The holidays last. Fortune telling with a brownie

Christmas time - the period of folk winter holidays. In 2020, Christmastide begins on January 6 (on Christmas Eve, from the moment the first star rises in the sky) and ends on January 18 (on Epiphany Eve, after the blessing of Epiphany water). The Slavs call these holidays “from star to water.” The name "Svyatki" comes from the verb "to sanctify". During this period, Orthodox Christians sanctify (glorify) Jesus Christ.

history of the holiday

The first mention of Christmastide dates back to the 4th century. During this period, Greek Christians held public festivities for two weeks after Christmas. In Rus', after the adoption of Christianity during the Christmas period, they remained pagan rituals mummers, fortune telling, dancing. The Orthodox Church did not at first support the Slavic pagan rituals. Then representatives of the clergy came up with a “solution to the problem” - the tradition of dipping into an ice hole on a river or lake in the form of a cross on Epiphany. This ritual helped to wash away the sins that were committed during Christmas time.

Traditions and rituals of the holiday

On Christmastide, people go to churches for services and perform the sacrament of communion. These days it is customary to show mercy: visit hospitals and orphanages, give alms to the poor, and make charitable contributions. For young people, this period is associated with folk festivities. IN rural areas They honor ancient traditions: they sing carols, tell fortunes about the future and their betrothed.

6th January. January 6th is Christmas Eve. On this day, after the rise of the first star in the sky, which symbolizes Star of Bethlehem, Christmas time begins.

Housewives cook for festive dinner 12 Lenten dishes that represent the 12 apostles. The main dish is kutia (sochivo). The main drink of the festive table is uzvar made from dried fruits, rose hips and honey. Kutya and uzvar symbolize eternal life, birth and death of Jesus Christ. Kutia is a dish used to commemorate the dead, and uzvar is prepared in honor of the birth of children.

After dinner, believers go to churches for an all-night vigil. At Christmas Eve services, festive chants are sung and bread, wheat, wine and oil (oil) are blessed. At the end of the service, the parishioners are anointed.

On the evening of January 6, young people organize caroling. Carolers dress up in skins, paint their faces, go from house to house and sing ritual songs, in which Jesus Christ, members of the family of the owner of the house, are glorified. For this they are given sweets and money.

On the evening of January 6, Christmas fortune-telling begins. On Christmas night it is customary to cast spells and make wishes.

Jan. 7. Christmas is celebrated on January 7th. On the morning of this day, people return home from night services. Those who adhered to the 40-day Nativity fast begin to break their fast. The housewives are setting up festive table, which contains fast food (containing meat and eggs). On January 7, people relax and visit each other.

13th of January. January 13th is Vasilyev's evening. On this day people read prayers to the Lord Jesus Christ. Housewives prepare kutya, dumplings, festive meat and fish dishes for a festive dinner, bake pancakes, pies, pies. In the corner of the room they place a sheaf of ears of straw - didukh, which is burned after the Christmas holidays. There is a widespread tradition among young people to be generous (caroling). The generous people go from house to house and sing ritual songs. For this, the owners reward them with money and sweets. On Vasilyev's evening, young girls gather in groups and arrange Christmas fortune-telling. On the night of January 14, it is customary to make wishes.

January 14. The Old New Year falls on January 14th. In the morning on this day, young boys go home, sow grain from their sleeves and sing sowing songs. After January 14, people remove Christmas trees and New Year's decorations from their homes.

January 18. Epiphany evening is celebrated on January 18th. On this holiday, believers attend the Divine Liturgy. In churches, a great consecration of water is carried out, which parishioners bring home, sprinkle their homes with it and store it all year round. On Epiphany Evening, believers adhere to strict fasting. They start eating only after the first star rises in the sky. Sochivo and uzvar are always present on the tables.

People believe that on the night of January 18-19, evil spirits rule the earth. To protect themselves from evil spirits, on this day they draw crosses with chalk on the doors of houses, barns and gates.

Fortune telling for Christmastide

Fortune telling - favorite entertainment during the Christmastide period. With the help of magical rituals, people try to look into the future and find out what events to expect in the near future. Unmarried girls try to find out the wedding date or the name of the future groom. To perform rituals, they use special attributes: water, candles, mirrors, rings, needles, and household items.

