In itself the best traditions of the old. Family traditions. Celebrated name days, not birthdays
CUSTOMS, TRADITIONS, STILL.
A custom is a way of behavior inherited from ancestors, which is reproduced in a society or social group and is habitual and logical for its members. The term "custom" is often equated with the terms "tradition".
Tradition (from Lat. "Legend", custom) - a variety of performances, rituals, habits and skills of practical and social activities, passed down from generation to generation, acting as one of the regulators of social relations.
Some people combine such concepts as customs and traditions into one whole. However, this is not entirely true. Most often, when it comes to the transfer of the foundations of the social order to their descendants, it is about the transfer of traditions. If we are talking about the transfer of rituals of weddings, funerals, holidays, then we are talking about customs.
If we are talking about the generally accepted national dress of the people, then this is a tradition, since it concerns the entire people as a whole. If some part of the people add their own decoration to the national dress, then this is already a custom concerning this part of the people. Such a custom can turn into a tradition if it is accepted by the whole people. Most likely, this is how different customs became a common tradition.
That is, various customs in a complex and create generally accepted traditions. Therefore, people identify traditions, customs and rituals in one concept, although this is not so. Tradition is not immediately born. It emerges from established customs. And customs are born from the life and behavior of people themselves.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a Russian photographer, inventor S.M. Proskudin-Gorsky invented the technique of color photography. He did it autonomously at the same time as the French brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière, who are considered the official inventors of color photography. Proskudin-Gorsky captured people in national clothes in his photographs, believing that this tradition should be memorized in documents. Thanks to him, we have an idea of the national clothes of the peoples of Russia at the beginning of the 20th century.
Tradition number 1
All peoples traditionally had a high value of the word of a person. There were times when even writing was not. Therefore, the word spoken by a person was not just appreciated. The word was given mystical meaning... It was believed, as indeed it is now, that a wish, affirmation, obligation, or even a curse, spoken aloud, always has its effect and is necessarily carried out. Moreover, this happens regardless of whether the person who has spoken wants this or not. The wish of health and happiness was always perceived by ancient people as something material. It happened that people asked to return their words and wishes to them, if it turned out that these wishes were expressed not to the one who deserved it. There were cases when people who told a lie were demanded to take back their words.
It is from there that the expression "take back your words" originates. Some people today believe that words are material and try not to throw them around. Others do not attach any importance to this and their words in the eyes of other people are not worth anything. And today no one takes seriously the words of talkers and braggart, but the words of worthy people are highly valued. They listen to them. They are referenced.
The value of the word was the higher, the larger was the race of the person giving the word. Not keeping your word, it's like disgracing your family as a whole. For example, the Chechens have a concept that uniquely determines the high value of a man's word. They call it "Dosh". That is, if a man declared DOSH, then not only he, but his entire family is responsible for this. The Chechens have this concept to this day, since they have preserved tribal teips-clans, each of which unites many people. I believe that such concepts as "Dosh" existed among other peoples, but they called it differently. And since the disintegration of clan relations, the share of clan responsibility in people has decreased and fidelity to the word has remained at the level of personal honesty of each person individually, and not of the whole clan. And there really is who in what is much. Who is ready to die for his word, and who lies, will take it inexpensively. The level of personal responsibility is immeasurably lower than the level of responsibility of a whole family, but tribal responsibility is also built on the personal responsibility of each relative. Another thing is that once a disgraced relative is deprived of the right to say "DOSH" to someone.
The unconditional value of the word is accepted by society today, except from the president of the country, when he swears on the Constitution of the country when taking office. However, unfortunately, it is not uncommon for the president of a particular country to change his word. There are not so many authoritative people in society who have always been faithful to their words and such people become famous. They and their writings are referenced by other people. These are prominent writers and politicians and even simple people who are famous for their honesty.
If a person asserts something, he must prove it to those who listen to him. After all, he is interested in the fact that those who listen to him believe him. Then, to prove the veracity of his words, he begins to cite the words of authoritative, worthy people as an example. Those words and statements that are time-tested and do not need proof of honesty anymore. If these arguments correspond to the words of the speaker, then people begin to believe him. They are convinced that a person is not hypocritical and does not lie.
The memoirs of the famous natural scientist Alfred Brehm, in which he talks about his conversation around the fire with the leader of a small African tribe, are very interesting. The leader asked him:
- "Is it true that there is a war in Europe?"
It was the first World War and A. Brehm nodded in response. The chief asked again:
- And how many soldiers died?
A. Brem nodded his head again. The chief tried to clarify:
- More than ten?
A. Brem nodded again, to which the leader shook his head and said:
- For this, all the cattle of the tribe would have to be given.
Recalling this conversation, Alfred Brehm wondered how it was possible to explain to a person who is accustomed to pay for the death of every warrior from a neighboring tribe in an intertribal skirmish that in just one day in the battle of Verdun the Germans laid down more than 10 thousand of their soldiers during the offensive. As in the understanding of the leader of the savages, the senselessness and scale of the victims of a civilized war can be met. A leader who, despite his savagery, knows about the existence of certain obligations for the death of a warrior. Obligations that were determined between the tribes and sealed not by a paper document, but by the word of the leader.
