On the day of the spring equinox, the Slavs celebrated the Larks. Today, even many elderly people do not remember this holiday. And this cannot but upset us, because this is how history is lost and roots are forgotten. But the holiday has a very deep, interesting meaning and many customs. I propose to take a short trip into the past and find out what date the Lark holiday begins in 2021 and what generally needs to be done on this day.
The holiday has a fixed date. This means that it is celebrated annually on the day of the vernal equinox - March 22. Our ancestors constantly observed nature, so they were able to notice that it was with the onset of the equinox that larks returned from warm countries. Their arrival meant that we could start doing chores. This was even reflected in the saying “The lark plows the sky.”
With the advent of Christianity, the pagan component of the holiday faded somewhat into the background. In Orthodoxy, March 22 is the day of remembrance of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste. Young Christian soldiers accepted martyrdom for their faith. The Orthodox are sure that their souls, like larks, return to earth with the onset of spring. That is why the Lark holiday has a second name - Magpies (with emphasis on the second letter). Although there is no direct connection between them.
When are larks baked in 2022?
Larks from dough are baked in 2022 - March 22. This is one of the most important holidays in the Christian calendar. It was installed in honor of the Roman soldiers who adopted the Christian faith during the reign of the ancient Roman emperor Licinius, known for his negative attitude towards Christians. For refusing to renounce their faith, they were killed in Lake Sebaste. In memory of the courageous warriors, the strict Easter fast is even relaxed on this day.
For what holiday were larks made from dough baked and why?
For our ancestors, this day has long been a holiday of birds and the onset of spring. It is intertwined with the spring equinox, which falls on March 22 in 2022. The pagans baked birds from dough, told fortunes, and monitored the weather, anticipating the future harvest. Since birds return from “warm regions,” these creatures were greatly revered. After all, the South is the place where dead ancestors live, and birds are the link between the worlds of the dead and the living.
Housewives on this day baked forty birds from dough, making them in the shape of larks, magpies, and swallows. They sculpted wings, beaks, tails and made eyes from raisins or nuts. Lubricate the top with tea, yolks or honey, sprinkle with poppy seeds or sugar.
These pastries were hung on trees, eaten, and treated to neighbors and children. The crumbs were given to livestock or left in feeders.
There was a belief that birds returning from wintering carried the warm spring on their wings. And in order for the birds to return faster, they used to perform many rituals to which the kids were involved. In particular, the children sang freckles, and on March 22 they had the opportunity to enjoy delicious dough birds. They were baked the day before, decorated with ribbons, put on twigs and given to children. The task was very important: to run with them around vegetable gardens and huts, invite spring and raise them as high as possible, and in the evening the birds could be eaten. The bravest ones even climbed trees and roofs with the birds.
We suggest joining the tradition and also baking birds together with the kids, because there is nothing more valuable than spending interesting time with children.
What are "Larks"
For the holiday, all housewives in Rus' always baked cookies in the shape of larks, birds that wake up very early and wake up the whole world with their songs. In theology, this bird is a symbol of souls that go to God. There is also a belief among believers that the songs sung by larks symbolize the prayers of the martyrs. 40 soldiers of the brave Christian army who were captured by pagans who demanded that they renounce Christianity and embrace paganism became martyrs. The warriors refused and for this they accepted a terrible pagan death - their legs were broken and left to die in an icy lake under the supervision of pagan guards. When the news spread throughout all Christian cities, the forty dead soldiers were canonized for the glory of God.
How to make larks from dough
We now know what holiday our ancestors baked larks from dough for, all that remains is to find out how to sculpt the birds.
There are several ways to make a lark from dough. But they are different for each type of test.
Making larks from yeast dough
The first method is the simplest - birds, by the way, keep their shape best.
✅ We make sausage from the dough.
✅ We tie it with a knot.
✅ From one end of the sausage we form a head with a beak, insert eyes-quarters of raisins. We make a tail at the other end and cut it with a knife to make feathers.
Second way.
✅ We also make sausage, but this time we fold it with a loop.
✅ The middle will be the head, and the ends of the loop will be the wings.
I liked this method less because the bird did not hold its shape very well.
Third way.
✅ We make two sausages and place them crosswise.
✅ We wrap the front end back and stick it to the middle, this will be the bird’s head. We press the edges of the sausages on the back and sides - these will be the tail and wings.
✅ Making eyes and feathers.
Making larks from shortbread dough
Lark cookies made from shortcrust pastry are not tied into a knot. Since the products are not voluminous, they are made in profile.
