THE * WEEK *

Most people lived, not knowing and not noticing the month's dates. Days of the week are another matter. The week was the basic unit of time in the annual cycle. Time was measured by weeks, from holiday to holiday, and the length of Lents and the spaces between them. Also, the periods of pregnancy, haulers time, prolonged illness, life cycles of animals.
 Russian names of the seven days a week (except Saturday) speak for themselves, about each of them composed of dozens of proverbs and sayings.
In the village lived at least one bibliophile that owned a calendar. Often such a man led the diary, as did Ivan Ryabkov from the community Pichikhi. Gregory Potekhin from the village Vahrunikhi still writes down great, in his opinion, events, mainly the weather. There are some experts, who for decades, led their wooden calendars. Days of the week acquired depending on weather its own characteristics; they had their colours in the imagination of the peasant (red, gray, etc.).
The weather made days of the week look happy or not, a beautiful day or lousy weather quite palpable influenced the mood and for the elderly who were wearied from years for hard work on well-being. But the origin of a famous adage about Monday, widely known in our time, was not originated from the weather.
 Drunkards and lazy bums, called loafers, could not have stability in the peasant household. One of two things: either work hard or be branded as a laughingstock.
Monday was not difficult for a well-rested person. Tuesday is still considered successful in the study results, as the employee managed to get up to speed, but Wednesday is regarded as the most productive day. "The week is strong by Wednesday, "- said on this subject in the proverb. On Wednesday and Friday used to fast for the faithful Russians, those days people should not amuse themselves too much, or eat meat and dairy foods.
 In very strict families, mothers did not even breastfeed babies. The week's fourth, fifth, and sixth days were labour days, but one had to heat the bathhouse on Saturday. The bathhouse was heated before the big church holidays, prepared for the dying, childbirth, and celebrating the return from the long journey.
Sick and very old were taken to the bath in the winter on sleds or were carried on the back.
 A unique ritual bath would be prepared for the bride before the wedding and for the couple after the wedding. Latter, by no means, has been deprived of common sense. However, the chastity of the married couple, due to high morals and youth, sometimes made the wedding night not very successful. A bath would bring them very close and remove uneasiness. From that day, the husband and wife went to the bath together, although the appearance and maturation of kids this habit could change.
In the large family, the order of going to the bath depended on many factors, but there have always been fans of the first steam, as dry steam was maintained only up to the time of washing. In basins hisses the stone-heated water yet, but bathers already on the top bench. They sweat, discuss everything, beat themselves with the birch twigs, splash water on the hot stones. Some were taken along kvas for drinking. If splash kvas on the hot rocks, a surprisingly pleasant cereal odour appears in the bath. The bath without the birch twigs is like bread without salt.
 Before haymaking time, people broke twigs, choosing a time when the birch leaf is not dry but is already strong and plucked good juices. Then, a pile of fragrant green branches brought in a cart, armfuls transferred under the roof as if giving off healing power, small kids were very fond of sitting and doing somersaults. And this somersaulting could remain the most beautiful childhood memories just because of the strong aroma of birch, bright green, the chirping of swallows, the coolness of the barn and summer heat, blue sky and white multi-tiered clouds. And of course, thanks to the good grumpy grandmother, who puts twig to a twig, making a bundle. Two bundles joined together to make it easier to hang on poles.
People wouldn't forget to make a birch twigs bundle as a gift to the children: the smaller the child, the smaller a whisk. Pairs of bundles were hanging in the winter under the roof, recalling the summer in the cold season. Used in the bath bundles were used for sweeping. Sometimes one pulls out of the leafless broom twig and stuck in a wall somewhere in a conspicuous place. An unruly kid would bypass this place, looking at this twig...
Women gathered during Midsummer Night, a bouquet of flowers of all colours and used as the birch twigs besom in the bath. In the "banya," people healed of all ages and from most diseases. First physical hardening based on the temperature difference, children got in the bath, and the difference gradually increases with age, increasing the duration of "floundering." in the snow. If the bath is by a river or lake in the summer, it is just more pleasant to dive into clean water. Gradually it was possible to accustom themselves to the icy water. But the idea of the infinite possibilities of "hardening" is still not considered severe. Modern "walruses" did not cause admiration or delight in the people.
By the way, even in the peak of summer heat, not everybody would go swimming in the North. For bathing were chosen favourite ponds: there are splashing kids, over there are adults. Boys and girls swim by taking turns or in different places because they jump into the water completely naked. Only a married couple could bathe together and away from human eyes.
In the summer, one of the favourite activities of adolescents was bathing the horses. But swimming is not a substitute for a bath; the bath is good at any time of year and in any weather. If, of course, the bathhouse was well built, with an excellent stone-oven heater, and if the bather wasn't too stingy with time, firewood and water.