However, there is another tradition that appeared relatively recently and also refers to the value of the spoken word. This tradition was invented by Hitler. He argued that if you want your lie to be believed, you do not need to tell one lie. You need to mix the lie with the truth and then everyone will believe you.
This is a false tradition, but it also has a certain value. The desire to deceive the listening people once again emphasizes how important the value of a truthful human word is for everyone without exception. For both honest people and liars. So, whether we like it or not, our tradition to value the word lives with us to this day. Even scammers try to use this tradition.
Tradition number 2
Literally all peoples of the world have a tradition of hospitality. You say: "What is it?" And you will be right in your own way, but everything is not so simple here. In ancient times, when there were no communications, communication and transport, people were very hospitable even towards random people. Ordinary travelers were left in their homes, sometimes for several days. It was interesting to know where the man came from and what he saw there. There was enough food for everyone, but no entertainment. Therefore, they accepted all passing people, especially since they still needed to spend the night somewhere. But what kind of hospitality without a feast. It was customary to treat the guest to all the best. It is clear that the dear guest who was expected was treated more attentively, but they also tried not to offend ordinary travelers.
The food was not only an indicator of a good attitude towards the guest. Every person who ate at the table of the hospitable hosts was considered a well-wisher of this house. On the contrary, a person who considers himself an enemy of the people who treat him should not have taken food from their table. Eating food at their table was tantamount to giving up their grievances. It doesn't matter how much food is on the table. It can be a poor table or a rich one. He who expressed his attitude towards this table, showed his attitude towards the owners of the house. Frankness was considered a must. Hypocrisy, in order to deceive later, was considered a shameful thing at the table. All the same applied to toast, but the culture of table management can be considered a separate tradition.
This tradition is still preserved by almost any nation. Despite many changes in our life, food remains a very important indicator good relationship between people. Yes, not everywhere, but for a lot of people. For example, often, in order to show his respect for the interlocutor, a person offers to treat him at his own expense and not even at home, but in a cafe, or in any other place. This act, as a rule, pushes the one who was treated to a reciprocal act, and the next time he treats a friend, also at his own expense. Eating together brings people together. There is a Russian folk saying... It says: "Yes, we ate a pound of salt together." One pood contains 16 kilograms. It is clear that no one will just eat salt in such quantities. Here we are talking about such an amount of food eaten, for which salting would need a pound of salt. That is, people lived together for at least several years and they not only knew each other, but also shared food.
Today, many people gathering in one company prefer to dump in order to pay for food from themselves. This is done for various reasons. Out of stinginess, not a desire to burden the initiator of the feast. In the United States, it is believed that if a man pays for a woman in a restaurant, he is thus trying to harass her. Therefore, there women pay for themselves. Well, they don't pay either.
Tradition no. 3
Songs and dances have always been the traditions of any people. People spent their time like that, and it was natural. There was no television or sound recording. Musical instruments were primitive, but interesting. Any folk dances are fiery and interesting in their own way. Often, each dance or song had its own stories or legends. The dance of peoples living close to each other was often similar, sometimes neighboring peoples took a dance from a neighbor. The famous Lezginka is considered their dance not only by all Caucasian peoples, but even by the Cossacks. But, judging by the name, the dance was invented by the Lezgins.
Sometimes people forget their dances and this necessarily makes such people poor spiritually. Russian folk dances are not inferior to the dances of other peoples either in temperament, in complexity, in beauty, or in any other indicators. However, their Russian people hardly dance. They just don't know how. Only experts know their features, and there was a time when Russian dances were adopted both in the Caucasus and in Europe. Today people dance as a rule. not even dances, but some kind of rhythmic patterns that are very similar to each other.
Maybe this is done on purpose to deprive people of culture. Singing culture, dance culture. If you still deprive the people of linguistic culture, then the people will replace it all with something else and become a different people. And this is possible.
A characteristic feature of folk dance in Russia and the Caucasus, as well as among many other peoples, had a rule according to which dancing guy and the girl should not have touched each other with her hands. There were dances when you could join hands, but nothing more. For example, round dances, or such dances as Kochari among the Armenians, Shikhan among the Assyrians and many others. It was impossible to hug a partner. Everything was strict with our ancestors. You could only hug your wife. So they danced in front of each other, showing their prowess to everyone present. And they learned to dance so as not to lose face.
Folk songs, as a tradition, are no less interesting than dances. The songs were passed by word of mouth from adults to children. Moreover, there were no professional musicians among the villagers. The repertoire was passed on so casually, but always with all the voices. The songs were not sung with one voice. They were polished every generation and every year they could change in the direction of improvement. Rural weddings were usually attended by guests from two villages. This was the rule. Guys didn't marry their girls. To avoid incest. The wedding was turning into a kind of festival. One village sang its own songs, the other its own, but there were also songs. that everyone knew. Today people do not live like that, but there was such a tradition.
