Belarusian Holidays
The
roots of Belorussian culture come from the pre- Christian times and have a lot
in common with traditions of other European cultures. Traditional rites, music
and art elements are widely used in cultural life at present, and they illustrate
the connection between the old and young Belorussian culture.
Like
other countries Belarus has its own holidays. They are of two kinds —
traditional national holidays and religious holidays. National holidays are
both — a public celebration and a personal event in the family. The New Year
Day is one of them. It is a popular public holiday which is widely celebrated
in every family. Long before the New Year Eve people begin to buy New Year
cards, toys and presents. In the shop windows you can see Father Frost with
Snow Maiden on a sleigh full of presents.
Most
families see the New Year in at home. There’s usually a fur tree in the house
decorated with toys and lights. A lot of delicious food is cooked for the night
meal which usually starts at 10 o’clock. A goose stuffed with apples is a
traditional New Year dish.
The
8th of March is another national holiday when people show their love and
respect for their mothers, grandmothers, sisters and girl-friends. It’s a
tradition to present them with flowers and gifts.
There
are two national holidays in May. The 1st of May is the holiday of labour and
spring. It’s a merry holiday when people go out into the streets, there’s a lot
of music and dancing everywhere, and you can watch fireworks in the evening.
Then comes the Victory Day on the 9th of May. This day marks the victory of the
Soviet people over the German fascism in the Great Patriotic War. People
congratulate war veterans and express their gratitude to them and also remember
those who gave their lives for the independence of our motherland. People put
flowers to the monuments of the war heroes. It’s also a sad day for many
families who lost their relatives during the war. Practically every family
in Belarus lost one.
The 7th of November is traditionally observed as the day of the Socialist Revolution. On this day
there was a military parade in the capital of the country and a salute in the evening. In Belarus people widely celebrate
such popular Christian holidays as Christmas
and Easter. And these religious holidays are public holidays for Catholics as
well as Orthodox believers. On Christmas Eve traditional food is cooked. It
should include fish, mushrooms, pancakes and a
Belarusian pudding made of barley. Traditionally dinner table should be first
covered with hay and then with a table cloth and the food. Christmas
week is great fun. Young people go from home to home
dressed as animals or other fairy characters,
sing songs and dance.
One of the most important events in Belarusian culture is Kupalle — a holiday of nature with its roots deep
in ancient times and connected with the solstice. Many people take part in this
holiday demonstrating a special repertoire of music and dance, spectacular rites. The celebration goes
through the whole night. This custom shows the importance of traditions in
today’s culture.
Certainly people are fond of holidays as they bring fun and excitement
in everybody’s life.
References:
No comments:
Post a Comment