What is today a holiday according to the ancient Slavic calendar. Holidays of the Slavs from antiquity to the adoption of Orthodoxy
Worm(June):
✅ 04/06 Yarilo Wet is celebrated. In early June, nature pleases the eye with a riot of colors. Yarilo opens the sky, and green herbs are filled with magical power. Spring is leaving, Summer is coming. Before sunrise, they wash themselves with healing dew, go around the fields with bread, illuminate houses and gates. On this day, the Yarilo-Sun shows its strength. After Yarila, hot weather usually sets for seven days. Hence this holiday is also called
✅ 19/06 From June 19 to June 24, Rusal Days are held, in which an important cycle of rituals takes place, associated with the "seeing off the mermaids", "egg charm", "mermaid charm". Mermaid days pass after Semik (Yarilin Day)
✅ 24/06 the great holiday "God Kupala" is celebrated timed to coincide with the day of the summer solstice (solstice). The start date of the festival can also be June 21 and 22. The holiday of the Sun and Water, which give rise to all living things, is the time for the flowering of the forces of Mother Nature.
✅ 25/06 Day of friendship, unity of the Slavs
✅ 29/06 Summer Svarozhye is celebrated (). On this day, the celebration of the Heavenly (Svarog) Fire and the Sun is performed, as a rule, falling at the very height of the summer heat ... This is one of those rituals and festivities that in the bustle and fleetingness of everyday life often passes by us
Lipen(July):
✅ 03/07 Memorial Day of Prince Svyatoslav Day of glorification of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich (about 942-972). It was customary for the Slavs to hold ritual fights, military initiations and praise Perun on this day. In 964-66, Svyatoslav undertook the first independent major campaign: the liberation of the Vyatichi from the power of the Khazars and their subordination to Kyiv
✅ 05/07 Name Day of the Month is celebrated- a holiday dedicated to honoring the clear Moon and its highest patrons - Veles the Horned and Mary the Moon-faced.
✅12/07 Veles Sheaf Day is celebrated. The days are killing and the heat is coming. From this day on, they begin to mow and make hay.
✅ 20/07 the great military holiday is celebrated -; the great holy day of all the warriors-defenders of the native land, as well as all honest radar-plowmen. According to popular beliefs, rain on this day washes away evil spells - "dashing ghosts" (evil eye and damage) and many diseases.
✅ 27/07 Chura (Polykopne) holiday is celebrated- God of protection, protection of property, guardian of tribal customs, patron of borders, home. The Slavs remember their foolish ancestors to take care of our bread, to keep not only our sheaves, but also our Rus' and centuries-old great culture. On this day, milk is brought to Churu, A hole is dug at the boundary stone and milk is poured into it. On this Chura holiday, one cannot work away from home. The owner must be in his yard, thereby honoring Chur
✅ 19/07 Summer Makoshya (Summer Mokrids) is celebrated- Holy Day of Mokosh-Mokrina. At the time of dual faith in Rus', Makrinin (Mokrinin) day was celebrated on this day. The people noted: “If Mokrida is wet, then autumn is also, Mokrida is dry - and autumn is dry”, “If it’s wet on Mokrida, then it’s rainy suffering”, “A bucket on Mokrida is dry autumn”, “If it’s raining on Mokrida - all autumn it will be rainy, and there will be no nuts - everything will get wet. Summer Mokrid Day is also considered important for the next year: “If it rains on Mokrid, rye will be born next year.”
✅ 28/07 Eternal memory who died at the hands of Christian invaders - REMEMBER GROWING
Serpen(August):
✅ 25/12 from December 25 to January 6 are celebrated Big- twelve holy days symbolizing the twelve months of the year (six bright ones - a light half-year, and the other six dark ones - a dark half-year), starting from the eve of Kolyada (Kolyada itself is not among the holy days) and up to Turits (Vodocres)
✅31/12 is celebrated (Generous Evening)- the last day of Christmas time, which is famous for its lavenders and festive feast. At the time of dual faith in Rus', Christmas time was divided into two parts: lasting from Kolyada to Shchedrets, and Strshnye (Vorozhnye) evenings, which continued to Turits. Yuletide evenings (especially Terrible) were considered among the people as the time when the devil walks
The subject of this article is the Slavic holiday calendar. Holidays and traditions have developed among the people for a reason. Each celebration is associated with a specific season or event. A certain rhythm of people's life is connected with the rhythm of nature and remains important to us to this day.
Slavic calendar of holidays by season
The main reference points are four astronomical events. The whole period is divided into four parts or seasons. These are spring, summer, autumn and winter. The boundary between the seasons are: autumn and spring equinox, winter and summer solstice. Our ancestors looked quite representative, agree:
Reconstruction of an ancestor from the settlement of Sungir-1 (Vladimir region), 25-30 thousand years BC.
Jewelry was made from mammoth tusk. At the same time, the mammoth tusk was not only drilled, but also straightened. Not a single modern technology allows you to do this, but our ancestors knew how.
But we are talking about something else - about the traditions and rituals that have come down to us in the holidays.
The calendar that is currently in use is far from perfect, so the dates of astronomical events have shifted somewhat. Usually they fall on the 21st-22nd numbers.
There is a big holiday for every season. Nature itself told us these dates.
- March 21-22 - Spring Equinox. In 2019, the beginning of the Summer of 7527.
- June 21-22 -.
- September 21-22 - Autumn Equinox.
- December 21-22 - Winter Solstice, Kolovorot or Karachun.
For convenience, all the dates of the holidays according to the ancient calendar of the Slavs are correlated with the modern calendar.
So, first, let's look at the four most important holidays.
New Summer Festival
March 21-22 - Spring equinox. This means that the day is equal to the night. New Summer begins. We still ask: how old are you? For information on why they began to celebrate the year, and not summer, see.
Our ancestors celebrated the beginning of Summer in this way: festivities and fun began a week before the Spring Solstice and continued for a week after. In total, the New Summer holiday lasted two weeks.
Because of the baptism of Rus', many favorite folk holidays were changed. This is how Maslenitsa appeared.
This holiday was actually called Komoyeditsa. The traditions of the feast of the holiday have changed under the influence of the church, but the main rituals have been preserved. In Malenitsa, it is customary to bake pancakes and burn an effigy of Winter.
How it really was.
We already know that the holiday was called Komoyeditsa. Slavic Com - Bear - brought offerings. They were round yellow cakes. They symbolized the sun. Then flatbread was gradually replaced by pancakes when they learned how to make pancake dough. Hence the saying: "The first pancake - to whom" (and not lumpy).
An effigy of Marena, the goddess of death or winter, was burned, and the goddess Zhiva, the Goddess of life and spring, was honored and met.
The church has struggled with public holidays. Spring Komoyed fell just in time for the Great Lent. It was not possible to completely ban the most beloved holiday among the people. The Church moved him and "timed" him to church events. And so the modern Shrovetide appeared (it used to be written: Shrovetide). The holiday has lost its former sacred connection with nature and astronomical phenomena. However, if you know its timing and meaning, a revival of these ties is possible.
Kupalo Day or Summer Solstice June 21-22
- special in astronomical status. Not only the Slavs, but also other peoples (for example, the Aztecs, the Mayan tribes and others) noticed the special sacred meaning of the longest day.
Solstice as an astronomical phenomenon means that the Sun is at its highest point. This is the longest day of the year.
If you collect herbs on this day, they will have great healing power. The water becomes cleansing. The same is true of fire. The main summer holiday according to the ancient Slavic calendar.
It used to be a holiday - Kupalo Day. Due to the fact that the Gregorian calendar does not coincide with the Slavic calendar, the day of Ivan Kupala (as this holiday is called in the Christian calendar), its date has shifted. In 2019, Kupalo Day falls on July 6-7.
On the day of Kupala, bonfires are kindled in order to jump over them, thereby clearing sorrows and problems. Night on Ivan Kupala is no longer celebrated like Maslenitsa. Nevertheless, almost everyone has heard that there is such a holiday and that it is associated with bonfires.
Rituals for Kupala
sleep at the very short night it is forbidden. Nobody dared to ignore the celebration of Kupala, because as you spend the night on Kupala, so will the further life of an individual and the whole village or tribe as a whole.
The ancient Slavs knew that on this night Yarilo (the Sun) descends to Earth to get married. After the "wedding" appears Zarya or Zarnitsa. In order for the Sun to want to return to Earth, people, of course, should have met him: burn fires, dance in dances, not sleep, but welcome him in every possible way.
Bonfires symbolized the connection of three worlds: Navi, Reveal and Rule. The bonfire is a powerful conductor between the worlds, and therefore, knowing the sacred meaning of the Slavic holiday, you can restore this connection.
