Folk customs and traditions of Belarusians. Belarusian culture
Belarusian culture is one of the oldest European cultures. The traditions and customs of the Belarusian people have been preserved by such holidays as Kolyady, Kupala, Maslenitsa, Dozhinki. In each of them, elements of ancient religions are noticeable.
Dozhinka holiday
The culture and traditions of the Belarusian people are a reflection of everyday life ordinary people. Belarusian culture is strongly connected to the land. One of these manifestations is the Dozhinki holiday. It is carried out at the end of sowing work. Belarus has quite fertile areas, rich in harvests. This ancient custom is known to all peoples associated with agriculture. The holiday turned out to be so popular that no war could kill it. The people have preserved it for many centuries. In Russia, this beautiful tradition is reflected in the annual Sabantuy holiday. The best workers are chosen and gifts are given to them.
Kupala holiday
This is Ivan Kupala Day. It is believed that unusual things happen: animals begin to talk, trees come to life, and mermaids can be seen swimming in rivers and lakes. The day is filled with a lot of legends. And no one can figure out what is true and what is false. Held from the sixth to the seventh of July. This holiday is the oldest of customs. It has pagan roots.
Our great-grandfathers associated Kupala with sun worship. “Kupalo” means hot, bright creature, seething with anger. In ancient times, people thanked fire, water, and earth on Kupala night. According to custom, young people jumped over the fire. This is how the cleansing ceremony took place. Paganism and Christianity became closely linked after the adoption of Christian beliefs. It was believed that on the day summer solstice and John the Baptist was born. And the word “bathed” comes from the word “bathe”, since baptism was carried out in water. There is a legend that it was on this night that everything that seemed in a dream became reality. The souls of the dead came to life in the form of mermaids bathing in the river. They could be seen in clear water.
One of the rituals on Kupala night was the search for ferns. It was he who, according to custom, had the key to everything that was happening. The owner of this flower understood the speech of animals and birds, looked at the mermaids and watched how the trees moved from place to place. This plant is not the only flower that our great-grandfathers worshiped. At that time it was believed that all flowers were endowed with incredible healing power. Women and children collected various herbs, illuminated them in the church and were treated with them for a whole year. On this holiday, another ritual was performed - cleansing with water. If you take a swim on this night, you will feel clean all year, so the belief said. The morning after the holiday everyone was rolling around in the dew. The people believed that dew would give everyone good health and strength. The Kupala holiday was celebrated by the entire village; sleeping that night was not allowed.
Kolyada
This holiday among Belarusians was the most beautiful among the winter ones. At first it was held from December 25 to January 6. With the adoption of Christianity, this holiday was moved to the birthday of Christ. Christmastide lasted from January 6 to January 19. According to pagan beliefs, “kolyada” comes from the word “kolo”, that is, the sun. Here we mean the day winter solstice and a gradual increase in the day. “Kol-yada” also means “circular food.” People gather in a large group and enter every yard singing and dancing. For this they were thanked with delicious food. Then people gather in one place and treat each other with the collected food. Carols are a special custom. They prepared for its celebration in advance, washed thoroughly in the bathhouse, cleaned the house, and embroidered new clothes. On this day the people were pure in soul and body. Nowadays, caroling takes place from January 7th to 8th. These traditions of the Belarusian people are more related to practical jokes. They dress up in different outfits and go to visit loved ones.
Holiday Gukanne Viasny
This is the most fun and joyful of all holidays. This is what Belarusians call farewell to winter. It was necessary to spend the winter beautifully and meet the beautiful spring. This custom has its pagan roots deep into antiquity. People call for spring to hasten its arrival. The festival takes place in early April. The stork is the most important bird on it. People make them from dough, from paper, from cardboard. Trees are decorated with birds. All the birds in the area flocked to this dough food. Thus, birds carry spring with them on their wings. There was a belief: on whose house the most birds land, that house will be the happiest. The people had fun on this day, danced, sang, and danced in circles.
Belarusian wedding
It is similar to the weddings of other peoples of the East Slavic tribes. The wedding begins with matchmaking. Matchmakers from the groom's relatives come to woo the bride's parents. All guests are seated at the table and start a conversation, asking for their hand in marriage. At the end of the conversation, the parents either agree or refuse. Then there are viewings. The bride's parents inspect the groom's house where he will live future wife. Next, the matchmaker and godfathers agree on the dowry and the wedding date. The bride gives gifts to future relatives; this custom is called zaruchiny. If someone is against the marriage, then he pays all the expenses. Then they had a bachelorette party. Wreaths were woven, young girls danced and sang. Finally, the groom's friends take the bride to the house and the wedding celebration begins.
Belarusians are an open and hospitable nation. Interesting traditions of the Belarusian people have survived to this day. This makes communication with them extremely pleasant and relaxed.
Archaeological data and historical documents indicate that at the origins of the ancient Slavic calendar there was a cycle of agricultural work that corresponded to the state of nature. Almost all Belarusian names of months have retained their original basis to this day. This system came to us from Ancient Rome. But there are opinions that the 365-day calendar was first developed in Ancient Greece. Later, in 46 BC, it was reformed by the famous philosopher and commander Gaius Julius Caesar. According to his calculations, the year should have lasted 365.25 days. But days are only complete, so in his system three years had 365 days each, and the fourth - 366. From 45 BC. e. the beginning of the year is moved to January 1. The chronology system began to be called Julian.
In 324, the Roman Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the state religion. In 325, it was decided to celebrate the date when Christ was resurrected between March 22 and April 25. Thus, the date of celebration of Easter is determined as follows: it must be the first week after the first complete phase of the month, which occurs after the day spring equinox.
