Green Christmas time is a complex of various holidays, which is often called mermaid week, trinity week. Sometimes they coincided with the mermaids, one of the holidays that was celebrated during this period of time was Semik.
In the article:
Green Christmas and Mermaid Week
As you know, green Christmas time is an important period for the entire Slavic people. The Russians called so the 7 days that were before the Trinity, on the territory of Ukraine, the Green Christmastide was the period from Thursday, 7 weeks after the Trinity to the next Tuesday.
Mermaid Week in 2017 begins immediately after the Trinity and lasts from June 4 to June 11.
Throughout this period, several important holidays are celebrated.
- Monday: Day of spirits, Name day of the earth, Seeing off mermaids, Ivan da Marya, Bathing Day, Holy Spirit.
- Tuesday: Day of water, Kostroma, Seeing off spring, Parents' day, Seeing off mermaids.
- Wednesday: Hailstone, Buralomy, Dry environment.
- Thursday: Rusal Easter, Kiselev day.
Ancestral customs for Trinity week
On Trinity week, usually all young people put on beautiful mermaid costumes and held extensive festivities. Young girls tried to frighten passers-by as much as possible, so they loosened their long hair, wandered around the houses in their shirts, which frightened the neighbors.
It was believed that during this period you can not only protect yourself from the effects of otherworldly forces, but even communicate with them. That is why our ancestors left shirts on the banks of reservoirs, in forests and swamps, in order to.
But it was believed that these water creatures needed to be appeased, otherwise they would intrigue and steal cattle. That is why our ancestors left various gifts on the same banks of reservoirs: salt, bread, clothes.
It was believed that if a person ignores such precautions, then the mermaids will begin to intrigue him.
Signs and beliefs on green Christmas time
According to tradition, on Tuesday, our ancestors began to call on mermaids, they performed various rituals and tried to appease them. The belief says that if a person does not leave some food for the sea spirit near the house, then various misfortunes will surely fall on him. For example, the family will be in poverty, ugly children will be born, someone will get sick.
According to a sign, in Buralom, on Wednesday, it was impossible to whitewash canvases, and a storm was waiting for those who violated the ban. At the end of the mermaid week, on Sunday, it was necessary to arrange a big holiday.
It was believed that on this day, sea spirits leave people and say goodbye to them for a whole year. If the peasant did not perform the rite of farewell, then the mermaids could even come after him and drag him away with them.
Rituals and ceremonies in the Russian week
One of the most common ways of divination was this. Starting Thursday morning unmarried girls they had to bake meat pies, and at exactly midnight throw them into the reservoirs. It was believed that in this way the girl appeases the mermaid and may even ask her to send her betrothed. The following text must be repeated three times:
Oh, the red girl is spinning, I'm tired of living without my betrothed, beloved. Mavonka, little mermaid, invoke my fate, so that my heart does not languish, so that it reaches out to me, so that we can see each other and play a wedding.
It was believed that if a girl performs such a ritual, then within a month she will meet her love. Often, young guys also used this rite, changing the words in the conspiracy (“the red girl is spinning” - “well done,” etc.).
Our ancestors were sure that if a girl wants her lover to finally call down the aisle, then her close friend should make her a big wreath of herbs for the mermaid week, weave a handkerchief of the chosen young man into it.
After that, the girl who wants to get married had to put it on herself and at exactly midnight go to the shore of the reservoir. The wreath fell on the water, and the girl had to whisper:
Wreath, wreath, you are made by the hands of my girlfriend, but to my joy she gave you. You swim a wreath, swim, and call my beloved to sit next to him this year, and play a wedding.
It was believed that after such a ceremony, the guy would soon take the girl as his wife.
What is Semik?
Sometimes this holiday is also called the Trinity of the Dead or Rusalchin Great day. It is celebrated exactly three days before Trinity. The main feature of such a day is the commemoration of the pledged dead.
On this day, extensive festivities were arranged, the girls guessed and spent various magical rites. For example, on this holiday they usually made old rite burials and commemoration of the poor in poor houses, which were located in the groves. Initially, rituals were performed on the graves of the dead.
In addition, our ancestors dressed up birch trees, decorating them with various ribbons, wove large wreaths of wild flowers, curled birch trees. On Wednesday, before Trinity, the girls quite often went to the forest and broke birch trees, and on Thursday or Saturday they returned to the selected trees with beer and scrambled eggs.
