Green week: Difference between revisions

Green week
Green week
	Semik, lubok, 19th century
Also called	various names in Slavic languages Belarusian: зялёныя святкі, зелянец, сёмуха; Bulgarian: русалска седмица; Czech: rusalné svátky, rusalje; Polish: zielone świątki; Ukrainian: зелені свята, русалії; Russian: зелёные cвятки, русальная неделя, русалии;
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

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Green week, or the green holidays, 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 Eastern European 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.

The green week is followed by Trinity week, also known as the holiday of the Trinity in Eastern Christianity. It is also widely known as Whitsuntide week in the English-speaking world, especially Great Britain, and is inaugurated by the celebrations of Trinity Sunday, the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity.

Observance

On Semik (the Thursday of the green week), funeral rites are held for the unclean dead (those who had died before their time).^[2]^[3] Birch trees are particularly significant, because they are considered hosts for the souls of the deceased.^[1] Sometimes people honor a particular tree by decorating it or carrying it around. At other times, people cut birch branches and hang them in their homes.^[1]^[2] The birch is also seen as a symbol of vegetative power, and may be honored with people's hope that it will bring its vitality to the coming season's crops.^[2]

Springtime and fertility rituals are also important to the holiday. Girls bring offerings of fried eggs (a symbol of rebirth) and beer to birches, and speak 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 is destroyed at the end of the festivities. It is usually drowned,^[1]^[2] "in order to provide the needed rainfall for the sprouting crops".^[4]

Association with rusalki

The rusalki are nature spirits (navki, mavki) associated with green week traditions. They derived their name from Rusalii, another name for the 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 are believed to be more active, making them a greater threat to villagers.^[2] One precaution villagers take during this week is to avoid swimming, because rusalki are thought to live in the water and could drown passersby.^[2]

Related observances

There is a similar holiday celebrating Pentecost in Romania, called Rusalii.^[5] There are also similar Germanic traditions, for example, Pfingstbaumpflanzen in Germany. In modern-day Poland it is celebrated along with Pentecost Sunday as Zielone Świątki.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Sokolov, Yuriy M. (1971) [1950]. Russian Folklore. Detroit: Folklore Associates. pp. 188–195. ISBN 0-8103-5020-3.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Ivanits, Linda J. (1992) [1989]. Russian Folk Belief. Armonk, New York and London, England: M. E. Sharpe. pp. 75–82. ISBN 0-87332-889-2.
^ ^a ^b Gasparini, Evel. "Slavic Religion". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
^ Joanna Hubbs. Mother Russia: The Feminine Myth in Russian Culture. Indiana University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-253-20842-4. Page 73.
^ "Rusalii (Pentecost) holiday customs: Calusarii dance". Romania Business Insider. Business Insider SRL. 2010-05-20. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2011-06-10. 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.

External links

Holy Trinity Day or Svyata Triytsya and Green Holidays in Ukraine Archived 2021-01-28 at the Wayback Machine

[:1-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Sokolov, Yuriy M. (1971) [1950]. Russian Folklore. Detroit: Folklore Associates. pp. 188–195. ISBN 0-8103-5020-3.

[:0-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Ivanits, Linda J. (1992) [1989]. Russian Folk Belief. Armonk, New York and London, England: M. E. Sharpe. pp. 75–82. ISBN 0-87332-889-2.

[:2-3] Gasparini, Evel. "Slavic Religion". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved December 21, 2018.

[4] Joanna Hubbs. Mother Russia: The Feminine Myth in Russian Culture. Indiana University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-253-20842-4. Page 73.

[rom-insider-5] "Rusalii (Pentecost) holiday customs: Calusarii dance". Romania Business Insider. Business Insider SRL. 2010-05-20. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2011-06-10. 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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[2]

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[4]

