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|relatedto = [[Pentecost]], [[Trinity Sunday]], [[Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar|Eastern Orthodox liturgical days]], [[Rosalia (festival)|Rosalia]] |
|relatedto = [[Pentecost]], [[Trinity Sunday]], [[Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar|Eastern Orthodox liturgical days]], [[Rosalia (festival)|Rosalia]] |
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'''Green week''', or the '''green holidays''' ({{lang-ru|зелёные святки}}; {{lang-pl|zielone świątki}}), is a traditional [[Slavic Europe|Slavic]] [[seasonal festival]] celebrated in early June |
'''Green week''', or the '''green holidays''' ({{lang-ru|зелёные святки}}; {{lang-pl|zielone świątki}}), is a traditional [[Slavic Europe|Slavic]] [[seasonal festival]] celebrated in early June. It is closely linked with the [[cult of the dead]] and the spring agricultural rites. In Russian villages, the seven weeks following [[Easter]] have historically been a time of festivity. Green week takes place during the seventh week leading up to the [[Pentecost]],<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Russian Folklore|last=Sokolov|first=Yuriy M.|publisher=Folklore Associates|year=1971 |orig-year=1950|isbn=0-8103-5020-3|location=Detroit|pages=188–195}}</ref> and includes the seventh Thursday after Easter called '''Semik''' ({{lang-ru|Семик}}). |
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The green week is followed by Trinity week, also known as the holiday of the [[Trinity]] ({{lang-ru|Троицкие святки}}) in [[Eastern Christianity|Eastern Christianity.]] It is also widely known as [[Whitsun|Whitsuntide]] week in the [[English-speaking world]], especially [[Great Britain]], and inaugurated by the celebrations of [[Trinity Sunday]], the Sunday of Pentecost in [[Eastern Christianity]]. |
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== Observance == |
== Observance == |
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[[File: POL Zielone Świątki na Urzeczu 2017 01.jpg|thumb|Celebrants carrying green branches on river boats during green week celebrations, [[Urzecze]], [[Poland]], 2017]] |
[[File: POL Zielone Świątki na Urzeczu 2017 01.jpg|thumb|Celebrants carrying green branches on river boats during green week celebrations, [[Urzecze]], [[Poland]], 2017]] |
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On Semik (the Thursday of the green week), funeral rites were held for the unclean dead (those who had died before their time).<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Ivanits|first=Linda J.|title=Russian Folk Belief|publisher=M. E. Sharpe|year=1992|isbn=0-87332-889-2|location=Armonk, New York and London, England|pages=75–82|orig-year=1989}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Gasparini|first=Evel|title=Slavic Religion|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Slavic-religion#ref533514|access-date=December 21, 2018|website=Encyclopaedia Britannica}}</ref> [[Birch]] trees were particularly significant, because they were considered hosts for the souls of the deceased.<ref name=":1" /> Sometimes people would honor a particular tree by decorating it or carrying it around. At other times, people would cut birch branches and hang them in their homes.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> The birch was also seen as a symbol of vegetative power, and may have been honored with the hope of bringing its vitality to the coming season's crops.<ref name=":0" /> |
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⚫ | Springtime and fertility rituals were also important to the holiday. Girls brought offerings of fried eggs (a symbol of rebirth) and [[beer]] to birches, and [[Zagovory|spoke charms]] about improved harvest when weaving garlands for the trees.<ref name=":1" /> Another tradition is for girls to pledge vows of friendship before the chosen birch tree.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> Some believe this to be the remnant of ritual sexual activity associated with the cult of spring.<ref name=":1" /> Like [[Kostroma (tradition)|Kostroma]] during [[Maslenitsa]], a chosen birch tree was destroyed at the end of the festivities. It was usually drenched,<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> "in order to provide the needed rainfall for the sprouting crops".<ref>Joanna Hubbs. ''Mother Russia: The Feminine Myth in Russian Culture''. Indiana University Press, 1998. {{ISBN|0-253-20842-4}}. Page 73.</ref> |
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On Semik, funeral rites were held for the unclean dead.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> [[Birch]] trees were particularly significant, because they were considered hosts for the souls of the deceased.<ref name=":1" /> Sometimes people would honor a particular tree by decorating it or carrying it around. At other times, people would cut birch branches and hang them in their homes.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> The birch was also seen as a symbol of vegetative power, and may have been honored with the hope of bringing its vitality to the coming season's crops.<ref name=":0" /> |