After that, they curled the trees and left gifts near the trees, sang songs, danced round dances. Why did they use scrambled eggs? Since ancient times, the circle has been considered a symbol of fertility. Surprisingly, the shells of the eggs that were used to prepare the dish were not thrown away.
She was carefully burned, after which she was crushed very well and collected in a separate bag. It was believed that a similar product, obtained on this particular day, has special healing properties. In some villages they also did roes. This is a special cake in the form of a wreath with eggs.
Sometimes, instead of scrambled eggs, the girls took these deer into the forest. In Siberia, there was a slightly different tradition, the top of a young birch was completely attracted to the ground and “braids” were made to it, connecting branches with tall grass.
Rusalia - mermaid days
Rusalia are very important days for our ancestors, on which they commemorated all the dead. It should be noted that Mermaid Days are winter and summer. The first ones were celebrated on the eve of Christmas and Epiphany, and the summer ones - after or on.
Usually people held big feasts, brought gifts to the resting places of the dead, such festivities sometimes lasted all night. It is worth noting that the church was extremely negative about such celebrations. In different places, Rusalii were celebrated in different ways.
For example, the southern Slavs believed that it was on these days that a mermaid could be found, so they cajoled the water spirits in every possible way. The Bulgarians were sure that the mermaid Wednesday is the 25th day after Easter, when these sea creatures are going to travel.
In Macedonia, the Mermaid Week, which lasted from until Epiphany, was of particular importance. At this time, men dressed in various costumes, arranged round dances, and walked along the streets of the villages.
It is important that participants in such events had to comply with clear dogmas. They could not be baptized before meals, they were forbidden to respond to neighbors' greetings, and at night the men did not return to their home and did not have contact with their family. 
On June 19, the Orthodox celebrate Trinity. The summer holiday is popularly called green Christmas time. The same tradition is followed in cooking - there must be salads from fresh young cabbage, leafy vegetables, and herbs on the table. Be sure to bake pies and loaves. Before Peter's Lent, they were treated to meat and fish dishes. Today folk customs on Trinity, you can modernize and prepare a festive dinner not only from seasonal, but also from "overseas" fresh ingredients, so that green color was dominant on the table.
Green salad
- Celery
- green asparagus
- cucumbers
- lettuce
- Avocado
- lime (juice)
- Yogurt
- natural honey
- Basil,
Peel the asparagus, form the shoots into a bundle, tie with kitchen string and boil in 2 liters. salted water, cool in cold water with ice and dry. Melt butter in a saucepan and fry. Drizzle the asparagus with lime juice. Put in a bowl. Cut cucumbers and other vegetables, tear leafy vegetables into small pieces. Mash the avocado with a fork and drizzle with lime juice. salt and mix with honey to taste. Add yogurt and finely chopped basil.
Green pea soup
- fresh green peas - 400 g;
- Onion - 1 PC.;
- Chicken bouillon - 0.5 l;
- Butter - 2- 3 tablespoons;
- Cream 20% - 150 g;-
- Salt, pepper to taste;
- Dill
Chop the onion and fry in a deep saucepan in butter. Add peas to it and fry, stirring, for another 5 minutes. Pour in the broth and boil it for 10 minutes. Add cream and remove saucepan from heat. Pour the vegetables with the broth into a blender and bring to a puree state. Salt, pepper, add finely chopped dill and the rest of the cream.
Pie "Trinity"
- Flour - 3.5 tbsp.
- Water -, 1.5 tbsp.
- Yeast - 20 g
- Vegetable oil -1 tbsp.
- Fried onion - 1 tbsp. l.
- Flour - 1 t.l.
- Mushrooms (dried)
- Greens, 2 tbsp.
Pepper, salt
Dissolve yeast in warm water and let rise. Mix with flour and water. When the dough rises, add vegetable oil. Knead the dough. Roll it into a cake and put it in a greased form.
Soak mushrooms in boiling water and boil, add onion, flour to taste, chopped herbs, salt and pepper. Add water and boil until thickened. Put the cooled filling in the middle of the form with the dough, pinch the edges, leaving the middle open. Put the cake in a warm place. When it rises, put in an oven preheated to 200 degrees until browned. Put the finished pie on a dish, sprinkle with chopped herbs and serve.
Trinity Chicken
- Chicken carcass - 1 pc.
- Potatoes - 8 pcs.
- Dry white mushrooms - 20 g.
- Onion - 1 pc.
- Sour cream - 3 tablespoons
- Flour - 1 tbsp
- Egg whites - 2 pcs.
