Holidays of the ancient Slavs in July. Mesyatseslov - folk calendar. Summer holidays of the Slavs

There are six obstacles in reconstructing the sacred days of our ancestors:

1) The Proto-Slavs focused the main holidays on the solstices and solstices (as, in fact, almost all pagans of the globe), and the rest - on the cycles of field and garden work. But our ancestors lived on a vast territory, and, accordingly, in its different areas, these cycles occurred in different time.

2) Due to the initial tribal fragmentation, some holidays took place at different times (as, for example, the onset of the new year - for some it falls on the spring equinox, for others on the autumn equinox, for others on the winter solstice, etc.) .

3) Having invaded someone else's ideological territory, Christianity hastened to establish its own rules. Firstly, many holidays were banned, and in those cases when this did not work out, the priests introduced into the people's consciousness the replacement of one or another god revered on the corresponding holiday with their saints, similar in name to the rejected deity (such as the day Veles is replaced by the day of St. Blaise). Secondly, the "learned" priests could not decide on their holidays, which were repeatedly rearranged from place to place. For example, the Moscow Cathedral of 1492 moved the celebration of the New Year from March 1 to September 1; and a monk from Scythia, Dionysius the Small, in 531, proposed to consider the year of the birth of Christ 754 from the founding of Rome (the current reference point of our era), and January 1 as the specific date of Christmas (and although this was not accepted by the church, it is from here that the pan-European tradition of celebrating the New the year of January 1, which Peter the Great introduced in his time in Russia).

4) The same Christian "enlighteners" replaced the stable dates of the holidays with sliding ones, oriented according to Easter and the lunar calendar. Because of this, rituals and holidays were often divided into two (for example, it is believed that Maslenitsa used to be the day of the spring solstice, Kupala was the summer solstice, etc. Now these sacred days are separate holidays).

5) The replacement in 1528 by Pope Gregory XIII of the Julian calendar with the Gregorian one (which moved the dates 10 days ahead, and forcing them to move them every century by another day) only exacerbated the confusion in the dates of the holidays. Now some pagans celebrate according to the old style, others - according to the new one, and still others (I confess, I am also one of them) manage to mix both styles. Researchers in their works, alas, also almost never specify in what style the date of the discovered holiday is indicated. If someone is interested in my opinion, then here's what I'll say: the Slavs marked time not by mechanical clocks, but by solar ones, therefore those seconds not taken into account by German clocks, which, according to scientists' calculations, accumulated for fourteen days, are the same Slavs took into account the seconds behind the scenes, distributing them according to the days of the year. See for yourself: most of today's humanity uses clocks (which, as it turned out, are also inaccurate, since they do not take into account another 5 hours, 49 minutes and 14 seconds; but what about the fact that the belts of the earth, due to its spherical shape, make a complete revolution in different times, and at the equator the hour second is much longer than in the polar regions?) and creates senile clarifications to calendars; and only the sun, from which all time reckoning on Earth began, for some reason does not want to reckon with the doctrines of mankind and still changes the length of the day on the same dates.

6) Well, of course, as always, it cannot do without hoaxers and pseudoscientists who imagine themselves to be prophets / Fuhrers and try to invent something new based only on their own conjectures and other people's fakes. Despite these obstacles, I have tried to reconstruct the rites and festivals as accurately as possible. And yet, if you find a mistake somewhere, then make allowance for the six above factors that stubbornly put spokes in my wheels.

In general, the sorcerers of the Moscow neo-pagan communities very intelligently suggest not to focus on hard dates, but to celebrate on time, plus or minus a week, on the day that your heart tells you.

So, the pagan calendar (all dates according to the new style).

January

He is Sechen (cutting off one year from another), Perezimye, Stuzhailo, Studen and Prosinets.

January 1 (the date currently accepted after all calendar changes) - New Year's holiday, Tausen or Ovsen's day.

People arranged family, tribal or community feasts from the best stocks. They considered it their duty to bow to the Earth. The children tied the legs of the tables with salting, in order to better fasten the household members together. The youth started games - snow wars (a symbol of the struggle between the old and the new years) and skiing. "The whole world" was mined through friction "living fire", which was supposed to burn unquenchably for six days (in memory of those times when such a fire burned on temples for a whole year, and its new kindling symbolized the participation of all people in God's labors to create a new time ). Ovsen himself was also honored as a giver of gifts and patron of those who gave. Similarities of later caroling were arranged (see below). In Ukraine, analogues of carols, which are sung not at Christmas, but at the New Year, are called "shchedrovki". Songs were sung calling for good for the generous and for crop failure for the miserly. For example:

1) Oh, oatmeal, oh, carols!
- Is the owner at home?
- He is not at home;
He left for the field
Sow wheat.
- sow wheat,
spike ear,
The grain is grainy!

2) Tausen, Tausen!
Give a damn, give a gut,
Pig leg!
A little bit of everything!
Carry - don't shake
Come on, don't break!

(if given)

At a good man
Born rye is good:
Spikelet thick,
The straw is empty!

(if not submitted)

At the mean man
Born rye is good:
Spikelet is empty,
Straw thick.

In those days, when Ovsen's Day and the Winter Solstice were one holiday, fisticuffs (in pairs, wall to wall, general dump) were also included in the rituals, which began with the fact that the children "for starters" fought with each other with snowballs.

January 1st to 6th - the evil spirits enraged by the human holiday are especially vicious and do not allow anyone to pass. At this time, people gave Special attention home and amulets. Watched that the "live fire" did not go out. They also tried to keep track of the children so that they would not fall into the hands of evil spirits, literally raging.

House-house,
Give me sickness
So that there is no dashing
To have raspberries
To love dear
To sleep peacefully
So that it doesn't hurt
To know the yard,
So as not to take the forest,
For God to know
To make everything nice.

January 3 - on this day, early in the morning, the head of the family went to the barn, "fed" him, shoveled grain and listened: if he heard a buzz, he knew that the summer would be difficult. Leaving the barn, he broke the torch and laid it crosswise to protect the grain from evil spirits (the cross symbolized the sun, and the torch itself still bore traces of fire). Entering the house on this day, they said: "Erot in the kneader", wishing that harvest and contentment.

4 January - they prepared the unsteadiness, the children bowed to their mother, then everyone bowed to their family, and after that - to their cattle.

5 January - to protect the cattle from evil spirits, the stalls were studded with straw, and the manger was sprinkled with thistle leaves. The eldest woman in the family secretly kneaded the dough and baked cookies in the form of all domestic animals.

January 6 - Veles day (first Veles, Veles-cattleman). On this day, the fire lit on the first day was solemnly extinguished. The owners drove all the livestock into the yard, sprinkled it with water and threw an ax through it, thereby putting magical protection for the whole year. They made sacrifices to Veles. In the Czech Republic, Yaga was revered on this day.

From 6 to 19 January - shlikunova week. The time when the skulks crawl out of the hole and run through the streets. It's time for the covens. Kikimors give birth to new slugs.

January 7 - Kolyada. Sun festival. Once he and the winter solstice were one holiday, and their rites were merged. After the division, Kolyada had the following ... From that day until the 13th, caroling continued: mummers walked around the yards and sang songs in which they asked or demanded that the owners take out gifts (food, money, jewelry) and, if successful, sang blessing songs. Example:

Kolyada-kolyada!
You give me a pie
Or a slice of bread
Or half the money
Or a chicken with a crest,
Rooster with a comb!
Or a tuft of hay
Or forks to the side.

If the children did not enter any house during caroling, then its inhabitants had to leave the village as soon as possible. It was believed that this time is the best for all sorts of divination. They were especially popular about matchmaking (with the participation of a barn and a bannik) and about the harvest (shaggy frost on the trees and a clear day foreshadowed a good harvest of bread; black trails - a good harvest for buckwheat; and especially a starry sky - for peas). At the same time, they invited the bannik to wash, and also conjured the devils:

Hey you satanic power!
Tell me what do I deserve?
When I get married - ring the bell,
And if I die - cry with your voice,
I'll stay in the girls - go by,
They will hand over to the soldiers - arrows in the gun!
(later interpretation)

During family gatherings, adults accustomed children to a correct understanding of the world with riddles. Cleaned out evil spirits.

On this day, the Earth swallowed the perjurers.

In some areas, oatmeal jelly was prepared, after which the elder went out with him on the porch and called on Frost to treat himself, in return asking him not to destroy oats, flax and hemp. If the hostess these days found a ball of black threads (evil spirits or damage), then she hurried to sweep it away with a nettle broom prepared since the summer. The legs of the table were again tangled, but now for a different purpose - so that the cattle would not run away. Huge bonfires were built to warm the dead parents.

S.V. Alekseev believes that carols originate from the winter polyudye of the first military brotherhoods (boynikov), who came to the villages dressed in the skins of a totem beast.

From 8 to 15 January - Crazy week. It is not entirely clear what this holiday is in A. Asov's view, however, it is quite possible that this is a modified name of Svyatok, and in this version (albeit in a different period of time), this holiday has the right to exist.

January 8 - woman's porridge: a holiday of midwives. It was believed that only a woman who gave birth to a child was able to properly take birth. To those who were midwives in a particular family, they went to visit with pies or porridge. They also treated the women in labor. As a symbol of the way to this world, midwives were given towels or a piece of canvas. The children tried to chop wood for the midwives, bring water or help with something else, and they treated them to sweets.

January 9 - on this day, if there were complaints, employees could terminate contracts with their owners.

January 10 - a day dedicated to the household. In the twilight of this day, it was supposed to make riddles for children, forming in them the correct worldview.

January 12 - sacred boar hunt. From the boiled insides of a boar or a pig, they wondered about winter: if the spleen is even and smooth, then the winter will be severe, if it is thicker towards the back, then the cold will come at the end of winter; a thick liver in the middle meant that colds would begin from the middle of winter, and the wide side of the liver towards the belly promised frosts and winters.

13th of January - generous day. The meal began with kutya and continued with a roasted pig. Terrible evenings begin (evil spirits grow more and more). Witches steal birds.

January 14 - they "sowed" grain around the huts from the sleeves and sang, for example, such songs:

1) I sow, I sow, I sow,
Happy New Year.
New year, new happiness
Ugly wheat,
Peas, lentils.
In the field with mop,
On the table with pies.

2) We will tell, we will show!
pig legs,
Donuts
They sit in the oven
They are looking at us!
They want to eat!

A. Buenok suggests that it was Ovsen's holiday. This is fully confirmed by the belief that this day is a pig holiday (sometimes it was believed that Ovsen arrived on a pig).

January 15 - the day of Chernobog, fevers and witches. It was believed that on this day it was easiest for a sorcerer to send damage, and for Fever to stick to a person. Therefore, twelve pupae were made, fastened to the ceiling, and the ceiling itself was washed with a special solution, after which a feast was held. The components of the solution were ash from seven furnaces, Thursday salt and earthly coal (dug up on Kupala night from under the Chernobyl). Also on this day, they praised chickens (“fowls of glory”) and protected chicken coops: swamp moss (“frog silk”) was shaken around them, and cakes rolled out of ashes with flour were taken out. On this date, a seven-year-old black rooster lays an egg in the dung, from which a basilisk will hatch.

January 16 - they threw out the pupae made the day before and swept the house. This symbolized the expulsion of fevers. It was believed that on this day, hungry witches, returning to the festivities, are able to milk the cows. Therefore, a charm was hung over the doors of the barn. The cows themselves were treated to flour oatmeal and cow bread sprinkled with clover hay. It was believed that only on this day it was possible to reason with a burrower (spoiled, sick).

January 17 - on this day, the devil was expelled from the village. One of the guys dressed up in a rich fur hat and a sheepskin coat. The men and other guys caught him by cunning and beat him, and at the place where this happened, they kindled a fire.

January 18 - Frost Day. It was believed that on this day Korochun-Frost, along with the wolf-winter and navy, come to people. And people invited them to treats, throwing the first spoonful of kutia out the window, and in return they asked Frost to lie all summer, as it should be, in nettles. On this day, the Fire Serpent was braved with snow laid at the mouth of the furnace. Trees were shaken in the garden with a sentence so that the harvest would be better. At the end of Christmas evenings, the girls treated the guys to soaked peas, which for this purpose were collected from home by children. This happened in a room that was lit with a carol torch (during carols, the children asked not only for a treat, but also for her: “Give torches for the New Year, the old ones to sit, the little ones to play, to have fun, to have a good time! Whoever doesn’t give a torch, that’s a pine coffin!” ).

January 19 - bounty. Lada Day. Songs were sung in honor of Lada, holes were pierced on frozen rivers and lakes, “so that Lada could breathe”, pies, grain and especially pancakes were thrown into them for her. Then feasts and festivities began. On this day, weavers collected snow for bleaching canvases. They thoroughly washed the whole house and those who took part in the costumed games. Bridesmaids were timed to this day. Sometimes it was believed that the sky opens on this day. It was noted that the wind on this date denoted the harvest.

January 20th - on this day they noticed: if the hole is full of water, there will be a big spill; if fog - there will be a lot of bread; starry sky - to the harvest of peas and berries.

January 21 - the guys were supposed to this day, because of unsuccessful love, to get rid of anger and no longer save. They noted: if there is a blizzard, the bees will swarm well; a day at the expense of the month - the summer will be damp, and the year will be difficult for livestock; if warm, the spring will be cold. If there is thick frost or snow is falling in flakes, there will be a big harvest of bread. Many stars - there will be many mushrooms and berries.

January 22 - if the wind blows from the south, then the summer will be dry. If there are a lot of icicles - to the harvest of vegetables.

January 23 - on this day, shepherds were hired, and horses were watered through silver.

January 24 - frost on haystacks - to a wet year. If a woodpecker knocks in January - by early spring. The bullfinch sings in winter on snow, blizzard and slush. On this day, children are born who are patronized by animals.

The 25th of January - it is customary to wash rugs and note in between: if snow falls evenly in winter, it is supposed to sow thicker in spring, and if it lies in beds or puffs up, sow less often. Girls born on this day become housewives.

January 26 - for a long time and firmly established cold. If crows and jackdaws sit down to the sun with their noses - to heat.

January 27 - on this day it was supposed to take special care of the cattle. If sunset magenta- be a big snow or snowstorm with frost.

28 January - a person born on this day was put under the pillow a linen tow from bad dreams. On this date, the owners shake off fruit trees, saying: "As I shake off the white-fluffy snow-hoarfrost, so will shake off the worm-reptile of any spring." If it's foggy in the morning - to the harvest.

January 29 - semi-feed (half of the prepared feed remains in the bins). On this day, chicken coops are cleaned, perches are repaired and fumigated with resin and elecampane. Hoarfrost on trees - to frost, fog - to thaw. At night, frost falls - there will be no snow during the day.

January 30 - Perezimnik. On this day, evil spirits were confused: the first person to go outside walked from the porch with his heels forward, while in the snow across the path they drew a line with something sharp, cutting off the path to the house. Restless people are born. They baked special oatmeal koloboks and served them saying: "Live smoothly, eat and drink sweetly!" If the moon shines brightly, the next day will be clear. There is nothing to be proud of on this day.

January 31 - the day of the furnace and fire. Healers used to tell fortunes on chimneys to protect them from witches: they poured ash from seven stoves on the fires and spoke to the western fence (and sometimes drove witches to the Sabbath). On this date, the children conjured the fire burning in the furnace in a song way. For example:

Burn, burn hot
Zakharka is coming
On a gray horse
wife on a cow
children on calves,
Servants on dogs.

February

This month was called by our ancestors Fierce (for severe frosts), Snezhen, Mezhen, Kruzhen and Bokogrey.

1st of February - the expulsion of ailments with early tea (it was supposed to light the stove and brew tea as early as possible in the morning). Candle or torch stubs were donated to the sun.

February 2 - on this day they noticed what the Maslenitsa and spring would be like. If a blizzard - the whole Maslenitsa is a blizzard, if at noon the sun - by early spring, if it's cloudy - by late frosts.

February 3rd - on this day they adjusted family happiness. Husband and wife came out from the porch, holding hands, approached the apple tree and brushed off the snow with undivided hands.

February 4 I am a half-winter. On this day, beekeepers checked the bees: if they hum quietly, they endure the winter well, if they are restless, then there are problems.

February 5th - Half bread. Only half of the stock is left. At night, a candle was lit and placed on the windowsill, and water and a piece of bread were left on the outside of the hut for travelers.

February 6 - women born on this day brought clothes to the light on this date, in which they were going to celebrate Maslenitsa, so that they would adopt the spirit of spring. They wondered about spring (what is the day, such is spring) and the prices of bread: if on this date the price of bread on the market becomes cheaper, the harvest and new bread will also be cheap. Or another way: they take baked bread in the evening, weigh it on a scale, and weigh it again in the morning and determine by the difference in weight whether the price of bread will rise, fall or remain unchanged.

February 7 - Half winter. In some regions of Russia, the name day of the brownie was celebrated on this day.

February 8 - they wondered about blizzards - they rolled peas on a dish and listened: if the peas roll quietly, then the blizzard will favorably circle over the gardens and fall in deep snow, and if it is loud, they were waiting for frost. Persistent "pea" people are born. It was believed that on this day the dead yearned for the earth, and for them hot ash was poured onto the stove (warming the souls) and sentenced: "Do not go to the court, orphan souls! But go to the western side. There you will have eternal joy."

February 9th - veneration of the oven. They drowned her so that the fire gilded her mouth (as people understood Christian holiday John Chrysostom).

February 10 - name day brownie. On this day, he was given a plentiful treat on the leash (in particular, sweet porridge with milk and honey) and asked to take care of the house, household and cattle. Sometimes witches were even invited to perform this rite. It was noted that the wind on this day foreshadowed a damp and rainy year.

11 February - witch fees. Witches make grass creases in snow-covered fields. Animals fight for their territories in the forest. The wind that day also promised a wet year.

12th of February - who was born on the day after the forest battles is destined to take care of animals and birds. It is believed that this person partially takes over the functions of Veles. In the evening, people went out to look at the moon: the reddish hue of the luminary foreshadowed the wind, and that, accordingly, a rainy summer.

February 13 - they go to see if something has happened to the ridge of the roof: after all, if the goblin saddles the ridge, then the hut will shake.

The 14th of February - the stars send Zyabukha. Starry night - by late spring. People talk to mice so that they do not spoil the stacks of bread, and feed the poultry.

February, 15 - the meeting of Winter and Spring. It was believed that on this day both goddesses meet and try their hand. To help spring, people conjured the sun with songs:

Sun-bucket, look out, red, from behind the mountain,
Look out, sun, until springtime.

