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НАУЧНО-ИССЛЕДОВАТЕЛЬСКАЯ РАБОТА "СХОДСТВА И РАЗЛИЧИЯ ПРАЗДНИКОВ: ИВАН КУПАЛА И ХЭЛЛОУИН"

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Соколов А.И. 1

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1МБОУ Бутурлинская СОШ имени В.И.Казакова

Чичкова Т.А. 1

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1МБОУ Бутурлинская СОШ имени В.И.Казакова

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 Introduction

The relevance of the subject of my research is caused by a variety of reasons. Recently disputes are often conducted: whether we should celebrate Halloween in Russia? There are various opinions: some, generally youth, are sure that it is a cheerful holiday which can fill with enthusiasm. But there are people who consider that you shouldn't treat to Halloween as a holiday. This holiday is "not ours" so we can’t celebrate it. Besides many people are sure that the holiday on which people try to be similar to evil spirits, is very terrible and awful. Anyway, a lot of people now forgot about a holiday of Ivan Kupala. And in fact it is as Halloween. For this reason I decided to compare these holidays. More and more people, especially in the cities celebrate Halloween and less people know about a holiday of Ivan Kupala. Generally these people who live in far villages or the people who are fond of the history of the people. I decided to compare these holidays and to draw some conclusions on value and influence of these holidays. So I set the following tasks:

1 . To compare Ivan Kupala's holiday and Halloween.

2 . To learn: whether it is possible to replace a foreign holiday for our holiday.

3 . To analyze popularity of both holidays.

Hypothesis:

Probably, these holidays have a different origin, but they have identical traditions.

Research methods are analysis and synthesis, comparison, generalization.

Chapter I.

1.  

   1. Traditions and customs of a Holiday of Ivan Kupala and Halloween

Long centuries this day was the main summer holiday of east Slavs. Ivan Kupala’s holiday is celebrated on the night of 7 July. On July 7 the Slavic people traditionally carried out the numerous agricultural national ceremonies, urged to provide a crop, health, well being. With coming on Slavic lands of Christianity the ancient pagan holiday was filled with new sense: now on July 7 the birthday of John the Baptist who received a name of Ivan Kupala is celebrated.

Ivan Kupala belonged to number of the most esteemed, most important, all population took part in it, and the tradition demanded active inclusion of everyone in all ceremonies, actions, special behavior. This holiday is a day with the ceremonies connected with water. In the morning of this day to bathe is a national custom , and only in some areas peasants considered such bathing dangerous as this day is considered the birthday of the man which hates when people swim in his kingdom. With the day of Ivan Kupala the people connected the ideas of incredible richness of the nature. People waited not only a rich crop, but also success in searches of the hidden treasures. So many legends were born. Most widespread of them narrate that on the day of Ivan Kupala many plants get a special curative force. The main place was taken by a fern which this night it blossoms with wonderful fiery color, pointing to the treasure buried in this place. Many popular beliefs are connected with evil spirit. It was considered that on Ivan Kupala the witches celebrate the holiday which consists of the strengthened causing the evil to people. Halloween is a holiday of vampires, witches, ghosts and other evil spirits. This holiday was widely celebrated only in the USA, but now it is celebrated all the world. Already thousands years in October the different people celebrate various holidays and festivals. Halloween is one of the most ancient holidays in the world. Its history totals the millennia, beginning from Samkheyn's Celtic festival, the Roman Day of Pomona (the goddess of plants) and Christian "All Saints' Day". On this holiday Celtic tradition of celebration of evil ghosts and Christian tradition of worship of all sacred are combined. Across all Europe this night noted the transition to winter. It was considered that at this time souls of the dead visit the former houses to get warm at fire. They wander around, collecting food and drink donations from other family members. Souls of the dead could accept different appearances, angry souls installed in animals. Together with them other powers of darkness are demons, brownies, witches. All evil spirit goes down on the earth. Not to fall prey of a dead shadow, people dressed up as it is possible more terribly - in animal skins and the heads, hoping to scare away evil ghosts. This night all barriers between our and "other" worlds were eliminated, and the gate between them opened. So the Halloween is also the attempt to understand communication between our and otherworldly worlds. At night of October 31 for November 1 druids gathered in oak groves on the tops of hills, lit fires and brought the victims to evil ghosts. It was also the time of predictions. The legend says that at this night Samkheyn opens the gate in the past and the future. This time when the person can realize his place in eternity. In 1000 year the church declared November 2 "The Day of all souls". It was necessary to remember not sacred, but the simple dead. From the North of Russia to the Carpathians at night of July 7 mystical, mysterious, but at the same time a cheerful day of Ivan Kupala was celebrated. This day is filled with the various ceremonies connected with water. The most widespread custom is to bathe on Ivanov’s day though in some areas peasants considered bathing dangerous. On the night of Ivan Kupala the people lit fires to disperse darkness and to help powers of good. These fires which are considered clearing, are the main feature of Kupala’s night.The people always danced and jumped round the fires: who will jump above more successfully, he will be happier. Children and youth arranged cheerful noisy games and ran competing in speed. One of widespread Kupala’s ceremonies is to douche any passer with water. Rural guys put on the old, dirty linen and go with buckets and jugs to the small river where they fill them with the dirtiest, muddy water, and go to the village,pouring over all and everyone. This night girls guessed on wreaths, letting them on a watercourse. And, certainly, all people tried to find a fern flower. Also there was a traditional game in torches. Today the amusing fascinating traditions remained from an ancient pagan holiday. On the night of November 1 it is accepted to put on the suits of evil spirit and to arrange masquerades. Behind these entertainments the ancient sense of the Halloween as a holiday intriguing, mysterious and mythically significant is forgotten. Such tradition is widespread in the English-speaking countries: children go to the houses and shout Treat or trick. The people treat children with candies specially prepared for this purpose, cookies and other sweets. Traditionally Halloween is celebrated round a fire, with songs and dances, and also with terrifying stories and legends about spirits, sorcerers, witches. People visit the next houses on the night of the Halloween that symbolizes dead in search of food. Masks of demons and goblins represent evil ghosts who want to do something angry. Wandering sparks and pumpkins with a candle inside, according to legends, represent wandering souls which got stuck between the sky and a hell. Others claim that druids put such pumpkins to frighten evil ghosts from the house. According to one more version, a true source of an origin of this tradition is the legend about the drunkard by the name of Jack, concluded the bargain with a devil. On the eve of October 31 it is necessary to banish all evil ghosts who this night comes to this world: brownies knock on windows and doors, witches fly on a sweeper on the sky. The superstitious people are afraid to go out in the street. For this purpose the special small lamp prepares. Usually it is made of pumpkin, but it is possible to make it of turnip or a big melon.

