CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS OF BELARUS

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS OF BELARUS

Belarusian culture is the product of a millennium of development under the impact of a number of diverse factors. These include the physical environment: the ethnographic background of Belarusians (the merger of Slavic newcomers with Baltic natives); the paganism of the early settlers and their hosts; Byzantine Christianity as a link to the Orthodox religion and its literary tradition; the country's lack of natural borders: the flow of rivers toward both the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea; and the variety of religions in the region (Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Judaism and Islam).

Literature

The development of Belorussian literature, spreading the idea of nationhood for the Belorussians, was epitomized by the literary works of Yanka Kupala (1882- 1942) and Yakub Kolas (1882- 1956). The works of these poets, along with several other outstanding writers, became the classics of modern Belorussian literature by writing widely on rural themes (the countryside was where the writers heard the Belorussian language) and by modernizing the Belorussian literary language, which had been little used since the sixteenth century. Postindependence authors in the 1990s continued to use rural themes widely.

Unlike literature's focus on rural life, other fields of culture - painting, sculpture, music, film, and theater—centered on urban reality, universal concerns, and universal values.

Museums

Studying and realization of history and culture of Belarus, education of national self-consciousness among the citizens of this republic, their familiarization with the national and universal cultural heritage are promoted largely by museums. About 1500 exhibitions guiding visitors through various topics are opened by museums every year, starting from artistic collections and ending in natural history exhibits. Many museums have computerized their museum stocks.

Theatre

The tradition of Belarusian theatre is very ancient. It has started in the early middle ages as folk puppet theatres - Batlejka - and folk drama (usually biblical and knighthood plots), played during different seasonal celebrations. In general all of the traditional Belarusian celebrations and games have a theatrical element. During such holidays as Kaliady, Kupalle, Maslianitsa - folks are dressing as fantastic animals and persons enacting different strange situations.

Belarusian theater also began gain popularity in the early 1900s. One of Belarus's most famous plays, Paulinka (written by Yanka Kupala), was performed in Siberia for the Belarusians who were being sent to the region. Documentation of Belarusian folk music stretches back to at least the 15th century. Prior to that, skomorokhs were the major profession for musicians. 27 professional theatres working in our country are an evidence of successful development of Belarus' theatrical art. Today theatre is also very popular in Belarus. Currently, there are 27 professional theater groups touring in Belarus, 70 orchestras, and 15 agencies that focus on promoting concerts.

Cinema

Most of the Belarusian cinema is made at our main feature film studio - BelarusFilm. There are also many studios and unions of amateur movie makers. Of course, some materials are made by Belarusian national TV, local TV stations. In time we will provide more information on the history of Belarusian school of cinematography and its major figures. But at this moment we shall restrict ourselves to some movie reviews and contact information. These movies are characterized by deep realism, well developed psychological portraits of the heroes, experiment and search for new artistic solutions.

Premieres of Belarusian and world's best films are regularly held in all the regions of our republic, while the areas affected by the Chernobyl NPP accident annually have the Days of the Belarusian Cinema. Meetings with visiting cinematographers from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine are arranged every two years within the framework of the national festival of Belarusian films in Brest: films from various countries participating at festivals are annually demonstrated within the framework of the International Arts Festival "Slavonic Bazaar in Vitebsk"; the International Festival of Animated Cartoon Films "Animaevka" is held in Mogilev; Minsk plays host to the International Film Festival of the CIS and Baltic States "Listapad."

Libraries

Culture and spiritual values of the State are largely dependent on the work of libraries, with 41 percent of the republic's citizens being their readers. Informatization of the society gave rise to active computerization of libraries and transforming them into modern information centers. Today, 80 percent of public libraries use an automated library system. 123 of them opened public centers of legal information. Broadly accessible Internet-classes are also being created on the basis of libraries. Construction of a new building of the National Library was a major goal of the current five-year period. A wide range of library resources and various services provide an opportunity to use the Library for every citizen of our republic. The National Library has been and will remain to be an inexhaustible source of knowledge, a centre of intellectual life for many generations.