If the sun looks out on this day through the usual veil - the end of winter, if not, then the frosts will last until Veles day (second Veles). According to the weather of that day, they judged what kind of spring would be: if the thaw is early and warm, the cold is cold, the snow is lingering and rainy, and the starry night is late. According to the snow that fell, they guessed about the harvest of bread: if it snowed in the morning, early bread would be born, if at noon - medium, and if by evening - late. Drops foreshadowed a good harvest of wheat, and the wind - the fertility of fruit trees.

February 16 - they repaired a harness for the summer. On this day there were buffoons. They noted: if you don’t sew today, then the clothes of the household will be torn at the wrong time. On this day, a whip was tied to the horse, onuch and mittens of the owner, so that the brownie would not drive it to death.

February 18 - Cow Death roams. To protect against it, bast shoes soaked in tar were hung in the stables, and women plowed the village with noise and roar. Hell spirits look into chimneys and enter houses. To protect against them, chimneys were fumigated with thistles and even smeared with clay for a while. It is customary to commemorate the dead.

February 19 - on this day, the hostess in the barn bowed salting to all corners and sentenced:

Domozhyrushko,
Poi-feed the cattle,
sing and save
Yes, drive smoothly.

The brownie was left in the barn a vessel with fresh milk and bread crumbled into it.

February 20th - prepared potions and decoctions from the mighty woman (cinquefoil). It was noted: blue clouds float high - to good weather, low - to heat, and if it starts to melt from the north side - to a warm summer. Witches and healers are born on this day.

24 February - Veles day (second Veles, Veles beast). It was believed that this holiday of the cattle god is the main, the most ancient, because, unlike the other Veles, it retained the date and name despite Christian prohibitions and the passage of time. As the Slavs believed, on this day Veles comes to the aid of Spring and beats off the horn of Winter. On this holiday, sacrifices were made to Veles from milk, butter, cottage cheese and cheese.

February 26 - people went out to the fields, called out to the stars and deceased loved ones; they looked at the sky for a long time, remembering their kind, and believed that vigilance would come to their eyes from the stars.

February 27 - born on this day trampled the salting snow around the garden, creating a protective circle.

28th of February - Winterthorn. Spring and winter are fighting. On this day, the shepherds called out to the stars, conjuring them to help in the offspring of the sheep and their protection. After that, the owners treated the sheepdogs. Also on this day, they "zorn" yarn, i.e. women took a skein of the best yarn and put it out at dawn, believing that the yarn after that would be clean, white and strong. Even on this date, the seeds prepared for sowing were exposed to frost on the "Three Dawns". Born on this day, for the gain of health from cattle, they brought a newly born goat or sheep, or a sheepskin coat or a sheepskin hat.

February 29 - day of misfortune. People believed that nothing good could happen on this date. D. Dudko considers this day dedicated to the underground destroyer Viy (by analogy with the destructive views of him and St. Kasyan, to whom Christians dedicated February 29). It is possible that this holiday appeared during the time of syncretism, when the solar calendar of the Slavs was replaced by the lunar calendar of the Christian church.

In February-March, three sliding holidays are celebrated - Maslenitsa, Horovino Sunday and Gluttonous Friday.

Small Maslenitsa or Maslenitsa of the Dead separated from the main one on a non-holiday day and took place before Shrovetide week. On the indicated holiday, they baked some pancakes and invited the deceased relatives to help themselves. The children asked the traveling adults: "Are you bringing Maslenitsa?" Those who answered "No" were beaten with impunity with bast shoes.

Maslenitsa week - the eighth from the Easter holiday when counting towards the beginning of the year (if we take Forgiveness Sunday as the first in the count, then Easter will be the eighth). It was considered a sin not to "walk" this week. Feasts, games and songs demonstrated the victory over winter, real and invoked abundance. Once Maslenitsa week began seven days before the spring solstice, and their rites were merged.

The first day is a meeting. On this day, those richer people were already starting to bake pancakes. Before that, the dough was taken out into the yard and asked to blow on it for a month. It is noteworthy that the pans of the Slavs were made in such a way that a solar cross was baked on a baked pancake. Part of the baked pancakes was given to the beggars in remembrance of the deceased parents or, for the same purpose, was placed in the dormer window.

Day two - tricks. On this day, boys and girls were invited to eat pancakes and ride the slides. The newlyweds were arranged for bathing in the snow: they were laid in a specially dug hole and covered with snow.

Day three - gourmet. On this day, mothers-in-law prepared the table and invited relatives to entertain their son-in-law, after which they invited him himself. On this day, the peasants, boasting, took out a pot or an earthenware dish with pancakes for the oncoming ones.

Day four - wide. On this day, the skating began in the streets. Pancakes were already baked by all classes. Women made a doll from straw and dressed it in old rags (both straw and clothes were pooled from all over the village / clan). Swings and patchwork booths for buffoons were arranged, tables were set up for refreshments.

Day five - mother-in-law evenings. Since the evening, the son-in-law invited the mother-in-law (sometimes - with all her relatives), and in the morning he sent mummers, "called" to her and arranged a feast.

Day six - sister-in-law gatherings . Young daughters-in-law invited relatives from the husband's side to their place, especially sister-in-laws. On the streets, young people built snow towns and took them by storm, thus symbolizing the victory of Spring over Winter.

The seventh day is forgiven. On this day, they commemorated the dead, ate pancakes and scrambled eggs (symbols of the sun). They rode on sleds. They burned the doll with songs, while putting on masks, so that Morana would not take revenge on the offenders later. The youth asked for forgiveness from the older ones, thus symbolizing the departure not only of winter, but of all evil from human souls.

The next from the seventh day took place Maslenitsa tuzhilki - finished eating pancakes, cleaned houses, washed in a bathhouse and arranged fistfights (“to shake out the last pancakes”). Early in the morning, the boys, armed with tongs, broomsticks and frying pans, went from house to house and shouted: “We rolled Shrovetide, we lost Christmas time. The light is our Shrovetide dear! Where did you spend the night? on the horn, and you, honkers, don’t honk, and you don’t wake up Maslenitsa.

The following songs were sung at Maslenitsa:

1) Our Shrove Tuesday,
Our annual Shrovetide!
Our Shrovetide is annual,
She is a dear guest
She is a dear guest
She does not walk to us,
She does not walk to us,
Everything rides on stones,
Everything rides on stones!
So that the horses were black,
To keep the servants young.

2) Maslenitsa-wryneck,
We treat you well!
With pancakes
with loaves,
With dumplings.

The next Sunday after forgiveness - Khorovino . On this day, the young took the chorus - the mother-in-law. The son-in-law went out to fetch his mother-in-law on a horse harnessed to a sleigh, and on the way back, when passing through the village, they were met by local boys who whipped the passers-by with brooms and threw snow.

On the third week after Forgiveness Sunday - Grumpy Friday. On this day, the son-in-law invited his father-in-law and mother-in-law to sip pea jelly with hemp oil.

March

March in Russia was called Berezozol, Zimobor, Dry, Kapelnik, Sokovik and Protalnik.

March 1 - it was believed that on this day Zhiva comes to earth from Iriy, and Yarilo finally finishes off Zima with a pitchfork. People sing spring calls, girls lead "Yarilin" round dances. Pregnant women go out into the sun. They collect snow to treat fevers.

2nd of March - Yarilo comes with a plow and a harrow. Kikimorin day. Spring intoxicates evil spirits. On this date, people did not expect anything good, but, on the contrary, they tried to protect themselves, especially at home, since it was the "home" evil spirits that were especially rampant at that time.

March, 3rd - Yarilo tells the birds to sing. On this day, they revered the bird oatmeal - a messenger of warmth and baked pies from oatmeal, but by night they closed the pipes of the furnaces, and the fires were fumigated with thistles: evil spirits in the form of birds broke through the furnaces into the house. On this day, singers, sorcerers and those conceived on the Kupala night are born.

March 4 - on this day they baked round bread and raised it to the sky three times on an embroidered towel, thanking the gods. Then the bread was divided among themselves and neighbors, and the crumbs were thrown to the birds over their heads, behind their backs (it was believed that if you throw bread back, there will be a lot of it "in front", i.e. in autumn). Burning fires in the fields.

5th of March - on this day, the peasants tried to take fire from the forge from the blacksmith (and the blacksmiths did not give fire or coals so that the forge would not cool down) and bring it into the field, thereby strengthening the union of land, plows and harrows. Old women baked "kokurki" (round koloboks in cow butter). It was forbidden to look at shooting stars.

March, 6 - the movement of juices in maples and birches begins. By what this day will be, they judged what the whole spring will be like.

March 13 - Dropper. There are usually thaws on this day. Collect pine buds.

March 14th - Oatmeal. In some regions of Russia, larks were baked and thrown up on this day, as well as dumping snow from the roof, burning bonfires and Mara, and drinking melt water to the sick. Girls with pancakes and donuts went out to the threshing floor to call for spring. They hung some of the donuts on stakes so that the threshing floor was full of bread (or they put the donuts on a pitchfork, climbed onto the roofs and invited summer from there). Lada (in my opinion, the calendars speak of the patron saint of the day) unlocked spring time with a key of water, in return locking winter time. Groundhog announces spring.

March 15th - Windmill. On this day, the wind could cause serious damage. A person born on this date also looked like the wind, which is why they boiled porridge for him with honey so that he would stick to his house with his thoughts.

March 16 - on this day people crossed the field, calling on the sun.

March 17 - return of vyriy (birds that flew to Iriy for the winter). On this day, kikimors became quiet, and they were driven out of their houses with scorched wool and conspiracies. They baked cookies in the form of rooks according to the number of family members.

March 19 - on this day, circles were trampled around the well so that the water would not overflow with drains (this was especially recommended for those born on this day). Also on this day they conjured swallows returning from Iriy.

March 21 - Lada's day. Its rituals are not yet known. In general, the existence of this holiday on this date is often questioned. It is only known that on this date they baked pike pies and drank tea from brewed willow bark. Willow earrings were baked into bread, which was served with tea, and the girls always ate three willow earrings, because the one who thought they were sweet was prepared for a wedding in the fall. The willow is silver.

March 22 - on this day, all the birds returned home. People baked pies and cookies in the form of larks, houses, bridges, stairs, etc. They conjured birds:

1) Larks,
larks,
Fly to us
bring us
Summer is warm
Take away from us
Winter is cold;
We have a cold winter
I got bored
Hands-legs
Frostbite.

2) Oh you larks,
larks,
Fly into the field
Bring Health:
The first is cow
The second is sheep
The third is human.

3) Titmouse sisters, tap dance aunts,
red-throated snowmen,
Well done goldfinches, sparrow thieves!
You fly freely
You live in freedom
Bring spring to us soon!

4) Bring spring
On your tail
On the plow, harrow,
On a rye pile
On an oatmeal.

Also on this day, forty bread balls were baked, and every subsequent morning they threw one of them out the window, thus appeasing the frost. On this day, women did not work.

March 23 - solstice. It was believed that it was on this day that the gods created the universe. The gates of Iria open (in my opinion, Lada in the calendars speaks of the patron saint of the day). The same goddess diverted melt water from the houses. Previously, this holiday was the last day of the Maslenitsa week and their rites were the same.

March 24 - the awakening of the bear and the forest evil spirits. People baked special dishes, put on sheepskin coats turned inside out, danced, imitating the movements of the birthday animal and tried to have time to speak to the cattle. On this day, the dawn blazes, flies in the wind like a cuckoo.

March 25 - clans of the Earth. It was believed that the Earth awakened from winter sleep begins to give birth. Snakes crawl out of Navi. On this day, horses were especially taken care of, and flax and hemp grains were thrown to the birds. From this date, healthy fogs began, and in those fields where they were especially dense, the best flax grew. They noted: if there is fog on this day, then a harvest for flax, oats and hemp is guaranteed.

Spring stars, frequent!
Come to my cattle in the manger,
Multiply and strengthen the profit in my household!
You are a clear month!
Come to my cattle in the cage,
Comb with your golden comb
Entangled in the black wind
On the ridge, on the sides wool!
The sun is omnipotent!
Go up to the stables, into the yard,
Take the black prize away from my cattle!

Animals and cattle began to molt.

March 30 - the awakening of the fish. It was believed that on this day the pike begins to break the ice with its tail. Everywhere sledges were replaced by carts.

There are also three sliding holidays in March: these are three parent Saturdays following one after the other. The first is celebrated on the second week from the seventh day of Shrovetide. These days they prepare a meal and eat it silently, symbolizing the proximity of Navi by silence.

April

The Slavs called this month Tsvetnya (Kviten), Dropper, Snegogon, Caddis, Krasovik, Solnechnik, Greenhouse, Aquarius.

April 1 - from that time canvases began to be whitewashed. They noted: if the water is noisy, then the grass will be good, and if it is quiet, vice versa.

April 2 - Well. People tried to drink water from wells, because on this day it has a special power.

April 3 - from that day on, they noticed: if the cuckoo sings before the forest is covered with leaves, then this portends a crop failure and loss of livestock.

April, 4 - sheep festival. People tried to take care of the sheep. Also on this day, a huge tree was carried on a sleigh, decorated with flowers and artificial fruits (possibly symbolizing the World Tree). I assume that this rite was the ancestor of the later tradition of putting up a decorated Christmas tree on New Year's Day. Also on April 4, parents spoke to children from illnesses and put rolls on the table. Blacksmiths-sorcerers were born. They noted: "if the sun is in circles, there will be a field in bread."

April 5 - carried out cleaning and burned ceremonial bonfires. Girls with pancakes and donuts went to call summer in the same way as they did on March 14th. In some regions of Russia, Frost was fed jelly, but they themselves ate this jelly with the whole family in a cold room. One of the guys in a turned-out fur coat scared the children before eating (such a fright and the subsequent joint meal symbolized the agreement between the beast and the children). The finches are flying.

April 6 - baked cookies in the form of crosses and agricultural tools. Roads deteriorate.

April 7 - bird festival. On this day, people released birds from their cages. Even on this day, they played games symbolizing the choice of happiness (for example, playing "Drema"). Also on April 7, the third meeting of spring took place (the first - in the period of February 1-15, the second - in the period of March 2-22), which was expressed in the jubilation of people and animals: "Spring overcame winter!" On this day, sinners are not tormented in hell. Thieves considered it a "professional holiday" and "stealed" for good luck for the whole year. The rain that day foreshadowed a bountiful harvest of rye.

April 9 - "lapwings arrive, they bring water on their tail." Old women select seeds for planting turnips. The sleepiest pikes break the ice with their tails.

April 10th - mother-and-stepmother blossoms. Carrying out the August wreath. Also on this day, the banks of the ponds were cleaned: dried thistles and burdock were cut down and garbage was burned on fires.

April 12th - on this day, the brownie is furious and spoils everything that is nearby. The reasons for this are listed differently: Christians say that he is marrying a witch, ignoramuses think that the brownie woke up from hibernation (having slept through his name day, or what?), And still others claim that "the old skin is peeling off the neighbor" (which can be considered a relic of those times when house snakes were called brownies). Also on this day, black sorcerers freeze (lose mobility until dark).

April 13 - on this day, family fires were honored: they brought fire to the fields and carried plows and harrows through it, burned garbage; the plowman was talking to the fry. Those born on this date were called firemen. Also on this day they played with chicken eggs and riddles related to them. It is still unknown whether this rite is a Christian overlay or a pagan heritage.

14th of April - the day of Lada and Lado. High water. It was noted from him: if there is a spill, then there will be a lot of grass, if the water goes on clear nights - to a fine cleaning.

April 16 - name day of the waterman. The owner of the rivers wakes up from hibernation, like his younger relative - the Ichetik. People threw black bread with salt into the pond. Also on this date, the father-in-law with the mother-in-law called the son-in-law for young beer. They noted: if the ice does not go, there will be bad fishing.

April 17 A cricket began to sing under the floor. The cranes gave voice, and the children greeted them:

Kurli, Kurli, Kurli,
Flying, flying cranes!
Curly-si, curly-si,
In Russia, in Russia!

Girls on this day went to watch how the alder blossoms (alder brides). Beekeepers noticed: if the alder blossomed magnificently, you can also get the hives.

20 April mermaids wake up. People make sacrifices to them: canvases or towels.

April 21 The sun meets the moon. A clear day portends good summer, gloomy denotes a quarrel of luminaries and a bad summer.

April 27 - Raven's holiday. Lisogon. On this day, the raven bathes its crows and lets them live on their own. Foxes move from old holes to new ones and, as it was believed, they see nothing at this time.

April 28 - on this day, bees are taken out of omshaniki for flying around and inspect the apiary. Also on this day, death is expelled and rain is conjured. Mokosh donate bread and eggs. Fever is treated with birch sap. Houses are being cleaned and washed.

April 30 - hives are placed in the apiary. It is possible that at the same time songs like this sounded:

You are a bee
The bee is fierce!
You fly out to sea
You take out the keys
Golden keys.
You close the winter
Cold winter!
Unlock the flyer
Letechko warm,
Letechko warm,
Bread summer!

In April, eight sliding holidays were celebrated. Basic - Easter . Until now, disputes have not ceased about whose holiday this is - pagan or Christian. A. Buenok, D. Dudko and G. D. Ryzhenkov consider it pagan. A. N. Afanasiev considers this day the holiday of the Lada-sun. E. Grushko and Yu. Medvedev suggest that this day was the holiday of Dazhdbog (the funeral of Kostrub). Religious scholars support these opinions, pointing out that some dates of the life of Christ fall on ancient pagan holidays of both the Semitic peoples and many others (for example, Christmas coincides with the winter solstice, etc.). However, I'm not jumping to conclusions yet, leaving readers to solve this problem themselves. As for Easter itself, it is from it that all moving holidays are calculated. Easter itself is defined as the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox (March 23).

From Easter come two Nava days . One is celebrated on the Thursday of the week before Easter, and the second on the Thursday after Easter.

On the first day, trebs were brought to the navyam - milk, meat and eggs, and after that (by nightfall) they heated the bathhouse and invited the dead to wash. Frost on this day left oatmeal pudding on the window. It was possible to meet evil spirits. In the farmsteads, bonfires were burned from heather and juniper, through which all household members jumped in order to protect themselves from spirits and diseases. The night on this holiday was considered a fortune-telling night.

On the second day, they boiled as many white eggs as there were dead in the family, and then they went out into the open, rolled the boiled eggs, and after that they ate them.

Sunday a week before Easter in willow buds they brought coastlines to the house.

Saturday before Easter - Relatives visited the newlyweds. People conjured Frost so that it would not destroy crops.

The Sunday following Easter was celebrated Krasnaya Gorka . On this day, people were forbidden to stay at home. The old people sat on the rubble, and the young people burned bonfires on the hills and led round dances. On this holiday, brides and grooms testified to the choice of their couple in front of Dazhdbog and people.