Tradition no. 4
In addition to the value of the word, there is also the value of a human deed. Actions are different. Significant and not so significant. But they can all be positive or negative. All of humanity is working to meet the needs of people. Many people work every day in their positions and do the things that they should do. These actions are not considered unusual, but they are what make it possible to provide society with everything it needs. These are positive actions. However, some people do negative things too. These are crimes. In order to protect itself from crime, society comes up with laws to protect honest and decent people. But in the history of mankind there were times when laws did not protect people. Then people defended themselves. For any crime against friends or relatives, they responded with revenge. Revenge is one act, or a series of acts that are logically related to each other. Revenge on enemies was considered a must. Refusal to take revenge had to have a good reason, otherwise it would become a shame.
In one of his stories, a writer who writes under the pseudonym "Kont", a former Afghan warrior, describes an incident that took place in one of the Afghan villages. A block post was placed next to him. Soviet army... It was a small fortress, bristling with machine guns and submachine guns. The fighters were constantly expecting attacks from the Mujahideen from anywhere, but not from the direction of the village. In order not to bring trouble to the inhabitants, the Mujahideen did not enter the village, and on this score there was an unspoken agreement with Soviet fighters. One night, the incredible happened. The block post was attacked from where they were not expecting. From the side of the village. The attack was met with dagger fire from the checkpoint. When it blossomed, the soldiers saw that the dead old people were lying on the ground, the inhabitants of the village were armed with what. Only a few of them had old, useless in battle, hunting rifles. Swords, daggers, and axes lay next to the others. The investigation showed that some checkpoint soldier entered one of the houses at night and first raped and then stabbed a 13-year-old girl. They saw him, but he managed to escape. None of the old people of the village had any doubts that there were too few of them and that they were all in old age. They saw no other development for themselves other than revenge. Without waiting for the morning, they rushed into the last attack in their life. Their opportunities for revenge were negligible. They would not be able to take revenge, but no one can reproach them for not taking revenge. As the Russian prince Svyatoslav said: "The dead have no shame." Only the old people did not think that someone would say something about them. They went to take revenge because that was how they were brought up.
In the middle and later centuries in Europe, it was customary to fight in duels. This is the noblest kind of revenge, if it can be noble at all. The duel deprived rivals of the opportunity to take revenge in secret. Attack from the back. or secret murder. In the duel, publicity was important. Sometimes a duel took place with a large number of witnesses, but in principle, a few people were enough. As a rule, these were seconds on both sides. who agreed on the conditions of a duel (choice of weapons, distance, etc.) Could take doctors with them to provide medical care. Sometimes the duelists agreed to fight to the first blood, and sometimes to death. The offended person did not always win, but in any case he remained a worthy and not disgraced person.
Laws appeared in every country, but revenge still remained among the people. Laws don't always work. Revenge has always been more feared than the law. This is a very ancient custom. Each nation had its own peculiarities of revenge, but they were all cruel. Cruelty doesn't make anyone better. One cruelty gives rise to another cruelty and then there is no end in sight to evil. In ancient Greek Sparta, revenge was to be fierce by the murder of all the relatives of the culprit. So that he would suffer from every news of the death of another relative. The culprit was killed last. It is clear that the latter had no choice but to start a war against his avengers and try to win it with the same cruelty.
When Jesus Christ came to teach people, he called everyone to forgive one another. It was he who said that if they hit you on the right cheek, substitute the left. This is how the Savior initiated the custom of forgiveness. For many, this custom is incomprehensible, since it contradicts the custom of revenge to which people are accustomed. But revenge does not stop evil, but continues it. Murders can also be accidental. Among the ancient Jews, for example, several cities were singled out in which the murderer could hide from revenge and it was forbidden to persecute him in these cities.
1. Annual customs.
Almost all peoples had a HARVEST HOLIDAY. The exceptions were the peoples who could get 2-3 harvests a year. It wasn't like that for them significant event... Then other traditions were invented. The bulk of the world's population received a harvest once a year and tried to celebrate this event magnificently. This holiday was a symbol of abundance. After this holiday, it was customary to play weddings, and not only among Christians, Muslims, or representatives of other religions. In the spring, there was not enough food. This custom came to us from pagan times. Weddings were celebrated by everyone, because immediately after the harvest there was plenty of food, and work was stopped due to the end of the harvest. A harvest festival, a natural and logical holiday.
Today the harvest festival is not celebrated as pompously as it used to be. Only peasants celebrate it. This happens for several reasons.
- Not the entire population is engaged in harvesting, but only a small part of it. For example, in the USA in agriculture only 3% of the population works. For the rest of the people, this does not mean anything. In the Middle Ages, about 90% of the population worked in agriculture.
- Now, with the end of the harvest, work on the land does not end and practically continues all year round. The new farming system intensively exploits the soil. Previously, people used one field once every two, or three years. That is, the field worked for one year, and rested for two years. The fields are not resting today. They are actively fertilized with mineral fertilizers. Some of the fields are sown for the winter, and earlier this was done quite rarely. In other words, in agriculture winter downtime does not happen now.
- There are many other magnificent holidays that did not exist before, including those that are celebrated at the same time as the harvest festival.
