Winter solstice. Winter Solstice Day - interesting facts, signs and rituals Winter Solstice Day how this holiday is celebrated

Good day. The magician Azal is with you. A special day is approaching - the winter solstice. Among the ancient Slavs, it was called Kolyada or the holiday of the Winter Solstice. The same holiday with the same meaning, but under other names, was celebrated not only by our ancestors, the Slavs, but also by almost all other peoples.

How can this be useful to us? First of all, the fact that many rituals and rituals of the ancient Slavs are still relevant today. They can only be held once a year and only on this day. What will we get?

1. Ability to solve your problems
2. An opportunity to remember your dead relatives and ask for their help
3. An opportunity to get rid of a series of failures that has been haunting the whole year and redirect your life in a more successful direction

If this is true for you, and you do not want to miss such a rare opportunity, then read on. First, I will tell you how the ancient Slavs celebrated the winter solstice, what rituals they performed and for what purpose - a brief digression into history with a bias towards the magical side. After that, I give specific instructions for performing the same rites, taking into account our time.

In astronomical terms, this is the day when the Earth's axis of rotation tilts as far as possible away from the Sun. On this day, the shortest daylight hours and the longest night of the year. The exact date of the winter solstice wanders from year to year and varies within a few days: from December 21 to December 23.

Slavic god Kolyada

In a magical sense, this holiday occupies a special place. The longest night of the year is also the darkest night of the year. Night, increasing in time, gained its maximum strength on this day. While the sun is at its weakest. Along with the night, the forces that hide in the darkness have gained their maximum strength. It is on this night that many especially dark forces wake up: forgotten dark gods, demons and various kinds of creatures.

The ancient Slavs believed that Kolyada, the son of Dazhdbog and one of his faces, was born on this day. Therefore, on this day it was customary to carol. People celebrated, praised and sang Kolyada in poetic form, and also congratulated each other and wished happiness and good. Also on this day, the Slavs performed rituals to “strengthen the sun”: the sun on this day was the weakest for the whole year and could not protect people from those who appeared in darkness. Therefore, the vast majority of these rites were actually aimed at their own protection.

Protection from the powers of darkness

In order to protect themselves from the forces of darkness, bonfires were lit on this day. Fire and heat repel these forces. In addition, the vision of these forces is undeveloped, and therefore people tried to deceive them. They piled logs in the form of a huge circle and so kindled a large fire, resembling the shape of the sun. The fire in such a bonfire was deliberately kept up all night or even for 21 days. Herbs or compositions were burned in this fire: wormwood, lavender, tartar (residue from making wine during filtering) and others. Whole villages gathered near such a fire, caroled, drank and ate, celebrated from the heart. After such a fire was extinguished, the inhabitants of the village took the coals from it, put it in a rag bag and kept it in their house. It was a talisman against dark forces until the next Solstice holiday.

They also made other charms for the house, people, household, livestock, food supplies. If an evil spirit settles in and eats the energy part of the food prepared for the winter for himself and his livestock, then it will manifest itself physically like this. Grain, meat, vegetables and pickles become mouldy, bloom, rot and become unfit for human consumption.

Protection from other forces

In addition to the forces of darkness, other forces could also appear to people that night. The power of the sun has weakened, and the sun is one of the guardians of the rapids. About other guardians of the rapids and annual rites with them - in the article " New Year's magic to attract money and love". Due to the “weak sun”, roads are opened for restless souls on this night.

Therefore, the holiday of the Winter Solstice can rightly be attributed to one of the days of special commemoration of the dead. First of all, they commemorated those dead who died an untimely death as a result of an accident or were killed and after death were not adequately buried. For example, he went missing, was torn by animals in the forest, fell into a cliff, drowned, burned down and other events. They also commemorated those who were buried according to customs, but still did not find rest in the other world. These are inveterate souls or souls with some important unfinished business until the moment of death, stuck “between the worlds” closer to our physical world.

Such souls that night could come home to their relatives or look for their home, relatives. At the same time, it must be said that the restless soul does not always come in peace. Sometimes all the pain of her martyrdom and despair for the untimely taken life leaves an indelible imprint on her condition after death. Tormented, not knowing peace, having no shelter, such souls, by their very presence, brought troubles and misfortunes to the living. In order to soften them, to propitiate, to remember, to give them refreshment, to warm up, to gain strength for further travel around the worlds, treats were made for them on this day.

In addition to remembering and rejoicing such dead, offering them treats, you can get news from them or about themselves that night, or about some important issues for the family, as well as enlist their support and help. The Slavs remembered that hungry ghosts burden a person's life, and also that if you help them, then they will help you.

The dead, especially those who are constantly near the living, are able to influence situations. This is actively used by magicians when working with the dead (see the article " Necromagic or intelligent interaction with the dead"). The dead can create "non-random accidents". On the one hand, they can save you from injury or even certain death - after such situations, they usually say “miraculously survived”, “lucky”, “came out unscathed”. And on the other hand, they can bring on such kind of “accidents”, which leads to critical or even tragic consequences.

Especially for the dead, the Slavs performed two important rites on this day. In the afternoon on the day of Kolyada in Slavic villages, some living creatures were usually slaughtered for the holiday (a pig or duck, for example). The life of an animal or a bird and its blood were sacrificed to Kolyada. When butchering the carcass, some pieces of it were also thrown into the fire for the same purpose. After that, the carcass was baked, and two parts were separated from it to treat the dead. One part was taken to the wandering dead before sunset, and the other part was separated for a specially laid "white table" - these are the dead who came to relatives for a feast.

I give specific rituals for the dead on this holiday and how to do them myself in the continuation of this entry about the winter solstice - the link will be at the end of this article.