The Julian calendar lost 10 days over several centuries and the date of celebration of the vernal equinox did not correspond to the astronomical calendar. Pope Gregory XIII proposed a new system that took this amendment into account. The new chronology began in October 1582 (instead of October 5, they immediately switched to 14) and was called Gregorian.
It is known that in 1054 Christianity was divided into two confessions: Orthodoxy and Catholicism. Orthodoxy supported the Julian system (old style). Catholics adhered to the Gregorian system (new style).
On January 24, 1918, Russia adopted a Decree on the introduction of the Western European calendar. According to the new calendar, immediately after January 31, February 14 came.
Almost all of Europe at the beginning of the 10th century began the new year with the Nativity of Christ. Historical information, archaeological data, various works of literature indicate that Belarusians began the year at different times, but the start date of the year was always around the time of the vernal equinox. But it could also be April 1 - the beginning of spring, March 21 - the day of the vernal equinox, March 25 - the day when Jesus Christ was resurrected.
In different regions of Belarus the beginning of the year did not coincide. The territory that was part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, since 1364, celebrated the birth of the year on January 1. In the eastern part of Belarus, the year began in the spring, then from 1493 to 1700 in accordance with the Byzantine church tradition - on September 1.
And only on December 20, 1700, Peter the Great issued an order to celebrate the beginning of the year on January 1. It is on this day that they celebrate New Year all European countries today.
What kind of calendars existed on the territory of Belarus? In addition, a wooden block 30–50 cm long with 3, 4 or 6 sides is known in Belarus. This calendar existed from the 12th to the 18th centuries.
For a long time, Belarusians have had a specific purpose for performing one or another work every day of the week:
Monday is a strong day; this is the day to plant cucumbers, pumpkins, and beans; This is men's day and therefore it is very good to make sauerkraut on this day.
Tuesday is a man's day, a good day, on this day you need to start working.
Wednesday is women's day, a fasting day, it is good to plant vegetables on this day.
Thursday – on this day you cannot plant anything in the garden.
Friday is women's day, a fast day, on this day you cannot knit, weave, you can sow, build.
Saturday is women's day, you can work at home.
Sunday - you cannot work in the house, do field work, or bathe children.
Literature:
1. Peoples of Russia - http://www.narodru.ru
2. Belarus EXPO 2000 - http://expo2000.bsu.by
State educational institution
« High school No. 18 Borisov"
Subject:
"Traditions of the Belarusian people"
Prepared by: teacher
M.F. Vinichenko
Subject: Traditions of the Belarusian people
Target: deepening children's knowledge about Belarusian traditions; fostering respect for the historical past of Belarus.
Tasks:
contribute to the formation in students of the concepts of “tradition”, “custom”, and a sense of pride in their country;
introduce students to the origins of Belarusian folk culture;
cultivate a respectful attitude towards the traditions and customs of the Belarusian people.
Equipment: illustrations with various holidays of Belarusians, film.
Move classes
Guys! Today we will talk about the traditions and customs of the Belarusian people. The history of the Belarusian people and their way of life was closely intertwined with traditional holidays passed down from generation to generation. Traditions were carefully observed and preserved the historical foundations of respect for Mother Earth, human work and his care for nature. The Belarusian people value their traditions and holidays. The ancient historian Herodotus said this: “If all the peoples in the world were allowed to choose the best customs and morals, then each people would choose their own, since each people is convinced that its own customs and way of life are the best.” Rituals and traditions, which are perfectly preserved on Belarusian soil, characterize the people who live here.
Students read the poem:
Our Radzima is Belarus,
And if you don’t joke,
You won't know all over the world
Miley, what a land.
You don't know such people
Ikh sertsy – dabrynia;
Yana strumenitsa, lettsa ў light
I'm making a noise every day.
There is no need to live there
Nyashchyrym, squalid, evil.
Don’t forget, you are Belarusian,
And stay with them.
Modern rules of conduct for Belarusians stem from traditions and customs that have historically developed on our territory.
Tradition is something that passes from one generation to another; what we inherited from our ancestors: order, norms of behavior.
We call custom any established rules. This is a generally accepted, long-established order in social relations.
Every country has established traditions of celebrating holidays: Christmas, New Year, etc.
The traditions and customs of the Belarusian people are reflected in proverbs and sayings. (The teacher reads proverbs and sayings.)
Nothing can be done on its own.
It’s not so easy to earn money, so to speak.
The confused praca is our bagazza.
Words cannot replace work.
It's a good idea to give away money for pennies.
Good luck to Sonya, good news.
If you get tired of the wound, you will earn a lot.
Spachatku padumai, then gavars.
Guys, for a while I suggest you become artists. But you will paint not with paints, but with words. It is necessary to create a picture of our Motherland.
Each beautiful word I need to explain.
Siniavokaya (or blue-eyed) - we have many beautiful rivers and lakes. Blue cornflowers bloom in the fields.
Green - a lot of forests, meadows and fields.
The best - because - this is our Motherland.
Friendly – Belarusians are friendly and hospitable people.
White – white is the color of goodness and purity. Belarusians have long loved to dress in white linen shirts.
Beautiful - we have beautiful cities, villages, streets, squares.
Hardworking – Belarus is home to hardworking people who do many necessary things.
Lesnaya - many forests, pine forests, forests.
Wonderful - we have wonderful products made from straw, clay, wooden toys.
Workshop - in Belarus there are a lot of craftsmen who embroider, weave, and paint.
Generous - the Belarusian land is very generous. It gives a rich harvest of vegetables and fruits, berries and mushrooms.
Tolerant - they live in Belarus good people. They respect other people and take their opinions into account. They have many friends.