[5]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Slavic folk Christianity holiday}}
 {{about|the Slavic festival|the German trade fair|Green Week}}
+{{redirect|Semik|the Mari holiday|Semyk}}
-{{rewrite|date=August 2018}}
 {{Infobox holiday
-|holiday_name  = Green Week
+|holiday_name  = Green week
 |type          = ethnic
 |image         = Semik crop.jpg
 |imagesize     =
-|caption       = Semik. Russian [[lubok]]. 19th century
+|caption       = Semik, [[lubok]], 19th century
+|nickname      = {{Collapsible list|title=various names in [[Slavic languages]]|bullets=true|{{langx|be|зялёныя святкі, зелянец, сёмуха}}|{{langx|bg|русалска седмица}}|{{langx|cs|rusalné svátky, rusalje}}|{{langx|pl|zielone świątki}}|{{langx|uk|зелені свята, русалії}}|{{langx|ru|зелёные cвятки, русальная неделя, русалии}}}}
-|official_name =
-|nickname      = {{lang-ru|Зелёные cвятки, Русальная неделя, Русалии, Семик}}, {{lang-uk|Зелені Свята, Русалії}}, {{lang-pl|Zielone Świątki}}, {{lang-sk|Králový týždeň}}
 |observedby    = [[Slavic people]]
 |litcolor      =
@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 |relatedto     = [[Pentecost]], [[Trinity Sunday]], [[Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar|Eastern Orthodox liturgical days]], [[Rosalia (festival)|Rosalia]]
 }}
-'''Green Week''' ({{lang-ru|Зелёные Святки}}, {{lang-uk|Зелені Свята}}, {{lang-pl|Zielone Świątki}}) is an ancient [[Slavic Europe|Slavic]] fertility festival celebrated in early June and closely linked with the cult of the dead and the spring agricultural rites. In Russian villages, the seven weeks after [[Easter]] were a time of festivity, and Green Week took place during the seventh week leading up to [[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>
+'''Green week''', or the '''green holidays''', is a traditional [[Slavs|Slavic]] [[seasonal festival]] celebrated in early June. It is closely linked with the [[cult of the dead]] and the spring agricultural rites. In Eastern European 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'''.
-Green Week is followed by '''Trinity Week''' ({{lang-ru|троицкие святки}}) in Russia, which also called [[Whitsun|Whitsuntide]] week in Britain. The end of Semik inaugurated the celebrations of '''[[Trinity Sunday]]''', which came three days later.
+The green week is followed by Trinity week, also known as the [[Trinity Sunday#Eastern Christianity|holiday of the Trinity]] in [[Eastern Christianity]]. It is also widely known as [[Whitsun|Whitsuntide]] week in the English-speaking world, especially [[Great Britain]], and is inaugurated by the celebrations of [[Trinity Sunday]], the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity.
 == Observance ==
+[[File: POL Zielone Świątki na Urzeczu 2017 01.jpg|thumb|Celebrants carrying green branches on river boats during green week celebrations, [[Urzecze]], [[Poland]], 2017]]
-The Thursday of Green Week was called Semik and included burial services for the unclean dead (those who had died before their time)<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Russian Folk Belief|last=Ivanits|first=Linda J.|publisher=M. E. Sharpe|year=1992 |orig-year=1989|isbn=0-87332-889-2|location=Armonk, New York and London, England|pages=75-82}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Slavic-religion#ref533514|title=Slavic Religion|last=Gasparini|first=Evel|website=Encyclopaedia Britannica|access-date=December 21, 2018}}</ref>.
+On Semik (the Thursday of the green week), funeral rites are 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 are particularly significant, because they are considered hosts for the souls of the deceased.<ref name=":1" /> Sometimes people honor a particular tree by decorating it or carrying it around. At other times, people cut birch branches and hang them in their homes.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> The birch is also seen as a symbol of vegetative power, and may be honored with people's hope that it will bring its vitality to the coming season's crops.<ref name=":0" />
+Springtime and fertility rituals are also important to the holiday. Girls bring offerings of fried eggs (a symbol of rebirth) and beer to birches, and [[Zagovory|speak 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 is destroyed at the end of the festivities. It is usually drowned,<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>
-On '''Semik''', funeral rites were held for the unclean dead<ref name=":0" />.  Birch trees were particularly significant to the holiday, 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, while other times people would cut birch branches and hang them in their home<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" />.
+== Association with rusalki ==
-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<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. Usually, it was drowned<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>.
-== Association with rusalka ==
 {{main article|Rusalka}}