- ground pepper
- Salt to taste
Process the chicken carcass - separate the meat from the bones. Salt, pepper, lightly beat off and fry on both sides. Boil the potatoes in their skins, remove them after cooking. Cut the chicken into portions, cover with boiled potatoes. Pour in mushroom sauce. Put the dish in an oven preheated to 200 degrees and leave for 5 minutes. Beat egg whites until stiff, pour over chicken and return to oven for 5 minutes.
Mushroom sauce: soak and boil the mushrooms, saute the onion in butter, add the toasted flour and season with sour cream.
Wine knot
- Apple - 4 pcs.
- Pear - 3 pcs.
- Dried cherries, raspberries, prunes, dried apricots - 0.5 tbsp.
- Carnation - 5 pcs.
- White table wine - 1 tbsp.
- Sugar - 0.5 st.
Rinse dried fruits, put in a saucepan, add cloves, a little cinnamon, pour water and cook until half cooked.
Then pour in white table wine, put sugar, bring to a boil several times, let it brew, cool and serve.
Chocolate gingerbread
- Cocoa - 2 tbsp. l.
- Flour - 2, 5 tbsp
- Egg - 2 pcs.
- Sugar - 1 tbsp.
- Butter - 100 g.
- Soda - 1 tsp
- Cinnamon - 1 tbsp. l.
- Honey - 5 tbsp. l.
- Powdered sugar - 5 tbsp. l.
- Water - 2, 5 tbsp. l.
Mix sugar, eggs, butter, soda, cinnamon, honey and put in a water bath for 10 minutes, stir until a homogeneous mass is formed. Remove from heat, add flour, knead not too steep, elastic dough. Put the dough into a silicone mold. Place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 15 minutes. Mix powdered sugar with water and heat a little until a homogeneous glaze is formed. Cover the gingerbread with glaze. Serve with mint tea.
Green Christmas time is a rather significant Slavic holiday period. There is also another name - Semik. In various parts of the Russian lands, the traditions of this holiday have been observed since ancient times.
Description
The next after this period is Green Christmas time - this is, in essence, the week before it. Sometimes the celebration is celebrated from Tuesday or Thursday until the end of the seventh week from Easter. In addition, there are a number of activities aimed at glorifying the transition between spring and summer. These are, for example, Ascension and Midlife.
Green Christmas time is a period of time, which in ancient times was also called Mermaid Week. The holiday was considered girlish, as, in fact, the Trinity itself. According to traditions, young girls could join the company of older friends, become interested in the opposite sex, conduct fortune-telling for their betrothed, and also come to gatherings held in autumn and winter.
Distinctive features
The features that the Green Christmas holiday has are in a subtle analogy between the beauty of a young girl and nature blooming from the rays of heat. After all, summer is a time of fertility, rich harvests and the triumph of natural beauty. During this period, ears of oats and rye grow, from which stocks were made for the cold season.
A fairly large-scale event in people's lives can be called Green Christmas time. Mermaid Week is dedicated to deceased loved ones and relatives. The emphasis is on the endlessly revolving wheel of life. Green Christmas time - the moment when the Slavs thought about the boundless power of nature.
At the end of the solemn period, they arranged a detour through the territory of the settlement. During this cavalcade, the villagers saddled their horses and walked along their native streets. Also, time was devoted to such games as Kralitsa.
Church attitude
For the first time, literary references to this tradition appeared on the pages of which date back to 1068. The text of this document contains reproaches directed towards the pagans, who turned to the “devil” to prevent drought.
Of course, the spirits with which the ancient Slavs tried to establish contact seemed unclean only to Christian priests. They considered such rituals to be heresy, because Green Christmas time is a custom that has remained in the habits of people along with old beliefs. No matter how they called this event, "playing with demons" as well. People believed that these days mermaids leave the water and are on land, next to a person, sometimes a certain contact can occur.
Precautionary measures
In order to prevent the troubles that were considered likely at Green Christmas time, bans were imposed on difficult work, solitary walks in the forest with livestock or light, rinsing clothes and tailoring. Of course, the rivers were the most dangerous area, so bathing had to be refrained from.
The times of greatest danger were considered midnight and noon. People believed that there was a risk of becoming a victim of mermaids and forever disappearing into the abyss of water at their will. In order not only to avoid such a fate, but also to benefit from communication with the river inhabitants, it was necessary to appease them properly. Therefore, after midnight, they organized festivities and singing, which the church authorities looked at without much approval. For example, in 1551, such rituals were condemned
Period
Centuries followed one after another, and Semik became more and more identified with the Trinity. There is no stable and unchanging date when Green Christmas time is celebrated. What date Semik passes must be determined differently every year. The starting point is Easter, in the seventh week after which this holiday is held on Thursday or Sunday. In 2016, Semik fell on June 16th.
