Assimilation of foreign holidays and traditions in Russian culture
творческая работа учащихся по английскому языку (7 класс)

Министерство образования и науки РФ

Курганская область

Отдел образования администрации города Шадринска

Муниципальное казенное общеобразовательное учреждение

«Средняя общеобразовательная школа №8»

641875 город Шадринск                                                                                телефон 8 (352-53) 3-47-39

Ул. Автомобилистов, 30                                                                                e-mail: school8-shadr.ru

Исследовательская работа

Assimilation of foreign holidays and traditions in Russian culture

Булыгиной Елизаветы

Юркиной Алены

учащихся 7В класса

руководитель Матис М.О.,

учитель английского языка

Шадринск, 2016

Annotation

Research work "Assimilation of foreign holidays and traditions in Russian culture" made by Boulygina Elizabeth and Yurkina Alena. This work represents materials about features of celebration of foreign festivals and about traditions of other countries.

In this research we found different characteristics of Russian and European cultures. We have made analyses of cultural features, which influence the society we live in. And we elicited holidays that were assimilated in our country.

Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………………4

Chapter I. The main features of culture………………………………..................5

        1.1 The notion “culture” and its main characteristics……………………...5

        1.2 The main features of Russian culture………………………………….8

Chapter II. Assimilation of foreign holidays and traditions in Russian culture…11

        2.1The main features of European culture………………………………...11

        2.2 Foreign holidays in Russian culture…………………………………..12

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….21

Sources ………………………………………………………………………….22

Introduction

Modern processes of globalization and intercultural communication make it necessary to study the role of traditions, customs and holidays in different cultures. To study aspects of national holidays as the phenomena of cultural, historical and social nature is very important direction of modern cultural and historical disciplines.

Currently, there is an active penetration of festive cultural characteristics of the West in Russian culture. Paying attention to this aspect, it is possible to identify similarities and differences in the tradition of celebrating the Russian and foreigners, as well as features of "settling" of foreign customs and traditions in our country.

The importance of the study is specifieddue to an interest of the process of globalization in modern society and, as a result, of assimilation and features views on the world from the point of view of different countries.

The purpose of research is the study of cultural, historical and social factors of Western festive cultures in Russia.

Particular problemsof this research work are :

1) the analyses of the features of festivals, customs and traditions of foreign countries;

2) examination of the main trends in the transformation of foreign holidays in the Russian culture in the context of globalization.

The object of research is the system of holidays and traditions of foreign cultures, and Russian culture.

The subject of research is the assimilation of foreign holiday traditions in Russia.

Chapter I. The main features of culture

1.1 The notion “culture” and its main characteristics

Culture can be defined in numerous ways. In the words of anthropologist E.B. Tylor, it is "that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society." [5]  

Alternatively, in a contemporary variant, "Culture is defined as a social domain that emphasizes the practices, discourses and material expressions, which, over time, express the continuities and discontinuities of social meaning of a life held in common."

The Cambridge English Dictionary states that culture is "the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time."Terror management theory posits that culture is a series of activities and worldviews that provide humans with the basis for perceiving themselves as "persons of worth within the world of meaning"—raising themselves above the merely physical aspects of existence, in order to deny the animal insignificance and death that Homosapiens became aware of when they acquired a larger brain [7].  

As a defining aspect of what it means to be human, culture is a central concept in anthropology, encompassing the range of phenomena that are transmitted through social learning in human societies. The word is used in a general sense as the evolved ability to categorize and represent experiences with symbols and to act imaginatively and creatively. This ability arose with the evolution of behavioral modernity in humans around 50,000 years ago, and is often thought to be unique to humans, although some other species have demonstrated similar, though much less complex, abilities for social learning. It is also used to denote the complex networks of practices and accumulated knowledge and ideas that is transmitted through social interaction and exist in specific human groups, or cultures, using the plural form. Some aspects of human behavior, such as language, social practices such as kinship, gender and marriage, expressive forms such as art, music, dance, ritual, and religion, and technologies such as cooking, shelter, and clothing are said to be cultural universals, found in all human societies. The concept of material culture covers the physical expressions of culture, such as technology, architecture and art, whereas the immaterial aspects of culture such as principles of social organization (including practices of political organization and social institutions), mythology, philosophy, literature (both written and oral), and science make up the intangible cultural heritage of a society [6].  

