"Zhanits Tyareshku" will be in the Lepel district for Christmas
"Zhanichba Tereshki" will traditionally be performed in the Lepel district of the Vitebsk region on the eve of Christmas and Kolyady, Olga Mahonenka, coordinator of the regional branch of the public association "Rest in the Village," told a BELTA correspondent.
The authentic Kolyady game "Zhanichba Tereshki," which has survived to this day only in the Lepel region, was recognized as a historical and cultural value in 2009 and included in the list of intangible cultural heritage of Belarus. The essence of the game is to introduce young men and women to each other. However, this is not simple matchmaking, but a whole ritual designed to demonstrate maiden beauty and youthful prowess. The game includes mandatory folk dances, humorous songs and jests, and concludes with a merry feast. By the way, the Belarusian saying "to get married is not a disaster, but it's a disaster not to be married" originates precisely from Tereshka's songs. After "Zhanichba Tereshki," the time for real weddings came in the village.
Interest in the national Kolyady game is naturally shown by both domestic ethnographers and foreigners. Dutch and Polish specialists studied and described this Christmas entertainment, and German filmmakers shot a documentary film.
As Olga Mahonenka noted, "Zhanichba Tereshki" is becoming a full-fledged tourist product and contributes to the development of tourism in the region. "However, our main goal is to preserve the folk tradition in its original form," she emphasized. This year, Tereshka will be "married" on January 6 at the Lyukshino peasant farm.