Third Sunday after Easter - Morgosier (female references).

On Tuesday, following Krasnaya Gorka, was celebrated Rodanitsa . On this day, the whole family went to cemeteries, covered the graves with a white tablecloth and arranged a feast in honor of the dead (perhaps ending with songs and festivities, later forbidden by the Christian clergy). The remains of the feast were distributed to the poor.

May

May in Russia was called Travne, Leafoluk, Rosenik, Yarts, Proletny and Ranopashets.

1st of May - on this day, the Western Slavs honored the green tree and its incarnation - Lada. Also, according to D. Dudko, on this day they also honored Zhiva. Eastern Slavs burned bonfires on "ash pans". The "ashpit" was a pit with a dug pattern in the form of swans, which, as it were, were surrounded by ditches-contours. Old straw and all the garbage accumulated over the winter, as well as clay bread, grain models, figures of animals and birds, miniature hatchets and vessels, were thrown into the "ash pans", after which the straw was set on fire. In the Czech Republic, this day was a cow holiday.

May 2 - on this day, the twin horsemen - Lelya and Polelya were honored. Also on this day, women with children, secretly from men, arranged a ritual of fertile magic: they organized a feast on the shore of a reservoir or in the forest. That is why this day is also called the women's name day, and the rite itself is a reference. Even on this day, women left a spread canvas with a pie on it in a field or meadow, called for spring and left. "They dressed the spring in novelty": new canvases were dried on the grass and bushes.

May 3 - the earth opens and releases the souls of the dead to relatives. Therefore, early in the morning, people brought treats to the birth eels (grave hills) and called on their yearning parents. Children played on the mounds with new toys, young people in the renovations made during the winter organized festivities and led round dances.

May 4th - Round dancer. The time of round dances began, which lasted until the Trinity. People curse evil spirits: this was usually done by old people outside the outskirts, facing the west. Young animals are born, fish are spawning in the water, and the bear begins to molt.

5 May - Lely's day. On this day, the following rituals were performed: a girl, who was called Lelei, was put on a turf bench, decorated with greenery, put a wreath on her head, put sour cream, bread, eggs, cheese, butter and cottage cheese around her, put wreaths at the girl’s feet and honored with a song:

Give us life and wheat
Lyalya, Lyalya, our Lyalya!
Haymaker in the garden
Lyalya, Lyalya, our Lyalya!
The ridges are even, the ridges are even
Lyalya, Lyalya, our Lyalya!

And the girl herself handed out wreaths to the singing.

the 6th of May - Yarilin day. On this holiday, a girl was put on a white horse, they called her Yarilina's bride and drove around the field. They drove cattle to pastures and on this day, as the first "working" day for the shepherds, they asked Yarila to calm the wolves. It was especially feared that the witches would spoil the cattle. They burned fires. From that day on, the plowing began. On this holiday, it was recommended to plow a new arable land. Early oats, barley and wheat were sown. Sometimes early sowing was carried out at night in order to avoid the evil eye. There were many signs for this day: abundant dew foreshadowed the harvest of millet, frost - the harvest of buckwheat and oats, a clear morning - early sowing, and a clear evening - late sowing. The hosts were pulled by the hair to thicken the life.

Rain, rain, more
I'll give you thick
I'll go out on the porch
Ladies cucumber,
Ladies and loaf of bread,
Rain, more water!
And for millet and rye
Water as much as you like!

Songbirds are flying.

May 9 - on this day, Mikula Selyaninovich was honored - the legendary hero-plowman, a symbol of the Russian people.

May 10 - name day of the Earth. The fact that this holiday took place exactly on the indicated date seems to be very, very controversial. He was mentioned only in two little-known primary sources (unfortunately lost). One of them indicated the date of the holiday, and in the second, which tells about the day of Mikula Selyaninovich, it was noticed that these two holidays are located side by side for a reason. The rites of the name day - on Spiritual day.

May 11 - sorcerers and healers caught the south wind at the crossroads in amulets, which bestowed health on the owner. Patients with spring fevers on this day were soldered with birch sap.

may 13 - rolled in the stored snow (which was collected on March 1), escaping from the March fevers that are still rampant.

May 14 - Ritual sowing. A ceremony was held to guarantee the harvest and protect it from bad weather and theft: in the morning, an uncombed woman in white stockings and a shirt sat on a harrow and rode it, saying: “As I am weighty and heavy, so my bread will be weighty and heavy on the strip, so that no one could take off or blow off the color on my strip, and so that the rain would not wash and the person would not take off, besides me - the hostess.

May 15 - sowing bread. We tried to sow early and for the growing month. Three handfuls of stolen goods were mixed into the seed grain. They did not blow up a new fire on this day. The oldest man began to sow. According to a number of personal signs, they guessed about the harvest. Also on this day, oats were sown. [But in general, they tried to time the first sowing of rye with the appearance of mosquitoes, and the sowing of oats at the time when the frogs begin to sing]. Nightingale day: the nightingale begins to sing. Birders try to catch a white nightingale (although usually such luck falls only to those who were born on this date). By the way, on this day, the birthday boy was supposed to plant a birch tree, which became his second mother. Merchants tried to sell something at a profit, so that they could be with a profit all year.

May 17 - boom driving. In the afternoon, women, gathered in groups, lined up in one line and, holding hands, singing the “arrows” song, moved towards the center locality. Each group sang the same tune, but in their own words. Having gathered in the center of a village or city, the groups joined in a round dance, and in this way they went into the field. When women passed through other villages, each hostess invited them and treated them, for which she was raised in her arms as high as possible ("so that the harvest was high"). Going out into the field, the most respected of the participants in the round dance buried bread and money in the ground. After that, the women rolled on the ground, which ended the ceremony.

May 19 - sowing peas and planting turnips (for a better harvest of turnips, a woman is recommended to wash before sowing, put on a clean dress, and let her hair down during sowing).

22nd of May - on this day, horses were driven out for night pasture. Vodyanoy was sacrificed, in particular - a horse skull. The rain that poured that day foreshadowed a rich harvest, but the wind that blew was considered to come from unburied bodies.

May, 23rd - (according to A. Buenok) name day of the Earth. In some regions of Russia, it was forbidden to disturb the birthday girl with plowing, while in others, on the contrary, it was believed that sowing on this date guarantees a bountiful harvest. Even on this day, the Earth swallows up perjurers and slanderers.

May 24 - fortune-telling about the weather for the summer. According to the humidity of the day, people assumed the humidity of the whole summer. Also on this day they could sow wheat, barley and oats. Forget-me-not blooms.

May 25 to June 25 - Lada time. Every day there were songs praising this goddess.

May 25 - rowan blossoms. The girls put on red sundresses to resemble this tree. They noted: the better the mountain ash blooms, the better the flax harvest, and the clear dawn guaranteed a summer rich in fires.

26 of May - the appearance of mosquitoes. A large number of them promised a harvest of mushrooms and berries.

May 27 - Day of Stribog and winds. Replacement of cold winds (seavers) with warm ones. On this day, they prayed to the lord of the winds:

Wind Vetrovich,
Don't get angry
In your far northern halls
All in abundance
And we have a little bit of heat.

Sowing early flax.

May 30 - day of rain. On this date, it was supposed to turn to Perun with prayers for moisture.

May 31 - unfolds Oak Leaf. They sow flax and wheat. Pike time. On this day, they noted: if the oak turns ahead of the ash, it will be a dry summer; "a leaf on an oak in a penny - to be spring so"; "If the crown of the oak tree has an edge, you will measure the oats with a tub."

Between May and June there are five rolling holidays.

Semitskaya (Green, Rusalia) week - the seventh week from Easter. At this time, mermaids run through the forests, dance, bask in the rays of the moon and lure passers-by in order to drown, spin to death in a round dance or tickle until they suffocate. The Slavs tried to keep amulets with them and, especially, wormwood, which can scare away mermaids.

The following holidays were celebrated this week:

Semik - Thursday at Rusalya week. On this day, the girls went to the forest and each mingled with the chosen birch. Also on this day, in order to get suitors and appease the mermaids, the girls wove wreaths, went into the forest, threw them and ran away. at that time the following chanting sounded:

1) Let's go, girls,
Curl wreaths!
Let's make wreaths
Let's curl green.
Stop, my wreath
Green all week
And I, young
Have fun all year long.

2) In a clearing, in a meadow
The birch tree bent.
The girls curled
Decorated with ribbon
The birch was glorified:
- White birch,
Come walk with us
Let's go play songs.

3) Do not rejoice, oaks,
Cheer up, greens!
Girls don't come to you
Not red for you
They don't bring pies to you,
Cakes, scrambled eggs.
Io, io, Semik and the Trinity.
Rejoice birches,
Rejoice green!
The girls are coming to you
Red for you
They bring you pies,
Cakes, scrambled eggs.
Io, io, Semik and the Trinity.

4) And densely thick leaves on the birch,
Oh, oh, oh lyuli, there are leaves on the birch.
There is no thicker one in rye, wheat,
Oh, oh, oh lyuli, in the rye in the wheat.
- gentlemen, boyars, peasant peasants!
Oh, oh, oh, lyuli, peasant peasants!
I can not stand, keep the ears,
Oh, oh, oh, lyuli, keep the ears.
Buen ear tends, buen ear tends,
Oh, oh, oh lyuli, the buen spike tends.

The songs indicate a sacred feast, which was arranged by women on that day: after kumleniya, birch branches were braided with a ribbon (making a swing for the mermaid) and under these "roofs" a meal was arranged, the main dishes of which were scrambled eggs, bread, pies and cakes. At night they left food and clothes as a sacrifice to the mermaids.

Klechal Saturday - Saturday at Rusal week. On this day, the ancestors leave the afterlife and live among people. For their sake, houses were decorated with fresh vegetation. Water at midnight begins to raise water from the banks. To protect against it, bonfires were burned along the banks all night. Mermaids came out of the forest and ran in the rye.

Trinity - Sunday at Rusal week. On this day, they tried not to go without wreaths. The rites of laying new houses began.

Whit Monday - Monday after Trinity. On this day, the Earth is a birthday girl. Nobody worked. It was forbidden to jump, jump and stomp. The Earth was asked for forgiveness, thanked and asked to be protected from troubles. They sacrificed to the field worker (they tried to bring a couple of eggs and an old voiceless rooster stolen from the neighbors so that no one would see).

June

June was called Kresnik (from "kres" - lightning, spark, soul), Cobweb, Khleborost, Roznik, Izok (Grasshopper), Hoarder, Chervets, Svetozar, Svetloyar, Raznotsvet and Strawberry.

2 June - planting cucumbers. They noted: if it rained on this and the previous day, then the month will be dry.

June 3 - on this day they sowed buckwheat, barley, late wheat and flax. Songs were sung to Flax:

Sow, young, lenka,
With rain on the current.
You grow, grow, lenok
Thin, long and tall
In the land of the root,
What is down stocky,
And up is a family man.

They noted: if it is rainy on this day, then autumn will be rainy; and if it rains with hail, then on December 3 there will be snow with grits.

From 4 to 12 June - girls are born, appointed as a sacrifice to the snake (lizard, Chernobog).

June 4 - on this day, the Eastern Slavs honored Yarila, and the Baltic - Yarovit. Witch doctors collected herbs with sentences. Basilisks are hatching. The nightingales begin to sing.

June 6 - the funeral of Yarila and Kostroma. Yarila was depicted as a straw effigy in the form of an old man with a huge phallus. After the funeral procession, having passed through the village, went out into the field, the effigy was buried in the ground. At the same time, women, crying, "remembered" the sexual power of Yarila, and the men were joking. Kostroma was represented by a straw doll or a young girl. The doll or girl was dressed in a shroud and green oak branches, carried in a funeral procession, and then lowered into the water. The doll sank, and the girl swam up and went to dry. Rosehip blooms.

June 7 - dead dews fall out, which are capable of sending the disease. Planting cabbage. If there are many flowers on the mountain ash, there will be a good harvest of oats.

June 8 - The earth is shaking. It was forbidden to travel on this day. The women took out the pots and pots under the flowering bushes of currants, gooseberries and wild roses, "getting rid of the stuffiness." On this day, potters are born who are able to find "living" clay and negotiate with the Earth.

the 9th of June - it was forbidden to wash dirty linen in public: both revenge and excessive chatter, since it was believed that Yaga (according to my version, the calendars say about the patron saint of the day) will spread what he saw and heard around the world. Rituals were held in the field.

June 11th - on this day they sowed buckwheat and fed livestock with pastries. The youth went to the field and conjured rye (like: "Grow grass to the forest, and rye to the barn").

12 June - planting beans. They were planted after being soaked in "winter" water, which was obtained from the last snow and specially stored. Also, before planting, the beans spoke in every possible way. On this day, snake weddings begin, so forest reptiles are especially dangerous.

Mother rye is earing,
In the rye, the pig is farrowing,
Seventy pigs, yes all pigs,
All pigs, yes all motley,
Their tails are pointed.

They rode on the shoots of rye and said: "Grow grass to the forest, and rye to the barn!"

June 15 - "curling loaches". This was the name of the summer round dances, accompanied by weaving wreaths.

June 16 - on this day, they conjured the winds and noticed where they would blow from: the southern one - for the harvest of spring crops, the northwestern one - for damp summer, the eastern one - for diseases. In the evening, they call out to the wind and ask: “Blow it with warm warmth, you spill it, wind-wind, on mother rye, on spring spring, on the field, on meadows, life-giving rains, by the time and by the time.”

Let's go, Thunder, let's go for a walk!
I am with the rain, and you are with the lightning.
You will burst, and I will smash it around the world.

After sunset, the old women gathered outside the outskirts and, waving their hands, prayed for the wind, so that it would not harm, but bring benefits.

June 18 - "sparrow nights" ("rowan nights"). The shortest nights of the year. It was noted that if the weather is clear and warm that day, the grain will be large.

June 19 - weeding. Preparations are underway for mowing and the second plowing of fallow fields. If the rains are charged, the children beg for the sun.

June 20 - they noted: if it’s clear, the bread will be good, if it’s rainy - with a skinny filling. The girls were forbidden to remove the belt, so as not to run into evil spirits.

21st of June - Stormy day. Weeding and removal of manure. On this day, the well-dwellers wondered about the place for the future well: in the evening they overturned the frying pan to the intended place, and at sunrise they raised it and looked to see if it was covered with moisture. It was noted that the rain on this day portends hay. A. Asov considers this day a Lada holiday, which has not yet been proven.

June 23 - the evil spirits are furious on this day, rolling on the grass, dividing duties - to whom how to harm people.

June 24 - Solstice, Yarilino field, Wedding of the Sun and the Moon. Initially, this holiday and Kupala night were a single celebration. It was believed that on this day (as well as July 7 and July 12) witches are especially strong. After the change of calendars and the division of the holiday into two, all the rituals were transferred to Kupala, and the Solstice had only the tradition of lowering burning wheels from the hills.

27th of June - in some regions of Russia, Yarila's funeral took place on this date. But in general, on this day, women, secretly from men, sewed an outfit for Zhiva. The next morning they went into the forest and looked for the grass "cuckoo's tears." The grass was uprooted and dressed in prepared outfits. The branches of the birches standing nearby were twisted into a cradle by a woman, they threw a scarf over it and laid a doll. Going home, the doll was taken with them.

June 29 - (according to A. N. Afanasyev) games of the sun-Lado. It was supposed to treat the workers who manured the fields.

In June, three moving holidays were celebrated. Thursday after Trinity Trinity of the dead or crooked Thursday . On this day, they treated the dead and the brownie.

On the following Sunday after the Trinity, the Rusal (Rusalye) conspiracy was celebrated . On this day, they made a doll depicting a mermaid and threw it into the water, conjuring to take extra rain with them. Personal comment - the author himself had the opportunity to verify the effectiveness of this rite.

Monday after the Rusal Conspiracy three kites were buried, thus symbolizing the death of Chernobog. Two birds were burned, and the last one, with its paws tied, was buried, after which a feast was held with songs and dances.

The funeral of a kite could be carried out in two ways. Firstly, in the morning, the housewives drove the chickens out of the hut through a knife or an ax; in the afternoon, the women went to the pasture, where they sang, waving their handkerchiefs towards the forest:

Oh, shulyaku - black bird, don't fly to us
Don't grab our chickens.

The men brought dead kites tied on a stick, the women went with them into the forest, broke green branches there and, waving them, cursed:

Black bird, our death
Don't bother us
Knead.

After that, the kite was buried and danced on his grave.

In another version, the women made a "shulyak" from scarves, put it on a large canvas, at the corners of which heaps of grains were poured, and put bread, onions, cheese and meat between them. Turning the "kite" to the meat, they said: "do not go to the chickens, but go to the bastard." Then the "shulyak" was torn to pieces, they had a feast and treated each other with vodka with the words: "Drink, kumo, Shulyak did not drink chickens."

July

The Slavs called July Stradnik (from "strada" - harvest, haymaking), Lipets, Senozharnik, Senostav, Zharnik and Groznik.

July 1 - (according to some researchers) one of the holidays of Yarila. Sickles were sharpened, beds were stuffed with straw and herbs against diseases.

Roy, buzz, go to the fields!
Go from the fields, bring the honey!
3 July - cobweb day and day of sparrowhawks. Bird-catchers look at the winter crops: if cobwebs and midges fly over them, then quails will also gather there. Hunters tried to catch at least one bird that day for good luck. It was considered especially lucky to catch a white quail. They noted: if it rains on that day, it will go for forty days; if the frogs croak and fall silent again (from the cold) - there will be cold, "when the bread is showing off." Children collect lime blossom.

5'th of July - on this day, the girls, having gathered in the house of one of their friends, cooked barley porridge, which they ate in the evening of the next day.

From 6 to 7 July - on this day they bathed in a bathhouse, washed children in forest springs, made wreaths and treated the poor. And with the onset of darkness, the Kupala night began. People went to the forest, where they burned bonfires, jumped over the fire, danced round dances, swam in the river, burned the "witch" - the skull of an animal, looked for a fern flower that gives wealth and good luck. Married couples and widowed people made love in the forest, transferring the power of fertility to the earth. The holiday was dedicated to the sun. Where does its name come from - Dazhdbozhya or Kupala (from "copolo" - the archaic name of the sun). On this day and this night, the following songs were sung:

Girls, women -
To the Bath!
Ladu Lada,
To the Bath!
Oh who won't come out
to the bathhouse,
Ladu Lada,
to the bathhouse,
Oh he will
Stump-deck,
Ladu Lada,
Stump deck!
And who will go
to the bathhouse,
Ladu Lada,
To the Bath!
And he will
White birch!
Ladu Lada,
White birch!