Partisan - during the Great Patriotic War in the Belarusian
There were many partisan detachments in the forests who fought for their Motherland.
You got a wonderful picture.
Every nation has another sacred thing - its native language. And the culture of the people is connected with the language, based on the eternal traditions of their ancestors with their rituals, holidays, customs, signs, games, songs, and fairy tales. Tell us about the ancient customs of our ancestors that you have read or heard about from adults.
(The guys talk about some ritual.)
1. To be healthy all year round, it was necessary on Maundy Thursday before Easter
Be sure to wash in a bathhouse or wormwood before sunrise.
2. On Trinity Sunday they decorated their house with branches of linden, birch or maple.
3. On Kupala they wove wreaths, floated them along the river, danced in a circle and looked for a “paparats-kvetka” for luck.
4. On Easter, young people and children swung on swings. They believed that the higher the rise
The longer the swing was, the longer the flax stalks would be.
Each holiday among Belarusians was associated with certain rituals.
mi, songs, signs. Today we will talk about the rituals and customs of the winter holidays that have recently passed.
Orthodox Christmas in Belarus is public holiday. Christmas Eve, or the Eve of the Nativity of Christ, is celebrated by Orthodox believers on January 6th.
According to tradition, Christmas Eve dinner is a lavish but Lenten meal, consisting of 12 courses in honor of the twelve apostles. On this day, upon arriving from the temple after the morning service, believers abstain from eating until the first star appears in the sky, which symbolizes the star that rose over Bethlehem at the time of the birth of Christ.
On the night of January 6-7, Christmas services are held in Orthodox churches. According to the calendar of the Orthodox denomination in Belarus, more than 80% of the entire believing population celebrates the Nativity of Christ. Traditionally, since pre-Christian times in Belarus, January 6-7 - First Kolyada - the end of the six-day Pilipov fast, the beginning holidays and evenings. This holiday is known to everyone as “Big Kutia”, which was celebrated in honor of the winter solstice.
The second Kutya (Generous or Rich Kutya) was celebrated on the eve of the New Year, and the third Kutya concluded the Kolyada holidays. There were numerous folk signs, related to the weather on Kolyady (Christmas).
The first day of Kolyad is clear - it will be a lean year, and if it is gloomy and snowing - it will be a fruitful year. If there are many stars in the sky on carol evening and at night, there will be a lot of mushrooms in the summer; if there is hail in the other half of the day, the peas will be large; if there is snow, the bees will swarm well.
The tradition of celebrating the Old New Year on the night of January 13-14 arose after 1918, when a new chronology was introduced. And once upon a time this day fell on January 1st.
The evening before the New Year is called Generous Evening. The holiday got its name from the generous kutia - a ritual food that is prepared for the New Year. Unlike “Lenten” (January 6, new style), this kutia was really generous: fried sausages, fresh meat, cheese, scrambled eggs, pancakes with gravy, and blood were placed on the table. At the center of New Year's ritual food was the meat of a pig, which, due to its fertility, was perceived as a symbol of productivity. Every housewife tried to prepare as many dishes as possible for the Generous Evening, because, according to an old belief, how a person spends old year and will meet a new one, and this will be the way the whole coming year will be for him.
On the rich Kutya, when all the festive dishes were already on the table, the owner opened the window or doors and invited frost to the festive dinner, thereby trying to influence the forces of nature.
Freezing! Freezing! Come try kutya! Don't come in the summer, otherwise we will beat you with iron whips.
The hostess, having collected a spoonful of kutya and going to the window, had to knock and turn to the frost.
Frost, frost, come and taste the kutya, so as not to freeze the seedlings, cucumbers, pumpkins, carrots, beets and everything I need to sow.
In order for chickens to rush at home, and not through other people's yards, after festive dinner They brought a hoop into the house, put the remains of dinner (especially kutia) into it and fed the chickens in this hoop.
Celebrating the New Year was always accompanied by generosity. The generous people, groups of young people of 5-7 or more people, went around all the houses in the village, congratulating the owners on the holiday with songs, in exchange for which the owners had to treat the carolers.
The central “character” of the generous company was the “goat” - an active guy, capable of dancing, dressed in an inverted casing. He held in his hands the head of a goat made of wood or paper. The “goat” was accompanied by a guide who had to be able to speak fluently. The guide, or “grandfather,” was dressed in old clothes, given a beard made of hemp, and given a staff in his hands. The rest supported the main characters.
People believe that on the night of January 13-14, fortune-telling is most likely to come true. At the same time, Belarusian Orthodox Church calls on young people to abandon the tradition of Christmas fortune-telling, which contradicts the Orthodox faith.
January 18-19 - Epiphany holiday (Vadokhryshcha), third (lenten, “water”) Kutia. The Christian religion associates Baptism with the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. In churches on this day, baptism of water takes place, which is taken from the nearest river, carving a large cross on the ice.
At midnight before Epiphany, housewives went to a river or lake and scooped up water, which was then stored all year as medicinal water. Baptized water was given to the sick to drink, fields were sprayed with it before sowing, domestic animals, new home before moving in, a coffin, before placing the deceased there.
At Epiphany they went to church and tried to return home as quickly as possible - then the owner would be the first to reap the harvest. The hay on which kutya stood throughout the Kolyads was gradually given to domestic animals as a protective remedy against diseases and the negative effects of witches. The dried top of the kutya was removed and given to the chickens, “so they could bring goodness.”
There was a unique ritual called “Tsyagnuts Kalyada on the oak tree.” Residents dragged a harrow through the streets, on which stood a pot of kutia. On the outskirts of the village they chose the tallest tree, usually an oak. The boy left a pot of porridge at the very top of the tree. Kutya symbolized sacrifice to the natural elements and the souls of ancestors. In the old days they believed that snow collected on this day whitens the canvas and skin of girls and has healing properties. If you throw it into a well, it will keep water in it during a drought.
