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Belarus people

The people of Belarus are a kind, friendly and good humoured nation. The patience and peacefulness of the Belarusian people has been determined by the nation’s history that has been darkened by endless wars which the Belarusians did not start, but fell victim to. Belarus is welcoming to all visitors and interested in sharing its culture, traditions and sense of community with them.
Ethnic Belarusians make up more than 80% of the population. But because of the history of Belarus, many other nationalities have also settled in the country, many of whom have been established for several generations.
Here are the main minority groups that make up the people of Belarus:
Russians (8.2%) have always lived in the region, with a large influx into the country after the Second World War
Poles (3.1%) have lived in the western side of the country for centuries
Ukrainians (1.7%) – the largest influx came in the 18th and 19th centuries
Jews (0,13%): the first Jews settled in Belarus in the 15th century, but emigration to Israel and other states since the 1980s means that the Jewish population of Belarus is now less than 30,000
Other significant minority groups in Belarus include Tatars, Roma, Lithuanians andLetts.
Languages of Belarus
Belarusian and Russian are the official languages of Belarus.
Other languages such as Polish, Ukrainian and Hebrew are spoken within local communities.
National clothing of Belarus
National costume is still popular in Belarus but usually worn only on festival days and for celebrations.
Traditional crafts in Belarus
There’s a long and rich history of traditional arts and crafts in Belarus, and many of these skills are alive and well today.
The main crafts include:
weaving
woodworking
glass blowing
Traditional folk dancing remains popular, with a number of folk theatres around Belarus.
Music and art also play an important part in the national life of Belarus, with national and international festivals held regularly across the country. The best known of these is the Slavyanskiy Bazar in Vitebsk.

Kalyady, Maslenitsa, Kupala Night – Belarusian holidays.
The Belarusian people remember not only the great battles and fights: the traditions and customs of ancestors are also kept in people’s memory. Some of them are even included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Belarusian folklore and folk traditions, which have passed the test of time and despite the past bans preserved their charm, have become the basis for many tourist events attracting visitors to the country.
All New Year celebrations in Belarus are entirely tied to Kalyady — the ancient pagan (языческий) ritual with maskers and songs.
The only pagan holiday legalized by the Orthodox Church — Maslenitsa, or Cheese Week — is widely celebrated across the country. Each of the seven days of fun, entertainment and pancakes has its own name (“Meeting”, “Zaigryshi”, “Gourmand”) and traditions.
In July Belarus invites to celebrate the Kupala Night – a unique ritual feast, based on close contact with nature. Colorful rituals taking place on the Kupala night include collecting herbs and flowers, making wreaths and floating them on water, jumping over the fire, night bathing and searching for the fern blossom.
In modern Belarus the Slavic holiday marking the end of the harvest turned into “Dozhinki” – the National Festival and Fair (ярмарка) of Rural (сельский) Workers, celebrated on a large scale since 1996. The President annually takes part in the celebrations. Each year, the holiday is hosted by a different city.
The Belarusian traditions of needlework deserve special attention. The weaving (ткачество) tradition is also a kind of the country’s brand. Belarus intends to include the unique tradition of fulling woolen hats and boots – “shapovalstvo” — in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
The local masters of the Dribin District of the Mogilev Region pass their skills on from father to son. A workshop was established at the Dribin Historical and Ethnographic Museum where students can learn this craft.