The Calendar rituals in Moldova and Bukovina

The Calendar Rituals of the Ukrainians and Moldavians in Bukovina and Moldavia are examined in the article. It is noted that the recording and popularization of folk songs, tales, legends, sayings and proverbs were carried out by the Moldavian scholars V. Panko, S. KeLaru, K. Popovich, E. Kozhukhar, P. Boronchuk, V. KutsuLima and others. The ethnographers and foLkLorists G. Spataru, N. Beeshu, V. Zhungietu, G. Botezatu, A. Khinku, lu. PiLip, A. Moisei, A. Kurochkin and others worked in the Moldavian and Ukrainian villages of the Chernovitsk Region. New Year's carnival pLay with the goat, ox, bear, and coLt were performed. Maiden's foretune-teLLing during the festivals of Andrew KaLita and St. George and rituaLs which incLuded the appearance of the pLow and rituaLs which were tied to the beginning and end of harvest, etc. are anaLyzed. The research area incLuded severaL viLLages with a Ukrainian popuLation (NovoseLitsa and Sokiriansk Regions), mixed Ukrainian, PoLish and MoLdavian popuLation (Verkhni Petrovtsy in Storozhynets Region) and KoLinkovtsy in the Khotin Region, and with Romanian popuLation (MoLnitsa in Hertsaevsk Region, Kupka in GLuboksk Region and Chudei, Izhevtsy in the Storozhynets Region). In the 19th C. the Russian GeographicaL Society initiated the study of the popuLation of Bessarabia, incLuding the Khotin Region with the purpose of the safe-guarding the cuLture of the newLy-acquired Lands which were united to the Russian Empire. The Society of History and Antiquity was aLso invoLved in the process. At the end of the 20th C. the songs and sayings in the viLLage of Podvornoe in the NovoseLitsa Region of Bukovina and in the viLLage of Medvedzia in the Edinets Region of MoLdova were recorded. At the beginning of the 20th C. both of these regions were in the Khotin District of Bessarabia. The agricuLturaL caLendar, divided into 4 seasons (winter, spring, summer, faLL), of the LocaL popuLation and its rituaLs was researched. The caLendar began with winter and incLuded customs which evoLved over many centuries. In such manner Ukrainian, Russian and MoLdavian ethnographers in the 19th C. - beginning of the 20th C. coLLected and researched a significant amount of materiaL about the caLendar rituaLs of the population of Northern Moldavia and Bukovina.

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