Participants in carol festivities and fortune-telling strove, despite the severe frost, to plunge into the ice hole three times and thereby be cleansed of their sins.
According to legends, a clear and cold day on Epiphany indicates a dry summer. Gloomy skies and snow mean a great harvest.
Now let's watch a film about how holidays are spent in Belarusian villages.
Watching a movie
Result:
You saw how many interesting and mysterious things are hidden in the history of our country. But we have touched only a tiny part of it. If you are interested in history, you will open other pages.
(The guys are treated to Belarusian national dishes).
Target:
Tasks:
Object:
Item:
Culture of the Belarusian people.
The Belarusian people stand out for their original, distinctive culture, the roots of which go back to the distant pagan, pre-Christian era.
Belarusian culture is part of all-Russian culture, its original and full-fledged branch. In the diversity of Belarusian dialects, many common Russian and common Slavic words are preserved. Therefore, there is no fundamental difference between Belarusian and Russian culture, and their interaction is fruitful and beneficial to everyone.
The revival of the national traditions of Belarusian culture was largely facilitated by the intensification of the Belarusian national movement at the beginning of the twentieth century1. The talent of future classics of modern Belarusian literature blossomed - Y. Kupala, Y. Kolas, M. Bogdanovich, Tsetka and others.
Traditional folk costume is one of the main elements of the ethnic culture of Belarusians. It is believed that after language, folk costume is the most important ethnic sign. It clearly reflects the character of the people, the level of their spiritual and material life in different historical periods. The formation of the Belarusian folk costume was influenced by many factors: natural and geographical conditions, the main occupations of the population, features of the historical and socio-economic development of the region, forms of religion, trade and cultural ties with neighbors - Russians, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Poles.
Women's suit. The originality of the traditional costume of Belarusians is most clearly expressed in women's clothing, consisting of a skillfully decorated shirt, skirt, and apron, the decor of which was in harmony with the patterns of the shirt. The costume was complemented by posts, bast shoes or black chrome charaviks (shoes). Women's headdresses, which determined marital status, age of the person. For girls, these are various wreaths and headbands. For women, this is an ancient name - one of the most characteristic costume details for Belarusians, as well as scarves, koptur (bonnets) and horned headdresses.
It stood out for its particularly harmonious forms, diversity and perfection of decor. The basis of the women's costume was a snow-white linen shirt with a red and black pattern on the upper part of the sleeves, collar, cuffs, and shoulder inserts. Simple geometric motifs - rhombuses, squares, stars, crosses, made with set embroidery or cross stitch (a later technique) are combined into a variety of patterns.
Completeness and festivity women's suit provided headdresses. Girls braided their hair, wove ribbons into them, wore wreaths, as well as unique headdresses in the form of a narrow folded cloth that did not cover the top of their heads. Married women were obliged to hide their hair, because hair was associated with the cult of vegetation, with the idea of productivity, fertility, and therefore with magical power capable of influencing the surrounding reality for good or misfortune. By hiding their hair under the mantle, the community seemed to be warned against danger and at the same time subordinated the woman to both her husband and clan. That is why a woman's headdress is a symbol of her marriage and, thereby, her dependent position. Removing the headdress meant almost breaking the marriage.
A national feature is the handbrake.
In its purest form national characteristics weaving and embroidery were revealed in the decor of the handbrake. This is understandable: a handbrake is not just a piece of cloth that is used to wipe off. In the everyday life of Belarusians, the handbrake has long also performed a variety of ritual functions; they accompanied the Belarusian literally from birth to death: a newborn was received on the handbrake, bread and salt were brought to them, a red corner with icons was decorated with it, a coffin was lowered into the grave on it. Especially important role performed handbrake in wedding ceremonies. Many ritual, festive functions of the handbrake continue to exist in our time.
With all the variety of decorative and compositional solutions that define the handbrake from different parts of Belarus, they are also united by some common features. For example, a large group of Belarusian handbrake stands out with embroidered geometric patterns in the traditional red color, with a small addition of black. The ornament is usually located at the ends of the handbrake, as if “flowing” from it. The widest stripes are near the edges, the next ones, closer to the middle, are narrower and less frequent.
National cuisine of Belarusians.
On Vlas, the spells for fasting were celebrated, so the women baked, fried, boiled and stewed from the very morning. Mostly meat. And, of course, pancakes - rye, oat, wheat. Usually, they baked a lot of them (more than on all other days.) The first pancake was always placed on the windowsill - for the ancestors. It was believed that on this day the souls of dead people descend to earth. They are refreshed by the steam from the first, ritual pancake. Whoever breaks this ritual will never be forgiven by his ancestors for such impudence. It was from this tradition that came: “The first pancake is lumpy,” i.e. They don't eat the first pancake.
Among other things, Maslenitsa was a holiday for all newlyweds - after all, the sun is life and its continuation. Thus, in our lands, to this day, the ritual of “taking off your shoes when you are young” is widespread, the active participants of which were married women. They gathered in a large group and walked around the farmsteads, the owners of which had recently celebrated a wedding, having given their daughter in marriage. For each young woman, they sang songs wishing the young woman to give birth to a son or daughter:
Saved
Last month Summer pleases Belarusians with three national holidays: it is in August that the honey, apple and nut Savior is celebrated. Now these dates are inextricably linked with Christianity, because the Savior is a holiday dedicated to the Savior, Jesus Christ. But their story began much earlier.
