Yarilin Day, or Top of the Summer - what kind of holiday, when it is celebrated, traditions and signs. Yarila-sun day Yarila holiday

Yarilin day - the day of the scorching sun.

This day in Russia, the Slavs have long dedicated to the god Yarila.

According to the old style, Yarilin Day or the Top of Summer was celebrated on June 18. According to the new style, they celebrate - July 1.

Myths about the god Yaril were spread throughout the territory inhabited by the Eastern and Western Slavs.

Outwardly, Yarilo looks like a young man with red hair, dressed in white clothes with a flower wreath on his head. This god moves around the world riding a white horse.

Distinctive features of the character of this god were fury, sincerity, purity. He personified the reborn sun, full of life-giving energy necessary for all earthly creatures.

There are versions that Yarilo is the god of the sun, Slavic Eros, the god of love and passion. This is the god of the life-giving forces of nature: when everything growing falls into a yard, that is, it becomes covered with greenery, begins to bear fruit, then the animals rage - they strive to produce offspring.

“Yarilo is a good fellow, he rides on a white horse,
on fair-haired curls - a wreath, in the left hand - a bunch of rye, in the right - a club.
Waving Yarilo with rye - the fields grow fat, the bread is eared;
wave his club - thunders rumble, rains pour.
Where the horse steps, there is silk grass with azure flowers spreads,

This is how our ancestors painted the image of the deity.

The myth of the creation of life on Earth

It says that once upon a time, under the dark veils of Chaos and Cosmos, Mother Earth slept, and she slept soundly.

But now, Yarilo came to Earth and began to awaken her with his passionate kisses. Kisses carried in themselves sunlight and warmth, from which the Earth began to awaken.

At the place of each kiss, flowers, meadows, fields, forests were born on Earth - children conceived by Yarila. And the young god of the spring sun did not let up, continuing to shower Mother Earth with kisses. And rivers and lakes, seas and oceans were born on it. The earth heated up and got hot so that it gave birth to animals and birds, insects and fish from Yarila, which settled over its entire surface. All of them are children of Yarila. But then the turn of special kisses and special passion came, from which a person was born on Earth. And he became a favorite of the gods, after which they instilled in him a spark of reason - a spark from the world's sacred fire.

Since then, each person must honor his mother Earth, as well as the god of the spring sun Yarila, without whom a miraculous birth would not have occurred.

Rituals for the day of Yarila

On this day, it was customary to collect fragrant herbs and brew tea from them. Our ancestors believed that such a drink would help to cope with a variety of ailments.
Supernatural phenomena were expected on Yarila: the sun slowed down, and special “holes” formed on the earth, through which one could look at the other side of the world, and into the other world. To do this, it was necessary at noon to braid strong birch branches into a tight, strong braid and look through them from the steep bank of the river; they believed that in this way one could see loved ones about whom there had been no news for a long time.
On Yarilin week, conspiracies for prosperity are especially powerful.
Our ancestors, seeing a spider on this day, made a wish. Then they watched the spider: if he crawled down, then the desire would certainly come true, if up, then the plans were not destined to come true.
On Yarilin Day, children and pets are lightly beaten with willow twigs. At the same time, we wish them health and good growth.
Morning dew on Yarilin Day is endowed with special magic. On this day, she gives people beauty, strength or health, which they need more than anything else. To do this, you need to swim in the morning dew.
On Yarilin Day, the girls woke up early and washed themselves with morning dew, so that there would be no end to the guys all year.
It was believed that children born on this day could become the keepers of traditions, experts in all annual holidays and signs. The talisman of children who were born on Yarilin's day was the Agate stone.

How the Slavs celebrated Yarilin Day

On this day, they went to mowing, stuffed mattresses with freshly cut and dried grass. In the evenings, they gathered around the fires, had fun, danced round dances, brewed fragrant herbal teas.

They also arranged "Yarilin games", fairs, visits to relatives. The holidays were accompanied by fisticuffs, songs, dances and reckless fun.

