Holidays in Belarus

Holidays in Belarus

The roots of Belorussian culture come from the pre-Christian times and have a lot in common with traditions of other European cultures.Traditional rites,music and art elements are widely used in cultural life at present, and they illustrate the connection between the old and young Belorussian culture.

Like other countries,Belarus has its own holidays. There are of two kinds:

1)traditional national holidays and

2)religious holidays

National holidays are both-a public celebration and a personal event in the family.

New Year’s Day is one of them.It is a popular public holiday which is widely celebrated in every family.Long before New Year’s Eve, people begin to buy New Year cards,toys and presents.In the shop windows you can see Father Frost with Snow Maiden on a sleigh full of presents.Most families welcome the New Yearat home.There`s usually a fur tree in the house decorated with toys and lights.

A lot of deliciousfood is cooked for dinner which usually starts at 10 o`clock.A goose stuffedwith apples is a traditional New Year dish, but at the moment only rich people canafford to buy a goose, most of our population are buying chicken instead of geese. In our boarding school we never have goose with apples,so it is for us only a nice story how people are celebrating New Year.

The 8th of March is another national holiday when people show their love and respect for their mothers,grandmothers,sisters and girl-friends.It`s a tradition to present flowers and gifts to them.

We would like very much buy something for our mothers or relatives, but only very few parents are visiting us during the year, most members of our families are denied parents’ rights for different reasons. The state is taking care of us as well as our educators and tutors, but we long for a real family. Our teachers tell us, that in Belarus we have more than 30000 social orphans, and that this was only the case after WWII, but now we have no war and must still live separated from our parents. We often feel alone despite of different activities at school.

During the National or International holidays we feel very sharply that we have no family, mother or father, that we can’t walk around and do what we want. We always need permission from our educators to do anything, and every minute we depend on the decisions of others and are under control at every step. We understand that our teachers are responsible for us, but it is not easy for us as well.

There are two national holidays in May.The 1st of May is the holiday of labour and spring.It`s a merry holiday when people go out into the streets,there`s a lot of music and dancing everywhere,and you can watch fireworks in the evening.

Then comes Victory Day on the 9th of May.This day marks the victory of the Soviet people over the German fascism in the Great Patriotic War.People congratulate war veterans and express their gratitude to them and also remember those who gave their lives for the independence of our motherland.

We take care of veterans as well like volunteers and try to help them as we can: clean their houses, buy some food for them or medicine if they are asking us for that. They are like small children and very sensible because of their age. We like to talk to them and listen to them, because they saw a lot and know a lot of things. Many of them would like us to stay in their families, but they are old and law prohibits them to do so.

People who are younger are saying that it is very difficult to support, educate and raise us in their families because of the low standard of living, even if the state would help and support such families. I know that stereotypesexist,that we were born in bad families, so we are supposed to be bad children. Sometimes it is right,sometimes not, and I think it depends on the family and adults, the way they are taking care of their children.

We are taking part with the rest of the local population in the celebration of this event and put flowers to the monuments of the war heroes.It`s also a sad day for many families who lost their relatives during the war.Practically every family in Belarus lost one.

The 7th of November is traditionally observed as the day of the Socialist Revolution.On this day, there`s a military parade in the capital of the country and a salute in the evening.

In Belarus, people widely celebrate such popular Christian holidays as Christmas and Easter.And these religious holidays are public holidays for Catholics as well as Orthodox believers.

On Christmas Eve traditional food is cooked.It should include fish,mushrooms,pancakes and a Belorussian pudding made of barley.Traditionally, dinner table should be first covered with hay and then with a table cloth and the food.Christmas week is great fun.Young people go from home to home dressed as animals or other fairy characters,sing songs and dance.

One of the most important events in Belorussian culture is Kupalle-a holiday of nature with its roots deep in ancient times and connected with the soltstice.Many people take part in this holiday demonstrating a special repertoire of music and dance,spectacular rites.The celebration goes through the whole night.This custom shows the importance of traditions in today`s culture.

Certainly people are fond of holidays as they bring fun and excitement in everybody`s life. We are part of these events and try to follow national customs and traditions and later educate our own children in the same way, only in the family not in the boarding school. Statistics show that only 20% of the pupils form boarding schools have a chance to survive in any society, and I would like to be in these 20%, because I know that in this life you have to be strong enough and must have a goal to do something important not just fall down at the bottom of our society.

Mr. Nareiko Valentin

Boarding school #1

grade 9kadet

Smorgon

Belarus

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