Incorporate the best traditions of the old ones. Newlyweds from the hill. What are the wedding customs for the parents of the bride and groom?

To modern man the customs of the ancient Slavs may seem like just some kind of creepy fantasy. But this really happened. These ancient customs make you feel very uneasy. And for some today one could easily get a criminal sentence.

We have collected seven of the strangest rituals of our ancestors. It was especially hard on women and children.

Daughtership

“Father-in-law.” V. Makovsky

This neutral word was used to describe sexual intercourse between father-in-law and daughter-in-law. Not that it was approved, but it was considered a very minor sin. Often fathers married their sons at 12-13 years old to girls 16-17 years old. In the meantime, the guys were catching up with their young wives in development, dad was working off conjugal duties for them. A completely win-win option was to send my son to work for six months, or even better, to the army for twenty years. Then the daughter-in-law, remaining in her husband’s family, had practically no chance of refusing her father-in-law. If she resisted, she did the hardest and dirtiest work and put up with the constant nagging of the “starshak” (as the head of the family was called). Nowadays law enforcement agencies would talk to the senior leader, but then there was nowhere to complain.

Sin of the dump

“Fern blossom.” O. Gurenkov

Nowadays this can only be seen in special films, mainly made in Germany. And before this was done in Russian villages on Ivan Kupala. This holiday combines pagan and Christian traditions. So, after dancing around the fire, the couples went to look for fern flowers in the forest. Just so you understand, fern does not bloom, it reproduces by spores. This is only an excuse for young people to go into the forest and indulge in carnal pleasures. Moreover, such connections did not oblige either boys or girls to anything.

Gasky

B. Olshansky “The Manor of Princess Winter”

This custom, which can also be called a sin, is described by the Italian traveler Roccolini. All the youth of the village gathered in big house. They sang and danced in the light of a torch. And when the light went out, they indulged in blind lovemaking with the one who happened to be nearby. Then the torch was lit, and the fun and dancing continued again. And so on until dawn. That night when Roccolini got on the Gasky, the torch went out and came on five times. Did the traveler himself participate in the Russian folk ritual, history is silent.

Overbaking

This ritual has nothing to do with sex, you can relax. It was customary to “over-bake” a premature or weak child in an oven. Not into kebab, of course, but rather into bread. It was believed that if the baby was not “prepared” in the womb, then it was necessary to bake it yourself. To gain strength and get stronger. The baby was wrapped in a special rye dough prepared in water. Only the nostrils were left to breathe. They tied him to a bread shovel and, saying secret words, sent him into the oven for some time. Of course, the oven was not hot, but warm. No one was going to serve the child to the table. They tried to burn away diseases with this ritual. Whether this helped, history is silent.

Scaring pregnant women

L. Plakhov. “Rest in the hayfield”

Our ancestors treated childbirth with with special awe. It was believed that at this moment the child passes from the world of the dead to the world of the living. The process itself is already difficult for a woman, and the midwives tried to make it completely unbearable. A specially trained grandmother positioned herself between the legs of the woman in labor and persuaded the pelvic bones to move apart. If this did not help, then they began to scare the expectant mother, rattled pots, and could fire a gun near her. They also loved to induce vomiting in women in labor. It was believed that when she vomits, the child goes more willingly. To do this, they shoved her own braid into her mouth or stuck her fingers into her mouth.

Salting

This wild rite used not only in some regions of Rus', but also in France, Armenia and other countries. It was believed that a newborn baby needed to gain strength from salt. This was apparently an alternative to overbaking. The child was coated with fine salt, including his ears and eyes. Probably to hear and see well after that. Then they wrapped them in rags and kept them there for a couple of hours, not paying attention to the inhuman screams. Those who were richer literally buried the child in salt. Cases are described when, after such a health procedure, all the skin peeled off the baby. But that’s okay, but then he’ll be healthy.

