Koliada

Koliada or koleda (Cyrillic: коляда, коледа, колада, коледе) is an ancient pre-Christian winter ritual/festival. It was later incorporated into Christmas.

Terminology

The word is still used in modern Ukrainian ("Коляда", Kolyadá), Belarusian (Каляда, Kalada, Kalyada), Russian (Коляда, Kolyada), Polish (Szczodre Gody kolęda [kɔˈlɛnda]), Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian (Коледа, Коледе) Lithuanian (Kalėdos, Kalėda) and Bosnian, Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene (koleda). The word used in Old Church Slavonic language (Колѧда) sounds closest to the current Polish language pronunciation, as Polish is the only Slavic language which retains the nasal vowels of the Proto-Slavic language. One theory states that Koliada is the name of a cycle of winter rituals stemming from the ancient calendae.

Some claim it was named after Kolyada, the Slavic god of winter or Koliada, the goddess who brings up a new sun every day.

Koliada (deity)

Koliada or Koleda is a Slavic mythological deity, that personalizes the newborn winter infant Sun and impersonates the New Year's cycle. It is connected with the solar cycle, passing through the four seasons and from one substantial condition into another. The four personifications of the Sun according to the ancient Slavic religion are:

In the different Slavic countries at the Koliada winter festival were performed rituals with games and songs in its honour - like koleduvane. In some regions of Russia the ritual gifts (usually buns) for the koledari are also called "kolyada". In the lands of the Croats it was symbolized by a doll, called Koled. In the ancient times Slavs used to sacrifice horses, goats, cows, bears or other animals that impersonate fertility. Koliada is mentioned either as male or a female deity in the songs.

Koliada (goddess)

Koliada, in Slavic mythology, the name of a goddess of the sky. She brings up a new sun every day; for that reason, she is hunted by Mara to stop her and cause total darkness. The pagan feast of Koliada took place between the January 6 and January 19, but has since been merged into the celebration of Christmas.

The name is thought to derive from Greek Kalanda, romanized as Calandae.

See also

References