Holidays of Rus'. Autumn. Autumn: traditions of the folk holiday.

Autumn is an ancient folk festival of farewell to summer and welcome to autumn. Autumn is a meeting of autumn in Rus'. In the Slavic calendar, this day was called “Oseniny” or “Ospozhinki” and was celebrated as a harvest festival. On this day we thanked Mother Earth.At the beginning of September, the grain harvest was completed, which was supposed to ensure the well-being of the family for the next year. Also, the meeting of autumn had its own special meaning - on this day, rituals to renew the fire took place: the old fire was extinguished and a new one was lit, which was mined by blows of flint.

From “Osenin” the main economic activity was transferred from the field to the garden or to the house: the collection of vegetables began (onions were first of all harvested). Usually in Oseniny they made a big and beautiful table, for which the whole family gathered. For the holiday, they made fruit drinks and kvass from berries and baked loaves from the flour of the new harvest. These dishes were used to glorify Mother Earth for giving birth to bread and other products.

In September, Autumn is celebrated three times: September 14, 21 and 27.

September 14 is the day of Semyon the Summer Guide. The sit-ins began with Semyon, i.e. work in huts under fire.
September 21 - Ospozhinki was celebrated - the harvest festival. It was believed that from this day autumn firmly came into its own.
September 27 - Exaltation. All signs and rituals of this day were associated with the word “move”.

The rise of autumn moves towards winter, “the grain moves from the field to the threshing floor,” “the bird moved to take flight,” and even “the caftan and fur coat moved, and the hat pulled down.”

In the old days in Rus' the second Osenins were also important on September 21, on the day autumn equinox when day is equal to night. By this time, the entire harvest had already been harvested. The holiday was celebrated with great hospitality and widespread hospitality. They certainly visited their parents and commemorated their ancestors. In the Christian church calendar the second

Autumn fell on September 21 - the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.
Also called Pasekin Day. On this day, bees were removed and onions were collected. Onion teardrop day. The signs said that “Every summer is over.” “If the weather is good, autumn will be good.” “Indian summer has scared away the quiet.”

It is customary to meet autumn people near the water. On this day, early in the morning, women go to the banks of rivers, lakes and ponds to meet Mother Osenina with oatmeal bread. The older woman stands with bread, and the young people around her sing songs. After which they break the bread into pieces for all those gathered, and also feed this bread to livestock for their offspring.

Interestingly, the Aztec Indians celebrated male fertility day on this day. And September 21 was considered a favorable day for conceiving strong and healthy boys.

In Russia, in Oseniny, there was a custom of treating newlyweds who had recently had a wedding to all their relatives. Relatives and friends came to visit the newlyweds. After a hearty dinner, the young housewife showed off her entire household in the house. The guests were supposed to praise the Hostess and teach her wisdom. And the Owner showed the guests the yard, the tools for the harvest, the summer and winter harness of the horses.

The Second Autumn was celebrated on September 21, it coincided with the Christmas holiday Holy Mother of God. The third Autumn fell on September 27th.

Description: The folk calendar is compiled using dates and folk holidays. In Rus', they have always treated with reverence everything that happens in nature - its phenomena - be it rain or frost, heat or cold.
Purpose: This work will be useful to teachers additional education, educators in work on environmental education, to everyone who is interested folk signs, rituals and holidays.
Target: Introduction to the folk calendar (autumn).
Tasks:
- cultivate interest in folk traditions;
- instill a love of folklore;
- develop a desire to be interested in what is happening in nature in the fall.

1. Autumn chores: welcoming autumn. Autumn
Autumn is an ancient holiday of farewell to summer and welcome to autumn. What is Autumn - this is a meeting of autumn in Rus'.

It was celebrated three times: September 14, 21 and 27.
September 14 is the day of Semyon the Summer Guide. The sit-ins began with Semyon, i.e. work in huts under fire.
September 21 - Ospozhinki was celebrated - the harvest festival. It was believed that from this day summer ended and autumn came into its own.

September 27 - Exaltation. All the signs, characteristics and recommendations of this day were in one way or another connected among the peasants with the word “move”. The rise of autumn moves towards winter, “the grain moves from the field to the threshing floor,” “the bird moved to take flight,” and even “the caftan and fur coat moved, and the hat pulled down.”

In the old days in Rus', our ancestors celebrated Autumn on September 21, on the day of the autumn equinox, when day is equal to night. By this time, the entire harvest had already been harvested. The holiday is celebrated with visits and widespread hospitality. They definitely visit their parents and remember their ancestors.

• September 8/21 - Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Popularly - Small Most Pure (Big Most Pure - Dormition, August 15/28).
• Autumn - the second meeting of autumn. Pasekin's day. They remove the bees and collect the onions. Onion teardrop day. The earth strives for white mornings. “All summer is amen (end).” “If the weather is good, autumn will be good.” “Indian summer has scared away the quiet.”

• Autumn people meet near the water. On this day, early in the morning, women go to the banks of rivers, lakes and ponds to meet Mother Osenina with oatmeal bread. The older woman stands with bread, and the young people around her sing songs. After which they break the bread into pieces according to the number of people and feed it to the livestock.

• The Aztecs celebrated this day as the day of male fertility i.e. celebration of erection. September 21 was considered a favorable day for conceiving strong and healthy boys. It is interesting to note that the day of the Aztec mother goddess, Atlatonin, was not this day at all, but 18/06, which is approximately 9 months after this holiday.

• In the old days, there was a custom for newlyweds to treat their relatives, which is why September 8 was also called “Present Day.” All relatives and friends came to the newlyweds. The invitee invited such guests: “To visit the young, look at their lives and teach them wisdom.” After a hearty dinner, the young housewife showed all her household goods in the house. Guests, as usual, were supposed to praise and teach wisdom. The owner took the guests to the yard, showed them livestock in the barns, summer and winter harnesses in the sheds, and treated them to beer from a keg in the garden.
September 27 – third Autumn, “Snake Festival”.