Kupala is the patron saint of wild flowers and fruits. The girls wove wreaths of flowers, and the women gathered herbs. Wreaths were woven in order to guess. Lowering a wreath with a burning torch fixed on it into the river, the girl wondered. The farther the wreath floated away, the happier the life of its owner was expected. She will get married soon. A sunken wreath meant that the girl would not marry in the coming year.
Collected herbs on a holiday possessed strongly expressed curative properties. They were dried and then used for their intended purpose. They also prepared brooms for baths. Needless to say, brooms became literally magical.
On the night of Kupala, a cleansing bath was taken. On this night, and this has been proven by scientists, the water acquires healing properties. Our Slavic ancestors knew about this and organized mass bathing. They also knew that these days the water becomes special in composition in all reservoirs. Therefore, they swam in the nearest lake, pond or river.
After baptism, the holiday began to be called Ivan Kupala - from John the Baptist. The explanation of the name, again, is the same as with any holiday according to the Slavic calendar. The Church could not ban national holidays, but the fact that these holidays did not coincide with church calendar, Christians did not like it. Therefore, they “picked up” a name or a saint consonant with the date. In this case, John the Baptist “approached”.
- one of the key in the Slavic calendar. The traditional rite meant purification, as well as strengthening the connection with the Ancestors and Nature.
Autumn Solstice - Svarog Holiday
September 22, plus or minus a day - there is a "reversal" of the Sun. The days are getting shorter and the days are getting longer. The autumn equinox differs from the spring equinox, because there is a reverse turn - from summer to winter. On this day, energies are balanced.
In autumn, they celebrated the end of agricultural work and thanked the gods for the harvest.
Who is Svarog and why is the Autumn Solstice associated with his name?
Svarog is a prabog. This is the god of the sky, the father of the sun and fire. He is “the supreme ruler of the Universe, the ancestor of other bright gods” (A.N. Afanasiev).
Svarog for Russians is the male hypostasis of the god Rod, and Lada is female.
Allegations of polytheism are unfounded, as many modern historians believe. The Russian people had a single god, to whom they addressed in prayers.
“The adoption of Christianity by one of the princes was an act of treason” (A.A. Tyunyaev).
The name Svarog comes from the root BP, which in Old Russian means "to protect", "to protect". Swara - fight, fight. A weld - weld, connect, solder. The meaning of the roots VAR and VER can be traced by toponyms (names of mountains, cities and rivers): Voronezh, Vereya, Sparrow Hills, etc.
Svarog "kindled" the sun and fire, because he protected the people with this.
The cult of Svarog began to form 30-20 thousand BC. and in the 7th millennium BC it was already spreading to other regions. In China, he became the cult of the Dragon. And in ancient Greece - the two-faced Janus.
How to celebrate Svarog Day?
From the Day of Svarog, matchmaking and weddings began. Those girls who did not manage to meet their betrothed on the Kupala night and jump over the fire with him, hoped to find their beloved on Svarog Day. The youth walked, danced round dances, swung on the swing-rooks.
It was customary to set the table together, to eat “brotherhood”.
December 21 - Karachun Day, Kolyada Day, Kolovorot
The night from December 21st to December 22nd is the longest. And the day is the shortest. Karachun or Korochun, the god Kolyada was born on this day.
Do I need to explain why the longest night is mystical?
Well, well, since the meaning has been forgotten, let's remember what our ancestors celebrated?
Korochun (or Kolotun, Kolo-krug, chun, tun - day) - a new Sun appears, after this night the day begins to increase.
The food that was cooked together was called Kolyada. And the festivities are carols. The bonfires that were burned in Korochun were called Krady.
Posolon (meaning - against the Sun or clockwise) around the village or village they rolled Popa or Balda. This is a wide burning stump of a log. If Pop or Balda "returned" to the fire burning, this meant good luck ahead. Balda was "caused", and the road was cleared of snow for him. Of course, this increased the chances of success many times over. Poured with oil, Balda returned to the fire burning.
From this festive fire in the morning they took coals to each hut for stoves. The next day it was necessary to go to the guests, games were arranged. The people had fun, walked, gathered around the fire. It was also customary to guess for several nights. It was at this time that carols were arranged - songs and dances of mummers.
Kolovorot - on this night, Kolyada (the Sun) was just born and we need to help him get stronger. For this, they burned bonfires and sang carol songs. Festive festivities drove away dark and unclean spirits.
“They kept track of time on holidays, on seasons, on various family and household occasions, never referring to months or numbers ...” I. A. Goncharova “Oblomov”
Folk holidays for 2020
The main holidays according to the Old Russian calendar and modern church holidays. For convenience, we will make a table.
| date | According to the Slavic calendar | According to the modern calendar |
|---|---|---|
| March 21-22 | Comedy. Spring equinox. Calls of Spring, we bake larks | March 4 - beginning of Malenitsa March 10 - Forgiveness Sunday |
| March 27 | We burn the effigy of Marena | April 1 - April Fool's Day |
| 14th of April | Day of Semargl and Voronets | April 7 - Annunciation |
| April 21 | Lyolnik, the end of the first Mermaids | Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem |
| April 24 | Rodonitsa. Day of Remembrance of the Ancestors | April 28 - Easter |
| April 30 | Holidays Goddess Alive | May 1 - Peace. Work. May. |
| 9th May | Raw Earth Mother's Day | Victory Day |
| May 30 | Spring snake | June 1 - Children's Day |
| 21st of June | Bathing night. Summer Solstice Day | July 6-7 - Ivan Kupala Day. Nativity of John the Baptist |
| July 27 | Crazy day. Day of the Ancestors | June 28 - the day of the baptism of Rus' |
| August 1 | Perunova Strecha | |
| 8 August | Stribog summer | |
| August 14 | Honey Spas | September 11 - Beheading of John the Baptist |
| August 19 | Apple Spas | Transfiguration |
| September 19 | First brother | |
| September 21 | Autumn Stribog. Svarog Day | Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
| 27th October | Grandfather's Saturday, commemoration of the Ancestors | |
| November 8 | Mouse Day. Warriors Day, men's holiday | |
| 15th of November | Diva's Day or Vedanye | |
| 29th of November | Kalita holiday - family, baked pies | |
| December 6 | Veles day | December 4 - Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos |
| 21 December | Korochun | |
| December 24 | Kolyada Day | |
| December 25 | Lada Day | |
| 31th of December | Generous evening, Schedrets | New Year |
| January 8 | Babi porridge | January 7 - Christmas |
| January 19 | water light | Epiphany |
| January 21 | Prosinets | |
| February, 15 | Candlemas. Winter meets spring | Presentation of the Lord |
| March 1 | Marena Day, Navi Day | March 2 |
In the table, not all holidays are ancient Russian and church. Even a small selection shows how much work the Church has done to eradicate true folk traditions. On the day of one or another Slavic god (and possibly an ancestor-hero) we are “offered” the day of this or that saint.
So, it turned out a small study on the topic: Slavic calendar of holidays. Of the most important holidays that have been celebrated by our ancestors for many millennia, modified by the Christian religion have come down to us. The main thing is that the people managed to preserve the traditions. Many dates have shifted due to the purposeful struggle of the church with folk holidays. Knowing the sacred meaning and connection of each holiday with nature and with the stars, we will be able to restore them. We are quite capable of celebrating primordially Slavic holidays on the “proposed” official dates.
Traditional Slavic pagan holidays are associated with nature and the events taking place in it, they contain and conceal a deep sacred essence and meaning.
January (prosinets).
1-6 - Hair days. Otherwise they are called wolf days. These days we must pray to the patron saint of cattle - the God of Hair and cattle. Protect the herd these days from the excesses of wolves, bring gratitude to your animals for feeding us from time immemorial.
3 - Memorial Day of the legendary Princess Olga. Today is a toast in honor of the great pagan Olga. She glorified her name through the ages with her deeds worthy of memory and glory - she avenged the Drevlyans for her murdered husband, gave birth to the Great Prince Svyatoslav and united Rus'.
6- Turists. The holiday of Yar-Tur, a bull symbolizing fertility and vitality. On this day, people put on bull masks and dance. Youth plays turkey - funny Games. This day is the end of the New Year holidays.
8 - Babi Kashi. Day of midwives - midwives. In Rus', it was customary to go to midwives on this holiday, treat them to vodka, pancakes, and give gifts. It was believed that if a young woman makes a gift to a midwife, then she (the girl) will have a healthy and strong child.
18 - Day of Intra (lord of snakes). Intra, according to Slavic mythology, is the god of clouds, snakes, wells, and springs. Identified with Naviu (spirit of the dead). At night, the sorcerers were supposed to speak chimneys - pipes through which Nav could enter the house. Intra is a dungeon dweller, so it was necessary to say: “If the Sun is in the sky, then Intra is in Navi.” Intra patronizes warriors, personifying courage, strength and valor.