So its name is quite logical, in itself suggesting the moment of implementation. Due to the proximity in time to the Trinity, one can speak of a strong mixture of pagan and Christian customs and their complete unification in the 19th century. In Russia, they celebrated on the same day as the Christian one, that is, on Sunday. Semik is no longer celebrated on the same scale as many years earlier. They remember him, adhere to the main ideas, observe some rituals, even if not always fully aware of their true meaning. In any case, this event preaches only bright and pure ideas.
Wake of the Restless
Important features that characterize Green Christmas time are fortune-telling, as well as the commemoration of the so-called mortgaged dead, by which they mean people who have passed away due to unnatural death. Such wires were carried out on Thursday.
At this time, the souls of these people could again find themselves in the world of the living, turn to Mavka in order to continue their existence. The church was against their commemoration. Also, the funeral process was different from the usual. It was believed that their bodies were rejected by the earth, and the spirit could not rest. Eternal wanderings and the inability to find a haven forced them to contact living people, and not always in harmless ways.
Many of them enter the service of evil forces or are themselves like demons. So Semik was the only period when people could properly commemorate such souls, somehow facilitating their existence.
natural symbol
Interesting traditions are associated with the Trinity tree, which is quite important symbol. The girls wove beautiful birch branches into their hair and made wreaths. Branches decorated the rooms in the house and the yard. They can also be seen in the church. This tradition is typical for both Siberia and the Volga region and many other regions.
They made a trip out of the village, to the field or to the forest, they found a young birch, which was called a semik, a bush or a pillar in different variations. Its branches were broken. Upon returning to her native settlement, she decorated places for games, used her during the conduct of round dances. People also came to the river and left twigs to float on its waves.
For the Tobolsk province, the custom of dressing a tree in a girl's dress was characteristic. Then he was carried around the houses, as if they were brought to visit, even symbolic treats and seeing off were carried out, ending with drowning in river waters. There were rituals in which a growing tree was used, it was curled and developed. Many people still know about them. Curling, which was most often carried out by girls, was carried out during Semik, while the reverse process was carried out at the time of the onset of the Trinity, as well as the Spirits of the day.
The magical properties of birch
Despite the fact that in the territories inhabited by the Slavs, there are a lot of varieties of trees, it was the birch that won people's love. While still young and fresh, she was considered the owner of magical energy aimed at ensuring fertility.
Getting a good harvest has always been a topic of concern for people. To make him really rich, the Slavs tried to appease higher power. Analyzing the customs of the peoples Western Europe, you can see that they have given a similar meaning
Such ideas are characteristic of totemism, which, as we see, even in the 21st century is firmly seated in traditions that have been entrenched over the centuries. In Russia, maple has always been of no small importance, with which many rituals were performed. In this regard, you can find such names as Klechny Monday and Saturday.
Rite of maturation
Much can be heard about the culling, which is an initiation held during the spring-summer cycle of holidays among the Slavs of the southern and western regions. In addition, this is a special kind of youth union.
In the east and the European part of Russia, this term is also found and is quite famous. Adult girls took part in the ceremony, forming pairs or groups of four. It also happened that the whole company immediately made friends, using the same wreath for everyone.
It was woven from branches. The process was accompanied by singing songs, driving round dances. Under the birches they brought food, which they later ate. The obligatory dish was scrambled eggs.
During the curling of wreaths, cumming was carried out. The rite consisted of tying branches into a circle, on which a cross was put on. Through it, the girls kissed each other in turn and exchanged things. It could be a ring or a scarf. After that, they were considered godfathers to each other.
Thus, the onset of puberty of young girls was noted. They were accepted into the society of older friends. Pummeling was carried out in the middle of the festive complex, which began with rituals associated with decorating and bringing a decorated trinity tree into the houses. It ended with a common girl's meal. Sometimes young men join them. In addition, with the help of wreaths, fortune-telling was carried out, a wreath was removed from a birch that had been put on it earlier.
Although the holiday has been around for many centuries, both ordinary citizens and creative associations still pay attention to it. They perform traditional Russian songs dedicated to old customs, create entire concert programs on this topic, for example, groups such as the Babkina Theater. Green Christmas time is a tradition deeply rooted in people's hearts.