July 7- Yarilin day. On this day, women rolled on the rye, and the merman started his games. It was the first mowing. It was believed that on this day in the forest you can easily meet a goblin and conclude an agreement with him. It was believed that on this day (as well as June 24 and July 12) witches are especially strong. They collected earth from under the temples for subsequent dissolution in water and the treatment of fevers.

July 10 - signs about Indian summer. Hay and hay. They noted: if it rains on this day, then it will be wet until Indian summer (September 14).

July 11 - Nettle spell. It was believed that from that day the nettle was the last time in its healing power, and therefore they whipped each other with nettle brooms. The sun plays, the lightning "breaks" the bread.

July, 12 - Yarilin day. Throughout the night preceding this day, people laid out fires on the hillocks and, in anticipation of the sun, spent their time in songs and games. The ritual "wheel" was carried out (two wheels were secretly obtained, on which a guy and a woman were planted, depicting the bride and groom, all the ceremonies were performed from matchmaking to wedding). The sunrise of the luminary was greeted with a loud cry, after which all the women took off their sundresses, loosened their hair and ran around the village, pursued by the guys. Those who did not take off their clothes had their shirt collars torn or their belts pulled off. Girls at this time whistled, danced and sang. [I note that none of the primary sources says that this erotic act-out turned into something more - a note by Lifantiev S.S.] Also on this day, meat sacrifices were made, and washings were also made from three keys. People watched the sun "play". It was considered dangerous to swim: the merman was looking for a victim. From that day on, the season of fairs began. In some areas, Kostroma was buried on this day. It was believed that today (as well as June 24 and July 7) witches are especially strong; some pursued people, turning into a rolling wheel. Cuckoo cuckooing on this day prophesied mass misfortunes. According to the old style, on this date, cattle and people were chosen for sacrifice on Perun's Day.

the 14 th of July - haymaking and weeding gardens. Women's sips with obligatory vegetable food, porridge and chicken.

July 15 - A. Buenok believes that this is the day of Beregini-Earth. On this date, women took out towels with protective signs, and men, moving away from haymaking, swam in the river and wiped themselves with these towels. In times of syncretism, this day was called the "Beast Mother of God".

July 17th - girls on this day guessed by flowers (went through twelve meadows, collected twelve flowers, put them under the pillow to see the groom in a dream). Mothers, on the other hand, always cooked oatmeal jelly flavored with ripe berries for the girls. Kissel was supposed to be eaten, and the bowl to be licked (as the jelly holds on to the edges of the bowl, so the girl will hold on to the groom).

July 18 - holiday of the month. People came out to watch him play in the sky. “A month plays - it saves strength”, “Under the playing moon and in the middle of a grain field, the young man matures”.

July 20 - Perunov day old style. In some regions of Russia on this day there was a sting of rye ("Perun's beard"). Despite the transfer of this holiday to August 2, I continue to celebrate it according to the old style, since the month of July itself was dedicated to the god of thunder, and August does not play its due role.

21 July - they noted: if blueberries ripened by this day, then rye also ripened, which promises a rich harvest.

July 22 - ant day. On this date, they look for oil whipped by ants on the Kupala night in anthills. This oil, according to legend, helps against all diseases and is only a short time at the top of the most deaf anthill, and you can carry it away only in glassware. According to the old style, Letnitsa, the wife of Perun, was revered on this day.

July 23 - ryasochnik. By this time the water was subsiding and many shells with pearls could be found on the shallows. The name of the holiday comes from the name of pearl jewelry (duckweed) on a festive girl's crown - a cassock.

July 24 - thunderstorms. The bright radiance of the constellation Stozhary portends a successful bear hunt.

July 25 - the end of haymaking and harvesting. Healing dew was collected, eliminating the evil eye and healing herbs.

July 29 - the day of Stribog (wind governor), the beginning of the harvest, late haymaking.

July 31 - Farewell to July. Bath day. Women piled sickles on the field and called the sorcerer in order to consecrate them, after which they washed themselves in the bathhouse with straw brooms.

There were three rolling holidays in July. The first one fell on the next Monday before the 12th . It was called Seeing the Mermaids. Round dances of women with stuffed animals gathered at a designated place, where they sang and danced. Then they were divided into two halves: some attacked the scarecrows, others defended them. The battle was fought with water and sand. In the end, the stuffed animals were torn to pieces and scattered across the field, and returned home with despondency.

Monday after the 12th - in some regions, the funeral of the kite-Chernobog-Shulyak took place on this day.

The third holiday took place in the first Sunday after the 12th. On this day, they burned a doll called the "crown of summer". As A. Buenok suggests, it was a holiday for Lada and Lelya.

August

August was called with honor - Serpen, Zarev, Zornichnik, Zhniven, Gustyr, Lenorost, Raznosol, Gustoed.

August 1 - Mokrids. The eldest woman in each family took a handful of ears of corn from her field and gave it to the birthday woman (born on that day). The same one, having collected bunches in a sheaf, tied it up with a towel and, undressing, entered the river, holding it over her head, after which she dipped and dipped the sheaf (this was how the rain was allowed to go to the fields). The ears floated away as a gift to the gods. According to the weather of that day, they recognized the weather for autumn: if it is wet, autumn will be wet, if it is dry, it will be dry. They also noted: the rain promised a good sowing of winter crops, but a crop failure for nuts; flying aspen fluff indicated that the aspen mushrooms were ripe. Gadflies bite the last day.

August 2 - Perunov day. On this holiday, the meat of bulls and deer was sacrificed. It was forbidden to work under fear of being killed by lightning on the spot. According to the version of A. Asov, there was a tradition to make a wish on this day and be sure that it would come true. Despite the fact that Asov has earned a reputation as a liar, this version is justified: by the time these lines were written, I myself celebrated Perun's Day six times, and while celebrating, I asked the gods to fulfill this or that desire, and I never had a reason to complain about that they were not fulfilled. However, I hasten to warn all lovers of freebies that when making a wish, four factors must be taken into account, since if at least one of them is violated, one cannot count on the fulfillment of a wish. These factors are:

a) Not everyone has the right to make a wish, but only those who deserve it by their deeds;

b) The desire must be expressed aloud in its most accurate formulation;

c) The desire should not run counter to Slavic ideas about legality;

d) The fulfillment of a desire should not globally affect the fate of other people.

On the day of Perun, such rituals are also performed: the first sheaf is sown, decorated with flowers and ribbons and placed in the "red" corner of the hut - Perun "in the beard". From the threshing of this sheaf, a loaf was solemnly baked and distributed piece by piece to all family members, after giving it to the eldest man from this family for blessing. The holiday of the goblin and the water. It was also believed that on this day the goblin opens all holes, and forest animals and reptiles roam free. Even on this day, a goblin is chosen to help the shepherd, who helps him graze his cattle.

August 4 - Letnitsa's day. On this day, they also did not work because of the fear of being killed by a thunderstorm. It was only allowed to dig up flower bulbs and pick wild berries. They noted: if the dew was plentiful, they expected gray flax (of poor quality).

August 7 - on this day, they wondered about winter: if it is light in the morning, the winter will be cold, if it rains, it will be snowy and warm. On this day, in some regions of Russia, Lada and Veles are honored by "curling the beard" of the cattle god in the manner of "curling Perun's beard" (see August 2). Fairs began in some regions of Russia.

August 9 - cabbage curls, colds begin. People threw birch twigs into the cabbage patch. It was forbidden to work in the field for fear of being killed by lightning.

11th August - frosts beat bread. People were afraid of the damp fog, which they called trouble. But at the same time, it was believed that on this day Yarilo walks the earth (according to my assumptions, the calendars say about the patron saint of the day) and "kalit" (paints) apples. It was noted: if there are no matinees (frosts) on this day, it will not freeze on September 5 either.

12th of August - on this day, witches "die", having drunk on stolen milk (you can revive a witch only if you burn her heels). On this date, a crow, a terrible animal howl and an earthquake are possible. It was noted: if at this time the days are cloudy and cool, you can not be afraid of rain, and if it is stuffy, painful and annoying insects, then it will rain.

August 14 - Medovki (on the waters). It was customary to unite the family in friendship and harmony, and the oldest man in the family to go out onto the porch and bring honey in combs to the wanderers for testing. Children praised the hosts for the treat:

God grant the owner many years.
And he will live long, do not anger the gods.
Do not anger the gods, drive God's bees,
Burning hot wax.

The day of the consecration of the wells (on any day when they wanted to appease the wells, they were fed with bread, salt and stolen borscht). The children sowed mak-vidun into the well, beat the water and asked the well man to give moisture to the earth. Horses were bathed on this day.

August 15 - second hay: end of haymaking. The last cucumbers, onions and garlic are removed from the garden. The whole family weaves a tribal wreath (from herbs that have not yet dropped a single flower), which is then hung in a red corner until spring. Horses are soldered through silver. The beginning of the flight of swallows.

August 16 - on this day, they wondered about the weather for October and winter. If there is a wind from the south and whirlwinds appear, we expected big snows in winter. And what is the weather on this day - this in October will prevail. Sometimes on this date, a whirlwind was interrogated about the weather in winter and this was done as follows: they took a knife and a rooster, went to the intersection of roads and waited for the whirlwind, stuck a knife into the intersection and, holding the rooster by the head, asked questions.

August 17 - fortune-telling about November: what is the weather on this day, the same should be expected in November. It's raining hay.

From 18 to 28 August - harvest. They reap on a holiday, with the whole world. Instead of money (which is not even mentioned), the owner prepares a plentiful treat for everyone. The assistants go dressed up in best dress And be sure to bring your own instrument.

The following songs were sung during the harvest season:

1) And spoke
arzhenoe zhito,
IN open field standing,
Standing in an open field:
- I do not want,
arzhenoe zhito,
Yes, stand in the field
Yes, stand in the field.
I do not want,
arzhenoe zhito,
Yes, stand in the field
Mahati spike,
And I want
arzhenoe zhito,
Tie into a bundle
Lie down in the shade.
And so that I
arzhenoe zhito,
Tied into a bundle
They chose rye for me.

2) We are already weaving-weaving a beard,
Veles on the field
Curling a beard
At our Rodovich
On the great field
On a wide strip.
(pagan interpretation of the author)

3) Reapers are young
Golden sickles!
You already reap, reap
Live, don't be lazy
And squeezing the cornfield
Drink, have fun.

4) Oh and thank God
What a living reaped!
What a living shook
And they put it in piles
On the threshing floor with haystacks,
In the cage bins,
And with the oven pies.

August 18 - the day of Veles the Zhitnik (Third Veles) and the day of the Harvester. To prevent evil spirits from settling in the pastures, at dawn they went into the field, taking hemp oil with them. Turning to the east, they said: "Mother-Cheese-Earth, take away every unclean reptile from love spells, turnover and dashing deeds!"; to the west: "Mother-Cheese-Earth, absorb the unclean power into the seething abyss, into the combustible pitch!"; to the south: "Mother-Cheese-Earth, quench all the midday winds with bad weather, calm the free-flowing sands with a blizzard!"; to the north: "Mother-Cheese-Earth, calm down the midnight winds with clouds, contain frosts with blizzards!" Each time they poured a little oil on the ground, and at the end they threw the whole bottle. On this day, the reapers rode along the compressed strip and said: "Stubble, Sap! Give my snare to the pestle, to the sack, to the beater, to the reel, to the crooked spindle." The hostess brought bread, salt and vodka into the field, and holding the first sheaf, she sang thanksgiving. Everyone drank and ate. It was supposed to eat raw onions with bread, salt and kvass, and hang bunches of onions in the rooms so that the air was purified.

August 19 - Yablonevka (on the mountains). Collection of apples. It was supposed to treat the poor with fruits. Beekeepers drown the first swarm in the swamp in order to protect themselves from spills. People sang "sunset songs".

August 20 - departure of swallows. Day of the sick and orphans. It was supposed to regale them with apples, honey and pies.

August 21 - Windmill. Warm winds are replaced by cold Seavers. On this day, it was customary to question them. Gathering again. They noted: what is this day, such is January, and the frost that fell at the end of summer is for the next year's harvest.

August 23 - Zorichnik. The peasants looked at the water at noon: if it was quiet, then autumn was expected to be quiet, and winter - without snowstorms.

August 27 - Day of the Winds. By their strength, the weather for September is judged: if there is a calm wind - by a clear and warm autumn, and if a snowstorm - by a rainy September. Sometimes leaf fall began from that day.

August 28 - Dozhinki. The last rye is silently torn by hand and made of it a "beard", they plant the most beautiful girl, they call her Talaka, decorate her and a sheaf with cornflowers. She takes him off the field. Everyone leaves the field with a song:

My jackdaw ahead
Carries golden keys
Opens the box
He takes out his shirt.
Tomorrow in the bath
On Wednesday for soap,
And on Sunday for a housewarming party.
It's time for the jackdaws to fly -
Feast to feast, clothes to peck.

The sheaf is carried to the hut and, together with Talaka, is placed in a place of honor. The owner gives her a gift and treats begin with her. When a sheaf is brought into the house, insects from the dwelling are driven out to heaven for snow. The third harvest feast is arranged (the first - in Zazhinki, the second - in the afternoon Dozhinki). According to the rites of another region, the last sheaf was cut and left in the field ("Veles in the beard" or from the barrenness of the earth; sometimes they feed livestock in winter in order to protect them from diseases). The reapers rolled across the field again with the same spell. Sickles were awarded and married, which did not cut hands during the harvest. Also on this day, cattle meat was sacrificed.

August 29 - Orekhovki (Khlebniki, Kholshovka, on-canvas). Collection of nuts. People wove a knotweed wreath out of rye. Departure of the last swallows.

August 31 - the day of the twin horsemen (Dazhdbog and Yarila). On this day, horses were revered and groomed. The beginning of leaf fall and women's gatherings.

There is one sliding holiday in August, but very few people know the date. It is only known that it takes place between August 2 and 28. During this period, on a stormy night, accompanied by the most terrible thunderstorm, all sorcerers and witches gather. I can assume that it is good magicians who are gathering, since their opponents are frightened by a thunderstorm (Perun is considered a fighter against any kind of evil spirits) or those that are just harmful magicians, and the thunderer is at war with them. However, this is only an assumption so far, since there is no detailed information about this holiday.

September

This month was called Veresen, Howler, Frowning, Rain Ringer, Zlatotsvet, Leaf Fall and Zorevik.

September 1 - beet harvesting begins. On this day in Russia they arranged a "marriage of a comin" or a "candle wedding". The first rite was as follows - they whitened the "comin", twined it with ripe hops and flowers, and when they lit the torches, they poured nuts, melon seeds, pieces of corned beef and clods of butter on them. The "candle wedding" went like this - a felled tree was placed, which was hung with fruits, melons and wax candles. They start celebrating housewarming. A warm wind on this day is favorable for the ripening of oats. It is believed that by the first day of September one can judge either the whole autumn or the whole month.

September 3 - noted: if the day is clear, then there will be good weather for another four weeks. If mice build nests in flax, then the winter will be snowy.

4 September - gossip fun. That night or the night of the next day, the goblin comes to the threshing floor to harm the sheaves, while taking on the appearance of a person familiar to the owner. For defense, the peasants gathered at night, put on sheepskin coats upside down, tied a towel around their heads, took a poker and went to guard the extension.

September 5 - flaxes beat. Frost. Cranberries, lingonberries and oats "came down". The cranes are starting to fly.

6 September - noted: if the day is quiet, then the flaxseed on the vine will hatch completely. If it rains, there will be a dry autumn and a good harvest for next year.

8 September - harvesting oats. The last sheaf with songs is carried away from the field and placed in the yard (or in the hut, in the red corner). In the evening, there was a treat with oatmeal pancakes and oatmeal on sour milk or water with honey (dezhen). When leaving, the guests thanked the hostess for the treat. It was believed that on this day the mountain ash is the birthday girl. Collected her and viburnum.

10 September - Stacker. All the bread is collected in stacks and taken out of the field. Hemp cleaning.

11 September - Collecting turnips. Birds begin to fly to Iriy. Witches on this day go around the yards and beg for alms, through which they then induce damage. If the cranes have already reached out to Iriy - by early winter.

12-th of September - Svytnik. On this day, barley bread and barley porridge were served on the table. Collection of medicinal roots and cranberries.

September 13 - Crane party. Flight of cranes. Harvesting carrots and beets. Also on this day, potatoes are removed from the gardens, brought to Russia much later than Epiphany.

September 14 - Indian summer begins. Sowing of winter crops. Birds fly away to Prav, snakes crawl away to Nav. On this day, girls, dressed up, bury flies and cockroaches in vegetable coffins, saying: "Flies, you flies, mosquito friends, it's time to die. Fly to bury the flies." The devil measures the sparrows with a yardstick: how much to take and how much to release, so the sparrows are nowhere to be seen. The fields are plowed from evil spirits. From that day on, the wedding season began. Also this day was a holiday of dog hunters, and they arranged the first trip for hares and foxes. It was believed that the eel is capable of walking three miles through the meadows on this date. At the same time there was the last thunderstorm. In some regions of Russia, Ovsen was celebrated on this day. Housewarming on this date foreshadowed great happiness. A rainy day promised a dry autumn.

September 18 - Feast of witches. On this day, they tried to honor all the priests, sorcerers, sorcerers and magicians as best as possible. On this day, the Ichetik goes into hibernation. Kumokhu was expelled.

September 19 - first brother. The whole clan or the whole village gathered together and, turning to the gods, solved worldly and family affairs, after which everyone reconciled and arranged a feast in a pool. The ritual dish of the bratchina was the meat of a bull or a ram, which was obtained in a clubbing, and beer was a drink. Frost.

September 21st - the day of Ovsen, otherwise - the day of Mokosh and Rozhanits, otherwise - the day of the Family and Rozhanits, otherwise - autumn. On this day, early in the morning, women go to the banks of rivers, lakes and ponds to meet autumn. An older woman stands with oatmeal while the younger ones sing songs around her. After that, the bread is broken according to the number of participants in the ceremony and these pieces are fed to the cattle. Recently married people arrange a treat for relatives. The owner took the guests to the yard, showed the barn and treated them to beer. In ancient times, meat sacrifices were made to the gods on this day.

September 22nd - autumnal equinox. Downfall day. The rites are unknown, but it is possible that they are used the day before.

23 September - the day of the collection of mountain ash. Part of the mountain ash was always left on the bush - for birds. A. Asov suggested that this day belong to Veles the mountain ash (the Fourth Veles), and this idea seems to me quite justified. It was noted: if there are a lot of mountain ash in the forest, rainy autumn is planned, if there are few, vice versa.

