Chimney Sweep Festival script of the event in English. Colorful Chimney Sweep Festival in the UK

Every year on May 1, Rochester hosts the Chimney Sweep Festival. Chimney sweeps in England still represent mystery and luck. Many believe that if you touch one of them, then the whole year will be lucky.

Even meeting a chimney sweep on the street is good luck, and a dream about a chimney sweep is a promise of a happy occasion.

In the old days, it was believed that in order to acquire it, you need to tear off a button from a chimney sweep's uniform or select a few hairs from his brush. Even now, chimney sweeps are invited to the wedding so that the newlyweds live in love and harmony all their lives.

By the way, according to English legend, chimney sweeps often turned out to be the sons of peers and dukes, somehow lost by the family. After a series of trials, these chimney sweeps regained their titles and wealth.

The May Day Chimney Sweep Festival begins with a procession of dancing. “My lord” leads the procession, followed by “Jack-in-the-greens” - a boy decorated with green branches and leaves and symbolizing spring and forest. Teenagers dressed up as clowns tumble in front of the procession. And behind them come the lords and ladies. The very last is the "milady" collecting the "treasury".

Now in England there are about 500-600 chimney sweeps who work in those areas where old houses with fireplaces and stoves are still preserved.

A long time ago, people did without chimney sweeps, but frequent fires made the rulers think that the pipes should be cleaned.

The title of homeland of chimney sweeps is retained by Denmark, which has documents in which it is written that in 1639 a Lithuanian Gudmand Olsen was hired to clean the fireplace chimneys in the royal castle of King Christian IV in Copenhagen. And for a while there was no mention of chimney sweeps anywhere else. But in 1728, a terrible fire broke out in the Danish capital, almost half of Copenhagen burned down. It was then that the authorities finally decided that chimney sweeps were simply necessary for the city. And in 1731, the first state professional chimney sweep appeared in Copenhagen - master Andreas Nieschke, who came from Silesia. And on February 11, 1778, by decree of King Christian VII, the first ever craft workshop of Danish chimney sweeps was created.

Professional training for chimney sweeps was also organized. And this profession has become more and more famous every year. became desirable and respected.

Since 1917, there have been special courses for chimney sweeps at the Danish Institute of Technology. And in 1974, in the south of Jutland, in the city of Tender, a chimney sweep school was opened. Unlike our vocational schools, they taught the guys there thoroughly, for four whole years. They studied economics, mathematics, science, the basics of heating and ventilation, and cleaning techniques.

But I would like to say a little about the chimney sweeps of Old England and their sad fate. The fact is that in the old days, small children, starting from 4 years old, fell into the apprenticeship to the chimney sweep. They took them in shelters or caught homeless kids on the street. A little apprentice, just for clothes, shoes and meager food, had to daily, risking his life, climb through the fireplace into the chimney and clean the inner walls of the chimneys with scrapers and brushes. At the same time, they fed the children poorly so that they did not grow, remained thin and could crawl into the pipe as long as possible

Imagine, the baby is 4 years old, he is in the dark in a narrow pipe and still works there. Without any means of protection! Very often, children fell down and broke or suffocated in the chimney from the dust.

After work, the children did not have the opportunity to wash themselves, soot and dust ate into their bodies for years, so many children died from. They had to sleep in attics or basements, the master did not let them into his home.

According to the law of that time, children-chimney sweeps had to work for six days, and on Sundays at Sunday school they had to study the Bible.

If the child managed to survive until he could no longer climb into the pipes, then most often he again ended up on the street.

Everything changed thanks to the wife of King George III, Princess Charlotte, who, having learned about the hardships of the life of small chimney sweeps, promised to give an award to someone who would invent a way to clean the chimney without using child labor. In 1803, the Society was formed to replace child chimney sweeps and to invent the method necessary for this. And such a method of cleaning chimneys was invented - this is lowering a weight with a brush or brush into the chimney. They are still being used now.

But the use of child labor did not immediately stop, since it was cheap, the fines for it were scanty, and the owners were great. On August 7, 1840, the English Parliament passed a resolution to ban the use of children to clean chimneys. In 1864, fines for exploiting children were significantly increased, and the use of their labor gradually ceased.

