Rites and customs are part of the culture of every nation, be it a huge nation or a small community. They accompany us throughout life. Some of them go back centuries, and we forget them or do not know about them at all. Others continue to exist. We invite you to get acquainted with the autumn rites, the history of their occurrence and the essence. The traditions associated with the onset of autumn in different countries are interesting and diverse.
Autumn is the time of holidays
Since antiquity, the time for various celebrations has been autumn. Diverse and numerous, for example, rites and rituals on the day of the autumnal equinox. Why is this so? The fact is that the time for agriculture was ending, everyone was harvesting, preparing for winter. The majority of the population at that time was peasants, so seasonality had a significant impact on their way of life. Full bins and free time gave people the opportunity to relax.
Harvest Festival in Israel
Mostly people celebrated the Harvest festival. So, in Israel on September 19th passes Sukkot. Jews on this day perform the rite of ascension of the lulav. The lulava consists of four plants - myrtle, willow, date palm leaf, etrog. Each of these plants symbolizes a person. So, etrog symbolizes people who do good deeds, and willow - people who do not know how to do good. The combination of these plants suggests that everyone should help the other, teach him the right life. The holiday lasts seven days. On the eighth, they read the prayer for the next year's harvest.
Korean autumn traditions
In Korea, the harvest festival is called Chuseok. It lasts three days. An interesting point: all people for these three days are trying to go to their native places. In Chuseok, ancestors are worshiped in every family, after which the ritual is served with festive dishes from the sacrificial table. Then everyone goes to the graves of relatives to honor their memory.
Wine harvest
In Europe, grape harvest holidays are considered traditional. So, in Switzerland in mid-September there is a festival of young wine. About a hundred and fifty varieties of wines are sent here from all over the country. Various shows, dances, concerts take place these days.
Autumn holidays at the Slavs
Slavic autumn holidays often have pagan and Orthodox roots. The most famous were Obzhinki or Dozhinki (among Belarusians). In the nineteenth century, this holiday was celebrated everywhere among the Slavs, only at different times, mainly depending on the climate. So, among the Eastern Slavs the mentioned holiday coincided with the Assumption of the Virgin, and in Siberia - with the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
On this day, people held several autumn rites. For example, the last sheaf was stung silently, and then the women rode through the stubble with certain song words. On the field were left a few ears twisted into a beard. This rite was called "beard curling."
Traditions and rituals of autumn in Russia
The first of September in Russia was called the Indian summer, in some areas the countdown was from September 8. Already somewhere from Ilyin’s day, and somewhere from Uspenev, autumn dances began to drive in many settlements. It is worth noting that the round dance is the oldest of the dances of the Russian people, rooted in the worship of the sun god. Round dance in Russia was of great importance. This dance reflected three eras in a year: spring, summer, autumn.
One of the Russian autumn ceremonies is a round dance with the name "brew beer." Young women went out into the street and treated everyone with a braga, then got up in a round dance and pretended to be drunk. At the end of all the girls were treated with braga.
On Semenov day - the first of September - they mounted a horse. In each family, the first-born was mounted on a horse. In addition, the New Year was celebrated for 400 years on the same day. It was canceled only in 1700 by decree of Peter 1.
And on September 14, Osenins began to celebrate in Russia. People thanked Mother Earth for the rich harvest. They renewed the fire, extinguished the old, mined a new one. Since that time, all activities on the field ended and work began in the house and in the yard, in the garden. In the houses on the First Oseniny they laid a festive table, brewed beer and slaughtered a ram. From the new flour baked a cake.
September 21 - Second Autumn. On the same day, the Birth of the Virgin was celebrated. September 23 - Peter and Pavel Ryabinniki. On this day, mountain ash was collected for compote, kvass. The windows were decorated with rowan clusters; it was believed that they would protect the house from all evil.
Third Aspen - September 27. In another way, this day was called a snake holiday. According to legend, all the birds and snakes that day moved to another country. With them passed the requests of the deceased. On this day we did not go to the forest, because it was believed that the snake could drag.
Autumn traditions among Belarusians
Autumn holidays among Belarusians are similar to autumn rites and holidays among other Slavic peoples. From time immemorial, Belarus celebrated the end of the harvest. This holiday was called Dozhinki. Dozhinki carried out one of the main autumn rites. The last sheaf was inoculated with flowers and dressed up in a women's dress, after which it was taken to the village and left until the next harvest. Now Dozhinki is a holiday of national importance.
Like the Osenins, Belarus celebrated a harvest festival - a rich man. The symbol of the holiday was considered lubok with grain and a candle inside. The "rich man" was in one of the houses of the village, where a priest was invited to conduct a prayer service. After lubok with a lit candle they carried through the whole village.
No less famous ritual festival of late autumn in Belarus - Dzyady. This feast of remembrance of the ancestors falls on November 1-2. Dzyady means "grandfathers", "ancestors". Before Dzyady, we washed ourselves in a bathhouse and cleaned our houses. A bucket of clean water and a broom for the souls of ancestors were left in the bathhouse. The whole family gathered for dinner that day. They prepared various dishes, before dinner in the house they opened the doors so that the souls of the dead could enter.