Other Magical Properties of the December Solstice

The change in the astronomical cycle, when after this night the earth's axis begins to turn towards the sun, leads to a change in energy cycles on earth. The ancient Slavs spoke of the "birth of a new sun", or rather a new cycle, in which the power of the sun and its influence on the earth and people grew. This change of cycles gave another opportunity to conduct a special kind of rituals on this night - a change in life paths for a person who is not satisfied with his fate.

For example, over the past year, a person had a lot of problems, a solid black streak. He wants to stop this ongoing series of problems and troubles in his life and turn his life path along a less thorny road. On this night, once a year, he has such an opportunity.

Again, a specific technique with a full description that any of those reading these lines can implement, in the article " Winter solstice: rituals, ceremonies and conspiracies on fire". That's all for today. Did you like it, was it useful? Press the social media buttons, share with your friends. Subscribe to the news so as not to miss the continuation of this article. I also look forward to your questions in the comments. Sincerely, magician Azal, author of articles and owner of the site "

Holiday in the Slavic world

The holiday of Yule (Yule) in Orthodoxy is called the Solstice.

The solstice comes from the verb "to return". The sun is renewed, reborn, and from that moment returns to us with renewed vigor, which is why the days are getting longer and the nights are getting shorter. The solstice is a certain point in time, a moment that can be accurately calculated. At this very “point”, the Sun rises to the lowest height of the year, it will not go any lower, then it will begin to return, slowly rising higher and higher.
This moment falls on December 21st.

In winter, the luminary rises above the horizon, lower and lower. On the day of the WINTER SOLSTICE, December 21, the Sun rises above the horizon to the lowest height of the year and, as it were, freezes for 3 days, the height of the Sun above the horizon during this period does not change, it seems that the sun stops. We can say that the Winter Solstice is a phenomenon observed within 3 days.

The four great Slavic pagan holidays, as well as similar holidays of the European pagan religion of the Druids-Sorcerers, are focused on the solar cycle, which is expressed in four annually repeated annual incarnations of the sun god.

1) Night of the winter solstice(the longest night, the beginning of astronomical winter) - 2nd night-solstice. The next morning after this night, winter is born Baby Sun Kolyada and, as the small children's forces grow, every day it rises higher in the sky;

3) Summer Solstice(the longest day of the year, the beginning of astronomical summer) - summer holiday Kupail. Mighty summer Sun-husband of Kupail comes into its own;

4) Day of the autumnal equinox(beginning of astronomical autumn) - autumn holiday Veresen (or Tausen). The former summer sun-Kupaila turns into a wise autumn gradually losing strength. Sun-Old Man Svetovit.

Then the cycle will repeat itself: at sunset before the Night of the winter solstice, the Sun-Svetovit will die, in order to be reborn again in the morning as the renewed Sun-baby Kolyada, again gaining its solar power.

This solar cycle, the four Slavic incarnations of the Sun - Kolyada- Yarilo - Kupail -Svetovit, is repeated from year to year, and the whole life of people, animals, birds, plants and all terrestrial Nature depends on it, as well as on the daily change of day and night.

According to the dates of the modern calendar, the celebration of this solar holiday began at sunset on December 19 and continued until sunset on January 1.

Before the Winter Solstice, you need to get rid of everything unnecessary, put things in order both in your house and in your soul in order to make room for the desired changes in the New Year. By the way, God Kolyada, personifying the revival of the winter Sun and Nature, just controls the Great Changes in the life of the Clans of the Great Race and the descendants of the Heavenly Clan, and the day of the Winter Solstice was also called the Day of Changes.

The day before the solstice is called KOROCHUN, because it is the shortest day of the year. Shortens the outgoing year - Koshchei the Immortal, who is also called the Koshchey Tsar (God) and Korochun too. These are the names of the ruler of the Underworld - Navi (the underworld). December 21, the day of the Winter Solstice or Solstice, celebrates the victory of Light over darkness. The sun is reborn! It is from this moment that the duration of daylight hours will gradually increase.

On the 1st night(Great Mother's Day) On the longest night of December 21-22 in ancient times, bonfires were kindled in the streets, and burning wheels were rolled to call on the Sun. Now candles are lit for this purpose. In the morning - December 22, at sunrise, the Sun is congratulated on the Birth and thanked for all the good that it gives us. The first 3 days after the Winter Solstice are the most favorable time for making plans for the future, making wishes.

Now let's find out, finally, what is KOLYADA. First, let's deal with its name. Kolyada comes from the Slavic word "kolo", which means "circle". God Kolyada personifies the rebirth of the winter Sun and Nature.
Kolyada was met on the night of December 24-25. Just after the 3-day period of the Winter Solstice, when the gain in solar minutes becomes most noticeable.

CHRISTMAS EVE (from the Slavic word "Sochivo", i.e. kutya) - the night before Kolyada. This is a memorial holiday for the “dead sun of the outgoing year”, farewell to the past. This is a reason to look back and look forward. Time to analyze your successes and achievements over the past year, as well as make plans for the next year.

On the night of Kolyada the Slavs burned bonfires, lit the sacred Fire, which then burned without fading 12 days before the end of the holiday. According to tradition, all old and unnecessary things were burned in the fire of this fire, freeing themselves from junk for a new happy life. With songs and laughter, “solar wheels” (cart wheels smeared with tar and set on fire) rolled down the hill, admonishing them to bring spring; they sculpted a snowman and destroyed it with snowballs; organized fistfights.

The night of the winter solstice - when the old sun has already died, and the new one has not yet been born - this is a fabulous mystical gap in time, when the Gates connecting Yav and Nav are wide open; this is timelessness, in which spirits and dark forces rule.