Dead Man's Rite

V. Korolkov. “Marriage Rite”

This terrible ceremony is nothing more than a wedding. Those bride's outfits, which we now consider ceremonial, were called funeral by our ancestors. A white robe, a veil, which was used to cover the face of a dead man so that he would not accidentally open his eyes and look at someone alive. The entire ceremony of marriage was perceived as the new birth of a girl. And in order to be born, you must first die. A white doll was put on the young woman's head (a headdress like that of nuns). They were usually buried in it. From there he goes to mourn the bride, which is still practiced in some villages in the outback. But now they are crying that the girl is leaving home, but before they were crying about her “death.” The ransom ritual also arose for a reason. By doing this, the groom tries to find the bride in world of the dead and bring it out into the white light. Bridesmaids in this case were perceived as guards the afterlife. Therefore, if you are suddenly invited to bargain with the groom on the spit-stained stairs in the entrance, remember where this tradition comes from and do not agree))

In Russia, traditions are revered and passed on from generation to generation. Some traditions appeared a little earlier, and some later. In this article we will look at those customs that have survived to this day.

Fortune telling for the betrothed

After the baptism of Rus', the traditions of paganism and Christianity intertwined. On the eve of major Christian holidays (Christmas, Epiphany and others), it was customary to carol and tell fortunes. Today there is also such a tradition, the same fortune-telling is used. Fortune tellers gathered in whole groups to find out about their future (wealth, family, children). A variety of objects were used for fortune telling - dishes, clothes, mirrors. Today, girls also get together and tell fortunes, but now this is done more for fun than with the goal of finding out their fate.

People also gathered in groups to sing carols. People gathered and went around houses. Everyone wished the owners all the best, sang songs, and in return they wanted beer, coins, and treats.

On holiday celebrations On the occasion of weddings, at fairs and other events, it was customary to dress up in masks and dress up as animals. People hung bells around themselves to make it as noisy as possible. People were dancing and having fun.

Sowing

The tradition of sowing at a party on the eve of Christmas has also reached us. Children and young people gathered in groups, entered houses without permission, threw grain on the floor, singing songs. This ritual promised the owners a rich harvest and happiness. The sowing children were thanked and given coins and sweets.

Advice

This tradition is very fun and the kids love it. Firstly, because they can have fun, and secondly, because they get sweets and coins. At the same time, you can sow not on Christmas, but on Old New Year. Kutya is usually worn at Christmas.

During Maslenitsa week we eat a pancake, and on the last day of the week we burn an effigy. This ritual also came to us a long time ago. The effigy was made from straw. This ritual was a farewell to winter and a welcome to spring.

When did the tradition of celebrating New Year begin?

Previously, the New Year began on September 1. But then Peter the Great issued a decree that the new year begins on January 1. In addition, Peter ordered to decorate houses with pine branches and fire cannon fireworks. And all people had to congratulate each other and wish all sorts of blessings.

Champagne

We didn't always drink champagne. The Russians became acquainted with the sparkling drink after the Napoleonic War. Champagne was served for everything social events, in particular, during New Year's festivities.

Balls

During Catherine's reign, balls and masquerades were held with dancing and music. The nobility dressed beautifully, everyone tried to stand out. This tradition can be correlated with our New Year celebration.

Tradition of celebrating the Old New Year

Foreigners are always surprised when they hear the name of this holiday. It cannot be said that this tradition began from ancient times, but it is almost 100 years old. After the revolution of 1917 power transferred to Gregorian calendar, and there was a difference of 13 days between them. But people did not stop celebrating the New Year in the old style. And over time it appeared new holiday- Old New Year. This day is always widely celebrated and loved by all residents. They do not prepare for it on such a large scale as for the New Year, but it is still celebrated. As a rule, in a circle of close people.

Conclusion:

There are many traditions. Almost all of them came a long time ago. This is not to say that they are followed everywhere. But most people honor them. We cannot say which traditions will come to us later. And we cannot say how long they will take root, whether entire generations will follow them. But we know for sure that these traditions have existed for a long time, and, for sure, they will continue to be followed.