Farewell to winter was celebrated very magnificently among the people. In Russia, this holiday is known as MASLENITSA. Getting through the winter was not easy. The peasants did not have central heating. It was necessary to prepare firewood. The huts were small, so that it was easier to warm them with one stove. Food was prepared in the same oven. In winter, the entire population was tied to their homes as sources of heat. Therefore, people celebrated the farewell to winter with great joy. This holiday fell on the period of the vernal equinox. During the celebration of Maslenitsa in Russia, it was customary to burn a scarecrow of winter. In different parts of Russia, this custom was celebrated with its own details. Somewhere burned an effigy wrapped in pea straw. It burns well. Such a scarecrow was called a pea jester. In Kostroma, the scarecrow was called "Kostroma".
Different chants were dedicated to this holiday in different places, but the meaning and time of the holiday always remains the same. This custom also came to our time from pagan times. Orthodox Church celebrates Masleniye week on the eve of the beginning of the strict Easter fast. Throughout the oil week, people baked pancakes, pies and festivities. On Thursday, it was considered a tradition for mother-in-law to cook pancakes for their sons-in-law and treat them. Butter Sunday is called Forgiven. On this day, all people ask each other for forgiveness. Before the revolution, wall-to-wall fistfights were held on Forgiven Sunday. This is a special custom. That is, adult guys and men in the amount of up to several dozen people lined up opposite each other. On command, they approached and began to beat. The rules were strict. If the fighter fell, then he dropped out of the battle. It was forbidden to beat a recumbent fighter. Strikes below the belt were also prohibited. The fight was not supposed to be traumatic and unnecessarily brutal, but blood from injuries was considered common. The battle continued until complete victory. After the battle, the opponents hugged and asked each other for forgiveness.
Weddings are considered to be the most striking customs. Nowadays, this ceremony has been preserved and people arrange magnificent weddings to leave a memory of this event. But not only. A wedding is not just a joyous celebration. This is an event that not only makes many people responsible for the life and happiness of a young family, but also makes a young family responsible before all those present for their life together that they promise to create at the wedding. That is, a wedding is not only a holiday, but also mutual obligations. How else? The bride and groom and their parents invite all those whom they respect to the wedding. This invitation can be seen as a statement that they do not just invite guests, but that they promise to honestly and dignifiedly start a family. In turn, everyone who is invited to the wedding must in the future provide all possible assistance to the young family if they turn to him for help. So a wedding is not just a feast. It's not just about collecting gifts. This is an important life event.
It is still customary for Muslims, but not everywhere, to pay a ransom - kalym. It is believed that the man who paid the kalym is wealthy enough to support his own family. The amount of kalym is negotiated individually, but this custom is not practiced in all Islamic countries. At weddings, it is customary to give only money. This money is given to the parents of the young. But parents must provide their children with housing, furniture, and everything necessary for life, including clothes and dishes. Accordingly, they bear all the costs of organizing the wedding. The money received from the guests at the wedding, as a rule, cannot reimburse parenting costs.
With Christians, you can give everything. Both money and gifts. Everything is given to the young. The ransom for the bride is not paid, but the bride must bring a dowry with her. The amount of the dowry depends on the income of the bride's family. Parents pay for the wedding. But in this sense, the differences between Muslims and Christians are not significant.
Before the wedding, it is customary for Christians to arrange a wedding. This is called a conspiracy and it ends with an engagement, or betrothal. Senior representatives of the groom come to negotiate with the bride's parents. Representatives may also be non-relatives. Usually these are matchmakers, but the presence of the groom's parents is mandatory.
Matchmakers observe the ritual of the event. The parents of the bride and groom learn about the intentions of the young couple and if they are positive, then an agreement is made on the timing of the wedding. The bride and groom are betrothed with wedding rings. From now on, they can communicate in public, but they cannot live together until the wedding. Why is this done?
If one of the young people changes his mind about getting married, then all preparations will be stopped and the wedding will not take place. In this case, the young are not bound by any circumstances and can find other chosen ones for themselves. That is, the young are given time to take a closer look at each other. The rings are returned to the groom as they are bought by the groom's parents for engagement.
The agreement may not take place. If the bride does not like the groom, she can immediately refuse him. This event becomes shameful for the groom, so he must be sure that the girl will consent to the marriage.
In Ukraine, Belarus, Moldavia, Russia and many other nations, it was customary to bring a pumpkin (harbuza) to an unlucky groom. It was a shameful sign of refusal. Why shameful? Because if the groom sees that the girl does not like him, but continues to persist, then having received the pumpkin, he no longer has the right to send matchmakers to this girl a second time. That is, the girl has the opportunity to get rid of the annoying groom once and for all.
Muslims also have a similar custom. If the bride at the wedding hits the groom with a whip in front of everyone, then the wedding will not take place. However, both the groom and the bride herself are considered disgraced in the eyes of the guests and the whole society.
Today, many young people strive to earn big money and only then get married in order to pay their own expenses. They don't want to depend on their parents. In this case, two problems arise, of which it is difficult to choose the worst one. At first; this situation can be offensive to parents. Parents are usually willing to go into any debt to fulfill their duty to their children. Secondly; the process of making money may take an unknown number of years. This can deprive a person of the opportunity to create a family of their own.
