Муниципальное бюджетное общеобразовательное учреждение
средняя общеобразовательная школа №9
Research work in English
on the topic: «Halloween and the Day
of Ivan Kupala: similarities and differences.
Prepared by Tureshova Asel
7 «А» class
Scientific adviser: Majorova Ekaterina Nikolaevna
Engels 2017
The contents
- Introduction 3
- Customs of celebrating and superstitions of Halloween 4
- Customs of celebrating and superstitions of the Day of Ivan Kupala 5
- The similarities and differences between Halloween and Day of Ivan 6
- The popularity of Halloween and Day of Ivan Kupala 7
- The survey 8
- Conclusion 9
- The list of used literature 10
- Supplement 11
Kupala
Introduction
A few years ago a new holiday appeared in our country that got a great popularity, despite the fact that it is utterly alien to the Orthodox, and Russian folk traditions. This is Halloween.
We can say that the more a person will have the opportunity to have fun, the brighter and more enjoyable life will be. But you have to remember who you are, what's your story.
The topic of our research work is «Halloween and the Day of Ivan Kupala: similarities and differences»
The relevance of the topic: in recent years there are many disputes: should we celebrate Halloween in Russia? The youth is confident it's a funny holiday. But there are people who believe that we should not treat Halloween as a holiday. They don’t take this holiday as ours. Many people believe that the holiday which has a tradition to dress up as an evil is terrible and horrible. Many people have forgotten about the Day of Ivan Kupala. And in fact this is the Halloween with some different traditions. So we decided to compare these holidays.
The purpose of our research work is comparing two holidays: Halloween and the Day of Ivan Kupala.
The problem: Halloween has quickly spread in Russia at that time though the holiday of Ivan Kupala we don’t know much.
The hypothesis: we assume that the Russians are not familiar with the holiday of Ivan Kupala and not poorly informed about foreign Halloween.
Tasks:
• To find out the customs of the celebration of Halloween and Day of Ivan Kupala, their superstitions;
• Find similarities and differences of holidays;
• To compare the popularity of holidays;
• To do research.
Customs of celebrating and superstitions of Halloween
Halloween is an eve of all saints day. It is more than two thousand years. The origins of this holiday goes from the Celtic culture. In the pre-Christian era the lands of modern Britain, Ireland and Northern France was inhabited by Celtic tribes. They were pagans and worshiped the Sun God, who according to legend, during each winter was in the thrall of Samhain, Lord of the dead and Prince of darkness. Halloween meant the end of the harvest, and symbolized the end of old and the beginning of the new year. A legend says that on this night, Samhain opens the door to the past and the future. On 31 October, the summer turns into winter, the gates between the material and supernatural world are opened for one night. Witches and demons are heroes of Halloween and the gate keepers.
Supernatural beings could cross over to the material world. That’s why people dressed just as they, and went from house to house, asking for food for the evil forces.
By the way, there was born a Halloween game "trick-or-treating". It is to "pay off" with sweets to children begging for sweets. Otherwise they commit a prank.
Traditionally, Halloween is celebrated around the fire, with songs and dances, scary stories and legends about spirits, sorcerers, witches and all other evil spirits.
There appeared a tradition to carve faces in a pumpkin and put candles inside it. A legend tells us it was invented by an Irish blacksmith Jack. That’s why the lamp is called Jack-o-lanterns. Before, in Ireland and Scotland, the lamp was cutting from rap and potatoes, in England – from beets.
At Halloween night girls were engaged in fortune-telling.
It is believed that if on Halloween night you put an Apple under your pillow and make a wish, and in the morning you eat this Apple, your wish will come true.
Also, of the owner the house will see a spider on Halloween, then someone from the dead relatives watching the inhabitants of the house warns of the danger that threatens one of the family members.
Customs of celebrating and superstitions of the Day of Ivan Kupala
The day of Ivan Kupala appeared before the spread of Christianity in Europe and it is celebrated in the days of the summer solstice, from 20th to 22th June. In those times the pagans worshiped many gods, among them was the God of fertility is bathed. Then paganism was supplanted by Orthodoxy in the history of the holiday of Ivan Kupala changes happened. It was connected with the birthday of St. John the Baptist. At first it was celebrated on 24th of June and after the transition to the new calendar style it celebrated on 7th of July. It lost connection with the summer solstice, but traditions are remained. The rites of the Day of Ivan Kupala related to water, fire and herbs. People lit bonfires high to disperse the darkness. They are considered cleaning and are the main features of Kupala night. Around them people always dance and jump: who will jump higher and better, he will be happier.
There is a rumor that on the night of Ivan Kupala’s day a fern flower has a magical power. According to the legend, if this amazing red flower finds a guy and a girl, their marriage will be very happy. In this tale the lovers believe nowadays and search the fern flower.