By popular belief On this day, snakes and other reptiles, along with birds, moved to an unknown blissful country called Iria (the Christian word took on the sound of “paradise”). Therefore, a farewell was arranged for them with requests to convey messages to those who had passed on to another world.

“Exaltation is the festival of snakes. The snakes move to one place. They go into the ground and move there.” On September 27, people try not to go into the forest, which is completely at the disposal of snakes. Anyone who goes 27 into the forest can be dragged underground by snakes. To escape from snakes, you can read a poem. Step with your right foot and stop when you go into the forest. Make three prostrations and say: “Save me, Lord, from the running beast, from the creeping thing.” And spit three times over your left shoulder.

In the Perm province it was believed that wearing the Maryin root plant on a pectoral cross protects against snakes.
“If you see a snake, shake it by the tail, then it won’t bite and won’t crawl away.” (Vlasova M. Russian superstitions. Encyclopedic Dictionary. - St. Petersburg, 2001. - P. 202.)

The snake is depicted on medical emblems: above the bowl, the staff of the god of healing Asclepius (among the Romans - Aesculapius), entwined with snakes. A snake in the hands of the sorceress Medea, who could restore youth.
Every year, thousands of snakes are removed from the wild to obtain venom. Viper and cobra have become rare.

AUTUMN. Folklore holiday

LEADING. Hello guys! Today we have a holiday called Autumn. What is Oseniny - a meeting of autumn. In the old days in Rus', our ancestors celebrated Autumn on September 21, on the day of the autumn equinox, when day is equal to night. By this time, the entire harvest had already been harvested. What kind of harvest could the peasants harvest? Let's remember what grows in the garden?
CHILDREN: Carrots, beets, cabbage, potatoes...

HOST: Correct! And so, after harvesting the harvest, the peasants held a holiday, sometimes for a whole week, visited each other, put all the most delicious things on the table, and the grandchildren stayed with their grandparents for several days. And we will also invite you to visit Autumn today. Only you and I are accustomed to imagining Autumn as a beauty in a multi-colored outfit, with an armful of yellow leaves, but in Rus' Autumn was depicted as a small, dry man. He has a stern face, three eyes and shaggy hair. After harvesting, he walked through the fields to check that everything was harvested properly. And today Autumn will appear in our country as a girl. So, let's say the chant together: Autumn, Autumn, you are welcome!

Includes Autumn and 3 autumn months.
AUTUMN: Good afternoon, my friends!
Are you tired of waiting for me?
Summer was red
For a long time the power did not yield.
But everything comes in time -
I showed up at the door.
Guys, I came not alone, but with my brothers. Now you can guess what their names are.

SEPTEMBER: Our school garden is empty,
Cobwebs fly into the distance,
And to the southern edge of the earth
The cranes arrived.
School doors opened.
What month has it come to us?

OCTOBER: The darker face of nature -
The gardens have turned black, the forests are becoming bare,
Bird voices are silent,
The bear fell into hibernation.
What month did he come to us?

NOVEMBER: The field became black - it became white,
It rains and snows.
And it got colder,
The waters of the rivers were frozen with ice.
The winter rye is freezing in the field.
What month is it, tell me?

AUTUMN: Do you guys know that people called these months differently?
SEPTEMBER: They called me gloomy, howler, and zealot.
AUTUMN: September is a howler, from the roar of autumn winds and animals, especially deer.
OCTOBER: They called me winter, leaf fall, mud.
AUTUMN: September smells like apples, and October smells like cabbage.
NOVEMBER: They called me half-winter, breast.
AUTUMN: November - September's grandson, October's son, winter's dear father. Do you guys know any folk signs, proverbs, sayings?

Now guess the Russian folk riddles:
A girl is sitting in a dungeon, and her scythe is on the street (Carrot)

SEPTEMBER: They threw off the golden feathers from Yegorushka, made Yegorushka cry without grief. (onion)

OCTOBER: Alena dressed up in her green sundress and curled the frills thickly. Do you recognize her? (cabbage)

NOVEMBER: There is a flatbread on one leg. Anyone who passes by will bow. (mushroom)

SEPTEMBER: Sits - turns green, falls - turns yellow, lies - turns black. (sheet)

OCTOBER: The bird built a nest underground and laid eggs. (potato)

NOVEMBER: Round as a moon, leaves like a spruce, and a tail like a mouse. (turnip)

HOST: Do you guys know that turnips were a very important vegetable (remember the fairy tale about the Turnip?).

The fact is that our favorite potato appeared in Rus' only in the 18th century, and before that the main vegetable was turnip. Turnips were eaten fresh, steamed, or dried. They baked pies with turnips, made turnip kvass, and cooked porridge.

AUTUMN: And the last riddle: It is bitter in haymaking, but sweet in frost. What kind of berry? (rowan)

HOST: Guys, mountain ash was very famous in Rus'. All the berries have long been harvested, even in the summer, and the rowan turns red only in the fall, its berries burn brightly. Rowan kvass, a laxative and coolant, was prepared from rowan berries. There was even a special day, September 23, when rowan berries were picked and hung in tassels under the roof. But some of the berries were always left on the tree - for field thrushes and ruby-throated bullfinches.

This is how they greeted Autumn in Rus'.
Well, we are celebrating Autumn with our traditional exhibition of gifts of nature, unusual vegetables grown in your dacha, and autumn crafts.

Autumn, we invite you to watch the children’s exhibitions and help select the best exhibits for the school-wide exhibition.

AUTUMN: With pleasure! Wait for me, guys, in your classes. I’ll come to everyone, I won’t miss anyone, and I’ll also bring treats!

When autumn says goodbye in the classroom
AUTUMN: Well done guys, great job! Now try my treat - autumn apples! Autumn distributes apples from a basket. Goodbye!