-The [[Rusalka|rusalki]] nature spirits were another important figure to Green Week traditions. Some believe they were associated with deceased family members<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />, or perhaps only unclean dead<ref name=":0" />. Sometimes an honored birch tree would be named for a [[rusalka]] as part of Green Week<ref name=":1" />. Some of the rites of Green Week (like making offerings of eggs and garlands) were thought to placate the [[Rusalka|rusalki]] so they would stay away from the village's agricultural fields for the season and thus not bring them harm<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />.  The [[Rusalka|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<ref name=":0" />. During Green Week, [[Rusalka|rusalki]] were believed to be more active, making them a greater threat to villagers<ref name=":0" />. One precaution villagers took during this week was avoiding swimming, because [[Rusalka|rusalki]] were thought to live in the water and might drown passers by<ref name=":0" />.
+The [[Rusalka|rusalki]] are nature spirits ([[Nav (Slavic folklore)|navki]], [[Mavka|mavki]]) associated with green week traditions. They derived their name from ''Rusalii'', another name for the holidays. Some believe they were associated with deceased family members,<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> or perhaps only unclean dead.<ref name=":0" /> Sometimes an honored birch tree would be named for a rusalka as part of green week.<ref name=":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.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> 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.<ref name=":0" /> During green week, rusalki are believed to be more active, making them a greater threat to villagers.<ref name=":0" /> One precaution villagers take during this week is to avoid swimming, because rusalki are thought to live in the water and could drown passersby.<ref name=":0" />
 == Related observances ==
-{{see also|Rosalia (festival)|Pentecost}}
+{{see also|Rosalia (festival)|Pentecost|Semyk}}
-There is a similar holiday celebrating [[Pentecost]] in [[Romania]], called ''Rusalii''.<ref name="rom-insider">{{cite web | url = http://www.romania-insider.com/rusalii-pentecost-holiday-customs-calusarii-dance/1984/ | title = Rusalii (Pentecost) holiday customs: Calusarii dance | accessdate = 2011-06-10 | date = 2010-05-20 | work = Romania Business Insider | publisher = Business Insider SRL | quote = ''An important Romanian celebration is coming up this Sunday, May 23rd. It’s called Rusalii or the Descent of the {{sic|Holly}} Spirit (the holiday is also called Pentecost sometimes) and it is always celebrated by the Orthodox Church 50 days after Easter.'' | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110606103149/http://www.romania-insider.com/rusalii-pentecost-holiday-customs-calusarii-dance/1984/ | archive-date = 2011-06-06 | url-status = dead }}</ref> Also in Germanic tradition there is a similar tradition, for example, ''Pfingstbaumpflanzen'' in [[Germany]]. In modern-day [[Poland]] it is celebrated along with [[Pentecost|Pentecostal Sunday]] as ''Zielone Świątki''.
+There is a similar holiday celebrating [[Pentecost]] in [[Romania]], called ''Rusalii''.<ref name="rom-insider">{{cite web | url = http://www.romania-insider.com/rusalii-pentecost-holiday-customs-calusarii-dance/1984/ | title = Rusalii (Pentecost) holiday customs: Calusarii dance | accessdate = 2011-06-10 | date = 2010-05-20 | work = Romania Business Insider | publisher = Business Insider SRL | quote = ''An important Romanian celebration is coming up this Sunday, May 23rd. It’s called Rusalii or the Descent of the {{sic|Holly}} Spirit (the holiday is also called Pentecost sometimes) and it is always celebrated by the Orthodox Church 50 days after Easter.'' | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110606103149/http://www.romania-insider.com/rusalii-pentecost-holiday-customs-calusarii-dance/1984/ | archive-date = 2011-06-06 | url-status = dead }}</ref> There are also similar Germanic traditions, for example, ''Pfingstbaumpflanzen'' in [[Germany]]. In modern-day [[Poland]] it is celebrated along with Pentecost Sunday as ''Zielone Świątki''.
+== See also ==
+* [[Călușari]]
 == References ==
@@ Line 46: / Line 48: @@
 == External links ==
 {{Commons category|Zielone Swiatki (slavic festival)}}
-* [http://itsukraine.com/events/holy-trinity-day-or-svyata-triytsya-and-green-holidays-in-ukraine/ Holy Trinity Day or Svyata Triytsya and Green Holidays in Ukraine]
+* [http://itsukraine.com/events/holy-trinity-day-or-svyata-triytsya-and-green-holidays-in-ukraine/ Holy Trinity Day or Svyata Triytsya and Green Holidays in Ukraine] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128081740/http://itsukraine.com/events/holy-trinity-day-or-svyata-triytsya-and-green-holidays-in-ukraine/ |date=2021-01-28 }}
+{{Pentecost}}
-[[Category:Belarusian traditions]]
+{{Trinity Sunday}}
+{{Slavic mythology}}
+[[Category:Slavic customs]]
+[[Category:Slavic holidays]]
 [[Category:Folk calendar of the East Slavs]]
+[[Category:Pentecost]]
+[[Category:Observances in Ukraine]]
+[[Category:Observances in Belarus]]
+[[Category:Observances in Bulgaria]]
 [[Category:Observances in Russia]]
-[[Category:Neopagan holidays]]
+[[Category:Observances in Poland]]
+[[Category:Belarusian traditions]]
+[[Category:Bulgarian traditions]]
+[[Category:Czech traditions]]
+[[Category:Polish traditions]]
+[[Category:Ukrainian traditions]]
 [[Category:Russian folklore]]
-[[Category:Observances in Ukraine]]
-[[Category:Slavic customs]]
 [[Category:June observances]]
-[[Category:Slavic holidays]]
-[[Category:Ukrainian traditions]]
 [[Category:Summer events in Ukraine]]