Signs and beliefs

• During the Yuletide period, hunters should refrain from hunting, otherwise disaster may occur.
• From Christmas Eve (January 6) to the Old New Year (January 14), housewives are not allowed to sweep dirty linen in public. Then you need to sweep up all the garbage, take it out into the yard and burn it so that the year passes in peace and prosperity.
• At dinner on Christmas Eve (January 6), you need to taste all the dishes that are on the table so that there is prosperity and satiety in the house.
• If on Christmas (January 7) it is warm weather, then spring will be cold.
• If on Vasiliev's evening (January 13) the hostess managed to prepare crumbly and tasty kutya, then the family will be accompanied by good luck and happiness all year.

During Christmas time, an atmosphere of magic reigns on earth. During this period, dreams and magical rituals acquire special meaning. People try to have fun every Christmastide. On these holidays, they go sledding and ice skating, visit holiday fairs, go to visit each other.

What date is Christmastide in 2021, 2022, 2023

2021	2022	2023
6 January Wed	6 January Thu	6 January Fri

The Orthodox holidays of the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany are connected by a series of days called Yuletide. To be precise, Christmastide begins on the evening of Christmas Eve and ends on the morning of the day of Epiphany. This is the most joyful of winter holidays, both in pre-Christian Rus' (celebrations dedicated to the god Svyatovit) and in Orthodox Rus'. The fortune-telling that accompanied the pagan Christmastide has survived to this day (previously, spells were cast for the year ahead, plus fortune-telling was carried out, the purpose of the most important ones was to find out about the future harvest). Surely you have had to deal with the fact that your parents told you that you should not take on any work during the holidays - this belief also came from antiquity (people were afraid of bringing misfortune to their work, since on these days there is revelry evil spirits was as strong as ever).

A little history

Christmastide is also called “holy evenings”, in memory of the biblical events of the Nativity and Baptism of Christ, which took place in the dark (at night and in the evening). The name “holy evenings” also comes from the tradition of not working during Christmastide, especially in the dark part of the day. Already the church council of 567 approved these 12 days as holidays (12 - according to the number of months in the year). It was forbidden to perform the sacrament of marriage in them, for example. Orthodox guidelines prohibited in Rus' during these days walking dressed up in the streets, dancing and singing songs (all this was considered demonic). In addition, readers of MirSovetov should know that the Church prohibits fortune telling on Christmas Eve. Violation of these guidelines is punishable by excommunication from Orthodoxy for 6 years.
During Christmas celebrations, among people of the Orthodox faith, it was considered obligatory to do such things as giving gifts to children, giving alms to poor people, and helping the elderly was also considered necessary.
A Christian must attend at least one church service during the Christmas holidays.
January 14th is considered the Church New Year. On this day in Orthodox churches Services are held in honor of the coming year. On the evening of January 14th, as on Christmas Eve (as on Epiphany Christmas Eve), people celebrate carols.
The 1st week of Christmastide, which included, is called the “holy” week, the 2nd is the “terrible” week (the name is associated with the rampant evil spirits during this period).