St. George's day
St. George's Day has always been an important holiday of the spring cycle for Belarusians. It was and is celebrated on May 6th. It was on this day that they drove the cattle out to pasture for the first time and bathed in dew. In some regions, on St. George’s Day they “opened” the season of spring-summer songs, and also installed swings. According to popular beliefs, Yuri is the patron saint of shepherds, and this holiday is one of the main ones in the agricultural calendar.
Peter's Day
Peter's Day is an ancient agricultural holiday, which is celebrated on July 12. It is also called Pyatro, Pyatrok or the day of Peter and Paul. On this day, everyone praises the apostles Peter and Paul, who patronized the peasants during hard summer work - mowing, working in the pasture and in the garden, and the harvest.
Gromnitsy
This winter holiday has deep roots; even our pagan ancestors considered it special. Today in Belarus it is celebrated twice: on February 2 - according to the Catholic calendar, and on February 15 - according to the Orthodox calendar.
"Gukanne is clear"
This Belarusian custom is one of the most cheerful and optimistic. The long winter is ending, and it is being replaced by a beautiful spring. To speed up her arrival and settles down folk holiday, which is called “Gukanne Viasny”.
This tradition has deep roots: the call for spring began in ancient times, when our ancestors were pagans. They usually call spring at the end of March - beginning of April. Most often, a national holiday coincides with a church holiday - the Annunciation. In the folklore of Belarusians there is even such a saying: “on Mateya the road sweats, on Saraki the trees let go, on Aleksey a fish breaks the ice with its tail, and on Annunciation the stork flies.”
The stork (busel in Belarusian) is the key figure of this holiday.
Kolyada
Carols for the ancestors of modern Belarusians were the main winter holiday, which was associated primarily with the winter solstice and symbolized the beginning of a new year - both solar and agricultural. The celebration began on December 25 and lasted until January 6.
Kupala
On this day, trees move from place to place, animals talk to each other, and in the rivers you can see mermaids swimming in crystal clear water. This day is covered with so many legends and traditions like no other in the year, and no one can guarantee which of them is true and which is fiction. This day is the holiday of Ivan Kupala. It is celebrated on the night of July 6-7, but according to some sources our ancestors celebrated it on June 23 - on the eve of the summer solstice. According to the Catholic calendar, Kupala is celebrated on June 24.
Wedding
The Belarusian wedding (or “vyaselle”) is a unique ceremony that has a deep sacred meaning. Not a single action during the wedding was accidental; all stages were carefully verified and thought out, like in a good performance. The wedding was a kind of folk performance, a theatrical performance designed to bring happiness, harmony and prosperity to the newlyweds’ family. Certainly, modern wedding very different from the traditional one, but many elements are still performed today.
Conclusion.
View document contents
“Customs and traditions of the Belarusian people”
“Customs and traditions of the Belarusian people”
Target: Introduction to the study and revival of folk traditions, customs, and the study of the historical and cultural heritage of the Belarusian nationality.
Tasks:
introducing children to the spiritual values of Russia - stimulating interest in folk traditions, customs;
increasing the level of patriotic education;
instilling in schoolchildren a caring attitude towards the natural and cultural heritage of their native land;
introducing students to local history and search and research activities;
preservation of historical memory;
Object:
representatives of the Belarusian people.
Item:
Traditions and customs of the Belarusian people.
Culture of the Belarusian people.
The history of the Belarusian people is a valuable source of deepening knowledge about their traditions, customs and culture. In my work, I tried to summarize the data that was obtained during the study.
The Belarusian people stand out for their original, distinctive culture, the roots of which go back to the distant pagan, pre-Christian era.
Culture of the Belarusian people.
The Belarusian people stand out for their original, distinctive culture, the roots of which go back to the distant pagan, pre-Christian era.
Belarusian culture is part of all-Russian culture, its original and full-fledged branch. In the diversity of Belarusian dialects, many common Russian and common Slavic words are preserved. Therefore, there is no fundamental difference between Belarusian and Russian culture, and their interaction is fruitful and beneficial to everyone.
The ancient culture of Belarus benefited a lot from the fact that when the process of settling it with Slavic peoples took place, they did not destroy everything that was created here by the aborigines, whom historians consider the Balts and Finno-Ugrians.
At first, our distant ancestors, like all East Slavic tribes, were pagans. This form of religious consciousness existed for a very long time and left a deep mark on the culture.
The revival of the national traditions of Belarusian culture was largely facilitated by the intensification of the Belarusian national movement at the beginning of the twentieth century1. The talent of future classics of modern Belarusian literature blossomed - Y. Kupala, Y. Kolas, M. Bogdanovich, Tsetka and others.
The capital of Belarus is the city of Minsk. President Lukashenko Alexander Grigorievich
Belarus, located almost in the center of the European continent, has large reserves of many natural resources. If we take into account what minerals are mined in Belarus, we will get the following picture.
The country has oil and associated gas deposits, which are located in the eastern part of the Pripyat River trough
Peat deposits are almost ubiquitous. More than 9 thousand deposits have been explored with total reserves estimated at 3 billion tons of peat; out of four hundred deposits being developed, about 15 million tons are extracted every year.
The main mineral wealth of the region is potassium salts, which occupy a leading place in the country's exports.
The region also has practically inexhaustible reserves of rock salt with total reserves of 22 billion tons.
There are dolomite deposits, the main one exploited is the Gralevo quarry
About 110 clay deposits are being developed in the region
Chalk and marl are also mined
There are minerals, the industrial development of which is not carried out: oil shale, brown coals, phosphorites, iron ores, gypsum
Traditions and customs of the Belarusian people. National costume Belarus.