At the celebration, a bride was chosen for Yarila and named her Yarilikha. The girl was dressed in all white, her head was decorated with a wreath and, tied to a lonely standing tree, danced around her, singing songs:

Yarilo dragged around the world,
He gave birth to a field of life,
He gave birth to children,
Where will he step
There is a living wall
And where does he look
There the spike will bloom.

The youth gathered outside the village, in a sunny clearing - "Yarylin's Pleshka". Here, the festivities were noisy all day long, the people ate, sang, danced and honored the young man and girl in white clothes, decorated with bells and bright ribbons - Yarila and Yarilikha.

With the onset of darkness, numerous "Yarilin fires" were lit.

Folk omens for July 1 - Yarilin Day

Yarilin holiday was called special; they said that he was "waited for a whole year," that it was "every day."

The people believed that spiders predict the weather on Yarila: if insects leave their nests and make a new web, then you should wait for long good weather. If the spider itself tears its web and hides, then this foreshadowed bad weather.
Fog in the morning - the day will be hot and sunny.
Pink sunset in the evening - the next day will be hot.
The new moon on this day is a drought.
If you can hang a bucket on the horn of the month, the weather will be dry for two weeks.
A lot of midges in the fields - to a successful hunt for quail.
Ravens soar under the clouds - to bad weather.
Morning fog spreads along the lowlands - the coming days will be fine.
Wind screw - to fine days.
A lot of dew - millet will be born.
Fedul looked into the yard - it's time to cram sickles, preparing for the harvest ahead of time.
In the sun, the dress fades, and lying on the morning dew, it takes on beauty from the dawn.
That's what hay dew is for, so that the eyes become sharper.
There is dew on the grass - the scythe walks easier.
Go to the sun two mowing - you will not walk barefoot.
The evening dawn is golden yellow with pink reflections - for good weather.
Whirlwinds with a screw - for sunny weather.
In July, thunder and lightning keep even the sparrows from falling asleep.
In July, the yard is empty, but the field is thick.
In July, the sun burns without fire.
In July, the clouds go with the wind, from August - against.
Hay dew will straighten a stooped man and improve his health.
If you wash yourself with dew before mowing, you will be beautiful.

Echoes from the past

The name of Yarila is preserved in the names of many Slavic villages. These are the Yarylovaya Grove and the Yaryn River in Belarus, the Yarilovo Field in the Kostroma Region, the Yarilov Valley in the Vladimir Region.

The people of the Hutsuls, the Carpathian highlanders, call the spring yar, and among the Kostroma people, yar is heat and ardor. Yar is also a stream of water rapidly rushing during the spring flood. Ardent means quick-tempered, enraged. Yaritsa - a field of wheat.

Many people were and remain the namesakes of the young, reckless god Yarila. These are Yaropolk, Jaromir, Yaroslav and Yaroslava, Yarina.

April 23 was considered the Day of Yarila ("Yarilo Veshny"). On this day, an important rite is performed - "Opening the Earth", or in another way - ZaROD (birth). On this day, Yarila "unlocks" (fertilizes) Mother Cheese-Earth and releases dew, from which the rapid growth of herbs begins.

By the time of the celebration of Yarila of the Spring, Nature completes its main spring cycles of awakening from winter sleep, and therefore this day is celebrated by the people as the day when the god Yarila on his white horse circles the White Light. On his way, Yarilo always visits the forests - in order to give his instructions to the wolves. A very common rite of respect for Yarila Veshny is feeding wolves, that is, contributing to the ecosystem, thereby enabling young, fragile animals not to become prey to wolves that have starved for the winter. Therefore, in the Russian folk tradition, the day of Yarila Veshny is also known as St. George's Day - the day of the "wolf shepherd".

