National dishes of the Republic of Belarus

1.

CULTURES and TRADITIONS
Of Republic Belarus

2.

National dishes of the Republic of Belarus
A distinctive feature of Belarusian cuisine is the
widespread use of potato dishes, as well as the
use of a variety of sausages, cereals,
mushrooms and pork.
Grated potato dishes make up a significant part
of the national Belarusian cuisine. For example,
draniki, dumplings, warlocks, potato casseroles.
Krupnik. This is a thick soup made of rye, pearl
barley or oatmeal — most often two types are
mixed. Modern chefs have made adjustments
to the recipe and often add rice, buckwheat or
barley to meat or fish broth. In addition to
cereals, potatoes, egg yolk and sour cream
come first.
Zubrovka is a 40° bitter tincture popular in
Belarus from fragrant zubrovka, which grows in
Belovezhskaya Pushcha

3.

Traditions in Belarus
Traditions in Belarus can be divided into
calendar and family-ritual ones.
Calendar traditions include:
— Maslenitsa,
— Kupala,
— Kolyady.
Family-ceremonial ones include:
-wedding,
-christening,
-funeral.
Folk crafts such as straw, vine, embroidery,
glass painting and pottery have also been
preserved in Belarus.

4.

Ivan Kupala
This popular holiday of the Belarusian people (especially
among the young) is Ivan Kupala (Kupalle). Kupala is
celebrated on the night of July 6-7. Even the ancestors
believed that during this period the herbs in the forest
acquire magical power, and whoever finds a fern flower
will receive countless riches. On the night of Ivan
Kupala, young people gather at reservoirs, light bonfires,
jump over them. According to popular beliefs, if a guy
and a girl jump over fire holding hands, then their union
will be strong. On Ivan Kupala, young people sing songs,
unmarried girls guess their fate, putting wreaths on the
water — if he drowns, she will not get married, and the
guy will stop loving her, if he swims far away, then the
young woman will get a lot of happiness.
At Kupala, people are cleansed with water — they swim
at night, and in the morning they walk barefoot in the
dew, because they believe that this way you can get
strength and health for the whole year.

5.

Kolyady
The most popular holiday of the winter period among
Belarusians is Kolyady (Holy Supper), which is
celebrated from Christmas Eve (Christmas Eve on
January 6) and lasts until Shchedryets (on the eve of the
Old New Year — January 13) or Epiphany (January 19).
They prepare carefully for Christmas Carols — they
clean the apartment, they stab pigs in the villages. On
this day, people dressed up as biblical characters walk
through houses and apartments, staging a plot about the
birth of Christ. Or children and young people dressed in
folk clothes, singing carols — special songs in which
they announce the birth of Christ, glorify him, and also
wish the owners of the harvest, prosperity next year.
Carolers often bring with them a "goat", sometimes a
"bear" — disguised people who act out performances at
each yard. The owners generously give them Christmas
carols. Once upon a time, carolers in Belarus were given
goodies, pies, homemade sausage, now sweets and
money.

6.

Family traditions in Belarus
The institution of the family plays an important
role for modern Belarusians. Much attention is
paid to the upbringing of a child — procreation.
The head of the family is always the father —
“бацька", who is the protector and earner. A wife
should go hand in hand with her husband, be a
hostess, a caring mother and a patient keeper of
the family hearth. A woman and a man have
equal rights.