In the old days, winter was the time when all the work in the fields had already been done, the supplies had been prepared, all that remained was to wait for the New Year and Christmas holidays with their delights: decorating the Christmas tree with the whole family, Christmas fortune-telling, preparing twelve dishes for Christmas and much more. But do not forget about another ancient ritual that people honor to this day: on Christmas, gather in groups, dress up in different themed costumes, go from house to house and carol!

What is the history of the carol holiday?

In the ritual of singing Christmas carols, the combined old pagan traditions and New Christians. The ancient Slavs believed and glorified the god Kolyada, so every Christmas from January 6 to 7, whole families caroled.

And here is the legend itself: on the day of the winter solstice, according to legend, the Korotun serpent ate the Sun, but so that people would not be left without light and warmth, the good goddess Kolyada in the waters of the Dnieper gave birth to a new Luminary, little Bozhich. Further, it was necessary to protect the new sun from evil forces by all means. Therefore, people went from house to house with the image of the earthly Luminary and conveyed this happy news to them. With the appearance of the first star in the sky, they called the owner of the house and sang praising songs to him. They began to be called carols.

When do the carols start?

Now carols are sung on Christmas night (from the sixth to the seventh of January). As soon as the first star appears in the sky, everyone sits down at the table to praise the birth of Christ. When the first spoonful of festive kuti is tested, the holiday has just begun! It's time to go caroling. This tradition is especially loved by residents of small towns and villages, because there people know each other and are waiting for acquaintances with gifts.

How to properly carol at Christmas?

In order to properly carol, there are several rules and special attributes, without which the ritual will be incomplete.
First of all, you need to gather a company of several people and distribute them by roles. You need to choose the one who will carry the bag of gifts. After all, in every house the owner, who wants peace and prosperity for his house for the whole coming year, should bestow caroling gifts. Usually carolers are given sweets, but sometimes even money.

Next, prepare the costumes: a goat (it is considered a symbol of fertility and a rich harvest, a cheerful guy is chosen for this role, who will fervently dance in front of the owners and thus drive away evil spirits from the house), a bear, buffoons, angels. The company should be as diverse as possible!

One of the main attributes of the mummers is the Star, because it was the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem that marked the Nativity of Christ. For caroling, the star needs to be made as noticeable and bright as possible - fix it on a long stick, decorate it with ribbons, garlands and shiny foil. It will be noticeable to everyone from afar that the time has come to prepare gifts.

In the old days, it was believed that the more rays a star had, the happier the wishes would be. Also, it was often decorated with paintings with religious subjects, and candles were placed in the middle. Usually, small stars were worn by kids, while young people tried to make them more complex: they star of bethlehem spinning around its axis, sparkled and was decorated with ribbons and braids of the finest workmanship.

If possible, you also need to make a small nativity scene - portable puppet show with biblical characters and Christmas stories, you can easily do it yourself. Ask the children to start with animal figurines.

Now the main part is to learn Christmas carols:

Good evening to you, my lord, rejoice,
Cover the tables, that's all with kilims, rejoice,
Oh, rejoice, earth, the Son of God was born.
And put rolls with hot wheat, rejoice,
Oh, rejoice, earth, the Son of God was born.
Bo come to you three holidays to visit, rejoice,
Oh, rejoice, earth, the Son of God was born.
And the first holiday: Christmas, rejoice,
Oh, rejoice, earth, the Son of God was born.
And the other holiday: St. Basil, rejoice,
Oh, rejoice, earth, the Son of God was born.
And the third holiday: Holy Vodokhrescha, rejoice,
Oh, rejoice, earth, the Son of God was born.

An angel came down to us
And he sang: "Christ is born!"
We came to glorify Christ
And congratulate you on the holiday.
Here we go, shepherds,
All our sins are forgiven.
We rule our way to the house,
We praise Christ God.

Heaven and earth, heaven and earth
Now they are celebrating.
angels people angels people
They rejoice merrily.

Angels sing, give glory.

A miracle, a miracle is proclaimed.
In Bethlehem, in Bethlehem
Joy has come!
Pure maiden, pure maiden,
She gave birth to a son!
Christ was born, God became incarnate,
Angels sing, give glory.
The shepherds play, the Shepherd is met,
A miracle, a miracle is proclaimed.

How to meet carolers?

First of all, with a kind heart and a pure soul, because people come to your house to wish happiness, prosperity and peace.

Remember, caroling may suddenly come to you, so prepare a treat and small money the day before. If this is the case in the village - most likely, your good friends and acquaintances will visit you, we advise you to join them!

Here are carols that will be easy to learn:

Christmas carol came
Christmas Eve
Who will give the pie
That is why the barn is full of cattle,
Sheep with oats
A stallion with a tail!
Who will not give a pie,
To that chicken leg,
Pestle, yes a shovel,
Humpback cow.

carols, carols, carolers,
Goodness with honey spitting,
Not so without honey
Give me some pie.
Yak do not give a pie,
I'll take the bik by the horns,
I'll take you to the market
I will buy my own pie.

