Malanka January 13

New Year's Eve Slavs The Eastern Orthodox Church got its name Malanka from a Christianized folk tale of pagan origin. The story is based on the creator god Praboh, his four sons and his daughter. One of his sons was the Devil (Veles), the second son was Saint George (Yar-Yarylo), the third Saint John (Rai) and the fourth was Lad or Mir (Peace). The only daughter is an earth goddess named Lada, who had two children: a son called the Moon and a daughter "Spring-May", later called Mylanka because she loved (мила). As Mother Earth, she was responsible for the blossoming of flowers and spring greenery.

In one version of the myth of Hades and Persephone, Mylanka's evil uncle (the Devil) desired her presence in the underworld and abducted her one day while the Moon was hunting. During her absence, the Earth was left without spring and once freed from the vices of the Devil, flowers began to bloom and greenery spread throughout the world. Russians celebrate Malanka to symbolize the beginning of spring.

Food plays a very important role: on Malanka, because it is believed that the more variety on the table on this day, the more generous the next year will be. The dishes should be very satisfying, but, for example, cooking fish is a bad sign, because happiness can "pour out" of the house. Pork dishes are definitely prepared, because this animal symbolizes abundance in the house. Traditionally, pork is prepared in the form of kholodets (meat in aspic), blood and pork sausages, vershchaky (roast pork marinated in beet kvass), salo (plates of dried pork lard, similar to Italian lardo), stuffed whole pig, etc.

In the evening and until midnight, the singers wander through the houses of the village. According to an ancient tradition, the New Year songs by the "malankary", like Christmas carols, take place after sunset, that is, when evil spirits reign. Teenage girls, alone or in groups, run to their neighbors to sing. They are rewarded with food and sweets.

Young people also go to Malanka. This is called "the Malanka leader". The masked young men express their wishes and entertain themselves with songs, dances and funny skits. One of them usually wears women's clothes and is called Melanka.

According to custom, after completing their ritual rounds, the next morning the young men would go to a crossroads to burn the “Did or “Didukh” – a sheaf of grain that had been standing in the pokuttia since Sviat Vechir (Christmas Eve) – and then jump over a bonfire. This was meant to cleanse them after facing evil spirits all night.