It is possible to resist these forces only by gathering with the whole family for a joint cheerful feast celebration. Dark spirits are powerless against the general fun.

But woe to that kinsman who will remain alone that night, outside of a kind-tribe, without close people nearby - dark spirits will lure him and push him to all sorts of false gloomy thoughts.

Due to the high probability of meeting some kind of spirit these days, it was customary to dress up in costumes made of skins and depict different animals (real and mythical).

At Christmas Kolyada, carolers went from house to house - guys, girls and children dressed up in costumes of "terrible" animals, who sang carols (ritual songs in which they wished well-being to everyone).

The ancient Slavs revered Kolyada as the most powerful and powerful god. Christianity that came from Byzantium for a long time could not completely eradicate the veneration of Kolyada. Over time, the optimistic and life-affirming holiday of Kolyada “coincided” with the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, and ritual pagan customs turned into a fun game for Christmas time.

Literary critic Alexander Strizhev in his book "People's Calendar" writes:

“Once upon a time, Kolyada was perceived not as a mummer. Kolyada was a deity, and one of the most influential. They called the carol, called. New Year's Eve was dedicated to Kolyada, games were arranged in her honor, which were subsequently performed at Christmas time. The last patriarchal ban on worshiping Kolyada was issued on December 24, 1684. It is believed that Kolyada was recognized by the Slavs as the deity of fun, which is why they called him, called on New Year's festivities by cheerful gangs of youth.

The celebration of Kolyada, with its fun and optimism, expressed the faith of our distant ancestors, the Slavic pagans, in the inevitability of the victory of good principles over the forces of evil.

During the day they prepared a collective meal - clubbing, and burned large festive bonfires - Steal - all night.
Around the village on the night "They Chased the Pope or Balda" - a burning thick stump of a log. And, if it was possible to roll it from the fire around the village and return it burning back to the fire, a favorable life awaited the village. To do this, the guys and girls cleared the path from the snow, and "Pop-Bald" was buttered - poured with oil. True, “Balda” was oiled in advance to increase burning - tow soaked in oil and wax was put into the hollowed-out inside;)
According to one version, the name "Popa-Balda" was given as a mockery in honor of the priest, who "served" one night, and then lay on his side all year. According to another version - the pop is the Ashes of the Fathers Betrayed.
In the morning, a feast, games, revelry were arranged. The next night they launched a new Balda and the next night too.
On the second day it was impossible to feast at home - they went to the guests. Take turns with each other.
On the last morning of the holiday, from a common fire, they brought the "New Fire" into the oven, which before that had to be cleaned of ashes and, preferably, whitewashed.
Everyone was sure to wash in the bath and proceed to the family feast. “Where you spend the night, there you will live for a year.”
"Fiery purgatories" were arranged - jumping over a fire. Singly and in pairs. If desired, it was possible to take an oath of allegiance - "Fire Curse". To do this, you need to jump over the fire together and not unclench your hands.
Bonfire - Steal was not extinguished, but allowed to burn out on its own.
There was another custom on Kolyada - "Breaking bread on the" Circle ". "With whom you break bread, that is your brother." This custom was carried out on every holiday. In other words, Kolyada is a collective circular food. Skladchin. This Slavic holiday and custom originated in ancient times. To collect food for a circular meal, carols were invented - funny sayings, jokes, fables, horror stories, songs. Collecting food for Kolyada was mainly done by young people - unmarried girls and boys. Toward evening, young people gather in separate groups and walk through the streets with songs, jokes and a star on a long stick. At will, a hole was made in the star, where a burning candle was placed. This star symbolizes the resurgent sun. They usually made it 8-pointed, made of paper, painted with paints. 8 planets revolve around the Sun, moreover, scientists from the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences have recently obtained a unique photograph of the Sun. On it, 8 vortex flows radially directed towards the solar disk and twisting into a right-handed swastika are clearly visible. It is quite possible that the number of depicted rays of the Sun is compared by our wise Ancestors with these eight vortex flows. Such accurate knowledge back in ancient times, which is reflected in our traditions, may indicate that our Ancestors clearly had a cosmic origin. That wisdom, which we are now restoring bit by bit, was known to our Ancestors - the Slavic-Aryans in ancient times. So, let's finally return to the carols :) One of the carolers carries a bag for gifts. Costumed people come up to the windows of the house, to the front door, or, if the owners allow it, right into the house and sing special carol songs. From ancient times to this time, you can meet groups of children singing "carols" in the hope of getting some sweets and gingerbread :)

In the Slavic countries, there was also a tradition Yule log- it was called badnyak. However, badnyak could be not only a log, but also a snag, a stump - the essence of this did not change. At the time of Christianization, they began to carve a cross on it, which conditionally justified the pagan ritual in the Christian period, or they poured oil (wine, honey) on the log, implying that it was the blood of Christ. The badnyak was considered animated, it was watered, fed, decorated with ribbons, sprinkled with grains from the part of the harvest set aside for sowing, and burned in the Christmas flame - so that the sun would give its strength to the fields, and livestock, and people, so that the harvest was rich, the animals were healthy, and people are strong.

Modern Yule

Our modern magical New Year's Eve (ending the 12th Yule Night), the festive Christmas tree shining with lights, the Yule wreath (now called the "Christmas wreath"), New Year's candles (Yule lights), the almighty pagan god Santa Claus, masquerade masks and costumes, processions of mummers, biscuit and chocolate "logs" (symbols of the Yule log) are the legacy of the traditions of the great sacred Yule, a cheerful two-week pagan winter holiday of our ancient ancestors, with which they celebrated the Christmas of the renewed Sun-baby Kolyada.