Quiet nothing, holy nothing!
Clarity b "є vіd zіrnits.
Holy Child,
So clear, mov dawn,
Rest in quiet sleep.
Quiet nothing, holy nothing!
Oh, see the tears for the vich,
Bo Xing God come before us,
Tsiliy light of love "saved,
Let us know, Holy Child!
Holy nothing is here,
A clear glint from the sky b "є,
In the human body God's Sin
Come to Bethlehem
To save the whole world.

What is sung about in carols?

Most carols are the result folk art, that is, they more than ever brightly and accurately reflect the life and worldview of our people. In Christmas songs, the motives for the creation of the world are traced, plots of rural labor, Cossack campaigns are described, and even the time of Kievan Rus is described.

Carols also praise human labor, kindness, justice and happiness.

At the end of December, the ancient Slavs spent Kolyada holiday. This is an ancient Slavic holiday associated with the winter solstice. At the same time in Christianity, the birth of Jesus Christ falls. That is why the Christmas Eve holiday was chosen for the Christianization of the Slavic peoples, as a replacement for the native Kolyada. And it was Christmas Eve that adopted a lot from Kolyada, and not vice versa!

What does the word mean? Kolyada from diminutive "colo", i.e. child of the Sun. And the holiday symbolizes nothing more than the birth of a new sun. This newborn sun is the symbol of the new year. The sun is born and a new year begins, the birth of a new life.

Kolyada is celebrated on winter holidays with December 25(turn of the sun for spring) January 5 - 6. By the way, the Catholic Church celebrates Christmas on December 25th. So, on December 25, the turning of the sun to spring began.

Our ancestors represented Kolyada as a beautiful baby who was captured by the evil witch Zima. According to beliefs, she turns him into a wolf cub (compare the synonyms for “wolf” - “fierce” with the Proto-Slavic name of the most severe month of winter: February - fierce). People believed that only when the wolf (sometimes other animals) skin was removed from him and burned on fire (spring warmth), Kolyada would appear in all the splendor of his beauty.

How is Kolyada celebrated?

Fortunately, it was not possible to completely replace the native pagan holiday Kolyada with a Christian version, and at present they are combined together. For example, the Eastern Slavs preserved caroling as a complex of Christmas rites. Almost all these rituals came to us from ancient times, when carolers acted as the spirits of ancestors, visiting their descendants and bringing a pledge of a fruitful year, prosperity, prosperity. Dressing up (dressing with skins, masks and horns) was an integral attribute of the holiday. The mummers walked around the yards, sang carols - songs glorifying Kolyada, which gives blessings to everyone. When caroling, they went around the yards, sang carols, oats, schedrovka, grapes with wishes of health and well-being to the owners, and later also Christmas carols glorifying Christ. At Christmas we went with children, carried with them nativity scene showing performances on gospel stories.

Bypass yards with "sunshine", singing agricultural carols, "Feeding Frost"- all this was an integral part of the festival. Eating ritual cookies in the form of cows (loaf, bagels), they commemorate Tour. Instead of a sacrificial lamb, they eat cookies in the form of a lamb's head (bagel, pretzel). You should definitely try uzvar and kutya.

The rite of caroling consisted of a kind of exchange of gifts, gift for gift. The carolers "gave" prosperity to the peasant house for the whole year, and the owners gave them goats, as well as pies, cheesecakes, beer, and money. It is worth saying that in many areas of Russia, bread products were considered the main gift. On the eve of Christmas, roes were baked especially for distribution to carolers. Carol songs have always been diverse. And this diversity depended on in which region, even in which district caroling took place.

The carolers were usually accompanied by a goat, but not a real one, but a mischievous and cheerful person dressed in a jacket. The goat was the main character. The Slavs believed that the presence of this animal in the yard scares away evil spirits, brings fertility, a good harvest, joy and prosperity to the house. The ritual of caroling was fun, with laughter, dancing and full cups, good gifts and a real holiday feeling. The gifts that young people received for ritual songs and dances went to the common table.

The holiday ends with games. Be sure to roll the burning wheel uphill with the words: “Roll uphill, come back with spring!”.

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In January we have many holidays: New Year, Christmas, Old New Year.
These days people have fun, go to visit each other, wish happiness, health and prosperity, lay a rich table and invite relatives to visit. In addition to festive feasts, at Christmas it is customary to carol, walk around the yards, sing carols with wishes of health and happiness.

What are carols, how to properly carol, what costumes are worn for caroling?

The tradition of caroling was born back in pagan times, when our ancestors worshiped the goddess of fertility Kolyada and celebrated the winter solstice, when the days became longer and the nights shorter. People sang songs dedicated to this event so that the harvest would be good and there would be prosperity in the house.

With the birth of Christianity, the two holidays are intertwined and are practically one. At Christmas, adults and children dress up, go to relatives, friends, learn carols, generosity, wish everyone well-being and happiness. Carols are traditional ritual songs, which are often of a religious nature, glorify the birth of Jesus Christ. With the words of carols, they began to thank God for all the good things that happened in the old year, they praised the generosity and hospitality of the owners.