September 21 - second Autumn

September 21 is the second Autumn, the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Early in the morning, women and girls went out to the banks of rivers, lakes and ponds to meet Mother Osenina with oatmeal bread and jelly. In the minds of Russian people, her image merged with the image of the Mother of God, therefore they turned to her: “Most Pure Mother of God, deliver me from toil and harassment, take me away from others, illuminate my life and existence!” According to custom, on this day all relatives and friends went to visit the newlyweds to “teach them wisdom.” The young housewife was preparing a special round pie: “You are welcome with our bread and salt!” After a hearty lunch, the young housewife shows the house, and the young owner shows the yard, barn, barn, garden. Guests were treated to beer of their own production. Everyone celebrated the Sun together with the cathedral.

Since September 21, it was believed that every summer - Amen. Autumn has come into its own. In fact, it is a religious holiday of the astronomical autumn equinox.

The Second Autumns seem to connect two holidays: earthly and spiritual. In its earthly essence, it is a harvest festival, accompanied by games and songs, and in its spiritual, heavenly nature, it is the birthday of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ.

September 9
In the agricultural calendar of the Slavs, this day was called “Oseniny” or “Ospozhinki” and was celebrated as a harvest festival. On this day, thanksgiving was given to Mother Earth.

At the beginning of September, the harvest ended, which was supposed to ensure the well-being of the family for the next year. In addition, the meeting of autumn was marked by the renewal of fire: the old fire was extinguished and a new one was lit, which was mined by striking flint.

From “Osenin” the main economic activity was transferred from the field to the garden or to the house: the collection of vegetables began (onions were first of all harvested). Usually on Oseniny (in Orthodoxy - the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary) a treat was arranged for which the whole family gathered. For the holiday, beer was brewed and a sheep (ram) was slaughtered. A cake was baked from the flour of the new harvest. They praised Mother Earth for giving birth to bread and other supplies.

Since the hop harvest began on this day, the corresponding game songs were sung during the festive festivities:

We are drunk, we are drunk, we are drunk,
To our side
There is great freedom on our side!
And the freedom is great, the men are rich!
That the men are rich, stone chambers!
What stone chambers, golden doors,
What domes are cast!

September 27 - Third Autumn
The Third Autumns are dedicated to church holiday The Exaltation of the Honest Life-Giving Cross of the Lord is the third meeting of autumn. "Exaltation - autumn moves towards winter."

By folk tradition Cabbage parties and girls' parties began, when young people went from house to house to chop cabbage. These parties lasted two weeks. This is a kind of sacred rite: cabbage was considered the sacred food of the Gods. On this day, a very ancient rite was carried out - the cross. The sign of the cross has been a symbol of the sun since prehistoric times. It was believed that during the Exaltation he radiates a protective power. The peasants carved crosses out of wood, crossed rowan branches, painted crosses in places they wanted to protect from evil spirits: in bins, stables.

On the third Autumn, according to popular belief, snakes and other reptiles, along with birds, moved to an unknown blessed land called Iria (in Christianity, this word took on the sound of “paradise”). Therefore, a farewell was arranged for them with a request to convey a message to those who had passed on to another world.

In the villages, peasants brewed beer. They carried out a ritual plowing of the village, driving out Kukhoma (fever, shaking) from it, then shared beer between their homes and rested after the labors of the righteous. In the evening they heated the bathhouses and took a steam bath, driving out the evil spirits from themselves. In the forests, before the long winter, the goblin joked with people for the last time, arranging a review of animals and birds to see if they were ready for a harsh winter.

According to the ancient calendar, the beginning of autumn fell on September 14. The First Ecumenical Council (325) established this day as the beginning of the year. According to Orthodox tradition, the world was created in September.
Autumn's first meeting of autumn. On this day, it was supposed to “wipe” the “new” fire with two planks and begin sit-downs or gatherings with this clean fire. From this day on, in Rus' they began to celebrate autumn weddings (until November 15), moved to new houses, and carried out the ritual of “tonsuring” (initiation) of boys who had reached the age of seven into adolescence, marking their new role in the community.

An ancient funny ritual of funeral of flies and cockroaches, annoying inhabitants of the Russian summer, was timed to coincide with the holiday of the first Autumn. September 14 is the beginning of Indian summer, which lasts in some areas for up to three weeks. We noticed: if Semyon is a clear day, then the entire Indian summer will be warm, and we must expect a warm winter.

September 14- day of the Seeds of the Flyer. Simeon the Stylite (5th century) became famous as a man of a selfless lifestyle. In the history of mankind he discovered new look asceticism. Wanting to test his spiritual strength and faith in God, he built a 4-meter-high pillar on the mountain with a platform on top, surrounded it with a wall, and from this “mountainous” place read sermons to numerous pilgrims. Then Simeon settled on a pillar in a small cell, devoting himself to intense prayer and fasting. Gradually he increased the height of the pillar on which he stood. Its last pillar was 40 cubits (16 meters) high. He spent 80 years in intense monastic labors, of which 47 stood on the pillar.

His life was well known in Rus'; people learned from him to endure numerous difficulties of human existence in the name of a holy cause. According to an ancient tradition, it was believed that on this day it was necessary to perform charitable deeds and be merciful. In Muscovite Rus', not a single beggar was left without abundant alms on this day; even prisoners in prison were given gifts.

2. Equinox
Autumn Equinox
The day becomes shorter than the night, the “dark” winter part of the year, real autumn, begins. The harvest is ending and active autumn preparations begin. From here begins a series of autumn holidays and associated fairs and weddings. There is an active decrease in energy, which determines the rhythm of household work, personal life and ritual practice...

