Slavic natural calendar

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

We were inspired Kargopol agricultural monththat has long been embroidered by the craftswomen of Olonets province on "suspensions" and "aprons".

More recently, the motif of northern embroidery, which was called as "circles" or "months", was perceived as beautiful traditional patterns, but nothing more. But suddenly ethnographers put together all the stories from the old inhabitants of the villages near the Oshevensky tract. It turned out that towels with these "circles" were attached to a splinter and hung earlier instead of calendars. In the middle - the sun with five "rays", in the center of which is the "zayushka". The petals alternate with six branches and the seventh lower "leg", and together they form the World Tree, dividing the year into twelve parts. The open "month" is divided by transverse stripes according to the number of weeks. Spirals, circles with crosses inscribed in them and heart-shaped loops, marking the actual calendar events, grow on the outside of the month.

Suddenly, a whole layer of culture opened up, and today we invite you to join the heritage of our people

What calendar holidays are marked on this calendar?

And that's what we decided for ourselves in the publishing house "Severnaya Skazka". Let's start understanding the true time of the national holiday not from books that, rewritten by many, have lost their truth. And we will begin our understanding from Nature, from the Earth - Mother, and the Red Sun. The Sun is spinning - Horse and the Earth Goddess in a magical circular dance, and we know the time when the universal music changes and the world begins to change. Four turning points.

June 22, summit of Summer, Summer Solstice. The holiday of Kupalo, God of the Summer Sun, immediately following the day of the terrible Skipper-Serpent. What a blessing that everyone agrees with this holiday of love and the search for the magic fern flower! Rare unanimity.

September 22nd. Autumn Equinox. Feast of Ousenya, Tausenya, Avsenya, coming after the holiday of autumn Grandfathers. Closing Svarga. Here a disagreement already ensues, for some of us are eager to celebrate the new year. There is, of course, a sense in this. The days are still fine, and the bins are full, and the work is already on the field - the dacha-vegetable garden is done. How not to take a walk, sing and dance? But not everyone approves of the New Year, looking at the winter. But the autumn festival is natural. We will be glad to see him!

December 22 I really want to greet Kolyada, the God of the Young Sun, especially after the night of Chernobog. But all these vain preparations for January 1, the end of the official year, the last attempts to adjust to the revival of New Year's demand interfere. And who will argue against state holidays! And funny carols are smeared at the end of December, and skillfully transferred to the beginning of January, and the meaning, connection and true meaning are lost.

And so on March 22that approaches us in a measured rhythm set by Nature itself. The Spring Equinox, how important it is to puff out your cheeks, pundits say.

The holiday of Veles, the God of Wisdom and Sorcery, seeing off Morena and a real Komoeditsa, say those who watch the Sun. The appearance of Avsen, God of the Spring Sun. Opening of Svarga.

New Years Day, as it was celebrated until the sixteenth century, say others.

Here they are, four real holidays that connected the annual circle with a single meaning. And, plunging into ethnographic records, we discovered four more dates that are called Strechs, and found the Patronage of the great Gods behind them. And yet - we found sixteen holidays of the Lesser Gods that live here, with us, in Yavi.

Some holidays of the Lesser Gods were found very easily. For example, on January 28, everywhere they put a treat to their home Spirit - the Domovoi. But when there is a cosmic opportunity to communicate with Dvorov, Leshim, or the Spirit of Winter, I had to look!

But everything worked out! The holiday calendar of our Magic Land does not claim to be complete, but it has an inner meaning and harmony, obeying the great circle of life.

There was a place in it for the great Goddesses and Gods, there was also a place for the neighbors in this world - Domovoy, Lesha, Vodyanoy, and even a few others.

AND holidays in the magical land of the Northern Fairy Tale, they were filled with understanding, consistency and, as it seems to us, at least a little figured out when it is worth opening up with your soul to the true, nature-given holidays

And the heroes of our northern fairy tales, noble People, human Gods, Evil Spirits, sing, laugh, lead round dances, conduct rituals in accordance with the old world outlook of our ancestors.

Four Feasts of the Sun

Gregorian date	astronomical event	mythological Slavic name / link to article
December 22	winter solstice	Night of Chernobog / Carols. Holiday of Kolyada, God of the young Sun
22 march	the vernal equinox	Seeing off Morena / Komoeditsa (Slavic New Year). Opening of Svarga. Feast of Yarilo, God of the Spring Sun
June, 22	summer solstice	Day Skipper-Serpent / Witch Day / Kupala night. Feast of Kupalo, God of the Summer Sun
September 22nd	autumn equinox	Autumn Grandfathers / Pomeranian New Years. Closing Svarga. Feast of Avsen, God of the Autumn Sun.

Four seasonal holidays:

Gregorian date	astronomical event	mythological Slavic name / link to article
February 4-11	the beginning of spring	Trial of Morena / Malye Velesovy Svyatki. Velesova Strecha
May 5-11	early summer	Vernal Grandfathers / Unlocking Svargi. Strecha Dazhdbog
August 1-7	beginning of autumn	Defeating the Skiper-Serpent. Perunova Strecha
November 1-3-9	early winter	Velesova Night / Closing Svarga Makoshin Strech

Sixteen Feasts of the Lesser Gods

Gregorian date	mythological Slavic name / link to article
January 7-19	Big Velesovy Svyatki. Feast of the Ancestors
28 January	Winter Kudesy. Brownie's holiday
16 february	Kikimora Day
9th of March	Magpies. Feast of Spirits - Bird Ancestors
April 3	Vodopol. Water Festival
April 16-22	The first Rusalia. Mermaid holiday
26 of May	Kumlenie. Feast of the Cuckoos, the Servants Alive
May 26-June 2	Green Christmastide. Mermaid holiday
5'th of July	Holiday of the Month.
July 27	Churov day. Feast of the Ancestors
August 22	Leshy's holiday
14 september	The autumn snake. Feast of snakes, Veles' connivors
The 4th of October	Seeing off Leshy
October 21-27	Autumn Grandfathers. Feast of the Ancestors
November 21	Day of the Courtyard.
06 december	Winter Yar. Day of the Spirit of Winter.