Each nation has its own way of life, customs, its own unique songs, dances, and fairy tales. Each country has its favorite dishes, special traditions in table decoration and cooking. There is a lot in them that is expedient, historically conditioned, corresponding to national tastes, lifestyle, and climatic conditions.

Over thousands of years, this way of life and these habits have developed; they contain the collective experience of our ancestors.

Culinary recipes, formed over the years as a result of centuries-old evolution, many of them are excellent examples of the correct combination of products in terms of taste, and from a physiological point of view - in terms of nutritional content.

The way of life of a people is formed under the influence of many factors - natural, historical, social, etc. To a certain extent, cultural exchange with other peoples also influences it, but foreign traditions are never mechanically borrowed, but acquire a local national flavor on new soil.

Since medieval antiquity, rye, oats, wheat, barley, and millet have been cultivated in our country. Our ancestors long ago borrowed the skills of making flour and mastered the “secrets” of baking various products from fermented dough. That is why pies, pies, pancakes, pies, kulebyaki, pancakes, pancakes, etc. are of significant importance in the food of our ancestors. Many of these products have long become traditional for festive tables: kurniks - at weddings, pies, pancakes - at Maslenitsa, "larks" "from the dough - into spring holidays etc.

No less typical for Russian traditional cuisine are dishes from all kinds of cereals: various porridges, krupeniki, pancakes, oatmeal jelly, casseroles, pea-based dishes, as well as lentils.

In the more northern regions of our country special meaning have dishes prepared from millet. This tradition has deep historical roots. Once upon a time Eastern Slavs who came to these lands in the 6th century AD. and lived mainly in forested areas, millet was cultivated as the main crop.

Millet served as a raw material for producing flour, cereals, brewing beer, kvass, preparing soups and sweet dishes. This folk tradition continues to this day. However, it should be borne in mind that millet is inferior in nutritional value to other cereals. Therefore, it should be prepared with milk, cottage cheese, liver, pumpkin and other products.

Not only grain crops were cultivated by our ancestors. From ancient times, through the centuries, such crops have come down to the present day and have become the main ones in our garden. Ancient Rome, like cabbage, beets and turnips. Most widely used in Rus' sauerkraut, which was possible to save until the new harvest. Cabbage serves as an indispensable snack, seasoning for boiled potatoes and other dishes.

Cabbage soup from various types cabbages are our well-deserved pride national cuisine, although they were prepared in ancient Rome, where a lot of cabbage was specially grown. It’s just that many vegetable plants and recipes “migrated” from Ancient Rome through Byzantium to Rus' after the adoption of Christianity in Rus'. The Greeks not only created writing for Rus', but also passed on much of their culture.

Nowadays, cabbage is especially widely used in cooking in the northern and central regions of Russia, in the Urals and Siberia.

Turnips in Russia until the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th centuries. was as important as potatoes are today. Turnips were used everywhere and many dishes were prepared from turnips, stuffed, boiled, steamed. Turnips were used as a filling for pies, and kvass was made from it. Gradually, from the beginning to mid-19th century, it was replaced by much more productive, but much less useful potatoes (practically, it is empty starch).

But turnips also contain very valuable biochemical sulfur compounds, which, when eaten regularly, are excellent immunostimulants. Now the turnip has become a rare and piecemeal product on the Russian table - when it is sold, the price for it is determined not by kilograms, but by piece.

After the transition to potatoes, Russian cuisine significantly lost its high quality. As well as after practically abandoning Russian table horseradish, which is also an indispensable aid for health, but retains its beneficial features no more than 12-18 hours after preparation, i.e. requiring preparation shortly before serving. Therefore, modern store-bought “horseradish in jars” has neither such properties nor the proper taste. So if in Russia now Russian table horseradish is served at the family table, it is only on great holidays.

For some reason, rutabaga is not mentioned in ancient sources, probably because previously rutabaga was not distinguished from turnip. These once widespread root crops in Russia currently occupy a relatively small share in vegetable growing. They could not withstand competition with potatoes and other crops. However, the unique taste and smell, the possibility of various culinary uses, transportability, and storage stability suggest that turnips and rutabaga should not be abandoned at the present time, since they add a very special taste to many dishes of Russian folk cuisine.