How to carol correctly

According to tradition, mummers walk around the village, the village: guys, girls, dressed in costumes, and carol. The spectacle is very bright and interesting.

Firstly, for caroling you need to gather in a group, at least three people. At the head of the company of mummers is a "star", who carries a large eight-pointed star on a stick - a symbol of the birth of Jesus Christ. The star is the main attribute of Christmas. It can be cut out of cardboard or made of wire, decorated with sparkles, broken toys.The star is the main character. He must know carols very well and sing them.

The next one is the ‘ringer’ who carries the bell. He calls, thereby informing the owners that carolers are coming.

And closes the procession ''mechonosha'' . He has a bag where the owners put various sweets, rolls, bagels. The bag should be bright, made of durable fabric. You can decorate it with stars, a month, the sun.

Before starting to carol, the mummers must ask the owner for permission to carol. Of course, no one refuses this request, but for decency, you still need to ask permission. If the host gave the go-ahead, the mummers thank him, wish the hospitable hosts health, happiness, prosperity, and begin to sing carols.

Christmas carols for children
It is not difficult to teach children to carol. They can remember little carols. Learning carols and schedrovkas with children, we introduce them to the traditions of Slavic culture. Toddlers very quickly perceive the words of carols by ear. A few repetitions and they know them by heart. Moreover, knowing that later they will be given sweets, children learn carols quickly.

***

Carol, carol!
You give us a pie
Or a slice of bread
Or a chicken with a tuft,
Cockerel with comb.
——————

Christ the Savior
Born at midnight
In the den of the poor
He settled.

Christ Lord,
On your birthday
Give to all people
World of enlightenment!
—————-

And I'm small, but remote,
Born on Tuesday
Studied on Wednesday
books to read,
Praise Christ!
Congratulations!
Be healthy.
Merry Christmas!
———————-
Today an angel came down to us,
And he sang: "Christ is born!"
We came to glorify Christ
And congratulations on your holiday!

Nowadays, children go with carols to have fun and get treats.
Children can be dressed up in colorful clothes. For example, a buffoon: in a bright shirt, bloomers, a hat on the head with bells, gird a shirt with a belt. If your children go caroling, make sure that they are warmly dressed, do not forget to give them mittens so that they do not freeze. Winter is still outside!

It is often customary to sow the floor with grain so that there is prosperity in the houses."I sow, sow, sow, Happy New Year or Merry Christmas!"
Learning carols with children, we help them develop memory, Creative skills children learn about the rites and traditions of Christmas.

Short carols for children at Christmas

Give me sweet honey
Yes, a piece of cake
I will dance and sing.
And I'll sing carols!
——————
I help my mom.
I carol until the morning.
Have pity, baby
Give me candy!
—————-

You don't drive the kids away.
And eat better!
Give dryers and bagels,
And some gift!
———————
We carol, we carol,
We alternate songs with dance!
And squatting, and around,
Serve a pie!
—————-
Children go home
give us treats!
We wish you good luck
And health in addition
—————-
The mummers came
All painted.
We will entertain you
Lift the mood!
—————-
Give us coins
Candy for children
We do not harm people.
We can't refuse!
——————
There is a horned goat.
Rich in carols.
What is the chest filled with
Put it in our bag!
—————
I'm called Mekhonoshey
And I'm not afraid of frost!
I'm going to you for a light,
And I carry a big bag!
——————
Ding-ding, ding-ding, the bells are ringing!
Your sons and daughters are here!
You meet carolers,
Greet us with a smile!
—————-
Mother winter has come.
Open the gate!
the holidays have arrived!
The carols have arrived!
Kolyada-molyada!
Carols with wishes
Merry Christmas to you people!
may peace be with you
So that you do not know grief
And lived in wealth!
———————
An angel came down to you from heaven
And he said: "Christ is born!"
We came to glorify Christ
And congratulate you on the holiday.
——————
Kolyada came
On the eve of Christmas.
God bless whoever is in this house
We wish good to all people.
gold, silver,
fluffy pies,
Soft pancakes.
good health,
Cow butter.

Costumes for caroling
To properly carol, it is not enough just to learn the words of the songs. You also need to dress up, pick up costumes for caroling children.

You can dress up the kids folk style.

Clothing should be bright, elegant. You can look in the grandmother's chest for something suitable and sew a costume for the child. A girl can pick up a bright scarf, a beautiful bright and fluffy skirt, better long, make a wreath, decorate it with multi-colored ribbons.

Boys can also wear a folk-style shirt decorated with embroidery, wide trousers. The whole company can be dressed up and sent to carol around the village.

Masks.

Masks have always been an important element of Christmas costume. Previously, they were sewn from dense fabric, leather. Now you can buy a ready-made mask or try to make it yourself. What masks are more often worn for Christmas: the mask of a goat, deer, dog, horse.

Goat.

