Traditions of the Russian people 2. Russian Orthodox burial rite
The Russian people carefully honor ancient traditions that appeared during the times of Rus'. These customs reflected paganism and the veneration of idols, which replaced them with Christianity, the ancient way of life. Traditions arose in every household activity of the inhabitants of Rus'. The experience of older generations was passed on to young followers, children learned worldly wisdom from their parents.
The ancient Russian traditions clearly demonstrate such traits of our people as love of nature, hospitality, respect for elders, cheerfulness and breadth of soul. Such customs take root among people; following them is easy and pleasant. They are a reflection of the history of the country and people.
Basic Russian traditions
Russian wedding
The wedding traditions of ancient Rus' go back to pagan times. Weddings within and between tribes were accompanied by the worship of pagan idols, thematic chants and rituals. At that time, the customs of different villages differed from each other. A single ritual originated in Rus' with the advent of Christianity.
Attention was paid to all stages of the event. Acquaintance of families, meeting of the bride and groom, matchmaking and bridesmaids - everything happened according to a strict script, with certain characters. Traditions affected the baking of a wedding loaf, the preparation of a dowry, wedding dresses, and a feast.
The wedding was rightfully considered the central event in the wedding celebration. It was this church sacrament that made the marriage valid.
Russian family
From time immemorial, the Russian family has accepted and honored the traditions and family values of its people. And if in past centuries there were strong patriarchal foundations in the family, then by the 19th century such foundations were of a more restrained traditional nature; in the 20th century and at the present time, the Russian family adheres to moderate but familiar traditions of Russian life.
The head of the family is the father, as well as older relatives. In modern Russian families, father and mother are in equal degrees of dominance, equally involved in raising children and organizing and maintaining family life.
Nevertheless, common traditional and Orthodox holidays, as well as national customs, are celebrated in Russian families to this day, such as Christmas, Maslenitsa, Easter, New Year and intra-family traditions of weddings, hospitality and even in some cases tea drinking.
Russian hospitality
Meeting guests in Rus' has always been a joyful, kind event. The traveler, tired from the journey, was greeted with bread and salt, offered rest, taken to the bathhouse, given attention to his horse, and changed into clean clothes. The guest was sincerely interested in how the journey went, where he was going, and whether his journey had good goals. This shows the generosity of the Russian people, their love for their neighbors.
Russian loaf
One of the most famous Russian flour dishes, which was prepared for holidays (for example, for a wedding) exclusively by married women and placed on the table by men, is the loaf, which was considered a symbol of fertility, wealth and family well-being. The loaf is decorated with various dough figures and baked in the oven; it is distinguished by its rich taste and attractive appearance, worthy of being considered a real work of culinary art.
Russian bath
Bathing customs were created by our ancestors with special love. A visit to a bathhouse in ancient Rus' served not only the purpose of cleansing the body, but also a whole ritual. The bathhouse was visited before important events and holidays. It was customary to wash in the bathhouse leisurely, in a good mood, with loved ones and friends. The habit of dousing yourself with cold water after a steam room is another Russian tradition.
Russian tea party
The appearance of tea in Rus' in the seventeenth century not only made this drink a favorite among Russian people, but also marked the beginning of the classical Russian tea tradition. Tea drinking attributes such as a samovar and its decorations make tea drinking feel homely and cozy. Drinking this aromatic drink from saucers, with bagels and pastries, with sawn sugar as a bite - traditions have been passed down from generation to generation and observed in every Russian home.
Russian fair
On traditional holidays, various fun fairs opened their doors in Rus'. What could you not find at the fair: delicious gingerbread cookies, painted handicrafts, folk toys. What could you not see at the fair: buffoons, games and amusements, a carousel and round dances, as well as the folk theater and its main regular presenter - the mischievous Petrushka.
For a Russian person, his historical heritage is very important. Russian folk traditions and customs have been observed for centuries both among and among the townspeople. These include both Christian and pagan rituals that have come into modern life since ancient times. Christianity gave the people Easter and Christmas, paganism is reflected in the Russians’ celebration of Ivan Kupala and Maslenitsa. Christmas carols and wedding customs have also become firmly established in modern life.