From the point of view of astronomy and astrology, the Autumn Equinox is the moment when the Sun crosses the Celestial Equator and enters the sign of Libra. Accordingly, the day when this happens (and the day, day, in the Indo-European tradition is considered from sunrise to sunrise) is considered the Day of the Autumn Equinox. The night is now longer than the daylight hours, the dark, winter half of the year is coming. The weather may still please people with the warmth of the “Indian summer”, but almost all the trees have already turned autumn colors, almost all the flowers have faded, only those few remain that bloom until the very first snow, like alpine asters, for example. And although it is still warm on sunny days, the nights are already cold, and the first frosts will soon begin (if they have not already begun).

The Autumn Equinox marks the fullest part of the year. By this time, most of the harvest has already been harvested and the housewives are actively preparing for the winter. There will be no fresh vegetables and fruits until next summer; only a few autumn berries and mushrooms are still available fresh. The resulting harvest must be calculated and distributed throughout the next year, until the next harvest. This is why the sign Libra is associated with the Autumn Equinox.

It is not enough to collect the harvest (harvesting is mostly a concern of the previous period of the annual cycle), the harvest must also be preserved. The period between the Equinox and Samhain is dedicated to precisely this – calculation, preservation and distribution. At this time, housewives are actively fermenting cabbage, preparing pickles, and at the same time they begin to serve pickles and preserves to the table. From this day on they began to brew beer. The peasants finished working in the fields, all activity moved into the house and to the farm yard, and the preparation of the farm for winter began. And, of course, autumn fairs. Sell ​​the harvest, buy something that they couldn’t grow themselves. Accordingly, by this time the artisans were preparing more of their own goods for sale. Where there are fairs, there are always festivities, and where there are festivities, there are matchmaking and weddings.

The day of the Autumn Equinox itself - the day when the transition from Light to Darkness occurs, like other turning points, was considered not working, idle, festive, like everyone else holidays he had his own name. The Celts called it Mabon, Alban-Elved, the Slavs called this day Oseniny. The Day of the Autumn Equinox is dedicated to the mother goddess (who also bestows material wealth); the astrological sign of Libra is ruled by Venus.

Christians adopted this ritual: on September 21, Christian churches celebrate the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Interestingly, in the distorted Julian calendar the holiday is closer to the original, correct date than in the Gregorian (Catholics celebrate the Nativity of the Virgin Mary on September 8, all dates are given in the Gregorian, new, style), this suggests that Christians adopted this holiday quite late.

The holiday was traditionally for women. On this day they baked ritual bread (however, agricultural peoples baked ritual bread for any holiday), with this bread the women went to the river to greet them very much. Women also plowed the salting plant around the yard, protecting the house and household from the dark forces that were gaining strength.

One of the most important rituals was the lighting of fire. All fires in houses were extinguished and then rekindled. The fire was supposed to be lit in a ritually pure way - by hitting stone against stone or rubbing wood against wood. By the way, an interesting incident - the fire produced with a piezoelectric lighter turns out to be the cleanest. Zoroastrians, the main fire worshipers of our day, believe that the purest fire is when natural gas escaping from the earth is ignited by a lightning strike. In a piezoelectric lighter, an electric spark - a small lightning - generated by an impact on a stone - a piezoelectric crystal - ignites gas extracted from the bowels of the Earth.

Feasts and celebrations were also organized, especially for youth. Young people made crowns for themselves from fallen leaves, girls made beads by stringing red rowan berries on a thread. These beads symbolized Brinsingamen - Freya's necklace. During the festivities, the girl threw this necklace around the neck of the guy she liked and he had to spend the whole day with her.

This is the historical and cultural background of the holiday, predetermined by the energy of the annual cycle. How and what should we, city residents, do today?
How can a modern city dweller celebrate the Autumn Equinox?

Actually, exactly the same. Bake a pie to treat your friends. Women can and should go to the river with this pie, greet autumn, leave part of the pie on the shore (eat the rest, so take it with you in moderation so as not to take it back home).

What to do and what not to do near the Autumn Equinox?

We must remember that near the Autumn Equinox the decrease in solar and vital energy occurs very quickly, so you should reduce the load on your body as much as possible, pay more attention to health, and avoid overload. The period near and after the Autumn Equinox is extremely unfavorable for new beginnings, new projects and affairs; on the contrary, it is very good for summing up, completing, obtaining results and renewing old contacts and connections. In a sense, this time is similar to the period of the waning of the Moon, but it mostly affects long-term matters, with a development cycle of a year or longer.

Immediately after the Equinox it is very good to trade. During this period it is good to both sell and buy. Right now it makes sense to bring your projects to the phase of obtaining results and sell them. In the period immediately after the Equinox, this can be done to maximum benefit. And by the way, good time to conduct an audit of stocks and reserves, decide what needs to be kept and what to get rid of. The period is most favorable for selling supplies you no longer need with maximum benefit for yourself. If you don’t do this on time, these reserves will lie like a dead weight, hindering your development; it will be much more difficult to sell them later, they may generally “go rotten” and become useless to anyone. And they can interfere with further development, like excess fat in an obese person. At the same time, right now we should stock up on what we need and need, creating the material base for further growth.

Since it is in the period immediately after the Equinox that vitality decreases most quickly, you should set aside time for rest and generally limit your loads. It is very good and useful to combine relaxation and business communication, as was usually done at fairs. The time while the Sun is in Libra is very favorable for concluding any alliances, from marriage to business and political. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity! This time is also extremely favorable for renewing old connections, finding old friends, and renewing lost acquaintances.
Magic

The dark season is suitable for dark witchcraft. This is not only about casting spells, love spells and curses. This is also any magic aimed at communicating with the world of the dead, with ancestors, guardians of the clan, with “dark” gods personifying the elemental forces of nature. This also includes all fortune telling. It’s not for nothing that fortune telling is almost never done in the summer, and the peak of fortune telling occurs on the night before Christmas (Winter Solstice), the longest night of the year, the moment of celebration and greatest strength Darkness.

During the period between Mabon and Samhain, the last rituals are performed for the goblin and water goblins, who, according to popular belief, then go into hibernation.