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⚫ |
Springtime and fertility rituals were also important to the holiday. Girls brought offerings of fried eggs (a symbol of rebirth) and [[beer]] to birches, and [[Zagovory|spoke charms]] about improved harvest when weaving garlands for the trees.<ref name=":1" /> Another tradition is for girls to pledge vows of friendship before the chosen birch tree.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> Some believe this to be the remnant of ritual sexual activity associated with the cult of spring.<ref name=":1" /> Like [[Kostroma (tradition)|Kostroma]] during [[Maslenitsa]], a chosen birch tree was destroyed at the end of the festivities. It was usually |
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== Association with rusalki == |
== Association with rusalki == |
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Green week | |
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Semik, Russian lubok, 19th century
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Also called | various names in Slavic languages |
Observed by | Slavic people |
Begins | Easter + 42 days |
Ends | Pentecost |
Date | the week preceding Pentecost |
Frequency | annual |
Related to | Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, Eastern Orthodox liturgical days, Rosalia |
Green week, or the green holidays (Russian: зелёные святки; Polish: zielone świątki), is a traditional Slavic seasonal festival celebrated in early June. It is closely linked with the cult of the dead and the spring agricultural rites. In Russian villages, the seven weeks following Easter have historically been a time of festivity. Green week takes place during the seventh week leading up to the Pentecost,[1] and includes the seventh Thursday after Easter called Semik (Russian: Семик).
The green week is followed by Trinity week, also known as the holiday of the Trinity (Russian: Троицкие святки) in Eastern Christianity. It is also widely known as Whitsuntide week in the English-speaking world, especially Great Britain, and inaugurated by the celebrations of Trinity Sunday, the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity.
On Semik (the Thursday of the green week), funeral rites were held for the unclean dead (those who had died before their time).[2][3] Birch trees were particularly significant, because they were considered hosts for the souls of the deceased.[1] Sometimes people would honor a particular tree by decorating it or carrying it around. At other times, people would cut birch branches and hang them in their homes.[1][2] The birch was also seen as a symbol of vegetative power, and may have been honored with the hope of bringing its vitality to the coming season's crops.[2]
Springtime and fertility rituals were also important to the holiday. Girls brought offerings of fried eggs (a symbol of rebirth) and beer to birches, and spoke charms about improved harvest when weaving garlands for the trees.[1] Another tradition is for girls to pledge vows of friendship before the chosen birch tree.[1][2] Some believe this to be the remnant of ritual sexual activity associated with the cult of spring.[1] Like Kostroma during Maslenitsa, a chosen birch tree was destroyed at the end of the festivities. It was usually drenched,[1][2] "in order to provide the needed rainfall for the sprouting crops".[4]
The rusalki are nature spirits (navki, mavki) associated with green week traditions. They derived their name from Rusalii, another name for these holidays. Some believe they were associated with deceased family members,[1][2] or perhaps only unclean dead.[2] Sometimes an honored birch tree would be named for a rusalka as part of green week.[1] Some of the rites of green week (like making offerings of eggs and garlands) were thought to placate the rusalki so they would stay away from the village's agricultural fields for the season and not bring them harm.[2][3] The rusalki are also associated with water and fertility, and so may be invoked during green week in an attempt to bring their moisture and vigor to the fields.[2] During green week, rusalki were believed to be more active, making them a greater threat to villagers.[2] One precaution villagers took during this week was avoiding swimming, because rusalki were thought to live in the water and might drown passers by.[2]
There is a similar holiday celebrating PentecostinRomania, called Rusalii.[5] There is also a similar Germanic tradition, for example, PfingstbaumpflanzeninGermany. In modern-day Poland it is celebrated along with Pentecost Sunday as Zielone Świątki.
An important Romanian celebration is coming up this Sunday, May 23rd. It's called Rusalii or the Descent of the Holly [sic] Spirit (the holiday is also called Pentecost sometimes) and it is always celebrated by the Orthodox Church 50 days after Easter.
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