The holiday of the Mordovian people of Baltai will be celebrated in Leninogorsk district

June 11, 2017 in the village of Mordovskaya Karmalka  of the   Leninogorsk district will host the Republican holiday of Mordovian culture "Baltai".

Folk groups from Kazan, Naberezhnye Chelny, Bugulma, Chistopol, Cheremshansky, Leninogorsk municipal districts, as well as Shetalinsky district of the Samara region are invited to the festival.

In  the  Leninogorsk district "Baltai" is held annually on the first Sunday after the Holy Trinity. According to legend in 1902, in the woods near the village  a grandfather named Baltai appeared, who once, to please the children, dressed himself with maple branches and walked around the village. So the name "Baltai" was fixed for the holiday. In other places it is called "Oto chi", "Meden chi" (in the Saratov region).

At the heart of this holiday lie pagan prayers in honor of the owner of the forest - a bear. From the villagers  three guys are chosen, who dress up as a "bear family". They are tied with maple branches so that a magnificent fur coat turns out. At the same time old Mordovian songs are sung. After that, all the participants and guests go to the village, where on the way they are waiting for the villagers with laid tables with national Mordvinian treats. The procession in the central street near the well ends, where the ceremony of "undressing" takes place. It is considered a good omen to break the twig from the "bear", dab it into the water and sprinkle nearby walking  because it will give health for the whole year. At the same time, young people and children shower each other with water. This symbolizes the abundance of rains, which means a good harvest.

In the program of the holiday:

10.00 - a meeting of guests at the "Ritual Glade";

11.00 - performance of creative teams, treats participants of the holiday with dishes of national cuisine;

12.00 - holding national games, ritual of choosing and decorating a "bear", driving a dance;

13.00 - traditional procession led by "Medved" through the streets of the village;

15.00 - the ceremony "Shambra chiy oyat elgat" - "ripping off" the Bear ".