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Currently, winter in Ukraine is primarily associated with carols, which are sung on the holiday of Christmas (January 6-8 according to the new style). But carols were once pagan songs, against which the Orthodox Church initially waged an unsuccessful struggle and banned them. However, Kolyada rites proved to be very stable in Ukraine, marked in many ways by the features of pagan beliefs, reminiscent of both honoring the newborn sun and the cult of ancestors.
A week after Christmas Eve, on December 31 (January 13), the Generous Evening was celebrated (the day of the Christian saint Reverend Melania). This day was also called Melanka. According to tradition, the celebration was accompanied by going round the houses to wish people happiness, health and well-being in the New Year. They were also generous with theatrical groups: "Melanka" and "Vasyl" and "Ryazheni". If you compare Christmas carols and Christmas carols ("Chedryk, Chedryk, Chedryvochka, a swallow has flown in"), then the swallows, spring, sowing of rye are mentioned in the carols. This indicates that the ancient Slavs celebrated the beginning of the New Year in the spring.
In addition, in pre-Christian times, such events required a certain sacrifice. In ancient times, when human sacrifices had already been abandoned, it was necessary to sacrifice what was valuable to God. And cattle were valuable at that time. And thus we proceed to the rite of "driving the goat". That is, cattle were sacrificed, which was then replaced by baking cookies in the form of Christmas cattle. Why in ancient times carolers were associated with the afterlife At this time, the border between the worlds becomes so thin that there is a transition between them. It is also connected with honoring the dead. On the one hand, the dead were treated with tremendous respect and honor, as if they welcomed this transition. On the other hand, it is a little scary. We had to somehow protect ourselves from them.
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