The craft of a chimney sweep came to Russia from Finland and the Baltic states. Residents of the then Russian capital took care of the cleanliness of their pipes, and on April 21, 1721, the first chimney sweep appeared in St. Petersburg.

The mayor ordered to have a chimney sweep in every quarter, and that they should not be with the fire brigade, but with the police department. So, at the police stations, the positions of a city chimney sweep and his assistant were established. They had to not only clean the pipes from soot, but also explain the features of the construction of home stoves.

Local residents were reluctant to become chimney sweeps, even. According to the 1869 census, more than half of the chimney sweeps in St. Petersburg were Finns. They say that in Old Tallinn even now you can see a chimney sweep on the roof ...

Many of us got acquainted with chimney sweeps from fairy tales, for example, by H.H. Andersen. In fact, chimney sweeps still exist, it's just that many people don't think about it. Yes, and modern chimney sweeps are dressed not in a fabulous way - overalls made of thick fabric, cotton gloves, a hat, goggles. They clean chimneys, ventilation, using modern chemistry. Surely, such chimney sweeps from the housing department, the management company, came to everyone to check the ventilation.

And who knows, maybe modern chimney sweeps bring happiness and good luck. In any case, it is easy to be convinced of this by touching a completely not grimy modern chimney sweep.

One of the most extraordinary holidays in the world is the Chimney Sweep Festival, which takes place in the UK - in the city of Rochester every first of May.

The Chimney Sweep Festival is one of the most unique holidays. After all, this is not only a holiday of chimney sweeps, but also - that's strange! - and the Spring Festival. To understand this holiday, you need to know the attitude of the British towards chimney sweeps - and it is very specific.

Well, who is a trumpeter? Just a grubby worker with an immutable ladder, rope and whisk. However, in England, according to popular belief, it is considered a good omen to meet a chimney sweep, and therefore the British are always happy to meet a soot-smeared chimney sweep. Chimney sweeps were even specially invited to weddings and other important events to ensure their good luck.

And that is not all. After all, the craft of a chimney sweep has been shrouded in some strange mysticism, a mystery since ancient times. For example, in England, stories were often told about the missing children of rich and famous people, whom inconsolable parents searched for a long time and found among ... chimney sweeps. So the British treated chimney sweeps with respect - and suddenly it turns out that some significant person is hiding under the black soot, or the stepson of some wealthy lord or peer.

In addition, among ordinary people, it was believed that the hard work of a chimney sweep is a kind of test, after passing which, an ordinary chimney sweep can count on the favor of fate - the case will give the chimney sweep untold wealth or a high title.

In general, for the British, a chimney sweep is not just a profession, but a special sign of being chosen.

Unfortunately, at the present time, the profession of a chimney sweep has ceased to be relevant and important, and current chimney sweeps are not spoiled for work. Although there are still houses in England with stoves and fireplaces, which means that there is work for a chimney sweep. Nevertheless, there are at least six hundred chimney sweeps in the UK today.

Maybe even the British left the old houses with stoves and fireplaces solely so that the chimney sweeps had something to do, and ordinary people could please themselves with a happy omen - a meeting with a grubby chimney sweep.

And it’s understandable why the UK loves the Chimney Sweep Festival so much - after all, when else can you meet so many happy signs at once?

So May Day in Rochester is a special day, because it is here that the Chimney Sweep Festival takes place. On this holiday, a colorful procession with dances takes place in the city. “My lord” goes ahead, followed by a procession with “Jack-in-the-greens”, which personifies spring. With Jack-in-the-Green are teenagers dressed as clowns - they are somersaults and amuse people. Behind them come the lords and ladies, and the very last is the "milady", who collects the "treasury".

So if you want to visit one of the most unusual holidays and, in addition, receive a huge charge of happy omens, then it is better than Rochester on the first day of May, when the famous Chimney Sweep Festival takes place, it is better not to find a place.

A grubby, but never discouraged man with a ladder, ropes and whisks cheerfully looks around the city from a tiled roof - this is how the image of a chimney sweep from children's fairy tales remains in the memory.