A great way to spend the Old Year on Holy Yule and prepare to meet the New Year is to literally and figuratively clear your life of rubbish, as was customary to do many centuries ago.

This is the right time to pay off debts, clean and disassemble the apartment, give away all unnecessary things, put your business papers in order and generally deal with all your tails - in a word, get rid of everything that prevents you from moving on, be it a mess in an apartment or an obsolete relationship.

Then you need to thank the outgoing year for all the good that it brought you, even if it was not easy (in any case, these difficulties taught you valuable lessons). After all, it is in nature itself that it is darkest just before dawn.

And, probably, it is worth remembering more often that when it seems that there simply cannot be a darker time in life, this is a sure sign of an imminent dawn, the beginning of a new, bright streak.

We decorate the house

The house, windows and doors are decorated with branches of evergreens, symbolizing life, clusters of rowan berries or rowan berry beads. An image of the Sun is hung on the door and in the window openings - a symbol of the born God, and images of a star - a symbol of the Goddess of Childbirth. Heated red wine is placed on the table in a large bowl, poured with a ladle.

The kitchen does not require special frills: enough colored tinsel over the hearth and bundles of dried vegetables, or onions, or ears of corn. The hood above the stove is the best place to place decorations, but if it is inconvenient to get there or tinsel and other good things are not safe there, you can hang it all next to the window. And you can put new potholders and a fresh towel on the stove. Just for the mood.

In addition, in clothes and in decorating the house, it is desirable to have a large number of shiny metal objects of yellow color - gold, brass polished to a shine - symbolizing sunlight. Be sure to have a live fire.

Yule fire

Candles, fireworks, sparklers are an important tradition of the winter holiday. Unlike the summer outdoor bonfire celebrations, the winter solstice fires are lit mostly in homes. As a rule, these are large bright candles (for example, red ones). Among the traditions was the lighting of one large candle, which burned from morning until midnight (if it burned out earlier, it was considered a bad sign).

Gold and silver candles are a symbol of bringing wealth to the house. Red candles are a symbol of female attractiveness, green ones are a symbol of male power and valor.

If you make a fire in the house, i.e. If you have a stove or a fireplace, then for the holiday you need to prepare oak firewood in advance. The fire of the hearth symbolizes the energy of the sun. It is preferable to stay awake all night. If you decide to sleep - still leave a burning candle. Put it in a bowl of water for safety, and sleep. The fire should burn all night until the first rays of the sun.

Yule wreath

A wreath of spruce or pine branches with 8 candles should be prepared and placed on the mantelpiece or in a place that is the "heart" of the house.

Candles in a Yule wreath should burn all night, and if possible - until the 12th Night (New Year's Eve). In ancient times, these were not candles, but fatty lamps (like the current church lamps), into which oil was added from time to time - so they could burn for a long time without fading.

From the lights of the Yule wreath, already in antiquity, the custom arose to light fires on a decorated New Year tree. At first, 8 lights were also placed on the Christmas tree, as on Yule's wreath, later - as many as they want.

Yule Log in a new way

To make such a log, get a regular log with bark. Then you need to split it in half so that it can lie on the flat side, or trim it a little on one side just enough to give it stability. After making sure that it stands firmly, drill two or three holes in the top with a diameter of 2 cm for candles. Decorate the log with candles, mistletoe. As you light the candles, you can sing something like:

“Burn, burn clearly, so that it doesn’t go out, let the wheat ears thickly in the fields ...”

or

"You burn, bonfire, burn, boil spring resins, you burn to the sky, there will be more bread."

The log will subsequently have to be stored until next year. Undertook to observe traditions - observe.

Yolochka was born in the forest(Yule treein a new way)

The Christmas tree is a symbol of immortality. Therefore, evergreen trees are used - spruce, pine, juniper along with holly branches.

Yolochka can be decorated with fresh and dried berries, bags with aromatic herbs, apples, nuts, oranges, lemons. Old Soviet Christmas decorations in the form of fruits, fruits and vegetables, nuts and acorns will come in handy here (and someone smart came up with hanging cucumbers, corn cobs, tomatoes, acorns and grapes on the Christmas tree))).

The main thing in the holiday of Yule (Kolyada) is fun: loud laughter, songs and dances by the fire, jokes, funny gifts, jokes. During the whole night you have to be very loud and very cheerful. And the brighter the fire, the more light in the night - the more successfully we will drive away the evil forces that want to prevent the birth of the new Sun. This is what our ancestors believed. Following their example, we can also recite an old carol, for example, like this:

Solstice Day!

Roll into the garden

From the garden - to the red eel,

Rise above our courtyard!

Disperse, Svarog, darkness,

Bring back the red day to Russia!

Goy, Kolyada! Glory!

At the same time, we symbolically burn in the fire the problems of the old year, its grievances and misunderstandings. On this night, you need to forgive your offenders and ask for forgiveness from those whom you offended yourself. As a sign of reconciliation, people exchange small gifts. In addition, you need to wish good, peace and prosperity to everyone you meet. Remember the most common toast "for ... elk!" (to be loved and slept ... etc.)))?

An important trifle - try to ensure that by dawn you do not have dirty dishes and a mess. Remember - what the first ray of the Sun sees in your house, then it will be all year.

In the West, theatrical performances are arranged this evening, playing out the battle between the Oak King and the Holly King, who succeed each other in the alternation of the seasons of the year.

Eating Yule

Libations on holidays often began in the morning and lasted until the evening. Suitable drinks - mulled wine , spiced wine, as well as ale and beer, cider, ginger tea, punch.