If you have a shape in the shape of a bird, then all you have to do is roll out the dough into a layer and cut out the desired shapes on it. If there is no form, then proceed as follows:
✔ Form the dough into a ball shape and roll it into a round layer. ✔Cut the circle into 8 equal parts. The sharp side is the head and beak. ✔On the bottom of the dough we make a vertical cut not in the middle. The top part should be wider than the bottom. ✔ We overlap the top strip with the bottom strip, forming a wing. Above is the body of a lark, below is the tail. ✔ Using a knife, we make cuts on the tail, imitating feathers.
Recipe for butter buns “Larks”
Fragrant, tender and very soft pastries that any child will love. And these birds are also suitable for adults with tea or coffee. Those who do not fast can add milk to the dough. But the buns will turn out delicious even on water.
Ingredients:
- water - ¼ l;
- flour - 3.5 tbsp;
- dry yeast, salt - 0.5 tsp each;
- sugar - 4 tbsp;
- vegetable oil - ¼ tbsp.;
- tea brewing - 50 ml;
- raisin.
How to cook:
Dissolve yeast, sugar and salt in warm milk. Gradually add the flour sifted twice or thrice. Stir and knead the dough. At the very end, pour in the vegetable oil. When the mass stops sticking to the walls of the bowl, the process is considered complete. Cover with a napkin and leave in a warm place. When the dough has doubled in size, knead it and let it rise again.
It is better to add salt to the dough along with flour. This will make it easier for the yeast to work.
The risen dough is kneaded again. Roll into an oval, divide into two equal parts. Cut crosswise into strips. The width of each is 2 cm. Tie each with a knot. Turn one free end into a head, insert small pieces of raisins. And the second one will be the tail. Make cuts on it.
Place the “birds” on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Brush with strong tea leaves. Bake for about 25 minutes at 180°.
Shortbread larks
This recipe is popular among those who decide to give up yeast baked goods.
So, pour it into a cup:
✅ 1 kg of flour ✅ 30 g of yeast (can be replaced with dry yeast) ✅ 130 g of butter ✅ 1 glass of milk ✅ 1/2 cup of sugar ✅ 1 egg ✅ 50 g of raisins ✅ Pinch of salt
Take half the flour and mix the dough with all the ingredients in a bowl. Pour onto the table and mix thoroughly with the remaining flour. We form larks from the resulting dough, as shown above, and place in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
5 minutes before cooking, remove from the oven, brush with yolk and sprinkle with sugar. Place back in the oven.
Let's sculpt a figure
When the dough has risen, take it out and roll it out again to compact it. A few minutes is enough. Then the entire volume of dough must be divided into several identical parts, 100 grams each. Roll out a rope from each piece. So.
We take one tourniquet and tie it in a knot. This will be the head. Shape the dough into the shape of a bird's head. A bird must have eyes, and in cooking, black raisins are used as eyes by default. Place it on the dough and press lightly. Make a beak. Stretch the other end of the rope a little with your fingers, give it a flat shape and, using a sharp knife, make small horizontal cuts that will symbolize feathers. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, line a baking tray with baking paper. Grease each figure with a solution of strong tea and sugar and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Superstitions for the Magpie Festival
Whoever works on this day earns himself forty illnesses. You cannot wash, repair, or work in the field. Anything you do from hard work on the day of the holiday will cause harm or cause losses.
If the weather is warm, it’s time to sow peas, there will be a very good harvest. And to confirm their hopes, on this day they cooked pea porridge, baked pies with peas or fried peas.
A funny sign is to count bald men on this day. As many as there are in the village, there may still be as many frosty days after the Magpie holiday.
To tell fortunes on birds, you can add them to some “predictions” while molding them from dough. Put salt in one bun and a button in another. They also put in: a coin, a wedding ring, sugar, poppy seeds, and the like. Based on what kind of “surprise” a person received, he determined the future for the year: an early marriage, new clothes, a long journey or wealth.
Traditions of the day
Larks are a symbol of the coming spring. After preparing the buns, they were put out on the window to quickly summon spring; some were given to children as toys. The main tradition among the children was to take these birds, carry them to a high hill, plant them on branches or twigs and shout out rhymes, which were also intended to attract spring. In the Christian tradition there is no celebration of the vernal equinox, but the church has made it possible to observe traditions through the day of the holy martyrs.
Russian and American scientists want to “recode” mosquitoes by stopping them from biting
A simple way to grow a new flower from the stump of a wilted orchid
Photo of asteroid 2001 FO32, which successfully flew past Earth
