In Russian peasant culture, the posidelki ritual played an important role for young men and women. This ritual took place during the period of courtship in Russia, which was from January to February as well as from October to November. Men and women courted one another and married during this period because it was the time of the year when agricultural work was dying down. Furthermore, during these months, there were no religious obligations like important church holidays, lents, and periods of fasting to tend to. These religious rituals cause interferences in the socializing process between men and women. There were not a lot of opportunities throughout the year for young people to get to know each other and pick someone of their choosing…show more content… Women had the ability to socialize and entertain one another with music by singing songs. During the celebratory portion of the ritual, men entered the posidelki with numerous gifts for the young women. These gifts usually consisted of sweets, gingerbread, dried fruits, and nuts. Afterwards, the men approached a woman of their choosing and picked her as a partner to play games and participate in the round dances with. The way a man introduced himself to a woman was done in a very ceremonial way. In a flirtatious yet respectful manner, the man would tip his hat to the girl and entice her with charming words. If the woman was fond of the man, then she would stay with him as a pair until the end of the posidelki ritual. Since the posidelki was private, people felt liberated. They made crude jokes and sang songs with sexual content. Furthermore, couples were allowed to make love to one another. The posidelki ritual is a private ritual and gives women the freedom to pick a man whom they would like to be with. It opens the negotiation in to the matchmaking process. This is one of the only times women have power in the courtship process. The posidelki ritual gives them the