Girls at this night are engaged in guessing: they throw stones and nuts into a fire and look, what drawing the fire will leave on their surface. They determine the future by it. And why are the apples on this holiday? First, a peel from apples throws into a fire too. Then in a form which is accepted by a peel, they try to define the first letter of a name of the promised. Besides, they arrange competitions: they throw apples into the water, and playing people have to try to pull out them with the help of teeth! After all Halloween is called as the night of floating apples. On Celtic customs, in the yards of houses and on central squares big fires were lit during this holiday, people put on masks and made rituals round the fires, clearing themselves from influence of negative energy. Next day after a holiday it was accepted to take the cooled-down piece of coal from a fire in the house and to keep it in the house the whole year. On Halloween in some countries the people exterminate the bats because they consider these lovely creatures as servants of a devil, in the ancient time dead carcasses of these birds were hung out on the doors of the houses, on the roofs and on the fences. Before a holiday Halloween, it is necessary to go three times round the house with the lit torches and in carnival costumes, then the dwelling will be under the protection from penetration of evil ghosts.

1.  

   1. Popular beliefs of the day and superstitions of a Halloween

Our far ancestors lived in unity with the Nature, and each phenomenon was noticed, they allocated it with special sense, signs and ceremonies. Certainly, such a significant event as the summer solstice when the day is the longest in a year, and the night is the shortest, it couldn’t remain the private among summer days. Numerous traditions and beliefs are connected with this day. It is considered that at the night from June 23to June 24 it is impossible to go to bed, and it is necessary to burn down fires and to carry out various rituals for the aid to Good and Light. There are also more joyful versions – the Sun bathes in Earth waters, promising bumper-crop year and health to the people, a wedding of God and the Goddess, representing a unification of heavens and the earth. There are a lot of legends, signs; popular beliefs are connected with a holiday of Ivan Kupala. Let's examine some of them:

- At night on the eve of Ivan Kupala the maidens lower the wreaths with the lit splinters or candles on the river. If the wreath sinks at once, so the promised stopped loving. If the wreath will float longer, this maiden will be happier than the rest and at if the splinter will burn longer, she will live a long life!

- If at this night to pick a flower of Ivan-da-Marya and to enclose it in the corners of the house, the thief won't approach the house.

- One more right sign. At midnight it is necessary, without looking to gain flowers and to put them under a pillow, and to check in the morning, whether twelve different herbs were gathered. If they were gathered, you will marry this year .

- Ivanov's main hero of the day is a fern which legends about treasures everywhere were contacted. - At this night the trees move from place to another place and talk with each other. Also animals and even herbs talk with each other.

- At Kupala’s night the people collect a certain oil on ant heaps which is admited the remedy against different diseases.

- Witches on Ivan Kupala become more dangerous, and therefore it is necessary to put a nettle on a threshold and on window sills to protect oneself from their attack.

- If at Kupala’s day to get twelve kitchen gardens, any desire will come true.