Traditions are especially observed during the celebration of Easter. Before the onset of this holiday, everyone bakes Easter cakes and paints eggs. Not only believers, but also people far from religion participate in this ritual. At night, everyone collects Easter eggs and colored eggs in baskets, takes all kinds of food prepared for the holiday, and takes them to church. The priest walks around with a bucket and a broom, and, splashing holy water on the food and parishioners, says: “Christ is Risen!”, and all the people echo him: “Truly He is Risen!” This means the joy of the resurrection of Christ, which is celebrated on this day. Then everyone goes to “break their fast,” that is, to eat fast food that could not be eaten during the entire Lent.
In winter, the traditions of the Russian people are especially evident in the celebration. Particularly interesting are the carols that take place on the night of January 7th. People go from house to house, sing songs (carols), for which their owners thank them and give them food. Children especially love this tradition. They take special pleasure in gathering in small groups and going caroling. Before the Christmas holiday, many people buy candy, cookies, and fruit in advance to treat their little guests. They are believed to bring good luck and prosperity to the home.
The traditions of the Russian people are interesting in celebrating the New Year - the favorite holiday of everyone, from young to old. For children, the joy and anticipation of the holiday begins a week before the New Year - on the day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. At night, parents hide gifts that Nikolai allegedly brought them into their children’s boots. When children wake up in the morning, the first thing they do is run to look for gifts, have fun and enjoy the holiday. For the New Year, it is customary to decorate the Christmas tree with the whole family. At night, everyone gathers around the Christmas trees at the festive table, makes wishes, congratulates each other, and gives gifts.
Russian customs are especially evident in the rite of baptism. Children are usually baptized in infancy. For the child's parents, godmothers and fathers are chosen, who will, along with the baby's parents, be responsible for him and help him throughout his life. Usually, godparents and real parents always maintain warm, friendly relations, and godchildren at Christmas have a so-called “supper” with their godparents. Rolls are wrapped in a scarf, gifts are folded, and the child goes to visit - he brings treats to his family. They treat him in return and give him gifts.
The church wedding ceremony is very beautiful, which, honoring Russian customs, is performed by the newlyweds after the wedding. It is believed that after the wedding, when the Lord sanctifies their relationship, the young people will live happily under the auspices of heavenly powers. Before the wedding, the groom “buys” the bride from his relatives, going through a lot of tests that the bridesmaids arrange for him. This ritual seems to show how much the groom values and knows his bride, as well as his desire for marriage. When the newlyweds come home after the wedding, according to tradition, their parents meet them at the door with bread and salt, wishing them happiness and longevity.
The traditions of the Russian people found an interesting manifestation in the celebration of Ivan Kupala. This is an echo of pagan rituals, so beloved among the people. On this day, in the evenings there are dances and dances, people jump over the fire. The bravest of them go in search at night. People believed that whoever finds this color will discover all the happiness of life. Maslenitsa is no less loved by the people. Throughout the week, people bake pancakes, treat each other, ride sleighs and have fist fights. This is the last week of fun and revelry, because it is followed by Lent.
The history of the Russian people has been going on for more than 1500 years. And all this time, legends are being formed in the world about the mysterious Russian soul and the incomprehensible nature of Russian culture, where modern trends are closely intertwined with the heritage of distant ancestors.
In Russia, national traditions are sacredly respected, passing them on from generation to generation for centuries. Some customs appeared only after the Revolution of 1917, and some originate from the times of Ancient Rus', which, oddly enough, does not prevent them from being present in the life of a modern Russian person.
Customs of the ancient Slavs that have survived to this day
Our ancient ancestors gave us the opportunity to bear not only a surname and a name, but also surname .
During the times of the Slavic tribes, a person was not perceived as a separate person, but was part of a kind. When meeting each other, everyone had to name the name of their parent and grandparent. The attitude of those around them towards their offspring depended on the glory and reputation of the father, grandfather and great-grandfather. A person was judged by the affairs of his entire family, which is why he himself felt great responsibility for his family.
