To holy places
The celebration doesn't end there. Young people go for a ride. But at Buryat weddings, they do not primarily go to local attractions, but visit holy places - Borisans. They bow to the spirits of those places, leave small gifts, and ask for happiness and prosperity. Ahead is a feast with the presentation of generous gifts to the newlyweds, for which Buryat weddings are so famous. Guests are presented with zalaa (scarves and shirts for honored guests) and toolei (personal dishes). It is customary for young people to give significant sums and gifts to support their new family. This is a kind of advance payment that must be returned in the future with an equal gift, one of the main traditions of Buryat weddings. And although it takes a lot of expenses and effort to hold a national wedding, the efforts spent will be returned a hundredfold. And a celebration held according to the traditions of our ancestors helps us feel the importance of the wedding and understand what real continuity of generations is.
Ancient shamanism
Unlike representatives of many other nations, residents of Buryatia do not oppose one religion or belief system to another. They simultaneously adhere to both Lamaism (a movement in Buddhism that originated in Tibet) and shamanism.
In our time, peoples who have preserved the ancient belief in spirits are very rare. Almost all people have already abandoned pagan views of the world, accepting later religions. The commitment of the Buryats to the traditions of shamanism, which originated in Transbaikalia back in the Paleolithic era, testifies to how carefully the representatives of this people treat the beliefs of their ancestors.
The highest deity among the Buryats is the Creator of the world - Huhe Munhe Tenger. The Eternal Blue Sky (Huhe Munhe Tengri) enjoys no less honor and respect. He personifies the spiritual principle of infinite reality.
If in most regions of the world people who perform magical rituals and rites are treated warily or even unkindly, in Buryatia their shamans are highly respected. They are consulted on various issues, they come for help in difficult situations, and not a single holiday is complete without them.
Driving through Buryatia, you can often see wooden or stone pillars (serge) decorated with multi-colored ribbons (zalaa). They are installed in special places called “barisa”. Spirits are worshiped here. According to the residents of Transbaikalia, any grove, pond or mountain has its own patron (Ezhin).
A ribbon tied to a cult post is a person's request to the spirit of that place. Buryats believe: when the wind sways the hall, their prayers for prosperity, wealth, health, and personal happiness reach higher powers.
Shamanism does not involve the construction of temples. But in special, sacred places you can find clusters of stones called “obo”. Pilgrims bring them to pay tribute to the spirits of these places. Some of these sanctuaries have existed since time immemorial. Here people behave as if in a temple. You can’t swear or laugh, negative thoughts are also prohibited. Pilgrims offer prayers to numerous gods, and shamans perform ritual sacrifices.
It is noteworthy that serge was previously installed at every yurt, because initially it was not a religious object, but a post for tying horses. Nowadays serge are more often found along roads. Driving past such a place, motorists leave various offerings to the spirits so that everything will be safe along the way. Usually they throw coins, candies, cigarettes (Buryat spirits can also smoke), and also splash a few drops of alcohol on the ground.
Weddings and holidays
In general, the wedding ceremonies of the Buryats are also distinguished by their unusualness, because they are based on the traditions of shamanism. First of all, local brides and grooms must pay tribute to the ancestral spirits of their chosen ones. For example, a girl performs the ritual of offering oil to the fire. Previously, this took place in a yurt where the young people would live. Now a temporary holiday yurt is being specially erected for wedding rituals.
The bride must circle the bowl of oil three times over the hearth, and then pour the entire contents directly into the fire. The flame that flared up brightly foreshadows prosperity and prosperity for the new family. This ancient custom has existed in Buryatia since those times when human life largely depended on maintaining a fire in the hearth, because if it went out, people could die of cold and hunger.
It is interesting that the bride’s wedding dress, as a rule, was decorated with stylized images of the sun, and the groom’s clothes were embroidered with lunar symbols.
Contrary to the established ideas of many other peoples, the daylight is considered by the Buryats to be the personification of the feminine principle, and the night star is considered masculine. Compare with the Chinese doctrine of yin and yang, the Slavic god Yarila and the ancient Roman Diana.
In general, Buryat holidays and feasts are distinguished by a large number of unusual traditions. For example, you can pass a treat to guests either with your right hand or with both hands. You should also not accept a bowl of tea or other offering with your left hand - otherwise you will offend the owners of the house. In addition, you should not step on the threshold of the house. Guests are seated according to gender: women sit to the right of the door, and men sit to the left. The more honorable the guest, the farther from the entrance to the room he sits.
During the holidays, various competitions are usually held. Moreover, not only for strength and dexterity, but also for wit. Participants in the “sese bulyaaldakha” competition must, for example, quickly and funny answer each other funny or provocative questions. This is a kind of analogue of the KVN warm-up, which has been around for hundreds of years.
