On March 20, the head of the department of storage of immovable monuments at the Bolgar Museum-Reserve Sabirova L.A., together with specialists from the “Rassvet” Social and Cultural Center, held an interactive museum lesson “Larks – the meeting of spring!” for 8 students of Bolgar boarding school.
The Slavic holiday of Larks is marked on March 22, the day of the vernal equinox. In Russia, people believed that on March 22, forty different birds would arrive from warm countries, and the first of them would be the field lark, that is why the holiday is called “Larks.”
Traditionally, people would bake spring birds out of dough for this holiday. These birds included larks, starlings and sandpipers. The birds were distributed to children who would run with shouts and laughter to call the larks and bring spring.
During the event, the students learned about the history of the holiday, folk games, the folk calendar, traditions and customs. They actively participated in games and contests, and a master class was held on how to prepare the traditional Russian festive treat “Lark” where the students showed their skills and expertise. The event concluded with everyone wishing each other happiness and good health. As expected, the festivities culminated in a joyful and heartfelt tea party with the fragrant traditional pastries “Larks”.