Russian people - representatives of the East Slavic ethnic group, indigenous inhabitants of Russia (110 million people - 80% of the population Russian Federation), the most numerous ethnic group in Europe. The Russian diaspora numbers about 30 million people and is concentrated in countries such as Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and former USSR, in the USA and EU countries. As a result of the sociological research it was found that 75% of the Russian population of Russia are followers of Orthodoxy, and a significant part of the population does not consider itself to be a member of any particular religion. The national language of the Russian people is Russian.

Each country and its people have their own importance in modern world, concepts are very important folk culture and the history of the nation, their formation and development. Each nation and its culture are unique in their own way, the flavor and uniqueness of each nationality should not be lost or dissolved in assimilation with other peoples, the younger generation should always remember who they really are. For Russia, which is a multinational power and home to 190 peoples, the issue of national culture is quite acute, due to the fact that throughout recent years Its erasure is especially noticeable against the background of cultures of other nationalities.

Culture and life of the Russian people

(Russian folk costume)

The first associations that arise with the concept of “Russian people” are, of course, breadth of soul and strength of spirit. But national culture formed by people, it is these character traits that have a huge impact on its formation and development.

One of distinctive features of the Russian people there has always been and is simplicity, in old times Slavic houses and property were very often subjected to looting and complete destruction, hence the simplified attitude towards everyday issues. And of course, these trials that befell the long-suffering Russian people only strengthened their character, made them stronger and taught them to get out of any life situations with their heads held high.

Another trait that prevails in the character of the Russian ethnic group can be called kindness. The whole world is well aware of the concept of Russian hospitality, when “they feed you, give you something to drink, and put you to bed.” A unique combination of such qualities as cordiality, mercy, compassion, generosity, tolerance and, again, simplicity, very rarely found among other peoples of the world, all this is fully manifested in the very breadth of the Russian soul.

Hard work is another one of the main traits of the Russian character, although many historians in the study of the Russian people note both its love of work and enormous potential, as well as its laziness, as well as complete lack of initiative (remember Oblomov in Goncharov’s novel). But still, the efficiency and endurance of the Russian people is an indisputable fact that is difficult to argue against. And no matter how much scientists around the world want to understand the “mysterious Russian soul,” it is unlikely that any of them can do it, because it is so unique and multifaceted that its “zest” will forever remain a secret to everyone.

Traditions and customs of the Russian people

(Russian meal)

Folk traditions and customs represent a unique connection, a kind of “bridge of times” connecting the distant past with the present. Some of them have their roots in the pagan past of the Russian people, even before the baptism of Rus', little by little sacred meaning was lost and forgotten, but the main points were preserved and are still observed. In villages and towns, Russian traditions and customs are honored and remembered to a greater extent than in cities, which is due to the more isolated lifestyle of city residents.

A large number of rituals and traditions are associated with family life(this is both matchmaking and wedding celebrations, and baptism of children). Carrying out ancient rites and rituals guaranteed successful and happy life, the health of descendants and the general well-being of the family.

(Colorized photograph of a Russian family at the beginning of the 20th century)

Since ancient times, Slavic families have been distinguished big amount family members (up to 20 people), adult children, having already gotten married, remained to live in home, the head of the family was the father or older brother, everyone had to obey them and unquestioningly carry out all their orders. Typically, wedding celebrations were held either in the fall, after the harvest, or in the winter after the Epiphany holiday (January 19). Then the first week after Easter, the so-called “Red Hill,” began to be considered a very successful time for a wedding. The wedding itself was preceded by a matchmaking ceremony, when the groom's parents came to the bride's family along with his godparents, if the parents agreed to give their daughter in marriage, then a bridesmaid ceremony was held (meeting the future newlyweds), then there was a ceremony of collusion and hand-waving (the parents decided on the dowry and the date of the wedding festivities ).

