Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

ALIMENTARY CUSTOMS IN RUSSIAN CULTURE AS THE BASIS FOR THE PRESENT-DAY CONCEPT OF HEALTHY EATING

E.V. Kirpicheva

Abstract

Eating has always been, is, and will be a crucial aspect in the life of man. What and the way we eat vividly reflect the distinctive features of the daily way of life of many generations of our ancestors. Food and everything related to it is an indispensable part of the material culture of any nation. The alimentary regimen of Russians has been formed under the influence of all kinds of various factors – economic, natural, and religious. Life in Russia had always been shaped based on the canons of Orthodoxy, so religion had made a tangible impact on the nation’s traditions, including its alimentary customs and eating culture. Wittingly or unwittingly, many present-day sanative, dietary methodologies that are developed and adopted in traditional and non-traditional medicine are using the practical centuries-tested ecclesiastical experience, and the study of traditions related to joint meals in patriarchal Russian families can help in shaping the alimentary conduct and alimentary culture of children in the 21st century.