Coming from a respectable family, there was no reason to hide the name of a parent; on the contrary, it was an honor to name it at every opportunity. That is why people were called, for example, like this: Gorislav, son of Dragomir, Lyudmila, daughter of Mechislav. Or even like this, with mention of not only his father, but also his grandfather: Peresvet, son of Nekras, son of Vladimir. Subsequently, similar forms were gradually transformed into modern patronymics.
Today, when we address a person by name and patronymic, we show him our special respect. Calling older, high-status, authoritative people simply by their first names is considered bad manners and the height of bad manners.
The Slavs gave us another amazing tradition - this whip yourself with a broom in the bathhouse
. In the old days, people were treated for colds by applying plant leaves to their chest and back. Birch and oak leaves seemed especially healing. For convenience, they were collected together with young branches, which were tied into brooms. 
To get the greatest effect, the broom had to be applied hot to the body. Where is the easiest place to heat it up? Of course, in the bathhouse. To avoid getting burned, the branches were either applied or pulled aside, as if patting themselves. At the same time, a massage effect was created. Until today, without this unique procedure, which is considered a truly Russian pastime, a real bathing day for a steam lover is not possible.
Another custom that comes from ancient times is appeasing the brownie . According to Slavic beliefs, in every home there is an invisible patron, a spirit that protects the house and its inhabitants. In order not to suddenly find themselves out of favor with the brownie, the owners talked to him, asked for protection and help, and fed him. Milk with a salted edge of bread was placed behind the stove or lowered into the cellar. It was believed that these were the places that the living spirit chose for his rest. When they moved out of the old hut, the owners invited the kind grandfather-brownie to go with them to their new home.
There is still a belief that you cannot shake hands, kiss, or pass anything across the threshold. And all because beyond the threshold the protection of the brownie ended. Then he could no longer protect his charges from bad influences. It turned out that evil spirits could not penetrate the house, while on the threshold a bad person had the opportunity to exert a negative influence on the owner, cast a spell on him or a love spell, or transfer an enchanted thing.
Traditions of the Middle Ages
After the baptism of Rus' in the Middle Ages, there was a close interweaving of pagan and Christian customs. On the eve of major Christian holidays, such as Christmas, Epiphany, Annunciation, Intercession, fortune telling , caroling , dressing up . All these rituals have changed little to this day.
Peasants usually told fortunes in the evenings, gathering in groups. Both old and young wanted to know their future, whether it promised love, prosperity, the birth of children. Various objects were used in rituals: mirrors, dishes, jewelry, clothes, shoes and much more.
Groups of people in villages went around houses, singing carols under the windows with good wishes to the owners, for which they expected a reward in the form of mash, gingerbread or a coin. 
At celebrations, weddings and fairs, those who wanted to entertain people dressed up in masks, costumes of animals and birds, attached bells and bells to themselves, creating noise around themselves and depicting crazy dancing.
In addition, there was a tradition sow in houses for Christmas and St. Valentine's Day. Groups of young people or children entered huts without asking, threw grain on the floor, and sang songs. The ritual promised the owners of the houses a good harvest, prosperity and happiness, and those who sowed were thanked, treated or given coins.
Before Lent on the last day of Maslenitsa week at public festivities burned a straw effigy of winter , thereby seeing off the cold weather until next year.
Customs of Tsarist Russia
The Russian monarchy gave us the tradition of celebrating the first day of the New Year.
Before the reign of Peter I, the New Year in Russia began on September 1, but the tsar, by his decree, approved a new date for the departure of the old and the arrival of the New Year, that is, January 1. In addition, Peter I ordered on this day to decorate the gates of houses and churches with pine branches, and to mark the onset of the New Year with a cannon salute. Passers-by were supposed to congratulate each other and wish each other happiness, health and prosperity.
During the reign of Catherine II, the first New Year's masquerades were held at court, accompanied by music, dancing and congratulatory speeches. Unlike peasant mummers, whose task was to scare or amuse, the court nobility wore beautiful masks, costumes and jewelry, trying to stand out and surprise others.
