Belarus Folk Holidays and Celebrations

On March 1, 2009 the Ministry of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus will issue a souvenir sheet “Belarus folk holidays and celebrations” prepared by the Publishing Centre “Marka” of the EUR “Belpochta”.

Designer: Anna Romanovskaya. Printing: offset. Colour: multicoloured. Paper: chalk-surfaced, gummed. Perforation: comb 13¾: 13½. Souvenir sheet composition: 4 stamps & 4 coupons (4x2). Size of the stamps in the souvenir sheet: 26x37 mm. Size of the souvenir sheet: 122x93 mm. Print quantity: 20.000 souvenir sheets.

There are elements of protection on the stamps.

Kaliady is the main winter holiday connected with the day of winter solstice. It was celebrated from the 7th till the 19th of January and later was adopted for Christmas celebration by the Christian Church.

Spring greeting is an ancient heathen ceremony opening the cycle of celebrations designed to awake mother Earth from the winter sleep. In different regions the celebration began in different days from Shrovetide till Easter.

Kupalle is an ancient ceremony festival timed to summer solstice when the lands fertility is reaching its biggest power. Following the introduction of Christianity Kupalle was timed to the Nativity of St John the Baptist and now it is celebrated in the night from July 6 to July 7.

Dazhynki is an ancient Belarusian holiday dedicated to harvesting. Traditionally it was celebrated on the last day of rye reaping.