Republican traditional festive of Mordva culture «Baltai to be held in Leninogorsk region
On June 30, 2013, a Republican traditional festive of Mordva culture «Baltai» is to be held in a village Karmalka of Leninogorsk municipal region».
6 folklore collectives from Almetievsk, Cheremshansk, Leninogorsk and Buguma, Leninogorsk, Naberezhny Chelny and Kazan are expected in an event.
The festive will start from meeting folklore collectives with bread and salt, visiting museum of Mordva domestic life under club. Then festive participant and guests march in file to a forest, to a sacred glade where a ritual of choosing and «dressing bear» will take place. For Mordva people choosing namely this animal is not accidental since bear is a totem animal. Choosing bear is conducted by old village women, they invite men and hold competitions among them for most dexterous and strong. Namely, he, with ritual songs «is dressed» with maple twigs and field flowers. When bear «is dressed», a circle dance is held round him, and then he is led by «bear way». A motley crowd, consisting of festive participants is walking down the village after «bear» with wishes of health and good, making stops at the gates where tables with national dishes are laid.
Having walked about 5 km of «bear way», all the participants pass through a ceremony of farewell with «bear». Make roundelays with ritual songs round «bear», then «tearing» of bear takes place i.e. each participant pulls from «bear’s» dressing and words «shumbra chi» lashes someone standing by, wishing him health and long years of life.
In the context of festive, a competition of national Mordva cuisine is held .
It is noteworthy, a specific point of festive «Baltai» is that it is not approximated to a standard of «mass measures». The organizers try to preserve all the best from traditional rite and held festive in compliance with dates of holding.
First time, «Baltai» festive was held at the Republican level in 1995.
Press service, RT Ministry of culture