The rite of baptism in Rus' was also interesting and unique, the child had to be baptized immediately after birth, for this purpose godparents were chosen, who would be responsible for the life and well-being of the godson all his life. When the baby was one year old, they sat him on the inside of a sheep's coat and cut his hair, cutting a cross on the crown, with such meaning that evil spirits would not be able to penetrate his head and would not have power over him. Every Christmas Eve (January 6), a slightly older godson should bring kutia (wheat porridge with honey and poppy seeds) to his godparents, and they, in turn, should give him sweets.

Traditional holidays of the Russian people

Russia is truly a unique state where, along with the highly developed culture of the modern world, they carefully honor the ancient traditions of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, going back centuries and preserving the memory of not only Orthodox vows and canons, but also the most ancient pagan rites and sacraments. To this day, pagan holidays are celebrated, people listen to signs and age-old traditions, remember and tell their children and grandchildren ancient traditions and legends.

Main national holidays:

• Christmas Jan. 7
• Christmastide January 6 - 9
• Baptism January 19
• Maslenitsa from 20 to 26 February

• Forgiveness Sunday ( before the onset of Lent)
• Palm Sunday (on the Sunday before Easter)
• Easter ( the first Sunday after the full moon, which occurs no earlier than the conventional day spring equinox 21 March)
• Red hill ( first Sunday after Easter)

• Trinity ( on Sunday on the day of Pentecost - the 50th day after Easter)
• Ivan Kupala July 7
• Peter and Fevronia Day July 8
• Elijah's day August 2

• Honey Spas August 14
• Apple Spas August 19
• Third (Khlebny) Spas August 29
• Pokrov day October 14

There is a belief that on the night of Ivan Kupala (July 6-7), once a year a fern flower blooms in the forest, and whoever finds it will gain untold riches. In the evening, large bonfires are lit near rivers and lakes, people dressed in festive ancient Russian attires lead round dances, sing ritual chants, jump over the fire, and let wreaths float downstream, in the hope of finding their soul mate.

Maslenitsa is a traditional holiday of the Russian people, celebrated during the week before Lent. A very long time ago, Maslenitsa was more likely not a holiday, but a ritual when the memory of departed ancestors was honored, placating them with pancakes, asking them for a fertile year, and spending the winter by burning a straw effigy. Time passed, and the Russian people, thirsty for fun and positive emotions in the cold and dull season, turned a sad holiday into a more cheerful and daring celebration, which began to symbolize the joy of the imminent end of winter and the arrival of long-awaited warmth. The meaning has changed, but the tradition of baking pancakes remains, exciting winter activities: sledding and horse-drawn rides down hills, a straw effigy of Winter was burned, throughout Maslenitsa week relatives went to pancakes either with their mother-in-law or sister-in-law, an atmosphere of celebration and fun reigned everywhere, various theatrical and theatrical events were held on the streets puppet shows with the participation of Petrushka and other folklore characters. One of the very colorful and dangerous entertainments on Maslenitsa was fist fights; the male population took part in them, for whom it was an honor to take part in a kind of “military affair” that tested their courage, boldness and dexterity.

Christmas and Easter are considered especially revered Christian holidays among the Russian people.

The Nativity of Christ is not only a bright holiday of Orthodoxy, it also symbolizes the rebirth and return to life, the traditions and customs of this holiday, filled with kindness and humanity, high moral ideals and the triumph of the spirit over worldly concerns, in the modern world they are rediscovered by society and rethought by it. The day before Christmas (January 6) is called Christmas Eve because the main dish festive table, which should consist of 12 dishes, is a special porridge “sochivo”, consisting of boiled cereal, drizzled with honey, sprinkled with poppy seeds and nuts. You can sit down at the table only after the first star appears in the sky, Christmas (January 7) - family celebration, when everyone gathered at one table, ate a festive treat and gave each other gifts. The 12 days after the holiday (until January 19) are called Christmastide. Previously, at this time, girls in Rus' held various gatherings with fortune telling and rituals to attract suitors.

