тгреадс згырджаж 2 633 тгреадс згырджаж 2 633

 

From the beginning, these groups were all male, given that this ritual involves contact with death. Accordingly, women did not participate in it. We can already see how children and women carol. In fact, only men could do it. But, considering that this holiday is combined with the sun, the groups could not walk around the village chaotically. They followed the sun, and if it was a mountainous area, for example, the Carpathians, then they walked from below in a circle, climbing and going around each house. If the carolers did not enter a house, it means that a dead person's foot could be there, and this was a bad sign and they were very offended.

"Shedryvky" are ritual songs performed on a generous evening, the evening on the eve of the new year. They usually began with the words of greeting: "Generous evening, good evening." In the distant past, this type of song differed from other holiday songs, today it differs in that it is sung in Ukraine and in Ukrainian-speaking villages of the region. At the time when we now celebrate Christmas, once upon a time, even before Christianity, in Ukraine there was a holiday of the winter solstice. It was the time of divination for the coming year; and that is why we still have a whole series of pre-Christian elements in Christmas customs, whose purpose was to call for a good harvest in the following year, wealth and prosperity in the house of the master, lucky catches for the hunter, a wedding for a girl and a happy journey for a young man - a prince's wife or the prince himself. All the natural forces of nature are appeased and called upon not to harm people and livestock.

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.