At dinner, they did not say unnecessary words, behaved humbly, remembered only the good things about their ancestors, remembered the dead. The Dziads were served by beggars who walked through the villages.
Autumnal equinox. Rituals and rituals in different countries of the world
The autumnal equinox falls on September 22, sometimes 23. Day and night at this time become equal. From time immemorial , many nations have attached mystical significance to this day. Traditions, celebrations, and rituals on the Day of the Autumnal Equinox are commonplace.
In some countries this is a public holiday, for example, in Japan. Here, according to tradition, the ancestors are remembered on this day. They conduct the ancient rite of the Buddhist festival of Higan. On this day, the Japanese cook food only from plant components: beans, vegetables. Make a pilgrimage to the graves of their ancestors and worship them.
In Mexico, on the day of the autumnal equinox, people go to the Cuculcan pyramid. The object is designed so that on the days of the equinox, the sun's rays create triangles of light and shadow on the pyramid. The lower the sun, the sharper the contours of the shadow, in shape they resemble a snake. Such an illusion lasts a little more than three hours, during which time you need to make a wish.
Autumn equinox among the Slavs
The day of the autumnal equinox among the Slavs was one of the main holidays. His names were different: Tausen, Ovsen, Joyful. Rites and rituals also performed in different places.
Sheep is the name of the deity in mythology, which was responsible for changing the seasons, so in the fall he was thanked for the fruits and the harvest. They celebrated the day of the autumnal equinox (with rituals and rituals) for two weeks. The main holiday drink was a honey made from fresh hops. Pies with meat, cabbage, lingonberries - these are the main delicacy on the table.
The ritual at the autumnal equinox was the farewell of the goddess Alive to Svargu - the kingdom of heaven, which closed in the winter. The Slavs on the day of the equinox revered the goddess Lada. She was the patroness of weddings. And weddings were most often celebrated after the end of field work.
On the day of the autumnal equinox, special autumn folk rites were performed. To attract good luck and happiness, baked pies with cabbage and round apples. If the dough was rising quickly, then next year the financial situation should have improved.
All the old things that day were taken out into the yard and burned.
Special ceremonies at the autumn equinox were performed with water. It was believed that she has a special power. They washed their face in the morning and in the evening with the belief that voditsa would be healthy for children and attractiveness for women.
Often our ancestors used trees in autumn rites and holidays. So, the house and themselves were protected by branches of mountain ash. It was believed that the mountain ash plucked on this day has tremendous energy and will not let the bad into the house. The girls used nut branches. They put a second pillow on the bed to get married sooner, burned the branches of a nut, and scattered the ashes on the street. Bunches of mountain ash were judged about winter. The more berries, the harsher the winter.
A special autumn ceremony in Russia was a sacrifice. In gratitude for the good harvest in pagan times, the Slavs sacrificed the largest animal to Veles. They did it before the harvest. After the sacrifice sheaves were tied and grandmothers were placed. After harvesting, a rich table was set.
Orthodox autumn holidays, traditions, rites
The biggest holiday is the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 21). The holiday coincided with the second autumn.
September 27 - Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In the 4th century, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great found the Cross and the Sepulcher. Many then wanted to see this miracle. And so the feast of the Exaltation was established. From this day began harvesting cabbage for the winter. And young boys and girls gathered for cabbage. They laid the table, the guys looked after the brides.
October 14 - Intercession of the Virgin. The holiday was set by Andrei Bogolyubsky. In Russia, it was believed that the Mother of God took Russia under protection, therefore they always trusted in her protection and mercy. At this time, we were finishing work in the field, collecting the last fruits. In Pokrov women made ten-armed dolls, which, as was believed, were supposed to help around the house, since the woman did not have time.
On the third day of November, they celebrated Kazan. This is the Day of the Icon of the Kazan Mother of God.
Autumn signs in Russia
September 11 - Ivan Poletny, Flight Officer. A day later, they began to pull out root crops, dug potatoes.
September 24 - Fedora-Rip off. Two Fedora uphill - one autumn, one winter, one with mud, the other with a cold.
September 16 - Corniglia. The root does not grow in the ground, but chills.
September 28th - Huseprolet. Sheep was sheared that day.
October 1 - crane years. It was believed that if cranes fly that day, then the first frost will be on Pokrov. If not, you should not wait for frosts before November 1.
October 2 - Zosima. The hives were cleaned in Omshanik.
November 8 - Dmitriev Day. On this day, the deceased were remembered.
November 14 - Kuzminki. On Kuzminki, cockerel birthday was celebrated. The girls arranged a feast, invited the guys.
On this day, they performed a ceremony called "the wedding and the funeral of Kuzma-Demyan." The girls made a scarecrow of straw, dressed him up as a guy and carried out a comic wedding. This stuffed animal was seated in the middle of the hut and “married” to some girl, then carried away to the forest, burned and danced on it. They made dolls Kuzma and Demyan. They were considered the guardians of the family hearth, the patrons of female needlework.