Of the vegetable crops that appeared in Russia later, one cannot help but mention potatoes. In the very early XIX V. potatoes made a real revolution in the traditions of the Russian table; potato dishes gained wide popularity. Much credit for the spread of potatoes and its popularization belongs to the famous cultural figure of the 18th century. A.T. Bolotov, who not only developed agricultural technology for growing potatoes, but also proposed a technology for preparing a number of dishes.

Animal products have remained virtually unchanged. From time immemorial, our ancestors consumed the meat of cattle ("beef"), pigs, goats and sheep, as well as poultry - chickens, geese, ducks.

Until the 12th century. Horse meat was also used, but already in the 13th century. it has almost gone out of use, because The Mongol-Tatars, who needed horses more, began to take away the “extra” horses from the population. In manuscripts of the 16th-17th centuries. (“Domostroy”, “Painting the Tsar’s Dishes”) only certain delicious dishes made from horse meat are mentioned (jelly from horse lips, boiled horse heads). Subsequently, with the development of dairy farming, milk and products derived from it were increasingly used.

Forestry was a large and significant addition to the economy of our ancestors. In the chronicles of the XI-XII centuries. talking about hunting grounds - "goshawks", in later manuscripts hazel grouse are mentioned, wild ducks, hares, geese and other game. Although there is no reason to believe that they have not been eaten before since ancient times.

Forests occupy vast areas in our country, especially in the northern Urals and Siberia. The use of forest products is one of the characteristic features of Russian cuisine. In the old days, hazelnuts played an important role in nutrition. Nut butter was one of the most common fats. The nut kernels were crushed, a little boiling water was added, wrapped in a rag and placed under pressure. The oil gradually dripped into the bowl. Nut cake was also used for food - added to porridge, eaten with milk, with cottage cheese. Crushed nuts were also used to prepare various dishes and fillings.

The forest was also a source of honey (beekeeping). Various sweet dishes and drinks - medki - were prepared from honey. Currently, only in some places in Siberia (especially in Altai, among local non-Russian peoples) methods for preparing these delicious drinks have been preserved.

However, from the most ancient times and before the advent of mass production of sugar, honey was the main sweetness among all peoples, and on its basis even in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, a wide variety of sweet drinks, dishes and desserts were prepared. Also, not only Russians, but also all peoples who had fish at their disposal, from time immemorial also ate caviar.

The very first artificially cultivated fruit tree in Rus' there was a cherry. Under Yuri Dolgoruky, only cherries grew in Moscow.

The character of Russian folk cuisine was significantly influenced by the geographical features of our country - the abundance of rivers, lakes, and seas. It is the geographical location that explains the number of different types of fish dishes. The diet included many river and lake fish species. Although there were many more different fish dishes in Ancient Greece and, especially, in Ancient Rome - the creator of the foundations of the modern richness of European cuisine. What was the cost of Lucullus’ culinary fantasies alone! (Unfortunately, his numerous records of recipes have been lost.)

In Russian cuisine, a large assortment of products was also used for preparing dishes. However, it is not so much the variety of products that determines the specificity of national Russian cuisine (the same products were also available to Europeans), but rather the methods of their processing and cooking technologies. In many ways, the originality of folk dishes was determined precisely by the peculiarities of the Russian oven.

There is reason to believe that the design of the traditional Russian stove was not borrowed. She appeared in Eastern Europe as a local original type of hearth. This is indicated by the fact that among the peoples of Siberia, Central Asia In the Caucasus, the main types of ovens were open hearths, as well as an outdoor oven for baking bread or a tandoor for baking flatbreads. Finally, archeology provides direct evidence of this. During excavations of Trypillian settlements in Ukraine (third millennium BC), not only the remains of stoves were found, but also a clay model of the stove, which made it possible to restore them appearance and device. These adobe stoves can be considered the prototype of later stoves, including the Russian stove.

But the design of the samovar was borrowed by the Russians from the Persians, who in turn took it from the Arabs. (However, Russian nesting dolls were also borrowed from the Japanese in 1893; their mass production was already established in 1896.)

