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The beginning of harvest time
Belarusian peasants were preparing for the beginning of harvest time as for a great holiday. The first day of the harvest (zazhynki, zazhon) was celebrated with appropriate ritual, magic actions and cooking symbolic objects-attributes:the choice of "easy" days, the utterance of prayer, the first sheaf, wreath, etc. The end of the harvest (Dazhynki, abzhynki, dazhon) in Belarus was celebrated in a very solemn way. A few ears of grain (a beard) were left unharvested in the field, decorated with flowers, ribbons and a piece of bread was left there. The last ears were used to make a sheaf, to weave a wreath, which was presented to the master (later chairman of the kolkhoz) with the traditional wishes of happiness and well-being.
© National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 2011
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