The main motive for the celebration of Yarila Veshny, who defeated Filth in the first days of Spring, is ritualism dedicated to protection from the “offspring of foulness” (diseases and other adversities), which can be dealt a crushing blow during this Sacred Time. Thus, unlike Lelnik, whose ritualism is aimed at gaining, the ritualism of Yarila Veshny is aimed at getting rid of everything superfluous, be it economic, social or personal troubles. The best assistant in this matter is Yarilo himself, that is, the Light from this God, which on this day symbolizes both the weapon of victory over filth (Ray is the traditional image of Yarila's Spear) and the gift that the Winner brings to the Earth.

The only condition for a successful rite is the absolute sincerity and purity of the request, because the Conqueror of Filth will not tolerate its manifestation in a person. The best option for addressing the Sun is the Meeting of the Dawn held in a secluded place. At all times, such rituals on Yarila Veshny were considered the best, and often the only, means of getting rid of damage, the evil eye, curses, as well as any other diseases (including incurable ones).

An equally important side of the ritual of this day is washing or, literally, bathing in the Morning Dew - since the healing properties of the Sunlight are transmitted most of all to this Dew. On the day of Yarila Veshny, Russian folk tradition attaches special importance to Dew and Light, as indicated by the custom to plow the land on this day from early morning until late evening, and then continue playing on the same field, already immediately until sunset. Therefore, this is one of the few holidays in which it is necessary to work, and not just relax.

Speaking about the sacred part of the Celebration of Yarila Veshny, one should note the constancy in the fight against filth and its fruits. In this confrontation, there is also a strict rule - a merciless struggle (in a sacred war). Therefore, this Sacred Day is a Men's Day (of the god Yarila), for Women (of the goddess Leli) are characterized by peacefulness (which is unacceptable in the fight against the serpent Filth). The militancy inherited by the male sex from the god Yarila is a characteristic feature of the Russian People, who in each of their historical eras opposed the invaders, who at all times were seen precisely as the Serpent (Serpent, Serpent-Gorynych, etc.). Therefore, the god Yarilo is the patron of all liberation wars and everything connected with national dignity.

The image of the god Yarila, ready at any moment to pierce the snake with a spear, indicates that every man, even a worker (and not just a warrior), tends to be filled with Sacred Fury in the Fight against Filth in an instant. Therefore, the best and only gift for this Holiday can only be a Weapon, which, contrary to superstition, does not need to be “paid” at all when donating, since it is given not for fun, but in the name of Protection - especially the one who gave this Weapon. Therefore, a gift for Yarila Veshny becomes a talisman for the donor himself.

The religion of the ancient Slavs is one of the most interesting objects for study not only for cultural researchers, but also for an ordinary modern person. After all, the desire of people to learn about the past of their people is increasing day by day. How many unusual Slavic holidays the life of our ancestors was full of. What gods did they worship, and what rites did they perform to honor their gods? These and many other questions are becoming truly interesting for modern man.

The Slavic calendar is considered one of the most interesting and at the same time complex aspects of ancient Slavic culture to study. Our ancestors hunted, fished, sowed, harvested and even held family celebrations, based only on the Slavic calendar.

June 4 - Yarilin Day is considered one of the most important summer pagan holidays of the Slavs. This holiday of the great god, symbolizing the arrival of spring, the revival of not only nature, but also human relations, as well as fertility.

How did the ancient Slavs celebrate Yarilin Day?

This day was a symbol of the fact that spring is receding, and summer is gaining full power, entering into legal rights. Our ancestors believed that on this day Yarilo endows nature with magical powers, so at dawn it was necessary to wash with dew, which had healing properties. It was customary to sprinkle their house and fields with bread with the same dew, the ancient Slavs believed that after that they would receive Yarila's protection and his mercy. There was also a sign that after Yarilin's day the heat would last exactly seven days, because it is not for nothing that the symbol of God is the Sun.

