Every people inhabiting our planet does not arise from nowhere. The roots of any nation in the world, echoes of past history constitute a unique canvas, in which the fate of people is woven. Unique customs, established traditions, and even the most incredible and exotic rituals make up the invisible, but purely individual cultural baggage of each nation. Customs and rituals are an integral part of life. Some of them came to us from religions, another from a huge number of signs, traditions, beliefs and superstitions. We will get acquainted with the essence and deep meaning of some traditions of the inhabitants of Russia.
Wedding: a touching sacrament
Paganism as the first religion of the Slavs gave us Pancake week, magnificent wedding ceremonies and holy divination. Traditionally, Russian weddings were played in autumn or winter, in the intervals between long posts. Especially popular was the so-called "wedding" - the period from Christmas to Shrovetide.
The church wedding rite is a touching and beautiful action, like many Russian customs. An example of this magnificent mystery is captured in the canvases of many Russian artists. At all times, it was believed that the wedding is not just a majestic beautiful ceremony, but a sacred action, obliging the spouses to realize their belonging to each other, setting up for a long life together. The Orthodox Church does not accept divorces. In modern Russia, wedding is available only after the official registration of marriage, which does not detract from the magnificence of the sacrament.
Holding a Russian wedding involves a thoughtful scenario with the mandatory observance of all the attributes that require the customs of the Russian people: the bride’s ransom by the bridegroom, who goes through many trials, contests, funny jokes. Traditionally, a young man pays with money and gifts to all participants in the ransom ceremony.
Wedding traditions today
Modern wedding customs have somewhat transformed over time, but have not changed dramatically. As before, the groom buys the entire wedding outfit for the bride, and her family provides her with a "dowry" - the necessary set of home textiles, kitchen utensils, furniture. The customs of the peoples of Russia dictate the obligatory dishes of the festive table. A symbol of a happy family life is the chicken tree - a layer cake made of pancakes or butter unleavened pastry with numerous fillings of chicken, mushrooms, rice, etc.
The traditional Russian ceremony of greeting with bread and salt is one of the most touching when a husband meets a young family. He brings a mother-in-law to the newlywed spouses with salt. Young must break off from him piece by piece. At the same time, the guests state: whoever gets a larger piece of bread will be the head of the house.
Shrovetide: getting ready for Lent
The custom of the celebration of Maslenitsa, preserved even after the baptism of Russia, falls on the week preceding Great Lent. Now few know that Shrovetide includes not only Shrovetide week, but also the so-called omnivorous, and pockmarked.
An omnivorous week completely eliminates fasting days, pockmarking involves the alternation of fasting days with fasting. During the Pancake week or cheese meat is no longer eaten, but dairy products are consumed in any quantities.
Cheerful holiday of Russian pancake
Like many well-known customs of the peoples of Russia, Shrovetide is always accompanied by plentiful and hearty food. And round dances, ritual songs and games are an indispensable attribute of the accompaniment of the holiday. It was believed that in the Maslenitsa week it was necessary to have fun, otherwise luck would turn away from the person, and things would go bad all year.
The main character of the Pancake week is a pancake. Sunny symbol, round, hot, gorgeous! Pancakes baked the most different: sweet, salty, yeast with various fillings for every taste. They began to eat from the middle of the week, in the so-called "gourmet environment." On this day, mother-in-laws treated pancakes to sons-in-law, trying in every possible way to appease and cheer them.
Shrovetide customs
General fun and mass celebrations began on a reckless Thursday: skiing in
sledding, fist fights, ritual dances. A stuffed Pancake week was carried along the streets and caroling.
On Friday, mother-in-law received invitations for lunch or dinner from sons-in-law who tried to please the mothers of their wives. This day was called "mother-in-law of the evening." On Saturday, "sister-in-law (sister's husband) get-togethers," the daughter-in-law invited her husband's relatives to visit, trying not to violate accepted customs. An example of an Shrovetide table impresses with a variety of Russian dishes.
On Forgiveness Sunday - the last day of festivities - everyone asked each other for forgiveness, freeing themselves from accumulated grievances, gifted relatives. The culmination of the holiday is the burning of a scarecrow as a symbol of the end of a long winter. “On a rich harvest” the ashes were scattered over the fields. They burned bonfires of straw and unnecessary old things in order to free themselves from all that was superfluous. In the evening, pancakes commemorated the deceased relatives.
Christian easter
Christianity has given us a wonderful feast of holy Easter. The customs of the peoples of different countries in celebrating this day are varied. We will not dwell on Orthodox church rites. They are majestic and beautiful. Consider traditional household customs. An example of the ritual actions that are most common in Russia are the baking of Easter cakes and egg coloring, symbols of the immortal body of Christ that are sanctified in temples. These rituals are so common that atheists do not shun them.
In the morning after all-night vigils and religious processions around the churches, the celebration of the miraculous resurrection of Christ begins. People congratulate each other with the words “Christ is risen!”, Receiving the answer “Truly is risen!” and exchanging blessed Easter cakes and eggs. The name of this custom is Christification. These traditional ceremonies are so widespread that not only believers, but also atheists exchange Easter treats.
There are many rituals in the world. Customs, an example of which is given in the article, are the most common in Russia.