The date of the event is unique for each year. In 2024, this date is June 24. “There are wonders there: there a leshy roams A mermaid sits on the branches…” A.S. Pushkin “Ruslan and Lyudmila” Dukh Day is the celebration of the Vilas and Marena, the Goddess of Earthly Water, starting with the honoring of ancestors who were invited to visit the home by scattering fresh birch branches in the corners of the house. It was also a day of remembrance and communication with the water, meadow, and forest spirits - the rusalki of their kin. According to legends, rusalki were those who died prematurely, not having reached adulthood, or who voluntarily left this life. Women conducted secret rituals, leaving the household chores to men, sometimes for the entire week. Those with children would leave old clothes of their children, towels, and cloths for the rusalki children in the fields or on branches near springs. They needed to appease the rusalki spirits to prevent them from bothering the children and other relatives, to promote the fertility of fields, meadows, and forests, to water them with the Earth’s juices. According to tradition, during Rusalia Week, rusalki could be seen near rivers, in blooming fields, groves, and, of course, at crossroads and cemeteries. It was said that during their dances, rusalki performed a ritual related to protecting crops. They could also punish those who tried to work on the holiday: trampling sprouting ears, causing crop failures, heavy rains, storms, or droughts. Encountering a rusalka promised immense wealth or misfortune. Rusalki were to be feared by girls and children. It was believed that rusalki could take a child into their circle, tickle, or dance them to death. Therefore, during Rusalia Week, children and girls were strictly forbidden from going into the field or meadow. If children died or disappeared during Rusalia Week, it was said that rusalki had taken them. To protect oneself from the rusalka’s charm, one had to carry strong-smelling plants: wormwood, horseradish, and garlic.