„We were celebrating the October and the May Day”: names of the holidays in the Soviet period in the Arkhangelsk dialects

Abstract

The article, written on the basis of material in the Arkhangelsk dialects, is devoted to the “new” holidays that appeared (the October, the Victory Day, the May Day) or acquired significance (the New Year) in the Russian North in the Soviet period. Their dialect names are described, with special attention paid to the manner in which dialects adapted official names (for example, the Day of the Great October Socialist Revolution became October). In addition, the ceremonial content of the holidays of the Soviet era (the preparation and use of special festive foods and drinks, the preparation of the house for the holiday, including its cleaning and decoration, the tradition of gost’ba, or visiting relatives in the holidays) are analysed. Further, the study considers the beginnings of omens and regulations, mainly related to the agrarian labour cycle (start and end of field work) and changes in nature (ice drift and river-freezing, or rekostav). These began to take shape around the most important “new” holidays — Oktyábr’skaya (October) and Pervomai (May Day). Also discussed is the interaction of the Soviet holidays with holidays on the church calendar that were near in time (May Day — Passover, New Year — Christmas) and agrarian-labour holidays marking the completion of seasonal field work (Oktyábr’skaya — sowing (obsevnaia).