29:
139:
420:
1299:
434:, as it symbolises a rich harvest, the prospect of wealth and the power of new life vested in the grain gathered during the Summer. The latter probably explains why in many regions the grain from the wreath is used as the first batch of grain threshed and set aside for next year's sowing (for instance this practice is common in the
461:
Originally the pre-Christian rite was performed on the autumn equinox (23 September). With time the rite became more closely associated with the actual end of fieldwork in the particular region. However, the time between the end of harvest and the festivities varies from area to area. For instance,
410:
was a large, human-sized pancake made of newly threshed grain from that year's harvest. If the pancake was large enough for the priest to hide behind it, the Slavs believed next year's harvest would be equally rich. Apparently a wreath made of the last straws left on the field at the end of the
441:
Originally the wreath was in fact a decorated sheaf of grain, decorated with field flowers, ribbons and braided straws. In fact such wreaths were still being made in Poland in the 1930s. However, with time other forms of wreath became more popular, including the now-typical round wreath, but
486:
In Poland, where the tradition has survived since pre-Christian times, it is known as the largest agricultural holiday and a time for celebrating the hard work of peasantry throughout the whole year. It has been observed after the harvest since the time of the
282:
or the last batch of cereal reaped from nearby fields. The women would then turn it into a wreath and offer it to the guest of honour (usually the organiser of the celebration: a local noble, the richest farmer in the village or – in modern times – the
495:. While many regional variants of this festival have existed throughout the history of the Polish nation, there were three elements that could be found everywhere: ritual cutting of the last ears of crops, making a wreath and marching with it to the
581:
and the completion of the harvest ritual, falling in many places August 15 (28), in other places celebrated in
September. By mid-August harvest grain ends, hence the name of the holiday. Includes the rituals associated with last (dozhinochnym)
548:
can have a religious or secular character, but they always involve observing traditional customs associated with the end of the harvest season. In the case of a harvest festival of a religious nature, thanks for the crops are usually given to
1191:
1259:
386:
As with many other Slavic feasts and rites, the origins of Slavic harvest festivals are unclear, in large part due to lack of historical documents from pre-Christian times. It is certain however, that
398:) formed mostly agricultural cultures and worshipped deities associated with working the land and passage of seasons. For instance every year at the end of the harvest the West Slavic tribe of
445:
The sheaf or the wreath is usually brought back into the village by a ceremonial procession. It is often blessed, either by a
Christian priest, or in an extra-religious way. For instance in
1169:
1111:
578:
1157:
589:
The festival's practice was almost lost in Russia during the Soviet period. In the post-Soviet period this folk tradition in some countries has been recreated as an official holiday.
1163:
921:
Niewiadomski, Donat (1991), Bartmiński, Jerzy (ed.), "Semantyka ziarna w inicjalnych rytach siewnych" [Semantics of grain in rites of initiation associated with sowing],
295:
In Poland, where the tradition survived to modern times, the feast and accompanying rituals are known under a variety of names depending on the region. The prevalent term is
1271:
1234:
1106:
637:
1229:
259:
cult of plants, trees and agriculture. In the 16th century in
Central and Eastern Europe it gained a Christian character and started to be organised by the
1174:
1101:
1090:
1209:
828:
453:. In other regions however it is the priest (Catholic, Orthodox or Greek Catholic) who is brought to the site where the final celebrations take place.
802:
1283:
1380:
1216:
1264:
366:(often dubbed the feast of the Mother of God of the Herbs in both Polish and Belarusian), hence the names of Green Feast (Belarusian:
1061:
270:
While there are many regional varieties and traditions, most have some aspects in common. Often the peasants or farmers celebrating
1335:
28:
880:
132:
Varies by region; August 15 (28); in Poland: 23 September; In some regions of Russia: September 8 (21) or
September 14 (27).
1350:
1018:
911:
267:
as a means to thank the reapers and their families for their work, both during the harvest and during the past year.
1360:
986:
503:
521:, but folk customs remained an integral part of these celebrations; in the 1990s, following the collapse of the
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1345:
1325:
971:
371:
1340:
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138:
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took on a more political character and were used for propaganda efforts to highlight the strength of the
514:
1034:
1330:
1320:
1244:
1239:
903:
871:
Biernacka, Maria; Kopczyńska-Jaworska, Bronisława; Kutrzeba-Pojnarowa, Anna; et al., eds. (1981).