21 - Prosinets. The middle of winter, the return of the sun's warmth to the earth. Prosinets was celebrated with water blessing. The Slavs bathed in cold reservoirs, laid rich tables. Among other foods, dairy products - milk, cottage cheese, curdled milk, cheeses and others - must have been on the table.
30 - Day of Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden's fun. Symbolic end of winter. On this day, it is customary to tell stories about Santa Claus and his daughter, the Snow Maiden.
February (section)
10 - Kudesy, Velesichi. Brownie Day. On the most important holidays of the Slavs, this day you need to make offerings to the brownie to appease him. A pot of porridge was left behind the stove, after wrapping it up and overlaying it with hot coals so that the food would not cool down by the time the brownie arrived. “Grandfather neighbor! Help yourself, eat porridge, and save our hut from evil! Eat pies, but take care of the master's house! The brownie helps the family, where he is valued. This is a good spirit, sometimes a little harmful. On the contrary, if you do not feed your "master", he begins to run amok and causes a lot of trouble to the residents.
15 - Candlemas. Border between winter and spring. If it gets warmer at the Meeting, wait for early spring. On the contrary, a cold day - to a cold spring. At the Candlemas, commoners set fire to each other's hair on their heads, believing that this was a good remedy for headaches. Hair should be set on fire crosswise, using Sretensky candles. On this day, they bake round golden pancakes, symbolizing the sun, make fires, dance and have fun.
18 - Winter Troyan. Day of Military Glory. On this day, something heroic is done, fraught with danger, but for the benefit of the Motherland or for the family. They remember the fallen soldiers at the table.
29 - Day of Kashchei Chernobog. Kashchei is the lord of Navi (the dead), Hell and Darkness. God of death, destruction, hatred and cold. The embodiment of everything black, crazy and evil. The world of the Slavs is divided into two halves, good and bad.
March (dry). Popular spring pagan holidays of the Slavs
1-Navi day (weed). Day of the Dead among the ancient Slavs. Today the people invite their ancestors to festive table by making sacrifices. Vyunitsy - one of the four prayers to the ancestors.
3 - Memorial Day of Prince Igor. The pagan prince kept Byzantium - the center of Christianity - in fear, went to Constantinople. The Varangians helped him fight enemies and manage the principality. Their cruel and greedy actions killed Igor - he was killed by the Drevlyans during the polyud.
21 - Maslenitsa. Today people celebrate the Spring Equinox, the end of winter, the ancient Maslenitsa. On this day, you should have fun, feast, dress up. Pancakes, fritters and pryazets are baked on Maslenitsa, symbolizing the Sun.
24 - Komeditsy. One of the oldest pagan holidays. Today they pray to the Bear God and make sacrifices to the Big Honey Beast - the bear. It is believed that this day was a continuation of the Olive Week.
April (berezozol)
7th Day of Goddess Karna. The second day of prayer to the dead ancestors, the day of the goddess of lamentations and lamentations. At the gates of houses on this day it was customary to burn bonfires and burn rags, old things and so on on them. “... by that fire, the souls passing by are warmed ...”. There should be kutya and water for the dead on the table.
22 - Leli's holiday. Lelya was one of the main ancient Slavic goddesses. On this day, toasts are made in her honor.
May (grass)
1 - Rodonitsa. This day is named after the god Rod, the patron of the family and the universe. Day of remembrance and the third prayer to the ancestors. Today they give vodka, beer and food to the dead. The commemorators call their dead to the table - to drink, eat at the funeral feast.
20-30 - Dewy breast. These days they made sacrifices to the Family, praying for a good harvest.
June (Sunday) - summer pagan holidays of the Slavs
4 - Yarilin Day. Fertility Day, Yarila - the god of the Sun. On this day, the Slavs organized mass games and dances, which were accompanied by voluptuous body movements and a loud cry.
19-24 - Mermaid week. The deities of reservoirs and rivers are glorified - Mermaids. A lot of divination, legends and legends are associated with this week. It is customary to tell horror stories and fairy tales. It is believed that the spirits of drowned people can fly freely over lakes and fields at this time.
24 - Kupala. This day is marked as a holiday of the Summer Solstice and human sacrifice to the Lizard (Yashche) - the owner of the underwater world. It is customary to gather in a crowd at night, have fun, sing songs, guess, dance. Bonfires are kindled near the reservoirs, rituals are performed and Kupala is drowned in the river. The victim was later replaced with a doll made from straw.
July (worm)
3 - Day of the pagan prince - Great Svyatoslav
Prince Svyatoslav waged war with Byzantium. He was contemptuous of Christianity. Having seized the lands from the Volga to the Danube (from the Khazar Belaya Vezha to the Balkan lands), he threw back the Pechenegs and stopped the penetration of Christianity. However, during the siege of Constantinople, due to the presence of Christians in the army, he fails.
20 - Perunov Day
Warriors consecrate weapons, sing songs, glorifying Perun, the patron saint of knights. On this day, a sacrificial bull or a rooster is slaughtered (the plumage of the bird should be uniform, red). They commemorate the Slavic soldiers who fell in battle. They drink kvass, beer, red wine, eat beef, chicken, cereals.
August (serpen)
7 - Grain Harvest Festival
Backs. The harvesting and processing of grain crops is coming to an end. People feast, consecrate apples, honey, grain. There should be no beef dishes on the table.
21 - Day of Stribog - Lord of the Winds
According to legend, Stribog lives in the Okiyane Sea, on the island of Buyan. Every day he creates seventy-seven winds, which he blows in different directions. The Slavs were very wary of various manifestations of the air elements. For example, in order to prevent the formation of tornadoes, they called Perun for help, beat the wind with sticks, threw knives and stones at it. For the winds - the children of Stribog, names were invented that reflect their essence: Midnighter, Midday, Siverko, Posvist, Podaga. To appease Stribog, people scattered rags and bright ribbons, grain, cereals, flour, hoping for a rich harvest.
September (spring)
2-Day of memory of Prophetic Oleg
The history of Rus the Viking is mysterious and instructive. The Chud Magi predicted his death from their horse - which happened after Oleg's horse fell. Prophetic Oleg became famous for taking a large ransom from Byzantium, which he defeated, after which he hung his shield on the gates of Constantinople.
8 - Rod and Woman in Childbirth
On the eighth of September falls a holiday honoring family well-being. It begins with the glorification of Lada, Rod and Lelya, proceeds to the rite of the “funeral of flies”. A fly is placed in a domina from carrots, in its absence a mosquito, wasp or cockroach, and in a solemn atmosphere it is carried away to a wasteland, where it burrows into a grave in order to numb the insect until the warm season.
After the funeral comes the time next rite- hunting for the so-called "moose". Two young girls dressed as moose cows run away into the forest. Guys - hunters should catch them. One “moose cow” is left, the second one is brought to the temple, where they are scolded for running away, and released.
The holiday is completed by a birthday cake (food during the ceremony: beef, oatmeal, berry wine, cheese, cottage cheese, eggs) and games.
A round dance around the oldest woman begins the game. In the hands of a woman is oatmeal bread, which is then distributed for the healing of pets and people. After the end of the Slavic holiday, Indian summer comes.
8 - Holiday Lada
Lada and Lelya (her daughters) were asked for permission to invite holidays honored by the Slavs in spring.
The next time the goddess was disturbed about the beginning of summer work in the field.
The rest of the rituals were devoted to prayers for rain, the feast of young greenery, the first shoots and the first ripened ears. On the red hill, the girls played the game "And we sowed millet, sowed."
The game was played on a hill called the red hill. Divided into two groups, the players sang songs.
One group sang songs about sowing millet, the other performed works about trampling it. Trampling meant threshing bread.
Often in the middle of summer and closer to the beginning of autumn, young people agreed to marry, but the wedding was played after the completion of field work.
The last Slavic holiday associated with Lada was the solstice. It fell on September 8-9 according to the old style (the 22nd in a new way).
9 - Autumn
These are Slavic harvest festivals dedicated to the completion of the harvest, which was supposed to provide for the family for the coming year. Autumn was met with a renewal of fire. The old fire was extinguished and a new one was mined with blows of flint.
During the "autumn" all activities were transferred from the fields to the garden or to the house, vegetables were harvested. For Mother's Day Holy Mother of God meals were provided for all members of the family. The flour of the new crop was used to make a pie, beer was brewed, to which a sheep or ram was slaughtered. During the holiday, Mother-Cheese-Earth was glorified for the birth of bread and other gifts.