Festivals

The Belarusian government sponsors many annual cultural festivals: "Slavonic Bazaar in Vitebsk"; "Minsk Spring"; "Slavonic Theatrical Meetings"; International Jazz Festival; National Harvesting Festival; "Arts for Children and Youth"; the Competition of Youth Variety Show Arts; "Muses of Niesvizh"; "Mir Castle"; and the National Festival of the Belarusian Song and Poetry. These events showcase talented Belarusian performers, whether it is in music, art, poetry, dance or theater. At these festivals, various prizes named after Soviet and Belarusian heroes are awarded for excellence in music or art. Several state holidays, like Independence Day or Victory Day draw big crowds and include various displays such as fireworks and military parades. Most of the festivals take place in Vitebsk or Minsk.

Etiquette

"Sardechna zaprashayem!" is the traditional expression used when welcoming guests, who are usually presented with bread and salt. Shaking hands is the common form of greeting. Hospitality is part of the Belarusian tradition: people are welcoming and friendly; and gifts are given to friends and business associates.

Food in Daily Life

Belarusian eating habits are not very different from those of people in other Eastern European cultures. They usually have three main daily meals, and staples include red meat and potatoes. Belarusians are also very fond of spending their free time in the woods searching for the many types of mushrooms that are used in soups and other dishes.

Favorite Belarusian dishes include borsch, a soup made with beets that is served hot with sour cream; filet à la Minsk and Minsk cutlet; potato dishes with mushrooms; and pickled berries. Mochanka is a thick soup mixed with lard accompanied by hot pancakes. There is also a large selection of international and Russian specialties available. A favorite drink is black tea, and coffee is generally available with meals and in cafes, although standards van. Son drinks, fruit juices, and mineral waters are widely available.

Rituals and holy places

Among the most important religious holidays are Easter, Christmas, and days of remembrance. Russian Orthodox Easter is celebrated sometime between late March and early May, and the difference between Orthodox Easter and Catholic Easter may be up to six weeks. Roman Catholic Easter varies according to a lunar calendar. Russian Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on January 7, and Roman Catholics celebrate Christmas on December 25. Russian Orthodox practitioners observe Radaunitsa, a remembrance day, on April 28, and Roman Catholics celebrate All Souls Day (Dsiady) on November 2.

There are several places in Belarus that are related to various saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church, including Polock, Sluck, Brest, and Turov. The holiest place of the Russian Orthodox Church is the Garbarka Hill, in eastern Poland.

Secular celebrations

Secular celebrations include the following national holidays: January 1 is New Year's Day; March 8 is International Women's Day, honoring the contribution of women to society; May 1 is Labor Day, celebrating the significance and the contribution of the working class and including a parade of citizens; Victory Day, celebrated on May 9, commemorates the victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. Independence Day is celebrated on July 3 and signifies the liberation of Minsk from the Nazi troops during World War II. The October Revolution Holiday, commemorating victory of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, is celebrated on November 7.

What are the Belarusians like?

First of all, let us see what has been influencing the formation of the Belarusian national character. We'll start with the natural and climatic conditions.

There is a precise definition for our climate, “moderate". We have no heat or bitining frosts, no high temperature jamps in the summertime and winter. Lithuania is not far away from Belarus, but it is a maritime area, where land and sea meet, while the sea is quite different a life. They’ve got storms, winds and unpredictability there. And the characters there are different: austereand businesslike, they are formed by a transition from one element to the other. Sharp contrasts outside, inside and in the souls are not typical for Belarus.

Now to the landscape. Our rivers are flat, cairn and not very deep. They are homely and dear. All the rest landscape feature follow the same pattern. Hills, rather than mountains. Fields, rather than deserts and prairies. The Belarusian character has no somberness and tense readiness for unexpected dangers. The nature of Belarus does not know storms or any cataclysms in general. Therefore, the Belarusians are trustful and on the whole optimistic, they never expect a misfortune.

The Belarusians are accustomed to work hard, so as to produce something on this soil, sand or clay, that is why they are patient and hardworking. "Uparty Belarus", or an "obstinate Belarusians" is a very precise definition. The environmental peculiarities require our universality. We must be able of doing much, if not everything. Diligence and university are the qualities that have been and still are helping us to survive. Moreover, the Belarusians are undemanding and, modest. To a certain degree they are accustomed to poverty. A Belarusian does not need very much any external demonstrations, he is more oriented at internal work.

The Belarusian music, songs and folklore may also say a lot about the national character. They are merry, but no horrible Russian misery. The word "destiny" is often mentioned in our vocabulary, although the Belarusians can hardly be named fatalists. Due to his calm and reserve a Belarusian is more conservative and stable in his styles and ways of life.