Traditional folk costume is one of the main elements of the ethnic culture of Belarusians. It is believed that after language, folk costume is the most important ethnic sign. It clearly reflects the character of the people, the level of their spiritual and material life in different historical periods. The formation of the Belarusian folk costume was influenced by many factors: natural and geographical conditions, the main occupations of the population, features of the historical and socio-economic development of the region, forms of religion, trade and cultural ties with neighbors - Russians, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Poles.
Characteristics national worldview, traditionally established ethnic and aesthetic norms also influenced the image of the costume, its compositional, ornamental and coloristic design.
The Belarusian costume is distinguished by a wealth of design techniques. This includes embroidery, patterned weaving, lace, and appliqué.
The most common materials for the manufacture of Belarusian folk clothes until the beginning of the 20th century there were linen and wool fabrics home made. For embroidery and patterned weaving, purchased red cotton threads were used, which were sometimes tinted with vegetable dyes to the desired brown or burgundy shade.
Traditional folk costume reveals many aspects of the life of its wearers - ethnicity, historical influence of other peoples, family and social status. Color preferences and features of the ornament can tell about the exact place of manufacture of clothing and the age of its wearers. A festive costume often conceals many sacred and ritual moments and is the embodiment of the aesthetic ideas of the people. Basically, the uniform Belarusian costume had slight local differences. It was dominated white - natural color flax, from which the basis of men's and women's clothing was made. Fabrics for clothing were made at home. The most common raw materials for fabric were linen and wool. Natural dyes (infusions of herbs, bark, tree leaves, swamp ore) were used to dye the yarn.
Men's suit.
Until the beginning of the 20th century. traditional sets of men's and women's clothing have been preserved. A man's suit consisted of a shirt, trousers, and vest. The costume was complemented by a variety of headdresses (magerkas, fringes, etc.), as well as shoes: leather shoes, bast shoes, boots. A mandatory part of the costume, carrying a large semantic load, was the belt, which was used in the performance of a variety of rituals. And today in Belarus the ancient traditions of weaving and weaving belts have been preserved. A leather handbag, worn over the shoulder or hung from the belt, added completeness to the ensemble.
Women's suit. The originality of the traditional Belarusian costume was most clearly expressed in women's clothing, consisting of an elaborately decorated shirt, skirt, and apron, the decor of which was in harmony with the patterns of the shirt. The costume was complemented by posts, bast shoes or black chrome charaviks (shoes). Women's hats, which determined the marital status and age of the person, were particularly original and varied. For girls, these are various wreaths and headbands. For women, this is an ancient name - one of the most characteristic costume details for Belarusians, as well as scarves, koptur (bonnets) and horned headdresses.
It stood out for its particularly harmonious forms, diversity and perfection of decor. The basis of the women's costume was a snow-white linen shirt with a red and black pattern on the upper part of the sleeves, collar, cuffs, and shoulder inserts. Simple geometric motifs - rhombuses, squares, stars, crosses, made with set embroidery or cross stitch (a later technique) are combined into a variety of patterns.
The apron was also white, trimmed along the bottom with one or several stripes of the same, or similar in meaning, decor as on the shirt.
The skirt was usually made from dyed linen or woolen checkered, sometimes striped, fabric. Often skirts, especially everyday ones, had a monochromatic color: cherry, green, blue, purple. In general, they formed a clear color contrast to the restrained white and red coloring of shirts and aprons.
Headdresses added completeness and festivity to women's costumes. Girls braided their hair, wove ribbons into them, wore wreaths, as well as unique headdresses in the form of a narrow folded cloth that did not cover the top of their heads. Married women were obliged to hide their hair, because hair was associated with the cult of vegetation, with the idea of productivity, fertility, and therefore with magical power capable of influencing the surrounding reality for good or misfortune. By hiding their hair under the mantle, the community seemed to be warned against danger and at the same time subordinated the woman to both her husband and clan. That is why a woman's headdress is a symbol of her marriage and, thereby, her dependent position. Removing the headdress meant almost breaking the marriage.
A national feature is the handbrake.
In its purest form, the national characteristics of weaving and embroidery were revealed in the decoration of handbrake handles. This is understandable: a handbrake is not just a piece of cloth that is used for wiping. In the everyday life of Belarusians, the handbrake has long also performed a variety of ritual functions; they accompanied the Belarusian literally from birth to death: a newborn was received on the handbrake, bread and salt were brought to them, a red corner with icons was decorated with it, a coffin was lowered into the grave on it. Handbrake handles played a particularly important role in wedding ceremonies. Many ritual, festive functions of the handbrake continue to exist in our time.
With all the variety of decorative and compositional solutions that define the handbrake from different parts of Belarus, they are united by some common features. For example, a large group of Belarusian handbrake stands out with embroidered geometric patterns in the traditional red color, with a small addition of black. The ornament is usually located at the ends of the handbrake, as if “flowing” from it. The widest stripes are near the edges, the next ones, closer to the middle, are narrower and less frequent.
National cuisine of Belarusians.
The unique historical destinies of the Belarusian people had a profound influence on the formation and development of their culture. This also includes national cuisine.
Often used in Belarusian cuisine various types“black flour” - oatmeal, rye, barley, buckwheat and pea, and in Belarus rye flour was used for bread, and oatmeal for all other flour products.
Of the vegetables, the most typical for Belarusian cuisine are cabbage, peas, beans, carrots and, of course, potatoes - the latter has a special place.
Indeed, it is characteristic of Belarusian cuisine not only that it knows about two and a half dozen potato dishes, each of which is different from the other, but also that these dishes are firmly entrenched in the menu and form an obligatory, indispensable, essential part of the national table .
The natural and geographical conditions of Belarus contributed to the widespread use of such products as mushrooms, wild berries and herbs (sorrel, sorrel), apples, pears, river fish, crayfish, milk, cottage cheese, sour cream.