14 - Day of the Fiery Magus
Holidays of the SlavsIn the ancient Slavs, the Fiery Volkh is the courageous god of war, the husband of Lelya, born from the connection of the Mother-Damp-Earth and Indrik the beast.
Having matured, Volkh killed his father and gained his power over the dark forces. His plans included the conquest of the kingdom of heaven and the entire universe. He possessed not only incredible strength, but also cunning.
Volkh turned into a falcon, entered the heavenly garden in order to peck golden apples and thereby gain immortality and power over the world. But in the garden he listened to Lely's singing and, having forgotten about everything, became her secret lover.
Volkh belonged to the underworld and could not become Lely's husband. Lely's sisters, not wanting the Volkh-falcon to fly to her at night, pierced the window with needles. Volkh injured his wings and was forced to return to his kingdom.
Soon Lelya went in search of him. After trampling three pairs of iron shoes, breaking three cast-iron staffs, and chewing three loaves of granite stone, Lelya found Volkh. She delivered him from the power of the underworld, and the formidable power-hungry god became her husband and protector of the heavenly world.
14 - Closing of Svarga
The closure of Svarga falls on the period when the goddess Zhiva leaves the earth, and Winter and Frost gain their strength. At this time, the harvest season is coming to an end, people are turning to Zhiva with gratitude. It was she who sent fertility to the earth and did not let her die of hunger. From that day on, the spirits of the ancestors cease to descend to earth.
Birds fly south. The Slavs firmly believed that birds made their way to the upper world, where they met with the souls of the dead. Most people turn to the birds and ask them to send a message to the dead.
21 - Svarog Day
Upon completion of the rites of closing Svarga (the termination of communication between the Earth and Heaven), the Day of Svarog comes - Great Holiday Heavenly Forge. The bright gods are weakening, the earth is fettered by frost. Now Veles takes care of the Earth. Svarog gives people an ax and crafts so that they can survive a difficult time. All craftsmen are especially honored, chickens are slaughtered and the first of them are presented to Svarog as a sacrifice.
In a rented hut, the girls arrange a brotherhood. They invite guys to a party, where the bride is considered the mistress of the house. Kissing games, magical and scary tales reign at the evenings.
27 – Rodogoshch
When the whole crop is harvested, it shines, but not the holidays that are significant for the Slavs, the sun bakes, sheds leaves and trees prepare for winter sleep, the Slavs celebrate Rodogoshch. For the holiday, a huge cake is baked. In the old days, it was equal to human height, a priest hid behind it with the question: “Do you see me?”
In response to a positive answer, the priest wished that next year a more plentiful harvest was gathered and it was possible to bake a cake more large sizes.
After the conception and fortune-telling for the next year, the feast began with a mountain. The dishes on the table were set in a slide, which gradually decreased.
On this day, one could hear a fairy tale about a miracle hero and the underworld. The meaning of the tale was reduced to a reminder of the approaching winter and the fading sun.
To conduct the rite of purification with the onset of darkness, a fire was lit, through which it was necessary to jump. With the song "Yazhe, even trampling!" - the priests walked on hot coals with bare feet.
Merry games served as the ending of the holiday.
October (leaf fall)
14 - Cover
With the introduction of Christianity, this holiday was celebrated in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the people it is customary to consider the Pokrov as the day of the meeting of Autumn with Winter. The holiday owes its name to the first frost, which by this time had already completely covered the entire earth. The end of the field work and the Pokrov coincided. From that time on, they began to heat in the huts and weavers with spinners began their work.
The brownie went to bed that day, and the inhabitants of the hut performed the ritual "Baking Corners". To keep the spirit of the house full and warm, pancakes were baked. The first pancake was torn into four parts and carried as an offering to all corners of the hut. At this time, the girls turned to Lada with a request for marriage. And so the bachelorette party began.
28 - Mokosh-Friday Day
Makosh (Makosha) - the protector of girls and women, the goddess of marriages and childbirth, in her subordination is a craft - yarn. For a long time, she has been approached with a request for easy childbirth and healthy children.
The metal of the goddess is silver, the stone is pure rock crystal, and the animal is a cat. A ball of wool, yarn and spindle is a symbol of the goddess. Her servants are spiders, so a web that has flown in is a good omen. Amulet - a rope on the right wrist, also has a connection with Makosha.
On Mokosh Day, women were forbidden to do housework, bathe children and bathe themselves. For disobedience, the goddess could punish - tear the canvas, tangle the threads on the spindle and even send diseases.
November (chest)
25 – Madder
On the day of November 25, the weather is disgusting: slush, piercing wind, cold rain with snow. On this day, health resorts are not pronounced, sacrifices are not made, fire is not kindled. People show Marena that they are not afraid of her. They come to the swamp and extinguish burning smuts in the water.
In food on this day are used: turnips, carrots, pancakes and jelly.
December (student)
3 - Memorial Day of the Russian knight Svyatogor
In the boyar mound Gulbishche, the Slavic holidays - the day of the Svyatogora, the great Russian hero Svyatogor, found their last refuge. His exploits date back to the time of the first military clashes with the Pechenegs. His armor and weapons reached truly enormous sizes. They are almost twice as large as usual.
In the epic about Ilya Muromets, the hero Svyatogor is described colorfully and vividly. Of course, his size in this work was exaggerated, but the indisputable fact is that this giant really walked on our Earth and fought for it.
22 – Karachun
Karachun (Chernobog) is celebrated on December 22. It is believed that this is the shortest day in the whole year and one of the worst days of winter. Karachun - the deity of death, commanding frost.
Bears-rods are servants of Karachun, snowstorms turn into them, and according to legend, blizzards turn into wolves. It was believed that Cold winter lasts as long as the bear sleeping in the den wishes. When the bear turned over on the other side, exactly half of the winter passed.
The concept of "karachun" in the sense of death among the people is alive today. The word "karachit" means to move backwards. Apparently, the "karachun" was nicknamed so because it seemed to make the daytime move back, give way to the night. In the end, in the minds of the people, Karachun approached frost and became the usual lord of the winter cold.
25 – Kolyada
In the winter Christmas time, on December 25, Kolyada was celebrated. holidays of the ancient SlavsOnce Kolyada was an influential deity. Kolyada was dedicated to the days before the New Year. Games were arranged in her honor, which later turned into Christmas time. The ban on the worship of Kolyada came out on December 24, 1684.
On the eve of the New Year, children went out caroling under the windows of wealthy peasants. In the songs, the name of Kolyada was repeated, the owner of the house was magnified, at the end of the singing the children asked for money.
Remains ancient holiday appear in holy games and divination. Some rituals have been preserved among the people, and are gaining popularity today.
31 - Shchedrets
On the last day of New Year's Eve, according to the old style, a holiday is celebrated - "Schedrets". It is famous for its birthday cake and bounty. On the table there are dishes of pork, which means fertility.
Before proceeding to the pie, the people amuse themselves with lavish treats. The mummers are present in the same composition as in Kolyada. Carolers go to houses or gatherings of people who sing: “Generous evening! Good evening!"
The carolers beg for gifts from the owners of the house, complaining that, they say, they came from afar and now the goat's legs hurt. The hosts laugh it off, and then the mummers perform generosity with comic threats. It is considered a great shame not to give gifts to carolers; a “curse” is sent to the greedy owners.
With a full bag of gifts, carolers rush home and prepare for the meeting of everyone's favorite holiday - the New Year.
The wheel of life turns continuously, from birth to death and on to a new birth. That is why the holidays of the beginning of winter traditionally symbolized the dying of the old and the birth of the new. Summing up the results of the year and preparing for the new year - this is what the Slavs devoted the celebrations of December to.
Day of Dawn - the triumph of the bright gods
Julius Klever, "Sunset in winter"
In the most short days year, the most important thing was to respect the bright gods, to call their mercy to people. Therefore, on December 4, the Slavs celebrated the day of veneration of the Dawn. The legend speaks of Zara as a red maiden who unlocks the heavenly gates in the morning and releases the Sun into the sky. In another legend, the Morning Dawn precedes the Sun-Dazhbog in the sky, brings his white horses to the sky, and the second sister, the Evening Dawn, returns the horses to the stall when Dazhbog finishes circling the heavens. On the Day of Dawn, the Slavs celebrated the continuity of the change of day and night, months and years.
In the morning, the eldest man in the family cleansed the house with four elements, this ritual has survived to this day, and it can be performed if there is a need to energetically cleanse the habitat.
The house was fumigated with the smoke of various herbs, for example, St. John's wort, which symbolized the element of Air. The element of Fire was represented by candles: with a lit candle, they walked around the house counterclockwise, in the corners they also made small circles with a candle. For magical purification by the "earth element" they used salt, often still calcined in a frying pan, and thereby strengthened by the element of Fire: such salt was scattered from the evil eye. To cleanse the house with Water, the floors were washed three times with saline, it was especially important to wash the corners of the house clean so that no evil accumulated there. On the day of Dawn, it was forbidden to wash, whiten and knead clay, but any needlework was encouraged, since the Slavs believed that Dawn taught people to embroider.