But we should not try to artificially “cleanse” our table of dishes that were once borrowed from other peoples and have long become familiar to us. These include, for example, pancakes (borrowed in the 9th century from the cuisine of the Varangians along with compotes and infusions from dried fruits), cutlets, meatballs, splints, steaks, escalopes, mousses, jelly, mustard, mayonnaise (borrowed from European cuisine), shish kebab and kebab (borrowed from the Crimean Tatars), dumplings (borrowed in the 12th century from the Mongols), borscht (this is the national dish of Ancient Rome, which came to Rus' along with Orthodoxy from the Byzantine Greeks), ketchup (an invention of the cooks of the English navy) and others.

Many dishes that have now become traditional Russian were invented by French chefs and restaurateurs who worked in Russia in the 19th century and created the foundations of modern Russian cuisine (Lucien Olivier, Yar, etc.).

In the process of historical development, nutrition changed, new products appeared, and methods of their processing improved. Potatoes and tomatoes appeared in Russia relatively recently, many ocean fish have become familiar, and it is no longer possible to imagine our table without them. Attempts to divide Russian cuisine into ancient, original and modern are very conventional. It all depends on the availability of products available to the people. And who will now say that dishes with potatoes or tomatoes cannot be national Russian?

The culinary use of pineapples during the times of Catherine II and Prince Potemkin (this lover of cabbage stalks, which he did not part with and constantly gnawed) is interesting. Pineapples were then chopped and fermented in barrels, like cabbage. This was one of Potemkin’s favorite snacks to go with vodka.

Our country is vast, and each region has its own local dishes. In the north they love cabbage soup, and in the south - borscht, in Siberia and the Urals there is no festive table without shaneg, and in Vologda - without fishmongers, on the Don they cook fish soup with tomatoes, etc. However, there are many common dishes for all regions of our country and many general techniques for their preparation.

Everything that was formed at the initial stage of the Russian culinary tradition remains unchanged to this day. The main components of the traditional Russian table: black Rye bread, which remains beloved to this day, a variety of soups and cereals prepared almost every day, but not at all according to the same recipes as many years ago (for which you need a Russian oven, and even the ability to operate it), pies and others countless products from yeast dough, without which no fun is complete, pancakes, as well as our traditional drinks - honey, kvass and vodka (although all of them are also borrowed; in particular, bread kvass was prepared in Ancient Rome).

In addition, with the arrival of Orthodoxy from Byzantium in Rus', a Lenten table was formed.

The main advantage of Russian cuisine is the ability to absorb and creatively refine and improve the best dishes of all the peoples with whom the Russian people had to communicate on a long historical path. This is what made Russian cuisine the richest cuisine in the world. And now not a single nation has worthy dishes that would have no analogues in Russian cuisine, but in a much better execution.

4. Traditions of receiving guests

In the seventeenth century, every self-respecting city dweller, and especially if he was also wealthy, could not do without holding festive feasts, because it was part of their way of life. They began to prepare for the festive feast long before the solemn day - they carefully cleaned and tidied up the entire house and yard, everything had to be flawless when the guests arrived, everything had to shine like never before. From the chests were taken ceremonial tablecloths, dishes, and towels that had been so carefully stored for this day.

And the honorable place of the head of this entire responsible process, as well as the purchasing and preparation festive events, the mistress of the house watched.

The owner had an equally important responsibility - inviting guests to the feast. Moreover, depending on the status of the guest, the owner either sent a servant with an invitation or went himself. And the actual event itself went something like this: the hostess in a festive outfit came out to the assembled guests and greeted them, bowing from the waist, and the guests responded with a bow to the ground, followed by a kissing ceremony: the owner of the house invited the guests to honor the hostess with a kiss.

The guests took turns approaching the hostess of the house and kissing her, and at the same time, according to the canons of etiquette, they held their hands behind their backs, after which they bowed to her again and accepted a glass of vodka from her hands. When the hostess went to the special women's table, this served as a signal for everyone to sit down and start eating. Usually the ceremonial table stood stationary, in the “red corner,” that is, under the icons, near the benches fixedly attached to the wall, on which, by the way, at that time it was considered more honorable than on the benches.

The meal itself began with the owner of the house cutting off and serving to each invited guest a slice of bread with salt, which symbolized the hospitality and hospitality of this house; by the way, today’s hospitality traditions take their origins from that time. As a sign of special respect or affection for one of his guests, the host of the ceremony could himself put some food from a special plate, specially placed next to him, and, with the help of his servant, send it to the guest of honor especially, as if more emphasizing his attention given to him.

