Russia carefully preserves the ancient Russian customs , whose age is more than 7-10 centuries. Preserved and the oldest Orthodox traditions, and pagan rites. In addition to all this, there is also folk folklore represented by ditties, sayings, fairy tales and proverbs.
Customs and traditions of the Russian family
From time immemorial the head of the family was the father, he was the most respectable and respected member of the family, who was supposed to obey everyone. However, he also took on all the hard work, whether it be caring for livestock or plowing the land. There was no such thing that a man in the house did an easy job, but I did not sit around doing anything, and there was a lot.
Since childhood, the younger generation has been taught to accustom to work and responsibility. As a rule, there were quite a few children in the family, and the elders always looked after the younger ones, and at times educated them. It was always accepted to honor those who are older: both adults and old people.
To rest and have fun was only on holidays, which were relatively few. All the rest of the time, everyone was busy with business: the girls were spinning, men and boys were doing hard work, and mothers were watching the house and the children. It is generally believed that the way of life and customs of the Russian people came to us precisely from the peasant environment, because the European culture was too influenced by nobility and nobility.
Russian rituals and customs
Many Russian national customs came to us not from Christianity, but from paganism, but they are both equally respected. If we talk about traditional holidays, then they should include:
- Christmas is the birthday of Jesus Christ. The holiday has its own traditions of celebration, which differ slightly among Catholics and Orthodox.
- Baptism and the Epiphany Week are a festival of Jesus' baptism, and at the same time a mixture of pagan and Christian traditions. This week, the girls wondered at the narrowed and
the coming destiny (it came from paganism), and in the very baptism, on January 19, a tradition was established to dive into the font to be cleansed of sins. - Pancake week is another holiday where Christian and pagan traditions have intertwined. The holiday itself with the burning of a scarecrow is purely pagan, but it was timed to the beginning of the great fast before Easter.
- Easter is the day in which Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This holiday is preserved from the 10th century AD. On Easter, people come to the church to dedicate cakes and painted eggs.
In addition to these, there are many other Russian customs associated with ritual actions, be it a wedding , a funeral, the baptism of a child, etc. The culture of Russia is strong precisely by the veneration of customs and the ability to preserve them, passing through the ages.