September 24 - the end of Indian summer. On this day, women covered their heads with bright scarves in anticipation of colorless days.

September 27 - chopping cabbage. Girls in rich attire went from house to house with songs in order to chop cabbage, and after the girls the guys with their gifts appeared, looking for brides. In houses where cabbage was chopped, tables were set with snacks and beer. The hay removal begins. Frogs, mice and snakes go into the ground. People do not go to the forest, fearing to get into a gathering of snakes and foresters, who say goodbye to the beast until next spring. In some areas, this was the feast of the barn, it was believed that before this day it was impossible to heat the barn, otherwise it would burn. The ovinnik was treated to porridge, pies or a rooster.

September 28 - harvesting tops and shearing sheep. The geese fly away to Iriy, and the children shout after them:

Tiga-si, Tiga-si,
In Russia, in Russia.
Toga-toga-toga
Wheel road.

On this day, they threw a goose without a head to the water man (they left the head for themselves, so that the yard would not notice the damage).

September 29 - fortune-telling about winter on a bird's bone. The whole family looked at a duck or goose bone and, by how much it was covered with fat, they judged what kind of winter it would be: a skinny, lean bone promised a mild winter, and a bone with a fatty slough said that winter was coming fierce. Those born on this day have a special voice, comparable to a bird's.

September 30th - woman's name day (weeping). It was supposed to women on this day to expel all the longing from themselves by crying. By this day, they tried to coincide with the end of field work. It was also believed that on this date "moose celebrate a commemoration in the summer."

October

He was called Listopad, Pozimnik, Zhelten, Kastrychnik, Gryaznik and Svadebnik.

October 1 - departure of the last cranes. If the cranes flew away by that day, then the first frost was planned in two weeks, if they were delayed, then in a month.

2 October - wrapping beehives and their cleaning in omshaniki. Also on this day, parties were held at which boys and girls chose their mate. End of white mushrooms. Possible first snowfall.

October 3 - windy day. They noted: the north wind - the cold is close, the south - to heat, the west - to moisture, the east - to clear weather. Even on this day, millers were honored and offerings were made to them. And that family, in which one of the relatives drowned, prepared for him (the drowned man) an update - a dress or a shirt.

The 4th of October - matchmakers, the so-called rite of passage "yards". Mothers wash their brides for the last time in the "women's corner" on the straw. The earth and winter crops are fed with ash (they take it to the fields). Even on this day, the “leaf-cutting” wind was driven from the yards so that wealth and happiness would not disappear. It was noted that the weather of this day will last four weeks unchanged.

From October 5 - Fever time. If a leaf has not fallen from a birch, the snow will fall late.

October 6 - on this day, they always stoked the stove and looked to see if it was smoky, not carbon monoxide? Prepared washing in it. New stacked stoves were sure to glorify [I think, however, that the old ones were not overlooked either - note by Lifantiev S.S.].

October 7th - the day of the ovinnik, bean and ryzhnik (day of Fire). In the morning, the first "threshing" of bread begins (during threshing, ears of corn are stuck in the corners of the hut). Then the work stops. The threshers gather around the barn, treat the barn-keeper, and spend the whole night singing and feasting. Buckwheat porridge was cooked for threshers and barns. Sitting down for breakfast, the workers said: "A heap of bread for the owner of the fire, and a pot of porridge for the threshers." After the “threshing”, the oldest of the threshers cut grain from fresh aspen with a shovel and threw it into the wind towards the east, dedicating the first bread to the gods. It is possible that it was on this day that the first unthreshed sheaf was burned in the barn. On the same day, there were samples of "novi" - the first bread from the grain of the new crop. During this action, they washed their hands, ate bread (pulling on the ears, "so that it was sweeter") and carried the loaf to the Magi. Sometimes the test of bread took place in a different way: they baked a huge loaf, the head of the family hid behind him and asked if they saw him. When they answered that they did not see, he wished that they would not see him next year either. Also, this day was considered the last for picking mushrooms.

October 8 - the last day for cutting cabbage. The owner brought a pie and a rooster to the barn, put the pie on the window, bowed and said: "The barn, the barn, stay a little longer, and you, the barn, be kind and affectionate." After that, he broke off and ate a piece of the pie. Then he chopped off the head of a rooster, sprinkled blood on a barn, and the family ate the bird itself at dinner. From this day on, the winter path is established in four weeks.

October 10 - the cleaning of the hives is completed. On this day, the beekeepers asked the children to pray to the gods for the bees. Also (according to the lost original source) in some regions of Russia, it was on this day that the whole village mined "living fire" by friction and celebrated the beginning of the New Year.

October 11 - on this day it was supposed to teach young people to make crafts from birch bark.

October 13 - updating beds and burning junk. Children were bathed on the threshold of a sieve to protect them from diseases.

October 14 - according to the version of D. Dudko, Lada's day. All payments for work, hiring and transactions are ending. Women's work begins in the hut. A bucket of beer was sacrificed to the bean goose. Ovinnik was congratulated on the holiday and treated to porridge, pies or a rooster. They fed the cattle and held all-family gatherings (it was important to "sit out" with the whole family that day). During the gatherings, there were all kinds of pickles on the table, especially forest and field gifts.

17 October - a party of evil spirits. Before going to Nav for winter hibernation, forest spirits have fun in their own way: they break trees, make whirlwinds, disperse animals into burrows. People try not to go into the forest, because no amulets and spells will help on this day. With the first roosters of the next day, evil spirits fall into Nav, where they remain until the bear wakes up. "Winter puts on a coat." First snow.

From October 18 - it's time for weaving. First canvases. They start rolling boots.

October 19 - the accession of the Sivers. Conspiracies of bins. Wheat bread was baked to the birthday man of this day.

October 23 - signs for the month. People went out and looked at the month - "where the horns show, from there the winds will be" (if the horns pointed to the north, then the winter was expected to be fast and dry, and if to the south, then there would be slush until November). It is also the last day when flax is crumpled.

October 25 - 27 - guessed by the stars: bright stars promised frost and harvest, especially peas, dim - thaw; blue twinkling stars - snow.

27th October - Mokosh-spinning day. As a sacrifice to this goddess, yarn was thrown into the well. It was forbidden to spin on this date, only sewing was allowed. The one who laughed that day was punished with failures for the whole year. Mokoshi also put porridge and a spoon to it. To this day, the Kudelnitsa holiday was sometimes timed, which lasted about a week and began with the fact that it was supposed to weave an ordinary (i.e., made in one day) thing.

November

November was called by the Slavs Gruden, Bezdorozhnik, Listognoy, Snegovey, Poluzimnik, Icefall and Chicken Coop.

Nov. 1 - Meeting Winter. Holiday of the yard and grooms. The courtyard on this day braids the mares' manes into braids. The grooms are to rest. Winter birds are coming.

November 4 - change of autumn to winter. Meat holiday. The men were returning from the fields. A wedding held on this date is considered especially happy. If it rained that day, then cold weather was expected.

November 5 - repair of harness and sleigh. The girls for the grooms for the wedding departure decorated the reins with an ornament.

(Note: the parental night from 7 to 8 is not celebrated, since it was established (by Dmitry Donskoy to commemorate the ancestors who fell in battle) after the adoption of Christianity. However, among us the question of accepting this night as one of our holidays has been raised more than once).

November 8 - Bulgarians considered this day separating summer from winter and Old year with New. In honor of the holiday, a ram was slaughtered.

10th of November - Linens. Flax thrashing. Girls pray for grooms. The Koudelnitsa holiday was sometimes timed to this day, lasting about a week and beginning with the fact that it was supposed to weave an ordinary (i.e., made in one day) thing. All subsequent days, including this one, are preparing for Svarozhki: the girls gather together, the guys going to visit Svarozhki are obliged to grab wine for themselves and the owner, and sweets for his family.

11th of November - holiday sheepdogs. Shearing. We sewed mittens. It was customary to cook dishes from milk (cheese, cottage cheese) and eat them with the whole family, as well as take better care of the sheep. On this day, they thanked the shepherds and treated them with pies made from new flour. It is also possible that on this day one sheep was left in the field as a sacrifice to the Forest and its incarnation - the white wolf.

November 12 - the holiday of canine hunters. On this day, the hunters tried to hunt at least one hare so that they would not lose their luck for a year. Sinichkin holiday - it was supposed to feed winter birds.

November 14 - the day of Svarog. Svarog forges ice on water. On this day, chicken was brought to the table with honor, because it was believed that today they cannot be ignored. However, when eating chicken bones, they did not break, so that ugly chickens would not be born later. The girls clubbing arranged gatherings and invited the guys. And the guys themselves on this day wore bright hats with the likeness of cockscombs. The Magi were carrying a chicken. Also on this day, they said: "With a brownie as with a family - either appease or expel!". Accordingly, depending on the nature of the brownie, he was either sacrificed or driven out with a broom. The ovinnik was honored with porridge.

From November 15 to January 16 - Supryadki. All this time, flax was spun under the illumination of a torch. Girls were specially invited to this case. From that time on, Swedish people (tailors) went around the villages in search of work.

15th of November - threshing. When drying and threshing, it was required to remember the ovinnik, bean and ryzhnik with a kind word.

November 16 - they tried to take a closer look that day - is the girl able to set up a weaving mill without the help of her mother: if it turned out that she could, she was considered a good worker.

20 November - freezing. "Two friends met - a ringing frost and a white blizzard."

November 21 - according to the version of A. Asov - the day of Semargl. On the one hand, it is not confirmed by anything, but on the other hand, one must someday honor this god. Also on this day, sacrifices were made to the courtyard. It was impossible to work in a barn. It was supposed to throw feasts and go to visit. "Winter forges frosts." It was noted: if on this day the path is violated (the road becomes sour), then this will last until December 19. If the morning is frosty, heavy snows are expected, and if it is foggy, thaws are expected. Also on this day, cattle were driven to winter fodder.

November 22 - they noted: if the goose goes out onto the ice, then the ice is still not strong. Cloudy snowy weather heralds rainy May. Hoarfrost - to frost and the harvest of oats, rain - to the harvest of wheat, fog - to the thaw.

November 27 - carded and wound yarn. The brownie was taking out a snack to the yard. End of wedding season. They noted: frost promised frost and a harvest of oats, fog - a thaw, and night frost said that snow would not fall during the day; crow's gray also foreshadowed a thaw.

November 30th - Somersaults. On this day, without exception, everyone was supposed to tumble on fresh white snow, rolling back from the last month of autumn towards winter.

December

The Slavs called it Jelly, Hmuren, Icefall, Zaledki, Rekostav and Wolf time.

December 1st - noted: what the weather will be that day, it will be like that in winter and early spring.

December 3- noted: what will be the weather on this day, this should be expected on June 3.

December 4 - the real winter begins (it is believed that she comes on a pinto mare). Horse festivities. They were supposed to start with newlyweds who had a wedding in the fall. They equipped a sleigh train with bells, which was joined by relatives and friends and went to the spouse's parents. Near the threshold of the parents, a sheepskin coat was laid inside out, on which the escorts passed the young father-in-law from hand to hand, and they thanked the escorts for saving her from all kinds of misfortune. The case ended in a feast.

From December 5 - a good toboggan run was established. People placed milestones along the roads. The time for fairy tales has begun.

December 6 - signs about June (the weather of this day was expected on June 6). All-village festivities: the whole village collected food, brewed beer and eggs, and all this, in an understandable way, resulted in a feast, accompanied by various games.

December 7 - Sannitsa. A young winter rides in a sleigh from the mountains. People also tried to keep up with the goddess on this day.

9th December - (according to D. Dudko's version) Yarilin's day. Nothing is known about his rituals.

12 December - noted: the morning is red - to be clear in December. If it snows, then the blizzard will last a week. If the field is smooth - wait for a crop failure.

December 13th - divination about winter. At night, people went to the river and, by the intensity of its noise under the ice, they judged the weather for the winter: it makes even noise - it will be even winter, and it boils - blizzard. On this day, you can adopt someone else's fate, so it was not recommended to step on someone else's trail.

December 16 - Silent. After sunrise, they tried not to sing, because the evil spirits can take away the voice.

December 19th - Second brother. A clan or village gathered together, sorted out worldly and family affairs, reconciled and arranged a feast in a clubbing. The poor were supposed to be treated with pies. According to A. Asov, the Black Sea Water Serpent was revered on this day. Given the presence of this archaic character in games, epics and images, one cannot deny the existence of the day of his holiday; however, it remains unclear where A. Asov pulled out this particular date. However, there is one analogue - on this day, a straw effigy depicting a man was thrown as a sacrifice to the merman (it is possible that this is an echo of human sacrifices).

December 20-21 - sewing with a mention of Mokosh. The girls guessed by the needle about the betrothed: they looked into her ear with a verdict.

December 22 or 25 - Solstice, Korochun, Dazhdbozhy day, Wolf day, the birth of the gods, the birth of the Sun. On this day, people gathered on the hills until dawn, burned fires, greeted the sunrise, rolled burning wheels, arranged feasts. Symbolizing the victory of the sun over winter, fistfights were organized on the ice of the rivers, which began with the "snowballs" of children, continued with a brawl of teenagers and ended with a clash of adults "wall to wall". "The bear in the den tosses and turns with the sun, winter walks through the yards in a bear's skin, knocks on the roof." It was believed (according to A. N. Afanasiev) that on this day Perun kindles the sun extinguished by demons with lightning. Before the change of calendars, the Solstice and the New Year were one holiday and their ceremonies took place on the same day.

(Note: I immediately draw your attention to the fact that the calendar solstices and solstices almost do not coincide with the astronomical dates known today. So I was not mistaken, but just followed the data of the primary sources, which, in turn (if we exclude the possibility of errors) , were based on folk traditions originating in ancient times).

December 22 - a holiday of pregnant women and beekeepers. Pregnant women were forbidden to engage in any essential work. They sewed a dowry for children. The wolves are staging.

From December 24 to January 8 - Gatherings (otherwise - hut gatherings): music, songs, dances, performances presented by mummers (the first plot is a bear, a goat and a counselor, the second plot is a gypsy and an old woman). All events were invariably accompanied by jokes. The meetings ended with round dances.

December 25 - (according to the versions of some researchers) the holiday of Rozhanits.

From December 26 to January 7 - fortune-telling about the weather for the next months: the weather of each day of these 12 corresponds to the weather of each month in the next year.

December 28th - Ridicule: guys and girls had a comic squabble, so that in the new year they would not accumulate resentment against each other.

December 29th - fortune-telling about Christmas time: if there is frost on this day, then Christmas time will be warm, and if it's frosty, it will stay until mid-January.

Night from December 31 to January 1 - they cooked porridge for Ovsenya all night: having brought the cereal, they did not touch it until the stove was heated, they put the pot in the oven with bows. By baking porridge, they guessed: thick porridge - for harvest, pale and liquid - for crop failure, and porridge will run away or the pot will crack - to trouble. Also that night the mummers walked

There was another sliding holiday - holiday of the family . Each clan, village or community celebrated it individually - on the day that was considered the date of the foundation of the village or clan.

List of used literature:

Beregova O. Symbols of the Slavs / O. Beregova - St. Petersburg: "DILYa Publishing House", 2007

Buenok A. Russian rituals and holidays [Calendar 2004] / A. Buenok - St. Petersburg: Trigon, 2003

Buenok A. Russian rituals and holidays [Calendar 2005] / A. Buenok - St. Petersburg: Trigon, 2004

Buenok A. Russian rituals and holidays [Calendar 2007] / A. Buenok - St. Petersburg: Trigon, 2006

Bus Cresen* (Asov A.) Velesen. / A. Asov // Science and religion No. 9, 1994 / chapters. ed. V. F. Pravotorov - M .: Press, 1994

Bus Cresen (Asov A.) Breast. / A. Asov // Science and religion No. 10, 1994 / chapters. ed. V. F. Pravotorov - M .: Press, 1994

Bus Cresen (Asov A.) Ovsen. / A. Asov // Science and religion No. 11, 1994 / chapters. ed. V. F. Pravotorov - M .: Press, 1994

Bus Kresen (Asov A.) Mythological Dictionary/Song of the birth of Kolyada. / A. Asov // Science and religion No. 12, 1994 / chapters. ed. V. F. Pravotorov - M .: Press, 1994

Bus Cresen (Asov A.) Serpen. / A. Asov // Science and religion No. 8, 1994 / chapters. ed. V. F. Pravotorov - M .: Press, 1994

Bus Cresen (Asov A.) Studen. / A. Asov // Science and religion No. 12, 1994 / chapters. ed. V. F. Pravotorov - M .: Press, 1994

Dudko D. Mother Lada. Divine genealogy of the Slavs. pagan pantheon. - M.: EKSMO, 2003

Ryzhenkov G.D. Folk Mental Book: Proverbs, sayings, signs, proverbs about seasons and weather. / G.D. Ryzhenkov - M.: Sovremennik, 1991

Shapovalova O. Russian rituals and holidays. [Calendar for 2006] / O. Shapovalova - St. Petersburg: Trigon, 2004

(excerpt from the book by S.S. Lifantiev "The ABC of a Beginner Pagan")

* As you probably noticed, the reconstruction used information from the articles of such an author as A. Asov, who is repeatedly and fairly criticized in the ABC of a Beginning Pagan. This is quite easy to explain: as you know, in order to make a lie believable, you need to mix a little truth with ordinary lies. And I used these very grains of truth from his works, as well as those logical chains that seemed to me consistent.

Most of the holidays of the ancient Slavs were magical rituals(ceremonies), which carried out the unity of man and nature.
The key holidays for the ancient Slavs were those with which the seasons were associated (spring, summer, autumn and winter), that is, the transition from one season to another. On such days, people laid down business or a kind of program for the entire subsequent astronomical year. In addition, these days served as a fulcrum for the start of harvesting or sowing crops, and the construction of important buildings began.
The ancient Slavic holidays were pagan, after Christianity spread to these lands, many of these rituals were slightly transformed into Christian holidays.
The ancient tribes of the Slavs lived according to the solar calendar, as a result of which all the rituals of the Slavs were connected and focused on the activity of the Sun.

pagan holidays

The main pagan Slavic holidays were:
– Kolyada or the birth of the Sun, celebrated on the day of the winter solstice;
– Christmas time- dealt with after 21 December;
– Pancake week served as a symbol of the wire of winter time;
– great day- the day of the vernal equinox and the beginning of spring;
– Mermaid week- seeing off the spring, held before 21 June;
– Ivan Kupala Day- summer solstice;
–Indian summer- seeing off summer;
– harvest festival- autumnal equinox;
And now it is necessary to consider each of the holidays of the ancient Slavs in more detail.
Kolyada played a special place.