675:
673:
233:
103:
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1151:
163:
670:
1365:
1249:
1144:
1047:
1385:
1355:
423:
191:
53:
1196:
561:; these celebrations are cultivated mostly by neo-pagan religious minorities, referring to the
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211:
81:
554:
435:
1009:] (in Russian). Vol. 3. Moscow: Международные отношения; Институт славяноведения
248:, in modern times it is usually celebrated on one of the Sundays following the end of the
8:
583:
562:
399:
331:
279:
202:
72:
1288:
471:
363:
224:
154:
94:
870:
679:
537:
525:, authorities restored the more religious meaning of the festival that was present in
362:). In Belarusian culture it is often associated and intermixed with the feasts of the
326:
Similarly, in
Belarus there are a variety of names in use, including the Feast of the
1116:
1014:
990:
967:
946:
930:
907:
884:
449:
the wreath is usually brought to the church for the
Catholic priest to bless it with
419:
478:
and the manor, before being threshed and the grain immediately sowed in the fields.
470:
in southern Poland the wreath was traditionally blessed already on the Feast of the
598:
557:. However, in some parts of Poland it is ethnic Slavic gods who are revered during
256:
241:
182:
44:
879:]. Biblioteka etnografii polskiej, nr. 32 (in Polish). Vol. II. Wrocław:
1140:
1134:
897:
836:
174:
64:
929:, Lublin: Uniwersytet Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej. Wydział Humanistyczny: 83–103,
442:
crown-shaped, oval or rectangular wreaths are also popular in various regions.
238:
216:
86:
1314:
950:
934:
888:
509:, and finally a feast and entertainment with traditional dances. After 1945,
391:
114:
994:
1223:
603:
536:) has been intermittently observed since its creation in 1927 by president
522:
403:
1298:
566:
492:
387:
1007:
Slavic antiquities: etnolinguistic dictionary in 5 volumes, Vol. 3 (K-P)
1202:
1128:
474:(15 August); it was then stored for a night or two in the house of the
450:
395:
275:
1277:
1180:
1096:
532:
In present-day Poland, a nationwide "Presidential
Harvest Festival" (
488:
430:
The wreath is a central feature of most celebrations associated with
327:
660:
658:
467:
1122:
899:
The Rites of Rulers: Ritual in
Industrial Society - the Soviet Case
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It is the ethnolinguistic phenomenon in the history the day of the
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260:
1039:
541:
1083:
655:
446:
264:
249:
245:
284:
829:"Rodzimowierco, kim jesteś? U nas też czczą słowiańskich bogów"
463:
252:, which fall on different days in different regions of Europe.
1003:Славянские древности: Этнолингвистический словарь в 5-ти томах
785:
783:
729:
727:
725:
723:
721:
719:
717:
715:
702:
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1001:Усачёва, В. В. (2004). "Обжинки". In Толстой, Н.И. (ed.).
780:
770:
768:
766:
751:
712:
697:
644:. Centralna Biblioteka Rolnicza im. Michała Oczapowskiego
550:
1192:
Feast of the translation of the relics of Saint
Nicholas
586:, the ritual of "curling beard" and a celebratory meal.
763:
685:
244:. In pre-Christian times the feast usually fell on the
168:
966:] (in Polish). Warszawa: Sport i Turystyka; Muza.
411:
harvest was also believed to possess magical powers.
196:
142:
Side road effigy during Dożynki festival near Wrocław
58:
739:
34:
Last sheaf. Russia. Photos of the early 20th century
849:
274:gather in the fields outside their village, form a
1312:
877:Ethnography of Poland: changes in folk culture
1055:
983:Podłaźniki: studja z dziedziny sztuki ludowej
287:or other representative of the authorities).
1267:(Feast of the Protection of the Holy Virgin)
920:
873:Etnografia Polski: przemiany kultury ludowej
789:
757:
733:
255:The feast was initially associated with the
807:Oficjalny serwis internetowy gminy Inowłódz
529:while upholding the usual folk traditions.
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945:(in Polish). Lódź: Wydawnictwo Łódzkie.
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803:"Powrót Dożynek Prezydenckich do Spały"
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1381:Autumn holidays (Northern Hemisphere)
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960:Polskie obrzędy i zwyczaje doroczne
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620:
579:folk calendar of the Eastern Slavs
414:
402:would gather around the temple in
14:
1397:
1035:Day of the Divine Mother of Herbs
1028:
406:. Among the offerings to the god
881:Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich
827:Walczak, Grzegorz (2016-01-28).
1336:Folk calendar of the East Slavs
987:Muzeum Etnograficzne w Krakowie
864:
820:
795:
519:workers' and peasants' alliance
642:Rolniczy Magazyn Elektroniczny
636:Szymańska, Aleksandra (2015).
1:
896:Lane, Christel (1981-06-18).
609:
456:
346:), Great Spazha (Belarusian:
323:are also used in some areas.
958:Ogrodowska, Barbara (2004).
941:Kuchowicz, Zbigniew (1975).