A typical carol character. You can put on a sheepskin coat or sheepskin coat, turned inside out, put on a goat mask on your head knitted hat to which you can attach the horns.

Bear.

Also a participant in the festive festivities at Christmas and the old new year. The costume can be rented. And you can also put on your grandmother's old fur coat, grandfather's hat with earflaps, paint your face, draw a nose. Just! And the bear costume is ready!

Adults will not be able to resist dressed up children singing songs in sonorous children's voices. They will generously treat them with sweets, give coins. After all, children will bring so much joy, they will raise the mood of both relatives and neighbors.

Learn Christmas carols with your children, congratulate your relatives on the holiday.

celebration Caroling, dressing up, Christmas games, fortune-telling, family meals

The holiday began with the appearance of the first star

Christmas pre-revolutionary postcard

Kolyada(also Kalyada, Koleda, Czech Štědrý večer, Slovak Kračun, Pol. Swięto Godowe, V.-puddle. Hody) is a traditional holiday of pagan origin among the Slavic peoples, associated with the winter solstice, later timed to coincide with Christmas and Christmas time. The integral attributes of the holiday were dressing up (dressing with skins, masks and horns), caroling, carol songs, gifting carolers, youth games, fortune-telling.

Etymology

The word "Kalyada" is an early (at the end of the Proto-Slavic era) borrowing from Latin, where calends (lat. calendae; from calo"call") are called the first days of each month, directly or through Greek intermediary ( καλάνδαι ). Indicative in this regard, Polsk. kolęda with a nasal vowel - the heir to the Latin "n". The corresponding words of the Baltic languages ​​are borrowings from Slavic.

Russian traditions

According to popular belief, only twice a year, December 25 (January 7) and May 10 (23), Mother Earth could open up for a lie, for a false oath or for perjury.

The holiday began decorously - dinner in the native house. The woman, the respected head of the family (Bolshukha), baked round bread: with a wooden spatula, she squeezed grooves in the dough in the form of an oblique cross and then put the bread on the bottom in the Russian oven. The whole family gathered at the table. The table was covered with a tablecloth, under which they put straw or hay (“Kolyada arrived on gray horses, and the horses needed hay”). On the table are Christmas kutya and porridge. Be sure to have a pie and a pretzel on a dish, and they also baked animal figures from wheat dough for the holiday - cows, lambs, goats, cockerels and hens and shepherd men. They decorated tables, windows of the hut (between the frames), they were sent as gifts to relatives, neighbors, acquaintances and children, they were presented to carolers. Here the whole family sits sedately at the table. Only the elders speak, they remember the year (good and bad in it), and the younger ones listen, although they can’t wait to get outside as soon as possible - to carol! At the end of the meal, the children took part of the remaining kutia to their grandparents, as well as to the homes of the poor, so that they too could celebrate Christmas. Neither the food nor the tablecloth was removed until the morning, believing that the souls of the deceased parents would come to the table to also eat.

The day "for sparrows" has arrived and the winter sun begins to flare up. Kolyada in Slavic mythology- the embodiment of the New Year cycle. One of the most characteristic features of Christmas time (as well as Shrovetide) is dressing up, dressing sheepskin coats with wool up, wearing animal masks and noisy carnival dances in houses and on the streets. They dress up as a bear, horse, bull, goat, goose, crane. The carolers themselves (mummers) should be unrecognized. During the appearance of the mummers, skits were played, and sometimes whole performances. Played a comic funeral and wedding, recruiting, fair, blacksmith and fishing, "led" a goat, a mare, a tour (bull).

This is how it happened, for example, in the Vologda province: “... mummers burst into a crowded hut. There is also an old man, gray as a harrier, with a tuft of tow instead of a beard, with a batog in his hands; gypsies with the invariable affiliation of their trade - a whip; a gypsy woman with a stuffed child in her arms; beggars, girls-boys, boys-girls. The whole crowd is screaming, laughing, dancing. Here the gray-haired old man begins his stories. The gypsy starts talking about horses. The gypsy begins to guess the fate of the girls. Beggars ask for alms” [Neustupov A.D., 1913]. The dances of the mummers differed from those pair or collective dances that were performed at the holidays. Following the mummers, the guys and girls depicted "strange movements", "jumping and prancing", "amazing and distinct foot movements", "all kinds of wobbling, spinning and somersaults". Everything was accompanied by ringing, noise, rumble, crackling, clanking of stove dampers, iron buckets, spoons, sticks, pans, etc. Christmas entertainment was saturated with eroticism, sexual symbolism, as well as appropriate gestures and obscene language, which in normal times was categorically prohibited by the moral code.

