The folk festival "Kuzminki" is being revived in the Polotsk region

The autumn calendar holiday of harvest and Rod "Kuzminki" will be held in the agro-town of Zelenka on October 8. Old-timers still remember it well, so for 5 years, based on their stories, the artistic director of the Zelenkovsky rural House of Culture, Elena Furs, together with the residents of the agro-town, collected information to revive and recreate all stages of the ritual actions characteristic of the Zelenkovo locality. Representatives of rural executive committees, cultural institutions, and residents of other settlements in the district will gather for the event. More than 60 participants (teams of 4 people - men up to 30 years old, married women aged 55 and older, and unmarried women up to 27 years old) will make and bring with them straw decorated scarecrows, demonstrate their skills and knowledge, and mastery in folk art.

Traditionally, the scarecrow is a symbol of hard work from spring to autumn, patience, and a lived segment of life. On the folk holiday associated with the name Kuzma, residents thank nature for the generous gifts of autumn: vegetables, fruits, flowers, cereals, berries, and more. On this day, all those who worked well during the autumn harvest are honored. The folk festival will begin with the "anointing" of Kuzma (who was represented as the chicken god) through treats of chicken broth, chicken pies, and chicken porridge. Therefore, this day was often called "chicken birthdays," "chicken holiday," "kochetnik." Then, the competition participants will throw coins into a pumpkin, recite proverbs about family and wisdom. Folk dance battles will unfold, and a folk vote for the best yard in the agro-town will be held. The festival will continue with a theatrical performance and entertainment program. The next stage will be the announcement of Kuzminki's viewing or Kuzminki's kissing. For a long time, Kuzminki always featured bride-shows, youth acquaintance, joint games, and courtship. Then, the participants of the games will shake the straw out of Kuzma, stand on it, and dance to love-themed chastushkas against other teams for time. The last ritual of the folk festival will be the burning of the scarecrow, which, according to belief