In ancient times, the craft of a chimney sweep was shrouded in a certain mystery. There were legends about wealthy gentlemen who lost their children and, after years of inconsolable grief, found them among the chimney sweeps. Stories surrounded chimney sweeps with a halo of mystery. No one (except their owners) dared to mistreat the chimney sweeps: after all, it is not known who he is - what if he turns out to be the son of some peer or noble lord?

Many of those who believe in miracles began to believe that cleaning chimneys is a kind of ordeal, after which sooner or later chimney sweeps of noble birth will regain their titles and titles; therefore, it was customary to treat the craft of chimney sweeps with respect. With the development of technology, the need for chimney sweeps has decreased.

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There are now about 600 chimney sweeps in England. Although modern heating systems do without people in this profession, old houses with fireplaces and stoves still have enough pipes that need to be cleaned. And besides, according to popular belief, a meeting with a chimney sweep brings happiness, and they are willingly invited to weddings.

At the end of April - beginning of May, the Rochester chimney sweeps festival takes place in England, which attracts many tourists from all over the world, as it is very picturesque and has a rich 3-day program. It has been leading its history since 1981.

The festival program includes performances by dancers and artists, chimney sweep parades, dances and many other bright and exciting events. There are also entertainment for children.

One of the most important traditions of the festival is a colorful procession with dances, where the procession is led by "my lord". He is followed by a procession with "Jack-in-the-Greens" - a boy decorated with green leaves and branches, in front of him, somersaults and do different things, teenagers dressed as clowns, and after them lords and ladies march. The procession is closed by the “milady”, who collects the “treasury”. The Jack-in-the-Green represents the spirit of spring and the forest, revered during these traditional rites of spring.

And, of course, in the evening, the fun moves smoothly to local pubs, where beer flows like water, and local musical groups entertain the public all night long.

Since ancient times, the profession of a chimney sweep has been shrouded in some mystery. For most people, a chimney sweep is a never-failing grubby man with a ladder, a whisk and a rope, who looks out over the city from the height of the tiled roofs.

Of course, with the passage of time and the development of technology, the need for this profession has decreased, and somewhere it has completely disappeared. Today, in all of England, there are hardly five thousand chimney sweeps. They serve old houses where fireplaces and stoves have not yet been replaced with modern heating systems.

According to an old belief, a meeting with a chimney sweep brings happiness to the house, helps to fulfill cherished dreams. Therefore, representatives of this profession are always welcome at weddings and other celebrations.

On May 1, the Rochester Chimney Sweep Festival takes place in England. Every year this day is celebrated with a colorful procession and dancing. According to tradition, the procession is led by "my lord", followed by clowns and boys performing various acrobatic tricks, then - a procession with "Jack-in-the-Green" - a boy who is decorated with green branches, then lords and ladies march. All this motley joyful crowd is closed by the “milady”, collecting the “treasury”.

For many years in England, in Rochester, the Chimney Sweep Festival has been held on May 1st. From ancient times to the present day, the profession of chimney sweeps has been the most mysterious. In the history of its existence, it has acquired the most incredible, but bright beliefs. For example, if you meet a chimney sweep in the morning, then the whole day will go well. And if you touch a chimney sweep, or get a few hairs from his brush, then luck will accompany you all year. If you dreamed of a chimney sweep, then something good is guaranteed to happen to you. In order for happiness to never leave the house, chimney sweeps were invited to the wedding as a living happy omen.

There was a belief among the people that the chimney sweeps were once the lost children of noble dukes and peers. Then, in some fabulous way, they returned to their families and entered into rights to titles and wealth.

In ancient times, people practically did not clean chimneys. This caused frequent fires. Therefore, the government decided on the mandatory cleaning of chimneys. At the moment, there may be about 600 people in this unusual profession all over England. Basically, they can be found in residential areas, where houses with stove heating have been preserved.

The Chimney Sweep Festival opens with a procession of dancing. Leading the column "my lord". He is followed by "Jack-in-the-Greens" - this is a boy whose costume is decorated with branches and foliage. It symbolizes spring and forests. Teenagers dressed as clowns dance and tumble ahead of the procession. Next come the lords and ladies. Closes the procession collecting the "treasury" "Milady".