Holiday traditions

On the first day of Christmastide, a fire dedicated to Kolyada is lit (this is also an ancient deity Eastern Slavs), - in the old days, this fire was maintained for all 12 holy days. The holiday is currently celebrated on a grand scale in rural settlements. One of its signs is, for example, that on the first evening of Christmastide a burning wheel is lowered from a hill, symbolizing that old year along with all its bad weather is over.
One of the holiday traditions is dressing up in festive clothes, or mummering (usually this is interpreted as an image of the renewal of nature). Young people (this was especially true for the old days) dressed in festive clothes, danced and had fun (all these signs are still alive in Russian villages). Mummering is also associated with the singing of carols - holiday songs for which the owners of the houses through which the carolers passed were famous (dialect, i.e. local names for carols - ovseni, grapes). Another theme of carols is the future harvest. The troparion and kontakion of Christmas Day are sometimes sung as carols (this custom came from Orthodoxy; the troparion is a short chant that sets out the essence of the holiday, the kontakion is a short chant, 1-2 lines of prayer that are said in parallel to the troparion, i.e. reveal the essence of the day). Carolers usually do not leave other people's houses empty-handed - there they are presented with sweets, for example. This tradition has also been preserved in rural settlements of Russia. Carolers still go there and sing carols on the evening before Christmas (usually small children 10-12 years old do this). It happens like this: children enter someone else’s house without knocking, begin to sing carol songs (about the harvest), children scatter grain around the house (usually in the hallway), then the owners of the house give them sweets, and the children leave to carol in another house.
The pagans perceived Christmastide as days of transition between the old economic year and the new one, bringing new labors and new harvest. Slavic pagans believed that during these 12 days the souls of the dead come from the other world (in addition to the rampant evil spirits). All these signs were associated with winter solstice and lengthening the daylight hours.
On Christmastide, it is considered right not to spare money, to go to the market, for example, and spend from the broad Slavic soul. On this day, new carpets are laid in the hallway.
As readers of MirSovetov probably know, the two main themes of Christmas games and performances are the themes of marriage and funerals.
All day on January 7th you should either visit guests or receive guests.
January 6th is considered a day of fasting (Christmas Eve), fasting continues literally until the first star appears in the sky. A new one is being prepared for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ and the feast after Lent. clean clothes(the sign “you can’t show up to a feast in old clothes” works).
If you make a wish on the night before Christmas, it will certainly come true.
Here are some Christmas signs: if there is a snowstorm on the eve of Christmas, the snow will quickly melt away in the spring and nature will begin to be covered with early foliage (it also means that beekeepers will reap a large harvest of honey). On the contrary, if Christmas is frost-free, then spring will be cold. If there is frost on the trees in the first days of Christmastide, then there will be good harvest of bread. There is also such a sign-saying: “From Christmas Eve the sun is coming for summer, and winter for frost,” i.e. sunny days are lengthening, but there will be frosts until March.
Fortune telling for Christmas time takes place on the evening of Christmas Eve (in addition, it is also the evening of Vasily’s Day and Epiphany Eve). In addition to fortune telling about the harvest and next year Fortune telling is carried out on a girl's fate (such fortune telling takes place in a bathhouse; the tradition, like most Christmastide traditions, has been preserved in Russian villages). Only young girls took part in fortune-telling for girls; they began this by letting down their hair and removing all their amulets, including the Orthodox cross.
There is a tradition of not sweeping rubbish out of the house from Christmas Eve until January 14th (Church New Year), then all this rubbish, collected together, is burned at one time in the yard (this is how the misfortunes of the past year become a thing of the past).
During Christmas time, you want to live every day in a special way. Dreams and signs these days are given increased attention, because in some way these 12 days are considered “magical”. The most “prophetic” dream occurs on Christmas Eve.
During Christmastide, a common family feast was of great importance (for Christmastide days, three large feasts are typical - on Christmas Eve, on the evening of Vasily's Day, i.e. January 14th, on Epiphany Eve). The main dish is kutia (steamed wheat grains and berries, such as raisins). In addition, there were pancakes and oatmeal jelly on the table. If one of the family members died in the past year, then an additional device appeared on the table - for the deceased. It was believed that these days the souls of the dead hover among us.
Among the peasant traditions of tsarist times, the following should be noted: straw on these days was scattered on the floor of the house, chickens were fed with festive feasts if they were on the farm, a sheaf was placed in the red corner (i.e. the corner with the icon), apple and other fruit trees in the yard they were tied with ribbons. All this was done with the hope of a future harvest, prosperity and happiness.
2nd week of Christmastide, i.e. The “terrible” week is marked by the fact that houses are sprinkled with holy water, crosses are placed on external and internal doors with chalk, and the premises are fumigated with incense (the presence of evil spirits makes itself felt in this way).
The “terrible” week is also important in preparation for the meeting (holes are cut in the ice, water in churches is blessed in advance).
These are the holy days, which are a transition from one global Orthodox holiday to another. They combined many Orthodox and pagan features, becoming a kind of tribute to the memory of hoary antiquity.

Holiday winter holidays has centuries-old traditions on Russian soil that are associated with the mysticism and pagan roots of our ancestors. It is worth saying that Christmas time has long history origin and development, acquisition of traditions and rituals. Christmastide has long been the main and most cheerful winter holiday in Rus', and the festivities lasted for half a month.

