Kolyada is an ancient Slavic holiday. It was celebrated from the day of the winter solstice, when the sun "turned into spring" and the day "arrived at one passerine gallop." Christmas carols lasted 12 days (6 days before the New Year and 6 days after it).
According to ancient beliefs, these days coincide with the rampant of unclean forces. In order to help Kolyada ward off evil spirits, the Slavs burned fires and jumped over them. At the same time, lovers could jump in pairs, taking an oath of fidelity. To do this, the guy and the girl held hands and did not let go of each other's palms until they jumped over the fire. After the holiday, the fire was not extinguished, allowing it to burn to the ground.
Christmas carols were considered the best time for fortune telling. It was on these days that people preparing for the wedding were guessing with the help of a rooster and a hen: they had to tie the tails of the birds and plant them under a sieve, and then see who was dragging whom along. If the hen goes ahead, then the wife will be the main one in the family, and if the rooster is the husband.
Many signs are associated with Christmas carols. It was at this time that they notice: if the weather is cold and there is a lot of snow, there will be a good harvest and the peasants will collect a lot of grain. If the ground is not frozen, then there will be a little from the wheat. Also, the Slavs believed that if the days on the pre-winter pass cheerfully and happily, then the whole year will be like that. Chants were arranged, the youth dressed up in the costumes of senior high schools and went home with jokes and songs. Caroling from sunset to sunrise.
The owners prepared for the Christmas carols in advance: they baked pies, cheesecakes, buns, since bread products, according to legend, were the main gift. The Slavs said: "If you give a pie, the belly yard will be full, you have three hundred cows, one and a half hundred bulls."
It was considered a great sin to drive away the carols. Bags for treats were prepared for them, and the owners had to put the food themselves, since it was forbidden for the carolers to touch the gifts. If the village was large, then sometimes several groups of carols would come to each house. After going around the houses, the young people arranged a general feast in the "sit-out" hut and ate everything that the fellow villagers presented.