And although the Chimney Sweep Festival is held in England, Denmark is the birthplace of this unusual profession. The first mention of chimney sweeps dates back to 1639. This is a document that refers to the employment of the Lithuanian Goodman Olsen to clean the chimneys of the Copenhagen royal castle of Christian IV. After that, for some time, chimney sweeps were not mentioned anywhere else until 1728, when the floor of the capital of Denmark almost burned down in a terrible conflagration. This sad event prompted the authorities to make a decision to declare the profession of a chimney sweep permanent. The first public professional chimney sweep in Denmark was master Andreas Nieschke from Selesia in 1731. By decree of King Christian VII of February 11, 1778, the first chimney sweep workshop in history was created in Denmark. In addition, a kind of professional training class for chimney sweeps was also created here. Every year the profession of chimney sweeps gained wide popularity. Its representatives have become respected and desired.

It should be noted that in 1917 the Danish Institute of Technology opened specialized training courses for chimney sweeps. In 1974, a school for chimney sweeps was opened in Tender, Jutland. Her training lasted four years. In addition to direct cleaning techniques, the children are taught the basics of ventilation and heating, as well as natural sciences, mathematics and economics.

But the fate of the chimney sweeps of Old England is not as rosy as that of the Danish guild workers. The fate of English chimney sweeps is sad and cruel. And that's why. In ancient times, small children from the age of 4 years became the apprentices of the master chimney sweep. They were children from orphanages or homeless vagrants. It was the kids who climbed into the chimneys and cleaned them with a scraper and a brush. The labor of the little ones was used mainly because they did not have to be paid. They worked for clothes, shoes, and fed them very poorly, so that they would not grow and get better, otherwise they would not be able to climb into the pipe. There was not even a talk about any safety devices during pipe cleaning. Children often broke and broke, falling down from the height of the chimney. Some suffocated from soot, dust and carbon monoxide. At the end of the work, the children did not have the opportunity to wash themselves, so dirt and soot ate into the skin. The master did not let dirty kids into his house, so they were forced to live in basements or attics. The little chimney sweeps had to work six days a week and study the Bible on Sunday. If one of the children was lucky enough to live to such an age that he stopped climbing into the pipe, then he was again kicked out into the street. Since the road to the shelter was already booked for him.

But the wife of King George III, Princess Charlotte put an end to the barbaric use of child labor by chimney sweeps. She announced a reward for anyone who can come up with a way to clean chimneys without involving children. So, in 1803, a special Society was created, the purpose of which was to free children from the work of chimney sweeps, and to invent an alternative and no less effective method of cleaning. And such a method was found: a sinker with a brush or brush was lowered into the pipe. By the way, this device is used to this day!

But the children were not exploited immediately. Child labor was cheap, the fines for using children to clean chimneys were small, and the owner's greed was exorbitant. And only when in 1840 Parliament forbade the exploitation of children by special decree, and in 1864 fines for the use of child labor in cleaning chimneys increased sharply, did they stop exploiting children.

Like any good innovation, chimney sweeps also appeared in Russia. In St. Petersburg in 1721, the first official chimney sweep was registered. Concerned about the condition of the chimneys of city houses, the mayors approached the solution of the problem with all responsibility. It was decided that each quarter of the city would be served by a separate chimney sweep, and it would not be with the fire department, but much more seriously - with the police department. The task of the chimney sweeps was not only to clean the pipes from soot, but also to teach everyone the basics of the proper construction of chimneys for stoves and fireplaces.

Despite the seriousness of the event, local residents, even the poorest, were not interested in the profession of a chimney sweep. Therefore, according to the 1869 census, the majority of chimney sweeps in St. Petersburg are Finns.

Despite the fact that modern houses, for the most part, are equipped with central heating and gas stoves, chimney sweeps still appear in our homes from time to time. Who are they? These are housing and communal services employees who walk around the apartments and check the ventilation. If problems are identified, they eliminate them using modern mechanical or chemical means. It’s just interesting, if you touch a modern chimney sweep from the Housing Office, will he also bring happiness, as in popular belief?

So, over the years of its existence, the profession of a chimney sweep has not acquired traditions or a large number of beliefs, but it has turned from a tragic one into a respected one. This profession is even dedicated to 1 day of the calendar, albeit not the most famous in the world. So, on May 1, all chimney sweeps are honored!