Another tradition is festive food, a lot and different: fruits (apples, oranges), nuts, sweets, pork (from the festive tradition of roasting wild boar), pastries with cinnamon, yule pudding. As you meet the year, so you will spend it!

It's funny that the Yule log is also present on the festive table - in the form of a decorated with flowers and leaves chocolate roll .

Traditional Yule ham - a sacred offering to the Scandinavian god of abundance Freyr, one of whose symbols was a boar. A baked pig's head with apples in its mouth was solemnly brought into the banquet hall on a gold or silver platter to the sound of trumpets and minstrel songs. Freyr was asked to send peace to the earth and reward people with a glorious harvest.

It would be correct to serve huge slices of baked meat for Yule, and eat it like the Vikings: with a knife and hands, right hot, with leafy bread and potatoes in caramel !
________________________________________ __

Darkness thickens. All denser Twilight is wrapping its curtain around Mother Earth. Night eats Day, ringing Silence lies in the fields and the gray Wind drives the silver of heaven through the deserted streets.

On December 21, a horn will rumble from the West, and the Wild Hunt, led by Odin (Veles), will rush over the sleeping cities in a furious gallop.

But Midnight will end, the Twilight will tremble and the Solar God will be born. And, although the Night still rules - the baby Day has already been born and will steadily grow and grow stronger until the day of its victory and absolute triumph - Lita, the summer solstice.

The trees are still sleeping in crystal robes, but Light has already been born under their icy fabric.

Most of the holidays of the ancient Slavs were magical rituals (ceremonies) that realized the unity of man and nature.
The key holidays for the ancient Slavs were those with which the seasons were associated (spring, summer, autumn and winter), that is, the transition from one season to another. On such days, people laid down business or a kind of program for the entire subsequent astronomical year. In addition, these days served as a fulcrum for the start of harvesting or sowing crops, and the construction of important buildings began.
The ancient Slavic holidays were pagan, after Christianity spread to these lands, many of these rituals were slightly transformed into Christian holidays.
The ancient tribes of the Slavs lived according to the solar calendar, as a result of which all the rituals of the Slavs were connected and focused on the activity of the Sun.

pagan holidays

The main pagan Slavic holidays were:
– Kolyada or the birth of the Sun, celebrated on the day of the winter solstice;
– Christmas time– coped after December 21;
– Pancake week served as a symbol of the wire of winter time;
– great day- the day of the vernal equinox and the beginning of spring;
– Mermaid Week- seeing off the spring, held before June 21;
– Ivan Kupala Day- summer solstice;
–Indian summer- seeing off summer;
– harvest festival- autumnal equinox;
And now it is necessary to consider each of the holidays of the ancient Slavs in more detail.
Kolyada played a special place.

Kolyada

December 21 has long been considered the day of the beginning of astronomical winter. After December 21, the god Kolyada was born and on his day a holiday was organized, accompanied by rituals. The people sang songs, glorified deities. The ancient Slavs rejoiced that starting from December 21, the Sun would shine longer and longer, for which they thanked him. When Christianity became the state religion, Christmas was celebrated on this day. In the pagan circles of the ancient Slavs, this day began to carry out the birth of the gods.
On December 21, the ancient Slavs got rid of everything old, of all remnants and made wishes for the new year. Three days before the winter solstice and three days after were considered especially energetic, therefore, on this day, desires played a special force, it was believed that they could be more likely to come true.

Other pagan holidays

Christmas time

Christmas time was celebrated immediately after the winter solstice, in total they lasted for two weeks. During Christmas time, it was customary to guess.
Kolyada and Svyatki were the winter holidays of the Slavs.

Pancake week

The the holiday was considered a wire of winter, and is held from 12 to 20 March (the week before Great Day). During the week people cook pancakes with honey and other sweets.
In pagan mythology carnival is a character symbolizing death, as well as a cold winter. The week of Maslenitsa is the last, when winter still has power over the world. The forces of darkness are having fun for the last time.
We greeted the day with singing on hills and hills. The Slavs made a effigy of straw, representing the character of Maslenitsa, then the effigy of Maslenitsa was dressed up in women's clothing. Next to this scarecrow, the Slavs baked pancakes and had fun, moving down from these hills.
During the week, people visited guests and spent evenings at the table. For entertainment, they also arranged fist gods, various staged performances, skated on ice, threw snowballs, went and had fun at fairs. In recent days, with the help of clay whistles, people have called for spring. These sounds were something like birds singing, arriving with the onset of heat, that is, with early spring.
Children made small effigies from straw, although they were more like dolls, they were thrown into the fire in recent days. A large effigy of Maslenitsa was burned on the last day.

great day

It was celebrated on March 21, it was at this time that day equals night - the spring equinox. On March 21, it was customary to dance round dances, various games, praise the pagan gods, on this day a wheel engulfed in flames was launched from a mountain or any high point in the landscape. It was considered symbol of the sun, and the tongues of flame made the tongues of light.
Birds on March 21 were of particular importance, since it was believed that the souls of the departed were infused into the birds. To appease the ancestors of the birds, they were fed with cereals and bread crumbs. Toward evening, people gathered on the hills and feasted with the souls of their ancestors.
The holiday played a special role for those who decided to get engaged. March 21 in ancient times was considered the most popular for getting married. In addition, even now, this day is the most popular for tying each other in marriage. On this occasion, there is one old Russian proverb, which reads as follows: "He who marries on Great Day will not divorce forever."
The holiday is also called Red slide. Most likely, this name was due to the fact that the ancient Slavs performed rituals exclusively on various hills: hills, hillocks, hills.
On March 21, no one worked, people rested throughout the day, work was considered a sin. The whole day had to be spent in the open air with a cheerful company.