To give a girl in marriage without matchmaking has always been considered a shame. According to the logic of weddings, it turned out that no one was interested in protecting the interests of the young. No one even knows what has appeared new family... There are no witnesses to the obligations that the groom and his parents assume. Therefore, it is not customary to give a girl for her husband in secret. And it doesn't matter if a kalym is paid for her, or she gets married in Orthodox church, the meaning is always the same. Family commitments must be public and explicit.
In difficult times, when the guests were not able to make gifts, and the parents put together a rich feast, they still tried to play the wedding. Often this was done with joint efforts, but the wedding still became a memorable, joyful event. Even the most modest gifts were made, but weddings were done.
Any speculation in this regard does not promise anything good. Previously, often, parents themselves decided who to marry their daughters to and whom to marry their sons. Many acted on the principle of material interest. That is, they tried to intermarry with a rich groom, or a rich bride. Often, young brides married elderly grooms and vice versa.
This situation gave rise to another custom. This is bride kidnapping. This is a radical act, but it solves all the problems at once, including the costs of the wedding. The logic behind the abduction is simple. The abduction of an unmarried girl by the groom puts her in the category of either disgraced or married women. But the kidnapper can immediately abandon her and leave disgraced. The bride's parents, who could not prevent the abduction, look impartial among people and are ready to give their daughter to the kidnapper, just to observe all the necessary rituals and enlist the support of relatives and witnesses. Even if before that they publicly refused this groom. At the same time, they try to do everything to keep the abduction a secret. If the parents fundamentally do not recognize the groom-kidnapper, then the bride becomes his wife without a wedding. This is understandable. Not a single groom, after being kidnapped, will marry her.
However, there were also frequent cases of preliminary conspiracy to abduct, the groom with the bride, the groom with the parents, the groom with the parents and with the bride in order to avoid the costs associated with holding a large wedding. The logic here is very simple. If a girl was kidnapped, but not married, then this is considered a shame. If she was kidnapped, but after numerous trials and clarifications of relations (sometimes turning into fights), the family was still created, then the bride's image even acquires a certain romantic connotation. Therefore, abductions are sometimes even staged at rich weddings.
BURIAL
What can be as significant as a wedding? Of course the funeral of a deceased person. The Bible mentions that a person who has committed a dead man to earth looks dignified before God, but after the funeral he must cleanse himself. And today there is a custom to wash hands after attending a funeral.
As life shows, not all people get married, but everyone dies. Death makes the burial rite obligatory. Our ancestors buried the dead in the ground so that they would not be defiled by animals and birds. After all, we were talking about deceased relatives. But the attitude towards the unfamiliar dead was the same. Subsequently, burial rites in coffins were invented. The coffin symbolizes the boat in which the deceased is sent to another world. Among believers, it is customary to give funerals a special meaning. After all, this is the last path of a person to another world. It is customary for Orthodox Christians to bury people in the ground. In India, Japan and other countries, dead people are cremated. Burn. Materialists also follow general religious traditions and cremate the dead.
It is customary among Christians to keep the dead at home from one to two days. This is done so that those who are far away and cannot quickly come to the funeral can say goodbye to the deceased. On the day of the funeral of the deceased, it is customary to perform a funeral service in a church or at home. From home, it is customary to carry the coffin in your arms along the street where the deceased lived. At the cemetery, a farewell ceremony takes place when relatives kiss the deceased on the forehead. Those who wish can speak out loud about the deceased, but it is customary to speak about the dead either well or nothing. After lowering the coffin into the grave, everyone present throws three pinches of earth into the grave as a sign of farewell. After the funeral, people go to the commemoration. At the memorial table, it is not customary to knock glasses. The feast is short-lived. The buried person is remembered, as well as the deceased relatives are remembered. Alcohol is not consumed at the funeral of deceased children.
Then the relatives gather to commemorate the deceased in 7 days. The deceased is commemorated more magnificently on the fortieth day. It is believed that for 40 days the soul of a deceased person still wanders, and on the 40th day it is where it should be. On the day of the funeral, a cross is erected on the grave, and a year later, on the anniversary of his death, it is customary to erect a monument. But all this is sufficient.
It is customary for Muslims to complete a funeral before sunset on the day of a person's death. No one is expected. Mullah performs his prayers and rituals. Only men carry the deceased to the cemetery. Women do not go to the cemetery. The deceased is commemorated seven days in a row. These commemorations are not so much a feast as they are reasonable. Every day people talk about life, death, about God, about faith, etc. They try not to ignore the family of the deceased, so that it would be easier for her to get used to the loss. Muslims celebrate the 40th day as well as their anniversary.
Funeral customs and rituals are quite varied and can only be described in specialized work in a very large volume. They are all logically conditioned. Only the most general rules are described here. People learn them by participating in the funeral of dead people. The most famous and respected people come to the funeral a large number of of people. But the number of people at the funeral does not say what the person was like during his lifetime. It is important with what thoughts people come to the funeral and how they later remember the deceased. Good or bad.