Although the tradition of welcoming guests with bread and salt came to us from that time, the order of serving dishes in those days was noticeably different from the one we are accustomed to today: first we ate pies, after dishes of meat, poultry and fish, and only at the end of the meal started on soups.

Serving order

When all the participants in the meal were seated in their places, the owner cut the bread into pieces and, along with salt, served it to each guest separately. By this action in Once again emphasized the hospitality of his home and deep respect for everyone present.

At these festive feasts, one more thing was obligatory - the so-called oprichnina dish was placed in front of the owner and the owner personally transferred the food from it into shallow containers (flat dishes) and passed it along with the servants to special guests as a sign of absolute attention to them. And when the servant conveyed this peculiar gastronomic message from his master, as a rule he said: “May you, dear sir, eat for your health.”

If we, by some miracle, could travel back in time and find ourselves in the seventeenth century, and why not, if a second miracle happened, we would be invited to such a celebration, we would be quite surprised at the order in which the dishes were served at the table. Judge for yourself, now it’s normal for us that first we eat an appetizer, then soup, and after that the main course and dessert, but in those days they served pies first, then meat, poultry and fish dishes (“roast”), and only then , at the end of lunch - soups (“ear”). Having rested after the soups, we ate a variety of sweet snacks for dessert.

How they drank in Rus'

The drinking traditions in Rus' that have been preserved and come down to us have their roots in ancient times, and in many houses today, as in the distant past, refusing food and drink means offending the owners. The tradition of drinking vodka not in small sips has also reached us and is practiced everywhere, as is customary, for example, in European countries, but in one gulp, right away.

True, the attitude towards drunkenness has changed now; if today getting drunk means deviating from accepted norms of decency, then in those days of boyar Rus', when it was considered obligatory, and a guest who was not drunk had to at least pretend to be one. Although one should not get drunk quickly, but keep up with all the participants in the feast, and therefore rapid intoxication at a party was considered indecent.

Royal feasts

Thanks to the many ancient manuscripts that have reached us, we are well aware of the festive and everyday table of the Tsar and the boyars. And this is thanks to the punctuality and precision in the performance of their duties by court servants.

The number of all kinds of dishes at royal feasts and at feasts of rich boyars reached up to a hundred, and on special occasions could reach half a thousand, and they were brought to the table one by one, one at a time, and precious gold and silver dishes with other dishes were held in the hands of those standing around the table servants.

Peasant feast

But the traditions of feasting and eating were also among not so rich layers of society, and were not only among the rich and noble members of society.

Representatives of almost all segments of the population considered it obligatory to gather at the banquet table on the occasion of all significant events in life, be it a wedding, christening, name day, meeting, farewell, funeral, folk and church holidays...

And naturally, it is this tradition that has reached us practically unchanged.

Russian hospitality

Everyone knows about Russian hospitality and it has always been this way.

As for food, if guests come to a Russian person’s house and find the family having dinner, they will certainly be invited to the table and seated at it, and the guest is unlikely to have the opportunity to refuse this.

Gala dinners and feasts in honor of the reception of foreign guests were organized with particular breadth and scope; they were designed to demonstrate not only the material capabilities of the royal hosts (who completely robbed their own people), but also the breadth and hospitality of the Russian soul.

5. Traditions of the Russian Orthodox festive feast

The Orthodox festive feast has preserved many traditions, customs and rituals since ancient times. Characteristic feature Orthodox holidays was that they were family holidays. All family members and close relatives gathered at the table. Table etiquette was very restrained and strict. They sat decorously at the table, and they tried to have serious and kind conversations. Revelry and drunkenness, especially on fasting days, were considered a great sin. As St. Theodore of Edessa wrote, “Spend the holiday not in drinking wine, but in renewing the mind and spiritual purity. By filling your belly with food, you will anger the One to whom the holiday is dedicated.”

A mandatory element of the holiday is prayer. It is believed that food prepared with prayer is always successful, and prayers before and after eating food and others addressed to God, the Most Holy Trinity, the Most Holy Theotokos, and the Precious Cross will bring health, peace and joy.

The Orthodox holiday table is characterized by traditional dishes corresponding to the holiday being celebrated. For many holidays, strictly defined ritual dishes were intended, and they were often prepared only once a year. They knew in advance and waited for stuffed pig, goose or turkey, honey or poppy seed pie, fluffy and rosy pancakes, colored eggs and Easter cakes to be on the table...