Mermaid Week

It is believed that the period from June 14 to 20 was the time for the revelry of the forces of darkness, which meant divination. They guessed mainly for the future and for the narrowed / narrowed. In addition to divination, the ancient Slavs made wishes and prayed to the forces of nature to give generous gifts. This week was especially special for girls, because it was the most favorable for fortune-telling about their marriage.
This week it was strictly forbidden to swim in lakes and rivers. The whole reason is that these days were dedicated to sea deities: mermaids and other small gods.
Mermaid week was celebrated cheerfully, mainly on the banks of rivers, lakes, and also in forest groves.

Kupalo

June 21 is considered the beginning of astronomical summer, in addition to everything, this day is the longest of the year, and the night is the shortest. After Kupalo, the day shortens in favor of the night.
Celebrated summer solstice rather pompously, with many pagan rites. They made a big fire, through which they jumped all night, round dances were led around the fire.
By jumping over the fire, people were cleansed, and in addition, such a rite served as a talisman against evil forces.
On June 21, it was already allowed to swim - such bathing had a ritual character. For unmarried girls, Kupala was a special day, since right now it was possible to find a betrothed. Flower girls wove wreaths and let them flow along the river. The guy who caught the wreath should become the husband of the girl who launched the wreath.
Swimming in rivers and lakes was allowed. It was believed that the Kupala night was magical, at this time the line between the real world and the other world was the thinnest. People believed that animals talked to other animals that night, just like plants talked to plants. They even believed that trees could walk that night.
The sorcerers on Kupalo prepare special potions, mostly love potions. The herbs in Kupalo were especially strong.

Babino summer

This holiday lasts from 14 to 20 September. At this time, the ancient Slavs were harvesting and counting it, and also making supplies for the next year.

harvest festival

September 21 was the autumnal equinox. The ancient Slavs performed rituals on this day, lit large bonfires, led the so-called autumn round dances around them. People met autumn and saw off the warm summer. Whiled away this day very cheerfully, prepared delicious dishes. Mostly there were large pies, they meant a good harvest next year.
People wished each other all the best and hoped that all wishes would come true in the new year. In addition, the Slavs renewed the fire in their huts: the old one was completely extinguished, the ashes were raked out and a new one was bred.

Other holidays of the Eastern Slavs

Solar holidays were described above, but besides them, the Eastern Slavs also celebrated other significant days. They were dedicated to pagan gods. These days, pagan rituals and ceremonies were carried out.
Rites and rituals were performed for such gods: Veles, Yarilo, Perun and others.
Eastern Slavs always celebrated such holidays in the open air. Mostly the Slavs gathered in the forests, on the lawns. Hills, small hills, and hillocks were considered special places for holding such holidays.
Rituals served for the Slavs as a kind of means for conversation, communication, communication with deceased relatives, ancestors and with the spirits of nature.

The ancient Slavic calendar was based on the phenomena of the four seasonal incarnations of the pagan god of the sun - Kolyada - Yarilo - Kupail - Svetovit, tied to four astronomical solar events of the year:
- the weak winter sun-baby Kolyada - is born renewed in the morning after the Night of the Winter Solstice,
- on the Day of the Spring Equinox, the young man Yarilo turns into a stronger sun,
- on the Day of the Summer Solstice, the husband of Kupail turns into a mighty sun,
- on the Day of the Autumnal Equinox, it turns into an aging and weakening wise autumn sun-old man Svetovit, dying at sunset before the Night of the Winter Solstice, in order to be reborn in the morning as a renewed sun-baby Kolyada, again gaining its solar strength.

December 20 was the last day of autumn for the ancient Slavs, and on December 21, at the solstice - the day of the winter solstice, Kolyaden began - the first month of winter and the new year. On the same day, in accordance with natural rhythms, the Christmas of Kolyada, the incarnation of one of the main Slavic gods Dazhdbog (Dazhbog, Dazhbog), who embodied the Sun, was celebrated. The celebration of Christmas time - Christmas and New Year, filled with fun, delicious food and magical rituals, was stretched by the ancient Slavs for 21 days, helping to pass the dark cold winter. On Svyatki they prepared kolivo, or sochivo - porridge with honey and raisins, and socheviki - sweet pies with cottage cheese and jam. The huts were decorated with dolls of the god Veles (the Slavic prototype of the modern Father Frost) and the Snow Maiden, and burning wheels were rolled on the streets and bonfires were lit to help the emerging winter sun. Carolers went from house to house - young boys and girls who sang carols (ritual songs with wishes for well-being) and received refreshments as a reward. At the first midnight of Kolyada, the priests sacrificed a duck, a piglet and other animals to Kolyada; all this as a treat is present on the Christmas tables of the ancient (and modern!) Slavs. At Christmas time, they dressed up in new clothes and put the best treats on the tables for the family gathered together. It was believed, "as you meet the New Year, so you will spend it.

In the 16th century in Russia, an interesting ritual was associated with the winter solstice. The bell warden of the Moscow cathedral, who was responsible for the chiming of the clock, came to bow to the tsar. He reported that from now on the sun turned to summer, the day is added, and the night is reduced. For this good news, the king rewarded the headman with money.

The ancient Slavs celebrated the pagan New Year on the day of the winter solstice, it was associated with the deity Kolyada. The main attribute of the festival was a bonfire, depicting and invoking the light of the sun, which, after the longest night of the year, had to rise higher and higher. The ritual New Year's cake - a loaf - also resembled the sun in shape.