“Svyatki” or “holy days” start with Christmas Eve, which falls on the sixth of January, and ends on the coming of the nineteenth of January. On Christmastide, according to tradition, it was a sin to work so as not to cause trouble for yourself and your loved ones. But this was already in the times of developed Christianity, and before that, during the times of paganism in Rus', there was a similar winter holiday dedicated to the supreme heavenly god Belbog, who also had the name “Svyatovit”, from the root of the Old Slavonic word “sviatki”, that is, “soul” ancestors." These days, according to folk beliefs, from another world the souls of the departed returned to earth, but in addition to them all kinds of evil spirits came, and witches on these days organized their own Sabbaths to amuse the infernal patrons.

On Christmastide, it was customary to guess about the future, make magical rituals, recite spells for the year ahead, using Christmas signs to find out the fate of the harvest, family, home. Of course, the opportunity to peek at their future could not but arouse keen interest among girls, so they, traditionally, told fortunes about their betrothed. Until now, many young people are not averse to telling fortunes the night before Epiphany.

On Yuletide winter period It was believed that Kolyada, the embodiment of the birth of the sun, passed through Rus'. On the night of the Kolyada holiday, the Slavs lit huge bonfires, moreover, from the sacred fire produced by the ancient in a secret way, and they had to burn for exactly twelve days. The fires were surrounded by smartly dressed young people, they danced around them, told fairy tales, asked each other riddles, sang and had fun, jumped over the flames, and rolled a set fire wheel down the mountain. But most importantly, the youth “dressed up” - they dressed up in sheepskin coats turned upside down, hiding their faces behind masks, which was symbolic and was perceived as a renewal of Mother Nature. In the evenings, dressed up, they went from house to house singing carols, they quoted jokes, amusing the owners, wished them prosperity, health and wealth, and they had to treat them with ritual food. It was believed that to the extent that the owners of the house where the mummers came with carols were generous to their guests, then they would have such prosperity in the coming year. This was the most striking ritual event in Rus'. The holy days began with it. Caroling is an exciting theatrical spectacle that takes place to the accompaniment of special themed songs and wishes to the owners of the house. It was customary to carol at Christmastime on the night before Christmas, on New Year’s Day, or as it was called “Vasil’s Day” in those days, as well as on Christmas Eve before Epiphany. Christ was glorified, mainly by children and youth, and sometimes by adult men, walking around the village from house to house, carrying a Christmas star in their hands.

The main holidays during Christmas time were Christmas, New Year, Epiphany, as noted above. It is clear that these days, against the backdrop of ongoing public festivities, were celebrated more solemnly. In the evening, ritual meals were held in every house, during which people ate ritual food, and what was left on the table from dinner was placed on the threshold or window so that the souls of their deceased parents could be treated to it. This ritual was called “feeding the ancestors.” Christmastide days were divided into “holy” and “terrible” evenings. In the first week after Christmas, they had fun on Christmastide, because these were “holy” evenings, when they could have fun at night - dancing, sleigh rides, playing snowballs, and on the “scary” evenings in the second week after Christmas they told fortunes.

Christmastide was replete with rites and rituals, thanks to which our ancestors wanted to appease the souls of the dead so that they would bring prosperity to everyone. Of course, many rituals had purely everyday overtones. To increase the fertility of livestock, on the eve of Christmas they baked “kozulki” - small livers in the form of figures of animals and birds. In order for life next year to be happy, the sheaf was placed in the red corner - under the icons, for this purpose straw was poured on the floor of the hut, the remains of the kutya from Christmas Eve were given to chickens, tied multi-colored ribbons trees in gardens. On the morning of Christmas and New Year, the boys had to perform a sowing ceremony in every house in the settlement. The child entered the house and scattered grains, accompanied by a song congratulating the owners on the New Year holiday. The performance of such a ritual, in our opinion Slavic ancestors, guaranteed a rich harvest next year.

As with any other folk holidays in Rus', many signs were associated with Christmastide. They said that if the day on Christmas day is warm without frost, then a cold spring should be expected. It was believed that God would punish those who sin by working on Christmastide: those who weave bast shoes - with sick cattle, those who sew clothes - with blind cattle, those who make rocker arms and runners for sleighs - with barren cattle. Of course, people did the main housework, but within the framework of what was permitted by Christmas traditions.

But young people were completely freed from work during Christmas time and were only busy having fun and looking for a mate. Every evening during the holy days, with the exception of Christmas Eve, young people organized games, so boys and girls could notice each other, and even prepare for marriage. At gatherings, they dressed up in outfits and masks and played games.

