The Janow Cavalcade ( east puddle. Janske jěchanje , n . Currently, the custom has almost disappeared and survived only in one Serbo-Luzhitsky village of Kozle near Drebkau , Lower Luzhitsa . In 1982, in honor of the holiday, the post of GDR issued a postage stamp dedicated to the Yanovskaya cavalcade.
Content
Description
The custom is associated with the ancient Slavic cult of fertility . The main character of the holiday is a large figure of a horseman, who is considered to be St. John, symbolizing fertility and life. The figure is decorated with colorful floral clothes and a flower crown with garlands is erected on its head, covering almost the entire face of the figure. A large number of inflorescences of cornflowers , water lilies , carnations and other flowers are used for decoration. This decoration is made by girls a few days before the holiday. On the day of the holiday, the figure is decorated until noon and after that they are carried at the beginning of the procession of riders to a specially prepared field where a competition is organized. The figure is set in a special place and on the opposite side of the field, riders line up, who, by a special command, rush in front of the audience to the figure in order to tear off as many flowers from it as possible. It is believed that the number of flowers torn from a figure determines luck next year. In the evening, girls hold their festivities by re-decorating the figure with their flowers.
Notes
Literature
- Jürgen Matschie, Hanka Fascyna: Sorbische Bräuche. 3. Auflage, Domowina-Verlag, Bautzen 2006, ISBN 978-3-7420-1686-7 .
- Tomasz Nawka: Witajće k nam. Serbołużyczanie: historia, kultura, tradycja. Poznań: Muzeum Narodowe w Poznaniu, 2008. ISBN 978-83-89053-69-5 .