Holidays

Holidays are times set aside on the calendar to observe tradition, remember history, or celebrate a cause. Some have ancient roots while others are modern inventions. All are associated with the identity of those that observe them. The below resources discuss the rituals, foods, language, and other cultural elements connected with major holidays as observed in Eurasian locations. In some cases, American holidays are also discussed – to help students build vocabulary to discuss and celebrate their own traditions while abroad.

Filter holidays for: Slavic, Turkic, Caucasian, or Other.

Maslenitsa, Masliana, Meteņi: Spring Holidays of the Slavs and Balts

Rites of welcoming spring and saying goodbye to winter are some of the oldest holidays preserved across Slavic cultures. In the Baltics, the celebrations were nearly lost after being suppressed by Catholic and imperial dominance. Today, Russia’s Maslenitsa is by the far the best-known, but multiple versions exist across the diverse Slavic landscape. In the […]

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