After the war with Napoleon, the Russian nobility became acquainted with such a French drink as champagne. This is what they preferred to drink at all social events, including New Year's masquerade balls.
It turns out that since the times of Tsarist Russia and until now, Russian people, as usual, celebrate the New Year with congratulations, Christmas trees, champagne, fireworks, music and costumed events.
Tradition to celebrate the Old New Year
Even the name of the holiday surprises and speaks of its unusualness. Of course, the tradition of celebrating this day cannot be called centuries-old, but it is already very close to its centenary.
It all started with the fact that after the Revolution of 1917, the new government made the transition from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, between which there was a thirteen-day difference.
However, people did not stop celebrating the New Year in the usual old style, which over time led to the formation of a separate holiday, the Old New Year. Now this day is loved by many. It does not involve much fuss and is most often celebrated among those closest to you.
In conclusion, I would like to note that we do not know what traditions the new time will bring into our lives, whether they will be destined for a long life, or whether they will soon be forgotten. But there is no doubt that the customs of our distant ancestors will last for another century. Such is our Russian mentality. It contains the power of people's memory and great patriotism.
Russia carefully preserves ancient Russians, which are more than 7-10 centuries old. Both the most ancient Orthodox traditions and pagan rituals have been preserved. In addition to all this, folklore is also alive, represented by ditties, sayings, fairy tales and proverbs.
Customs and traditions of the Russian family
From time immemorial, the father was considered the head of the family; he was the most honorable and respected member of the family, whom everyone was supposed to obey. However, he also took upon himself all the hardest work, be it caring for livestock or plowing the land. It never happened that a man in the house did easy, womanly work, but he never sat idle - everyone worked, and a lot.
From childhood, the younger generation was taught to work and responsibility. As a rule, there were quite a lot of children in the family, and the elders always looked after the younger ones, and sometimes even raised them. It has always been customary to honor those who are older: both adults and old people.
People were supposed to relax and have fun only on holidays, of which there were relatively few. The rest of the time everyone was busy with business: the girls were spinning, the men and boys were doing hard work, and the mothers were looking after the house and children. It is generally accepted that the life and customs of the Russian people came to us precisely from the peasant environment, since the nobility and nobility were too strongly influenced by European culture.
Russian rituals and customs
Many Russian national customs came to us not from Christianity, but from paganism, however, both are respected equally. If we talk about traditional holidays, they include the following:
In addition to these, there are many more Russian customs associated with ritual actions, be it a funeral, the baptism of a child, etc. The culture of Russia is strong precisely because of its reverence for customs and the ability to preserve them, carrying them through the centuries.
Dorofeev Vasily
The report presents Russian traditions and rituals.
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"Russian traditions of Russia"
Prepared by 2nd grade student “A”
Dorofeev Vasily
Moscow 2014
Russian Traditions - Russia
Russia is a truly unique country that, along with a highly developed modern culture, carefully preserves the traditions of its nation, deeply rooted not only in Orthodoxy, but even in paganism. Russians continue to celebrate pagan holidays and believe in numerous folk signs and legends.
Christianity gave Russians such wonderful holidays as Easter, Christmas andthe rite of Epiphany, and paganism - Maslenitsa and Ivan Kupala.
Easter in Russia
Easter - This is a bright holiday of the resurrection of Christ. This holiday came to Rus' from Byzantium along with baptism at the end of the 10th century. Since then, this Christian holiday has been widely, beautifully and solemnly celebrated throughout Russia.
On the eve of Easter, all churches hold all-night vigils and processions around the church. By this time, traditional holiday pastries had already been baked in all the houses - Easter cakes, which symbolize the body of Christ, and eggs had been painted. And right in the morning, believers go home with refreshments, giving their friend colored eggs, saying: “Christ is risen!” - “Truly risen!” This custom of greeting and congratulations, accompanied by hugs and kisses, is called “Christification.” The holiday of Christian Easter lasts seven days and is called Holy Week or Week.
