Introduction to Russian festivals

Russian Festivals (Reprinted from Люся)

Traditional Russian festivals mainly include New Year's Day and the festivals of the four seasons (Winter Sending, Birch Tree Festival, Harvest Festival, and Winter Welcoming Festival). In addition to these, many religious festivals have become an indispensable part of the traditional life of Russians due to the far-reaching influence of Orthodox Christianity, which has long been the state religion of Russia.

New Year's Day (New Year's Day): The Russian New Year used to be celebrated on March 1 in the early spring, when a grand ceremony was held to worship the sun, and was changed to September 1 at the end of the 15th century under the influence of Byzantium. It was not until 1699 that Peter the Great, in accordance with the traditions of Western Europe, designated January 1 as New Year's Day, and at midnight on New Year's Eve in 1669, Peter the Great lit the first fireworks on Red Square and ordered the inhabitants of Moscow to decorate their houses with evergreens such as pines, cypresses, and firs as a sign of good luck. So later fir trees became the main symbol of Christmas and New Year. The Orthodox Church celebrates New Year's Day and Christmas together because of the proximity of the festivals. New Year's celebrations include Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden, who give people gifts and congratulate them on their New Year's. In 1930, the Soviet government made New Year's a national holiday. In 1930, the Soviet government made the New Year a national holiday. On New Year's Day, all public **** places were dressed in festive costumes, and in the city's main squares there were tall, beautiful New Year's fir trees, and in the living rooms of homes there were fir trees with all kinds of small gifts hanging from them, the tower-shaped firs symbolizing the everlasting greenness of life. At 12 o'clock midnight, when the old is replaced by the new, the great autoharp of the Kremlin's Basque tower chimes loudly, and the radio and television spread the sound of the bells throughout the country. The country celebrates, people open champagne and congratulate each other on the New Year. New Year's Day, which falls on January 14, according to the Russian calendar, is celebrated again as usual, especially in the countryside.

Donor's Day: The second most popular festival after the New Year is Donor's Day. It is one of the four seasonal festivals and lasts for a week in late February and early March. The predecessor of the winter festival was the spring plowing festival of the ancient Slavs. People believe that the winter and spring is the result of the victory of the god of spring, Yaliro, over the cold and darkness, so every year at the end of February and the beginning of March to hold a grand ceremony to send winter and welcome spring. The sun is worshipped by baking small, round, golden-colored pancakes, and at night, bonfires are lit and the statue of the Queen of Winter, which is made of straw, is burned. The festival celebrates the return of the bright sun after a long, hard winter. During the festival, large plow-shaped and harrow-shaped loaves of rye bread are eaten. On the first day of sowing, people went down to the ground with bread, salt and eggs, and when the oxen and horses plowed three furrows, they ate part of the bread and salt and fed the rest to the oxen and horses. Eggs were also buried in the earth as a sign of sacrificing to the earth and praying for blessings. After the Orthodox Church came to Russia, it was unable to abolish this pagan folk festival, so it had to rename the Spring Plowing Festival as the Festival of Meat Thanksgiving, which was scheduled for the week before the Spring Lent. The church called this week meatless week or cheese week, because in this week people can still eat meat or dairy products, after this week, into Lent, people will not eat meat and dairy products, so called thank you meat festival, meaning that before Lent to meat farewell. Thank meat festival lasts seven days, each day has its own name, celebrated in different ways. On Monday, the festival is celebrated to welcome the Spring Festival. Families fry round pancakes, which are a must for the festival, and eat them with fish roe and sour milk. Tuesday is the first day of the festival. People invite unmarried girls and boys from their families and friends to join in the fun and provide them with the opportunity to choose their favorite girls and boys. Wednesday is Feast Day. The mother-in-law invites her son-in-law to a feast. Thursday is Carnival Day. The celebration reaches its climax. People hold all kinds of revelry on the street, eating and drinking to their heart's content. Friday is the day of the new son-in-law's visit. The new son-in-law invites his mother-in-law and her family to eat pancakes. Saturday is Farewell Day. People sing and dance as the straw man, a symbol of the goddess of winter, is sent on a sled to be burned outside the village, and on this day the new daughter-in-law visits her husband's sisters. Sunday is the day of forgiveness. In the late 1960s, the Soviet government changed the name of the festival to Winter Festival, also known as the Russian Winter Carnival. The ancient customs and religious significance of the festival were diluted. However, the festival is still an important festival for Russians, the round pancake symbolizing the sun is still the necessary food for the festival, and the circle dance during the festival is still the most important form of folk dance in Russia. During the festival, masquerade parades are held around the country, with colorful vehicles carrying people dressed up as the goddess of winter, the three Russian warriors and other mythological characters, and people singing and dancing to say goodbye to the cold winter and welcome the warmth of spring.

Birch Festival: The second festival of the four seasons is the Birch Festival, which takes place on June 24 every year according to the Russian calendar. The Birch Festival originates from the ancient summer solstice. The summer solstice was originally celebrated on June 22, when the sun was at its highest point in the sky, and the festival was colored by sun worship. In the countryside, when summer comes soon, farmers work hard in the spring, a little leisure, so to celebrate. Folk celebrations reflect the worship of fire and water. People dressed in festive costumes, head garlands, singing and dancing around the bonfire. Some people jumped over the bonfire or burned their old clothes to ward off evil spirits and strengthen their bodies to get rid of diseases. People also throw birch branches into the lake along with offerings to pray to the gods for a good harvest. Young girls will lighted candles on the flower crowns, put into the river, who's candle burns the longest, who is considered to be the happiest person in the future, they are also in accordance with the direction of the wreath floating divination of their own marriage. In ancient times, Russia over the summer solstice festival will also go to the forest to find two small birch trees in close proximity for sacrifice. In some places, it was customary to decorate a small birch with garlands and ribbons. Later the Orthodox Church combined the summer solstice with the Holy Trinity Sunday and changed the date to June 24, because the Orthodox Church commemorates the birth of John the Baptist on this day. During the festival churches are decorated with birch branches and congregations come to worship with birch branches in their hands. Folk also regard this day as a day of mourning for the dead, and all go to the graves. During the summer solstice, when the grass and trees flourished and the climate was favorable, people celebrated outdoors, especially young people, so in Soviet times the summer solstice became the Youth Day of the USSR. Birch trees were indispensable for the celebration of this day, so since 1964 it has been called Birch Festival, or "Russian Birch Festival". The birch tree has become a symbol of the Russian nation for a long time, and in the 11th-15th centuries many ancient Rus' documents were written on birch bark. Many Russian writers have described the birch tree with deep affection, and in the opinion of Russians, the birch tree is so beautiful and upright. On the occasion of the Birch Festival, families decorate their rooms with birch branches, cornflowers and bells. The festival will also hold a gala, the hostess is called "little birch", and masquerade parade, parade clusters of birch trees, really everywhere there are birch trees.