Housewarming, 20 Roubles, Series: Slav's Traditions

“Family Traditions of Slavs” is a series of beautiful silver coins devoted to the main ceremonies of the Slavic culture. Each coin presents a custom and symbol characteristic for an important period in the life of Slavs. The issuer of the series is the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus and the producer and distributor the Mint of Poland. Till now three coins appeared: “The Wedding”, “Housewarming” and “Baptism.”

This is the second silver collector’s coin of the “Family Traditions of Slavs”. This coin presents a beautiful custom called the housewarming (in Blearussian: Novosyelye). This is an element of culture and one of the oldest customs connected with the celebration of moving to a new house. In the old times people were very serious about their houses and were very superstitious. The first inhabitants that were let in to a new house were cats. If the cat was calm it meant that the life in the new house would be happy.

On the very same day the so called “osiedliny” were organized, to which the relatives, neighbors, friends, a priest and the builders of the house were invited. All guests were treated to bread and salt and in return gave the hosts presents. Today cats remain one of the house guardians and, therefore, the cat at the obverse of the coin dominates.