«Sweet Snowball» International Festival
| Type: | Culture |
| Country: | Russia |
| Year of opening: | 2011 2010 |
| Project Partners: | International Center for Slavic Vedic Culture, «InvestTekhProm» Group, «Vedic Rus» Publishing House |
In 2010 and 2011, «Dialogue of Cultures - United World» Fund co-organized «Sweet Snowball» Festival of Slavic Cultures.
«Sweet Snowball» International Festival is the event of the year for anyone who respects the culture of the Slavic peoples and has a passion for the history of their ancestors. The idea of the festival is the Old Slavonic celebration of Mother Earth celebrated after crop harvesting. This time is great for courtship and autumn weddings. White snowball always had a special respect of the ancient Slavs, as it represents the girl’s beauty and purity in the ancient Slavic culture. Therefore, the festival owes its name to this tree.
The festival was held on August 14-15, 2010 and August 13-14, 2011 in the territory of «ETNOMIR». The event was aimed to introduce all those interested to the Vedic culture, spiritual way of life and traditional world outlook of the ancient Slavs, to promote a healthy lifestyle and harmonious family values. The program of the «Sweet Snowball» festival consisted of two parts: informational-educational and cultural-entertaining. Within the educational part of the festival, guests got acquainted with the spiritual practices of ancient Slavs: «Lada’s charm and wisdom», «Slavic charmers», «Live singing», «Space of love in the house», «Martial arts 'Triglav'», «Generations and family relations», «Spiritual roots of the birth of life». Skilled needlewomen showed workshops on creating talismans made of fabric, wood and ceramics, making clay toys and weaving beaded jewelry, etc.
In order to acquaint visitors of the festival with the innovative concept on the revival of ancestral homes and harmonious living in their native land, the following lectures were given: «On ancestral homes in Russia», «On peculiarities of cultivating crops», «On low-budget technologies of eco-building». During the lectures on proper nutrition, the audience learned about the traditions of the ancient Slavs on the Old Slavonic nutritious diet of raw foods and features of nutrition according to the rules of the magic tablecloth and replenished their knowledge to improve the diet using field herbs and forest plants.
The cultural program of the festival included performances of music groups, folk gusla players, Slavic bards and poets. This part also presented classic clothing of Slavic peoples and demonstrated Slavic martial arts. The highlight of the «Sweet Snowball» festival is a unique Star Couple program intended for all those who cherish traditional Slavic values, who actually support the Vedic way of life and seek finding happiness in the family union. The festival culminated in ancient Slavic celebration of Mother Earth. The international «Sweet Snowball» festival was attended by musical groups, Slavic bards, folk writers and poets, craftsmen and artisans, preachers of the Vedic teachings, students of martial arts schools, experts of psychological and training centers, members of public organizations and commercial establishments.