Orthodox holidays were celebrated with a plentiful and rich table. Both wealthy and poor families put on the table all the best that was in the house. Especially for the holidays, various products were purchased in advance and stored in home pantries.

Delicious dishes were prepared for the festive table, adhering to the rule: “A person eats at home, but when visiting, he enjoys himself,” and the housewives tried to show off their culinary skills. The range of snacks and dishes, especially cold ones, was varied and wide. Folk traditions often prescribed how many there should be for which holiday. Most dishes and drinks were immediately placed on the table. It was considered obligatory to try all the dishes that were on the table.

Much attention was paid to the decoration of the festive table. It was covered with a beautiful, usually embroidered or snow-white tablecloth and served with the best dishes and cutlery, decorated with flowers, sprigs of greenery, paper ribbons, and garlands. An indispensable attribute of the festive table were candles, which gave the feast a special solemnity and symbolized the religious nature of the holiday.

Traditions and customs of the festive feast have changed and been updated over the centuries. Each generation sought to preserve both ancient pagan and Orthodox traditions, and to bring something of their own. AND modern generations is no exception to this rule.

Russian people - representatives of the East Slavic ethnic group, indigenous inhabitants of Russia (110 million people - 80% of the population Russian Federation), the largest 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 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 The Russian people have always had and still have simplicity; in former times, Slavic houses and property were very often subjected to plunder 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 their sacred meaning was lost and forgotten, but the main points have been preserved and are still observed. In villages and towns, Russian traditions and customs are honored and remembered in 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 includes matchmaking, wedding celebrations, and the baptism of children). Carrying out ancient rites and rituals guaranteed a successful and happy life in the future, 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 were distinguished by a large number of family members (up to 20 people), adult children, having already gotten married, remained to live in their 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 day of the conventional vernal equinox on March 21)
• 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 wealth. 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 - traditional holiday Russian people, celebrated during the week before Great 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 remained, exciting winter entertainment appeared: sledding and horse-drawn rides down hills, a straw effigy of Winter was burned, throughout the entire Maslenitsa week relatives went to pancakes with their mother-in-law and sister-in-law, an atmosphere of celebration and fun reigned everywhere , various theatrical and puppet shows were held on the streets with the participation of Petrushka and others 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 of the 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, when meeting, say “Christ is Risen!”, answer “Truly He is Risen!”, followed by a three-time kiss and an exchange of festive Easter eggs.

Life and customs in Russian culture in 1930

1.4.Family and family rituals

The family united, as a rule, representatives of two generations - parents and their children. Such a family usually represented a large group. Often there were 7-9 children in a family. If more than half of the children were boys, then such families were not considered poor. On the contrary, they were quite “strong”, since they had many workers.

Among the main family rituals are baptism, wedding, and funeral. Boys usually got married at the age of 24-25 years, and girls at the age of 18-22 Yiddish. Language and culture in the Soviet Union: - Moscow, Publishing Center of the Russian State University for the Humanities, 2009 - 303 pp.

The marriage had to receive an official blessing at a church wedding. Only such a marriage was considered legal. The baptism of every child in the first months of life was also mandatory. The funeral of the deceased in church or at home was also one of the main rites.

After his son’s marriage, parents and close relatives, as a rule, helped him build his own house and equip it.

The marriage of daughters was accompanied by the transfer of a dowry to the groom, which they began to save immediately after the birth of the future bride. Many of its parts were created by the hands of the girl herself during the premarital period. There were especially many embroidered items of clothing, linen, etc.

The concept of a woman’s maternal and marital duty became part of ideological and political manipulation (the country, constantly preparing for war, needed a high birth rate). Sexuality turned out to be closely linked with reproduction (in 1935 the production of contraceptives ceased in the USSR). In 1936, a law was passed making divorce more difficult; After 8 years, divorce was generally allowed only through the courts. Also in 1936, abortions were banned (except for the so-called “ medical indications"), which was a defeat for women in their reproductive rights. Having failed in its course towards a “revolution of everyday life,” the state placed a double burden on the shoulders of “free and equal” women, paying off possible reproaches with small handouts (the introduction of an honorary badge“Heroine Mother”, a meager payment for keeping children in nurseries and kindergartens) F. de La Rochefoucauld. Maxims. J. de La Bruyère. Characters, or Morals of the present century. Ch. de Saint-Denis de Saint-Evremont. Featured Conversations. L. de Clapier de Vauvenargues. Introduction to the knowledge of the human mind. Reflections and maxims. S.-R. N. Chamfort. Maxims and thoughts: F. de La Rochefoucauld, J. de Labruyère, C. de Saint-Denis de Saint-Evremond, - Moscow, Pushkin Library, AST, 2004 - 189 pp..

