The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-22
CEMETERY PlCNlCKlNo.
How the Russians Celebrate the Festiva,
OF RadOnitsa,

of Radonitsa.
In st. Thomus' week, which follows
next after Easter week, the Russians
celebrate a curious festival known by
the name of Radonitsa, of which the
chief rite consists in picnicking on the
tombs OF their dead relatives. The Bull
garians are said to have the same Gus.
TOM
On the day of this feast the main
roads of Vastly island, in St. Peters
burg, are filled with people of the mid
ole and lower classes crowding in tram
cars, III cabs and atuot toward the Smo.
lensk cemetery The crowd consists
Chiefly OF women and children. The
only reason for this is that the men are
for the most part too busy to join them.
In part of the province Of Kiev, how
ever, the festival is known as the wives
festival and the women celebrate it
alone, rs the Roman matrons did Ma
tronalia. Almost everybody has his bur
den to carry-bags, baskets bottles,
bundles, crosses, teapots, wreaths and
here and there a branch of budded will
low saved from Palm Sunday. I'm the
graveyard every pathway between the
straight silver birches is filled with its
cheerful thronp
A Russian tomb Of any pretensions is
surrounded by a fence Within the
fence, beside the grave mound and cross,
are always a bench and a table At Ria
donitsa these Enclosures are filled with
happy family parties, A cloth is spread
upon the table, and on the cloth feast
of Easter eggs, sausage ham and pie,
to be washed down with tea, beer and
vodka. The viands consumed, the chill
| dren get down and make sand pies,
while the old folk sit and discuss their
usual topics-rubles copecks and the
conduct of their neighbors.
Before the party goes home the tomb
or else the table is sprinkled with
| bread crumbs and scraps of the Easter
| eggs. In some places it is customary
| also to pour libations of the vodka and
beer upon the tomb. These remnants
and libations were originally destined
for the delectation of the shades, and
in Baltic Russia, while they spread
their offerings OH the grave, they say,
blessed parents, come and partake OF
our bread and SALT" but many of those
| who observe the custom believe that the
scraps are intended only for the birds,
and some of the more practical substi
tute handful of grain.
In its fullest form, preserved in frag
ments in the provinces, the celebration
consists of two we'll defined parts, the
mournful and the merry. In Little Rus
STA the rite begins with the weeping ant
rhythmical chant in honor of the dead
After this Easter eggs are trundled owe
the tombs from sloping boards. In Bal
tic Russia, where this sport is also prac
ticed, the eggs are afterward given t
the poor. Next follows the meal, an
last of all in the order of the ancien
celebration come dancing and music
For this purpose in many places tn
mourners repair to some neighbour
tavern, but in the good old days tn
graveyard was attended by professions
clowns who took the lead in merry
making.
The following is song appropriat
to the occasion of this feast and endov
ed with a full share of that mystic IL
consequence which seems to endes
their popular ditties to the Russians:
The son -in-law brewed beer for his mother-i
| law.
He brewed his beer against carnival.
He invited his mother-in-law for Radonitsa,
But she came ON the eve of Christmas day.
The mention of a mother-in-law an
her characteristic perversity in prefe
ring to come when not invited mlgl
tempt one to believe the quatrain III
morous, but it may have served as
hymn in pagan days. inasmuch as be-
is, in fact, brewed and drunk cerem
nially in honor of the dead at the thr
festivals named.