As for dairy dishes, there are no purely dairy dishes in Belarusian cuisine, but a variety of milk derivatives (cottage cheese, sour cream, whey, butter) are used as mandatory additives - “zabelki”, “paint” and “vologs” - in many dishes, in which include flour, potatoes, vegetables or mushrooms.
Eating and cooking meat in Belarusian cuisine also has a number of features. The consumption of lard and pork makes Belarusian cuisine similar to Ukrainian. However, lard in Belarus is eaten almost exclusively in winter, lightly salted, always with a skin layer. They eat it with potatoes, as a bite, it kind of plays the role of meat. Among poultry they prefer goose, also baked.
The favorite culinary methods of cooking in Belarus are baking, boiling, simmering, and stewing.
Celebration of Belarusian Maslenitsa.
On Maslenitsa week didn't eat meat. Everywhere they treated everyone and everything to dairy products, fortunately there was already enough milk. The lack of meat on the table did not at all affect the mood and vitality of the citizens. This product was replaced by a very large number of pancakes, rosy, round, with a crust and with homemade butter. Pancakes were considered a symbol of the sun and the coming spring. Housewives baked this gastronomic product in huge quantities and treated it to neighbors, visitors, passers-by, the poor and the elderly. Various cheeses, butters, and cottage cheese also appeared on the table.
In the first days of Maslenitsa, local entertainers caught very picky suitors in the crowd, who, in the opinion of the public, had spent too much time “in the wenches” and tied a wooden block to their feet. Such was the punishment for the terrible sin of fastidiousness. Those punished, in turn, had to pay off the block with sweets or money. The second was preferable.
They did almost the same thing with girls who did not get married over the past year, even if it was not their fault.
On Vlas, the spells for fasting were celebrated, so the women baked, fried, boiled and stewed from the very morning. Mostly meat. And, of course, pancakes - rye, oat, wheat. Usually, they baked a lot of them (more than on all other days.) The first pancake was always placed on the windowsill - for the ancestors. It was believed that on this day the souls of dead people descend to earth. They are refreshed by the steam from the first, ritual pancake. Whoever breaks this ritual will never be forgiven by his ancestors for such impudence. It was from this tradition that came: “The first pancake is lumpy,” i.e. They don't eat the first pancake.
On this day there was a special ritual of eating pancakes. The owner cut them crosswise, and each family member took a separate quarter, rolled it into a tube and dipped it in cottage cheese with heated butter.
Among other things, Maslenitsa was a holiday for all newlyweds - after all, the sun is life and its continuation. Thus, in our lands, to this day, the ritual of “taking off your shoes when you are young” is widespread, the active participants of which were married women. They gathered in a large group and walked around the farmsteads, the owners of which had recently celebrated a wedding, having given their daughter in marriage. For each young woman, they sang songs wishing the young woman to give birth to a son or daughter:
After the impromptu concert, the young woman went out into the yard and thanked the women for the song, for good wishes and for the fact that they seemed to accept her into their circle, which was intended to preserve and continue the family line. The next day, the same company took the young woman to the tavern, where her husband treated everyone to various delicacies.
Saved
The last month of summer pleases Belarusians with three national holidays: the honey, apple and nut Savior is celebrated in August. Now these dates are inextricably linked with Christianity, because the Savior is a holiday dedicated to the Savior, Jesus Christ. But their story began much earlier.
St. George's day
St. George's Day has always been an important holiday of the spring cycle for Belarusians. It was and is celebrated on May 6th. It was on this day that they drove the cattle out to pasture for the first time and bathed in dew. In some regions, on St. George’s Day they “opened” the season of spring-summer songs, and also installed swings. According to popular beliefs, Yuri is the patron saint of shepherds, and this holiday is one of the main ones in the agricultural calendar.
Peter's Day
Peter's Day is an ancient agricultural holiday, which is celebrated on July 12. It is also called Pyatro, Pyatrok or the day of Peter and Paul. On this day, everyone praises the apostles Peter and Paul, who patronized the peasants during hard summer work - mowing, working in the pasture and in the garden, and the harvest.
Peter was considered the patron saint of cornfields, fields, especially buckwheat. After all, it was sown a few days before the holiday. In addition, Peter contributed to the ripening of the harvest.
Gromnitsy
This winter holiday has deep roots; even our pagan ancestors considered it special. Today in Belarus it is celebrated twice: on February 2 according to the Catholic calendar, and on February 15 according to the Orthodox calendar.
Thunderstorms have always symbolized the transition of the year from cold and severe winter to hot summer. Everyone was waiting for warmth and sun, they wanted to speed up this natural process. Despite the fact that February was traditionally the coldest month of the year, our ancestors said that winter meets summer in Gromnitsa. This means that this holiday can already be considered spring. It was believed that on this cold February day there could be a thunderstorm with thunder and lightning, which gives hope for the speedy arrival of spring.
"Gukanne is clear"
This Belarusian custom is one of the most cheerful and optimistic. The long winter is ending, and it is being replaced by a beautiful spring. To speed up her arrival, a national holiday is organized, which is called “Gukanne Viasny”.
This tradition has deep roots: the call for spring began in ancient times, when our ancestors were pagans. They usually call spring at the end of March - beginning of April. Most often, the national holiday coincides with a church holiday - the Annunciation. In the folklore of Belarusians there is even such a saying: “on Mateya the road sweats, on Saraki the trees let go, on Aleksey a fish breaks the ice with its tail, and on Annunciation the stork flies.”
The stork (busel in Belarusian) is the key figure of this holiday.