From the holiday of Dawn, it is not far from Veles Day, so the children prepared for it, told adults what skills and abilities they had acquired over the year, which they could boast of before Veles.
Veles Day - the holiday of Santa Claus
Apollinary Vasnetsov. "Bath in winter"
December 6 was the time of the patron god of many aspects of Slavic life. Veles looked after everyone - people, animals and crops, all members of the Slavic community from small children to wise wise men were responsible to him.
One of his names is known to everyone: it was believed that Veles controls the winter cold, and therefore our ancestors called him Santa Claus. In other words, the New Year's character, giving joy to children and adults, is much older than is commonly believed. On the day of Veles, the Magi in red festive clothes went around the houses, and the children traditionally told them what they had learned during the year. For serious achievements, the children were entitled to gifts, but Santa Claus could punish negligent lazy people, sometimes even freeze to death. However, the children did their best not to anger the omniscient god, but to please him with their knowledge.
Veles was also considered the god of wisdom, witchcraft and divination. Legends say that he could walk between the three worlds, and came to the world of people to see if it was necessary to direct human souls to peace and goodness. Veles also took care of the sorcerers, priests and sorcerers, who received from him the gift of witchcraft and the ability to ethereally wander around other worlds in order to be enriched with eternal wisdom.
To glorify Veles, his priests dressed up in animal masks and sheepskin coats, which symbolized prosperity and warmth, and walked around the yards and stables, proclaiming conspiracies about the health of domestic animals. The fact is that this omniscient god was, among other things, the patron of domestic animals, it was not without reason that he was also called the “Cattle God”.
Harvests on the Slavic fields were also in the department of Veles. When the harvest ripened, bends called the “Veles beard” were left in the field, as if sacrificing part of the ears to the guardian god. At the end of the harvest season, the last sheaf was also dedicated to Veles, and the “Veles beard” was braided at the end of the harvest and stored until spring, in the spring it was threshed and the first furrow was sown with grains from it.
Korochun - Slavic Samhain
Julius Klever. "Winter sunset in the spruce forest"
Following the good Veles, who helped people in many matters, a god with the eloquent name Korochun (Karachun), who can be called the Slavic Samhain, came to earth to celebrate his triumph. And now they say “Karochun has come”, meaning that something has come to a final and irreversible end. For our ancestors, the day of December 21 completed the annual circle, when Koschey-Korochun, in the guise of an old man with a sickle in his hands, "shortened" the past life, giving way to the birth of a new sun and a new year.
Two weeks before the holiday, the Time of Silence began - the time to repay debts, forgive insults, complete all affairs and let go of everything that has lost value. On the Days of Silence, the Slavs cleansed their soul and body, limited themselves to food (especially meat) and strove for purity of thoughts and good deeds.
(Note from the editor of "Chronoton" - these days, throw away trash without regret, give clothes and things that you do not use to those in need. The less unnecessary in your house, the more room there will be for the good that will come next year).
On the Night of Korochun, the souls of the ancestors came to Yav to find out how their children and grandchildren live, and, if necessary, ask them what kind of life they led in the past year: how they fulfilled their ancestral duty, lived in truth or falsehood, glorified native gods or worshiped foreignness.
The Circle of Times was coming to an end on Korochun, and the time of the birth of a new world, a new circle, inevitably came.
Kolyada - new Sun, new life
Gabriel Kondratenko. "Winter evening"
The power of the night over Yavu was short - already on December 24, the holiday of the birth of a new circle of life was coming, and Bozhich-Kolyada appeared on earth. It was the God of the winter Sun, born of Mother Lada, a child of eternal being, who wakes up again and again. He began a new year for people, the sun set for the summer, the day began to arrive and it was not so long to wait for spring. Before the arrival of Kolyada, in every house they put a symbol of the Tree of the Family into the water - a decorated willow or cherry. Honoring the young Bozhich, the Slavs every year affirmed the triumph of Light, the victory of good over evil.
Until dawn on the day of Kolyada, the entire community, singing praises to the Sun, went to the sanctuary, where brushwood had been prepared in advance for the future ritual fire. Everyone became a crescent around the fire, facing east, the sacred fire was lit and people were waiting for the first rays of the sun to appear. Sunrise was also greeted with singing, and when the luminary rose above the earth, the Magi read prayers in honor of the luminary - Kolyada, recalled the glorious deeds of the Slavs, especially those that were performed with the help of the solar God.
The first heralds of the birth of the new Sun were children. In the morning, the children went around the houses of their fellow villagers with greetings “Kolyada-God for glorification”, they were eagerly awaited, like good messengers, and traditionally generously treated. It was believed that the more children came to praise Kolyada, the more abundant the New Year would be for the family. It is interesting that only boys went caroling in the morning, because on big holidays the first guest in the house should be a man who will bring happiness and prosperity to the household.
By dinner, each family cut a fresh loaf - a symbol of the solar god - into eight parts, according to the number of rays of the luminary. The holiday ended with a nationwide festivity: in the evening people went out to see the Sun off for a night's rest with ritual songs and prayers.
Among other things, the day of Kolyada was dedicated to the unity of the family. Children were certainly supposed to visit their parents, and if they had already died, then take the festive treat to their grave.
Veneration of the Great Mother Lada - forever young goddess of love
Nikifor Krylov. "Winter landscape"
The day after the Kolyada holiday, on December 25, the Slavs honored the mother of all Native Gods, the wife of Svarog, the goddess Lada. Our ancestors revered Lada as the goddess of earthly love and the patroness of family happiness, it is no coincidence that the wedding conspiracy was called “ladins” by the Slavs.
Lada was often portrayed as a beautiful young woman with a baby in her arms. Her holiday was especially important for women who were just waiting for the birth of a child.
Pregnant women honoring the Great Mother hoped for an easy delivery and a happy fate for their future children. On the day of Lada, it was customary to visit and give gifts to midwives who help babies to be born. Mother Lada was especially respected by women who had daughters: it was believed that girls could receive beauty, intelligence and family happiness as a gift from the great goddess. And the girls asked the patroness of the family for help in finding a betrothed, with whom you can live in harmony all your life and never know grief.
On the day of the celebration of the Great Mother in the red corner of the hut, women put bouquets of dried flowers and leaves, laid out wreaths and winter varieties of apples. Grain, pancakes and pies were thrown into a specially made hole as a sacrifice to Lada, the edges of the hole were often watered with decoctions of herbs and decorated with ribbons and colorful shreds.
Unlike Kolyada, on Ladin's day holiday songs were performed only by girls, who were called "ladovitsy", and their ritual round dances were called "ladin's kolo". Lada could bring peace and harmony to every family, save people from quarrels and strife, and therefore she was revered by all members of the Slavic community, young and old.
After the day of Mother Lada, the whirlpool of new life was considered neglected, and our ancestors began to prepare for the spring revival of nature, although they had to go through another two months of a dark cold winter.
Ancient pagan and Slavic traditional holidays, main memorable dates and rituals, the meaning of which is important for the whole Family, were in the calendar certain number or a month for nothing. All the holidays of the Slavic peoples and traditions are closely connected with Nature and its rhythm of life. Wise ancestors understood that it is impossible to reverse it and it is pointless to rewrite old styles with new ones.
In our calendar of pagan holidays of the Slavs, we indicate the dates according to the new style for your convenience. If you want to celebrate them in the old way, just subtract thirteen days from the indicated date and month. We will be sincerely glad that you will be imbued with honesty and usefulness, reasonableness and grace of the pagan holidays of Ancient Rus' and the Ancestral Slavs, their traditions and help to revive and pass them on to your Descendants to strengthen the strength of the entire Family. For those who want to enter a new rhythm with the protection of amulets, go to our catalog -.
The natural calendar of the Slavs is based on four main points - the days of the autumn and spring equinoxes, winter and summer solstice. They are determined by the astrological position of the Sun relative to the earth: shift in dates from 19 to 25 is possible
| Summer (year) | ||||
| 2016 | December 22,23,24 (25th Kolyada) | March 19 | 21st of June | September 25 |
| 2017 | 18th of March | 21st of June | September 25 | |
| 2018 | December 20,21,22 (23 - Kolyada) | March 19 | 22nd of June | September 25 |
| 2019 | December 22,23,24 (25 - Kolyada) | 21 March | 21st of June | 23 September |
| 2020 | December 21,22,23 (24 - Kolyada) | 20th of March | 21st of June | September 22nd |
The very same annual Wheel - Kolo Svarog consists of twelve rays-months. By the power of the Gods and the Family, it is launched into a continuous rotation of salting and forms the Cycle of Nature.