 When used as a count noun, "a culture" is the set of customs, traditions, and values of a society or community, such as an ethnic group or nation. In this sense, multiculturalism is a concept that values the peaceful coexistence and mutual respect between different cultures inhabiting the same planet. Sometimes "culture" is also used to describe specific practices within a subgroup of a society, a subculture, or a counterculture. Within cultural anthropology, the ideology and analytical stance of cultural relativism holds that cultures cannot easily be objectively ranked or evaluated because any evaluation is necessarily situated within the value system of a given culture.

Also in the retrospective of culture we can examine such notions as “tradition” and “holiday”.

A tradition is a belief or behavior passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes (like lawyers' wigs or military officers' spurs), but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings. Traditions can persist and evolve for thousands of years—the word "tradition" itself derives from the Latin “trader” or “traderer” literally meaning to transmit, to hand over, to give for safekeeping. While it is commonly assumed that traditions have ancient history, many traditions have been invented on purpose, whether that be political or cultural, over short periods of time. Various academic disciplines also use the word in a variety of ways [13]. 

One way tradition is used more simply, often in academic work but elsewhere also, is to indicate the quality of a piece of information being discussed. The phrase "according to tradition," or "by tradition," usually means that whatever information follows is known only by oral tradition, but is not supported, (and perhaps may be refuted) by physical documentation, by a physical artifact, or other quality evidence. For example, "According to tradition, Homer was born on Chios, but many other locales have historically claimed him as theirs." This tradition may never be proven or disproven. In another example, "King Arthur, by tradition a true British king, has inspired many well loved stories, whether true or not." Of course whether they are documented fact or not does not decrease their value as cultural history and literature.

The word holiday comes from the Old English word hāligdæg (hālig "holy" + dæg "day"). The word originally referred only to special religious days. In modern use, it means any special day of rest or relaxation, as opposed to normal days away from work or school.

A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tradition of cultural or religious significance. Holidays may be designated by governments, religious institutions, or other groups or organizations. The degree to which normal activities are reduced by a holiday may depend on local laws, customs, the type of job being held or even personal choices.

The concept of holidays often originated in connection with religious observances. The intention of a holiday was typically to allow individuals to tend to religious duties associated with important dates on the calendar. In most modern societies, however, holidays serve as much of a recreational function as any other weekend days or activities.

In many societies there are important distinctions between holidays designated by governments and holidays designated by religious institutions. For example, in many predominantly Christian nations, government-designed holidays may center on Christian holidays, though non-Christians may instead observe religious holidays associated with their faith. In some cases, a holiday may only be nominally observed.

1.2 The main features of Russian culture

Russian culture has a long history. Russia can claim a long tradition of dividend in many aspects of the arts, especially when it comes to literature and philosophy, classicalmusic and ballet, architecture and painting, cinema and animation, which all had considerable influence on world culture. The country also has a flavorful material culture and a tradition in technology.

Nowadays, Russian cultural heritage is ranked seventh in the Nation Brands Index, based on interviews of some 20,000 people mainly from Western countries and the Far East. Due to the relatively late involvement of Russia in modern globalization and international tourism, many aspects of Russian culture, like Russian jokes and Russian art, remain largely unknown to foreigners [11]. 

Russian traditions, superstitions and beliefs include superstitions and customs of Russians. Many of them are now inseparable parts of everyday life, or simply common social etiquette, though they often have their origins in superstition. The awareness of them, and their perceived importance, depends on various factors including region and age. Some are extremely common and practiced by the vast majority of the population, while some are extremely obscure.

There are eight public holidays in Russia. The New Year is the first in calendar and in popularity. Russian New Year traditions resemble those of the Western Christmas, with New Year Trees and gifts, and DedMoroz (Father Frost) playing the same role as Santa Claus. Rozhdestvo (Orthodox Christmas) falls on 7 January, because Russian Orthodox Church still follows the Julian (old style) calendar and all Orthodox holidays are 13 days after Catholic ones. Another two major Christian holidays are Paskha (Easter) and Troitsa (Trinity), but there is no need to recognize them as public holidays since they are always celebrated on Sunday.