GENERAL CUSTOMS.
There are many such customs. They are inherent in every nation, since they are logically conditioned by the same circumstances. Let us take a simple case when a young man gives up his place in transport. This is not just an element of good manners. This is a generally accepted custom that has changed, but its essence remains the same. There was no public transport yet, but it was customary for every nation for the younger not only to give way, but to get up at the time when the older one approached them. Moreover, the difference in age did not matter. And today it is customary to get up if a person comes up to you and starts a conversation with you. And even if he is the same age as you. It is simply considered impolite if you sit down with the person in front of you.
In ancient Sparta, it was allowed not to stand in front of an older person if he did not have children. The explanation was simple. His children will not stand in front of anyone.
It was not customary to sit and talk with women. This was considered a rule of bad taste and a well-mannered woman would not continue the conversation with the interlocutor sitting in front of her, unless he, of course, is disabled. Today, it is customary for many peoples to give way to standing in transport not only to elderly people or pregnant women, but simply to older people. This is perceived not as help in a difficult situation, but as a tribute.
Before the revolution, all men showed such respect for women, but with the development of feminism, people began to perceive the politeness of men to women in transport as harassment.
It is interesting that before the revolution it was customary for aristocrats and townspeople to take off their hats when meeting with a pregnant woman. Tribute to motherhood.
INTERESTING TRADITIONS OF SOME PEOPLES.
It seems to me that some of the customs of the Japanese are interesting. They celebrate Boys 'Day each year, and girls' Day separately. These days are dedicated specifically to children under 6-7 years old. These days they definitely dress up in the most beautiful clothes and they can do anything.
Japanese schools traditionally have a food lesson. Each day, two students set up a school lunch for their class. Thus, students learn the Japanese table traditions of serving, eating, and behavior at the table.
In Italy, on the eve of the new year, it is customary to throw old things out of windows onto the street. It is believed that they will remain in the old year, and the family will acquire new ones in the new year.
In Finland and Norway it is not customary to praise a person in public. This is considered gross flattery and may even hurt the person you are praising.
In China, it is not customary to give anything related to the number 4. This number symbolizes death. It is not customary even to designate floors there with the number 4. They go like this 1,2,3,5,6,
In India, it is not customary to give thanks for a gift. This is considered bad form. You can praise the donated thing.
In the United States, it is not customary to pay for a woman in a taxi, open the door for her, report things for her ... because she can take this for sexual harassment and turn to the authorities with a complaint.
In Greece, it is not customary to praise utensils or pictures of the owners at a party. According to custom, the owner will have to give it to you.
It is not customary in Georgia to leave the glasses of guests empty. The guest may or may not drink, but his glass will always be full.
Greetings from different nations various. At the meeting, a Chinese man asks: "have you eaten?"
Many of the traditions on which the lifestyle of the Russian person was built have been erased from our historical memory or have been reduced to the simplest and uninteresting actions. Let's try to recall the main ones in our minds.
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http://sun-helps.myjino.ru/sop/20180711_sop.mp3Birth of children
Maternity hospitals in Russia appeared only in the 18th century, but they were intended for the poor or those who were going to give up their children. Before the revolution, they tried to give birth to children at home, or even better - in a bathhouse, in a warm place, away from prying eyes. Following signs, in order to facilitate childbirth, the braids were unraveled to the woman in labor, jewelry was removed from her, and she was unbelted. All chests, cupboards, windows and doors had to be opened. The midwives helped the women in labor. Moreover, they helped not only during childbirth, but also after them. For the first few days, they did housework. On January 8, the feast of "woman's porridge" was celebrated, on which it was customary to thank the midwives and present them with gifts.
Name day, not birthday
It was the name day, that is, the day of the angel, and not the birthday, that every new year in a person's life was celebrated. Under Soviet rule, this vestige of the tsarist regime was gradually eradicated. The very nature of the holiday became different: now the emphasis was on physical, not spiritual, birth. Until the 17th century, the morning of the birthday person began with prayer and communion. Then, as an invitation to the name day, pies baked the day before were brought to relatives and friends. The one who brought the cake said: "The birthday boy ordered to bow to the cakes and asked to eat bread." Pie was the main dish of the holiday. They broke it over the birthday man's head, so that "gold and silver would fall on it, like crumbs."
Home construction
Building a house was not only difficult and responsible, but vital. Construction began with an acquaintance with the place where the owner was going to build a house. In order to determine the place, there were many signs. For example, in the evening a dry sheep skin was laid on the ground, and in the morning it was squeezed out. If the skin remained dry, it means that the construction will bring ruin to the owner. Or they cut off a slice from the loaf, sprinkle it with salt and put it there. If during the night the bread had time to disappear, they gave it to the dog and began to build. Several coins were placed under the foundation of a house under construction and the house was consecrated.
Moving with a brownie
When moving to new house one should not forget about the brownie who faithfully lived with you for many years. To prevent the brownie from staying in the old place, the owners took a broom with them. Also, before moving, they put old, not sharp things in a small box and put it outside the threshold for 10 minutes. Then the brownie moved with the owners to a new place.
