Home

Savarni (carnival)

Literally this word means "Pancake Week". It coinsides with Russian Carnival and rites, connected with this holiday are not differ from those of Russian ones. Very often during Carnival young people toboggan near the village. First Sunday (called "Big Carnival") is celebrated greater than the other days of the holiday. people harness horses with bells and ride along the village. They sing songs, visit neighbouring villages. These customs are wonderfully reflected in Carnival songs, which are sung by the youth:

Father, may I ride the Carnival,
May I harness the black horse,
Way I ride till the sunrise.

Silver ring - Carnival -
When morning comes it will sparkle,
When evening comes it will blacken.

I harnessed the chestnut horse,
A fair girl sat down by me,
There are no peals, but she rocks,
There are no hills, but she bends,
How can I make the round of the village three times?

I harnessed the black horse,
A dark girl came up and sat down by me.
She doesn't rock even when there are peals,
She doesn't bend even on hills,
How can I get her out?

The last day of Carnival (Small Carnival ) is also celebrated greatly. Till the Midnight young people toboggan, "seeing off Carnival".
The last Saturday evening of Carnival North Chuvash in Vompukassi call "the evening of forgiveness". In the evening relatives close acquaintances, friends visit each other and beg pardon. They make the earthly bow, saying the following words:

Forgive me, if I told you something superfluous!
Answer:
I forgive you!
In his/her turn he/she bows and asks forgiveness too:
Forgive me too!

V.K. Magnitskiy mentions one more Carnival rite, popular among people from Yadrinskiy district. Young people prepare scarecrow from the straw. On the first Carnival Sunday Eve they place it on one of the hills on the outskirts of the village, where they toboggan. After that everybody bows to it. This scare crow is called a straw figure - "Carnival Woman".

Early in the morning all the village population, men and women come to this place, because they want to toboggan, at least one time. That person who is late is called "carnival woman". Next morning they look at the scarecrow's place very thoroughly. Traces left by dog are interpreted as a bad sign for the whole village. According to the notes of Magnitskiy people shouldn't wash during the period from the 1st Carnival Thursday till the next one. Otherwise sparrows will peck speeds of hemp will be worm-eaten.