Holiday Kolyada: when and how it is celebrated?

Christmas carols or a holiday Carols held and celebrated since ancient times, it was given great importance. Absolutely all people sang, danced, feasted, rejoiced and had fun.

A bit of history

The famous holiday is named after the great god Kolyada, for the Slavic people he was one of the main. In historical records, it is said that he gave mankind a calendar, and it learned to use the dates. This god helped many ordinary people, farmers, warriors, protecting everyone from destruction. On a multitude of images one can see Kolyada with a sword, but he was not belligerent: the blade of his weapon was aimed down to the ground. He tried to inform many that it is not worthwhile to constantly fight, you can solve everything according to the laws established above. After all, there are other important activities in life.

The rise of the great festival

Another name is the festival of Kolyada: the day of change or the Menary. There is a story that in ancient times people fell into the realm of death. After staying there for a while, they were released. In order that the impure force could not sharpen them back, they began to buy off various sweets, all sorts of objects. Their relatives met with merriment, songs and festivities. Since that time people began to celebrate this important day every year, which later became known as Kolyada.

The significance of celebrating Kolyada for the Slavic people

The holiday of Kolyada was considered the main event in the winter time for village people. Conducted it from December to January, from the 22nd and until 7, until the day of the Nativity of Christ. The great people of the Slavs celebrated it for more than one day. All the residents started training much earlier than the grand event. Mistresses brought the house in order, cleaned and carried out all the garbage, washed all objects, tried to put everything beautiful and elegant in appearance. Young guys and girls sewed interesting and mysterious outfits, made masks. The day before the start it was necessary to go to the bathhouse and wash off all the dirt, so that in the holy holiday be bright and clean. They got and put on the most beautiful clothes and remembered the departed people. Kolyada holiday among the Slavs was one of the main, no one dared to miss it for any reason.

The celebration of Kolyada is associated with the Day of the Great Solstice, when all the people come out of the winter darkness and the day becomes longer than the night. Thus, people show their joy that soon spring will come, the planting season will begin. All of them thank God for everything that he gives them: the sun, water, a large crop, healthy and large cattle. Nobody forgot about Kolyada's holiday, everyone was waiting for it with impatience.

Sequence of the

The celebration of Kolyada begins with the covering of a large table. First put the straw. This serves as a symbol for the favorable development of cows, for obtaining good and tasty milk, so that animals are not eaten by predators. After the festive tablecloth is laid and various dishes are served.

First of all, you need to try kutya (porridge), leave a few grains in a plate. After the end of the meal, you need to throw them under the ceiling. This was a guessing on the high yield and rapid growth of domestic animals (cows, sheep, chickens and others). The remainder of the porridge was collected and fed chickens in the yard, so that on that day they would be fully satisfied and carry a lot of eggs. Straw was taken to the shed to animals, thereby protecting them from all sorts of diseases, so that livestock would bring an offspring. So the first day of Kolyada's holiday was over.

Continuation

The second day began with the return of debts, the utterances of all offenses. After that, it was necessary to immediately make peace and forgive each other for everything. Young on this day they wore costumes of animals and walked through the village with loud and sonorous songs, wished everyone good health, a big crop, less sickness and grief. In turn, people in the courtyard of which the wishes sounded, should have been presented with sweets of singers. When all the bags were full of delicacies, the youth went to some house. There they continued to celebrate, party and enjoy themselves. The celebration of Kolyada lasted a whole week, everyone was having fun before the beginning of the hard work.

Traditions of folk festivities

Since ancient times, the festival of Kolyada among the Slavs - magic. At this time, the most mysterious, mysterious and inexplicable happens. People have many beliefs about how to attract happiness, luck, health, family well-being. At unmarried girls one more of entertainments was guessing. They found out whether this year a young husband would appear, what his character would be, his appearance (hair color, physique). Sometimes even the guys wondered, but this is a rare phenomenon, although everyone is curious to know their future.

Carrying out the holiday Kolyada mostly takes place on the street. All villagers leave the houses, burn bonfires and dance around him dances, singing loud and sonorous songs. Almost the whole day passes in fun, and young and old ride on sleigh, harness horses. The children run around with bags, collecting sweet treats and shouting various verses about the holiday of Kolyada. Nobody is sad these days, because people believe that if they rejoice in the great God Kolyada, he will take care of their harvest, the cattle, on the table there will be a whole year of delicious food and drinks.

An ancient holiday in modern life

To date, a great holiday is a thing of the past, all traditions are forgotten, in a modern metropolis many do not even know that there is such a winter period of time when people are caroling. Only in the villages residents try not to forget the holiday of Christmas carols and have fun, as before.

To ensure that the great celebration did not disappear after a while, today much of Kolyada is popularized. The script of the holiday helps to get acquainted with all the subtleties of village life. It is conducted in kindergartens, schools, higher educational institutions. The basis is taken by ancient traditions and adds something new, which has already become used to. So people get acquainted with the traditions of the great Slavic people. Now the description of the holiday Kolyada has changed, in ancient times the customs were slightly different.

How to celebrate Kolyada?

The celebration of Kolyada, the script of the holiday in Russian can be found in large numbers and they are all slightly different. But the essence remains unchanged - this caroling by neighbors.

To conduct the meeting, it is necessary to recruit several participants who must receive in advance a leaflet called Kolyada, a holiday scenario where there is a detailed description. After learning all the words of poetry, songs, they begin the fun itself. You can learn a few dance moves, it will be a huge plus.

1. All participants wear suits (prepared in advance) and go to the guests. Before the house, a cheerful song should be loud and ringing, so that everyone understands that people have come to caroling.
2. Then the action takes place in the house (house). Caroling participants begin to praise the owners, wish them well, great success, health. All this in song form.
3. Further, a negative character appears, who tries to foul, to spoil the celebration. For his disappearance, you need to play a game in which good overcomes evil. At the feast again, fun, joy, laughter.
4. After all the games the hosts give carols of sweets and thank them for congratulations. In response, the songs are heard again and everyone diverge.
5. Sometimes the action ends with a tea party with the guests.

You can celebrate from December 22 to January 7, choosing any day. In the modern world, the celebration of Kolyada takes place in one day. Fun begins in the daytime, everyone sings and dances, tells verses and ditties, holds feasts, covers a generous and rich table, treats neighbors. At night something interesting begins. Young people go to their homes and carols. In turn, the owner of the house, should treat guests to something. If he refuses and drives out the caroling people, they may become upset and spoil something, take the chicken from the yard or the vessel. This is considered a punishment for such a master who does not respect the ancient traditions.

Where are the sources of information?

If you want to know a lot of details, information about the holiday Kolyada is stored in the experience of grandmothers. They clearly remember all the fun. Older people will tell in detail what songs they sang in their time, what was accepted to treat and what games they played.

It is always useful to read a little about this interesting and cheerful Kolyada holiday. And spend it every year, thereby telling the children about the ancient history in a comic and fun form. Another advantage is the development of children in the physical plane. They will participate in fast moving games. In addition to everything, you can play in the fresh air. Children and adults can have fun at the Kolyada holiday.