Fist fights
Fistfight was not just a fight for fun or prowess - it was one of the ways warriors were raised. Initially, there were no rules in it: it was called a coupling fight, and in it everyone was for himself, everyone fought with everyone. Later, fist fighting turned into a martial art with its own rules and tactical techniques. Here it was impossible to use weapons, to beat a prone and fight could only be done with fists. There were three age groups: boys, unmarried boys, and adult men. The fight was fought wall to wall, that is, in teams, and each team had a leader. Fistfights were condemned by the Church and banned from time to time, starting in the 17th century. After the revolution, they were banned altogether.
Raising Warriors
Of course, fistfights were not the only tool for educating warriors. As soon as the boys were young, they played in the king of the hill, heap-mala, ice slides. They also had wooden swords as toys. And the young princes almost three years they wore military weapons on their belts. The rite of initiation of a boy into warriors took place when he was two or three years old: the boy was tonsured and put on a horse. The older he got, the more often he was taken to battle or hunting. Already in adolescence, princes often took up swords.
Christmas and Yuletide
By Christmas, the house was cleaned and the tree was decorated. On Christmas Eve, they ate only once: when the first star appeared in the sky. Moreover, the food before Christmas was lean. The holiday began the next day. A bundle of straw was placed under the tablecloth on the Christmas table, and an iron object was placed under the table. It was believed that everyone who put their feet on it would be healthy all year round. Traditional Christmas dishes were goose baked with apples, cold chicken, salted cucumbers, greens, tomatoes, salads, pickled fruits and berries, pies and pies. Christmastide continued until Epiphany. People had feasts, dressed up in terrible disguises, smeared themselves with soot, portraying a blacksmith, went to visit each other, caroling, guessing.
Of course, all these traditions relate more to Christianized Russia.... But as we all well know, most of the traditions came from pre-Christian times, the times of sun worship. So Christmas became one of the great sunny holidays - the day winter solstice when a new baby Sun Kolyada is born. We hope, someday, we will learn about the real ancient traditions of our ancestors, sun worshipers, who lived in constant and natural unity with the forces of nature and the upper world.
The Russian people carefully honor the ancient traditions that appeared in the days of Russia. These customs reflected paganism and the worship of idols, which replaced them with Christianity, the ancient structure of life. Traditions arose in every everyday occupation of the inhabitants of Russia. The experience of older generations was passed on to young followers, children learned the worldly wisdom from their parents.
In the old Russian traditions, such traits of our people as love for nature, hospitality, respect for elders, cheerfulness and breadth of soul are clearly manifested. Such customs take root among people, it is easy and pleasant to follow them. They are a reflection of the history of the country and the people.
Main Russian traditions
Russian wedding
Wedding traditions ancient Russia rooted in pagan times. Weddings within and between tribes were accompanied by worship of pagan idols, themed chants and rituals. At that time, the customs of different villages were different. A single rite is born in Russia with the advent of Christianity.
Attention was paid to all stages of the event. Families meeting, bride and groom meeting, matchmaking and bridegroom - everything happened according to a strict scenario, with certain actors... Traditions touched upon baking a wedding loaf, preparing a dowry, wedding dresses, and a feast.
The wedding was considered to be the central event in the wedding celebration. It was this church sacrament that made marriage valid.
Russian family
From time immemorial, the Russian family has accepted and honored the traditions and family values of its people. And if in past centuries there were persistent patriarchal foundations in the family, then by XIX century such foundations were of a more restrained traditional character; in the 20th century and at present, the Russian family adheres to moderate, but familiar traditions of Russian life.
The head of the family is the father, as well as older relatives. In modern Russian families, father and mother are in equal degrees of supremacy, equally engaged in raising children and organizing, conducting family life.
However, common traditional and Orthodox holidays, as well as national customs are celebrated in Russian families to this day, such as Christmas, Maslenitsa, Easter, New Year and intra-family traditions of wedding, hospitality and even in some cases tea drinking.
Russian hospitality
Meeting guests in Russia has always been a joyful, kind event. The wanderer, tired from the road, was greeted with bread and salt, offered to rest, led him to the bathhouse, paid attention to his horse, changed into clean clothes. The guest was sincerely interested in how he went, where he was following, whether his travel goals were good. This shows the generosity of the Russian people, their love for their neighbors.
Russian loaf
One of the most famous Russian flour dishes that were prepared for holidays (for example, for a wedding) exclusively married women and put on the table by men, is a loaf, considered a symbol of fertility, wealth and family well-being. The loaf is decorated with various dough figurines and baked in the oven; it has a rich taste, attractive appearance worthy to be considered a real work of culinary art.
Russian bath
Bath customs were created by our ancestors with special love. A visit to a bathhouse in ancient Russia pursued not only the goal of cleansing the body, but also a whole rite. We visited the bath before important events and holidays. It was customary to wash in the bath slowly, in a good mood, with close people and friends. The habit of dousing with cold water after the steam room is another Russian tradition.