The next step after the ritual with morning dew was

initiation into warriors. After a series of trials, young boys were initiated into warriors, and they became real defenders of their clan and their family. After that, a chic and magnificent feast was held in the field, to which the whole village gathered, all its inhabitants, young and old. There were obligatory dishes on the table, without which the holiday simply could not be imagined: sweet pies, eggs in different variations, even scrambled eggs, as well as a large number of sweets. And one of the offerings to the god Yarila on the table was beer. In the evening, one of the elders of the village gathered the children near the fire and told stories about the warriors-defenders of their people and, of course, about the pagan gods and their strength. At this time, young girls and boys led round dances and danced, there was real fun.

Also on Yarilin day, in good weather, in the morning, for the first time, cattle were driven out to pastures, thereby the cattle received part of Yarila's strength and favor. In this rite, willow branches and certain conspiracy prayers were necessarily used. The ancestors believed that after such a pasture, God would protect the cattle from disease and death, and thereby protect the people from hunger.
The Yarils tried to coincide with the celebration and glorification of various fairs, which were accompanied by folk festivals, entertainment for men and women - real fun for everyone.

Yarilo - the Sun - the Most Serene Heavenly God-Patron of Earthly Life. Yarila is the patron of all Light, Pure. Good. Heart Thoughts and Thoughts of people. Yarila is the keeper of Good and Pure Hearts and our day Luminary, which bestows warming warmth, love and full life on all those living on Midgard-Earth. The image of Yarila-Sun is often depicted in everyday life in the form of various swastika symbols and horses.

In Russia they said: “Yarilo is a good fellow, he rides on a white horse, on fair-haired curls - a wreath, in his left hand a bunch of rye, in his right - a club. Yarilo waved his rye - the fields grew fat, the grain was eared, he waved his club - thunders rumbled, it rained. Wherever the horse gets up, there is silk grass with azure flowers.

Some believe that this is not only the god of the sun, but also the Slavic Eros, the god of love and passion. Others believe that this is the god of the life-giving power of nature: when everything growing falls into the yard, that is, it becomes covered with greenery, begins to bear fruit, then the animals rage - they strive to produce offspring. Fairs and games were timed to this day. The holiday was accompanied by fisticuffs, songs, dances. In the evening, people had fun around the fires, sang songs, danced young people, fragrant herbs, brewed medicinal teas.

The news of the ancient festivities is so unreliable and changed by local conditions that it is difficult to get to their source - Yarilin Day belongs to those. What time did he show up? What honors were given to him? These questions cannot be answered definitively. From ancient sources (M. Zabylin) it is only known that the holiday was accompanied by wild fun in the Kostroma, Tver, Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan, Tambov and Voronezh provinces, and perhaps in many other places. Fisticuffs, games and fair gatherings made up his amusement.

Yarilo is a cheerful, rampant god of passion and prowess. Yarilo will look at the oncoming one - he is drunk without beer, drunk without hops; will meet the eyes of Yar-Khmel with a beautiful girl, - in an instant she will throw her into the heat: she would have thrown herself on someone’s neck ... And around him, along his entire path, along Yarilina’s road, flowers bloom, no step, no span - all spirits, all brighter, more flowery.

In Voronezh for a long time, until 1763, there was a folk game, Yarilo. It was performed before the conspiracy at Peter's post. On the eve of the game, snacks and festive clothes were prepared, and then, at dawn, the crowds moved out of the city to a large square located outside the Moscow outpost. The girls dressed up one another better: red boots (boots), a multi-colored reserve with wide sleeves, a white shirt and several multi-colored ribbons woven into a braid, heralded the annual and solemn celebration. Well done also did not miss the opportunity to show their smart clothes. Traders set up tents in the pasture in advance and laid out delicacies, toys and small goods on the tables. This fun was a mixture of a fair with a noisy holiday festivities.

Songs, dances and music accompanied the general fun. Among these amusements, one man was dressed up in a colorful dress, he was decorated with flowers, ribbons and bells were hung on him; a tall paper cap with a rooster sultan was put on the head, which was decorated with fantastic images; his face was blackened or blushed, trinkets and a mallet were given into his hands. Children with a drum beat announced the Yarilov procession.

