the best representatives.

Women, on the other hand, were strictly forbidden to enter their shelters, otherwise it would be a disaster! This law was reflected in Pushkin's The Tale of the Sleeping Princess and the Seven Bogatyrs.

Starting a family

A 17-year-old boy who had passed all the military tests already had every right to get married. The bride, as a rule, was no more than 14 years old, and often she lived in a neighboring tribe. Therefore, the future wife had to be “snitched” or “redeemed”. Both actions often became the cause of clashes between the tribes for a long time. And, only many years later, they became harmless rituals, elements of holidays. Moreover, the bride was warned in advance about her “abduction”.

The very same wedding became a storehouse of all sorts of rituals. It was a whole theatrical performance, as it would be called now, with an abundance of food and drink, with certain, significant songs, dances and sacrifices. The priests present at the wedding performed rituals to protect the young family from black forces, to attract wealth and fertility to it. It should be noted that from that moment the man was appointed the head of the family. Moreover, the elders and princes had the right to support two or three wives.

End of the road

The funeral rite of the ancient Slavs was accompanied by no fewer rites than a wedding. The mission of the deceased was to protect his descendants in the "other world", to intercede for them before the gods. Therefore, they were escorted on their last journey with honors, surrounded by a multitude of objects necessary for life.

The ancient pagan Slavs burned their dead, because. believed that along with the smoke the soul easily departs to eternal life. The ashes were either collected in a pot, which was placed in a special hut - "domovina", or buried, pouring an earthen hill - "mound" over the ashes.

This was followed by the strangest event for the modern perception of the funeral process - an equestrian competition in honor of the deceased, called "trizna". It ended with a big feast, with songs and dances, which were designed to please the soul of the deceased, as well as drive away death from the living.

In a word, the ancient pagans tried not to associate the end of life with grief and tears, but simply designated death as a milestone for the transition to eternal life.