June 26 in the village of Mordovia Karmalka of the Leninogorsk region a Republican holiday of Mordovian culture "Baltai" to be held

in the village of Mordovia Karmalka  of the  Leninogorsk region a Republican holiday of Mordovian culture "Baltai" on  June 26, 2016 will take place.

A  holiday is held  a week after Trinity. It is based on pagan prayer in honor of the host  of the forest - a bear. On this day the whole village used to  go into the forest and  to dress up  little family  a male  bear,  a  female bear, a kid bear: a headdress made of  fern and decorated with flowers, the body is  tied  by maple branches. And while doing so they sing old  Mordovian songs, which tell about the hard work of farmers, about the customs giving out   young girls not out of love, but for unloved, rich and old. After "dressing  bear" all the forest  family goes  onto a large meadow, and reel   around the bears, thank them for the rich gifts of the forest. Here afoot fun folk games are played, the most popular among them - is collecting kikerok (lyk balls)  blindfold. Then, all together they are going  to the village. At the head of the procession are "bears" in maple "coats", who are led with the ropes  by  the most beautiful girls, and behind them, singing all the festive procession. Each house they are  met  by villagers with a bow, bread and salt, kvass, pies, all the rich that traditional Mordovian kitchen keeps. And   the village is  ringing,  singing, gaining favor from  summer’s  arrival, asking it for good germination so rich harvest as in ancient pagan times.

Going round the whole village, the participants of the procession "strip bears", trying to pull out of their "coats" maple twig and fan  each other by it. After all, according to legend, the more strokes, the more benefits will get  everyone. And if a branch to moisten by a well water, then even more. And the more "lose weight", "bears", the more the people rejoice. A youth and children pour water on each other. It symbolizes the abundance of rain, so a good harvest.

In the  Leninogorsk  region, this holiday is held annually in the village of Mordovia Karmalka. According to legend, in 1902,  in the forest, a grandfather hermit named Baltai appeared, who one day, to please children, decked himself  by  maple branches and walked through the village. And so  it  has fixed  for the holiday called "Baltai".

Start the celebration at 10.00.

Contact Information: Chekmareva Tatiana S., (843) 293-30-43