Ukrainian traditions

In Ukrainian carols, the pagan element is manifested in the songs from Avsenya, from sunrise, and, perhaps, most strongly in caroling with a goat. The goat here probably refers to some mythical creature. The detour with a goat is a remnant of a belief that left numerous traces in Western Europe and, according to Manngardt, consisted in the fact that the soul of a cornfield (hay harvesters and plants in general) is a goat- or goat-like creature (like Faun, Sylvanus), pursued by reapers and hiding in the last uncompressed sheaf. Over time, other elements that have nothing to do with ancient paganism could penetrate into the ritual with a goat. In the songs themselves, the distinction between Christian and pagan elements is partly manifested. Christmas songs in the narrow sense are called carols, they sheltered under the canopy of the church, are sung in Romania in the manner of sacred songs, in Ukraine by members of church brotherhoods - a feature reminiscent of the carol societies of medieval Europe (see Kalandy). To honor the pagan new year, covered with the names of Christian saints - Basil (January 1) and Melania (December 31), other songs are timed, which are called shedrovka (Ukrainian shedrivka) and represent their own special size, style, determined by ancient rituals, divination about " generous, rich year. Outside of Belarus and Ukraine, the term "shedrovka" is known in the south of Russia, in the regions bordering Ukraine. In some places, the very performers of the rite differ, depending on its pagan or Christian source.

Belarusian traditions

They started caroling on the evening before Christmas: they put hay and money on the dinner table, which lay until Shchedrets - January 1 (14), so that both would not be transferred next year. On this day, they fasted until the evening, and only with the first star they sat down at the table, on which, among other lean dishes, there must be kutya and vodka (a kind of compote). On the evening before the new year, kutya was served with full - water sweetened with honey. The food was plentiful, meat: pancakes with heather, fried sausage, etc. The broth was usually made from dried apples and pears.

On the first day of Christmas, they went to visit the families of their godchildren - they brought gifts to them. In the evening, young people, and often children, walked around the huts, singing carols. All this with laughter, with jokes. They put on an inverted casing, a goat mask - and they drove such a “goat”, asking the owners “so that our goat would be given a sieve of oats, on top of sausage, a sieve of buckwheat for dumplings.” Donated food was put in a bag. In addition to the "goat", they drove a "bear", "filly". In Polissya they went caroling with a star made of twigs, putting it on a pole. The star was covered with white cloth, a candle burned in the middle. This was done in memory of the star that lit up at the time of the birth of Christ.

Carolers were greeted cordially everywhere, this was a guarantee that next year would be successful. There are many Belarusian carols, there are separately for the owner, and for the hostess, and for children.

Christmas carols have come
On lime sleds.
Sledges are broken
Shirts got dirty
And the carols are lost...

The pig ran away from Maxim,
Yes, I ruined the carol
And you boy
Don't walk, don't walk
And collect carols, collect ...

Carols are also reflected in sayings. “It crackles at carols at night, and stomps during the day.” "Carols have come - pancakes and pancakes." "Carols - master's orders."

Do not blow, do not wind, blizzard.
Kolyada!
Don't wind up the paths
Kolyada!
I'm going to my mother, I twist wreaths.
Kolyada.
I will go from my mother, I will develop a wreath.
Kolyada!
A flower will fall, a tear will float.
Kolyada!
Where there is a wreath, there is a stream.
Kolyada!

On carols, puppet shows of the Batleyka theater were shown.

On Shchedrets they chose the prettiest girl - generously, decorated it with a wreath, ribbons, and led by her walked around the village, the girls sang schedrovki - the same carols, but addressed to the owners, of a majestic nature, with the refrain-refrain "generous evening, good evening."

The owners were not stingy: they gave money, pies, homemade sausage (after all, by this time the wild boar had also been slaughtered). It was believed that the next year will reward a hundredfold.

Kolyada in other countries

So, in Bulgaria, Christmas is called Kolyada. They go around Christmas, glorifying Christ - koledari, on New Year's Eve (Vasiliev evening) - vasilichari; in Ukraine, members of church brotherhoods carol, sometimes with a headman at the head, asking for the blessing of a priest, seizing a church bell and meaning caroling to turn to some pious goal, mostly children are generous, rarely young women and boys; in Romania, on Christmas Eve, one composition of singers (young men and fathers of families, people from 18 to 45 years old), on New Year's Eve - another (children and youths from 7 to 18 years old).

Household and pagan roots of Kolyada

Along with pagan and Christian motifs, everyday motifs play a prominent role in carols, which are inextricably linked with the main goal of carols - “dim to cheer”, - directly expressed in the songs themselves, in afterwords or carols. Russian carols are completely alien to the love element found in Romanian Christmas songs. Having as their task the glorification of the person to whom they are sung, the expression of wishes for him all the best, Russian carols are distinguished by their seriousness and sincerity. The content of these wishes is modified, depending on the gender, age and condition of those members of the host family to whom the carolers turn: the owner is promised family happiness and contentment, the girls - happy marriage. This wished for, the carol in epic processing presents as realized: the owner lives in contentment and is happy with his family, the good fellow - with love, etc. Carols, singing the ideal of battle, promising the glory of military exploits, should be classified among the most ancient. In many carols, features of the ancient retinue and princely age have been preserved. P.V. Vladimirov points out many features that are common to carols and epics (for example, melody and conclusions). The later era of the struggle against the Poles was also reflected in the carols. A book source also has something (for example, The Key of Understanding, Ioannikius Golyatovsky). Wed "Kievskaya Starina" 1889, No. 1 and 1891, No. 12.