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Every person is accompanied throughout his life by all kinds of Russian traditions, rites and rituals. There are a lot of them and they are very different - for every day, for a holiday and for some special event in the family.

All family rituals are based on faith, work, life and recreation of people. And the emergence of rituals cannot be called accidental. It takes centuries before any ritual is recognized in society.

In all modern traditions, reached today, three faith-cultures were embodied, represented by pagan, Christian and partially atheistic culture. All modern folk traditions are Christian, although some still have traces of paganism and atheism.

Family rituals of Belarusians are the living voice of the people.

They teach good things. Some Russian traditions were embedded in the norm of social behavior. They had a significant influence on the moral, ethical, everyday or work image of each of the people.

In the modern world there are a lot of different customs and rituals, and each of them can be divided into church-religious and secular. Church-religious rituals among the people have a close connection with the church, while secular ones occur outside the church, and they exist separately, although they have a close connection.

In church rituals you can find a lot of elements in the form of bread, water, incense, candles, willow branches, and rings. The worldly, in turn, borrowed the holy image, icon, cross, Bible, prayer from church rituals. And the complex of family rituals itself is represented by ordinary, Sunday-holiday, solemn-family, mourning-funeral, calendar, household and economic.

Features of family rituals

All family rituals of Belarusians are based on the history and life of the people. Their development path is very long, and they managed to preserve traces of beliefs, worldviews, family and social structures. In family rituals one can find a reflection of the way of life, everyday norms and customs of the clan and family. All family rituals were distinguished by a clear structure, and each nation always and strictly observed them.

The main family traditions have always been and remain the sacrament of baptism, weddings, and funerals. Wedding rituals were represented by the pre-wedding, the wedding itself and the post-wedding part. The funeral rite consisted of pre-funeral ritual actions, funeral rites and commemoration.

All folk rituals still live, they are permeated with earthly needs and spiritual ideas, symbols, they are endowed with feelings and rich images.

Character formation took place through family rituals family relations, psychology and human behavior.

All family rituals have an educational function, and for every nation, rituals are a sacred property that every person deeply values.

Types of family rituals

In the Russian family traditions of Belarusians, since the times of paganism, there has been a reflection of the complete family cycle, consisting of their baptism, wedding and funeral. In the old days, every family ritual was endowed with magical properties, which served as a reliable protection for man from evil forces.

The sacrament of baptism. Already in the first months of life in Rus', the baptism of a child was a mandatory and strict rule.

Today is Epiphany in Orthodox Church is performed by immersing the head three times in a font of holy water with the words “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

When performing the sacrament of baptism, several ritual actions are performed, endowed with symbolic spiritual meaning:

• first, the person being baptized turns his face to the west - a symbol of darkness, this is done so that he renounces Satan;
• then the baby is anointed with oil before being immersed in the font, which symbolizes invincibility in the fight against Satan;
• then the person being baptized is immersed in water and the Holy Spirit bestows the seed of Life and cleansing from sins;
• after this, a cross is placed on the chest, so that the baptized person will constantly remember the cross as a symbol of salvation;
• then the Russian ritual of dressing in white clothes occurs, so the baptized person receives cleansing from sins, and from that moment his life should become pious;
• after dressing up, the baptized person walks around the font three times, which symbolizes eternity;
• Then the hair is cut, so the newly baptized surrenders to the will of the Lord.

Another important Russian tradition in the life of every person is the system of wedding rituals that serve to consolidate marriage. In Russia, this system appeared in the fifteenth century. At that time, boys got married at the age of twenty-four, and girls got married starting at the age of eighteen.

