In Rus', farewell to a loved one before a long separation was accompanied by various rituals In the old days, before leaving the house, a guest crossed himself on the icons hanging in the corners, bowed, shook the owner’s hand and hugged him The traveler was escorted to the porch or gate The farewell was carried out taking into account signs and beliefs They wished the guest a good journey and good luck, the hunters were told “no fluff, no feather”, the fishermen - “neither head nor tail”
Before a long journey, as before a difficult and difficult task, they prayed, sat down on chests, trunks or suitcases and then left the house The farewell meal had a special meaning Immediately before leaving, the table was covered with a tablecloth, salt and a loaf of bread were placed on it They sat on benches with their backs to the stove and looked at each other for about a minute, wanting to see more for future use In memory of these and other farewell traditions, an unusual holiday has been established Every year on August 10th the Day of Long Farewells is celebrated
In 1705, during the reign of Peter I, men began to be recruited in Rus' On the one hand, there was nothing wrong with this, because provided a number of privileges: a person was freed from serfdom, stopped paying taxes and taxes On the other hand, serving in the army for a period of 25 years deprived of freedom of choice and led to a severance of ties with society: the recruit was far from his homeland, could not get married, etc Seeing off to the army for most families was marked by sadness and partly mourning for a loved one The recruits were given amulets and blessed, while mourning as at a funeral
Long farewells mean extra tears This proverb appeared as a result of understanding the ritual of farewell to a recruit before serving in the army Popular wisdom calls not to delay the wires, so as not to increase the pain of separation In the film "For Family Circumstances" there is a song by E Kolmanovsky, written to poems by E Yevtushenko:
However, not in all cases the farewell ritual causes sadness and melancholy So, in Soviet times, especially in 1930-1950, conscription into the army became a holiday For the majority of the country's citizens, and most importantly - the peasants, who have always lived very hard, the service evoked positive emotions A soldier drafted into the army for a period of 3 to 5 years received government pay and could receive an education and a profession, such as a driver Therefore, in Soviet families, the farewell of recruits was celebrated magnificently - they organized feasts with relatives and friends, gave gifts, gave parting words and shared experiences
Long-term separation and associated tears are explained by uncertainty about the future People worry that something bad might happen to their loved ones, so they cry, especially if there is a strong attachment and connection with the one who is leaving Tears help to express emotions and show how dear and loved the one with whom they are breaking up is
Long farewells are an opportunity to express love and care, demonstrate affection for another person, and a way to strengthen invisible bonds The farewell ritual helps to cope with the stress associated with separation and accept the situation The Day of Long Farewell is called upon to pay tribute to folk wisdom