Preparation of brooms for a bath
Brooms are a business card of the Russian bath. They create that unique atmosphere and spirit of a steam room. Without them, the steam room would be no different from a sauna. With the preparation of brooms and their use is associated a whole tradition. It would seem, what could be simpler than a blank? Cut branches about 60-65 cm long, tie and dry. However, in fact, there are some subtleties that preserve the aroma of the leaves and at the same time prevent the branches from shedding.
Tradition
Preparation of brooms for a bath begins every year in a certain period. Typically, this is Trinity Day. It usually falls in the middle of June.
Before you do the workpiece, you need to pay attention to the weather.
In wet time, when it rains, the branches are not collected. But the dew will be very favorable for the collection.
It is better to choose for this event the first half of the day. This is the time when the dew barely disappeared from the vegetation.
The question may arise: when to collect brooms for a bath if it rains on the Trinity? If the weather is unfavorable, the procedure is postponed for a couple of days.
Beneficial features
Brooms are definitely helpful. They produce a massage effect. In addition, various substances that they contain have a positive effect on the body.
The main condition is the ecological purity of the product.
Harvesting branches for brooms should be done outside the city, better in the forest.
If you can not do it all yourself, you can buy ready-made. They are made in rural areas specially, observing the technology that guided even the ancestors.
Varieties of brooms
Brooms are:
- oak;
- birch;
- juniper trees;
- lime;
- combined.
These branches are most often used for mating. However, amateurs can add other branches to traditional brooms. It is known that for medicinal purposes it is possible to place nettle among oak branches. Combined can combine branches of oak, linden and birch.
Birch
Birch broom in urban environments - the most popular. It is fragrant, has healing properties and is very gentle.
In order to make them, you need to choose the right tree. Experts recommend to pay attention to the so-called "weeping" birch. They have long, falling branches that lean toward the ground.
Good brooms are obtained from young birch trees. Before the start of the collection you need to touch the leaves. From the outside they should be smooth and tender. If the surface of the leaves is rough, then it is better to find another tree.
Thin and flexible branches - a guarantee of a good fragrant broom. Before drying, the birch is not tied very tightly; free space should be maintained between the branches. Otherwise, the leaves may lose their quality and color.
Juniper
For a juniper broom it is necessary to collect the branches of this bush, lovers of bath procedures know its value. The collection takes place in late spring and early summer. Juniper produces resins that are beneficial to health.
During the collection should not tear the branches of one bush. It can hurt him. We must be careful and reasonable. Juniper branches are used in the bath in three cases:
- for tying juniper brooms;
- for inclusion in the ordinary;
- for lining the floor in the steam room.
The deadline for harvesting juniper branches lasts until the middle of summer.
Before using such brooms for half an hour steamed with boiling water so that they become suitable for a bath.
Oakwood
Oak is a real classic along with birch. The branches of this tree are harvested in the second half of summer, more often in August-September. For this ideal young shoots.
Brooms from oak poorly absorb sweat, they are always dry. However, they almost do not fly around and are well suited for people with oily skin. Oak also helps with hypertension. Tannins that are contained in this plant perfectly clean the skin.
Nettle
For therapeutic and recreational purposes, broom nettle is often used. They do not burn the skin if properly prepared. When to harvest nettles? It is better to choose the period when the plant is still quite young. This time is from May to July.
It is necessary to cut off the shoots of nettle in a clean area. In urban conditions, to find environmentally friendly thickets of this plant is difficult. Nettles growing along highways will not work.
Nettle tones, relieves muscle pain, sciatica and aching joints.
So that it does not burn the skin, it is necessary two or three times alternately dip a broom in boiling water and cold water. After that it can be safely used in the steam room.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus harvesting dates - end of July - August. Eucalyptus brooms perfectly serve to relieve various colds, relieve a cold, tone up. They also return women's health.
They are used mainly in the Caucasus, where eucalyptus is easier to get. In Russia, such brooms can be bought. The aroma of this plant is unique.
Eucalyptus branches are used not only for the bath, but also for medicinal purposes. For example, in the form of inhalation.
From wormwood
Broom wormwood has long been popular in Russian saunas. This plant leaves a special aroma that cannot be compared with anything. Wormwood is also added to birch, nettle and oak brooms.
Wormwood begin to collect during the flowering period. At this time, it is most useful.
Wormwood dried bunches.
How to dry
Before drying, it is necessary to check all the branches well. The first stage of drying occurs immediately after collection, when the branches are loosely tied, after going through and removing all defective ones. Then such bundles are hung on a rope or poles and left for a week.
When the week is over, you can begin to knit brooms. Not everyone knows how to do this. So:
- thick branches should be inside, and thin - outside;
- the handle for the broom needs to be made longer, for this the lower sides of the branches are cleared of leaves and knots;
- firmly grasping branches with his left hand, it is necessary to tie the handle with a string as tightly as possible.
At the end of binding, it is necessary to make the correct packing for storage.
It is better to put brooms on one another, so that later they take the form of a fan, rather than brooms. Products of this form - the highest quality, they are enough for about 3 times in the steam room.
Storage
When brooms are connected, the question is how and where to store them. There are several storage methods.
- A dry dressing room is a good place to put fresh brooms there. They are stacked on each other, and gradually flattened, their heads take the form of a fan.
- Can be stored in the attic, bedding down the hay. The main thing - that the place was dry and ventilated.
- In urban areas, a good place to store on the balcony or in a warm, ventilated garage. On the balcony they should be protected from moisture.
During storage, brooms can be shifted by placing raw up, and already dried down. As a result, the leaves should look green and smelly. If the sheet has lost color, then the drying was performed incorrectly. Such products can be considered spoiled.
History banán vinica
History banán vinica так же туманна, как и история русской бани. Однако известно, что он стал применяться еще славянами, считавшими, что этот "букет" из листьев удваивает пользу от парной и оздоравливает.
The most popular are two types: oak and birch. They were considered curative. Healers used them for medical purposes to expel ailments.
When in the West they decided to adopt the Russian pair tradition, they still could not fully embody it. First of all, not a single Western person could withstand such heat, which is so loved by Russians. And, secondly, only in the Russian bath remained a broom.
In the sauna are not used brooms, because it is impossible. The air there is too dry, and they just fly around. Some historians associate the appearance of the Russian bath with the Turkish. However, in no country is there a custom to steam with a broom. That is why this attribute is the distinguishing feature of the Russian pairs.
Tradition париться до 19 века в русской глубинке была тесно связана с различными обрядами. Например, парились после брачной ночи. Причем молодожены принимали баню вместе. Перед посещением церкви тоже парились. Считалось, что баня и веник очистят от грехов.
Video
The process of harvesting brooms in the following video:
Useful information about the properties of various brooms: