What are the pagan holidays?

Before you start talking about the pagan holidays of our ancestors, perhaps we should deal with the concept of “pagan”. Unambiguous interpretation of this term now scientists are trying to give. Previously, it was assumed that the emergence of the concept of "paganism" of modern society owes to the New Testament. Which in Church language, the word “jazzy” consistent with the concept of “other people”, that is, having a religion different from the Christian. Historians and linguists studying Slavic culture, I believe that the sacred meaning of this concept lies in the old Slavonic word ‘yazychestvo”, which in modern language would sound like ‘uzcelta”, that is, the respect of kinship, family and blood ties. Our ancestors do with particular trepidation treated to kinship ties, because he considered himself part of all things, and therefore were in kinship with mother nature and all its manifestations.

The Sun

The Pantheon of gods is also based on the forces of nature, and pagan holidays served as an occasion for reverence and manifestations of a proper respect for these forces. Like other ancient peoples, the Slavs worshiped the Sun, because from the sun depended on the process of survival, so the main holidays were devoted to his position in the sky and changes related to this provision.

Pagan celebrations of the solstice

The Ancient Slavs lived by the solar calendar, which corresponds with the position of the Sun relative to other astronomical objects. Year was calculated not by the number of days, and the four major astronomical events of the Sun: the winter solstice, spring equinox, summer solstice, autumnal equinox. Accordingly, the principal pagan festivals were connected with the natural changes occurring during the astronomical year.

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Major Slavic holidays

The Ancient Slavs began the new year with the vernal equinox. This great holiday-victory over the winter had the name of Comoedia. A celebration dedicated to the summer solstice, was called the Day Kupili. Autumn equinox celebrated the feast of Veresen. The main celebration in the winter was the winter solstice - a pagan holiday Koliada. The four main celebrations of our ancestors were devoted to the incarnations of the Sun, it varies depending on the pores of the astronomical year. Deifying and giving shining human qualities, the Slavs believed that the Sun changes throughout the year, as people in the course of his life. However, unlike the latter, the deity, dying on the night before the winter solstice, is reborn again in the morning.

A Christmas Carol, or Yule-Solstice

The Beginning of astronomical winter, the great pagan festival of the winter solstice, dedicated to the revival of the Sun, which was identified with the infant, born at the dawn of the winter solstice (December 21). The celebration lasted for two weeks, and began the great Yule at sunset on December 19. To celebrate Christmas the Sun was going all relatives, Magi bonfires to scare away evil spirits and to point the way gathering for the holiday feast guests. On the eve of renewed birth of the Sun the forces of evil could be especially active, because between the death of the old Sun Svetovit and the birth of a new Christmas Carol was a magical night of stagnation. It was believed that to confront otherworldly forces our forefathers could come together for General fun.

That night the Slavs kindled ritual fires to help the Sun to be born. Cleaned in homes and backyards, was washed and cleaned up. And the fire burned all the old and unnecessary, symbolically and literally getting rid of the burden of the past in the morning to greet the reborn Sun cleansed and renewed. Weak winter sun called Kolyada (hypocoristic derived from Kolo, i.e., circle) and were happy that every day it will grow and the day will start to increase. The festivities continued on our calendar until sundown on 1 January.

A Magical night of Yule

The Most fabulous and magical ancient Slavs, like modern people, believed twelfth night of Yule (from December 31 to January 1) and noted its amusing disguises, songs and dances. To our days have survived not only the tradition of fun that night, and more. Modern kids are looking forward to the pagan God of Santa Claus, whom the ancient Slavs called to visit, to appease and thus protect their crops from freezing. Getting ready for Christmas, modern people decorate the Christmas tree with garlands on the door attach Christmas wreaths, and sweet table often store cookies and pastries in the form of logs, with confidence believing that Christmas is a Christian tradition. In fact, almost all the paraphernalia borrowed from the pagan Yule. During the winter period were also pagan holidays - Christmas Christmas and Honoring women. They were accompanied by songs, dances, Christmas fortune-telling and feasting. During all of the festivities the young people praised the Sun as a symbol of a better and improved life.

