Month: August 2010

Haying in August, Sjarhjejevichy 2009/Жнівеньскі сенакос, Сяргеевічы 2009 год

Apple-Blessing Festival (part V), Azdamichy 2009/Яблычны Спас (частка V), Аздамічы 2009 год Apple-Blessing, observed on Transfiguration Day in the Orthodox calendar, is an early harvest festival. In Azdamichy in the Central Pripet region of Polesia the Apple-Blessing church service is especially heavily attended.  At the end of the service the priest circles the church three… Continue reading Photos of the Day for August 20, 2010

Apple-Blessing Festival (part IV), Azdamichy 2009/Яблычны Спас (частка IV), Аздамічы 2009 год Apple-Blessing, observed on August 19 — Transfiguration Day in the Orthodox calendar — is an early harvest festival.  In memory of children who have died young, people, especially women, traditionally must not eat new apples or other newly-ripe fruit before the blessing of… Continue reading Photo of the Day for August 19, 2010

The Extraordinary in the “Ordinary” VI: Inheritance/Надзвычайнае ў “звычайным“ (частка VII): Дарога расьце ўсё жыцьцё It is exceptionally moving to see how carefully and steadily Belarusan parents and especially grandparents pass on traditions to their children and grandchildren. Асабліва кранае тое, з якой стараннасьцю, з якім цярпеньнем беларускія бацькі і асабліва дзядулі і бабулі перадаюць малодшым свае традыцыі. Apple-Blessing Festival (part… Continue reading Photos of the Day for August 18, 2010: The Extraordinary in the “Ordinary” VI

Apple-Blessing Festival (part II), Azdamichy 2009/Яблычны Спас (частка IІ), Аздамічы 2009 год Apple-Blessing, observed on Transfiguration Day in the Orthodox calendar, is an early harvest festival.  In memory of children who have died young, people, especially women, traditionally must not eat new apples or other newly-ripe fruit before the blessing of apples; it is a… Continue reading Photo of the Day for August 17, 2010

Apple-Blessing Festival (part I), Azdamichy 2009/Яблычны Спас (частка І), Аздамічы 2009 год Apple-Blessing, observed on August 19 — Transfiguration Day in the Orthodox calendar — is an early harvest festival.  In memory of children who have died young, people, especially women, traditionally must not eat new apples or other newly-ripe fruit before the blessing of… Continue reading Photo of the Day for August 16, 2010

To mark the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary/З нагоды Ўнебаўзяцьця Sapotskin 2009/Сапоцкін 2009 год Probably under the influence of an Orthodox custom, the Assumption mass traditionally includes the blessing of a bouquet or basket of flowers. Dzjatlava 2007/Дзятлава 2007 год

Best wishes to Sjarhej and Vol’ha, to be married August 14 in Harodnja (Grodno) in western Belarus/Віншаваньні й найлепшыя пажаданьні Сяргею й Вользе, якія бяруць шлюб 14 жніўня ў Гародні. Mjensk, July 2010/Менск, жнівень 2010 год

August 14 is one of the clearest examples of syncretism, the overlapping or fusion of different traditions, in the Belarusian cycle of the year. Orthodox Christians celebrate the date as Mjadovy Spas (Мядовы Спас), the Honey-Blessing Festival, or Makauje (Макаўе), the Maccabee Festival.  Makauje illustrates how the Church chose a similar-sounding name to absorb the… Continue reading Photos of the Day for August 13, 2010

August 14 is one of the clearest examples of syncretism, the overlapping or fusion of different traditions, in the Belarusian cycle of the year. Traditionally August 14 (August 1 in the Julian or Orthodox calendar) is seen as a marker of the change from the weather of high summer as well as the beginning of… Continue reading Photos of the Day for August 12, 2010