Important Russian Winter Holidays, Customs and Traditions

Main page.
Contents page.

Important Russian Winter Holidays, Customs and Traditions

Winter Kuzmniki

Women's Winter Holidays

St. Egori's Cold Day

St. Nikola's Day

Christmas Eve, Epiphany

Candlemass Day

Holidays, Dedicated to Cattle

Winter Kuzmniki

The final arrival of winter would fall on Kuzmniki (Kuzma and Demian were patrons of poultry and blacksmith's craft). Kuzminki was usually accompanied by group gatherings of girls.

Women's Winter Holidays

There is a number of women's holidays in the fall: Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin (November 21/December 4); St Catherine's Day (November 24/December 7); St. Barbara's Day (December 4/17); St. Anna's Conception (December 9/22); St. Anastasia's Day (December 22/January 4). On the eve of St. Catherine's Day, young girls would be telling fortunes about their future husbands. St. Anne and St. Anastasia were believed to be patrons of the pregnant.

St. Egori's Cold Day

(November 26/December 9)
Since Georgi is associated with the God of Thunderstorm, there are many beliefs in connection with the Egori's Fall Day. They would say that this day coincides with the birthday of snakes - to avoid their bites, it was strictly forbidden to go to the forest that day.

St. Nikola's Day

(December 6/19)
Patron of farming and cattle, master of the ground and underground water, the Russian god Nikola (Nikolai Chudotvorets (Wonder-Monger) is the subject of many sayings. For example, "The winter Nikola will bring the horse to the stable. The spring Nikola will feed the horse." This day was also believed to be the beginning of the winter matchmaking.

Christmas Eve, Epiphany

Christmas Eve (December 24/January 6);
Epiphany (January 6/19)
Christmas Eve symbolizes the beginning of traditional winter holidays. There is a number of important components of this holiday. One of them - disguising - is analogous to the western carnival. There existed traditional characters - "masks": "an old man" and "an old woman", "muzhik" and "woman", "an old woman with a big tummy". In addition, the following animal/bird masks were particularly popular: "a horse", "an ox", "a bear", "a goat", "a hen", and "a crane". It is said that the first three days of Yuletide people didn't work: young men would put on carnival costumes, dressing up mostly like cranes, hens, bears, wolves, etc., and would be wandering around their villages in groups.
The costumes were characterized by "antiworld" traits: the fur clothes would be worn inside out (for greater resemblance to animals); faces would be covered with black paint, and heads with pieces of wool for a more frightening effect. Men would often times wear women's clothes. People in disguise would storm parties and would be making noise there until the time they get their treats and be thrown out as the evil spirits. This was believed to serve a magic protection from any possible real attacks of dark forces. While this custom was technically denounced and even forbidden by the church, this wouldn't stop anybody from following it.
Three times a year - on Christmas Eve, on New Year's Eve, and on the eve of Epiphany (6/19 January), they will be passing from house to house performing "koliadki" - Christmas carols. Again, those involved in these rituals were perceived as dangerous agents of the afterlife world, who can bring luck only if they get gifts.
It is worth mentioning other attributes of the Christmas period - ritual food (kutia - boiled rice or wheat with raisins and honey; blini; fritters; honey), bonfires, games and songs. The songs often had a mythological motive of an old husband and a young wife. There were also some interesting archaic rituals associated with this period. For example, to have a big lamb offspring, they would make the first "koiladnik" (Christmas carols singers) sit on a fur coat. Thus, the mythological aspect of wool was being stressed - a connection with the "animal god" - Volos, lord of the lower world from where the koliadniks came from. The stranger sitting on the fur coat as if reproduced the "animal's god" himself.
One other important attribute of the period from Christmas through Epiphany was girl's fortune-telling. One can find many descriptions of fortune-telling in literature - from the "classical" fortune telling with candles and two mirrors to the collective fortunetellings with ritual (podbliudnye) songs. Everyone present at the fortune-telling would put a small thing under a plate, or under a hat - an earring, a ring, or a cross, etc. Then they would sing a ritual song in chorus, each song having its special meaning and special prediction, and will randomly fish out the first thing. It was believed that the prediction of the song would come true for whomever the thing belonged to.
"A ring was rolling on velvet,
And it stopped near a ruby.
Whoever thing this is, this will come true for her.
This will come true for her, and will not pass her by."
(Predicting a marriage)

**
"A pike was coming from Nova-gorod.
It was carrying its tail from Belo-lake.
The pike is covered with silver scales.
The pike's head is covered with pearls.
Whoever this song is for,
She will have wealth,
Whoever thing this is, this will come true for her."
(Predicting wealth)

