Belarusian Customs and Traditions

15. Belarusian customs and traditions

1. Let’s talk about Belarusian customs and traditions. What can you tell me about your favourite holiday in Belarus?

My favourite holiday, or, better to say, holidays are, definitely, the New Year and Christmas. Christmas is a traditional holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus with both religious and secular aspects. It is commonly observed on December, 25 by Catholics, and on January, 7 by the Orthodox Church. New Year and Christmas are the first, and the most joyful, holidays of the year, when people see the Old Year off and the New Year in.

 I enjoy the holidays for several reasons. Firstly, they have a special atmosphere of joy and excitement everyone looks forward to for several months. They are holidays of renewal and magic, exchanging presents and wishes.

The second reason I prefer this holiday to all the rest is that it is the centre of the New Year and Christmas season which is, in fact, a sequence of holidays. It starts on the 25th of December and finishes on January 14, and everyone has a chance of relaxing after a long period of hard and stressful work.

There are many New Year and Christmas traditions which make these holidays so special. For Christmas people decorate their houses with mistletoe and the Christmas tree, go to church, send Christmas cards — and, of course, give and receive gifts.

My favourite Christmas tradition has been receiving and giving presents since my childhood when gifts were put under the Christma-tree for me and I believed it was Father Frost who brought them, unheard and unseen while I was sleeping. I believe Christmas presents should be special and have a touch of magic, enabling your dearest wishes to come true. Firstly, giving gifts to all the members of the family adds to love and affection in it and helps to forget minor quarrels and misunderstandings. It makes you believe you are a family no matter what happens. Secondly, it creates the atmosphere of joy and magic. This simple and long-standing tradition helps you to believe in miracles and renewal, and regain optimism if you are in trouble.

2. Are you proud of our national holidays and traditions? Why?

I am very proud of our national customs and traditions, because I think that every nation is unique and Belarusians make no exception. We have a lot of old traditions that go from generation to generation and that’s very important.

3. What questions can you ask a British teenager about his/her birthday celebration?

-Where do you like to celebrate your birthday party?

-Do you prefer to invite your friends and relatives together?

-What presents do you usually get for your birthday?

4. Which holiday celebration will you recommend your British friend?

I will recommend Kupalle which is the most loved and celebrated pagan holiday in Belarus. Kupalle is celebrated in the night from the 6th of July to the 7th of July. In ancient times young girls used to go into the meadows to collect plants and herbs – cornflower, ferns, etc. It was believed that the plants gathered at that time had special magic and strength and could protect people and their homes from illnesses and evil spirits. That’s why some of these plants were used in food, some were put up on the walls of the houses, and some – in the wreaths worn on the head by young men and women during the Kupalle celebration.

The central part of Kupalle celebration was a fire, which symbolized life. There were a lot of purification rituals during the celebration – jumping over the fire, bathing in the river, rolling in the grass dew. There would be a lot of dancing in karagods, competing in strength, fortune-telling and looking for a blossoming fern flower – “paparats kvetka”.

Special ritual food was cooked on the fire – fried eggs, kulaha (a sort of pudding made of wheat flour), vareniki (stuffed with blueberries, raspberries, cherries).

A lot of this tradition is followed today.

5. Do you think it is important to follow our grandparents’ traditions? Why?

In my opinion it’s very important for people to follow their grandparents’ traditions. First of all, they provide a sense of comfort.  Because traditions are familiar, you know what to expect because the tradition has been repeated over time. 

Secondly,  they bring people closer together. The holidays give families a reason to come together and celebrate.  Even families fraught with interpersonal issues may put their grievances aside for a short time to honor the tradition.

Thirdly,  they give you a sense of belonging.  Because everyone is celebrating the same tradition, you immediately have a lot in common with those around you.  You are a part of the community because you know all the rituals surrounding the tradition and engage in them as a group.

And finally, they say that if you don’t know your past you won’t have your future.