A crowd of walkers flocked to this spectacle. The mummer was strutting about in the square and dancing; he was joined by other dancers who treated him to gingerbread, makovina, pies - in a word, everything that they brought for their treat. When the fun was in full swing, arbitrary games were made; from them they moved on to valiant amusements - fisticuffs.

An ancient, time-honored custom, many, many years after the disappearance of the primitive marriage-abduction from the memory of the people, forced mothers not so long ago to send girls to “bride in marriage” to Yarilin games. At the latter, the most free circulation of young people of both sexes among themselves was allowed. At the same time, however, everything is accompanied by complete decency. The gathering starts a game of "burners". Those who have looked out for brides stand in pairs with the girls they like in a long row; one of them, to whom the lot “burn” falls out, steps forward of everyone and calls out: “I’m burning, burning, stump!” - "What are you burning for?" - asks him some beautiful girl. - "I want a red maiden!" - "Which?" - "You, young!" After that, one couple rushes in different directions, trying to grab their hands again, and the “burning” one tries to catch the girl before she has time to run away with the guy standing with her earlier. If the “burning” one catches the girl, then he becomes a couple with her, and the one who remains lonely “burns” instead of him; but fails to catch - he continues to chase other couples. During the Yarilin revelry, hugs and kisses were allowed, performed under branchy trees that hid couples.

There are areas where the Yarilin holiday begins with the fact that the girls - in a round dance - choose one of themselves, dress it up in flowers and put it on a white horse. All participants of the game are dressed in festive attire, with wreaths of wild flowers on their heads. At the same time, in White Russia they sing a song about the god Yaril and his joyful and cheerful walking around the white world:
And gdzezh en naked -
There lives a hood,
And gdzezh en ni zyrne -
There is an ear of bloom! ..

In Yarilin's week, according to the superstitious idea of the people, all kinds of love conspiracies have especially irresistible power - for dry spells, for sweethearts and for the heat of the moment. “On the sea in Kiyan,” says one such conspiracy, “there was a tomb, in that tomb lay a maiden, a child of God (name)! Get up, wake up, dress up in a colored dress, take flint and flint, set fire to your heart zealously for the child of God ((name) and follow it into melancholy and sadness!

Almost everywhere, the ancient custom has been preserved - to go to the graves at this time to the dead. Here everyone is treated, leaving what to treat and lying in the damp earth. In some places they treat not only the dead, but also brownies: leaving the house, they leave the table set and laden with various foods and drinks. Great happiness awaits that owner who, returning home, will find everything eaten and drunk.

“Yarilo spring yarit!”, “Targeting for Yarila, bargaining is good. There is a sense, but the whole is pounded! says the village about this time. "Yarilo Kupala is calling!" - the people continue to pour out jokes with the eloquent people: - “From Yarila to Agrafen-swimwear is within easy reach!”, “A woman drinks on Yarila, gets drunk on Kupala!”

On the fourth - seventh (because the weekend) of July, the modern Slavs are trying to celebrate the holiday of Yarila, Yarilin's day. Unfortunately, they were thirteen days late. Why? Because they still confuse the old and new style of reckoning, therefore they do not follow the sun. Yarilo is the God of the Sun, and the time of his power is from the natural holiday of the spring equinox on March twenty-second to the summer solstice on June twenty-second. Trying to celebrate a Slavic holiday Yarilin day fourth - seventh of July, alas! That means thirteen days late. I'll tell you how Yarila was honored and when they celebrate Yarilin day . Meanwhile Slavic holidays in July note day Months.

Slavic holiday Yarilo in July, the life-giving power of the Sun

Yarilo - young, bright, unbridled God of the Sun. Rules from the twenty-first - twenty-second of March to the twenty-first - twenty-second of June.

Just remember that Yarilo - young, bright, God of the awakening of Nature, a symbol of male power and yar, Patron of fertility, love, childbearing.

This is a male god. The best qualities of this God, embodied in a man, make such a husband the most attractive for love, creating a family.