Easter - This is a day of abundant food. After Lent, a variety of delicious dishes are put on the table on this day. And among them, ritual foods occupy the first place. And, above all, these are Easter cakes, Easter cakes and colored eggs.
The egg, which was traditionally painted in red colors and its shades, has become an obligatory attribute and symbol of Christian Easter since the 12th century. And the Easter cake was always baked from yeast dough, tall and round. The top of the Easter cake is decorated with the image of a cross. It is believed that if the Easter bread is a success, then everything will be fine in the family. When eating, the cake is cut not lengthwise, but crosswise, keeping the top intact to cover the rest of the cake.
And, of course, according to the old Russian custom, on these Easter days gifts were sent and distributed to the poor and needy, relatives and complete strangers to almshouses, orphanages, hospitals and prisons. Beggar wanderers were not deprived either - after all, the people said that “from Easter to the Ascension, Christ wanders the earth with the apostles, experiencing the mercy and kindness of everyone.”
Christmas in Russia: Advent, Christmas Eve, Christmastide, baptism
Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the savior of the world, with whose coming people found hope for mercy, kindness, truth and eternal life. The Orthodox Church celebrates the Nativity of Christ on January 7 according to the Julian calendar, in contrast to Western churches, which celebrate it on December 25 according to the Gregorian calendar.
Ivan Kupala in Russia. Russian Kupala rituals
Since ancient times, all the peoples of the world celebrated the peak of summer at the end of June. In Rus', such a holiday is Ivan Kupala. On the night of June 23-24, everyone celebrated this mystical, mysterious, but at the same time wild and cheerful holiday, full of ritual actions, rules and prohibitions, songs, sentences, all kinds of signs, fortune telling, legends, beliefs.
Even during the time of paganism, the ancient Russians had a deity named Kupala, personifying summer fertility. In his honor, in the evenings they sang songs and jumped over the fire. This ritual action turned into an annual celebration of the summer solstice, mixing pagan and Christian traditions. The deity Kupala began to be called Ivan after the baptism of Rus', when he was replaced by none other than John the Baptist (more precisely, his popular image), who baptized Christ himself and whose Christmas was celebrated on June 24.
Kupala rituals
On this day, people girded themselves with bandages of flowers and put wreaths of herbs on their heads. They led round dances, sang songs, lit bonfires, in the middle of which they placed a pole with a burning wheel mounted on it - a symbol of the sun.
On the day of Ivan Kupala, girls made wreaths of herbs, and in the evening they put them into the water, watching how and where they floated. If the wreath sinks, it means that the betrothed has fallen out of love and cannot marry him.
On Midsummer's Day, it was customary to pour dirty water on everyone you met. It was believed that the more often a person runs to swim, the purer his soul will be. Bathing was prescribed at dawn: then bathing had healing powers.
On bathing night, cleansing fires were lit. They danced around them, jumped over them; whoever is more successful and taller will be happier. In the Kupala bonfires, mothers burned the shirts taken from sick children, so that the illnesses themselves would be burned along with this linen. The youth, jumping over the fires, organized noisy fun games, fights, and races. We certainly played burners.
People believed that all miraculous and healing herbs bloomed on the night of Ivan Kupala. Therefore, knowledgeable and experienced people, and especially village doctors and healers, under no circumstances missed Midsummer's Night and collected medicinal roots and herbs for the whole year.
There were rumors that ferns bloom at midnight on Kupala. A wonderful fiery flower can show the lucky person the location of all treasures, no matter how deeply they are buried. Around midnight, a bud appears on the wide leaves of the fern, which rises higher and higher, then staggers, turns over and begins to “jump”. Exactly at midnight, a ripe bud opens with a bang and a fiery red flower emerges from it. A person cannot pick it, but if he sees it, all his wishes will come true.
People associated ideas about miracles with Ivan Kupala Day. On the night of Kupala, one could not sleep, as all the evil spirits came to life and became active: witches, werewolves, ghouls, mermaids... It was believed that on Ivan Kupala, witches also celebrated their holiday, trying to cause as much harm to people as possible.
