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Traditions and signs on the day of the spring equinox

Day 2017 spring equinox will come on March 20 at 10:28 am world time, at 13:28 Moscow time.

Spring and autumn equinoxes are considered the astronomical beginning of the corresponding seasons. The period of time between two equinoxes of the same name is called the tropical year. This year is today adopted for measuring time. There are approximately 365.2422 solar days in a tropical year. Because of this, the “approximately” equinox falls at different times of the day each year, each year moving forward by about 6 hours.

In the moment equinoxes the center of the Sun in its apparent movement along the ecliptic crosses the celestial equator. Simply put, on this day, the Earth, rotating around its imaginary axis passing through the poles, while simultaneously moving around the Sun, is in such a position relative to the luminary that the sun's rays, carrying thermal energy, fall vertically on the equator. The sun moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern, and these days in all countries the day is almost equal to the night.

The vernal equinox- an amazing time, considered mystical by our ancestors. In ancient times, spring was determined by the sun. It was believed that from this day, when light and darkness are divided equally, renewals in nature begin. The day of the spring equinox was especially revered in the pagan faith. It was believed that on this day, in the annual cycle, Spring, personifying the revival and rebirth of nature, replaces Winter.

Traditions and signs on the day of the spring equinox

On this day the ancestors baked pancakes- small cakes in the shape of a circle, reminiscent of the sun in shape and color.

In addition to pancakes, they baked sweet gingerbread in the form lark. Small symbolic objects were baked into the dough. If a ring comes across, it means that a wedding is coming soon, if a button - new clothes, if a coin - wealth.

Follow the weather on this day, because it determines the nature of the weather for the next 40 days:

if it is warm on this day, then there will be no cold and frost until the summer.

It was believed that if you meet a holiday fun then the whole next year will pass without worries. But if you let in sad thoughts, then troubles cannot be avoided.

Watched like a girl bakes pancakes, if the first pancake she does well, then soon her beloved will woo her. This pancake should have been noticed and seen, who will take it from the table. If a man, then a boy will be born to her first, if a woman - a girl.

March 20 - Komoyeditsy

Previously, in Russia Maslenitsa was called Komoeditsa, marking the onset spring equinox. The vernal equinox, which in the modern calendar falls on March 20 or 21, - one of the four main holidays of the year in the ancient pagan tradition and one of the oldest.

Essentially, this is agricultural new year. In addition to meeting Spring and celebrating the beginning of the New Year, this day was also revered Slavic bear god.

Traditions and signs

There is an opinion that in ancient times the Slavs called the bear Kom (hence the saying - “the first pancake for the koms”, i.e. bears). Therefore, in the early morning, before breakfast, with songs, dances and jokes, the villagers carried "pancake sacrifices" to the bear god in the forest(pancakes baked for the holiday) and laid them out on stumps. And after that, feasts and wide festivities began.

They were waiting for the comedian, they carefully prepared for it: they flooded the steep slopes of the coast for skiing, built high ice and snow mountains, fortresses, towns. It was considered obligatory to go before the last days of the holiday to bath in order to wash away all the bad things that happened in the past year. It was forbidden to work these days.

On the ice of lakes and rivers, snowy towns were stormed, in which the effigy of Marena was hiding under the protection of mummers. Furious fistfights were also organized there, to which men of different ages and from different villages came running. They fought seriously, believing that the spilled blood would serve as a good sacrifice for the coming harvest. On the last day of the festive festivities, ritual actions were mainly performed, seeing off the winter. They burned an effigy of Marena impaled on a pole, on which “nauzes” were imposed - old, worn-out Amulets or just old rags with a slander, in order to burn everything bad and obsolete on the fire of a ritual fire.

And immediately after the holiday, hard everyday life began, people were taken to agricultural work, which continued throughout the warm season.

March 21 - Spring Solstice, Verbonositsa

Dates associated with the solar cycle were celebrated by many peoples as holidays. was no exception and day of spring equinox, which falls on March 20 or 21 according to the new style. It was believed that from this moment the real spring begins. In Russia they said that spring solstice messengers of Paradise arrive - larks, bringing warmth with them. “The sun will come to our windows too,” people were waiting for this day.

Traditions and signs

Also on the spring equinox was willow day- by this date, it should have already blossomed: "It's time for the willow to turn silver." Willow branches were brought into the house: it was believed that she expels all burdens from the house - household problems, quarrels, illnesses.

At the same time, very unpleasant superstition. They said, for example: “Whoever plants a willow, prepares a spade for himself,” this meant that a person would die when a shovel could be carved out of a tree.

However, this belief did not prevent the use willow for medicinal purposes. Before flowering, the peasants harvested the bark and dried it in well-ventilated attics. Later, tea was made from it with the addition of anise, lime blossom and raspberry. A decoction of the bark rinsed the mouth with stomatitis and the throat with angina. The powder from it was often used as a hemostatic agent. Also, a decoction of willow bark and oak bark was added to the bath for pain in the legs.

On this day they noticed: if the clouds float across the sky quickly and high, the weather will be kind. They also said that if there is a snowstorm, and the snow falls on the fields in waves, this is for a good harvest of bread and vegetables.