Yaropolk, Yaroslav, Jaromir, Yarosvet- these are Slavic male names that have absorbed the bright light of the sun.

Ardent - hot, fiery, spring - sown in the spring, yarun - current black grouse, yari - spring, passionate, full of young strength. All these wordsSlavic paganism- from the image bright Yarila - the Sun.

folk song in honor of Yarilo

Slavic holiday Yarilo - the winner

Its symbol is a spear, an arrow, a rotating solar sign, similar to the ancient weapon of a warrior. Yarilo - also the God of the Victorious War. It was believed that the Yarilo-Sun had no pity for enemies, therefore a defeated enemy is the best offering to a deity. Very masculine.

All Slavic holidays dedicated to this God, andYarila holidayespecially, imbued with this masculine energy of strength and victory. Slavs - men were sun-worshippers, they drew strength to defeat enemies, love women and be the protector of the family. Therefore, it is important to knowwhen they celebrateYarilin Day!

Yarilo sign

How many Yarila holidays are there in a year? Yarilin day.

Honor Yarilo more than once per year, this is understandable. But he comes to us, in accordance with the circle of life, different Yarila, sometimes young, sometimes old.

Let's start the description from the twenty-first to the twenty-second of March. The day of the spring equinox, the holiday of Komoyeditsa, turning into Calls of Spring. How to call Spring without Yarilo - Lelya! People clean the nearest elevation, usually called Yarilina's bald patch, dance round dances, burn bonfires, call the gentle beauty Lelya and the victorious Yarilo.

Comes Yarilo Redon this day as youth, as the awakening of nature. But realSlavic holiday Yarila still ahead!

The twentieth of April is coming.Yarilo- the one without which it is impossible to hold a holiday of spring fertilityApril twenty third . This is the top of the first mermaids, the Lyolnik holiday -Yarilin day! Exactly Yarilo Buiny, like maturity, the riot of life, the power of sowing, descends on Mother Earth Cheese, unlocks it with its key.

The day when Yarilo unlocks Svarga, puts dew on Mother Cheese-Earth, when the masculine vital principle triumphs and new life is born in the fields, in the forests. With this action, the rapid growth of grasses and trees began, spring began, and summer too. Yarilo keeps flowers on trees, fruits, greenery, offspring of herds, takes care of a generous autumn harvest. This day is calledYarilin day.

folk sayings

The time of Yarilino, like no other Slavic Deity, lasts a long time - until the twenty-first - twenty-second of June, the day of the summer Solstice. This is the day Yarilo Yasny , a symbol of old age, summing up and reaping the fruits.

That's why twenty second of June there is a farewell to Yarila, sometimes rituals even acquire funeral options.

Farewell, ardent God!

Nature tends to be calm. There will be summer for a long time, there will still be sunny days, but the spring fury has already gone, this is absolutely correct from the point of view of the annual cycle.

What is the Slavic holiday of the Month?

The month is not the moon, first of all. This is a standalone character.Slavic paganism. There are different legends about him, some are connected with his love for the star-maiden Dennitsa.Slavic holidays in Julyit is he who is honored, the young and fervent Month.

Let me remind you of the words from the beautiful fairy tale of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.

"The Tale of the Sleeping Princess"

It is tonight that you can celebrate the modest Slavic holiday of the Month - go out into nature with your loved one, holding hands, look at the sky. And maybe your love will be so strong that you will see the miracle of this holiday - this Month, in honor of its holiday, runs from place to place, shimmers with all the seven colors of the rainbow. They say that people saw it, and then lived happily ever after.

It has long been believed that contemplation of this will increase strength. And if you already see that the month is playing, it will seem, then hide behind a cloud, which means you will have a good harvest and easy harvesting, a prosperous summer. And if it is clearly visible, shines clearly, then the autumn will be warm and dry.

That's how many reasons to meet the right oneSlavic holiday in July!

Read our next article “Calendar rites on Churov's day. Born for death, and dies for life, ”by clicking on.