January 14, New Year or circumcision

January 14 is the day when rituals for prosperity were performed. The main message was the generosity of the owners. The Sun began to open itself in the Sky, as if cloudiness was replaced by «high» heaven. Unfortunately, at that time piglets were slaughtered as a sign of generosity, and the corpse of a piglet was “flaunted” on the table, which was right to eat with hands, and the head of the animal went to the owner of the house. In fact, it was a ritual at the level of development of the villagers. The carolers were walking right there, either giving good wishes to the owners or really cursing them. Here’s an example of carolers’ “jokes”:

“Devils to the yard, worms to the garden!

Kolyada, Molyada,

Kolyada was born!

If you serve us a pie,

You will get a thriving yard.

And you won’t be able to count

The number of small cattle you will have!

If you don’t give us a penny —

We will block the way.

If you don’t give us cakes –

We will break the windows

If you don’t give us the pie –

We will take a cow away by its horns.

If you don’t give us bread –

We will take a grandfather away.

If you don’t give us ham –

We will chop the cast-iron!”

Religion was able to combine two components, such as the cycle of nature with the opening of the Sun and a bloody sacrifice, calling it circumcision of the Lord, and people, having forgotten the peasant foundations, began to consider this day as the day of the old New Year continuing to set the table.

This is an interesting story captured in Time Wheel.

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Faithful Mother, Alyona Polyn