**
"Poor skirt is my mother-in-law,
Oh, what can be done?
Whoever thing this is, this will come true for her."
(Predicting a bad mother-in-law)

The first part of these songs usually shows a symbolic picture of the future, while the second part of the song as if magically confirms the first one, picturing the prediction as an inevitable one.
It is important to understand why the Christmas period was believed to be favorable for fortune-telling. It is one of the most critical periods of the year, when days are shorter than ever, when it is freezing, and the sun itself has as if stopped as if it were not sure whether to leave this world or to come back. The rituals are aimed to bring the sun back. This is the period of great uncertainty, when nothing is clear or solved, when all the focal points of the next year are being determined in the process of the Chaos-Cosmos struggle. In this period the next world seems closer than ever, when all the evil spirits are activated. To get rid of them, on the eve of Epiphany, young men would be riding horses, going to all back yards, beating all the dark corners with whips and brooms, with incantations, screams and squeals. In addition, they would paint crosses on windows, doors and shutters. It is hard to find a better time for fortune-telling!
There were different types of fortune-telling. One of the popular ones would involve a rooster. Thus, the girls would put on the floor or on the table a pinch of grain, a piece of bread, scissors, ashes, coal, and coins, as well as a mirror and a pot of water. Then they would bring a rooster into the room and would see what it would start pecking first. If he started with the grain - this was supposed to bring wealth, if he started with the bread - this was supposed to bring good harvest, if he got to the scissors first - the bridegroom would be a tailor, and if with the ashes - the bridegroom would be a tobacconist. If he started with the coal - the girl would never get married, if with coins - this would bring money, if he pecks the mirror - the husband-to-be would be a dandy, and if the rooster started with drinking water - the husband-to-be would be a drunkard, etc.
The yuletide will end with Epiphany. On that day they would sanctify water. The biggest "sinners" would swim in freezing water where they would get through a hole in the ice.

Candlemass Day

(2/15 February)
That's when the winter would meet the summer and would fight it. The weather that day would show whether there would be an early or a late spring that year; it would also show the quality of the harvest.

Holidays, Dedicated to Cattle

February would be marked by a number of holidays dedicated to cattle: Agafia-Dairymaid's Day (5/18 February), Voukola-Calf Herd's Day, and the main holiday of the cycle - Vlasii-Cattle God's Day (11/24 February). Vlasii is a Christian kind of a pagan god. They would pray to him for the cattle's health, and in many places Vlasii's day would be marked as a big holiday for which they would cook a big meal. The last "cattle" holiday of the cycle was Onisim-Sheep Herd's (sheep patron's) Day (15/28 February).