The dark side of magic also includes a modern hobby - spiritualism. On long winter nights, communicating with the world of the dead is much easier. But also more dangerous!

3. Lighting a new fire
You can and should light at least a few candles at home. Ideally, there are five: four on the cardinal points and one in the center of the room. You can symbolically light a new fire - turn off all electrical equipment in the house for a minute, which will symbolize the extinguishing of the old fire, and after the candles are lit, turn it on again.

And, what is very important, try to free this day from all activities as much as possible. Energy on the days of a turning point is actually very unstable; any business you do on this day will be especially difficult and can lead to completely unpredictable consequences. It was not for nothing that our ancestors declared these days as holidays.

4. Fieldfare
September 23 – Peter and Pavel Ryabinnik. Mass collection of rowan. On this day, rowan berries were prepared for future use, for compotes and making kvass. Rowan infusion was considered a good anti-inflammatory remedy for winter colds. They decorate the windows for the winter with bunches of rowan berries to protect them from all wickedness.

Rowan is a faithful assistant against sickness and evil spirits. Rowan infusion was considered a good anti-inflammatory remedy for winter colds. People believed that if some evil spirit torments you, does not allow you to sleep, comes to your chest and strangles you, you need to take a rowan branch, outline the space around you - and the evil spirits will disappear, as if they never existed. And therefore, for the winter, the windows were decorated with rowan berry clusters to protect them from all wickedness.

There are two Peters and Pauls in Rus' - big and small, summer and autumn. Autumn Peter - Pavel - fieldfare. At this time, after the first frosts, rowan becomes sweeter and they begin to collect it for food. When collecting rowan trees, they leave some of the berries on each tree for the birds. A little rowan means a dry autumn, but a lot means a harsh winter.

Rowanberry or SORBARIA - a beautiful flowering Ornamental Shrub with leaves very similar to Rowan. The height of the bush reaches 2 m. Numerous white or cream small flowers are collected in large fluffy paniculate inflorescences that decorate the plant for quite a long time in mid-summer. The plant is very stable, unpretentious and even quite aggressive - it reproduces by root shoots when good care in large quantities and can inhibit other plants.

The root suckers of most species form dense thickets. They can grow both in the sun, but there they are shorter and bloom faster, and in partial shade - the plants are taller and bloom longer.

Fieldfare (lat. Turdus pilaris) is a common species of European thrush.
Breeds everywhere in Europe, from the northern border of forest vegetation to the northern border of the steppe strip, as well as in Siberia - to the watershed between the Yenisei and Lena. In Southern Europe, North Africa, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Kashmir it is found as a migratory, wintering bird, although with a significant harvest of wild berries it also winters in central Europe.

The fieldfare differs from other thrushes primarily in its way of life. Although some pairs nest in isolation, most of them gather in medium-sized colonies of 30-40 pairs. They love to settle in parklands and copses, along the edges of forests, closer to wet meadows. Fieldfare is not found in dense forests. Its main habitats are in the north and middle parts of Europe and Asia. Some birds lead a sedentary lifestyle, some are nomadic. Scandinavian fieldfares, like a number of Central European ones, fly south for the winter, primarily to the south and west of Europe. The nesting season lasts from April to July. Fieldfare feeds on both animal and plant foods. In winter, flocks of field berries flock to feast on ripe mountain ash and other berries (eg sea buckthorn). The fieldfare thrush is not a particularly valuable commercial species; its shooting is permitted all year round without a license. The main purpose of shooting is to protect gardens; thrush meat is also eaten.

The welcoming of autumn was always accompanied by special rituals that were supposed to ensure prosperity and a good harvest for the next year. Compliance with ancient rituals can contribute to the prosperity of your home even today.

Oseniny, also called “Ospozhniki”, is a traditional folk festival of the harvest and welcoming of autumn, which our ancestors celebrated on September 21 (September 8 - old style), on the day of the autumnal equinox. Night and day at this time were equated to each other, nature was turning towards winter - the time had come to thank the earth and divine powers for natural gifts. The date of Oseniny coincides with the Great Orthodox holiday The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was greatly revered in Rus'. The Mother of God is considered the intercessor of people before the throne of the Lord, the patroness of all mothers and babies. Therefore, many traditions of celebrating Osenin are associated with honoring the Mother of God.

Holiday traditions and signs

The twenty-first of September ends the period of Indian summer, which lasts from Semenov's day. Autumn is finally coming into its own, which is why they say about this day: “Amen to every summer.”

The meeting of autumn traditionally begins with the ritual of fire renewal. On the night of Autumn, light sources were extinguished in all houses. The fire had to be extinguished even in the lamps - it could only burn in church shrines. After this, a new fire was lit, and the sparks from which it should be born were carved from flint or extracted by rubbing two pieces of wood.

It was believed that the flame lit on the night of Autumn promotes the renewal of everything around, giving people and animals new strength. Therefore, they walked around the house with a lit fire and used it to light logs in the stove. Smoke from the new fire was used to fumigate livestock to prevent diseases and other threats.

If living flames were usually produced by men, then only women took part in the ritual of meeting Osenin near the water. At dawn they went to the banks of rivers and lakes with oatmeal bread and jelly. The eldest woman was supposed to hold the bread in her hands. She stood in the center of the round dance, the rest of the girls surrounded her and sang songs. The eldest had to turn with a small prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, ask her to protect the family from misfortune, to instill prosperity and harmony in their home. The oat loaf was broken into a number of pieces equal to the number of people present at the ritual. Upon returning home, this bread was used to feed livestock - this was supposed to attract material wealth to the house.

On Oseniny, a large meal was always held, in which all residents of the village took part. Required attributes festive table there was kutia made from cereals and honey, bread, and milk dishes. At the table they always thanked their native land for presenting them with its gifts.

