KOLYADKA

KOLYADKA,  k o l y a d a,   k o l e d o v a, k o l a d n a y a s o n g is a calendar­ritual art form of the Slavic people. It is sung during Yuletide around the time of kolyadovaniye and the New Sun’s birth celebration, the symbol of which was Kolyada. K. aimed to call for a good harvest, offspring of cattle, to praise the owner of these boons and his family, to wish all the best. People could threaten those who did not  give  anything  for  the  singing:  “We  will break the gates for those who do not give us a piece of pie/ we will break pots”. The content of K. depended on the recipient: the head of a family was promised to have family happiness and prosperity, a single man was promised to have a happy marriage. Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians from RB had special choruses­exclamations in their K: Vinogradye (Christmas song of people from Northern Russia), Ovsen (Yule song of people from Central and Southern regions of Russia) and others. Ukrainians and Belarusians used to sing Shchedrovka (generous song) on New Year’s Eve, that was called “generous evening”. According to ethnic customs, generous (plentiful) meal on New Year’s Eve could help to make households prosperous in the next year. Some of K. have religious motifs. In the beginning of the 21st c. people continue to sing K.

F.G. Galieva