Verbnaia nedelia

[SOLOMON HOWARD TODD]

Another source for info on Verbnaia nedelia, althought not extensive, is
the 1880 Moscow edition of "Russkii Narod. Ego obychai, obriady,
predaniia, sueveriia i poeziia" (M. Zabylin), republished in 1990 by the
joint Canadian-Soviet publisher "kniga printshop." Pages 48-49 detail
such peasant customs as country 'baby' beating children with the willow
branches upon returning from church reciting: "verba khlest', bei do
slez'!" Also the willow branches blessed on Verbnoe voskresen'e in folk
belief are a sympathetic substance in healing the sick, kept all year,
and used for curing sick cows.

Howard Solomon, U. of Kansas