Kolyada

21 December since ancient times and to this day is considered the day of the beginning of astronomical winter. After 21 December the god Kolyada was born and on his day they organized a holiday, accompanied by rituals. The people sang songs, glorified deities. The ancient Slavs rejoiced that starting from 21 December, the Sun will shine longer and longer, for which he was thanked. When Christianity became the state religion, Christmas was celebrated on this day. In the pagan circles of the ancient Slavs, this day began to carry out the birth of the gods.
21 December the ancient Slavs got rid of everything old, of all remnants and made wishes for the new year. Three days before the winter solstice and three days after were considered especially energetic, therefore, on this day, desires played a special force, it was believed that they could be more likely to come true.

Other pagan holidays

Christmas time

Christmas time was celebrated immediately after the winter solstice, in total they lasted for two weeks. During Christmas time, it was customary to guess.
Kolyada and Christmas time were winter holidays Slavs.

Pancake week

The the holiday was considered a wire of winter, and carried out with 12 on 20 Martha(week before Great day). During the week people cook pancakes with honey and other sweets.
In pagan mythology carnival is a character symbolizing death, as well as a cold winter. The week of Maslenitsa is the last, when winter still has power over the world. The forces of darkness are having fun for the last time.
We greeted the day with singing on hills and hills. The Slavs made a effigy of straw, representing the character of Maslenitsa, then the effigy of Maslenitsa was dressed up in women's clothing. Next to this scarecrow, the Slavs baked pancakes and had fun, moving down from these hills.
During the week, people visited guests and spent evenings at the table. For entertainment, they also arranged fist gods, various staged performances, skated on ice, threw snowballs, went and had fun at fairs. In recent days, with the help of clay whistles, people have called for spring. These sounds were something like birds singing, arriving with the onset of heat, that is, with early spring.
Children made small effigies from straw, although they were more like dolls, they were thrown into the fire in recent days. A large effigy of Maslenitsa was burned on the last day.

great day

celebrated 21 March, it is at this time that day equals night - the vernal equinox. 21 Martha it was customary to dance round dances, various games, praise the pagan gods, on a given day from a mountain or any high point in the landscape they launched a wheel engulfed in flames. It was considered symbol of the sun, and the tongues of flame made the tongues of light.
Birds in 21 Martha were of particular importance, since it was believed that the souls of the departed were infused into the birds. To appease the ancestors of the birds, they were fed with cereals and bread crumbs. Toward evening, people gathered on the hills and feasted with the souls of their ancestors.
The holiday played a special role for those who decided to get engaged. 21 Martha in ancient times it was considered the most popular in order to play a wedding. In addition, even now, this day is the most popular for tying each other in marriage. On this occasion, there is one old Russian proverb, which reads as follows: "He who marries on Great Day will not divorce forever."
The holiday is also called Red slide. Most likely, this name was due to the fact that the ancient Slavs performed rituals exclusively on various hills: hills, hillocks, hills.
21 Martha no one worked, people rested throughout the day, work was considered a sin. The whole day had to be spent in the open air with a cheerful company.

Mermaid week

It is believed that the period from 14 on 20 June was a time for rampant forces of darkness, which meant divination. They guessed mainly for the future and for the narrowed / narrowed. In addition to divination, the ancient Slavs made wishes and prayed to the forces of nature to give generous gifts. This week was especially special for girls, because it was the most favorable for fortune-telling about their marriage.
This week it was strictly forbidden to swim in lakes and rivers. The whole reason is that these days were dedicated to sea deities: mermaids and other small gods.
Mermaid week was celebrated cheerfully, mainly on the banks of rivers, lakes, and also in forest groves.

Kupalo

21 June It is considered the beginning of astronomical summer, in addition to everything, this day is the longest of the year, and the night is the shortest. After Kupalo, the day shortens in favor of the night.
Celebrated summer solstice rather pompously, with many pagan rites. They made a big fire, through which they jumped all night, round dances were led around the fire.
By jumping over the fire, people were cleansed, and in addition, such a rite served as a talisman against evil forces.
21 June it was already allowed to swim - such bathing had a ritual character. For unmarried girls, Kupala was a special day, since right now it was possible to find a betrothed. Flower girls wove wreaths and let them flow along the river. The guy who caught the wreath should become the husband of the girl who launched the wreath.
Swimming in rivers and lakes was allowed. It was believed that the Kupala night was magical, at this time the line between the real world and otherworldly was the most subtle. People believed that animals talked to other animals that night, just like plants talked to plants. They even believed that trees could walk that night.
The sorcerers on Kupalo prepare special potions, mostly love potions. The herbs in Kupalo were especially strong.

Babino summer

This holiday lasts from 14 on 20 September. At this time, the ancient Slavs were harvesting and counting it, and also making reserves for the next year.

harvest festival

21 September It was the autumn equinox. The ancient Slavs performed rituals on this day, lit large bonfires, and led the so-called autumn round dances around them. People met autumn and saw off the warm summer. They spent the day very cheerfully, preparing delicious dishes. Mostly there were large pies, they meant a good harvest next year.
People wished each other all the best and hoped that all wishes would come true in the new year. In addition, the Slavs renewed the fire in their huts: the old one was completely extinguished, the ashes were raked out and a new one was bred.

Other holidays of the Eastern Slavs

Solar holidays were described above, but besides them, the Eastern Slavs also celebrated other significant days. They were dedicated to pagan gods. These days, pagan rituals and ceremonies were carried out.
Rites and rituals were performed for such gods: Veles, Yarilo, Perun and others.
Eastern Slavs always celebrated such holidays in the open air. Mostly the Slavs gathered in the forests, on the lawns. Hills, small hills, and hillocks were considered special places for holding such holidays.
Rituals served for the Slavs as a kind of means for conversation, communication, communication with deceased relatives, ancestors and with the spirits of nature.

We continue to introduce newcomers to the Slavic pagan culture. In this and the next article, we will briefly talk about rituals and holidays, how to prepare for them, how to behave on them, what to wear and much more. Traditionally, the Slavs have a rather extensive calendar of holidays. Some of them are known to everyone, like Shrovetide, Kolyada, Kupala. Little about others […]

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Svarog Day is a holiday of artisans, and, in particular, blacksmiths. After all, God Svarog is the Heavenly Blacksmith who created the Heavenly Svarga. By the Day of Svarog, all rituals for closing Svarga are completed (the living connection between the Earth and Heaven is interrupted. Colds gradually descend on the Earth, shackle it with frosty air, gradually taking away the influence from the bright Gods. […]

The god Volkh among the Slavic people is the God of war, as well as a reliable defender of the Iry garden. God Volkh is the husband of the Goddess Lely. Volkh is the son of Mother Raw Earth and Indrik the Beast, a descendant of the lord of dark forces - the Black Serpent. From his powerful Ancestors, Volkh inherited all their strengths. When Volkh grew up, he killed his parent Indrik the Beast. And becoming […]

Autumn is a harvest festival. The main symbol of the entire harvest is hops. The Slavic agricultural calendar celebrates this day as Oseniny. On this day, it is customary to hold a festival - the Day of the Harvested Harvest, which should feed the entire population of the settlement or village until next summer. This day gave people the opportunity to give thanks to their Nurse, Mother Raw Earth. By this time […]

On this day, the countdown of the new calendar Summer begins. By the way, congratulating everyone around us on the New Year, we don’t even suspect what we have been turned into for last period time. The fact is that New Year originates from the parsley king. He so easily took it into his head to play a joke in front of his dumb courtiers. The joke caught on surprisingly quickly. BUT […]

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God Stribog is the primordially Russian Slavic God of the Wind, born from the breath of the Most High God of the Kind. God Stribog, together with God Semargl, are the senior commanders in the heavenly army of their main commander, the Almighty God the Thunderer Perun. The lord of the winds, storms and hurricanes can cause or stop any natural phenomena associated with the wind. God Stribog, together with God Perun, are also the lords of thunder […]

Spozhinki celebrate when the harvest is nearing its end, and all the people are waiting for the start of a fun and satisfying feast. In mid-August, usually, in all Slavic lands, the harvest comes to an end, the collection and processing of a new crop of grain: wheat; millet; barley and some other cereal crops. At the same time, selected grain is harvested for the next season. This is where the […]

Election of a victim to Perun. On this day, our Great Ancestors, the Slavs, made plentiful sacrifices to the Gods and offered Glory to the Gods through the worship and glorification of idols on temples. The Almighty Warrior God Perun becomes the main God on this day, and therefore fat and bloody sacrifices were made to him. The main victims, of course, were foreign enemies captured in battle and their servant slaves, which […]

The Supreme Slavic God-Thunderer Perun on this day becomes the Main Slavic God. Since ancient times, on this day it is customary for all men present at the beginning to have some kind of weapon with them (axes, knives, firearms, if there is permission). During the ceremony, armed warriors with a battle song make their solemn procession. After the procession, praises to God Perun begin, and then […]

T traditional Slavic pagan holidays are associated with nature and the events taking place in it, they contain and conceal a deep sacred essence and meaning. The rites that our great ancestors-ancestors once performed in the old days are designed to ensure peaceful coexistence and harmony with Mother Pri GENUS oh, connection with our GENUS nye Slavic Gods. Kolo year among the Slavs it is divided by four seasons (winter, spring, summer, autumn), in each of which great holidays are specially celebrated: 2 solstices (solstice) in winter and summer - the time when the Sun is reborn: the old Sun fades away, but a new one takes its place - emerging, young and 2 equinoxes (spring and autumn). The sun has long been especially revered by the Slavs as a symbol and source of life on earth, giving warmth and light to everything. alive ohm. And this happens every year, all the time, no matter what. h discontinuous cola(circle), in the form of which the ancient Slavs represented our Universe.

TO Each Slavic holiday is a special ritual action dedicated to the veneration of a particular Deity of the Slavic pantheon or events occurring in nature at different times. As a rule, Slavic holidays are accompanied by cheerful and wide folk festivals, songs, round dances and various fortune-telling, youth gatherings and brides' bridesmaids. But there are also such days in the Slavic kologod where there is no place for fun - these are the days of honoring the deceased relatives and close people, as well as holidays where evil spirits and deities were revered. At some festivities, masks and masks(skins of wild animals), in which people dressed up so that evil spirits would not recognize.

FROM Lavyansky New Year is more correct to call new year, which falls on Kolyada - December 25 (cold). For Orthodox Christians, this date falls Nativity(according to the old true style). Few people know now that in the old days our ancestors celebrated the New Year on March 1, and then on September 1, and only from 1700, by decree of Emperor Peter I, was ordered celebrate the New Year on January 1st. But is it much more logical for Orthodox Christians to celebrate the New Year on the birthday of their Lord Jesus Christ, and not on the day of his circumcision? But, turning to the ancient Jewish Old Testament tradition, it becomes clear to us why Peter I (according to some sources, being a Freemason) chose this day as the date of the New Year's celebration. It turns out that, according to ancient Jewish law and customs, an "uncircumcised" baby is none other than pagan the circumcised is revered by God.

IN In this section of the site, we tried to create a reconstruction of the Slavic pagan calendar, but without going too far from modernity into antiquity, because we got something "middle" between the ancient Slavic calendar and the neo-pagan one. In no case do we pretend to be absolute truth, and we have no doubt that over time the Slavic calendar will be improved.

January (Sechen, Stuzhen)

January 1 (section, cold) is celebrated Day of Frost (Frost). Once upon a time, god of bitter cold Morok walked through the villages, sending hard 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 old man - Santa Claus, who distributes gifts to children. It became so quite recently, in the middle of the 19th century. By the way, there is a deep ritual meaning in decorating the Christmas tree: according to legend, the spirits of ancestors live in evergreens. Therefore, decorating the fir tree with sweets, we bring gifts to our ancestors. Such is the ancient custom. This day, like the one before it Schedrets, family celebration.

From January 1 to January 6 (cold) are celebrated Veles Days or Terrible, Conjuring Evenings - The second part Big Veles Christmas holidays, which start with Frost Day (Frost) and end Turks. Among the people, these six days are marked by rampant evil spirits. The first half of Christmas time was devoted to the future harvest and fortune-telling about marriage, and the second was associated with cattle and beasts. Veles could act both in the form of a bear - the "forest king", and in the form of a bull-tour - a representative of horned wealth. They baked at Veles Christmas time ritual cookies in the form of domestic animals ("cows", "goats", "bagels", "horns"), dressed up in animal skins and masks, danced in sheepskin coats turned inside out (so that evil spirits would not recognize).

January 6 (section) Slavs celebrate Tourists Winter. This family holiday is dedicated to one of the totem and most revered animals among the Slavs - Tur, the embodiment of the union of Veles and Perun. Tour is the son Veles And Makoshi and patronizes shepherds, guslars and buffoons, valiant prowess, dancing and fun, as well as groves and forest animals. Another name for this day Vodokres. This day completes the Christmas atrocities. It's time when the Gates of Navi are closed, and the world of Yavi acquires its usual orderliness. About this time, the Spark of Heavenly Fire (Kres) from the Svarozh Forge falls into the waters of the Earth, endowing them with miraculous properties. They also believe that at this time Veles - the Giver of Health - blesses all earthly waters, so that everyone who bathes in them on this day will be healed of all kinds of ailments. Orthodox Christians celebrated on this day Epiphany(otherwise known as Epiphany).

January 8 (section) are celebrated Babi Kashi. On this day, it is customary to honor midwives (now midwives) and women in labor. They brought gifts and treats, kvass, pancakes, pies and fruits. They came with children so that the grandmothers would bless them. It was especially recommended that expectant mothers and young girls go to grandmothers on this day.

January 13 (cold, cut) celebrated Mara Winter - a holy day when the great dark mistress, the mistress of the winter cold, enters her full strength. This day is considered by the people "terrible", dangerous for all living things. His do not celebrate as a holiday itself, so ethnographic information about it is extremely scarce. So, it is known that this day is one of the most "unlucky" days of the year. This is due to the fact that, according to popular beliefs, the Fever, or the Shaking Sisters, the daughters of Mara, who live in the gloomy dungeons of the world of Navi, are now "released" into the wild. On the night of this day, porridge, milk and bread are left on the table for brownie, asking for welfare. If Likho "settled" in the house, they turn to Domovoy for help.

January 21 (cold), according to folklore Prosinets - the holiday of the revival of the Sun, which is celebrated with water blessing. On this day, the Slavs bathed in cold river water and made grandiose feasts, in which milk and dairy products must have been present. Praise Heavenly Svarga- the world of all gods.

January 28 (cold, cut)- the day of honoring the House Master, who is also called by the people "Kudesami". If, on this day, Domovoy is not honored, he may be "offended" and stop helping the household, the grandfather-neighbor from a kind keeper of the hearth can turn into a rather dashing spirit. Then everything in the house can go to waste: the owners will lose their desire to work, illnesses will appear, troubles and misfortunes will pile up, the economy will fall into decay. After all, Brownie is a family guardian spirit, the spirit of the Ancestors, insulting which, a person cuts the roots of his Family Tree. To honor Domovoy, after dinner, a pot of porridge is left for him on the table, which is covered with hot coals so that the porridge does not cool down until midnight, when he comes from under the stove to have dinner. Since then, he has been quiet throughout the year.

February (Lute, Snezhen)

February 1 (2) (lute, snowfall) Slavic holiday is celebrated "Gromnitsa" - the meeting of Winter with Spring on the World of Yavi, when the forces of the Young Spring give the first battle to the forces Moraine-Winter, and the only time in winter when Perunov Thunder thunders and you can see lightning. Therefore, the Serbs call him "Svjetlo". Dedicated to Perun's wife Dodole-Malanjice(Lightning) - the goddess of lightning and feeding children. Gromnitsa - one of the titles of the Mother of God (Mother of the Gods of Light) goddess Dawn, on this day, also called Queen Molonya or Melania. On this day, they pay her the following requirements: salt, garlic, chicken, porridge, bread, poppy flowers. Gromnitsa is also revered by the first invocations of Spring.

February 3 (lute) celebrated Small Velesov Day or Veles-Wolf Matchmaker - a holy day dedicated to Veles the Wolf Matchmaker, anticipating the Small Veles (Wolf) Christmas time and the Great Veles Day. At the time of dual faith in Russia, this date was the day of Simeon and Anna, which was also called Little Vlasiy. The people said: "Semyon and Anna are fixing the harness, and Vlasy is saddling the horses." According to popular beliefs, horses "ride" Vlasiy Domovoy ("Dashing Brownie, horses drive in at night"), and in order to prevent this, a whip, mittens and onuchi were tied to the horse at night. The brownie then does not dare to touch the horse, imagining that the owner himself is sitting on it. This day is called "Repairs", because right now they are inspecting and repairing the summer harness. It is often said: "Prepare the cart in winter, and the sleigh in summer." On this day, straw is boiled: "A strawman has arrived in the yard, start repairs."

FROM4 to 10 February (lute) are celebrated Small Velesovs or Wolf, Christmas time - a series of holy days between Veles the Small (February 3) and Veles the Great (February 11): 4 lutes - Veles Studeny, 5 lutes - Veles Korovich (or Veles Korovyatnik), 6 lutes - Veles Telyatnik, 7 lutes - Veles the Crafty, 8 lutes - Veles Serpovidets, 9 lute - Veles Zhitny Grandfather and, finally, 10 lute - Veles Zimobor. "Wolf" Small Veles Christmas time is called because these days the fate of the wolves is decided, who and with whom will lead the cubs - the so-called "wolf weddings" are played.

11 February (lute, snowfall)(the following options are also possible: 10 or 12th of February) is noted IN forest day - Veles "knocks down the horn of Winter", the Cow Festival is celebrated in the villages (for Veles is not only the God of Wisdom, but also the "Cattle God"), they create amulets for cattle and the yard, they ask Veles for protection and protection, and for cattle and good to everyone - offspring. Prophetic sorcerers, inspired storytellers, violent buffoons honor Veles - the Wise God especially: magic and chanting, zeal and praise ...

From 12 to 18 February (lute) pass "Veles Days" - six days, during which amazing things happen to those who honored Veles.

February 16 (lute) are celebrated Name day Kikimora - the day when people create amulets at home. For Orthodox Christians, this date was the day of Maremyana the Righteous, popularly nicknamed Meremyana-Kikimora. Sometimes she helps the owners, warns them of trouble, but sometimes she harms them in small ways. On this day, with special offerings, they tried to appease Kikimora (the supporter of Morena and Makoshi, the wife of the Brownie), so that she would not confuse yarn and misbehave at night. That's what the people said: "To Maremyana Yarilo - with a pitchfork." For, according to popular belief, about this time, Yarilo Velesich "lifts the winter on the pitchfork."

