A Christmas Eve in Russia
Канун Рождества
The warmest memories of every Russian are their evenings in the first days of January. Grannies tell legends and fairy-tales, grandfathers help with equipment for the most desirable evening which we call… Сочельник [= Christmas Eve].
Every child has their costume, make up and funny verses learnt by heart. In the evening of January 6th (especially if it happens to be in the village), the streets are filled with loud колядками (from “коляда”) and laughter. In the dark hours you could see an approaching group of fantastic creatures surrounded with light. Who would it be? Goats, bears, merchants and devil spirits whose faces would be hidden with masks or painted with beet juice and in hands they would hold not sticks only but rakes and pokers.
However sometimes, you see a group of people looking like on every other day but…
…in both cases they tell you about something. In колядках you hear поздравления [= greetings] with a happy and kind feelings of a holiday and people look like those fantasmagorical creatures, христославы (those caroling Jesus Christ) sing about the birth of Jesus Christ and carry a star (= represents The Star of Bethlehem, or Christmas Star) and don’t have a specual cosume. By the way, there was a rule — “До первой звезды нельзя” — no food unless the first star appears in the sky.
Not only children participated in such a procession but young people and adults. Every house door they knocked should praise them with special biscuits or even coins.
There is one incredible film based on Gogol’s novel “Evening on a Farm near Dykanka”. You should watch it to learn how the Christmass eve looked like.
In the end of the letter I want you to listen to a few more verses and know your answer… what is that word your ears distinguish in every verse?
Let me know.
If you want to support my project, you can do it here.
One cup of good herbal tea but with a taste of helpfulness.
Pадуйся~ )
Колядками, evenings
It’s obvious the peak of the season is the eve of Christmas and Russians like getting into character by putting on costumes.
A very nice way of sharing the Russian style of Christmas celebration.