Further Russian public holidays include Defender of the Fatherland Day (23 February), which honors Russian men, especially those serving in the army; International Women's Day (8 March), which combines the traditions of Mother's Day and Valentine's Day; International Workers' Day (1 May), now renamed Spring and Labor Day; Victory Day (9 May); Russia Day (12 June); and Unity Day (4 November), commemorating the popular uprising which expelled the Polish-Lithuanian occupation force from Moscow in 1612. The latter is a replacement for the old Soviet holiday celebrating October Revolution of 1917 (again, it was falling on November because of the difference of calendars). Fireworks and outdoor concerts are common features of all Russian public holidays.

Victory Day is the second popular holiday in Russia, it commemorates the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and is widely celebrated throughout Russia. A huge military parade, hosted by the President of the Russian Federation, is annually organized in Moscow on Red Square. Similar parades are organized in all major Russian cities and the cities with the status Hero city or City of Military Glory.

Other popular holidays, which are not public, include Old New Year (New Year according to Julian Calendar on 1 January), Tatiana Day (day of Russian students on 25 January), Maslenitsa (an old pagan holiday a week before the Great Lent), Cosmonautics Day (a day of Yury Gagarin's first ever human trip into space on 12 April), Ivan Kupala Day (another pagan Slavic holiday on 7 July) and Peter and Fevronia Day (taking place on 8 July and being the Russian analogue of Valentine's Day, which focuses, however, on the family love and fidelity). On different days in June there are major celebrations of the end of the school year, when graduates from schools and universities traditionally swim in the city fountains; the local varieties of these public events include Scarlet Sails tradition in Saint Petersburg [9].

Chapter II. Assimilation of foreign holidays and traditions in Russian culture

        2.1The main features of European culture

The culture of Europe is rooted in the art, architecture, music, literature, and philosophy that originated from the European cultural region.  European culture is largely rooted in what is often referred to as its "common cultural heritage" [3].

Because of the great number of perspectives which can be taken on the subject, it is impossible to form a single, all-embracing conception of European culture. Nonetheless, there are core elements which are generally agreed upon as forming the cultural foundation of modern Europe. One list of these elements given by K. Bochmann includes: a common cultural and spiritual heritage derived from Greco-Roman antiquity, Christianity, the Renaissance and its Humanism, the political thinking of the Enlightenment, and the French Revolution, and the developments of Modernity, including all types of socialism; a rich and dynamic material culture that has been extended to the other continents as the result of industrialization and colonialism during the "Great Divergence"; a specific conception of the individual expressed by the existence of, and respect for, a legality that guarantees human rights and the liberty of the individual;a plurality of states with different political orders, which are feeding each other with new ideas;respect for peoples, states and nations outside Europe [3].

Berting says that these points fit with "Europe's most positive realisations". The concept of European culture is generally linked to the classical definition of the Western world. In this definition, Western culture is the set of literary, scientific, political, artistic and philosophical principles which set it apart from other civilizations. Much of this set of traditions and knowledge is collected in the Western canon.The term has come to apply to countries whose history has been strongly marked by European immigration or settlement during the 18th and 19th centuries, such as the Americas, and Australasia, and is not restricted to Europe.

The Nobel Prize laureate in Literature Thomas Stearns Eliot in his 1948 book Notes Towards the Definition of Culture, credited the prominent Christian influence upon the European culture: "I am talking about the common tradition of Christianity which has made Europe what it is, and about the common cultural elements which this common Christianity has brought with it. If Asia were converted to Christianity tomorrow, it would not thereby become a part of Europe. It is in Christianity that our arts have developed; it is in Christianity that the laws of Europe have until recently been rooted. It is against a background of Christianity that all our thought has significance. An individual European may not believe that the Christian Faith is true, and yet what he says, and makes, and does, will all spring out of his heritage of Christian culture and depend upon that culture for its meaning. Only a Christian culture could have produced a Voltaire or a Nietzsche. I do not believe that the culture of Europe could survive the complete disappearance of the Christian Faith. The Western World has its unity in this heritage, in Christianity and in the ancient civilisations of Greece, Rome, and Israel, from which, owing to two thousand years of Christianity, we trace our descent." [10]   

2.2 Foreign holidays in Russian culture

Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the months of March or May. It complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Father's Day and Siblings Day.