The main symbolism was the fire of a fire, depicting and invoking the light of the sun, which, after the longest night of the year, was to return. A lot of New Year's rituals were performed by children who portrayed the young year. Children walked around the yards and sang the so-called "carols" - magic spells for well-being in homes, carolers praised the sun, light, thunder and the earth, which should give birth to a new crop. For this, they were generously given gifts. Many pagan rites of the New Year were preserved in the Christian period in Russia.

The days of Christmas time were considered magical. People guessed for the future, trying to predict the harvest, wars, weddings... They commemorated their dead relatives, left refreshments for them and kindled bonfires. They dressed (dressed up) in the skins of real and mythical animals, evil spirits, and also tried on the clothes (and roles) of other people and people of the opposite sex. At that time, the dark forces were endowed with special power, which, according to legend, came especially close to the world of the living.

About the Navi forces, very strong on the longest night of the year, about Karachun

Recall that despite the birth of a new sun, the world at this time is largely ruled by the Navi forces, so the predecessor of Santa Claus was Karachun.

He "Shorts" the outgoing year. It is closely connected with the celebration of the Winter Solstice and Kolyada. The days of the Solstice have come, and with them one of the most amazing holidays - Karachun, the shortest day and the longest night. Gradually, in the minds of the people, Karachun became close to Frost, who fetters the earth with cold, as if plunging it into a mortal sleep. But Frost is simply the lord of the winter cold and a more harmless image than the harsh Karachun. It was Frost who became the hero of folk tales, turning into Morozko, Moroz Ivanovich, Frost the Red Nose, and then our beloved Father Frost appeared, in whose character the features of the ferocious great-grandfather Karachun were significantly softened.

Winter fairy tale “Karachun”

When Winter came, the days started getting shorter and the nights got longer and longer. The evil spirit Karachun sent his assistants to the earth to find out: when Winter enters in full force, so that he can get out of the underworld and roam freely.

The Connecting Bear went first, he turned into a snowstorm and let's wander through the forests, lift snow and break trees. Well, when he returned, he said that it was still too early. The sun is still too bright and yet warm, and the nights are too short. Karachun waited and waited and sent the Wolf in the second turn. The Wolf Blizzard turned around, rushed howling through the fields and forests, and when he returned, he said that everything had not changed much. That the days are still too long and the sun is too warm. Must wait. And endured Karachun until the longest night. He waited, flew out of his shelter, breathed a severe frost and went to work. All night long he rushed about in a zealous frenzy through forests and fields, felled centuries-old fir trees, covered roads with snowdrifts, stained all living things that came across on the way, but he couldn’t get to people ... They are in their huts, like in a fortress: with a warm stove - then! In the morning, with the first rays of the sun, Karachun hurried home. And he sits in his dungeon, waiting for the next, the longest and darkest night.

And in the morning I wake up people, they see: The sun looks out at them, Frost sparkles outside the window, snow covered the roofs overnight!

“Here comes Karachun Zima! The sun turned to Summer, and Winter turned to Frost, ”the people say.

Afterword

The days around the winter solstice are the best days of the year when you can really change your destiny. That is, to be reborn in the same way as the Sun, to discard all unnecessary and give rise to a new one.

Three days before December 21 and three after - this is an energetically charged time. Strong streams of energy descend on the Earth.

Therefore, in the days preceding the winter solstice, it is favorable to get rid of everything unnecessary. This can be done mentally, but it is better to write on paper everything you want to get rid of and burn it. It is also beneficial before this day to cleanse your home, yourself, find time to cleanse your thoughts. Wish happiness to your loved ones, relatives, friends - this is the easiest thing to do these days.

After that, it is very favorable to make plans for the whole year (it is advisable to write in a notebook), make wishes, use intention, conduct meditations for yourself and for the whole Earth.

And on December 22 in the morning, try to meet the sunrise and congratulate him on his birth, thank him for everything that it gives us.

One of the most important dates of the year, from 22 to 25 three days of darkness, and on December 25 the New Year came - the birth of the baby Kolyada.

For us living today, it must be curious what our ancestors reckoning has been conducted since ancient times solar calendar. (It makes sense, doesn't it? :))

Kolyada- this is the Sun-baby (the newly born Sun), its Christmas has been celebrated since ancient times on December 25th. Kolyada time: from December 22 (winter solstice). - March 21st.

Yarilo- this is the Sun, gaining strength, burning, ardent. Yaril's time: from March 22 (the day of the spring equinox) - to June 20.

Kupailo This is the Sun in full bloom. Kupaila time: from June 21 (summer solstice) - to September 21.

Horse- this is the Sun in age, aging, losing strength, kind and affectionate. Khors time: from September 22 (autumnal equinox) to December 21

The night from December 21 to 22 is the longest of the year, on this day the gates of the interworld opened slightly, the line became thinner.

Horse "died" and went to other worlds, opening the gates. They tried to give him everything that they wanted to get rid of in the new year, they burned it in ritual bonfires.
The period of time from December 22 - to December 25 - three days of darkness, when they closed all "debts", washed away "sins", cleansed themselves and the house, preparing for the New Year - the birth of Kolyada.
These days they commemorated the Ancestors, communicated with the Spirits, went to visit, gave gifts - wishes.

On the night of December 25, they put out all the fire in the house and, with the appearance of the first star, they lit a new one, as a symbol of the birth of the New Year.

And here is what astrologers and esotericists write about these days:

~ WEEK TO WINTER SOLSTICE ~

It's time to repay debts and pick up tails, to burn the past and already unnecessary on a winter fire, to watch how troubles and misfortunes dissolve in smoke. Time to prepare for the transition to a new round, to turn the wheel. December 22 will be the bright holiday of the winter solstice.