Easter has long been considered a great holiday in Rus', which people associated with the day of general equality, forgiveness and mercy. On the eve of Easter celebrations, Russian women usually bake kulichi (festive rich Easter bread) and Easter bread, clean and decorate their homes, young people and children paint eggs, which, according to ancient legend, symbolize drops of the blood of Jesus Christ crucified on the cross. On the day of Holy Easter, smartly dressed people, meeting, say “Christ is Risen!”, answer “Truly He is Risen!”, followed by a three-time kiss and an exchange of festive Easter eggs.

Russia carefully preserves ancient Russians, which are more than 7-10 centuries old. The oldest ones have also survived Orthodox traditions, and pagan rituals. Besides all this, he is alive and folklore, represented by ditties, sayings, fairy tales and proverbs.

Customs and traditions of the Russian family

From time immemorial, the father was considered the head of the family; he was the most honorable and respected member of the family, whom everyone was supposed to obey. However, he also took upon himself all the hardest work, be it caring for livestock or plowing the land. It never happened that a man in the house did easy, womanly work, but he never sat idle - everyone worked, and a lot.

From childhood, the younger generation was taught to work and responsibility. As a rule, there were quite a lot of children in the family, and the elders always looked after the younger ones, and sometimes even raised them. It has always been customary to honor those who are older: both adults and old people.

It was supposed to relax and have fun only in holidays, of which there were relatively few. The rest of the time everyone was busy with business: the girls were spinning, the men and boys were doing hard work, and the mothers were looking after the house and children. It is generally accepted that the life and customs of the Russian people came to us precisely from the peasant environment, since the nobility and nobility were too strongly influenced by European culture.

Russian rituals and customs

Many Russians national customs came to us not from Christianity, but from paganism, however, both are respected equally. If speak about traditional holidays, then these should include:

In addition to these, there are many more Russian customs associated with ritual actions, be it a funeral, the baptism of a child, etc. The culture of Russia is strong precisely because of its reverence for customs and the ability to preserve them, carrying them through the centuries.

The history and culture of the Russian people goes back many centuries. All these years it was continuously enriched with new phenomena and traditions, but continued to preserve the memory of the experience and customs of its ancestors. Often Russian national rituals form a rather bizarre combination of actions determined by ancient pagan beliefs, which, nevertheless, harmoniously correlate with Christian Orthodox canons.

Most rituals in Rus' are, in one way or another, connected with religion, and more ancient, pre-Christian traditions with the mythological personification of the elements and natural phenomena.

The most famous and important pagan rituals that survived even after the baptism of Rus' include:

1. Maslenitsa.
2. Ivan Kupala Day.
3. Caroling.
4. Yarilin's day.

All of them, one way or another, were associated with the archaic ideas of the Slavs about the forces of nature and most often were tied to some events, calendar or seasons.

Maslenitsa

Since ancient times, the event that occurred on the day of the vernal equinox was celebrated widely and on a grand scale. People rejoiced at the arrival of spring: it is no coincidence that the symbol of this holiday was a pancake - a miniature symbolic sun. Maslenitsa itself symbolized winter. It was believed that after the burning ritual, she would transfer all her powerful energy to the earth, thereby ensuring a rich harvest and protecting her from natural disasters.

Ivan Kupala Day

Initially, the holiday was tied to the day summer solstice, but the name itself, which has survived to this day, was received already in the Christian era by the name of John the Baptist. This epithet in Greek sounds like “bather”, “immerser”, which is quite consistent with the essence of the celebration - ritual ablution in an open reservoir. This holiday very clearly demonstrates the bizarre combination of Christian religious traditions with pagan, archaic beliefs and rituals.

One of the main traditions of Ivan Kupala is jumping over the fire. It was believed that this promotes cleansing, protects against illnesses and allows protection from evil spirits. It was very important to swim in a river or lake on the night of Ivan Kupala, since the water was considered purified from all evil spirits and acquiring certain magical properties.

