Švč. mergelės Marijos švenčių savastys: lyginamasis aspektas

LTStraipsnyje aptariamos Švč. Mergelės Marijos Apreiškimo (kovo 25 d.), Švč. Mergelės Marijos Ėmimo į dangų (rugpjūčio 15 d.) ir Švč. Mergelės Marijos Gimimo (rugsėjo 8 d.) šventės. Jos nagrinėjamos atsižvelgiant į krikščionių Bažnyčios tradicijas ir liaudies šventimo papročius. Siekiama atskleisti jų ypatumus, atliekamų apeigų paskirtį ir reikšmingumą. Visa tai analizuojama lyginant su analogiškomis katalikų ir protestantų šventėmis Europoje. Skirtingas katalikų ir protestantų Marijos doktrinų traktavimas daro įtaką apeiginei praktikai. Švč. Mergelės Marijos garbinimas per atitinkamas šventes dažniausiai yra inicijuojamas pačios Bažnyčios. Tuo tarpu liaudies atliekamų apeigų metu išryškėja esminės šių švenčių funkcijos, susijusios su oro spėjimu, orientavimusi sezono darbuose, gausaus derliaus ir prieaugio užtikrinimu, rūpinimusi vargstančiais bendruomenės nariais.

ENThe Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the most popular figures of Christianity. Her image pervades folklore, traditional customs, and the traditions of calendar.festivals in all Christian countries. This paper compares the ways the Virgin Mary's festivals are celebrated in Catholic (Lithuania, Italy) and Protestant countries (Finland, England), focusing on the Annunciation, the Assumption, and the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated on March 25, August 15, and September 8, respectively. The aim of the paper is to show the specific nature of these festivals by discussing both their religious aspects and the folk traditions attached to them. Roman Catholics and Protestants treat the Blessed Virgin Mary's doctrines differently, which affects the ways the liturgical festivals dedicated to the Virgin Mary are celebrated. The paper offers a detailed discussion of the festival of the Assumption. Thus, while Protestants because of the lack of concrete evidence, generally do not accept that the Virgin Mary's body ascended to heaven, some Protestant countries nonetheless celebrate the Assumption, but treat it as a harvest festival, which, similarly to other countries discussed in the paper, culminates in the ritual of consecrating greenery. Thus the dominant branch of Christianity turns out to have adjusted the festival, originally dedicated to a commemoration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, according to its own conception. The research carried out for this paper shows that the figure of the Blessed Virgin Mary is exalted and glorified by the Church, whereas in the folk tradition it long ago acquired other connotations and functions.The main functions are associated with expectations for a rich harvest and healthy cattle. Predicting the weather is thus an essential part of any celebration, and the festival day offers guidance for planning farm work for the season, expressed through various ritualistic sayings. Thus the Annunciation prepares for the beginning of spring and a new cycle, while the Assumption and Nativity mark the ending of summer work and harvest festivals. Celebration ceremonies, consisting both of pagan and Christian traditions, reveal the particularity of the Blessed Virgin Mary's festivals. The festivals tend to accommodate changes in the world-view as well as implementation of new dogmas and traditions, introduced both by the official church and individual persons. Such novelties, adjusted to the main context, add a specific local touch to the festivals of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the countries discussed here.