The modern holiday of Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. St Andrew's Methodist Church now holds the International Mother's Day Shrine. Her campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905, the year her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. Ann Jarvis had been a peace activist who cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War, and created Mother’s Day Work Clubs to address public health issues. Anna Jarvis wanted to honor her mother by continuing the work she started and to set aside a day to honor all mothers, because she believed that they were "the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world".

Mother's Day is celebrated in more than 46 countries throughout the world. On this day, most people pray in churches in honor of mothers, while some gift them presents on this day to express their love. Some may have dinner at home with the family.

One of the most popular ways people celebrate Mother's Day is by giving their mother a card and bouquet of flowers. As it is a holiday, some people prefer to go out for a picnic to celebrate this festival. In schools, kids dedicate poems to their mothers and also performs various roles on this day.

Traditionally Russia had celebrated International Women's Day and Mother's Day on 8 March, an inheritance from the Soviet Union, and a public holiday.

Women's Day was first celebrated on the last Sunday in February in 1913 in Russia.

In 1917, demonstrations marking International Women's Day in Saint Petersburg on the last Sunday in February (which fell on 8 March on the Gregorian calendar) initiated the February Revolution. Following the October Revolution later that year, the Bolshevik Alexandra Kollontai persuaded Vladimir Lenin to make it an official holiday in the Soviet Union, and it was established, but was a working day until 1965.

On 8 May 1965, by the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, International Women's Day was declared a non-working day in the Soviet Union "in commemoration of the outstanding merits of Soviet women in communistic construction, in the defense of their Fatherland during the Great Patriotic War, in their heroism and selflessness at the front and in the rear, and also marking the great contribution of women to strengthening friendship between peoples, and the struggle for peace. But still, women's day must be celebrated as are other holidays." [8]  

Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of All Hallows' Evening), also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve, is a celebration observed in a number of countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. It begins the three-day observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed.

It is widely believed that many Halloween traditions originated from Celtic harvest festivals that may have pagan roots, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain, and that this festival was Christianized as Halloween. Some academics, however, support the view that Halloween began independently as a solely Christian holiday.

Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (or the related guising), attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, divination games, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories and watching horror films. In many parts of the world, the Christian religious observances of All Hallows' Eve, including attending church services and lighting candles on the graves of the dead, remain popular, although elsewhere it is a more commercial and secular celebration. Some Christians historically abstained from meat on All Hallows' Eve, a tradition reflected in the eating of certain foods on this vigil day, including apples, potato pancakes, and soul cakes.

Today's Halloween customs are thought to have been influenced by folk customs and beliefs from the Celtic-speaking countries, some of which are believed to have pagan roots. Jack Santino, a folklorist, writes that "there was throughout Ireland an uneasy truce existing between customs and beliefs associated with Christianity and those associated with religions that were Irish before Christianity arrived". Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while "some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain, which comes from the Old Irish for "summer's end". Samhain was the first and most important of the four quarter days in the medieval Gaelic calendar and was celebrated on 31 October–1 November in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.A kindred festival was held at the same time of year by the Brittonic Celts, called CalanGaeaf in Wales, Kalan Gwav in Cornwall and Kalan Goañv in Brittany; a name meaning "first day of winter". For the Celts, the day ended and began at sunset; thus the festival began on the evening before 1 November by modern reckoning. Samhain and Calan Gaeaf are mentioned in some of the earliest Irish and Welsh literature. The names have been used by historians to refer to Celtic Halloween customs up until the 19th century, and are still the Gaelic and Welsh names for Halloween [4]. 

The traditions and importance of Halloween vary greatly among countries that observe it.