Conventionally, Russian wedding rituals are represented by pre-wedding, wedding and post-wedding rituals:

• The beginning of Russian wedding rituals is matchmaking, in which a preliminary agreement is obtained from the bride’s relatives to perform the wedding;
• then the bridegroom took place, when the groom and the groom's parents could see the future bride and evaluate her positive and negative qualities;
• the final agreement regarding the wedding was reached through the ceremony of hand-clasping;
• this was followed by the Russian ritual of ritual crying - howling, the purpose of which was to show that in the bride’s house life was passing happily and now she had to say goodbye to him; through howling, the girl said goodbye to her friends, parents and her freedom;
• the day before the wedding, a bachelorette party was held, when friends came to the bride and helped sew gifts for the groom, the whole evening was accompanied by wedding songs;
• on the wedding day it was customary to carry out a ransom ceremony, which has been preserved to this day; the groom was obliged to take the bride from home;
• after the ransom, the most important part of the wedding rites took place - the wedding, in which the bride and groom received a Christian blessing and became husband and wife for the rest of their lives;
• wedding ceremony was celebrated wedding feast, accompanied by food, drink and merry jokes;
• The final Russian wedding rite is the “bread and salt” with which the bride’s parents greet the newlyweds.

At the same time, the mother-in-law or mother-in-law offers the newlyweds a piece of the loaf. This ritual is a symbol of the fact that from this moment the young become crumbs of the same bread.

The final rite in Orthodox tradition should be called a funeral. As shown in established traditions, the deceased person was washed, dressed in clean clothes, which he had never worn, then the deceased was laid on a bench with his head towards the red corner, where the icons were located, covered with a white canvas, and his hands were folded on the chest. According to ancient Russian traditions, funerals after death should have been held on the third day.

The especially honored dead were carried in their arms all the way to the cemetery.

The entire funeral ceremony was accompanied by crying and lamentations. The funeral was concluded with a wake or funeral feast with special funeral dishes. Already at the cemetery the deceased had to be remembered with kutya. Almost all Russian funerals in Rus' were accompanied by pancakes.

The importance of family rituals in human life

Each family ritual that was observed by people for centuries had certain pedagogical functions. With their help, the younger generation became familiar with the economic responsibilities of each family member, the rules of behavior in married life, preparation for motherhood, the moral standards of the people, and much more.

This transfer of knowledge was carried out not by lessons and instructions, but by clear examples of the behavior of adults, where no explanations were needed. Thus, each child adopted a model of one behavior or another, becoming a direct participant in the rituals.

The rituals, customs and traditions of the Russian people go back to ancient times. Many of them have changed significantly over time and have lost their sacred meaning. But there are also those that still exist. Let's look at some of them.

Calendar rituals

The calendar rituals of the Russian people go back to the times of the ancient Slavs. At that time, people cultivated the land and raised livestock, and worshiped pagan idols.

Here are some of the rituals:

1. Sacrificial rituals to the god Veles. He patronized cattle breeders and farmers. Before sowing the crops, people went out into the field, wearing clean clothes. They decorated their heads with wreaths and held flowers in their hands. The oldest resident of the village began to sow and threw the first grain into the ground
2. The harvest was also timed to coincide with the festival. Absolutely all the villagers gathered near the field and sacrificed the largest animal to Veles. The men began to plow the first strip of land, while the women at this time collected grain and gathered it into sheaves. At the end of the harvest, the table was set with generous food and decorated with flowers and ribbons.
3. Maslenitsa is a calendar ritual that has survived to this day. The ancient Slavs turned to the sun god Yaril with a request to send a rich harvest. They baked pancakes, danced in circles, burned the famous Maslenitsa effigy
4. Forgiveness Sunday is the most important day of Maslenitsa. On this day, people asked for forgiveness from loved ones and relatives, and also forgave all insults themselves. After this day, Lent began.

Despite the fact that Maslenitsa has lost its religious meaning, people still happily take part in mass celebrations, bake pancakes and rejoice in the coming spring.

Yuletide Traditions

It is impossible not to talk about Christmas rituals, which remain relevant to this day. They are traditionally held from January 7 to January 19 during the period from Christmas to Epiphany.

