Koliada
December 25 · Level 8 · #602 of 2238
Koliada is an old Slavic winter festival marking the turn of the sun toward summer. People used it to greet a new cycle of the year and wish each other a good harvest and plenty.
How it is celebrated: costumed groups go from house to house, sing carols called koliadki and receive pies, sweets and small coins in return. There are masks and fortune-telling games, and today many places stage Koliada at folklore festivals and in theatrical shows.
Many scholars link the word "koliada" to the Latin calendae, the first day of a month, which also gave us the word "calendar". The theory is still debated, but it is a neat one.