The best carols were preserved in Starorus, in Galicia among the Carpathian Rusyns. Christmastide rites showed great resistance, largely marked by features of pagan antiquity, reminiscent of both the honoring of the newborn sun and the cult of ancestors.

As a holiday in honor of the birth of the sun, Kolyada is accompanied in some places in Russia by making fires (the Serbs and Croats burn a badnyak log; among the Scandinavians julblock; the French caligneau, la souche de noel; in England ylelog; Ossetians keep the lights on all night before the New Year), and many wishes for the harvest are timed to coincide with it. Of such importance are negotiations over a loaf of bread (see Korochun), ritual sprinkling of grain, various fortune-telling, mimic imitation of plowing, which among the Galician Rusyns developed into a whole game played by couples on St. Melania. The favorable attention of the gods, from a pagan point of view, was determined by their proper refreshment, sacrifices; hence the ritual use of bread, porridge, but especially of pigs. In Novorossia, a goat is also baked, which looks like either a goat on four legs (Vladimir province), or other animals, or birds (Olonets province); the goat is cherished from year to year, so that the cattle go home in the summer and breed, and also so that the yard owner loves her (see Brownie). The last belief leads us to the cult of ancestors, which appears prominently in the Christmas rituals of Ukraine and Belarus. On "Holy Vechir" (Christmas Eve) evening dinner, consisting in Lubensky district, mainly from kutya (barley, occasionally wheat) and uzvar (a decoction of dried fruits), has a family and, in particular, a funeral character: kutya is left overnight for the dead relatives; according to popular belief, vague reflections of small, like dolls, people descending to the table can be seen on the wall.

The most archaic is the celebration of Christmas time among Belarusians, which does not differ at all from Ukrainian rituals. The most curious feature of the Belarusian Christmas time is the games that are related to fortune-telling about the betrothed, but partly resemble the games “between the villages” (chronicles); most wonderful marriage tsyarashki- a game with a Bacchic character, depicting the wedding of several couples.

The history of the study of carols

The study of carols began in the 1830s by Snegirev from a mythological point of view, which, with all its extremes, was expressed in the works of O. F. Miller and Afanasyev. O. F. Miller explained the application of the heavenly bodies to the householder and his family by the ancient belief of the Slavs in the existence of an independent heavenly family, golden-domed towers - a symbol of heavenly spaces illuminated by the sun, the rapid development of the infant Christ - gigantically developing forces of nature, etc. In later and In the most extensive work of A. A. Potebnya (“Explanations of Little Russian and related songs”, vol. II, Warsaw, 1887), the mythological side of carols and schedrovkas is very limited and much is explained from the point of view of everyday and literary borrowing. In 1874, the 1st volume of Historical Songs of the Little Russian People with Explanations appeared, Vl. B. Antonovich and M. Drahomanov (Kiev), where numerous K. and Shchedrivkas are included in the department of historical songs of the age of the retinue and princes; proceeding from the idea of ​​carols as the most ancient doxologies to heroes and princes, the publishers tried to open memories of one or another person in the chronicle in individual songs. Kostomarov, in an extensive review of this collection (Bulletin of Europe, 1874, No. 12), admitted that the common features of the ancient retinue and princely life entered K. not from the memories of individual historical figures, but because these features were generally inherent in the mores of the people, the way of their life, the conditions of their social system, their moral views and poetic taste. Finally, from the point of view of the theory of borrowing beliefs, rituals and songs, A. N. Veselovsky looked at the carols (“Investigations in the field of Russian spiritual verse”, VII, 1883), who, giving a wide place to Greco-Roman influences, suggested that “ along with the preaching of Christianity, not only churchmen, but also folk rituals, who accidentally kept under the canopy of the church and the cover of a Christian saint, and with the rite the songs accompanying him moved - the originals of our generosity, just as the originals of Christmas songs could come in the same way. Especially a lot of evidence was presented by A. N. Veselovsky in support of the idea that external rituals, and above all masks and mummers, represent the legacy of Roman everyday life, which was transferred from place to place, first by Greco-Roman mimes, and then by their followers and imitators, of all kinds. shpilmans, fools and buffoons.