Christmas rituals are as follows:

1. Kolyada. Young people and children go from house to house dressed as mummers, and residents treat them with sweets. Nowadays caroling is rare, but the tradition has not yet become obsolete
2. Yuletide fortune telling. Young girls and women gather in groups and perform fortune telling. Most often, these are rituals that allow you to find out who will become the betrothed, how many children will be born in the marriage, etc.
3. And on January 6, before Christmas in Rus', they cooked compote with rice, cooked delicious pastries and slaughtered cattle. It was believed that this tradition helps to attract a rich harvest in the spring and provide the family with material well-being

Nowadays, Christmas rituals have lost their magical mystery and are used mainly for entertainment. Another reason to have fun in the company of girlfriends and friends is to arrange a group fortune-telling for your betrothed, dress up and sing carols on holidays.

Family rituals in Rus'

Family rituals was given great importance. For matchmaking, weddings or baptism of newborns, special rituals were used that were sacredly revered and observed.

Weddings were usually scheduled for a time after a successful harvest or baptism. The week coming after the ceremony was also considered a favorable time for the ritual. happy holiday Easter. The newlyweds were married in several stages:

• Matchmaking. In order to match the bride to the groom, all close relatives on both sides gathered together. They discussed the dowry, where the young couple would live, and agreed on wedding gifts.
• After the parents' blessing was received, preparations for the celebration began. The bride and her bridesmaids gathered every evening and prepared the dowry: they sewed, knitted and wove clothes, bed linen, tablecloths and other home textiles. Sang sad songs
• On the first day of the wedding, the bride said goodbye to her girlhood. The girlfriends sang sad ritual songs of the Russian people, farewell laments - after all, from that moment the girl found herself in complete subordination to her husband, no one knew how her life would turn out family life
• According to custom, on the second day of the wedding, the newly-made husband and his friends went to his mother-in-law for pancakes. We had a wild feast and visited all our new relatives

When in new family When a child appeared, he had to be baptized. The baptism ceremony was performed immediately after birth. It was necessary to choose a reliable godfather - this person bore great responsibility, almost on an equal basis with the parents, for the fate of the baby.

And when the baby turned one year old, a cross was cut out on his crown. It was believed that this ritual gave the child protection from evil spirits and the evil eye.

When the child grew up, he was obliged to visit his godparents every year on Christmas Eve with a treat. And they, in turn, gave him gifts and treated him to sweets.

Watch a video about the rituals and customs of the Russian people:

Mixed rites

It is worth mentioning separately such interesting rituals:

• Celebration of Ivan Kupala. It was believed that only from this day onwards it was possible to swim. Also on this day, the fern bloomed - the one who finds the flowering plant will reveal all the hidden secrets. People made fires and jumped over them: it was believed that a couple who jumped over the fire holding hands would be together until death
• The custom of commemorating the dead has also come down from pagan times. There had to be rich food and wine at the funeral table.

Whether to follow ancient traditions or not is everyone’s business. But you can not elevate them to a cult, but pay tribute to your ancestors, their culture, and the history of your country. This applies to religious customs. As for entertainment events, such as Maslenitsa or the celebration of Ivan Kupala, this is another reason to have fun in the company of friends and your significant other.

It is good that such customs and rituals have been preserved to this day. It’s just a pity that their very meaning has been lost, even wedding ones. After all, all these ransoms and blessings are just like entertainment now. But before, the bride was pure, and they didn’t live together before the wedding. But now it’s not the same at all.

Since ancient times, traditions and rituals have been passed down from generation to generation, but it is a pity that in our time many have lost their direct meaning. I won’t go far, I’ll take an example from my family - the sacrament of infant baptism, it was the most important point every family. The child’s parents treated this ritual very carefully; they always chose the most responsible godparents for the child, those who at any moment could become the child’s real parents. And what about young people now, do they even think about it - they baptized, took a walk and forgot about their child. And if you dig deeper, many customs and rituals have largely lost their intended purpose and this is very sad. Thanks to the author of the article for covering this very important topic.

Our ancestors did not only tell fortunes on Christmastide. The Slavs also celebrated St. Andrew's Day, December 13, in memory of the Apostle Andrew. It was on the night of Andrei unmarried girls They wondered about the betrothed and the future family, what it would be like. For the betrothed: everything is simple here, they put some man’s thing (an ax, mittens) under the bed and waited to see who would appear in a dream. And there is a lot of fortune-telling about the future family. The simplest thing: they threw an armful of hay to the ceiling, the number of straws that stuck to it, the number of people in the family. St. Andrew's Day is still celebrated in the southern regions of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.