Yuletide fortune-telling has become distinctive feature winter holidays in Rus'. Fortune telling was performed in every family: adults told fortunes about the harvest, young people told fortunes about marriage. The girls gathered in the evenings in one house and arranged fortune-telling, trying to find out: will they get married this year, who will be the groom, what will their fate be like? The guys also wondered about their betrothed.

When Christianity was established in Rus', the holiday of Christmastide changed its sacred meaning. The Russian Church condemned folk festivals; it spoke especially harshly about fortune-telling, caroling, and mummery. But the Russian people loved the winter holidays so much that they were unable to give up this fun, so they decided pagan roots holidays are veiled under the morality of Christianity. The holiday of Kolyada, revered by the people, was transformed into the Nativity of Christ. The Church was able to convince people that many traditional rituals Christmastide and fortune telling are a sin for Orthodox Christian, but still a trick was found here: the time from Christmas Day to Epiphany was considered possible for fortune-telling, because sins could be washed away in an ice hole, which on the feast of Epiphany on the rivers was cut out in a cross shape, they plunged into it to wash away the sins of amusements and fortune telling during Christmas time. And, in general, fortune telling is no longer called an unclean act; it has become ordinary pampering.

Time has passed, and the meaning of the ancients pagan traditions The holiday of Christmastide has finally been erased from people's memory, since now the Russian people glorify the Nativity of Christ, the mercy of the Lord, who showed the world the miracle of Epiphany. Of the traditions and rituals of the holy days of pre-Christian Rus', in our time only carol songs, fun and fortune-telling remain, but they are perceived only as winter folk entertainment, accompanying the ancient folklore holiday Christmastide.

After the New Year, many others await us, no less happy Holidays. The longest of them are Christmastide, because they will last more than one day.

Christmastide is one of the important religious events that people begin to celebrate from the Nativity of Christ until Epiphany. Many important traditions are associated with this time. Some of them came to us from our ancestors, and many appeared more recently. However, we should not forget that, first of all, this holiday has a religious meaning. Therefore, it is necessary to honor the Orthodox canons and attend church as often as possible, but first you need to find out when Christmastide will come in 2018 and how it is customary to celebrate this event in Russia.

When does Christmastide start in 2018?

There is no denying that each of us loves holidays primarily because it is on such days that we have the opportunity to plunge into a special atmosphere of fun. In 2018, Christmastide, as usual, will begin on January 7, and will last until Epiphany, that is, until the 19th. However, it is believed that celebrating this holiday possible already on Christmas Eve - January 6th. This day ends long period Nativity Fast, therefore it is not recommended to eat food before the first star appears. Then the Holy Days come, and you need to celebrate them cheerfully and with dignity. Be sure to set a rich table with a huge abundance of dishes that were forbidden to eat during the 40 days of fasting. Don’t forget to invite your guests and be sure to congratulate them, because Christmastide is not only a fun, but also a rather long holiday, so you will have a lot of time to please all your loved ones with congratulations.

How Christmastide is celebrated

The traditions of this holiday developed in ancient times. After long abstinence From fun and noisy events, believers can have fun and not think about prohibitions. Very important point- This is precisely the beginning of the Yuletide period. Some people start celebrating it as early as the evening of January 6th. They set the table, serve many delicious treats and, of course, invite guests into the house. On this day you will have to spend a lot of time cooking, since according to tradition there should be at least 12 dishes on the table - this will help attract abundance and prosperity to the house.

Don't forget about entertainment. Usually during this period, our ancestors often took to the streets, sang and danced. Work hard and do it hard work It is prohibited on Christmastide, because at this time people should have fun, but you can work hard later. From January 7 to January 19, it is not recommended to baptize children, but weddings and matchmaking are encouraged.

Yuletide fortune-telling is especially popular among girls: in this way, any young girl can find out whether she is destined to become a bride and loving wife this year. You can still use this method and find out about your future husband, because any rituals performed during Christmas time will definitely bring a positive result.

According to astrologers, in 2018 we will finally be able to relax and take a break from the trials that brought us Fire Rooster. Find out what Yellow has prepared for January Earth Dog, using astrological forecast for each Zodiac Sign. We congratulate you on the upcoming holidays and wish you success and prosperity in new year, and don't forget to press the buttons and

04.01.2018 04:53

Christmas caroling- This is a custom that goes back centuries. Ancient carol texts give festive mood And...

