Mummers by IrenHorrors on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

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(Music: KAIRA - Гой, Коляда)

Mummers/Ряженые 👹

Kolyada, an ancient Slavic pagan holiday in honor of the birth of the sun, close in meaning and date with Yuletide, which later proceed to the Slavic Christian tradition of celebrating Svyátki.

In ancient times, Kolyada roughly coincided with the winter solstice and the beginning of the new year. After the adoption of Christianity, the people’s «demonic» custom was also convert(if not banned, then at least taken under control)
Gradually, pagan traditions under the influence of Christianity changed their purpose: appropriate images appeared in the texts of carols. And caroling itself began to symbolize more not only the beginning of the new year, but also the joy of the birth of Christ.

With the advent of the Gregorian calendar in our region (Russia), it is customary to celebrate this winter holiday during the Christmas period from January 7.

Mummering was an important part of celebration. Traditionally, they was the one who caroling, people dressed in costumes, masks (for example, goats, bears), often with musical instruments or rattles. Kolyada was celebrated noisily. People carried the sun on a pole, a symbol of the holiday, and after the advent of Christianity, the sun was replaced by a star (a symbol of the birth of Jesus). The crowd knocked on buckets with sticks and spoons, shouted loudly in different ways, imitatad animal sounds. When the main part was finished, people started to have a festive meal. They ate meat and drank from a common bowl. Then was time for songs, dances, and fun.
Also, the period of the Kolyada holiday, and subsequently the period of Svyátki, was accompanied by various divinations and fortune-telling.

Today, Kolyada is gradually being forgotten, traditions are being erased and irrevocably become a thing of the past. Therefore, it does not matter on which dates you celebrate winter holidays, it is important to remember their origins, so today I decided to share my own with you ❄️