Winter Kuzmniki The final arrival of winter would fall on Kuzmniki (Kuzma and Demian were patrons of poultry and blacksmith's craft). Kuzminki was usually accompanied by group gatherings of girls.
Women's Winter Holidays There is a number of women's holidays in the fall: Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin (November 21/December 4); St Catherine's Day (November 24/December 7); St. Barbara's Day (December 4/17); St. Anna's Conception (December 9/22); St. Anastasia's Day (December 22/January 4). On the eve of St. Catherine's Day, young girls would be telling fortunes about their future husbands. St. Anne and St. Anastasia were believed to be patrons of the pregnant.
St. Egori's Cold Day (November 26/December 9) Since Georgi is associated with the God of Thunderstorm, there are many beliefs in connection with the Egori's Fall Day. They would say that this day coincides with the birthday of snakes - to avoid their bites, it was strictly forbidden to go to the forest that day.
St. Nikola's Day (December 6/19) Patron of farming and cattle, master of the ground and underground water, the Russian god Nikola (Nikolai Chudotvorets (Wonder-Monger) is the subject of many sayings. For example, "The winter Nikola will bring the horse to the stable. The spring Nikola will feed the horse." This day was also believed to be the beginning of the winter matchmaking.
Christmas Eve, Epiphany Christmas Eve (December 24/January 6); Epiphany (January 6/19) Christmas Eve symbolizes the beginning of traditional winter holidays. There is a number of important components of this holiday. One of them - disguising - is analogous to the western carnival. There existed traditional characters - "masks": "an old man" and "an old woman", "muzhik" and "woman", "an old woman with a big tummy". In addition, the following animal/bird masks were particularly popular: "a horse", "an ox", "a bear", "a goat", "a hen", and "a crane". It is said that the first three days of Yuletide people didn't work: young men would put on carnival costumes, dressing up mostly like cranes, hens, bears, wolves, etc., and would be wandering around their villages in groups. The costumes were characterized by "antiworld" traits: the fur clothes would be worn inside out (for greater resemblance to animals); faces would be covered with black paint, and heads with pieces of wool for a more frightening effect. Men would often times wear women's clothes. People in disguise would storm parties and would be making noise there until the time they get their treats and be thrown out as the evil spirits. This was believed to serve a magic protection from any possible real attacks of dark forces. While this custom was technically denounced and even forbidden by the church, this wouldn't stop anybody from following it. Three times a year - on Christmas Eve, on New Year's Eve, and on the eve of Epiphany (6/19 January), they will be passing from house to house performing "koliadki" - Christmas carols. Again, those involved in these rituals were perceived as dangerous agents of the afterlife world, who can bring luck only if they get gifts. It is worth mentioning other attributes of the Christmas period - ritual food (kutia - boiled rice or wheat with raisins and honey; blini; fritters; honey), bonfires, games and songs. The songs often had a mythological motive of an old husband and a young wife. There were also some interesting archaic rituals associated with this period. For example, to have a big lamb offspring, they would make the first "koiladnik" (Christmas carols singers) sit on a fur coat. Thus, the mythological aspect of wool was being stressed - a connection with the "animal god" - Volos, lord of the lower world from where the koliadniks came from. The stranger sitting on the fur coat as if reproduced the "animal's god" himself. One other important attribute of the period from Christmas through Epiphany was girl's fortune-telling. One can find many descriptions of fortune-telling in literature - from the "classical" fortune telling with candles and two mirrors to the collective fortunetellings with ritual (podbliudnye) songs. Everyone present at the fortune-telling would put a small thing under a plate, or under a hat - an earring, a ring, or a cross, etc. Then they would sing a ritual song in chorus, each song having its special meaning and special prediction, and will randomly fish out the first thing. It was believed that the prediction of the song would come true for whomever the thing belonged to. "A ring was rolling on velvet, And it stopped near a ruby. Whoever thing this is, this will come true for her. This will come true for her, and will not pass her by." (Predicting a marriage) "A pike was coming from Nova-gorod. It was carrying its tail from Belo-lake. The pike is covered with silver scales. The pike's head is covered with pearls. Whoever this song is for, She will have wealth, Whoever thing this is, this will come true for her." (Predicting wealth) "Poor skirt is my mother-in-law, Oh, what can be done? Whoever thing this is, this will come true for her." (Predicting a bad mother-in-law) The first part of these songs usually shows a symbolic picture of the future, while the second part of the song as if magically confirms the first one, picturing the prediction as an inevitable one. It is important to understand why the Christmas period was believed to be favorable for fortune-telling. It is one of the most critical periods of the year, when days are shorter than ever, when it is freezing, and the sun itself has as if stopped as if it were not sure whether to leave this world or to come back. The rituals are aimed to bring the sun back. This is the period of great uncertainty, when nothing is clear or solved, when all the focal points of the next year are being determined in the process of the Chaos-Cosmos struggle. In this period the next world seems closer than ever, when all the evil spirits are activated. To get rid of them, on the eve of Epiphany, young men would be riding horses, going to all back yards, beating all the dark corners with whips and brooms, with incantations, screams and squeals. In addition, they would paint crosses on windows, doors and shutters. It is hard to find a better time for fortune-telling! There were different types of fortune-telling. One of the popular ones would involve a rooster. Thus, the girls would put on the floor or on the table a pinch of grain, a piece of bread, scissors, ashes, coal, and coins, as well as a mirror and a pot of water. Then they would bring a rooster into the room and would see what it would start pecking first. If he started with the grain - this was supposed to bring wealth, if he started with the bread - this was supposed to bring good harvest, if he got to the scissors first - the bridegroom would be a tailor, and if with the ashes - the bridegroom would be a tobacconist. If he started with the coal - the girl would never get married, if with coins - this would bring money, if he pecks the mirror - the husband-to-be would be a dandy, and if the rooster started with drinking water - the husband-to-be would be a drunkard, etc. The yuletide will end with Epiphany. On that day they would sanctify water. The biggest "sinners" would swim in freezing water where they would get through a hole in the ice.
Candlemass Day (2/15 February) That's when the winter would meet the summer and would fight it. The weather that day would show whether there would be an early or a late spring that year; it would also show the quality of the harvest.
Holidays, Dedicated to Cattle February would be marked by a number of holidays dedicated to cattle: Agafia-Dairymaid's Day (5/18 February), Voukola-Calf Herd's Day, and the main holiday of the cycle - Vlasii-Cattle God's Day (11/24 February). Vlasii is a Christian kind of a pagan god. They would pray to him for the cattle's health, and in many places Vlasii's day would be marked as a big holiday for which they would cook a big meal. The last "cattle" holiday of the cycle was Onisim-Sheep Herd's (sheep patron's) Day (15/28 February).

Get Sponsored by Russian Story