Maslenitsa rituals in Russia
Perhaps the most joyful holiday in Rus' can be called Maslenitsa. This holiday is considered an echo of pre-Christian times, when the Slavs were still pagans.
In the old days, Maslenitsa was considered a holiday of remembrance of the dead. So the burning of Maslenitsa is its funeral, and pancakes are a funeral treat. But time passed, and the Russian people, greedy for fun and relaxation, turned the sad holiday into a daring Maslenitsa. But the tradition of baking pancakes remained - round, yellow and hot as the sun, and to it were added horse-drawn sled rides and sleigh rides from the icy mountains, fist fights, mother-in-law get-togethers. Maslenitsa rituals are very unusual and interesting, as they combine the end of the period of winter holiday rituals and the opening of a new, spring period of holidays and rituals that were supposed to contribute to a rich harvest.
Maslenitsa is celebrated for a whole week before Lent. Moreover, each day of Maslenitsa week was dedicated to special rituals
Traditions of Russia. From origins to the present day
Russia is a country with a long history. Moreover, this history is reflected not only in official annals and chronicles, but also in folk culture - in the traditions of Russia, which developed and took root over a long time
The traditions of Russia, which the country is famous and proud of now, are of mixed origin. Some of them came from ancient pagan times, when the inhabitants of Rus' worshiped the forces of nature and believed in their unity with their native land, the other part came from Christian rituals and customs, and the third became a kind of “alloy” of pagan and Christian cultures.
The Russian traditions that came from pre-Christian times include the Maslenitsa holiday, and the Christian traditions include Easter.
But Christmas in Russia gradually lost its truly religious meaning, because it was “mixed in” with a typically pagan entertainment - carols on the night of January 6-7, when young people go from house to house, sing ritual songs and beg for treats from their owners. Unfortunately ( or maybe, on the contrary, fortunately), not all the customs and rituals that were in use among our ancestors have survived to this day. Some traditions of modern Russia are not at all suitable, so they remain only in historical
chronicles and memoirs of old-timers. However, some customs and traditions of Russia have passed through the centuries and are popular even now.
Interesting customs of Russia:
Maslenitsa
The story about the customs and traditions of Russia can go on for a very long time. Some Russian customs have already sunk into oblivion and can only be restored from descriptions in literature or the memories of old-timers, others are still in effect to this day, so you can admire them “live.”
Perhaps one of the most striking and popular customs of Russia, which came to us from pagan times, is Maslenitsa. Since ancient times, farewell to winter and welcome to spring in Rus' have taken place on a grand scale. Both in villages and in cities, festive treats were prepared all week, rosy and fragrant pancakes were baked. There were sleigh rides down the mountains and fist fights for the amusement of the public. The apotheosis of the holiday week came on Sunday,
when people burned the effigy of Maslenitsa, thus driving away
tired of winter and calling for spring to come soon. In the modern world
Maslenitsa is not celebrated as widely as before. However
The traditions of this holiday, which precedes Lent, are still observed. It is difficult to find a house in which
Maslenitsun would have baked pancakes, and a straw effigy
- They are still burned in cities during public festivities. In a word,
Maslenitsa has remained one of those customs in Russia that is not afraid of either years or historical changes.
Culture and traditions of Russia. Russian character
Undoubtedly, the culture and traditions of Russia have a huge influence on the character
people living in the country. Russians, like any other nation, have their own special traits, known throughout the world. In particular, one of the main national character traits is Russian hospitality. Since ancient times, welcoming guests has been considered one of the main cultural traditions of Russia. And although meeting with bread- salt are a thing of the past, Russians, as before, show great hospitality and friendliness towards guests. Another character trait that very clearly characterizes the culture and traditions of Russia is love for their homeland.
For Russians, the homeland is not an abstract concept, but a specific place where a person was born and raised. If in Europe moving from one country to another is considered a common occurrence, in Russia this is almost equivalent to treason, even if the reason for changing the place of residence was quite valid.