The main hero of flora in day of Ivan Kupala — a fern, the universal legends were connected with this plant about treasures. This day the fern reveals with bright-red, strong flickering light that gives the chance to guess the future. Mermaids are one more fantastic character of this mysterious night. Mermaids have a reputation for the unearthly beauty. There is a belief that mermaids at Kupala’s night are allocated with huge force and are capable to drag off of at the bottom. To cajole river maidens, the most beautiful girls spin wreaths from wild flowers and let them on water. According to signs, mermaids, having accepted a human shape, leave to admire with bathing fires and, having met the man in the wood, they can bewitch him. The charms stop the action when Ivanov’s day passes. There is an opinion that exactly this day is celebrated as the holiday of the witch. It is impossible to go to bed as at this night there are active evil spirits - werewolves, witches, mermaids, sorcerers, snakes, wood goblins. The most widespread superstition on Halloween is considered that, having glanced in a mirror at midnight; it is possible to see the death. It is necessary for the girl on the night of November 1 before going to bed to eat a herring slice thus not drinking. Who in a dream will bring it a water cup, he will be her promised. The girl has to take an apple, to light a candle in the dark room, and to sit down in front of the mirror with this candle, then it is necessary to peer into reflection fixedly. Thus it is necessary to eat an apple or to comb hair. Through any time the girl has to see the reflection of the future husband. If the candle suddenly fells, it means the presence of evil ghosts. A coin, a ring, a key, a button, a cockleshell and a heart are placed in a pan with mashed potatoes. In full darkness everyone pulls out one subject by means of a fork. The ring means the marriage, a key means the power and success, a coin means wealth, a button – solitude, a heart – happy love, and a cockleshell – travel and rest. Also it is considered that if on the night of the Halloween to put apple under a pillow and to make wish, and in the morning, having woken up, to eat this apple, the wish will surely come true. On Halloween it isn't recommended to leave a black cat in the house, otherwise the misfortunes will fall upon all family. On this holiday it is accepted to wear all clothes inside out. If there is the owl on a roof of your house, that's a bad sign, it should be driven; otherwise there will be a dead man in the house soon. In some countries it was considered that if the big pack of bats turns over the house long time it will be an excellent crop next year. And, at last, the last superstition: if the owner sees a spider in the house, so someone from the died relatives watches the inhabitants of the house and warns about the danger which threatens one of family members.

Chapter II.

2.1. Comparison and analysis of popularity of these holidays

It is necessary to tell that in Russia two holidays which are connected with evil spirit are known, they are the holiday of Ivan Kupala and Halloween. And they, being similar, are contrast to each other. Similarities and differences can be seen in the table

So, these holidays have both similarities and differences. Similarities are that both holidays are connected with fire. Besides on both holidays traditional occupation for girls is guessing. The most important similarity of holidays is that on them otherworldly forces reach the maximum. These holidays have enough differences. For example, traditional suits of holidays sharply differ. The time of carrying out the holidays is also various. If Ivan Kupala's holiday means the completion of landing works, Halloween proclaims the completion of all harvest works.

I interviewed the pupils of my class, if the pupils know about a holiday of Ivan Kupala and Halloween and if they heard about these holidays. From results of the poll it is visible that the foreign holiday is more widespread among pupils. More than a half of pupils didn't hear about the existence of a holiday of Ivan Kupala. Unfortunately, children don't know a holiday which appeared in Russia many centuries, but they know very well about Halloween. The children like a holiday where the main characters are not ordinary people, but any evil spirits.

Conclusion

In these holidays there are a lot of strangenesses, these are inconsistent holidays. They are mysterious and mystical. The present and a mythical antiquity are mixed up in them. Two forms – the good and evil, black and white, all bad and all good – were weaved into them in an unimaginable pattern where to distinguish one from another sometimes is extremely difficult. They are good and bad at the same time, they are the same as the life. But we need to learn to distinguish the thin Road of Life conducting to the Light.

The communication of the Slavic and European people, the exchange of traditions and customs originates in the millennia. It in turn defined a set of similar rituals in the most various countries and cultures. Historians find similar ceremonies both in Europe and in Asia. It is explained by that the majority of ethnoses, trying to understand the laws and the nature essence, to learn the secrets of the world attentively watched the same natural phenomena on which the crop and wellbeing depended. Supervision was contacted with signs, and they in turn grew in legends and myths. But everything changes; the need to draw attention of foreigners to the national culture forced a set of the countries to revive the forgotten traditions. The interest to research of life and the life of ancestors is observed. The positive effect from promotion of traditions is an increase of cultural and spiritual development of the population.

Thus, the interest to traditions of a holiday of Ivan Kupala recently increases. In many cities and villages of Russia this holiday is marked out with a big scope. It seems to me, this revival is promoted by emergence of a foreign holiday Halloween in our country. The people looked back in the history and saw that we have a similar holiday, and there are both similarities and differences in them.

The list of literature

1. О Британии вкратце: книга для чтения на англ.яз. в ст.классах. /Сост.В.В.Ощепкова.-М.:Просвещение.

2. "Halloween Comes to America". A&E Television Networks. http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=7 15&display_order=1&sub_display_order=2&mini_id=1076.

3. http://www.wikipedia.ru

4. http://www.kupala-info.ru

5. http://www.prazdnik-portal.ru

6. http://www.halloween.ru

Appendix

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