Christmastide is Slavic folk holiday which occurs during the winter period. The Holy Week for Orthodox Christians lasts from January 7 to January 19, starting from the Nativity of Christ until the Epiphany. Catholic holiday falls between December 25 and January 6.

Story

This event began to be celebrated in ancient times. In the 6th century there was a scripture that spoke of holidays when it is not necessary to celebrate a wedding and bow down. In 567, the Second Turon Assembly celebrates the days from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany with holidays.

In the Roman Empire, the unspoken law on caroling and fortune telling was often violated during this period, despite the rules of the Ecumenical Council. In Rus' there was even a law prohibiting ancient idolatrous traditions, various superstitious games and dressing up in the outfits of idols to imitate. Also in Rus' during Christmastide it was forbidden to organize grand festivities with songs and dances.

Traditions and customs

Despite the law, people celebrated Christmastide in their own way. On the first day of the holiday, it was customary to visit loved ones and relatives, as well as to pay attention to the poor, deprived and beggars. Many families in Rus' helped the disadvantaged by feeding them. We also visited orphanages, shelters, and hospitals. Even kings, disguised as commoners, visited prisoners in prisons and gave alms to those begging on the street.

There was a tradition of giving gifts that came from paganism - it echoed the offering of gifts to the Gods. People gave gifts to acquaintances and friends, ranging from cheap souvenirs to expensive presents.

The key moment in the celebration of Christmastide was considered a family meal. Women got up early in the morning to cook and clean the house. They prepared various dishes: kutya, sweet pancakes, cookies with nuts, sbiten, makovnik, oatmeal jelly. The table was set for all those present, adding additional cutlery for relatives who had died in the past year.

The end of Christmastide was preparation for Epiphany. Tall men from all over the village gathered together and went to the reservoirs. They cut a hole for the upcoming ablution. This was usually done on the last two days of Christmastide.

Celebration

Fortune telling was an invariable attribute of Christmas time, when young girls gathered and found out their future. The rituals were different; each village had its own rules of fortune-telling and its own attributes necessary for the ritual. They guessed mainly about the grooms, wanting to know the name of the betrothed, his age or appearance. Sometimes they guessed at the date of marriage and the number of children. Adults limited themselves to signs by which they tried to determine the wealth in the family in the new year.

Carols, where young people frolicked, were also an obligatory element. Guys and girls dressed up in new clothes, which was pre-made before the holiday. During the day they walked the streets, bawling carols or singing church hymns. We also looked into neighboring houses, where they received treats from hospitable hosts for songs performed. During Christmas time in Rus', there was a belief that the well-being of the family in the coming year directly depended on gifts to carolers. Therefore, the owners did not skimp on treats for uninvited guests: they gave sweets, homemade pies, cookies, and pastries. When night fell, they organized gatherings where they told each other stories and played the balalaika or accordion.

There were other activities during Christmas time, such as dressing up. Women sewed beautiful sundresses, the men prepared the soldiers' uniforms and polished their boots. On Christmas night, the great dressing up began - the men put on women's clothing, and the girls are in shape. The action was relevant for a trip to neighboring villages, where it was possible to fool simple-minded guys or lure romantic people. Often girls in military uniform managed to seduce gullible young ladies from a neighboring village and even persuade them to marry. The jokes ended the next day, however whole year the youth then recalled their achievements and successes in dressing up during Christmas time.

Single women often rented out their huts to young boys and ladies who wanted to have fun during the festivities. To prevent teenagers from running amok, older people were sent to such houses, whose task was to keep order. But the youth dodged it, gave the elders something to drink and had fun to the fullest, with songs and dances until the morning.

The Church never approved of such fun, but it was useless to prohibit it. She fought against excessive fun, recalling humility in the period between the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany, but completely eradicated folk festivals I could not.

However, there were also “good” traditions - fasting and subbotniks. Fasting took place at the very beginning of Christmastide, then it was customary to pray with the whole family and prepare kutya, grain porridge, as the main Lenten dish for the meal, the grain of which symbolizes eternity. Subbotniks are ordinary viewings for unmarried girls and free youths. All young people not burdened with marriage gathered in one hut. Many people met there, started relationships and even got married after the cleanup.