Green week

Green week
Semik, lubok, 19th century
Also called
various names in Slavic languages
  • Belarusian: зялёныя святкі, зелянец, сёмуха
  • Bulgarian: русалска седмица
  • Czech: rusalné svátky, rusalje
  • Polish: zielone świątki
  • Ukrainian: зелені свята, русалії
  • Russian: зелёные cвятки, русальная неделя, русалии
Observed bySlavic people
BeginsEaster + 42 days
EndsPentecost
Datethe week preceding Pentecost
Frequencyannual
Related toPentecost, Trinity Sunday, Eastern Orthodox liturgical days, Rosalia

Green week, or the green holidays, is a traditional Slavic seasonal festival celebrated in early June. It is closely linked with the cult of the dead and the spring agricultural rites. In Eastern European villages, the seven weeks following Easter have historically been a time of festivity. Green week takes place during the seventh week leading up to the Pentecost,[1] and includes the seventh Thursday after Easter, called Semik.

The green week is followed by Trinity week, also known as the holiday of the Trinity in Eastern Christianity. It is also widely known as Whitsuntide week in the English-speaking world, especially Great Britain, and is inaugurated by the celebrations of Trinity Sunday, the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity.

  1. ^ Sokolov, Yuriy M. (1971) [1950]. Russian Folklore. Detroit: Folklore Associates. pp. 188–195. ISBN 0-8103-5020-3.