It was a common tradition to visit newlyweds on this day. The young bride had to arrange a rich dinner for her family and friends, and then show them how the young family had arranged their life in the house. The owner showed the yard, opened the doors to the barn and sheds. According to custom, the guests had to carefully examine everything that the young people showed them, praise them, but also not forget to give them useful advice- “to teach wisdom.”

Young mothers and childless women turned their prayers to the Mother of God on Osenin Day. Mothers asked the Heavenly Queen to protect their child, to protect him from human evil, life's hardships and illnesses. Childless women prayed to the Mother of God to send them a child. There is a custom according to which a woman who wants to give birth to a child would set the table on this day and call all the beggars to dinner with requests to pray for her children.

Apple Spas August falls on the 19th and is widely celebrated among the people and in Orthodoxy. Find out what traditions the Second...

Natalya Plakhteeva

Autumn is a folk holiday of farewell to summer and welcome to autumn. This holiday was celebrated three times - on September 14, 21 and 27.

The First Autumn is a holiday celebrated on September 14th.

By this day, the peasants had already collected the harvest from the fields. The time has come when we need to thank Mother Earth for her generous gifts. In all the houses they baked pies mixed with flour from the recently harvested crop. The tables were laden with food; it was imperative to treat all relatives and neighbors. Then Mother Earth will not offend you with her gifts next year either. People also called the first Autumn Day Onion Day, so it was very important at this stage to collect and prepare onions for the winter.

According to the ancient calendar, the beginning of autumn fell on September 14. From this day on, autumn weddings began to be celebrated in Rus'.

The Second Autumn was celebrated on September 21.

This holiday connects two holidays: spiritual and earthly. In its spiritual nature, it is the holiday “Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” and in its earthly essence, it is a harvest festival, accompanied by games and songs. According to the folk calendar, on this day begins golden autumn, which will last until October 14.

On the day of the autumnal equinox, September 21, the second half of the “Indian Summer” begins, and according to popular belief, what the weather will be like on this day, so will the autumn. In Rus', the day of the autumn equinox was considered a holiday and was always celebrated with pies with cabbage, lingonberries and meat, as well as folk festivities.

Since September 21, it was believed that “To every summer - Amen.” Autumn has firmly come into its own.

Third Autumn, September 27.

They are timed to coincide with the church holiday “Exaltation of the Honest Life-Giving Cross of the Lord,” this is the third meeting of the fall.

All signs, proverbs, and sayings were associated among the peasants with the word “move”:

“The rise of autumn moves towards winter”,

"The grain moves from the field to the threshing floor"

"The bird has moved to fly away"

"The caftan with the fur coat moved"

"The cap has come down."

This is how they greeted Autumn in the old days in Rus'

On the day of the autumn equinox, September 21, I invite you to make a “Day - Night” doll with me.

The “Day-Night” doll is a doll that protects the home. These are two identical dolls, but one is made of white fabric (day), and the other is made of black or blue (night). The dolls are connected to each other with one rope and form a single composition. People believed that the doll protects the change of day and night, order in the world .

Whoever woke up first in the family turned the doll to the light side. The “Day” doll made sure that the sun shone all day and helped the household.

And before going to bed, the one who went to bed last unwrapped it dark side so that the “Night” doll protects sleep and everyone wakes up rested and healthy in the morning.

The dolls are different not only in color, but also in character. The "Day" doll is young, lively, active, hard-working and cheerful. The “Night” doll is wise, quiet, thoughtful, calm.

To make this doll we will need:

A piece of white fabric

A piece of blue (black) fabric,

Threads for tying – blue (black, white.

We will make this doll the same way we made the Kuvadka doll in the old days.

Take a rectangular piece of white fabric and gather it towards the center

Now we twist it several times

From the twisted part we form the head of the doll and secure it with a white thread

We fold a small piece of white fabric and form the doll’s hands.

We secure the doll's hands with white thread

The result is a “Day” doll

In exactly the same way, we make a “Night” doll from dark fabric. We connect the finished dolls using a blue and white cord. Now this is a single composition, one “Day – Night” doll.

And I made this “Day - Night” doll in the old way, in which Russian women made a “twist doll”.

Dear colleagues, I hope that you liked these dolls. By following simple techniques, you can easily make such dolls as original gift as a keepsake for your loved ones.

Autumn is an ancient holiday of farewell to summer and welcome to autumn. What is Autumn - this is a meeting of autumn in Rus'.

It was celebrated three times: September 14, 21 and 27.

September 14 is the day of Semyon the Summer Guide. The sit-ins began with Semyon, i.e. work in huts under fire.

September 21 - Ospozhinki was celebrated - the harvest festival. It was believed that from this day summer ended and autumn came into its own.

September 27 - Exaltation. All the signs, characteristics and recommendations of this day were in one way or another connected among the peasants with the word “move”. The rise of autumn moves towards winter, “the grain moves from the field to the threshing floor,” “the bird moved to take flight,” and even “the caftan and fur coat moved, and the hat pulled down.”

In the old days in Rus', our ancestors celebrated Autumn on September 21, on the day of the autumn equinox, when day is equal to night. By this time, the entire harvest had already been harvested. The holiday is celebrated with visits and widespread hospitality. They definitely visit their parents and remember their ancestors.

September 8/21 - Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Popularly - Small Most Pure (Big Most Pure - Dormition, August 15/28).

Autumn - the second meeting of autumn. Pasekin's day. They remove the bees and collect the onions. Onion teardrop day. The earth strives for white mornings. “All summer is amen (end).” “If the weather is good, autumn will be good.” “Indian summer has scared away the quiet.”

Autumn people are greeted by the water. On this day, early in the morning, women go to the banks of rivers, lakes and ponds to meet Mother Osenina with oatmeal bread. The older woman stands with bread, and the young people around her sing songs. After which they break the bread into pieces according to the number of people and feed it to the livestock.

The Aztecs celebrated this day as the day of male fertility, i.e. celebration of erection. September 21 was considered a favorable day for conceiving strong and healthy boys. It is interesting to note that the day of the Aztec mother goddess, Atlatonin, was not this day at all, but 18/06, which is approximately 9 months after this holiday.

