Dziady

Dziady is an ancient Slavic feast commemorating the dead ancestors. The Polish, Belarusian and Ukrainian word means "grandfathers" and is sometimes translated into English as Forefathers' Eve.

For a poem by Adam Mickiewicz, see Dziady (poem).
Belarusian 20-ruble "Dziady" coin, reverse

The commemoration took place twice every year (in spring and in autumn), but nowadays it is usually held around end of October. During the feast the Slavs perform libations and eat ritual meals, to celebrate the living and the souls of the forefathers who joined the dziady after dark.

In Poland the tradition was supplanted by the Christian Zaduszki feast[1] but original Dziady celebration continues among Rodnovery.

In Belarus, Dziady (Дзяды) usually took place on the last Saturday before St. Dmitry's day, at the end of October/beginning of November (Dźmitreuskija dziady, St. Dmitry's Dziady). There were also Trinity Day Dziady, Shrovetide Dziady, and some other dates. Today, it is celebrated on November 2.[2]

Lithuanians and Latvians have a similar feast, called Ilgės or Veļu laiks. It has roots in pagan times[3], and differs slightly from the Slavic Dziady.

In 1988 the newly founded Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) initiated the revival of the tradition in Belarus. In addition, on this day a rally to Kurapaty on the outskirts of Minsk is arranged, in the memory of the victims of Soviet political repressions. The communist administration of the country at that time strongly opposed the initiative. The BPF and other movements in Belarus have continued the tradition.[4][5]

In literature

Much of the second part of Adam Mickiewicz's verse drama Dziady (published in 1823) depicts the Dziady feast organized in what is now Belarus, and popular among Ruthenians and Lithuanians during the times of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

See also
  • Belarusian mythology

References
  1. About Zaduszki (in Polish)
  2. https://anydayguide.com/calendar/845
  3. Pastor, Emi (November 17, 2011). "November's the month to bring together the living and the dead". The Baltic Times. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  4. "On Dziady Day: To Kurapaty" Belarusian edition of Radio Liberty October 22, 2002 (in Belarusian)
  5. "Dziady. Kurapaty 1937-2007" (in Belarusian)
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