Russia "pre-Christian" - ancient celebrations

Holidays in Russia had a special meaning. All of them were of a cult nature and were dedicated to the veneration of mother nature, to the gods and to the ancestors who had departed to the world. Being engaged, for the most part, in agriculture, the Slavs especially revered nature. And their gods each related to one of the natural elements.

The cult of reverence for the dead is connected with the fact that, according to popular beliefs, their souls merged with nature and became its part. The Slavs themselves considered them not creatures of the gods, but their descendants. And the ancestors, of course, were considered closer to the gods and possessing greater power, able to help their children. Therefore, they sacredly honored their memory.

Spring is the beginning of everything

Spring holidays always marked the beginning, the birth of a new life. Mother nature, awakening after the winter, was again preparing for the summer period. Celebrations were dedicated in the spring to the gods who monitor fertility and give life. They began with the traditional farewell to the cold season.

Summer is a riot of life

This time is especially rich in holidays. After all, this is the very height of the life of nature and agricultural work. Everything blooms and grows. And a man with reverence uses the gifts of nature for his own good, performing, at the same time, the appropriate rites.

Usually, celebrations took place on natural grounds. The most suitable places for them were elevations. All of them were accompanied by various games, round dances and songs.

Still, summer is time for weddings. The custom of marrying newlyweds dates back to precisely those times. Only then this rite was carried out in nature, or in the sanctuaries of the gods, patronizing family life. And crowns woven from plants were laid on the heads of the young.

The summer season of the Savior was completed - the beginning of the harvest. These holidays continued even in the beginning of autumn, until the end of all agricultural work.

Autumn is a time of reverence

When the entire crop was already harvested, a celebration was held marking this period. The beginning of autumn was completely devoted to the earth. The Slavs paid tribute to their nurse and thanked the respective gods.

With the approach of cold weather, more and more time was allotted for the reverence of the departed. Rites were held to help penetrate the other world and ask for protection for a long winter.

Winter celebrations

The first half of winter was completely devoted to the memory of the dead. Conducted various fortune-telling with the assistance of the soul world. What distinguished them from their summer predictions was precisely that otherworldly forces were actively involved. And in the summer, nature itself played this role.

Winter symbolized the dying of the former and the birth of the new. When she began to come to an end, the holidays were more and more devoted to preparing for future work. The beginning of this period personified the birth of a new sun, and with it, a new life.

Echoes of these rituals exist to this day. Many of them, even, have not changed too much. With the advent of Christianity, pagan holidays were closely intertwined with it and, taking a slightly different direction, were preserved. During many significant Orthodox days, rituals are performed that existed even during the time of the Gentiles. The names of many saints are confined to Slavic deities and events.

Evgeniya Kasmina