In the old days, there was a custom for newlyweds to treat their relatives, which is why September 8 was also called “Presentation Day.” All relatives and friends came to the newlyweds. The invitee invited such guests: “To visit the young, look at their lives and teach them wisdom.” After a hearty dinner, the young housewife showed off her entire household in the house. Guests, as usual, were supposed to praise and teach wisdom. The owner took the guests to the yard, showed them livestock in the barns, summer and winter harnesses in the sheds, and treated them to beer from a keg in the garden.

September 27 – third Autumn, “Snake Festival”

According to popular belief, on this day snakes and other reptiles, along with birds, moved to an unknown blissful country called Iria (the Christian word took on the sound of “paradise”). Therefore, a farewell was arranged for them with requests to convey messages to those who had gone to another world.

“Exaltation is the festival of snakes. The snakes move to one place. They go into the ground and move there.” On September 27, people try not to go into the forest, which is completely at the disposal of snakes. Anyone who goes 27 into the forest can be dragged underground by snakes. To escape from snakes, you can read a poem. Step with your right foot and stop when you go into the forest. Make three prostrations and say: “Save me, Lord, from the running beast, from the creeping thing.” And spit three times over your left shoulder.
In the Perm province it was believed that wearing the Maryin root plant on a pectoral cross protects against snakes.
“If you see a snake, shake it by the tail, then it won’t bite and won’t crawl away.” (Vlasova M. Russian superstitions. Encyclopedic Dictionary. - St. Petersburg, 2001. - P. 202.)

The snake is depicted on medical emblems: above the bowl, the staff of the god of healing Asclepius (among the Romans - Aesculapius), entwined with snakes. A snake in the hands of the sorceress Medea, who could restore youth.
Every year, thousands of snakes are removed from the wild to obtain venom. Viper and cobra have become rare.

AUTUMN

Folklore holiday

LEADING. Hello guys! Today we have a holiday called Autumn. What is Oseniny - a meeting of autumn. In the old days in Rus', our ancestors celebrated Autumn on September 21, on the day of the autumn equinox, when day is equal to night. By this time, the entire harvest had already been harvested. What kind of harvest could the peasants harvest? Let's remember what grows in the garden?

CHILDREN: Carrots, beets, cabbage, potatoes...

HOST: Correct! And so, after harvesting the harvest, the peasants held a holiday, sometimes for a whole week, visited each other, put all the most delicious things on the table, and the grandchildren stayed with their grandparents for several days. And we will also invite you to visit Autumn today. Only you and I are used to imagining Autumn as a beauty in a multi-colored outfit, with an armful of yellow leaves, but in Rus' Autumn was depicted as a small, dry man. He has a stern face, three eyes and shaggy hair. After harvesting, he walked through the fields to check that everything was harvested properly. And today Autumn will appear in the form of a girl. So, let's say the chant together: Autumn, Autumn, you are welcome!

Includes Autumn and 3 autumn months.

AUTUMN: Good afternoon, my friends!

Are you tired of waiting for me?

The summer was red

For a long time the power did not yield.

But everything comes in time -

I showed up at the door.

Guys, I came not alone, but with my brothers. Now you can guess what their names are.

SEPTEMBER: Our school garden is empty,

Cobwebs fly into the distance,

And to the southern edge of the earth

The cranes arrived.

School doors opened.

What month has it come to us?

OCTOBER: The face of nature becomes increasingly gloomy -

The gardens have turned black, the forests are becoming bare,

The bear fell into hibernation.

What month did he come to us?

NOVEMBER: The field became black - it became white,

It rains and snows.

And it got colder,

The waters of the rivers were frozen with ice.

The winter rye is freezing in the field.

What month is it, tell me?

AUTUMN: Do you guys know that people called these months differently?

SEPTEMBER: They called me gloomy, howler, and zealot.

AUTUMN: September is a howler, from the roar of autumn winds and animals, especially deer.

OCTOBER: They called me winter, leaf fall, mud.

AUTUMN: September smells like apples, and October smells like cabbage.

NOVEMBER: They called me half-winter, breast.

AUTUMN: November - September's grandson, October's son, winter's dear father. Do you guys know any folk signs, proverbs, sayings?

Now guess the Russian folk riddles:

A girl sits in a dungeon, and her scythe is on the street (Carrot)

SEPTEMBER: They threw off the golden feathers from Yegorushka, made Yegorushka cry without grief. (onion)

OCTOBER: Alena dressed up in her green sundress and curled the frills thickly. Do you recognize her? (cabbage)

NOVEMBER: There is a flatbread on one leg. Anyone who passes by will bow. (mushroom)

SEPTEMBER: Sits - turns green, falls - turns yellow, lies - turns black. (sheet)

OCTOBER: The bird built a nest underground and laid eggs. (potato)

NOVEMBER: Round as a moon, leaves like a spruce, and a tail like a mouse. (turnip)

HOST: Do you guys know that turnips were a very important vegetable (remember the fairy tale about the Turnip?). The fact is that our favorite potato appeared in Rus' only in the 18th century, and before that the main vegetable was turnip. Turnips were eaten fresh, steamed, or dried. They baked pies with turnips, made turnip kvass, and cooked porridge.

AUTUMN: And the last riddle: It is bitter in haymaking, but sweet in frost. What kind of berry? (rowan)

HOST: Rowan, guys, was very famous in Rus'. All the berries have long been harvested, even in the summer, and the rowan turns red only in the fall, its berries burn brightly. Rowan kvass, a laxative and coolant, was prepared from rowan berries. There was even a special day, September 23, when rowan berries were picked and hung in tassels under the roof. But some of the berries were always left on the tree - for field thrushes, ruby-throated bullfinches...

This is how they greeted Autumn in Rus'.