February 21 (lute) celebrated Spring (Stribog Winter) - the day when the winter winds, Stribog's grandchildren, bring the first news of the coming spring warmth. At the time of dual faith, this date was the day of Timothy Vesnovey. The people said: "Spring warmly welcomes", "Timofey Vesnovey - it's already warm at the door", "February Timothy - Vesnovey, no matter how angry the blizzard, everything blows in the spring", "Live to Spring, and there the winter is not terrible", "Spring brings spring yar ", "Timofey Vesnovey - the messenger of warm days", "Warmly welcomes - it blows warmly, warms the old people", "Spring warmth blows - warms the old", "The spring wind of change blows from the south" and urged: "Spring, spring, bring warmth to the village", "March bought a fur coat from winter, but sold it three days later."

February 29 (lute)- once every four years (leap year) Koshcheev Day. On this day, the Koshny God "returns" to people in the form of all kinds of disasters the untruth they have created. But the Wise teach not to be afraid of this, but to turn in the Heart to the NATIVE Gods for admonition and strength in order to be able to reject Falsehood and live by the Truth ...

March (Berezol, Dry)

March 1 (birch, dry) is celebrated Madder Day or Navi Day - the holiday of the resurrection of the dead and the last day of the strength and power of the evil Navi Gods before the arrival of Spring. Orthodox Christians have a day on this date Saint Evdokia, who led the coming of Spring. With the onset of March, the Slavs begin ritual visits to graves with the offering of trebs. On this day, long-dead people are brought into the water, saying: "Shine, shine, Sunshine! I'll give you an egg, Like a chicken lays in an oak forest, Take it to paradise, May all souls be happy."

March 9 (birch) conduct the second Calls of Spring (Goddesses alive) created from the tops of the hills, from which the snow has already begun to melt, popularly called "Yarylin bald patches". According to Slavic beliefs, on this day forty birds fly from Bright Iriy (from that this holiday is called Magpies), signifying the approach of the Virgin of Spring. On whose field the birds land first, the Gods will send special luck and a good harvest this year.

From March 18 to March 24 (birch) on the Slavic land passes Maslenitsa week (week), which separates the two main seasons in the Slavic folk calendar - winter and spring. These are cheerful farewells, illuminated by the joyful expectation of close warmth, the spring renewal of nature. In the old days, street festivities began these days, ice slides were built. At the farewell to Maslenitsa, fisticuffs were arranged, and an effigy of Maslenitsa was burned. In ancient times, Maslenitsa festivities lasted not one, but two weeks.

March 23 (24)(birch, birch) - on the day of the vernal equinox, the Slavs celebrate a great holiday "Shrovetide". The second name of this holiday is "Komoeditsa" (bel.), which celebrate when the day becomes longer than the night, when nature awakens and the Sun-child Horse becomes a young man Yarila. (20th of March). There are also options for the date of the celebration: 21st and 22nd and 25th March. Being a purely pagan holiday, Maslenitsa was also adopted by Christianity, but not according to the solar (pagan), but according to the lunar calendar, therefore, in Orthodox Christianity, Maslenitsa has a floating date.

March 25 (birch) Svarga opens, and finally descends to Earth Spring - Goddess Zhiva. In her honor, not only people celebrate, but all living things. On this day, you can’t work, but only glorify Spring, the triumph of life over death. Spring is called for the third time. With the onset of the morning, they treat themselves to cookies in the form of larks, release live birds from their cages into the wild, calling for spring.

March 30 (birch) are celebrated Brownie's name day - honoring the house owner and bringing him special requests. Orthodox Christians have a day on this date John of the Ladder. In Russia, it was customary to bake on this day "ladders (ladders) for the future ascent to heaven" from lean rye dough. The sizes, shapes and number of steps were very diverse, but usually there were 12 of them - "according to the number of months in a year." Also on this day, they tried in every possible way to appease the "furious" until midnight (or until the first roosters) Brownie.

April (Tsveten, Kveten)

3 April (bloom) a holiday is celebrated Waterpol(Vodyanoy's name day)- the awakening of the Watermen and mermaids after a winter sleep, the beginning of the ice drift and the flood of the rivers. At the time of dual faith in Russia, this day was celebrated Nikita Vodopol. On this day, the fishermen brought the demand to the Waterman, noted: "If the ice doesn't break that day, the fish catch will be poor." At midnight, they came to the water and treated the Waterman, drowning someone else's horse: "Here's a housewarming present for you, grandfather: love, favor our family." For this occasion, the most worthless horse was bought. When the fishermen appease him with a good present, he lures large fish from other rivers to him, saves the fishermen from storms and drowning, and does not tear the nets and nonsense. If a suitable horse is not found, the fishermen endow Vodyany with a different gift - they pour oil into the river.

April 5(bloom)- warm winds, Stribog's grandchildren, bring spring warmth, interspersed with bad weather ... Spring warmth comes, crickets wake up. Slavs celebrate Stribog Veshny. Orthodox Christians celebrated on this day Fedula Vetrenika And Fyodor Vetrenitsa. The people said: “Fedul came - he blew with warmth”, “Fedul blew with a teplyak”, “Northern blows to Fedul, and it pulls warm from Fedul”, “Fedul came, a warm wind blew, opened the windows, heated the hut without yards”. If there was bad weather on Fedul, they said: "Now our Fedul blew his lips from the wind."

April 14 (bloom, bloom) celebrated Voronets (Raven Feast) - a holy day dedicated to the Prophetic Raven. Croaking over the house where they do not live according to the Law, Raven, as the messenger of the Kochny God, calls on the wicked Navia punishment. To the wise, Raven, as a supporter of Veles, brings Living and Dead Water in his beak and reveals the secrets of Life and Death ...

FROMApril 16 to 22 (bloom) are celebrated First Rusalia - a series of holy days preceding Yarila Veshny, magical week (week) dedicated to honoring the Virgin Leli- the young Goddess of Spring and virgin Nature, seething waters and awakened female water spirits - shoreline mermaids. About this time, maidens in long-sleeved shirts without amulets, like mermaids, perform a "twisted dance" in the fields, not allowing guys into their circle.

April 22 (sour, flowering)- celebration of the Slavic Women's Day - Lelnik. This holiday is not only the Russian folk analogue of the "generally accepted" March 8, but also a kind of continuation of Maslenitsa, since this is the time of a new appeal to the goddess Lele. Having fulfilled Maslenitsa, up to Lelnik, the Holiday - the name of the Goddess herself, Lelya stays in the Kingdom of her eldest (out of three) Mother - the goddess Frets. Calling Lelya on their own name day, the people meet Lelya, who is transformed in all her glory - thanks to her Mother - the Goddess of Love.

From April 22 (bloom) on May 10 (grass) a holiday is celebrated "Red hill", which starts with Lelnik and end with Mother Earth Day. This is a holiday of red spring, fun, round dances, symbolizing the meeting of boys and girls, the holiday of kisses and the beginning of sexual activity, akin to the fact that Spring is the beginning of a new life for all nature, it is also the first spring festivity of young girls. Krasnaya Gorka was not a fixed holiday of one day. The holiday lasted for several days or even weeks and therefore was a real event in the life of young people.

April 23(bloom) was considered the Day of Yarila ("Yarilo Veshny"). On this day, an important ceremony is held - "Unlocking the Earth", or in another way - ZaROD (birth). On this day, Yarila "unlocks" (fertilizes) Mother Cheese-Earth and releases dew, from which the rapid growth of herbs begins.

April 30(sour, flowering) the last spring colds are ending and the "Rodonitsa". With the sunset, the beginnings are opened. On this day, they commemorate their ancestors, urge them to visit the earth: "Fly, dear grandfathers..." They go to the graves, bringing funeral gifts: pancakes, oatmeal jelly, millet porridge, painted Easter eggs. After the beginning, the feast begins: the warriors on the mountain "fight for the dead", showing their martial art. Colored eggs are rolled from a high mountain, competing. The winner is the one whose egg rolls the farthest without breaking. By midnight, on the same mountain, firewood is laid out for a large fire.

May (Traven)

May 1 (grass), midnight the holiday begins - Living Day. Alive (abbreviated form of the name Givena, or Ziewonia, which means "giving life") - the goddess of life, spring, fertility, birth, zhita-grain. Daughter frets, spouses Dazhbog. Goddess of Spring and Life in all its manifestations; the giver of the Life Force of the KIND, making all living things actually alive. She is the Goddess of the life-giving forces of nature, spring bubbling waters, the first green shoots; patroness of young girls and young wives. With the advent of Christianity, her cult replaced Paraskeva Friday.

From 1 to 7 May (grass) pass Spring Grandfathers(Navia Week)- a series of holy days preceding Earth Day, the week of commemoration of the Ancestors, when navia (souls of the dead) visit the living on Earth.

May 2 (grass) celebrate Sunrise Day. The celebration of the Day of Shoots begins on the tops of mountains or hills. On this day, they thanked Mother-Cheese-Earth and Yarila Svarozhich for the first sprouts in the fields. A few days ago, the earth was empty - and now everything comes to life right before our eyes, and from the top of the hill it is especially clearly visible. Everything begins to grow, bloom, smell with a very special spring smell, the nightingales sing. Spring has come to the Russian Land!

May 4 (grass) celebrated Mermaid day(Rusalkin Velikden), or Zelnik, which is usually moved to Thursday. On this day, mermaids are revered, special dew forms on the herbs, which is why they are considered healing. In the Kiev region on Rusalkin Thursday, at sunrise, the girls went to the field, having previously taken rye bread and sacred water with them. In the field, the girls shared the bread equally. Then each went to her father's harvest. There, on the edge of the field, she left that bread for the mawks - "to give birth to rye" ...

May 6 (grass) celebrated Day of Dazhbog or Dazhbog Veshny. Dazhbog- God of fertility and sunlight, life-giving force. The ancestor of the Slavs (according to the text of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" the Slavs are Dazhbozh's grandchildren). According to Slavic legends, Dazhbog and Zhiva together revived the world after the Flood. Lada, Zhiva's mother, married Dazhbog and Zhiva. Then the betrothed gods gave birth to Arius, who, according to legend, became the progenitor of many Slavic peoples and tribes - Czechs, Croats, Kiev glades.

May 7 (grass) celebrated span - Old Slavic holiday of the meeting of summer. On this day, protective rites of awakening the earth (in particular, the rite of ploughing) are performed, bringing strength, health and good luck. This is the holy day on which the goddess is resurrected Alive- and honored as a birthday girl. On this day, a sacred fire is lit, marking the beginning of summer. There are wide folk festivals, buffoons, games, round dances, songs and dances to the traditional Slavic instruments: drum, kugikly, pipes, pipes.

May 9 (grass) celebrated Earth Day (Veshnee Makoshye) - a holy day when Mother Earth Cheese, awakened after a winter sleep, is honored as a birthday girl. It is believed that on this day the Earth "rests", so you can not plow, dig, harrow it, you can not stick stakes into it and throw knives. Especially revered on this day Veles And Makosh- earthly patrons. The Magi go out into the field, lie down on the grass and listen to the Earth.

From May 20 to May 30 (travnya) is celebrated "Breast Rosnoe" (Roda week). These days, the Magi made sacrifices and prayed to Rod for rain and a good harvest.

May 21 (grass) perform a special ceremony "Reindeer-Lennichi", which is designed to ensure the growth of flax so that it becomes taller.

From May 26 (grass) on June 2 (Sunday) are celebrated Green Christmas time(Second Rusalia)- a series of holy days preceding Yarila Wet, magical week , dedicated to seeing off spring and accompanying women's spirits - mermaids-bereginy. The time when to replace the young Virgo Lele mature woman comes - Wife Lada. About this time they see off Kostroma- Yarilin's sister, dipping her scarecrow (which is usually woven from grass and decorated with flowers) into the water, and then tearing it and scattering the remains across the field. This sacred action is performed by prophetic virgins, dressed in the guise of mermaids and long-sleeved shirts without amulets.

May 30 (grass) celebrated Spring snake - snake festival, which is celebrated during Green Christmas time; one of the Kologod Holy Days dedicated to Veles. Wedding of Veles and Alive. according to legend, about this time, the snakes, the panders of Velesov, come out into the world, bringing fertility to the Earth.

June (Kresen, Cherven)

June 4 (Chernya, Sunday) pan-Slavonic Yarilin Day or, in other words, Yarilo Wet. In early June, nature pleases the eye with a riot of colors. Yarilo opens the sky, and green herbs are filled with magical power. Spring is leaving, summer is coming. Before sunrise, they wash themselves with healing dew, go around the fields with bread, illuminate houses and gates. On this day, the Yarilo-Sun shows its strength. At the beginning, the Fire burns unusually hot. Semargl the Fire God helps his heavenly brother. After the day of Yarila, it is usually set hot weather days for seven. That is why this holiday is also called Semik.

June 15 (black, Sunday) celebrated Stribog Day. On this day, they bring the demand to the wind - they scatter pieces of bread on all four sides around the house. Then flour or ashes from the bones of the sacrificial rooster are poured into the wind from a high place. On this day, it is especially forbidden to "throw words to the wind", although this is not welcome on other days.

From 19to June 24 (Sunday) pass Mermaid Days, in which an important cycle of rituals takes place, associated with the "seeing off the mermaids", the "egg charm", the "mermaid charm". Mermaid days pass after "Semik" (Yarilin Day). The clay calendar of the 4th century defines a special series of days immediately before Kupala, including the great holiday itself.

From 23 to 24 June(flint, worm) a great feast is celebrated "Kupala" timed to coincide with the day of the summer solstice (solstice). The start date of the festival can also be June 21 and 22. The holiday of the Sun and Water, which give rise to all living things, is the time of the flowering of the forces of Mother Nature. Orthodox Christians celebrated on June 24 the day of John the Baptist (Ivan Kupala). In the evening, when the setting sun does not yet touch the edge of the forest, the holiday begins. All the action takes place in a clearing near the river bank. A bonfire with a long pole in the middle is prepared in advance, on which a Kupala wheel with six spokes is mounted. Separately, they build a funeral steal (for a doll) and a small bather, through which the betrothed will jump. It should burn not far from the big bather, but in such a way that it would be possible to dance.

June 29 (Sunday, worm) celebrated Summer Svarozhye(Svarogov Day). On this day, the celebration of the Heavenly (Svarog) Fire and the Sun is performed, usually occurring at the very height of the summer heat ... This is one of those rituals and festivities that often passes us by in the bustle and fleetingness of everyday life. On the same date, Orthodox Christians had Peter's Day (Peter and Paul's Day).

July (Lipen)

July 5 (linden) are celebrated Name Day of the Month - a holiday dedicated to honoring the clear Moon and its highest patrons - Veles the Horned and Mary the Moon-faced. At the time of dual faith in Russia, this date was the day Athanasius of Athos. The people said: "Afanasiev Day - Months holiday". About this time they go out to look at the "playing" of the Moon. If the Moon is visible at sunrise, it seems to be running from place to place, or changing its color, or sometimes hiding behind the clouds, sometimes coming out from behind them. All this happens because the Moon celebrates its Name Day on this day. "Playing" of the Month is a happy omen: "On Athanasius, the Moon plays at sunrise - to the harvest."

July 12 (linden) celebrated Veles sheaf day. The days are killing and the heat is coming. From this day on, they begin to mow and make hay. "Mow the scythe while the dew is down with the dew, and we are home!" On this day, the first tied sheaf was revered, into which, as the mowers believed, the spirit of the field, and hence the spirit of Veles, passed during mowing. These days they stopped plowing and began to prepare for winter sowing. There was this proverb: "To plow until Veles' day, to harrow it until Perun's day, to sow until the Savior." On this date, it is the same Election of victims of Perun. Prepare for the Day of Perun (20 lipen) 8 days. Eight days before that day, lots are thrown (features, to determine the victim, and cuts, to determine its quantity).

July 19 (black, lime) celebrated Summer Makosh(Summer Mokrids)- Holy Mokosh-Mokrina. At the time of dual faith in Russia, Makrinin (Mokrinin) day was celebrated on this day. People noted: “If Mokrida is wet, then autumn too, Mokrida is dry - and autumn is dry”, “If it’s wet on Mokrida, then it’s a rainy season”, “A bucket on Mokrida is dry autumn”, “If it’s raining on Mokrida - all autumn it will be rainy, and there will be no nuts - everything will get wet. Summer Mokrid Day is also considered important for the next year: "If it rains on Mokrid, rye will be born next year."

July 20 (linden, chervnia) the great military holiday is celebrated - Perunov Day; the great Holy Day of all the warriors-defenders of the NATIVE Earth, as well as all honest radar-plowmen. According to popular beliefs, evil spells are washed away by rain on this day - "dashing ghosts" (evil eye and damage) and many diseases.

July 27 (black, lime) a holiday is celebrated Chura (Palikopa, Polykopne) - God of protection, protection of property, watchman of clan customs, patron of borders, hearth. The Slavs remember their foolish ancestors to take care of our bread, to keep not only our sheaves, but also our Russia and centuries-old great culture. On this day Churu is brought with milk. A hole is dug at the boundary stone and milk is poured into it. On the Chura holiday, you cannot work away from home. The owner must be in his yard, thereby honoring Chur.

August (Serpen, Zhniven)

1 august (sickle) the First Savior is celebrated, which is popularly called honey or wet. The name "honey" is explained by the fact that it was at this time that the bees stop collecting nectar from flowers, the honeycombs in the hives are filled to capacity and the beekeepers begin to collect honey, while the first honeycombs donated to departed spirits, in remembrance of deceased parents. On this day, according to folk tradition, the holy e honey of the new collection, its use in food is blessed - they bake honey gingerbread, pancakes with poppy seeds and honey, pies, buns, buns with poppy seeds.

August 6 (sickle) called Apple Savior, since at the beginning of August the picking of apples and vegetables begins, while until that day it was forbidden to eat garden apples. "The second Savior has come - it's an hour for everything: the fruits are ripening", "The Savior is not without supplies." Orthodox Christians celebrated the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on this day. There was a belief among the people that the one who eats an apple before the Savior, the dead children will not receive an apple in Iria (Paradise).

August 8 (serpenya) celebrated windmill(Stribog Summer)- violent winds, Stribog's grandchildren, bring the first news of the coming autumn ... At the time of dual faith in Russia, this date was the day Myron Vetrogon. According to signs, strong winds blow on this day. The people were talking about it: “The wind-running myrons drive dust along the road, they moan along the red fly”, “The wind-running winds drove the dust around the wide world, wept in the red summer”, “What is Myron the Wind-running, such is January”.