GREEN HOLIDAYS (otherwise - RUSALIA) in the traditional Russian month-word (calendar) - a magical time dedicated to seeing off spring (Goddess Lely), honoring water spirits (mermaids) and birches, as well as commemorating the dead (including - mortgaged (that is, the dead before the deadline) of the dead).
Semik is the Thursday of the Russian week.
In ancient times, the beginning of the Green Christmas time, presumably, was associated with Yarilin Day (4 Sundays \ June), and the end of the Mermaids - the holiday of the summer Solstice - Kupalo.
Our ancestors associated mermaids with water and honored them by holding festivals and prayers for mermaids, considering them to be the spirits of rain, vegetation and fertility. Initially, mermaids were not depicted with fish tails, but in the form winged girls- Sirins. Mermaids were winter and summer. Winter ones were closely intertwined with New Year's incantational magic, and summer ones ("Rusal Week") - with prayers for rain. Mermaid girls were associated with birch trees. Thin, delicate, light, they became a symbol of the end of winter and the beginning of summer.
During Green Christmas time, it was customary to bring birch branches home (the branches of this tree, especially used in rituals, were considered among the Slavs a powerful amulet) and flowers, decorate everything with greenery.
The birch was a symbol of life, inexhaustible strength. Wreaths were woven from its leaves. They were then placed in pots and covered with earth to plant cabbage seedlings there. It was believed that the "Trinity plants" have magical powers.
The first flowers and birch branches were brought to the houses. When branches and flowers withered, they were not thrown away. It was customary to keep them all year in a secluded place. And when the harvest began, dry plants were mixed with fresh hay.
Mermaid rituals consist of two main parts: honoring birches and mermaids and commemorating the dead.
Honoring birches and mermaids.
Curling wreaths.
At the beginning of Christmas time (in Semik), the girls “curl wreaths” to the ritual birch. First of all, a protective circle is drawn around the tree (very often it is replaced by a girl's round dance singing ritual songs). Then, on a birch, they bend and tie the top or branches in the form of a ring (without breaking them!). These rings are called wreaths.
“I twist, I twist a wreath,
- Curl, birch.
I twist, I twist a wreath,
- Curl, curly.
Through the rings, the girls are skating. After a few days, the wreaths are sure to develop.
According to folk beliefs, mermaids come out of the rivers in spring and swing on rings of birch branches. People are trying to appease the water spirits, bringing them trebs.
"During the dirty week, the mermaids sat,
- Early, early.
Mermaids sat on a crooked birch,
- Early, early.
On a crooked birch, on a straight path,
- Early, early.
The mermaids asked for bread and salt,
- Early, early.
And bread, and salt, and bitter cibuli,
Early, early."
Tree feeding.
The tree is being fed - various food is left under it (the main ritual dish is scrambled eggs), cooked in bulk - that is, from products collected from all participants in the ceremony. Often the girls themselves eat under the tree (which can be understood as a meal together with the tree).
“Rejoice, white birch:
I'm going to you
Red yawns,
Tsebe carry
Cute yaeshni,
The burner is bitter
The violin is ringing "
Dressing up.
The birch is decorated with ribbons and scarves, sometimes it is completely dressed up in women's clothes. At the same time, the participants in the ceremony put on wreaths of birch branches and other greenery and dress up themselves. Most often, representatives of other gender and age groups were depicted: - as married women or men, sometimes - animals, devils and mermaids. Dressing up is a complex ritual that has many meanings: birch wreaths serve to liken girls to a birch, dressing up in clothes of the opposite sex and wearing masks (masks) of some animals - to ensure fertility, mummers depicting various spirits are, in fact, their representatives. In addition, dressing (according to folk ideas) serves as a way of protection from possible harm from the inhabitants of the Other World.
Cumulation.
This is followed by the rite of cumulation - through a curled wreath they exchange rings, scarves, earrings.
"- We'll have a gossip, gossip,
I twist, I twist a wreath,
- Kiss, dove.
I twist, I twist a wreath "
The Russians call the birch after curling the wreaths "kuma", and in one of the Belarusian ritual songs it says directly: "I made a feast, turned blue with a white birch". In later times, as a result of a rethinking of the original custom, an alliance was made with mermaids. Trying to appease the mermaids and ensure a fertile season rich in rains, people performed ceremonies of culling, as if inviting the mermaids to become their relatives.
Raskumlenie.
