While New Year’s Day is a public holiday on January 1, many Ukrainians still celebrate the "Old New Year", or Orthodox New Year, which is on January 14 in the Gregorian calendar.
So, why people in Ukraine celebrate 2 New Years? The first one follows the Gregorian calendar and falls on January 1st when Ukrainians join in with the rest of the world in the craziness of fireworks and midnight parties. The second one follows the Julian calendar and falls on January 14th, leaving plenty of time to rest after the all-night dancing of the first New Year’s Eve and do it all over again.
The second time, however, Ukrainians have many traditional ancient customs on Old Calendar New Year and hold the vibrant ‘Malanka’ celebrations.
Malanka (Shchedry Vechir - Generous Dinner Evening) is a folk holiday celebrated on 13 January, which is New Year's Eve in accordance with the Julian calendar.
On the morning of this day the second ritual kutia is prepared—the "generous" kutia. In addition, the women bake mlyntsi (pancakes), and make pyrihs and dumplings with cheese, to give as gifts to the carolers and "sowers".
Try to cook 5 delicious recipes for the Old New Year.
Food is given a very important role: on Malanka, as it is believed that the more variety on the table that day, the more generous next year will be. Pork dishes are definitely prepared, as this animal symbolizes abundance in the house. Traditionally, pork is prepared as kholodets (meat in aspic), blood and pork sausages, vershchaky (roasted pork marinated in beet kvas), salo (lardo), stuffed whole pig, and more.
In the evenings and until midnight, the carolers stroll by the houses of the village. According to ancient tradition, New Year's caroling by the "malankary", like Christmas caroling, occurs after sunset. Teenaged girls, alone or in a group, run around to their neighbors to carol. They are rewarded with food and sweets.
The next day, when it began to grow light, the young men go to "sow grain". The grain is carried in a glove or bag. First they visit their godparents and other relatives and loved ones, then their neighbors. Entering the house, the sower sows grain and greets everyone with the New Year. According to tradition, it is lucky for the first person to enter each room in a house to be a man or a boy. The last part of this tradition is that you may not clean up the buckwheat grains until the next day, or else you will sweep away your good luck. Some single guys dress up in women’s clothes and lead the troop around town as “Malanka”.
Old New Year’s Eve is one of the last chances to go wild and have fun before the winter holiday season is over.
I sow, I sow, I sow, I greet you with the New Year!
Good fortune, and good health in the New Year,
May your fields bear better this year than last,
Rye, wheat and any grains,
Hemp piled to the ceiling in large rolls.
Be healthy for the New Year and Basil's Day!
God grant us this!
This year as never before the whole world is wishing Ukraine a good sowing season and a good harvest. The whole world has become aware that 40% of all sunflowers come from Ukraine, that Ukraine is the "Breadbasket" for the world. However, many hectares of land are now mined, many farmhouses have been destroyed, and a lot of machinery has been crushed by the russian occupiers. But Ukraine will win! Next year you will be able to witness with your own eyes all these amazing traditions and taste Ukrainian cuisine.
Donate to Ukrainian people today, help them to bring that 40% to the world tomorrow.
The Ukrainians are a very welcoming people and are always happy to host you on their home country.
Happy Old New Year!
Зі Старим Новим Роком! Zi Starim Novim Rokom!
P.S. These photos are taken in Swakopmund, Namibia
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