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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.
They sing these songs, moving in a carol band from house to house and standing under the window or near the door. After singing and congratulations after it (as a rule, in verse form - the so-called "pokolyad") carolers receive some kind of reward (also a remnant of ancient magical ritual actions). Songs about Malanka and the New Year's show-game "Goat" are separate categories of donations. In some places in Western Ukraine, the so-called rindzivki, performed at the time of the spring equinox, have also survived.
Why New Year and Christmas are associated with the Sun If we talk about traditional Christmas, we need to look back to ancient pre-Christian times, when it was believed that the world was born at this time. That is, the world dies in one form, is born in another - the New Year is born. At Christmas, since ancient times, it was believed that such religious holidays were connected with the cycles of the solstice. Christmas, Christmas is the winter solstice. It was believed that the border between the worlds narrows to such an extent that it becomes so thin that a transition from one world to another is possible.