Yarilin's day

Again, in the initially pagan holiday dedicated to the sun god - Yaril, with the adoption of Christianity, certain motifs were added about the struggle of the saints with the pagan deity.

On this day, the ancient Slavs turned to Yarila for help so that he would provide crops sunlight and protected from flooding. An important ritual that took place on this day was called “Unlocking the Earth.” It was absolutely necessary to bathe in the dew, because... It was believed that on this day it has healing and miraculous properties.

Caroling

This ritual, as a rule, was timed to coincide with Christmastide and consisted of a group of young men and girls going around all the houses in the village, who sang comic songs or good wishes addressed to the owners, receiving a ritual reward for this. Ancient Russian farmers were confident that participation in Christmas rituals doubled the energy of fertility and contributed to an increase in crop yields, livestock offspring, and ensured general well-being in the farmstead.

With the adoption of Orthodoxy, a significant number of religious rituals appeared, associated with the onset of certain important stages in a person’s life. Among the main ones are:

1. Baptism.
2. Wedding ceremonies.
3. Funeral rites.

Baptism

The rite of baptism signified the spiritual birth of a person and his belonging to Christian religion. The child had to be baptized in the first year of life. For each baby, godparents were appointed, who presented the child with an icon of his patron and an Orthodox pectoral cross. The newborn was named in accordance with the name of the saint mentioned in the calendar.

The choice of godparents was treated very responsibly: it was believed that they were responsible for the child and should set a worthy example for him to the same extent as biological parents. After the ceremony was performed in the church, a festive and generous feast was held with the presence of all the people close to the newly baptized baby.

Wedding ceremonies

In Rus', they tried to set aside certain periods in the calendar year for weddings. It was impossible to get married during major fasts. In addition, weddings rarely took place during the period of the most intense agricultural work.
The main wedding rituals included:

• Matchmaking.
• Looks and glances.
• Collusion.
• Wedding train.
• Wedding.

Not a single wedding was complete without matchmaking. This was the most important stage at which the groom’s family decided whether to persuade the girl they liked to marry their son. Moreover, very often at this stage, they were not even interested in the opinions of the potential newlyweds themselves, and the bride and groom could see each other only at the bride’s party.

If both parties were satisfied with everything, a wedding agreement took place, during which the heads of families literally, beat each other on the hands, symbolically indicating the achievement of fundamental agreement on marriage between their children. During the conspiracy, the wedding date, invited guests, as well as other organizational issues were discussed.

To refuse to marry after an agreement meant disgracing yourself and your potential spouse. In case of refusal, the “injured” party had the right to demand compensation for all losses associated with this action.

On the wedding day, a wedding train was assembled, which consisted of elegant chaises, carts or sleighs, at the head of which was the groom's groomsman, who was in charge of the route.

Finally, the most important wedding ceremony was the wedding. After the sacrament was completed, the parents of the newlyweds waited at the groom’s house, greeted them with bread and salt and threw a generous and cheerful wedding feast.

Funeral rites

The main meaning of all rituals associated with the burial of the deceased was the desire to facilitate his transition from this world to the kingdom of God. The funeral service could not be performed if the person was not baptized, committed the sin of suicide, or did not confess or receive communion during the year before death. The deceased was put on a pectoral cross, dressed in clean clothes and covered with a funeral blanket. Music was considered inappropriate, as were flowers.

It was believed that the main thing on this day was prayer for the forgiveness of the sins of the deceased. After the burial of the deceased, the relatives organized funeral meal, which was accompanied by appropriate prayers. Bringing food to the churchyard was considered unacceptable. According to tradition, food was brought to the church and treated to parishioners. On the 3rd, 9th and 40th days a funeral service was ordered in the church. All this time, the relatives mourned the deceased, dressed in dresses of dark shades