The winter solstice is a special time. This day combines and synthesizes the Roman Saturnalia, the Scandinavian Yule, and the Christian Christmas. The Celts called this day Deuoriuos Riuri - "the great section, the festival of frost."

Over the millennia, during which the Winter Solstice was celebrated year after year, this day has acquired such layers of meaning, is so deeply embedded in human culture that, whether we like it or not, this holiday will influence us in any case.

In order to understand what the features of this holiday are, we will take into account two points:

- in many traditions, the annual metamorphoses of the Sun were considered as a model of the work of the Universe. The holidays of the Wheel of the Year were celebrated, and the Sun acquired anthropomorphic features, became an active subject in the eyes of people. We are just like our gods, and our gods are just like us.

- far from always people were sure that they would be able to live until spring. Lack of supplies and, as a result, hunger, cold and darkness - winter was the most difficult time of the year for our ancestors.

And in the end, out of a premonition of a long winter and darkness, out of a feeling of cold and lack of resources, out of uncertainty about the future, the myth of dying and resurrecting deities was forged. On the longest night of the year, the Sun God descended into the underworld to die there, and then be reborn again. The winter solstice is a celebration of death and resurrection.

This is the turning point of the year, at which you can "twist" your destiny. This is the point of transition from the old life to the new.
This is the boundary between the dead and the living.
It is the joy of life, scorched by the frosty breath of death.
The most paradoxical moment of the year is darkness, alienation, cold and evil, on the one hand, and a new conception, “good news”, a guarantee of the coming Spring, on the other.
So, for example, on the holiday of the Winter Solstice, cattle were usually slaughtered. First of all, for purely utilitarian reasons - you can’t feed him in winter. But, nevertheless, it was on these days that our ancestors ate most fresh meat. In addition, most of the beer and wine harvested in the summer were suitable in the cellars. It turns out that people, rejoicing in plentiful food and drinks, kept in mind the thought of a couple of hungry months in the future.

In Greek mythology, these days, Hades, the god of the underworld, was allowed to appear on Olympus among other deities, which means that death was revered and welcomed along with life.
In many cultures, sacrifices are made on the winter solstice. To shed blood so that the winter, having had its fill, still subsided. Therefore, we, modern people, need to be ready to sacrifice something: old ideas that have warmed up in our souls, patterns of behavior to which we are accustomed. Recognize the importance of the obsolete, let it go and make room for the new.

How to celebrate

The winter solstice is a holiday scorched by the breath of ancient traditions. This is the turning point of the year, at which you can "twist" your destiny. The birth of a new one requires the cleansing of space from those “old coals” that no longer burn, but only take up space and stain the hearth. In the days before and after the Solstice, it will be useful to keep thoughts and feelings clean, putting things in order and making room for the new.

- Pay off debts, remembering even the smallest amounts
- Thank those people who have become your support and support this year. If gratitude is also crowned with a gift, it will be especially good.
- Make a general cleaning in the home, in the car, in places where you spend a lot of time. It will be useful to disassemble things and give away those that are no longer useful, clear the storerooms and conduct an audit.
- The same should be done at the information level - by tidying up on the hard drive of the computer, having audited social ties
At least light fasting is recommended, and alcohol and other mind-altering substances should be avoided.
- Resentment, anger, uncertainty - these are the points of energy exit. By the new year, try to strike a balance in your energy accounting.
- You can plan what you would like to achieve next year. Due to the accentuated earth element, it is important that your plans are specific and detailed, include certain steps to achieve the goal, and not just a “request for Mrzd”. 😉

It is better to celebrate the holiday in the company of people with whom we are connected by common ideas, interests and undertakings. The presence of live fire is favorable not only at the holiday, but also in the form of candles lit at home, during the week before the holiday - in the dark. The table should be modest, almost ascetic - Venus in Scorpio does not favor excesses.

Astrology

The astrological transition of the Sun into the sign of Capricorn will occur on December 22 at 4 o'clock in the morning. Capricorn is a sign closely associated with career prospects, unapproachable peaks, long-term prospects, ascetics and directors. Capricorn jumps on sheer cliffs, not at all embarrassed by either gorges or landslides, or the absence of a direct road to the goal. Capricorn is perhaps the most vigorous hybrid of a materialist and an idealist in the entire Zodiac. All material planes, all jumps from rock to rock necessarily have a specific idea behind them, which warms Capricorn.

So we need to find between the material and the spiritual these days. So we also need to find these days between the material and the spiritual. You should not focus only on the ideal component of your projects, that is, dreams. It is impossible and headlong into monetization and profit, losing sight of the dream.
If you plan projects for the next year, then taking into account pragmatic earthly moods - with a financial plan and clear steps to achieve. This is not a reason to deny yourself a dream. It is only important to understand the first step that you will take to achieve it. And do it after the Solstice. 😉

This solstice can have a transformative effect on people who have significant chart indicators in the third decade of mutable signs (Virgo, Sagittarius, Gemini, Pisces). Now their fate may change course. It is especially important for them to be conscious and honest with themselves and others so that the turn turns out to be good.

Most of the strength and attention is worth spending on completing and closing the old one. Before the Solstice, it is better not to conceive or discuss new projects. You have to give them time to mature. Assess what occupies your strength and energy - whether it is actions, relationships, reading feeds on social networks. Assess if it benefits you. Ask yourself the question honestly and answer it honestly.

Bisextile with Jupiter, Mercury and Venus in Scorpio at the top will help bring order to matters of finance and relationships. For example, a good time to close ties with other people, to conduct final negotiations, to repay debts of any kind. So the entrance to the new year will be much easier, and there will be more inspiring events in it.