The very love of the Slavs for their Earth and the Cycle of the elements and seasons reflect the ancient pagan names of each month. One capacious word reflects the essence of time and affectionate appeal to Nature, understanding of her difficult year-round work for the benefit of her children.
This is how our Ancestors called the months in which they celebrated the main Slavic holidays:
- January - Prosinets
- February - Lute
- March - Berezen
- April - pollen
- May - Traven
- June - Cherven
- July - Lipen
- August - Serpen
- September - Veresen
- October - Leaf fall
- November - Breast
- December - Studen
Winter Slavic holidays and rituals
Pagan and Slavic holidays in December
December 3
On this day, the Slavs remember and honor the giant hero Svyatogor, who brought great benefits to Rus' in the fight against the Pechenegs. His exploits are described along with the heroism of Ilya Muromets in Slavic epics, he lived on the high Holy Mountains, and according to legend, his body was buried in Gulbishche, a large boyar mound. On such a holiday, it is good to tell your Descendants about the giant Svyatogor and extend the Memory of his heritage, and tell about the Native Gods of the Slavs.
December 19-25 Karachun
Karachun is the second name of Chernobog, descending to earth in the days winter solstice, Kolovorota (lasts 3 days from December 19 to December 25). Karachun is an evil underground spirit and has servants in the form of bears - snowstorms and wolves - snowstorms. It is frost and cold, shortening day and impenetrable night. However, along with this, Karachun is considered a fair God of death, who does not violate the earthly Orders just like that. To protect yourself from the wrath of Chernobog, it is enough to follow the Rules and wear Slavic amulets-amulets.
At the end of Karachun, the Holiday comes - Kolyada, Sunny Christmas
Kolyada is the young Sun, the embodiment of the beginning of the New Year cycle. From that day on, the Big Winter Christmas time began and the Sun turned to spring. At this time, children and adults dressed up as fairy-tale characters and animals and, under the name of Kolyada, stepped into the huts of wealthy families. Under fervent songs and dances, they demanded treats from the laid table and wished the owners happiness and longevity. Offending carolers meant incurring the wrath of Kolyada himself, so on the eve of Sunny Christmas, the preparation of sweets and cooking kutya began.
December 31 Generous evening, Schedrets
On this day of the Great Winter Christmastide, they gathered and went out through the streets to play performances. Gather treats, praise the generous hosts and jokingly scold the stingy. Generous, Good evening! - Shouted to every passerby in greeting. Hence the name of this winter Slavic holiday came from the time of the pagan faith.
Pagan and Slavic holidays in January
January 6
Tur is the son of Veles and Makoshi, the patron of shepherds, guslars and buffoons, young men - future warriors and breadwinners of families. On this Slavic holiday, a ceremony of initiation into men was performed, and the main shepherd in the village was also chosen. This holiday closes the Veles Winter Christmas time and therefore everyone is in a hurry to tell fortunes for the last time what awaits them in the future, they set a rich table.
January 8
On this Slavic holiday, midwives and all the older women of the Family are honored. Generous gifts and glorifications are presented to them, and in return they sprinkle their children and once adopted babies with grain with a blessing and a wish for a generous Share and an Easy Fate. The symbol of the Family in Slavic amulets also helps to keep the connection between generations, to instill in the Descendants respect for their Ancestors.
January 12 Abduction Day
On this not a Slavic holiday, but a memorable day, Veles kidnapped Perun's wife, Dodola, or otherwise Diva, in retaliation for refusing a marriage proposal, and later Marena, the wife of Dazhdbog, who became Kashchei's wife and bore him many demonic daughters. Therefore, on the twelfth of January, they are wary of letting the girls go out alone and are working to strengthen personal protections: they make jewelry-amulets, embroider protective ornaments on women's shirts.
January 18 Intra
It's ancient pagan holiday Slavs, on the day of which they honor the participant of the Military Triglav Intra. He, Volkh and Perun made up the Code of qualities necessary for a warrior. Intra symbolized Light and Darkness as a struggle of opposites and the need to choose the right, sometimes tough decision. Also, Intra, Indrik the Beast, is also the patron of wells, clouds, snakes, Navi God, therefore on such a night the Veduns spoke to protect all chimneys so that dark spirits in the form of snakes could not enter the house.
January 19
It can be seen that the customs of this holiday are very reminiscent of the Christian holiday of Epiphany. However, Christians replaced the name of the pagan holiday "Water Light" with "Baptism of the Lord", and the essence and traditions remained the same, although this is not a Christian holiday, and even Catholics do not celebrate January 19th.
On this day, the Slavs celebrated the pagan holiday Vodosvet. It was believed that actually on this day, the water became bright and turned into healing. According to tradition, on this day they bathed in the hole. If it was not possible to plunge, then they poured water in a warm place. After everyone bathed, the guests gathered and wished each other good health until the next Vodosvet.
It was believed that such bathing charges a person with health for the whole year. The Slavs believed that on this day the Sun, Earth, and also the center of the Galaxy are located in such a way that water is structured and a channel of communication opens between people and the center of the Galaxy, a kind of connection with space. That is why water and what consists of water was considered a good conductor. Water is able to "remember" both negative and positive information. And of course, it can either restore a person, or, on the contrary, destroy him.
Our ancestors believed in healing properties water and understood that human health depends on the quality of water.
January 21 Prosinets
This Slavic holiday is dedicated to the glorification of Heavenly Svarga and the revival of the Sun, softening the cold. In ancient times, the pagan Veduns remembered and thanked Kryshen, who gave people fire to melt the Great Ice and shed life-giving Surya from Heavenly Svarga - water, which on January 21 makes all springs healing and rejuvenating.
January 28
On this day, they praise the children of Veles - his heavenly warriors and thank God for such protection of the Family. They also do not forget about the Brownie, treat him to the most delicious in the house and ask him not to be offended by anything, sing songs and fairy tales to him, try to appease and entertain him. On this day, everything is a lot: from spirits to people, so you should not be surprised at the miracles happening and the banter of Father Veles over us. If you want, you can bring the trebs under the spruce or the made idol of the Native God right in the forest.
Pagan and Slavic holidays in February
February 2 Gromnitsa
On this winter Slavic holiday, you can hear amazing single peals of thunder - this is how Perun congratulates his wife Dodolya-Malanyitsa, Lightning, inviting us to praise the goddess and ask her for mercy - not to burn barns and yards in anger, but to work for the glory of the future harvest, causing rain. Also at such a time they looked at the weather and determined whether the year would be dry or not.
February 15
This is an ancient Slavic holiday of the meeting of Spring and Winter, the last winter colds and the first spring thaws. As a sign of respect for the Sun, pancakes were baked, and at noon they burned Yerzovka, a straw doll, releasing the spirit of Fire and the Sun to freedom. It is curious that all the numerous signs associated with this day are quite accurate. Therefore, we recommend observing the weather for the Candlemas and making plans based on what Nature predicted.
February 16 Pochinki
Pochinki is an important date that comes immediately after the pagan holiday of the ancient Slavs of the Presentation. From that day on, they began to repair carts, fences, barns, barns and agricultural implements. Prepare the cart in winter - it was from Pochinki that such a wise proverb came to us. You should also not forget about Domovoy, bring him treats and talk with harmony and peace in order to establish contact and receive support in working for the benefit of the economy.
February 18 Troyan Winter, the day of Stribog's grandchildren, commemoration of the fallen at Troyanov Val
This wonderful Slavic holiday is the Day of Remembrance of the fallen soldiers worthy of Svarog's grandchildren. In their honor, ceremonial reconstruction battles were performed and generous commemorations were brought, and the Descendants were told and clearly shown how much the soldiers who participated in the battle at Troyan Val did for the entire Russian Family.
February 28 Great Veles Day
Our ancestors celebrated the Great Veles Day exactly on February 28, and in a leap year on February 29.
Today you can find information that Veles Day is celebrated on February 11, without explaining this fact and where it came from to celebrate on the 11th. However, we are leaning strictly towards February 28 or 29. On this holiday, they praised the Great God Veles, brought trebs, performed rituals and game fun, as a symbol of the imminent end of the cold, his retreat along with Mara.