For Russia, it is an exotic and controversial holiday. According to opinion polls, four out of five respondents in Russia know about the holiday, but only one in twenty respondents planning to celebrate it. The situation is gradually changing, there are stores that sell Halloween costumes, and its celebration is included in the schedule of shopping centers and entertainment venues. The Russian Orthodox Church has a negative attitude to the holiday. Many servant of the church called the event "a carnival of evil" and "religious festival, incompatible with the Russian culture." Negative attitudes towards Halloween supported by a number of officials, which resulted in a number of regional bans celebrations of it in public institutions, including the Kuban region in 2012 and in the Republic of Karelia in 2001. This initiative rather quickly exhausted itself. One reason for this is called a departure from the roots of the holiday in Russia, as among the Russians are increasingly becoming fashionable to wear during Halloween or historical themed costumes, far from mystical themes. 

April Fools' Day (sometimes called All Fools' Day) is celebrated every year on April 1 by playing practical jokes and spreading hoaxes. The jokes and their victims are called April fools. People playing April Fool jokes expose their prank by shouting April Fool. Some newspapers, magazines, and other published media report fake stories, which are usually explained the next day or below the news section in small letters. Although popular since the 19th century, the day is not a public holiday in any country [1].

The first massive April Fools Day were held in Moscow in 1703. Spokespersons walked the streets and invite everyone to come to the "unheard of idea." From the audience did not rebound. And when the appointed hour swung open the curtain, they saw on the stage banner with the inscription: "The first of April - no trust!" At this "unheard of idea" ended.

Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is an annual holiday celebrated on February 14. It originated as a Western Christian liturgical feast day honoring one or more early saints named Valentinus, and is recognized as a significant cultural and commercial celebration in many regions around the world, although it is not a public holiday in any country.

Several martyrdom stories associated with the various Valentines that were connected to February 14 were added to later martyrologies, including a popular hagiographical account of Saint Valentine of Rome which indicated he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire. According to legend, during his imprisonment, Saint Valentine healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius, and before his execution, he wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell.

The day first became associated with romantic love within the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). In Europe, Saint Valentine's Keys are given to lovers "as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver’s heart", as well as to children, in order to ward off epilepsy (called Saint Valentine's Malady). Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.

Saint Valentine's Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion, as well as in the Lutheran Church. Many parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrate Saint Valentine's Day, albeit on July 6 and July 30, the former date in honor of the Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and the latter date in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) [12].

In Russia, Valentine's Day has become known relatively recently - with the 90-ies of XX century. Mostly representatives of the younger generation celebrate it. Of course, we have this festival originally began exclusively secular, and the greatest joy it brings employees gift industry. Orthodox hierarchs are mainly holiday disapproval, and in the Belgorod region in 2011, the authorities even tried to ban the celebration in order to "spiritual security".

In Russia there is an equivalent of St’Valentines Day – the Day of Saint Peter and Saint Fevronia also known as the Day of Family, Love and Faithfulness, the Orthodox patrons of marriage, was officially introduced in Russia in 2008. Its symbol is a white daisy.

The Day of Saints Peter and Fevronia since the days of KievanRus and until 1917, was broadly celebrated in Russia because it was believed that the saints Peter and Fevronia are the patrons of marriage and family, as well as the symbols of love and fidelity. On this day it was common to go to church, where the people asked for love and family grace.

The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom (which literary treatment relates to the period of the mid-16th century), Duke Peter was the second son of Duke Yuri Vladimirovich of Murom. He ascended the throne in 1203. A few years before Peter’s principality he became seriously ill that no one could cure him. One day the duke had a dream that he can be healed by the girl Fevronia.

Fevronia (Greek Φεβρωνία) was beautiful, pious and good, plus she was a wise woman, she knew the properties of herbs and could cure ailments. The prince fell in love with Fevronia and vowed to marry her after the healing. The girl cured the duke but he did not keep his word. Then again he was defeated by the disease and Fevronia cured him once again. And this time the duke married the girl.

After the death of his brother Peter inherited the throne. The nobles (or boyars) respected his duke, but the haughty the nobles’ wives disliked Fevronia, not wanting to be ruled by the peasant. The nobles demanded that the duke had left her. Peter, after he heard of the intentions of separating him from the beloved wife, chose to voluntarily relinquish the power and wealth and go with her in exile. So Peter and Fevronia left Murom.

Soon the unrest began in Murom, nobles were quarreling, fighting for the throne. Then they came around, gathered a council and invited the duke and his wife back. The duke and duchess returned and Fevronia managed to earn the love of the urban counterparts. They ruled after that long and happily.

