Spring equinox - a holiday with ancient roots

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Great Day of God, Maslyana, Komoyeditsa - the names of the Spring Equinox, one of the four main holidays of the calendar of the Ancient Slavs.

The history of this holiday is rooted in hoary antiquity, to archaic pagan times. It was believed that on this day, March 25 (berezosol), the annual wheel turned towards summer, the bright (explicit) half of the year began. The ancients believed that the gates of heaven opened on that day, and the good gods returned to the people, and from paradise (Iria) the souls of the deceased ancestors flew on bird wings to visit their grandchildren. And most of the Slavic peoples considered this day the beginning of a new year.

Indeed, the day of the vernal equinox is a holiday of cosmic significance, because it was from this date that the day became longer than the night.

The celebration of Maslyana was accompanied by a voluminous, often multi-day ritual part. The call of spring was of paramount importance. In different regions of Russia, the course of the celebration could differ to some extent, however, there were characteristic common features.

The celebration itself, as a rule, took place outdoors. The youth were divided into2 conditional troops, one of which “produced” Spring, and the other harrowed Winter, but in the end, of course, surrendered. If the weather allowed, a snow fortress was built and taken by storm. Demonstrative battles were arranged between the "warriors" on both sides, but the supporters of Spring would certainly win. It was not by chance that the struggle of spring and winter, cold and heat was sung on the day of the vernal equinox, when day and night, as it were, they fight, measure their strength. As a logical conclusion of the “war”, and as the main meaning of the festive ceremony, at the end, an effigy of Madder-Winter, made by girls from straw and rags, was burned. The fire of the stolen fire was burning, and with it the winter was burning and burning, giving way to the young Spring.

Everywhere on Komoeditsa pancakes were baked - “coma” (hence the name). A ruddy round pancake personified the Sun. Another treat is small buns, twisted in a special way in the form of birds, as a symbol of migratory birds returning, as it was then believed, from Iriy. In general, treats on the day of the vernal equinox among the Slavs were generous and rich. In addition to pancakes and bird buns, a variety of meat and fish dishes, pastries, sweets, and intoxicating drinks were served.

With the advent of Christianity in Russia Maslenitsa, like other ancient holidays, was banned. However, for several centuries, people continued to celebrate the day of the vernal equinox, as, indeed, most other holidays. And only in the XVII century the interest of the church in the persecution of ancient holidaysgradually subsided. Having ceased to be considered "demonic fun", Maslenitsa was filled with a new meaning - Orthodox. Even the obviously pagan (idolatrous) custom of burning an effigy of winter has been preserved. Having become part of the Orthodox calendar, Maslenitsa no longer coincides with the date of the equinox and carries only a ritual load - after a rich and generous Maslenitsa table, one of the most strict fasts begins.

Today, the ancient, primordially Russian holiday is loved and revered by many. The celebration of Maslenitsa, which has preserved all the echoes of the ancient veneration of the spring equinox, has recently been taking place on a larger scale, attracting a huge number of participants.