Russian tea drinking
The appearance of tea in the seventeenth century in Russia, not only made this drink a favorite among Russian people, but also laid the foundation for the classic Russian tea tradition. Such attributes of tea drinking as a samovar and its decorations make tea drinking cozy at home. Drinking this aromatic drink from saucers, with bagels and pastries, with a bite of sawn sugar - traditions were passed down from generation to generation and were observed in every Russian home.
Russian fair
In traditional holidays folk festivals opened their doors in Russia, various fun fairs. What could not be found at the fair: delicious gingerbread, painted handicrafts, folk toys... What could not be seen at the fair: buffoons, games and amusements, carousel and dances with round dances, as well as the folk theater and its main regular host - the mischievous Petrushka.
Even at the time of paganism, the ancient Russians had the deity Kupalo, personifying summer fertility. In his honor, in the evenings, they sang songs and jumped over the fire. This ritual act has become an annual celebration of the summer solstice, mixing pagan and Christian tradition... The deity Kupalo began to be called Ivan after the baptism of Rus, when he was replaced by none other than John the Baptist (more precisely, his folk image), who baptized Christ himself and whose Christmas was celebrated on June 24.
Pancake week
In the old days, Maslenitsa was considered a holiday of remembrance of the dead. So burning Shrovetide is her funeral, and pancakes are a memorial treat. But time passed, and the Russian people, greedy for fun and relaxation, turned the sad holiday into a daring Maslenitsa. But the tradition of baking pancakes remained - round, yellow and hot, like the sun, and horse-drawn sledding and sleigh rides with ice mountains, fist fight, mother-in-law get-togethers. Shrovetide rituals are very unusual and interesting, as they combine the completion of the period of winter holiday rituals and the opening of a new, spring period of holidays and rituals, which were supposed to contribute to obtaining a rich harvest.
Wedding
Along with other Russian traditions, wedding traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation are also of great interest.
In Russia, traditions are honored, passed down from generation to generation. Some traditions appeared a little earlier, and some later. In this article, we will consider those customs that have survived to this day.
Divination by the betrothed
After the baptism of Russia, the traditions of paganism and Christianity intertwined. On the eve of great holidays Christianity (Christmas, Epiphany and others), it was customary to carol and guess. Today, there is also such a tradition, the same fortune-telling is used. Fortunetellers gathered in whole groups to find out about their future (wealth, family, children). For fortune-telling, a variety of objects were used - dishes, clothes, mirrors. Today, girls also get together and guess, but now this is done more for entertainment than to find out their fate.
Also, people gathered in a group in order to sing carols. People gathered, walked around the house. Everyone wished the owners all the best, sang songs, and in return they wished for brews, coins, and treats.
At festive celebrations on the occasion of a wedding, at fairs and other events, it was customary to dress up in masks, dress in animals. People hung themselves with bells to make it as noisy around as possible. People were dancing and having fun.
Sowing
The tradition of sowing at a party on the eve of Christmas has come down to us. Children and young people gathered in groups, went into houses without asking, threw grain on the floor, singing songs. Such a ceremony promised the owners a rich harvest and happiness. The sowing children were thanked, presented with coins and sweets.
Advice
This tradition is very fun and the kids love it. First, because they can have fun, and second, because they get sweets and coins. At the same time, you can sow not on Christmas, but on the Old New Year. At Christmas, kutya is usually worn.
On Shrovetide week we eat a pancake, and on the last day of the week we burn a scarecrow. This rite has also come to us for a long time. The stuffed animal was made of straw. This ceremony was a farewell to winter and a greeting to spring.
When did the tradition of celebrating the New Year appear?
Previously, the New Year came on September 1st. But then Peter the Great issued a decree that the new year begins on January 1. In addition, Peter ordered to decorate houses with coniferous branches, to fire up a cannon salute. And all people had to congratulate each other and wish all kinds of blessings.
Champagne
Champagne was not always drunk. The Russians became acquainted with the sparkling drink after the war with Napoleon. Champagne was served at all social events, in particular, at New Year's festivities.
Balls
During the reign of Catherine, balls and masquerades were held with dance and music. Nobles dressed beautifully, everyone tried to stand out. This tradition can be traced back to our New Years celebration.
The tradition of celebrating the Old New Year
Foreigners are always surprised when they hear the name of this holiday. It cannot be said that this tradition began from ancient times, but it is almost 100 years old. After the revolution of 1917, power passed to the Gregorian calendar, and there was a difference of 13 days between them. But people did not stop celebrating the New Year in the old style. And over time, a new holiday appeared - Old New Year. This day is always widely celebrated and loved by all residents. They do not prepare for it on such a large scale as for the New Year, but all the same, it is celebrated. As a rule, in a circle of close people.
Output:
There are many traditions. Almost all of them came from ancient times. This is not to say that everyone follows them everywhere. But most people honor them. We cannot say which traditions will come to us later. And we cannot say how long they will take root, whether whole generations will follow them. But we know for sure that these traditions have existed for a long time, and, for sure, they will continue to be followed.
How the tradition of celebrating the New Year in January appeared
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