According to the old tradition, all pagan holidays are invariably associated with Mother Nature and all that is associated with her inseparable ties. All rites performed on the arrival of this or that significant date, are fraught with a deep essence, and are called upon to ensure peace and friendship between man and Slavic deities. Usually, all pagan celebrations are accompanied by songs and dances, dances and fortune-telling, bride-watching and youth gatherings. But there are also those in which there is no place for mischief and merriment, such as the days of veneration of the departed, or holidays dedicated to evil spirits and deities.
Pagan holiday Pancake week or Comedian
This celebration is traditionally celebrated on March 21-22, in the days that are recognized as the astronomical beginning of spring, and if we believe the Slavic-pagan tradition - the Day of the Creation of the whole World. Also this date is timed to another pagan holiday-the Spring Equinox Day, when night and day become equal in duration. It is from this day that the young sun Yarilo for a long time expels Zima-Maren from his possessions. But besides this, Maslenitsa is a festival of veneration of the spirits of deceased people, because the ancient people believed that with the advent of spring, or rather with the return of birds from warm lands, the souls of their ancestors also come to them.
Comedian is the second name of Maslenitsa, which originates from the tradition of eating pancakes and other delicacies, previously called coma, on this day. There is also an opinion that it was on Maslenitsa that a bear, whom the Old Believers called "Kom," wakes up from a long hibernation.
In our time, such a pagan holiday in Orthodoxy is marked in accordance with the Christian calendar and canons, and in ancient times it was confined only to the day of the equinox, which for the ancient Slavs was a kind of New Year .
At all times, Maslenitsa was, is and will be a very cheerful holiday, accompanied by interesting and vivid traditions, if you consider that it lasts a whole week. And it is preceded by a feast, called to honor the souls of the deceased people. On this day it was customary to cover a festive table on which to install as many appliances as necessary to regale both the living and the spirits. Pancakes - this is the main food, symbolizing the young sun Yarilo. But in addition, it was customary to serve jelly, kvass, honey, biscuits and other goodies. Having eaten a hearty breakfast, the Old Believers went on entertainment, and there were a lot of them: burning of stuffed winters, fisticuffs, procession of mummers, skating on ice slides and much more. To work on Pancake week was strictly forbidden.
The pagan holiday of Ivan Kupala
This truly mystical celebration, celebrated on the night of July 6 to July 7, is still actively celebrated in some countries of the world. The Old Believers recognize it as the culmination moment in the summer events of their people, because nature reaches its climax and begins to prepare for the fall.
The traditions of this holiday are also bewitching with its beauty. At dawn, all the women and girls went to the forests and meadows, where they collected bathing herbs and sang ritual songs. It was believed that all plants will acquire healing power and help get rid of diseases. With the onset of the night, a huge fire was lit, in which all unnecessary and old things were burned,
Not only these ancient Slavic pagan holidays survived to our times. Children are happy to go to their homes on Kolyada holiday, and elderly Ukrainians and Byelorussians still celebrate the Grandfathers - a funeral for the deceased relatives who cope at their graves.