Many Chuvash rituals and festivals are connected with seasonal works and are timed for crucial moments of the astronomical year. In ancient times the Chuvash considered the nearest to the new moon spring solstice to be the beginning of the year. On the 21st, 22nd of March they had a ritual of seeing the New Year in (munkun) and the Old Year out (kalam, seren, virem).
Another important landmark for Chuvash people is the middle of summer (21st, 22nd of June) when the sun is in zenith. It was the beginning of the holiday chinche which lasted for a fortnight. People didn't work during this holiday, made sacrifices to the God asking for good harvest, health. Young people played, sang songs, danced.
During autumn solstice (21-22^1d of September) the Chuvash celebrated chukleme when the harvest time was over. It was the ritual of transition from a warm, favourable season into a cold severe season. According to the Chuvash pagan religion summer and spring is the time of good deeds and fertility while winter symbolizes evil and distraction. The highest peak of evil power was considered to be on the 21-22nd of December, when the ritual surchury was performed. People performed different rites in order to banish evil power. The struggle of evil forces with good ones lasted till the spring solstice when the Great Day came, the day of good forces’ triumph. People began to celebrate this holiday on Wednesday and it lasted for a week. Children went out in the morning to greet the Sun then other inhabitants of the village followed their example. They visited friends and relatives, treated them to tasty things, played games, gave presents to each other.
The Chuvash lived in contact with many peoples: Mary, Tatar, Arabians, and Iranians. They all influenced the Chuvash traditions and rituals.
For more than 400 years the Chuvash have been living within Russia. Of course, Russian culture have enriched the Chuvash one. The Chuvash perceived such Russian festivals as Shrove-tide and others.
After the Chuvash had been converted to Christianity many new festivals and rituals appeared: Christmas (Rashtav), (Verpanny), Nicola's Day (Mykulan), Trinity (Truisky), Ilya's Day (Ilem), Savoir (Sapas), Peter’s Day (Pitrav).
In 1700 the Chuvash calendar blended with the Russian one. It influenced the Chuvash folk traditions greatly.
Munkun is the holiday of seeing the New Year in according to the ancient Chuvash calendar.
Munkun is translated as the Great Day. After spreading Christianity the Chuvash Munkun coincided with the Easter.
People celebrated Munkun during the days of spring solstice (March 21-22). People began to celebrate it on Wednesday and it lasted for a week.
On the every day of Munkun, early in the morning, children and then other inhabitants of the village went to its eastern part to greet ancient fairy-tales and legends about the fighting of the Sun with the cruel witch Vupar. One of the legends said, that the Sun was attached by Vupar's servants for many times during winter and it appeared in the sky very seldom. Then the Chuvash heroes, batyrs, decided to defend and save the sun. For 7 days and nights Chuvash batyrs fought with Vupar's servants and at last they were able to save the sun.
After the sunrise children came back to the village. Here they were met by adults, who treated them to sweets, nuts, and cookies and, of course, coloured eggs. It's considered that the children who greeted the sun early in the morning brought happiness, wealth and health to the house.
It was a tradition to set the first guest on the chair with a pillow and treat him to tasty dishes.
At the central square adults often made a marry-go-round for children to enjoy. In the evening, when children went home, adults, and youth came there and had a lot of fun.
During the holiday week adults visited their relatives. It was necessary to take many presents, beer and about 7 or 9 kinds of food stuffs. In their turn the hosts also tried to present the guests.
Shrove-tide (chavarni) is a merry holiday of seeing spring in and winter out. It corresponds with Russian maslyanitsa. The celebration of chavarhi was arranged for spring solstice and began on Thursday. Most of the Chuvash celebrated it during two weeks. The first week was called alsa chavarni (big maslyanitsa) and the second one was kechen chavarni (small maslyanitsa). Later on chavarni coincided with the Russian Maslyanitsa and was celebrated during a week, from Sunday to Sunday. Usually children opened the holiday. Everyone tried to reach the hill first, where the holiday took place. The one, who was the first, was entrusted to start ploughing. He (she) won everyone’s respect.
The day of seeing maslyanitsa out was very festive and interesting. Songs and music were heard everywhere. People gave presents to each other, treated to pancakes (ikerche), nuts, and sunflower seeds.
At midnight the scarecrow of maslyanitsa (chavarni karchacke)was solemnly put into fire and was rolled down the hill. The heat of the fire symbolized the last days of winter and the coming spring.
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