People believe that in the day of Ivan Kupala rituals have a miraculous power that can make any person healthy and happy.
People believe that on the eve of the night all the evil spirits become very active, and, if they use rituals to protect themselves from it, they also will protect their family from all kinds of calamities and misfortunes in the future.
People sing songs-prayers to mermaids, littered the thresholds and window sills with nettles to protect themselves from witches, collected and dried grass, scaring away any evil spirits and disease.
You mustn’t go sleep in this day because you can be hurt by evil spirits and get a lot of troubles. So the holiday lasts until the morning.
On this night, the girls divined on the wreaths and floated them on the river – where to bank sticks, there true love lives.
The similarities and differences between Halloween and Day of Ivan Kupala
There are two holidays in Russia that are associated with the evil spirit: a celebration of Ivan Kupala and Halloween. And they are the opposites of each other. These holidays have similarities and differences. The similarities are that they both are associated with fire. Tradition is the lighting of the darkness in the day with live fire. By the way, on both holidays traditional occupation for women is divination. The most important similarity of the holidays is the fact that they are otherworldly forces reach their maximum. The differences between these holidays: for example, the costumes for holidays are different. The timing of the holidays is also different. If the holiday of Ivan Kupala marks the completion of the planting work, Halloween proclaims the end of all harvesting.
The popularity of Halloween and Day of Ivan Kupala
On the popularization of Halloween there is a whole industry works – Halloween costumes, masks, carved pumpkins is only part of what works for the occasion. In America at the end of October hit record sales on candy. Also a lot of movies is dedicated to Halloween.
The Ivan Kupala day had become a source of inspiration for many great people. Its traditions and rituals has brilliant display N. In.Gogol in the story "Evenings on a farm near Dikanka", Russian playwright and storyteller A. Ostrovsky "snow maiden" Rimsky-Korsakov Opera of the same name. One of the most mystical days of the year believed, and Sergei Yesenin and Nikolai Gumilev.
The survey
We interviewed 24 people. The survey showed us the following results.
1. Do you know Halloween?
100% know what Halloween is
2. Does Russia have such holidays?
Yes – 21% no – 61% don't know – 16%
3. What is the main symbol of this holiday?
93% pumpkin 4% - witch 3% - don't know
4. Do you celebrate holiday?
94% - don’t celebrate 6% - dress up in costumes, arrange parties.
1. Do You know the holiday of Ivan Kupala?
52% - don't know; 48% - know.
2. What do people do on this holiday?
22% swim, 13% - make wreaths, 8% - look for a fern, a 5% jump over
the fire.
3. Do you celebrate the Day of Ivan Kupala?
93% - no; 7% - swim
5. Do You know of any ceremonies that day? If yes, name it.
15% - Yes (divinate, go to the forest to find for ferns, sing carols, open the bathing season, burn the effigy, swim, make wreaths).
85% don’t know.
Conclusion
These holidays have many strange things. They are mysterious. They mixed the modern and the mythical antiquity. They're good and bad at the same time.
So in recent years an interest to the traditions of the holiday of Ivan Kupala grows up. In many cities and villages of Russia people celebrate it in a big way. We think this revival is facilitated by the emergence of foreign Halloween in our country. People looked back at their history and saw that we have a similar holiday, and there are both similarities and differences.
The list of used literature
2. B. A. Rybakov "Paganism ancient Slavs" — M.: Russian word, 2007
3. V. Kalashnikov "the Gods of the ancient Slavs" — M.: White city, 2003
4. D. Gavrilov, A. Nagovitsyn "Gods of the Slavs. Paganism. Tradition", — Moscow: Refl-Buk, 2002
5. Soviet encyclopedia, chief editor A. M. Prokhorov, ed. fourth, revised and enlarged. – M.: Soviet encyclopedia, 1989
7. "Halloween Comes to America". A&E Television Networks. http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=715&display_order=1&sub_display_order=2&mini_id=1076. Retrieved on 2008-11-12.
8. Nicholas Rogers, "Samhain and the Celtic Origins of Halloween," Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002), 11-21.
9. Hutton, Ronald (1996) Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain. Oxford, Oxford University Press ISBN 0192880454
10. History of the Jack O'Lantern, Pumpkin Nook
Supplement
1 column: Do you know Halloween?
2 column: Does Russia have such holidays?
3 column: What is the main symbol of this holiday?
4 column: Do you celebrate holiday?
1 column: Do You know the holiday of Ivan Kupala?
2 column: What do people do on this holiday?
3 column: Do you celebrate the Day of Ivan Kupala?
4 column: Do You know any ceremonies on that day? If yes, name it.