614:
572:
481:
358:) and Dazhynki (Belarusian:
124:The end of the harvest crops
7:
1272:Saturday of Saint Demetrius
1235:Feast of the Prophet Elijah
592:
197:
169:
59:
10:
1402:
1280:(Feast of Saint Demetrius)
1245:Apple Feast of the Saviour
1240:Honey Feast of the Saviour
904:Cambridge University Press
565:beliefs attributed to the
381:
1295:
1197:Ascension of Jesus Christ
1152:Feast of the Annunciation
1075:
981:Seweryn, Tadeusz (1932),
544:. Modern celebrations of
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1351:Slavic words and phrases
1250:Nut Feast of the Saviour
1145:Forty Martyrs of Sebaste
515:Polish People's Republic
338:), Aspazha (Belarusian:
290:
426:. Dożynki. Poland, 1910
424:Alfred Wierusz-Kowalski
354:), Talaka (Belarusian:
350:), Zelnya (Belarusian:
228:
98:
16:Slavic harvest festival
1361:Observances in Ukraine
1302:
1260:Nativity of the Virgin
1187:George's Day in Spring
906:Archive. p. 124.
809:. Gmina Inowłódz. 2009
638:"Krótko o Dożynkach …"
466:in central Poland and
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220:
178:
143:
90:
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1376:September observances
1346:Observances in Russia
1326:Belarusian traditions
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1107:Vigil of the Epiphany
680:Biernacka et al. 1981
422:
141:
1341:Ukrainian traditions
1230:Feast of Saint Peter
1013:. pp. 448–452.
534:Dożynki Prezydenckie
438:of Central Poland).
436:Holy Cross Mountains
709:, pp. 448–452.
563:Slavic Native Faith
462:in the vicinity of
1371:August observances
1303:
1289:Saint Nicholas Day
833:Wyborcza.pl Kielce
472:Assumption of Mary
428:
364:Assumption of Mary
263:and more affluent
144:
1331:Polish traditions
1321:Harvest festivals
1308:
1307:
1131:(Cheesefare Week)
1117:Festival of Veles
1102:Vigil of Vasiliev
790:Niewiadomski 1991
777:, pp. 35–36.
758:Niewiadomski 1991
734:Niewiadomski 1991
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1170:Bright Week
1158:Palm Sunday
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493:Middle Ages
388:North Slavs
212:Prachystaya
82:Prachystaya
41:Also called
1315:Categories
1265:Pokrov day
1203:Green Week
1141:Sfințișori
1129:Maslenitsa
1076:Feast days
985:, Kraków:
973:8372009473
842:2020-09-21
813:2020-09-21
648:2020-09-21
610:References
457:Time frame
451:holy water
396:East Slavs
332:Belarusian
276:procession
203:Belarusian
73:Belarusian
1278:Mitrovdan
1181:Radonitsa
1112:Candlemas
1097:Christmas
951:461813952
935:0860-8032
889:0067-7655
856:Lane 1981
615:Citations
573:In Russia
482:In Poland
372:Dormition
234:Dormition
225:Kashubian
192:romanized
164:romanized
155:Ukrainian
104:Dormition
95:Kashubian
77:Прачыстая
54:romanized
1123:Pre-Lent
995:17816736
593:See also
553:and the
408:Svetovid
376:Успленье
317:żniwniok
313:wieńcowe
305:obrzynki
265:peasants
229:Òżniwinë
198:Obzhynki
170:Obzhynky
151:Dozhinki
99:Òżniwinë
69:Obrzynki
60:Obzhynki
22:Dozhynki
1255:Dożynki
1091:Bozhich
1084:Kolyada
559:dożynki
546:dożynki
513:in the
511:dożynki
502:or the
491:of the
447:Masovia
432:dożynki
382:History
368:Зялёная
360:Дажынкі
352:Зельная
344:Гаспажа
321:okrężne
309:wieniec
301:wyżynki
297:dożynki
272:dożynki
237:) is a
207:Дажынкі
194::
187:Обжинки
183:Russian
179:Dożynki
166::
159:Обжинки
147:Dożynki
91:Dožínky
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1164:Easter
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468:Kraków
464:Kielce
404:Arkona
390:(both
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356:Талака
340:Аспажа
299:, but
239:Slavic
175:Polish
65:Polish
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584:sheaf
542:Spała
498:chata
476:elder
291:Names
280:sheaf
217:Czech
87:Czech
1015:ISBN
991:OCLC
968:ISBN
947:OCLC
931:ISSN
908:ISBN
885:ISSN
505:dwór
400:Rani
394:and
392:West
285:wójt
129:Date
1011:РАН
551:God
540:in
319:or
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