A few days later, the so-called shaming took place: tree branches were untied, decorations were removed, and the holiday approached its final phase - seeing off the mermaids. According to popular beliefs, mermaids came out of the rivers in the spring for a short time, and their stay on land beyond the prescribed period was harmful: they began to play pranks, trample on crops and cause inconvenience to people. A rite of passage is a delicate way to remind water spirits that it is time for them to return home.
Cutting down a birch.
After all the symbols of the holiday were removed from the birch, it was cut down (sometimes dug up by the roots) and carried to the village. There, they usually brought her into all the houses “for good luck”, and then they went around the village with her and threw the tree into the river. The birch thrown into the water was supposed to transfer its healing power to the water. It was believed that the drowning of the ritual birch in the river provides a sufficient amount of moisture for the whole summer.
Seeing off the mermaids
After the reckoning, the rites of "wiring" and even the "funeral" of the mermaid are performed.
A girl or a doll was dressed up as a symbolic mermaid. They performed a ceremony of wires, which ended at a rye or grain field. This was done to improve crop growth, in the hope that water spirits would help grow a decent crop.
Presumably, the rite of "cuckoo's funeral" held at Green Christmastide has the same meaning. The point is that the cuckoo folk tradition associated with mermaids, and in the Belarusian language the word "zozulya" means both a cuckoo and a mermaid. This ritual is as follows: the girls make a scarecrow out of grass or rags, dress it up in women's clothes, solemnly "baptize", and soon (maximum every other day) two chosen girls bury the "cuckoo" in a secret place.
In some areas, before seeing off the mermaids, a rite of driving the “mermaid” into the living room was held. In the Gomel region, it was done like this: they chose the most hilarious girl, let her hair down, took off her clothes, covering only her shoulders with something, wove a huge wreath and wrapped a “mermaid” around it. Then she was solemnly led into the rye with songs and drumming, during the procession torches were lit.
When they reached the place, they dragged the "mermaid" into the rye by force, tore the rest of her clothes and ran away. The girl ran after her fellow villagers, trying to stop them ... The purpose of this ceremony is to imitate the migration of mermaids to the crops, which is necessary for the water spirits to help the crop grow.
Commemoration of the dead.
During Green Christmas time, it is customary to commemorate the dead. Commemoration of the Ancestors was performed on a large scale
A special place at Green Christmastide is occupied by the commemoration of the pledged dead. In folk tradition, this is how people who died before their time are called: those killed, suicides, those who died from an accident, and also those who died at a young age, cursed by their parents and communicating with evil spirit(sorcerers and witches). "Pledged" are considered to be inclined to harm people, including sending all sorts of natural disasters(frost, drought, etc.). During the mermaids (and also during drought), it was customary to pour water on the graves of the drowned and the drunkards - it was believed that this helps to prevent (or stop) the disaster. The “mortgages” are commemorated separately from those who died a natural death, on time, the “clean” dead. This rite can be performed at any time, but Semik is a special day for commemorating this category of the dead.
other rites.
1) Walking in the living.
This ceremony was performed at the beginning or at the end of Christmas time: girls and women went to the fields to watch the crops. After the detour, they made a fire and had a feast around it. After eating, spoons (and eggshells) were tossed up with the words: “Let such a high rye be born, how high the spoon rises”; and then somersaulted on the ground shouting: "Rye to the barn, and grass to the forest!"
2) Seeing off or funeral of Kostroma.
In the Russian rites of "seeing off spring" ("seeing off Kostroma") - a young woman wrapped in white sheets, with an oak branch in her hands, walking accompanied by a round dance.
At the ritual funeral of Kostroma, it is embodied by a straw effigy of a woman or a man. The effigy is buried (burned, torn to pieces) with ritual mourning and laughter (cf. the funeral of Kostrubonka, Kupala, Herman, Yarila, etc.), but Kostroma is resurrected. The ritual is called was to ensure fertility.
3) Protective rites.
On the night of the Trinity, the girls and women plowed the village, thus creating a protective circle to protect against evil spirits. On the same day, in the west of Russia, a “cattle wedding” was performed: the shepherd brought two wreaths to the house, one of which was hung on the horns of a cow, and the second was put on the hostess, while performing magical actions.
4) Rites for love and marriage
The theme of love and marriage was one of the dominant in the process of celebrating the Mermaids. At this time, the girls wondered about marriage, to approach the matchmaking they performed various magical actions (for example, they made a furrow from their house to the young man's house).