August 15 (serpenya, stubble) the feast of the end of the harvest is celebrated, which is popularly called Backs. On this day, they thank Dazhbog Trisvetly and Mother Cheese-Earth for the harvest, bring the requirements of Makosh (Mother of the Harvest) and braid Veles's "beard" on the field from the last ears. Orthodox Christians celebrated the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos on this day. By August 9, the harvest ends on most of the Slavic Land, hence the name of the holiday - Spozhinki(dozhinki, crimps).

FROMAugust 15 to 28 (serpenya) celebrated Ladino Poletier - "young Indian summer", a series of holy days dedicated to the Goddess Lada, one of the last warm days of summer.

August 16 (sickle) the Third Savior is celebrated, which was popularly called bread, because on this day for the first time they baked pies from the bread of the new crop. The people also called this holiday "Savior on the Canvas" or "Savior on Canvas" ("Canvas Savior"), because in the places of large fairs from the day of the third Savior, a linen auction began, the sale of linen and canvases. They called the Third Spas and walnut, for by this day the hazelnuts were ripe and their collection began with subsequent harvesting.

August 18 (sickle) a holiday is celebrated "Khoroyar" - the day of honoring two solar brothers, Khors and Yarila - the patrons of horses. In the era of dual faith in Russia, the day of Flora (Frol) and Lavra, the patrons of horses, was celebrated to this day: "On Frol and Lavr - a horse holiday", "I begged Frol and Lavr - wait for the horses to be good."

August 22 (serpenya, stubble) are celebrated Leshy's name day - honoring the Forest Master and bringing him special requests. At the time of dual faith in Russia, this date was the day Agathon Ogumennik. According to legends, on the night under Agathon Leshy (if he is not appeased first) scatters sheaves on the threshing floor and generally does all sorts of atrocities, celebrating his Name Day. The people said: "On Agathon Leshy comes out of the forest into the field." In some provinces, to prevent the fun of Leshy, the peasants guarded the threshing floor all night with a poker in their hands and in sheepskin coats turned inside out in order to protect themselves from mischief being committed by Leshy.

September (Veresen, Ryuen)

From 1 to 7 September (spring) celebrated Makoshino Poletye - "old Indian summer", a series of holy days dedicated to the Goddess Mokosh the Ancestor, the last warm days of the outgoing summer. Orthodox Christians celebrated September 1 Simeon Pilot. People talked about it like this: "Semyon sees off summer, Indian summer begins."

September 8 and 9 (Ryuenya, Veresenya) a holiday is celebrated ROD and Rozhanits (Osenins, Ospozhinki) dedicated to the harvest and related family well-being. Summing up time. Autumn meeting - honoring Makoshi like Mother Osenina. On this day, they bring the requirements of the Family of the All-Keeper (All-God) and the Family of Heaven (our Ancestors-Ancestors), and also glorify the KIND of the Earth (all relatives in govern living): "Glory to God (ROD) forever, praise to us for deeds" ... Orthodox Christians celebrated the Nativity of the Virgin on this day. Autumn holidays were celebrated, as a rule, by the water and without fail with oatmeal bread. The people said: "If the weather on the Malaya Immaculate (Mother of God) is good, the autumn will be good."

September 14 (Veresen, Ryuen) celebrated Autumn Serpentine - autumn snake festival; one of the holy days of Kologod, dedicated to Veles. Wedding of Veles and Mary. Orthodox Christians celebrated on this day Exaltation of the Cross (Simeon the Stylite). In the folk calendar, this day was associated with the beginning of autumn work and the end of the harvest. It is believed that from this day the departure of birds begins, the bear goes to the den, and the snakes celebrate the wedding of their king, after which they begin to hibernate.

September 20 (spring) celebrated leaf breaker, or Stribog Autumn. On this day, the cold winds, Stribog's grandchildren, bring autumn cold, interspersed with the last warm days. At the time of dual faith in Russia, this date was the day of Eustace (Astafia) the leaf slayer.

21 September (ryuenya, springtime) celebrated Svarog Day - holiday of the Heavenly Smith, God Svarog. The rites of closing Svarga (interruption of the living connection between Heaven and Earth) have already passed. Frost fetters the earth from the abyss, the influence of the bright Gods decreases. The land remains in the care of Veles. So that people could survive the difficult (winter) time, Svarog gave them the art of iron forging, from which they can make all kinds of hunting and labor tools. Therefore, blacksmiths, carpenters and all craftsmen are especially honored on this day. From that day on, chickens are slaughtered, and the first ones are sacrificed to Svarog.

September 24 (Vesenya, Ryuenya) Slavs celebrate a great holiday - Radogoshch (Tausen), timed to coincide with the autumn equinox. The harvest is harvested, the autumn sun is Svetovit no longer hot, the trees are preparing for winter sleep, throwing off their beautiful outfits.

October (Leaf fall, Yellow)

October 1 (leaf fall) the holiday of the meeting of Autumn with Winter is celebrated, popularly called Cover. The roots of this festival goes very deep into the original pagan Russia, and, perhaps, was called earlier First or Small Autumn Svarog. On this day, Svarog covers the Earth with a fallen leaf and calls the Light Gods to Heaven (to Svarga). On the ground - the end of autumn round dances and games, the beginning of winter maiden gatherings and weddings.

October 4 (leaf fall) are celebrated Seeing Leshy - farewell to the Forest Master until next spring and thanksgiving for all his gifts collected in the forest over the summer. Leshy is the personified soul of the forest. When winter comes, Leshy and the forest subject to him fall asleep. However, the belief that Leshy sleep all winter until spring was not widespread in Russia everywhere.

From October 21 to October 27 (leaf fall, yellow) are celebrated Autumn grandfathers (Navya Week) - a series of holy days preceding the Autumn Makosh, a week (week) of commemoration of the Ancestors, feasts and other funeral rites. Seeing the souls of the Ancestors to Iriy (until next spring), which, strengthening the Heavenly Clan, become Spirits - Guardians of the Earth Clan.

28 of October (leaf fall, yellow)[on the Friday closest to November 1] is celebrated Autumn Makosh (Autumn Mokrids) - a holy day when Mother Earth Cheese and Empress Water "fall asleep" until next spring. About this time, they bring trebes and ask them for forgiveness for "everything that they have annoyed" them in the year that is ending. This holy day is also dedicated to the Mother Makoshi- The Heavenly spinner, the Lady of Fates, the Holder of the Coil Threads (Threads of Fates) of all things.

From October 31 (leaf fall) to November 1 (breast)- enchanting Velesova (Marina) Night, when Belobog finally gives the Kolo Goda to Chernobog, and the Gates of Navi until the first roosters (or until dawn) are wide open in Yav. The next day (November 1) is sometimes called Marina Day.

November (Breast)

November 1 (breast) celebrated Svarogov Day, the day of God Svarog, who is the Forefather of the whole kind of Gods. It was he who forged the first plow and a golden wedding ring for the Russians, therefore he is a heavenly blacksmith (Creator of the World and people), the patron of agriculture and marriage, and also the God of the Heavenly Zodiac - Circles of Svarogy.

From 1 to 7 November (breast) celebrated Second, or Great Autumn Svarozhye, also called Svarozhkami - a series of holy days dedicated to Svarog, Forge Heavenly and the Father of the Light Gods - Svarozhich. Svarog week (week). It's time for the final "closing" of Svarga, as well as the time when the Earth begins to be shackled by ice for the winter. A rooster is sacrificed at the temple.

November 21 (breast)- the arrival of Morena-Zima, the day of the Slavic goddess of death Madder . The vile weather sets in: it is drizzling, sleet is falling, a cold wind is blowing, slush underfoot. At the beginning, no praises are pronounced. Obavnitsa proclaims: "And neither Mara nor the trouble can be glorified."

November 24 (breast) the feast of the Goddess of Fate is celebrated (maiden initiation) - Holy Doli . Girls tell fortunes about their spouses. It was on the day of Fate that the girls arranged the main fortune-telling. It was believed that it was on the night before this holiday that, by completely simple signs, one could recognize the betrothed, as well as how life would turn out in the next few years and how to get around the evil fate (share). Evening parties. Pregnant women pray to the Goddess for a good and easy birth.

November 30 (breast) celebrated Kalita - bachelor dedication. Holiday of bachelor fate - guys choose a couple. On this day, young guys are initiated into adult guys and accepted into a bachelor society. Young guys jump to Kalita, joining feminine nature. Evening parties (musical evenings and concerts) are held.

December (Stuzhen)

December 4 (cold) a holiday is celebrated "Vesta". The dawn (dawn) is revered, which symbolizes the struggle between light and dark forces.

December 6 (cold) celebrated Veles-Moroz meeting (Winter Veles) - a holy day when they meet Veles in his winter guise - in the form of Santa Claus. Holiday of Frost, Winter, snow and cold. Frost is also the patron of all winter activities that take place outside the home. Since he is the Son of Veles and Madder, then this day is often marked by thaws. In the evening of this day, feasts are held, at which quarrels are reconciled. Festive Strava (food): Braga, kvass, pies.

December 9 (breast) celebrated day of Dazhbog and Marena. Orthodox Christians celebrated on this day Yuri Kholodny, or Winter Egor. On Yuri, according to folk legend, real winter frosts begin: "Winter eyes with snow amuses, and ears with cold tears." It can be seen that, unable to endure the cold, the bears bury themselves in Yuri's dens, and the wolves will visit the village backyards. Yuri was considered among the people the patron saint of wolves, therefore not one wolf will slaughter (bite) cattle without Yuri's command.

December 24 (breast) celebrated Korochun - the shortest day and the most long night in a year. The triumph of Chernobog and Marena. The Koshny God "shorts" the outgoing year. Celebrated the day before carols(Winter Solstice). The beginning is carried out by the priests Chernobog.

December 25 (cold) celebrated Kolyada - one of the most important holy days of Kologod, timed to coincide with the Winter Solstice (Solstice). On this day, a new sun-baby Khors (God of the Solar Face and the Winter Sun) is born and therefore the Khorsov Holiday is celebrated. About this time, they perform a rite of renewal - the revival of Fire, and burn sacred bonfires on the tops of the hills all night, "helping" the newborn Sun. They also feed kutya (funeral grass) Frost, carol and sing carol songs.

From December 25 (cold) to January 6 (cold) are celebrated Big Veles Christmas time - twelve holy days, symbolizing the twelve months of the year (six light ones - a light half-year, and the other six dark ones - a dark half-year), starting from the eve carols(Kolyada itself is not included in the number of holy days) and until Turits (Vodokres). An enchanting time, when the light of the new Sun is still too weak to disperse the darkness (as it was at the time when Svarog was still forging the Earth's Firmament), and the Gates connecting Yav and Nav are wide open. This is the time to commemorate the ancestors-ancestors - Navi grandfathers, caroling, ritual excesses, various fortune-telling, wide folk festivals and youth gatherings.

December 31 (breast) celebrated Schedrets ( Generous Evening) - the last day of Christmas time, which is famous for its lavenders and festive feast. At the time of dual faith in Russia, Christmas time was divided into two parts: lasting from carols to Shchedrets, and Terrible (Vorozhnye) evenings that lasted until Turits. Yuletide evenings (especially Terrible) were considered by the people as a time when devilry walks.

R section development: Yarisvet (structure, texts) and Lynx (postcards, buttons, logos).

IN We express our sincere gratitude for the help: Magus Veleslav And Vadim Kazakov (for the provided texts), Ragnar (for photos of holidays), Bratimilu (for the video of the festivities) and to all other honest people who helped us in our work for the benefit of the common cause - the revival of the native Slavic culture and the faith of our ancestors.

Almost all holidays have pagan Slavic roots. In our article, we will talk about both pagan holidays, which are celebrated throughout Russia, and Orthodox ones.

The latter are most often celebrated not only here, but also in Europe. In Slavic culture, there are four main holidays, according to which days and weeks are counted.

Let's consider them below in more detail.

What is paganism?

First of all, let's deal with the concept of paganism. Scientists do not give an unambiguous interpretation of this word. It used to be believed that paganism appeared thanks to the New Testament. In Church Slavonic, this word meant other peoples, i.e. those who had a religion other than the Christian one.

Philologists who study pagan holidays and Slavic culture believe that the meaning of this concept is hidden in the word "paganism" - respect for clan, kinship and blood ties.

In the distant past, our ancestors revered family ties, they considered themselves to be one whole, completely existent, and were related to Mother Nature herself.

pagan holidays

The concept of the Sun in pagan culture

All Slavic pagan holidays were reduced to one goal - honoring respect for the forces of nature and the earth.

The Slavic people deified the Sun, because the very process of life depended on its light. The main festivities and celebrations related to the position of the sun in the sky and its changes in position.

Solstice holidays among the pagan population

It's no secret that the holidays of the Slavs were held using the solar calendar. It showed the position of the Sun relative to other astrological bodies.

The calculation of the year was not by days and weeks, but by four astronomical main events:

And the main pagan holidays were directly related to these natural changes.

Types of Slavic holidays

1. In ancient times, the Slavic calendar of holidays began with spring equinox. This holiday commemorated the victory over winter time year, and was called Komoyeditsa.
2. Summer Solstice- a holiday called Kupail Day.
3. Spring was a holiday autumn equinox.
4. Kolyada The holiday was celebrated at the time of the winter solstice.

As a result, the four main pagan holidays in Russia were carried out by the Sun and its changes during the astronomical year.

The Slavic people sincerely believed that the sun, like a person, changes throughout the year.

The deity, which died on the night before the winter solstice, was reborn again in the morning.

Holiday Kolyada or Solstice

December 21 was considered the beginning of the astronomical winter, and was dedicated to the rebirth of the Sun. The Slavic people identified this holiday with a baby who was born at the dawn of the winter solstice.

Fun and celebration lasted two weeks, and it all began at sunset on December 19th. All relatives, friends and acquaintances came to celebrate the Christmas of the sun. To scare away evil spirit and evil spirits, the Magi lit fires.

Evil forces on the eve of the birth of the Sun were most active, due to the death of the old Svetovit and the birth of Kolyada. The Slavs believed that on the magical night of timelessness, the ancestors helped to resist the evil forces, gathering together for a common celebration.

In order to help the Sun to be born, the Slavs kindled ritual bonfires at night. They cleaned the house and the yard, washed and washed. Old things were thrown into the fire to get rid of the past, and in the morning to meet the Sun clean and renewed.

The winter sun was called Kolyada. The Slavs rejoiced that every day now the sunny day will increase, and the Sun itself will grow stronger. A cheerful pagan holiday was celebrated on this day until sunset on January 1.

Yule night

The Slavs considered the twelfth night of Yule to be magical and fabulous, that is, from December 31 to January 1. It was customary to celebrate her with funny disguises, dances and songs.

Currently, we are also celebrating this night, and the children are looking forward to the arrival of the pagan god in the person of Santa Claus.

The ancient Slavs invited this god to appease him and protect all crops from freezing.

Preparing the house for an ancient pagan holiday, we usually decorate the Christmas tree and the apartment, put sweets on the table in the form of logs or logs, as Christian tradition suggests. All these holiday decorations borrowed from the god Yule.

In winter, they also celebrated Honoring Women and Christmas Christmas. All these celebrations were accompanied by dances, songs, festivities and fortune-telling. Slavs glorified young sun during all these holidays.

Holiday Komoyeditsa

March 20-21 is considered the day of the spring equinox. Spring pagan holiday - seeing off winter, the beginning of a new year, the meeting of spring and the departure of cold weather.

As soon as Christian culture appeared, this holiday was shifted in time according to the church calendar to the beginning of the year. In the modern world, we all know this holiday as Maslenitsa. The pagan holiday was usually celebrated for 1.5 or 2 weeks.

The Slavs glorified the growing strength and strength of the Sun. And replacing his first childhood name Kolyada with the adult name Yarilo, the sun god became strong and could melt the snow and wake nature from hibernation.

Celebration of Kupala pagan holiday

June 21 is the summer solstice. At the festival, the Slavs glorified the pagan god Kupaila, who gave an excellent harvest and fertility.

According to the solar calendar, the beginning of summer came precisely from this day. The Slavs rejoiced at the fun and rested from hard work. Girls during this period could guess at the narrowed ones and put wreaths on the water.

A tree decorated with ribbons and various festive attributes was a symbol of fertility. On this holiday, all the elements of nature have healing power.

The Magi, knowing what healing properties this holiday gives, collected roots, herbs, flowers, morning and evening dew in the forest.

Meanings of Orthodox and pagan holidays

Celebrating and having fun, our great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers burned an effigy of winter. Spring was coming, and the fear of a cold death in winter was receding.

In order to win over spring, on the thawed patches in the field of treats, sweets and pies for Mother Spring. At the festive feast, Slavic men ate only nutritious food.

This was necessary in order to gain strength before the summer. The Slavs, celebrating national pagan holidays, danced round dances, prepared delicious dishes, for example, pancakes, which resembled the spring sun.

Since the Slavs lived in harmony with mother nature, they also glorified her flora and fauna. The bear was a respected and deified beast. It was to him at the beginning of the celebration that the ancient Slavs brought pancakes.

komoeditsa is a name associated with the bear, as the ancestors called it "kom". There is such a proverb: “The first pancake is coma”, that is, it is intended for a bear.

Magical pagan holidays and rituals

For the positive location of Kupaila, the Magi performed many rituals. On the night of fun, they went around the field in a circle, reading conspiracies from evil spirits, people and animals.

There is an old legend that all people gather in the forest on Kupala in search of a flower. He is able to work miracles, heal and point to the treasure. But this ancient plant cannot bloom.

And the lucky ones who see a suspicious glow in the garden are justified by the phosphorescent organism present on the leaves of the fern. But, despite this, young people still go to look for a magic flower.

Veresen holiday

September 21 is the autumnal equinox. Denotes the harvest and the beginning of autumn. They celebrated the holiday for two weeks.

The first time they celebrated two weeks before the equinox, in Indian Summer, they counted the harvest, planned expenses.

The second time was celebrated after the autumnal equinox. On such days, the Slavs honored the aging and wise Sun. They burned bonfires, danced round dances, kindled a new fire to replace the old one.

The house was decorated with bouquets of wheat, pies were baked from the harvest. This holiday has always been celebrated on a large scale, and all the tables were simply bursting with a variety of dishes.

Pagan holidays in Russia

When Christianity came, many traditions of the Slavs disappeared. But, thanks to the people's memory and some traditions, it was possible to recreate some elements of the celebration.

But, despite the past tense, Slavic holidays continue to be celebrated, albeit in a distorted form. If you care about the history of your people, you can easily recreate these holidays.

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