In his declining years, Peter and Fevronia took the vows in various monasteries and asked God to die in one day. They bequeathed to bury them in a specially prepared coffin with a thin partition in the middle.

Peter and Fevronia died each in his cell in a one day and hour – on 8 July 1228. But people have recognized the wicked to bury the monks in one coffin and have broken the will of the dead: their bodies were placed in the different realms. But the very next day they were found together. Twice their bodies were carried out to the different churches, but twice they miraculously were found side by side. And the spouses were buried together in the city of Murom at the cathedral church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin.

Since that time the history of the spouses of Peter and Fevronia is the embodiment of the unquenchable love and loyalty and every year on 8 July the Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of Saints Peter and Fevronia.

There is also on holiday that becomes popular. It is Baby Shower.

In some countries, a baby shower is a way to celebrate the expected or delivered birth of a child by presenting gifts to the mother at a party, whereas other cultures host a baby shower to celebrate the transformation of a woman into a mother. The event has different names in different cultures.

Baby shower as a term is relatively new, but the celebrations and rituals associated with pregnancy and childbirth are both ancient and enduring.

Ancient India: Baby shower in India has been followed since the vedic ages, in an event called seemantha held in the 6th or 8th month, the mother to be is showered with dry fruits, sweets grams and other gifts that help the baby's growth. A musical event to please the baby's ears is the highlight of the ritual, it was common knowledge that the baby's ears would start functioning within the womb - a scientifically proven belief.

Seemantha is a ritual to pray for a healthy baby and a mother, a happy delivery and motherhood.

Ancient Egypt: Ancient Egyptians did not hold baby showers as we know them today, they did observe rituals associated with birth and pregnancy.

Ancient Greece: Ancient Greeks celebrated pregnancy after the birth of the child.

Middle Ages: Childbirth was associated with not only great physical danger but spiritual danger as well.

Renaissance: Childbirth was an almost mystical event, and mothers-to-be would often be surrounded with references to the Annunciation to encourage and celebrate her.

Victorian Era: Is the predecessor to modern-day baby shower. A Victorian woman would keep her pregnancy a secret as long as possible and would not appear in public due to cultural definitions of proper behavior.

Modern Era: The modern baby shower started after WWII during the baby boom era and evolved with the consumer ideology of 1950s and 1960s. In other words, and served an economic function by providing the mother-to-be with material goods that lessened the financial burden of infant care.

Twenty-First Century: Several important changes associated with technology. Invitations, traditionally mailed, now are often emailed in elaborate graphically designed invitations. In addition, baby shower participants may attempt to identify baby parts on an ultrasound as a game, or even hold virtual baby showers [2]. 

In our country this holiday is becoming popular very fast. But mostly representatives of younger generation celebrate it.

Conclusion

Modern life is characterized by constant development. The world does not stand and traditions which were formed for centuries also changes under the influence of globalization. Today, we can not say that every culture is autonomous.

This research work was carried out analysis of the process of assimilation of European festivals and traditions in Russian culture. Since ancient times Russia stretched to Europe and its cultural and living standards, the process of borrowing and cultural features can be traced quite clearly. Many borrowed festivals and customs have been recognized and well-established in our country, but the assimilation process is continuous, and therefore - we continue to absorb all the new traditions and rebuild them for ourselves.

In conclusion, it should be noted that all of the tasks have been solved and the aim of the study is reached.

Sources

1. April Fools’ Day: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Fools%27_Day
2. Baby Shower: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_shower
3. Culture of Europe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Europe
4. Halloween: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween
5. James, Paul; with Magee, Liam; Scerri, Andy; Steger, Manfred B. (2015). Urban Sustainability in Theory and Practice: Circles of Sustainability. London: Routledge. p. 53.
6. Macionis, Gerber, John, Linda (2010). Sociology 7th Canadian Ed. Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Canada Inc. p. 53.
7. "Meaning of "culture"". Cambridge English Dictionary. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
8. Mothers’ Day:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_Day
9. Russian Culture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_culture
10. Selected T.S. Eliot on Tradition, Poetry, Faith, and Culture
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12.  St’Valentines Day: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day
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