Holidays of the Slavs - Proletye (Farewell to spring)

Proletye is a pagan holiday of the ancient Slavs, which later transformed into a folk Christian festival. Sometimes it was called Farewell to Spring, Sowing, Happy Day. It fell on the 1st (according to the new style - on the 14th) season (May), at which time they finished plowing and prepared for sowing. After the adoption of Christianity, Farewell to Spring coincided with the day of remembrance of the prophet Jeremiah, and the holiday sometimes began to be called Eremey Zapashnik or Eremey Sower. Orthodox Christians believed that the prophet Jeremiah rode in a chariot through the spring fields and listened to the prayers of those who asked for a good harvest. But the pagans believed that on this day Yarilo walked through the fields in a white robe and a crown of poppies, and where he stepped, shoots appeared. On this day they glorified Zhiva, the gentle goddess of late spring and fertile summer. After the end of the holiday, people already called her Maya Goldilocks. She was the mother of Triglav and the wife of the Sun. During the day, various rituals of awakening the earth were performed, for example, the ritual of plowing: with a plow they outlined a vicious circle around the village for the health and well-being of its inhabitants. Wise old men, respected by the whole family, were invited into the world (to a meeting): they went out into the field and decided together when to start sowing. The women organized a joint meal: they set up samovars, cooked May porridge over a fire, and brought pies and larks made from dough from home. The youth competed in prowess, had fun, sang songs, and burned a straw effigy. All games were dedicated to Yarila, the god of the flowering of life. At night, the Slavs lit large bonfires, which were a symbol of the coming summer. On Eremey it was customary to perform rituals to drive out snakes. The Slavs also observed ants: the better their appearance, the richer the wheat harvest would be. After the adoption of Christianity, a tradition arose of organizing prayer services in the field. On this day, people performed rituals to cleanse the body: they washed themselves and performed ablutions in rivers, not forgetting about the purity of their thoughts and aspirations.