Well, we are celebrating Autumn with our traditional exhibition of gifts of nature, unusual vegetables grown in your dacha, and autumn crafts.

Autumn, we invite you to watch the children’s exhibitions and help select the best exhibits for the school-wide exhibition.

AUTUMN: With pleasure! Wait for me, guys, in your classes. I’ll come to everyone, I won’t miss anyone, and I’ll also bring treats!

When autumn says goodbye in the classroom

AUTUMN: Well done guys, great job! Now try my treat - autumn apples! Autumn distributes apples from a basket. Goodbye!

September 21 - second Autumn

September 21 is the second Autumn, the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Early in the morning, women and girls went out to the banks of rivers, lakes and ponds to meet Mother Osenina with oatmeal bread and jelly. In the minds of Russian people, her image merged with the image of the Mother of God, therefore they turned to her: “Most Pure Mother of God, deliver me from toil and harassment, take me away from others, illuminate my life and existence!” According to custom, on this day all relatives and friends went to visit the newlyweds to “teach them wisdom.” The young housewife was preparing a special round pie: “You are welcome with our bread and salt!” After a hearty lunch, the young housewife shows the house, and the young owner shows the yard, barn, barn, garden. Guests were treated to beer of their own production. Everyone celebrated the Sun together with the cathedral.

Since September 21, it was believed that every summer - Amen. Autumn has come into its own. In fact, it is a religious holiday of the astronomical autumn equinox.

The Second Autumns seem to connect two holidays: earthly and spiritual. In its earthly essence, it is a harvest festival, accompanied by games and songs, and in its spiritual, heavenly nature, it is the birthday of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ.

September 9

In the agricultural calendar of the Slavs, this day was called “Oseniny” or “Ospozhinki” and was celebrated as a harvest festival. On this day, thanksgiving was given to Mother Earth.

At the beginning of September, the harvest ended, which was supposed to ensure the well-being of the family for the next year. In addition, the meeting of autumn was marked by the renewal of fire: the old fire was extinguished and a new one was lit, which was mined by striking flint.

From “Osenin” the main economic activity was transferred from the field to the garden or to the house: the collection of vegetables began (onions were first of all harvested). Usually on Oseniny (in Orthodoxy - the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary) a treat was arranged for which the whole family gathered. For the holiday, beer was brewed and a sheep (ram) was slaughtered. A cake was baked from the flour of the new harvest. They praised Mother Earth for giving birth to bread and other supplies.

Since the hop harvest began on this day, the corresponding game songs were sung during the festive festivities:

We are drunk, we are drunk, we are drunk,
To our side
There is great freedom on our side!
And the freedom is great, the men are rich!
That the men are rich, stone chambers!
What stone chambers, golden doors,
What domes are cast!

September 27 - Third Autumn

The Third Autumn is timed to coincide with the church holiday of the Exaltation of the Honest Life-Giving Cross of the Lord; this is the third meeting of autumn. "Exaltation - autumn moves towards winter."

According to folk tradition, cabbage parties began, girls' parties, when young people went from house to house to chop cabbage. These parties lasted two weeks. This is a kind of sacred rite: cabbage was considered the sacred food of the Gods. On this day, a very ancient rite was carried out - the cross. The sign of the cross has been a symbol of the sun since prehistoric times. It was believed that during the Exaltation he radiates a protective power. Peasants carved crosses out of wood, crossed rowan branches, painted crosses in places they wanted to protect from evil spirits: in bins, barns.

On the third Autumn, according to popular belief, snakes and other reptiles, along with birds, moved to an unknown blessed land called Iria (in Christianity, this word took on the sound of “paradise”). Therefore, a farewell was arranged for them with a request to convey a message to those who had passed on to another world.

In the villages, peasants brewed beer. They carried out a ritual plowing of the village, driving out Kukhoma (fever, shaking) from it, then shared beer between their homes and rested after the labors of the righteous. In the evening they heated the bathhouses and took a steam bath, driving out the evil spirits from themselves. In the forests, before the long winter, the goblin joked with people for the last time, arranging a review of animals and birds to see if they were ready for a harsh winter.

According to the ancient calendar, the beginning of autumn fell on September 14. The First Ecumenical Council (325) established this day as the beginning of the year. According to Orthodox tradition, the world was created in September.

Autumn's first meeting of autumn. On this day, it was supposed to “wipe” the “new” fire with two planks and begin sit-downs or gatherings with this clean fire. From this day on, in Rus' they began to celebrate autumn weddings (until November 15), moved to new houses, and carried out the ritual of “tonsuring” (initiation) of boys who had reached the age of seven into adolescence, marking their new role in the community.

An ancient funny ritual of funeral of flies and cockroaches, annoying inhabitants of the Russian summer, was timed to coincide with the holiday of the first Osenins. September 14 is the beginning of Indian summer, which lasts in some areas for up to three weeks. We noticed: if Semyon is a clear day, then the entire Indian summer will be warm, and we must expect a warm winter.

September 14 is the day of the Seeds of the Flyer. Simeon the Stylite (5th century) became famous as a man of a selfless lifestyle. In the history of mankind, he discovered a new type of asceticism. Wanting to test his spiritual strength and faith in God, he built a 4-meter-high pillar on the mountain with a platform on top, surrounded it with a wall, and from this “mountainous” place read sermons to numerous pilgrims. Then Simeon settled on a pillar in a small cell, devoting himself to intense prayer and fasting. Gradually he increased the height of the pillar on which he stood. Its last pillar was 40 cubits (16 meters) high. He spent 80 years in intense monastic labors, of which 47 stood on the pillar. His life was well known in Rus'; people learned from him to endure numerous difficulties of human existence in the name of a holy cause. According to an ancient tradition, it was believed that on this day it was necessary to perform charitable deeds and be merciful. In Muscovite Rus', not a single beggar was left without abundant alms on this day; even prisoners in prison were given gifts.

It flies like this on ...