Comoedia

The Day of the vernal equinox (20-21 March) was the festival dedicated to the beginning of the New year, the beginning of spring and the victory against the winter cold. With the advent of Christianity had been tampered with and shifted in time to the beginning of the year on the Church calendar, now known as Carnival. Pagan holiday Comoedia was celebrated for two weeks, one before the vernal equinox, the other later. At this time Slavs celebrated by getting strong and gaining strength of the Sun. Changed her baby name Carol for Yarilo, the sun-God was already strong enough to melt the snow and awaken from the winter sleep of nature.

The Value of a great holiday for our ancestors

During the celebration, our ancestors burned the effigy of winter, because it often was not only cold but also hungry. With the onset of spring left fear personification of death is cold in winter. To coax the spring and to provide to the crops in her good graces, on the thawed fields laid out pieces of cake as a treat in the Spring-mother. On festive feasts, the Slavs were able to afford nourishing food to gain strength for work in the warm period of the year. Marking the spring new year celebrations pagan, they danced, had fun and prepared for the ceremonial table of the sacrificial meals - pancakes, which by its shape and color resembled the spring sun. Since the Slavs lived in harmony with nature, they revered its flora and fauna. The bear was highly respected and even deified the animal, so in celebration of spring, he was offered sacrifice in the form of pancakes. Name Comoedia also associated with the bear, it is our ancestors called someone, hence the saying “the first pancake comas”, and therefore designed the bears.

Of Kupalo, or Kupala

The summer solstice (June 21) glorifying God is the sun - mighty and full of strength to the Kupalo, the giver of fertility and good harvest. This is a great day astronomical year is headed by pagan summer festivals and is the start of summer in the solar calendar. The Slavs rejoiced and had fun, because this day they can rest from the hard work and praise the Sun. People danced around the sacred fire, jumping through it, purifying thus, bathed in the river, the water of which at this day is especially healthy. Girl wondered at its restriction and were allowed to water wreaths of fragrant herbs and summer flowers. Birch was decorated with flowers and ribbons - tree because of its beautiful and finery was a symbol of fertility. On this day special healing powers are all the elements. Knowing which pagan holidays are associated with magic of nature, the Magi on Kupala harvested all sorts of herbs, flowers, roots, evening and morning dew.

The Magic night

Slavic Magi was performed many rituals to get the location of Kupaly. In the magical night they had avoided eared field, chanting read incantations from evil spirits and called a rich harvest. On Kupala our ancestors wanted to find the magic fern flower, which blooms only this fabulous night can work wonders and helps to find the treasure. Many folk tales associated with the search for a blooming fern on Kupala, he was carrying something magic pagan holidays. Of course, we know that this ancient plant is not in bloom. And glow, take lucky for a magical flowering caused by phosphorescent organisms that are sometimes present on the leaves of a fern. But is the night and the quest will become any less fascinating?

September

A Festival dedicated to the autumnal equinox (September 21), the end of harvest and the beginning of astronomical autumn. The festivities lasted two weeks, first to the equinox (Indian summer) - during this period, estimated harvest and planned consumption to the future. The second after the autumn equinox. In these festive days, our ancestors honored the wise and aging sun Svetovit, thanking the deity for a bountiful harvest and performed rituals for the next year were fertile. Welcoming in the autumn and seeing summer, the Slavs burned fires and danced, extinguished in their houses old fire and kindled new ones. The house was decorated with sheaves of wheat and baked for festive table a variety of pies from harvest. The celebration took place in a big way, and the tables were heaped with food, people thanked so Svetovit for your generosity.

Our days

With the advent of Christianity the ancient traditions of our ancestors almost disappeared, because the new religion was imposed is not a good word, and with fire and sword. But folk memory is strong, and some of the traditions and holidays of the Church could not destroy, so I just agreed with them, replacing the meaning of the name. What pagan festivals merged with the Christian, having undergone changes, and often a shift in time? As it turns out, all the main: a Christmas Carol - the birth of the Sun - 21 December (Christmas day after 4 days), Comoedia - 20-21 March (Shrovetide - cheese week, is shifted in time to the beginning of the year because of Easter lent), Kupala on 21 June (Midsummer, the Christian rite is tied to the birthday of IvanThe Baptist). September - September 21 (Nativity of the Theotokos). So, despite the past century and the change of religion, traditional Slavic celebrations, albeit in a modified form, but continue to exist, and to animate them, anyone who is not indifferent to the history of his people.