Kolyada
For the ancestors of modern Belarusians, carols were the main winter holiday, which was associated primarily with the winter solstice and symbolized the beginning of a new year - both sunny and agricultural. The celebration began on December 25 and lasted until January 6.
Kupala
On this day, trees move from place to place, animals talk to each other, and in the rivers you can see mermaids swimming in crystal clear water. This day is covered with so many legends and traditions like no other in the year, and no one can guarantee which of them is true and which is fiction. This day is the holiday of Ivan Kupala. It is celebrated on the night of July 6-7, but according to some sources our ancestors celebrated it on June 23 - on the eve of the summer solstice. According to the Catholic calendar, Kupala is celebrated on June 24.
Wedding
The Belarusian wedding (or “vyaselle”) is a unique ceremony that has a deep sacred meaning. Not a single action during the wedding was accidental; all stages were carefully verified and thought out, like in a good performance. The wedding was a kind of folk performance, a theatrical performance designed to bring happiness, harmony and prosperity to the newlyweds’ family. Of course, a modern wedding is very different from a traditional one, but many elements are still performed today.
Conclusion.
Native land, small Motherland, one way or another, lives in the memory and soul of those people who left their village, town, city for a long time or forever. These people often feel the need to at least indirectly come into contact with their home or the graves of their ancestors, with the places where they spent their childhood and youth. Some people want to see what their home, school, street, river, meadow, some memorable and dear place looks like today, to find out what changes have taken place in their native land; others want to receive a handful of soil from their homeland, put a bouquet of flowers on the grave of a relative or friend, plant a tree in a memorable place; still others need to contact their fellow countrymen, find out the fates and addresses of friends and acquaintances, etc. However, not being able to come to their homeland, these people are unable to fulfill their desires.
The traditions and rituals of Belarus have much in common with those of its Slavic neighbors. Belarusians (Belarusians) belong to the Eastern European type of the Central European race, their ancestors were the East Slavic tribes of Dregovichi, Krivichi, Radimichi, partly Drevlyans, Northerners and Volynians. The ancestors of the Belarusians absorbed many features of the ancient population of this region - the Letto-Lithuanian tribes of the Yatvingians, as well as some features of Polish, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Russian and Jewish culture, while preserving, despite the numerous devastating wars that swept across this land more than once, their main national features. The Belarusian ethnos itself is heterogeneous and includes several subethnic groups - “Poleschuks” live in Polesie, “Pinchuks” live in the Pinsk swamps, along the upper reaches of the Dnieper one can observe the Upper Dnieper anthropological type, and in the south of the country Ukrainian influence is noticeable. Even in the language, two dialects can be distinguished - southwestern and northeastern. Also, many representatives of Jewish, Tatar, Ukrainian, Polish, Russian and other cultures lived and live here, each of which has complete freedom of expression.
The country's culture represents perhaps the best preserved set of ancient pagan customs and traditions among the East European Slavs. Even despite the centuries-old dominance of Christianity, both Orthodox and Catholic, echoes of many ancient rituals have been preserved in Belarus, starting with Maslenitsa and Kupala, “Gromnitsa” and “Gukanne of Spring” (the turn of the year from winter to summer), “Magpie” and “ Grandfathers", "Kolyad" and "Dozhinok" (the holiday of the end of the harvest), "talaki" and "syabryna" (the custom of communal mutual assistance), and ending with many rituals associated with a wedding, birth or death. Like its neighbors, there were many rituals associated with agriculture, logging and baths, and all nature was revered as a single living being. All these rituals were intertwined with later Christian rituals, forming a unique and colorful Belarusian culture. The song and oral folklore is extremely rich and varied.
The core of local society has always been the family, usually a small one. The man occupied and occupies the most important place here - he is both “father” for children and “uncle” for younger family members, the main breadwinner and protector of the home. A woman is an equal mistress and manager of household work, a mother and keeper of the hearth. This two-part part of the family was reflected in everyday life - wooden and metal household items were considered “male”, woven and wicker - “female”. Moreover, always and everywhere preference was given to items from natural materials. National clothing, shoes, musical instruments and even the type of housing are close to examples of other Slavic cultures, however, the Belarusian style is visible in everything, and it is impossible to confuse local clothing and jewelry, for example, with examples of Ukrainian or Lithuanian dress - local craftsmen are so original.
The quiet and majestic nature of the country left its mark on the appearance of the people. Belarusians, for the most part, are very friendly and good-natured; centuries-old communalism has left its mark on the nature of relationships between people. Here you rarely see noisy scenes in public, mutual assistance between people is high and respect for elders and the interlocutor dominates. Even business etiquette has included traditions of trust - they rarely hang around in the markets, scrupulously observe agreements and carefully protect their reputation (and not only in business). Many matters, and not only communal ones, are decided on the council; even holidays are most often celebrated either by the whole family or by the entire locality.
There are no strict standards regarding clothing - Belarusians are happy to wear both ordinary everyday clothes of European style and national outfits. IN business etiquette European style costumes are accepted. The business visit must be pre-agreed and confirmed immediately before the meeting. The working day in most institutions lasts from 09.00 to 18.00.
Russian, English and German languages. IN everyday life The Belarusian language is widely used, which was reintroduced as the state language in 1990. However, Russian is also widespread, which has led to the formation of a peculiar international slang known as “trasyanka”. In any place you can hear the beginning of a conversation in Belarusian, and the continuation in Russian, or vice versa. The Cyrillic alphabet is used as the written basis, but sometimes the Latin alphabet is also used. Some Belarusian toponyms sometimes sound quite unusual in the pronunciation of local residents, for example Khrodna (Grodno), Makhileu (Mogilev), Vitsebsk (Vitebsk) and so on, so such points should be kept in mind when communicating.