1.2 Night of Ivan Kupala

On 6 for July 7 (with 24 for June, 25 on old style) one of the most ancient and important holidays of a Slavic calendar - Ivan Kupala, or Ivanov day is celebrated. The tradition of celebrating of Ivan Kupala has come to us from paganism.

This day - ancient Slavs’ thanked day of Dazhd'bog, the god of the sun. But the name of a holiday occurs from a national variant of a name of John the Baptist. It was a way the Orthodox Church tried to overcome pre-Christian customs. Called Bathed, it is connected to verbs "to bathe”, " to boil", because it was a holiday in honour of solar wedding, and one of the attributes of this wedding was bathing of the sun in water. According to the ancient representations fire and water were a brother and у sister whose symbol was the dark yellow and blue flower known as Ivan-and-Maria, or the flower of Кupala.

On that day young girls collected Kupala’s flowers in woods and fields as grass and flowers during the holiday served as the decoration of the village. Bouquets, wreaths, brooms were used also in guessing. They were put on water and girls guessed about a marriage, about life and death or about the future: if the wreath will sink - to a trouble, will float - fortunately.

At night a huge fire was settled. As soon as its flame inflames, young men and girls, having joined hands, start to jump through him. After cheerful round dances the youth was sent to bathe. Ivan Kupala's celebrating was necessarily accompanied by bathing in the rivers and lakes, washing by water or dew, washing in baths. It was considered, that, washing with dew the face and hands, the person banishes illnesses.

Only at this night, once a year, fern begins to blossom, therefore it is traditional that on the night of Ivan Kupala people searched for a flower of fern. Fern was considered to be one of the most mysterious and magic, magical plants. It was considered, that blossoming fernnot only make all the desires come true and also helps to find a treasure.

Also at this night it is possible to meet mermaids and witches. It is considered, that mermaids receive special force and can withdraw on a riverbed everybody. Therefore the most beautiful girls to those mermaids were kind, did wreaths of field colors and started up them on water. Witches at night of Ivan Kupala gather on the Bald Mountain exactly at midnight. And they fly there on a sweep.

1.3 Pancake week

Pancake week is one of a few ancient pagan holidays of wires of winter kept in Russia and after acceptance of Christianity in X century. The pancake week falls at the week previous to the Great post. Its beginning falls at the period from February 3 (on January, 21 on old style) till March 14 (on March, 1 on old style).

The pancake week has been perceived by Christian church actually as a religious holiday and has received the name Cheese, but it has not changed its internal essence. During a pancake week the person allocates soul before a heavy and long Great post.

The pancake week is famous for plentiful and nourishing food. Therefore there is nothing bad in at this time to regale, try the diversified dishes and to not refuse in anything. In a traditional life it was always considered, that the person, badly and boringly lead this week, would be unlucky within all year. All the fun events are considered to be a magic presage of the future well-being, prosperity and success in all business, domestic and economic undertakings.

From numerous rules and recommendations that should be observed during this holiday, it is possible to name the basic. First, on a pancake week it is impossible to eat meat. The Myasojed (the period of eating much meat, separating a winter, Christmas post from spring, Great) comes to an end, and Sunday before a pancake week starts in last afternoon when meat is allowed to eat. On a pancake week it is possible to eat dairy products and fish. However the basic dish on a pancake week is, as is known, pancakes, which are made every day since Monday. This time refers to as a wide pancake week.

The second rule tells that the meal on a pancake week becomes the most important form of a life. That is why people say, that at this time it is necessary to eat as many times as often the dog will wave a tail. On the pancake week people do not only eat much at home, but also frequently visit friends and relatives and invite guests.

But it’s not only the meal that makes sense of a pancake week. The pancake week allows dances, singing, driving from mountains (on special trays), amusing fights (types of a capture of a snow small town), burning of scarecrows: earlier from straw, and later from a snow on manners of "snowmen", fires and many other things.

Driving in sledge was rather popular, horses and a harness were decorated according to the special image: under arches of horses suspend hand bells, and in tails and a mane intertwine with tapes. This driving on horses was not only a way to show the brave and fine horses, but also a traditionally female way to brag of new things. The driving had special value for girls who wanted to attract attention of grooms and the main thing - of their parents.

Pancake week is not a one-day holiday. It is the whole week when the person should not think of work or any household chores and affairs. It is necessary to have fun, walk and eat, having postponed affairs up to the Great post.

On a pancake week it is necessary not to forget and about a newly married couple as at this time it is accepted to congratulate all pairs, which have got married during last year. People had to give them gifts, play a trick on them, drag in a snow, force to kiss publicly, visit them unexpectedly. And a newly married couple had to take part in the festival and visit parents, leave "to the public", etc.

However the time of a holiday sooner or later comes to the end. The last day a holiday refers to Forgiven Sunday. This day it is accepted to beg pardon to teach other for all insults caused during the year and by that to be cleared of all sinful, to what the person got used during the pancake week. This "pardon" passes usually in such a way: first the most younger are sorry about grown-ups, in reply grown-ups are sorry about the younger.

The pardon between native and familiar occurs in the evening, upon termination of all the entertainments. People say to each other: «Forgive me if I did anything wrong to you». The tradition to be sorry is distributed and on dead when on Sunday many people are sent on a cemetery, leave on the tombs of their relatives and friends pancakes.