Spring Slavic holidays and rituals
Pagan and Slavic holidays in March
March 1
On this day, they praise the goddess of Winter and Death Marena, who owns the Navi world and helps people after life to reach the Kalinov Bridge. On it you can go through the line of Yavi and Navi, the Smorodina River. On the night before this holiday, all the undead, forgotten and unburied souls of the dead awakened in Yavi. They could walk around the yards, trying to get attention and even move in alive. From that, at that time, people put on masks - animal masks, so that the evil spirits would not notice them and could not harm them. On the last Navi day, it is customary to honor their deceased Ancestors and prepare a memorial table, bring trebes and give Glory for the life lived and the Descendants of the Family given by them. You can treat your dead Relatives both at the graves, and by letting shells from colored eggs- if they went to another world a long time ago and it’s a pity, the grave is no longer there or it is very far away.
March 14
According to the ancient Slavic custom, Maly Ovsen fell New Year- the beginning of the awakening of nature and its readiness for agricultural work and fertility. Accordingly, March was previously the first month of the year, and not the third. Ovsen, who was born a little later and is considered the younger twin brother of Kolyada. It is he who conveys to people the knowledge of his brother and helps to translate them into practical experience. On this day, it is customary to rejoice in the new year and make plans for the future, start new business, glorify the awakening of Nature.
March 19-25 Komoyeditsy or Maslenitsa, Velikden
The pagan holiday Maslenitsa is not just a Slavic meeting of spring and a cheerful farewell to winter. This is the spring solstice, a turning point in the calendar and way of life. IN Orthodox holiday Shrovetide pagan Komoyeditsa has been preserved with almost all of its traditions: burning an effigy of winter - Madder, treating pancakes - Komami and eating them all week. The first solar pancakes were usually given as treb to the Bear, the personification of Veles. They were laid out on forest stumps, and then they went to burn ritual bonfires, in which they burned unnecessary junk and cleansed themselves and their families of unnecessary burdens. They began to celebrate Komoyeditsy a week before the day of the Equinox and continued to have fun for another week after it.
March 22 Magpies or Larks
This Slavic holiday is a continuation of the glorification of the spring equinox, and is called so because, according to custom, forty new species of birds begin to arrive from the winter hut, including the first larks. And even they were late this time, then each family baked their own rich larks, which were supposed to attract real ones. Usually, this was entrusted to children, who gladly ran to call for spring, and then enjoyed delicious pastries. In the form of a lark, wooden charms for the house were also made. They attracted happiness, health and good luck.
March 25 Opening of Svarga or Invocation of Spring
On the last, third call of spring with fragrant rye larks, games and round dances, the Opening of Heavenly Svarga takes place and Zhiva descends to earth. Finally, nature will wake up, come to life and begin to grow in the course of rivers and seedlings, young shoots and new tree branches. On this Slavic holiday, one can feel the Living breath of the Gods, who favorably relate to the living Descendants.
March 30
On this March day they praised Lada: the goddess of love and beauty, one of the two heavenly Rozhanitsa, the Mother of God. This Slavic holiday was accompanied by round dances and dances, as well as baking cranes from unleavened dough for home family amulets. A bright day of kindness and warmth allowed charging and decorations for girls or married women- earrings, pendants and bracelets with Ladins, symbolizing the harmony of female beauty, health and wisdom.
Pagan and Slavic holidays in April
April 1 Brownie Day or his awakening
This cheerful Slavic holiday was dedicated to Domovoy - the very spirit that protected your house, farmstead and bins. On the first of April, he woke up from hibernation, during which he did only important things - guarded your property, and began active work to bring comfort and prosperity to the family. So that he woke up faster and became more cheerful - they treated him with milk and other goodies, they began to joke and play with him and with each other - play and tell jokes, put them on inside out, and socks or shoes separately.
April 3
It was on this day that Vodyanoy woke up and ice drift and river flooding began. This Slavic holiday was dedicated to him: the fishermen carried generous gifts for the Water Man in the hope that he would restore order in the water kingdom and thank those who treated him with a generous catch, would not tear their nets, drive large fish into them, and also punish the mermaids not to touch them and their loved ones. Some artels could bring a whole horse as a gift, but most often the requirements were limited to milk, butter or bread with eggs. Throwing them into the cold spring water, the Slavs hoped that the Water Spirit would wake up in a good and full mood.
April 14 Semargl Day
On this Slavic holiday, Semargl-Firebog melts the last snows, turning into a flaming winged wolf and flying through the fields. It is this God of the Sun and Fire that guards the crops and gives good harvests, and it is he who can burn down all living things. It is said that Svarog himself forged Semargl from a spark at his sacred forge. Every night he stands guard over the Order with a fiery sword, and only on the day of the autumn equinox comes to the Bathhouse so that they have children - Kupalo and Kostroma. Trebs of Firebog are brought by throwing them into the fire, amulets with Semargl are also activated in his flame asking God for protection.
April 21 Navi Day or Commemoration of the Ancestors
On this day of spring Christmas time, the souls of the dead Ancestors descend to us to visit and hear about our life, joys and sorrows. Therefore, relatives are commemorated at the graves and feasts are brought: treats in memory of them. The older ones in the Family are commemorated by dropping the shells from colored eggs into the water, so that by Rusal Day they will be given to them as dear news from loved ones. As well as the first of April, on the day of Marena, on this Slavic holiday, going to the side of reality and the undead, restless, restless, offended dead souls. That is why many again put on masks to protect themselves from them.
April 22 Lelnik Krasnaya Gorka
On this amazing holiday and for a long time after it, they praised Lelya, the goddess of spring, youth and assistant in obtaining the future harvest. On a high hill, Krasnaya Gorka, they seated the youngest and beautiful girl, brought her all sorts of gifts: milk, bread, sweets and eggs, danced around her and rejoiced at the life that had awakened after the winter. Painted, painted eggs were distributed to relatives and friends, and also rushed to the already deceased Ancestors as a memorial. Such colored, painted eggs are generally part of the Slavic culture, some of them should have been reserved for the subsequent one after another spring holidays of the awakening of Nature and the glorification of Yarila, Zhiva, Dazhdbog.
April 23 Yarilo vernal
On this Slavic holiday, they go out into the street to meet and thank the patron saint of shepherds and the protector of livestock predators, Yarila, the spring Sun. From this period, the first spring weddings begin and symbolic fertilization is carried out - the Opening of the Yarila Earth and the release of the first dew, which was considered strong and was used during ritual skating of men on the ground to increase their health and heroic will. Yarilina dew was carefully collected and used for the future as living water for the treatment of many ailments.
April 30
On this last day of April and Krasnaya Gorka, the spring cold ends and people go to commemorate their ancestors, bringing them standard trebes: kutya, pancakes, oatmeal jelly and hand-written eggs. Also on this day, competitions are organized: skiing from a mountain of written eggs. The winner is the one whose egg rolls the farthest without breaking. Such rolling out of the earth with eggs symbolizes its future fertility. By midnight, all the celebrants prepare the beginning and collect a huge big fire on the same mountain to celebrate Zhivin's day.
Pagan and Slavic holidays in May
May 1 Zhivin day
Immediately at midnight on the first of May, the Slavonic spring holiday in honor of Zhiva: the goddess of spring, fertility, the birth of life. The daughter of Lada and the wife of Dazhdbog, Zhivena gives life to all living things and fills the entire Family with this creative power. When a fire is lit in her honor, women and girls, who are patronized by the goddess, take brooms in their hands and perform a ritual dance-cleaning from evil spirits, jump through the Life-Creating Fire, clearing themselves of winter Navi sleep and haze. Alive is the movement of nature, the first shoots, the first streams, the first flowers and the first love.
May 6 Dazhdbog Day - Ovsen big
On this day they praise Dazhdbog, the Ancestor of the Slavs, the God of Fertility and the wife of Alive. It was on this day that he renounced Marena and made a choice in favor of his daughter Lada, thereby becoming, together with the Alive, in defense of Nature and its Fruits. On the sixth of May, people go out into the field and make the first ritual sowings, take cattle to fresh fields, and also begin the construction of new houses, and of course, they bring generous gifts to grandfather Dazhdbog and rejoice in the hot sun as a symbol of this spring and future abundant harvest.
May 10 Spring Makosh
This is the day of honoring Mother-raw-Earth and her patrons - Mokosh and Veles. On this day, it was forbidden to injure the earth: dig, harrow, or simply stick sharp objects into it - after all, it wakes up after a winter Navi sleep and is filled with life-giving juices. All sorcerers and simply honoring Nature brothers-Slavs went out on this day with generous gifts to the fields and poured full cups to Mother Earth, glorifying her and asking for a good harvest, lay down on her and listened to her affectionate parental whisper with advice and instructions.
May 22 Yarilo wet Troyan, Tribog day
On this day, there is a farewell to Yarila - the spring Sun and the three summer Gods of Svarog Triglav, strong in the Rule, Navi and Reveal: Svarog, Perun and Veles are famous. It is believed that Troyan gathered the strength of each of them and every day stands guard over Nature from the attack of Chernobog. On Troyan, boys were initiated into warriors, their ancestors were commemorated and amulets were made from the souls of the restless dead, including plowed entire villages with a protective, protective circle from the evil Navi forces, and women and girls were cleansed of the haze before wedding ceremonies and childbearing.