carols

Yuletide folk songs Carols are widespread among Ukrainians, to a lesser extent among Belarusians, they are less common among Russians, and then mostly in the north in the form of the so-called "grapes", that is, in the form of laudatory songs with the traditional refrain: "grapes, my red-green ”(carols have apparently been supplanted by the Russians due to the especially strong struggle against them by the church and government). Correspondences to East Slavic carols are found in the folklore of all other Slavic and many other European peoples. Particularly close in terms of plot and form to Slavic carols: Romanian, called colinda, cf.-Czech and Slovak song titles - koleda, Slovenian kolednica, koleda, Serbian - koleda, kolenda, Albanian - Kolĕndŭ. It is believed that the listed names of the songs go back to the name of the Greco-Roman holiday of the new year - calendae. The name of the new year among many peoples was transferred to the holiday of the birth of the Christian god (Bulgarian - colada, carol, colade, French - tsalenda, chalendes, charandes, Provencal - calendas) or on the eve of this holiday (Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian - carol). A detailed comparison of the New Year's and Christmastide festivities of the New European peoples with the Greco-Roman holidays reveals not only the similarity of names, but also the coincidence of individual moments of rituals, amusements, etc. Understanding the complex complex of Christmastide rites and songs of New European, in particular East Slavic, ethnographers and folklorists reveal elements that go back in many nations to the phenomena of traditional agrarian magic and local cults, elements borrowed from Greco-Roman culture both in the pre-Christian era and later, in a bizarre combination of "pagan" and Christian.

Sayings and signs

Kolyada came on the eve of Christmas. The sun turns to summer, and winter turns to frost. No matter how cold the frost is, it will warm the cheerful holiday warmer than the stove. On the holy shirt, though inferior, but white; for Christmas, though harsh, but new. Bast shoes to weave (on this day) - a (child) of a curve will be born; to sew for Christmas - a blind man will be born. On the Nativity of Christ, a snowstorm - the bees will swarm well. At Christmas, the flask (hoarfrost) is the harvest for bread; the sky is starry - harvest for peas. If the path is good for Christmas - to the buckwheat harvest. Five times a year the sun plays: at Christmas, the Epiphany, the Annunciation, Bright Sunday, the birth of John. Dark Christmas time - dairy cows; bright Christmas time - nosy chickens. “Kolyada came on gray horses, and the horses needed sina (hay)” (Belarusian) (this is how they explain the custom of putting hay under the tablecloth on holiday table) . "Kolyada velmi varovita" (woodland). Carolers are put on the threshold so that chickens rush. It crackles at carols at night, and stomps during the day. Carols came - pancakes and pancakes. Carols - master's orders.

see also

• Perchten (German)

Notes

Literature

• Numerous Little Russian and Belarusian carols and schedrivkas are published in the collections of Chubynsky, Kolberg, Shein;
• variants and new songs in "Kievskaya Starina" 1871, No. 1 and 1890, No. 12;
• in Art. Chr. Yashurzhinsky, “Carols of religious and apocryphal content” (“Kiev antiquity”, 1895, No. 2)
• V. Miloradovich, "Christmas time in the northern part of the Lubensky district" ("Poltava Provincial Gazette", 1893, No. 42, 43 and 44, etc.).
• Great Russian carols are comparatively rare; a remarkably large carol from the Olonets province, ed. Kolosov in the "Collection of the Russian Language and Literature" (vol. XVII, St. Petersburg, 1887);
• other publications are indicated in Art. Vladimirov: “Introduction to the history of Russian literature” (“Zh. M. N. Pr.”, 1895, No. 4),
• to which add the texts printed in the provincial sheets:
  • Vladimir 1867, No. 29 and 1870, No. 23;
  • Novgorod 1873, No. 34
  • Olonetsky 1879, No. 36.
• Wed also N. Sumtsov, “Scientific study of carols and carols” (“Kievskaya Starina”, 1886, No. 2, etc.),
• his own, "Cultural Experiences" (Kiev, 1890);
• Chr. Yashurzhinsky, "Belarusian carols" ("Kievskaya Starina", 1889, No. 2);
• Khakhanov A.S., “Celebration of the New Year among the Georgians” (“Ethnographic Review”, 1890, book III).

External links

• Caroling // Russian Ethnographic Museum
• Ukrainian folk carols (Ukrainian)

Today, for many, Christmas and Kolyada are two holidays that are difficult to separate. But this is not so at all. In the times of paganism, when Christianity did not yet exist in Russia, the Kolyada holiday already existed. It was dedicated not to Jesus Christ, but to the now forgotten Dazhdbog. People rejoiced at the addition of the day and thanked God for it, singing carols.

What is Kolyada

Kolyada is a Slavic holiday that today begins with Christmas and continues until Epiphany, that is, it takes place from January 7 to January 19. These days, rituals are held that are dedicated to Christmas. Previously, Kolyada began with Christmas time, that is, on December 25 and ended on January 6.

Of course, the holiday has changed over the centuries, but the main traditions have survived to this day. Everything is the same as before, the celebrants dress in outfits, for the manufacture of which animal skins and horns are used. They put on the most ridiculous and scary masks. They carol, that is, they sing festive songs, receiving various gifts from listeners. Girls guess, hoping to find out who will be the groom.

How they prepared and celebrated Kolyada before

They prepared for Kolyada in advance and paid great attention to it. The hostesses cooked, trying to prepare as many delicious dishes as possible. Pancakes, pies, meat in different types, cereals, casseroles - all the most interesting. The women did the general cleaning, trying to make everything shine, as if Sun rays. All members of the family visited the bathhouse, in which they washed and steamed properly. They also sewed and made various outfits for caroling.

