EASTER HOLIDAYS IN BUKOVYNIAN HUTSULSHCHYNA: TRADITIONS AND RITUALS

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to reveal regional peculiarities of Easter holidays in Bukovynian Hutsulshchyna, which are celebrated by Ukrainians of Hutsulshchyna to the present day. The research methodology consisted in the analysis of ethnographic researches on Bukovynian Hutsulshchyna and was based on collecting materials during field expeditions in Hutsul villages, which allowed for finding new traditions and rituals of Ukrainians and analyzing their modifications from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. The main research methods included the analytical, descriptive and comparative methods. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the first attempt to provide a complex study of regional peculiarities of Easter holidays and rituals in the villages of Stebni, Roztoky, Ust-Putyla in Bukovynian Hutsulshchyna. This study will help to revive the entire ritual action of Ukrainian celebrations from Yew Sunday to Farewell Sunday, to understand their essence and stages of development. Conclusions. As a result of the analysis of Easter rituals in the villages of Stebni, Roztoky and Ust-Putyla, Putyla district, Bukovynian Hutsulshchyna, regional features concerning Easter celebrations which are only peculiar to Hutsuls of Bukovyna region were revealed. The main features of Bukovynian Hutsulshchyna include ceremonial action involving pussy willow on Yew Sunday, the attitude of Hutsuls to fire on Chare Thursday, special worship of the ancestors during the whole celebration of Easter holidays and children’s rituals involving Easter eggs on Monday after Easter.