Each modern Christian country has left in the memory of its people pagan traditions, because most of the religious holidays approved by the church, was once nothing more than a worship of pagan deities. By the same scheme today continue to live the rites and customs of the Russian people, combining Orthodoxy and delicious and gay pagan festivities.
Maslenitsa
Perhaps, this is the first thing that comes to mind when mentioning the traditions and rituals of the Russian people. Previously, however, Maslenitsa had a different character - on this day the dead were commemorated, the burned effigy symbolized the funeral of the old, and the pancakes were memorials. But over the years, a lot of fun was added to the holiday - sledging, sleigh rides, fisticuffs, gatherings, in short, the holiday was able to become a favorite date in the soul of a Russian person.
Ivan Kupala
Another important date, when the day of summer fertility was celebrated, the day of the deity Kupalo. The festival always takes place at the summer solstice, people sing songs, dance, jump over the fire. After the baptism of Rus, the feast began to be called Ivan Kupala - in honor of John the Baptist.
Home rites and customs of the Russian people
But at home every Russian man has his own customs. So, the oldest, still retaining their relevance to this day, family domestic rites of the Russian people are:
- do not greet, shake hands, pass anything through the threshold - this is explained by the fact that the protective power of the brownie is acting before your doorstep, and if you reach out through the threshold, enemy forces can contribute to a quarrel with the one you just shook hands with;
- let the first cat into the house - the cats are considered to be the brown-house animals, and their behavior in the new dwelling can predict what the owners' life will be like here;
- horseshoe above the door - not only Russian, but the international habit, in fact, with the Russian pagans, it symbolized the patronage of Dazhbog-the Sun.