During St. George's Day, residents of the village of Pahost perform a religious spring rite known as Juraski Karahod. For Belarusians, St. George safeguards livestock and agriculture. This holiday is celebrated through a specific ritual that includes various activities, songs, games, omens, and beliefs.
Saint George is one of the most important saints in the Eastern Orthodox church, as well as the most important patron saint in military tradition. Christians believe he died for his faith, and he is usually depicted as killing a dragon while riding his horse. However, the celebrations have a deeper meaning outside of Orthodox Christian tradition, because this is the time of year when the farmland turns green again and cattle can be led to pastures. Despite now being part of Christian tradition, the celebrations actually derive from pagan practices.
The Pahost Festival has always involved songs, games, beliefs, omens, and ritual acts. The first cycle occurred in the courtyard, where the livestock was led outside to pasture after the winter, and ritual acts were performed to protect them. The second cycle was associated with agriculture, the villagers first baked the sacred bread (Karahod), and then the next morning they carried a ceremonial towel, bread, and an eight-pointed star to the agricultural field.
During the Karhod, men carrying the Karhod and women singing ceremonial songs form a circle and proclaim their plea to God for a good harvest while burying a piece of the black loaf in the ground. Then participants hand out bits of ritual bread throughout the village. The festivities continue until evening.
Pogost residents adorn their icons and rakes with a green apron every year to "glorify Saint George's Day" and ask God for blessings. The residents of Pogost visit Panskoe Pole outside the village, where they ask God for a prosperous life and warm summer. Pogost's holiday continues in the Pahost Club, a library where amateur folklore groups from other districts of the Gomel Region and Republic of Belarus perform.
Although the community has shown concerted efforts to maintain the element, it is currently under threat from numerous factors including the gradually aging population in Pahost, a shortage of jobs in the village, globalization, folklorization, and the general socio-economic situation in the region. However, the residents of Pahost village continue to preserve the rite, passing it down from generation to generation, and showing it to the world.
Each year, guests from all over the country come to witness the ancient traditions of its inhabitants of Belarussian Polesie celebrating a grand scale of the beautiful folk ritual of Juraski Karahod. Traditionally, the spring rite of Jurauski Karahod involves the villagers of Pahost on St. George's Day. The holiday is celebrated by honoring St. George, who safeguards livestock and agriculture. Saint George is one of the most important saints in the Eastern Orthodox church, as well as the most important patron saint in military tradition. Saint George is held by Christians to have died for his faith, and he is usually depicted as killing a dragon while riding his horse. However, the celebrations have a deeper meaning outside of Orthodox Christian tradition, because this is the time of year when the farmland turns green again and cattle can be led to pastures. Despite now being part of Christian tradition, the celebrations actually derive from pagan practices. Pogost residents adorn their icons and rakes with a green apron every year to "glorify Saint George's Day" and ask God for blessings. The residents of Pogost visit Panskoe Pole outside the village, where they ask God for a prosperous life and warm summer. Pogost's holiday continues in the Pahost club — a library where amateur folklore groups from other districts of the Gomel Region and the Republic of Belarus perform.
A specific ritual known as the Pahost Festival involves songs, games, beliefs, omens, and ritual acts. It happens in two cycles. The first cycle occurred in the courtyard, where the livestock was led outside to pasture after the winter, and ritual acts were performed to protect them. The second cycle was associated with agriculture, the villagers first baked the sacred bread (Karahod), and then the next morning they carried a ceremonial towel, bread, and an eight-pointed star to the agricultural field. During the Karhod, men carrying the Karhod and women singing ceremonial songs form a circle and proclaim their plea to God for a good harvest while burying a piece of the black loaf in the ground. Then participants hand out bits of ritual bread throughout the village. The festivities continue until evening.
Although the community has shown concerted efforts to maintain the element, it is currently under threat from numerous factors including the gradually aging population in Pahost, a shortage of jobs in the village, globalization, folklorization, and the general socio-economic situation in the region. However, the residents of Pahost village will continue to preserve the rite, passing it down from generation to generation and showing it to the world.
References
https://ich.unesco.org/en/USL/spring-rite-of-juraski-karahod-01458 https://en.belarus.travel/events/spring-rite-of-jura-ski-karahod https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_rite_of_Jura%C5%ADski_Karahod https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George%27s_Day_in_Spring |Subject=Belief, Ritual |Country=Belarus }}