May 31
This very interesting Slavic holiday implies that we are all brothers and sisters of the same Genus. Therefore, those who wish to make a fuss - to become related, without having a direct consanguinity, on the last day of spring, such an opportunity is provided. You can also ask Zhiva for what you want - just tell your hopes and dreams to the cuckoo, she will bring them to the Goddess and forge her about you. Also on this ancient pagan celebration, the Slavs exchanged gifts-amulets with people dear and close to them in spirit.
Summer Slavic holidays and rituals
Pagan and Slavic holidays in June
June 1 Spirits day or the beginning of Mermaid week
Spirits day begins on the first day of summer and continues throughout the week, called Mermaid. From this day Marena releases the dead ancestors to stay in Yav, and their Descendants invite them to their homes, laying out birch branches in the corners, symbolizing Family ties. However, along with them, not dead, suicidal and drowned people are activated. Most often these are women and Mermaids. Water at this time most actively receives and conducts the energy of Rule, Silavi and Reveal. With it, you can recover, damage, or learn something. As a requirement, clothes were brought to the banks of the rivers for mermaid children, and so that the spirits could not penetrate the body, they wore amulets with.
June 19-25 Kupalo
This is the main summer pagan holiday among the Slavs - the Day of the Solstice, the Kolovorot. On this day, many rituals are performed - after all, the power of such a period is very great. The herbs collected on Kupalo are of great value. The ardent fire of the fire cleanses people, and the water washes away all sorrows and illnesses from them. Feast, games and round dances with rituals continue from dawn to dusk. This is a Slavic merry and cheerful holiday, the symbol of which for the whole year are amulets with Odolen-grass, Fern Flower and Kolo Goda.
June 23 Agrafena Bathing suit
This pagan ancient Slavic holiday opened the bathing season. Healing bath brooms began to be prepared in each house and a ritual heating of baths was carried out for cleaning relatives - steaming, and subsequent charging - restoring health by dipping into open water. On the day of Agrafena Kupalnitsa, as well as at other Christmas holidays, girls of all ages went with praises and petitions to present gifts: Slavic outerwear, silver jewelry with protective symbols.
Pagan and Slavic holidays in July
July 12 Veles Sheaf Day
From the Veles day, the heat begins to rise and hay is mowing for livestock, the first sheaves absorbing the fertile spirit of the fields are tied up. Therefore, demands and glorifications are brought to Veles, as the patron of agriculture and cattle breeding. Also on this day, Alatyr was also called, and Veles was asked to move it for a while and let the souls of their ancestors go to Nav and find their peace there. On this Slavic summer holiday, Veles's chirs were applied to his idols, as well as personal and home amulets-amulets. Also on this day, the trebs are brought in the Holy Fire.
Pagan and Slavic holidays in August
August 2 Perunov day
This ancient pagan Slavic holiday was dedicated to honoring and glorifying the Supreme God of fire and thunder, Perun. On such a date, all men consecrated their weapons so that they would serve faithfully to the owner, be sharp, and also cause rain after a long drought to save the fields and harvest. Sacrifices were made to Perun and simply generous requests to the altar with an idol and chir: pastries, bread, wine, kvass. Put on with the blessing of God or another Slavic talisman guarded the owner in a foreign land and in difficult situations.
August 15
Pozhinki, pozhinki or squeezing is a pagan holiday of the ancient Slavs with the glorification of Veles and the cutting of the last fruitful sheaves of grain. In each field, they left the last bunch of wheat and tied it in the form of Veles's beard, as a sign of respect and understanding of all that great gift of agriculture given to them. Also at this time, they began to consecrate the collected honey, apples and grain on the Great Fire, bring them to the requirements along with bread and porridge to the Native Gods.
August 21 Stribog Day
This is a Slavic holiday in honor of Stribog, the lord of the wind and God who controls tornadoes and natural disasters. On this day, they bring trebes to assure their respect: shreds, grain or bread and ask for indulgence - a good harvest next year and whole roofs over their heads. Stribog is the brother of Perun and holds seventy-seven winds in his fist, living on the Buyan Island. That is why the ancestors believe - he can convey a request or desire to the Native Gods and punish the offenders, wherever they are.
Autumn Slavic holidays and rituals
Pagan and Slavic holidays in September
September 2 Memorial Day of Prince Oleg
Prince Russian Oleg did a lot for his people: he concluded an agreement with Byzantium and established trade routes with duty-free sales, united the disparate Slavic Clans into a single one - Kievan Rus, gave a worthy education to Rurik's son Igor, and nailed his shield as a symbol of victory on the gates of Constantinople. Prophetic Oleg died through the fault of his horse, as the wise Priests predicted. No matter how hard he tried to change the course of fate, it was impossible.
September 8
This Slavic holiday is dedicated to the family and its well-being. On such a bright day, Rozhanitsy is glorified: Lelya and Lada and all the Rod produced by them. After bringing the requirements to the Native Goddesses, ritual games and ritual funerals of flies begin, symbolizing the imminent numbness of all insects and falling into hibernation until spring. In addition to a feast for the whole house, loved ones exchanged gifts and charms with Slavic symbols: Ladinets, Rozhanitsy, Rod and Rodimych, and also solemnly hung and placed the faces and idols of the Gods on the Altar.
September 14 First Osenins, Day of the Fiery Wolf
On this day, farmers began to celebrate the First Osenins - Harvest Day and thank Mother Earth for it. It is also worth remembering the honoring of the Fiery Volkh - the son of Indrik the Beast and Mother Earth, the husband of Lelya, whose love withstood all obstacles and circumstances, and the wise, brave and pure image of the Volkh is clearly reflected Slavic fairy tales in the main character Finist the Bright Falcon.
September 21 Svarog Day
On this September day, the Slavs celebrated the holiday of Svarog and praised him for descending and teaching people crafts along with Veles, giving the sacred Ax and Forge. Thus, the Russian Rod could survive and do business in the autumn and winter. On this day, it is customary to slaughter chickens fattened over the summer, and give the first of the farmstead to Svarog as a requirement. Autumn brides and weddings also began from this day, and the brothers gathered girls in the huts great amount young guys. On this day, the closing of Svarga and the departure of the goddess Zhiva into it until spring also took place.
September 22 Holiday Lada
Lada, as the Mother of God and the giver of family well-being, the patroness of all living things, deserved a holiday among the Slavs for her own glory. At this time, she was thanked for the harvest and prosperity, as well as for sending a soul mate and creating new family, played weddings with ceremonial wedding rings, and also gave their grown-up daughters protective jewelry with Ladins as a talisman for beauty and harmonization of women's fate.
September 19-25 Radogoshch, Tausen, Ovsen or Autumn Equinox (New Year)
On this day, the results were summed up and the harvested crop and stocks made were considered. People praised the main God of the Family and Rozhanitsa and brought them generous requests in gratitude for their patronage and help. In some territorial areas, the Slavs began to celebrate the Autumn Equinox with the closing of Svarga, the Feast of the Heavenly Smith or the Rich Man, and all this time they were lavish feasts.
Pagan and Slavic holidays in October
On October 14, Intercession, with the introduction of Christianity, this holiday was celebrated in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her miraculous payment.
IN folk tradition on this day, the meeting of Autumn with Winter was celebrated, and this holiday has very deep roots. The name itself folk beliefs associated with the first hoarfrost, which "covered" the earth, indicating the proximity of winter cold, although the exact name of the holiday has not been preserved. The Day of the Intercession coincided with the complete completion of field work and serious preparations for winter.
October 30 Goddess Mokosh Day
On an autumn day, they praised Makosh, the one that spins human destinies, patronizes families and children in it, gives a happy bright hearth and helps to learn women's crafts: weaving, spinning, sewing, embroidery. Trebs were brought to her under idols on the Altar or in the fields and in the rivers: sweet buns, red wine, coins and wheat as a symbol of prosperity. Also on this day, pre-embroidered amulets for the home, chirs and Slavic amulets-decorations were activated.
Pagan and Slavic holidays in November
November 25 Marena Day
IN last days In autumn, Marena finally kicks out Yarila and covers Yav with her veil of cold, snow and ice. This pagan holiday of the Slavs does not contain joy. People reconcile themselves to the fact and in the beginning put modest demands on the Goddess, but they still try to show Mara their fearlessness and readiness to survive even in the most severe winter. Also on this date, they are attentive to the spirits of the dead Ancestors, their whisper in the last remaining leaves and try to bring a remembrance, appease the Navi Forces.
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