When the day of celebration came, the celebration began, and it went according to a certain scenario.

People went to the temples (at that time pagan), where they performed sacrificial rites. Ancient legends say that the Slavs painted their faces, put on masks and outfits, and in this form they praised the gods. A chief was chosen, called a sorcerer, who performed the sacrifice. Usually it was the head of the family. A pet or a bird was sacrificed, whose blood was sprinkled to scare away evil spirits. The youth sang carols and wondered.

In the old days, the celebration of Kolyada was celebrated noisily. The youth gathered to go from house to house in large, funny companies. The sun, a symbol of the holiday, was carried on a pole, and after the advent of Christianity, the sun was replaced by a star (a symbol of the birth of Jesus). The crowd banged on the buckets with sticks and spoons, shouted loudly in various ways, some imitated the bleating of a goat, some lowed like a cow, some barked like a dog.

When the main part was finished, people proceeded to the festive meal. They ate the meat of sacrificial animals, drank from a common bowl. After a hearty lunch, “games” began, it was time for songs, dances, and fun. On the second day, taking pies with them, people went caroling. Children always performed first, then girls, and only then adult women and men.

As Kolyada was celebrated in the last century

Over the past hundred years, the rules have not changed much. If Kolyada was celebrated, then it was like this: on Christmas Eve it was customary not to eat, to wait for the evening, the appearance of the first star. As soon as she was seen, dishes were put on the table, among which kutya and dried fruit uzvar, meat and rich goodies remained obligatory.

On Christmas, January 7, people went to visit their godchildren to congratulate them and give them souvenirs. In the evening, young people dressed up in festive costumes went to sing carols. It is important that one person in the group had to be dressed as a goat.

The hosts listened to the songs, watched the dances, thanked and in return distributed delicious food (cookies, muffins, cakes, sausages - whatever). Not many dared not to let the carolers in, as this is a bad omen.

In the cities, Kolyada was held in a more civilized manner. Usually a fun festive program was organized in the center, a fair was held, during the balls the rich townspeople gathered to dance and celebrate the holiday in some chic mansion. I must say that after the adoption of Christianity, the church tried to prohibit the customs of caroling, the worship of pagan gods, clergymen and believers increasingly walked around the courtyards, telling about the birth of Christ. But the tradition could not be eradicated, in many villages and towns Kolyada was and is celebrated according to the old script.

Believe in omens or not?

Many are associated with Kolyada folk omens. For example, it was not recommended to weave bast shoes at Christmas, so that the child would not be born crooked. And if you sew on Christmas, then the baby could be blind.

If a blizzard broke out at Christmas, then one could expect a good swarming of bees. Hoarfrost, which appeared on the days of the holiday, symbolized a fruitful grain year. Starry sky - peas will be born. The road is not covered with snow - there will be no problems with buckwheat, a lot will grow. If you want chickens to rush well, put carolers on the threshold.

Special place of divination

“Once on an Epiphany evening, the Girls wondered: Out of the gate they slipped, Taking it off their feet, they threw it.”
So wrote the Russian poet and translator V. A. Zhukovsky in his poem "Svetlana".

Unmarried girls were guessing, usually on the eve of the Nativity of Christ until January 14th. In the old days, they believed that this period was the best in order to find out their fate, to see the future groom.

There were many rituals, and each one is interesting in its own way. For example, the girl went out into the yard and threw her boot over the fence. If he fell with his toe towards the house, then one could not dream of a wedding in the new year. But if the toe is in the other direction, then it was necessary to understand where the boot indicates where the future groom will come from. Yes, the boot had to be on the left foot.

Ring divination was especially popular. In this case, a whole company of girls gathered. The sieve was filled with cereals, and put a silver, gold, metal and stone-decorated ring into it. Everything was thoroughly mixed, and the girls began to scoop from the sieve with their palms. I came across a silver ring - the groom will be from simple ones, gold - wait, the merchant will woo, a ring with a stone - the boyar will marry, metal - alas, the groom will be poor. In the worst situation were the girls who scooped up only cereals: this year they did not expect marriage.

A quick marriage was prophesied by two needles smeared with fat and lowered into the water. But only if they didn't drown. One could also ask a log about fate. The girl pulled it out with her eyes closed and then looked at it. A crooked, rough log meant an ugly husband, and vice versa.

Kolyada today

Today, Kolyada is gradually forgotten, and some do not even know that such a holiday exists and in what period it is celebrated. But this applies mainly to large cities. But in the villages, Kolyada is remembered and celebrated. Of course, the scenario of the holiday is no longer as voluminous as in ancient times, and often people confine themselves to singing carols and fortune-telling.

Carolers, most often children, gather and go around relatives, neighbors, acquaintances, asking them to allow them to carol. In response, the hosts invite carolers, thank them for the festive joyful news and give them small gifts, goodies. Today it can be money, not nuts, sweets and fruits, as before. It happens that musical groups or church choirs act as carolers.

Christmas Eve - it's time to find out about