# Koliada

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koliada
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{{short description|Ancient pre-Christian Slavic winter festival}}
{{Italic title}}
{{for multi|the Slavic pagan god|Koliada (deity)|other uses|Koliada (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox holiday
| holiday_name  = Koliada
| type          = ethnic
| image         = Trutovsky Kolyadki.jpg
| imagesize     = 
| caption       = Christmas carolers in Ukraine ("[Little Russia](/source/Little_Russia)") by [K. Trutovsky](/source/Konstantin_Trutovsky)
| official_name = 
| nickname      = Kolyada, Коледа, Kоляда, Коледе, Kalėda, Colindă
| observedby    = [Eastern Europe](/source/Eastern_Europe)an, [Balts](/source/Balts) and [Slavic people](/source/Slavic_people)
| litcolor      = 
| longtype      = 
| significance  = celebration of New Year re-birth
| begins        = January 6
| ends          = January 7
| date          = <!-- Use next three if holiday is the same day of the same week every year -->
| week_ordinal  = <!-- "first", "second", "last", etc. -->
| weekday       = <!-- "Sunday", "Monday", "Friday", etc. -->
| month         = <!-- "January", "February", "December", etc. -->
<!-- Use next three if the date changes in an unusual pattern each year -->| date2012      = <!-- only for days that change each year -->
| date2013      = <!-- only for days that change each year -->
| date2014      = <!-- only for days that change each year -->
| celebrations  = 
| observances   = 
| relatedto     = [Christmas traditions](/source/Christmas_traditions),  Eastern Orthodox liturgical days
| alt           = 
| scheduling    = 
| duration      = 
| frequency     = 
| firsttime     = unknown
| startedby     = 
}}
[[File:Парад вуличних вертепів у Львові, початок 2010-х.jpg|thumb|200px|[Vertep](/source/Vertep)s parade, [Lviv](/source/Lviv), Ukraine]]
[[File:Trzej Królowie z Sopotni Małej (2).jpg|thumb|200px|[Kolędowanie](/source/Koledari) in Poland, 2019]]
[[File:Kalyada KR 2013 45.JPG|thumb|200px|Kolyadka performers in [Belgorod Oblast](/source/Belgorod_Oblast), Russia, 2013]]

'''''Koliada''''' or '''''koleda''''' ([Cyrillic](/source/Cyrillic_script): каляда, коляда, коледа, колада, коледе) is the traditional [Slavic](/source/Slavic_languages) name for the period from [Christmas](/source/Christmas) to [Epiphany](/source/Epiphany_(holiday)) or, more generally, for Slavic Christmas-related rituals, some dating to [pre-Christian times](/source/Christianization_of_the_Slavs).<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://slovardalja.net/word.php?wordid=13520|title = Толковый словарь Даля онлайн}}</ref> It represents a festival or holiday, celebrated at the end of December to honor the sun during the Northern-hemisphere [winter solstice](/source/winter_solstice). It also involves groups of singers who visit houses to sing [carol](/source/Christmas_carol)s.<ref>Brlic-Mazuranic, Ivana. ''[Croatian Tales of Long Ago](/source/Croatian_Tales_of_Long_Ago)''. Translated by Fanny S. Copeland. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Co.. 1922. p. 258.</ref><ref>Tryfanenkava, Maryna A. 2001. "The Current Status of Belarusian Calendar-Ritual Tradition". In: ''FOLKLORICA - Journal of the Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Folklore Association'', 6 (2): 43. https://doi.org/10.17161/folklorica.v6i2.3709.
</ref>

==Terminology==
The word is used in modern [Russian](/source/Russian_language) (Коляда́, {{IPA|ru|kəlʲɪˈda|pron}}), [Ukrainian](/source/Ukrainian_language) ("Коляда" {{IPA|uk|kɔlʲɐˈda|pron|audio=LL-Q8798 (ukr)-Tohaomg-коляда.wav}}), [Belarusian](/source/Belarusian_language) (''Каляда'', Kalyada, Kaliada), [Polish](/source/Polish_language) (Szczodre Gody ''kolęda'' {{IPAc-pl|k|o|ˈ|l|ɛ|n|d|a}}), [Bulgarian](/source/Bulgarian_language), [Macedonian](/source/Macedonian_language), [Serbo-Croatian](/source/Serbo-Croatian) (''Коледа, Коледе, koleda, kolenda''), [Lithuanian](/source/Lithuanian_language) (''Kalėdos, Kalėda''), [Czech](/source/Czech_language), [Slovak](/source/Slovak_language), [Slovene](/source/Slovene_language) (''koleda'') and [Romanian](/source/Romanian_language) (''Colindă'').<ref>{{cite book |url=http://bos.zrc-sazu.si/cgi/a03.exe?name=sskj_testa&expression=koleda&hs=1 |title=Slovar slovenskega knjižnega jezika |trans-title=Standard Slovene Dictionary |chapter=Koleda |year=2000 |publisher=Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts}}</ref>

The word used in [Old Church Slavonic](/source/Old_Church_Slavonic) language (Колѧда - Kolęda) sounds closest to the current Polish language pronunciation, as Polish is one of two Slavic languages which retains the nasal vowels of the Proto-Slavic language (the other is closely related Kashubian). One theory states that '''Koliada''' is the name of a cycle of winter rituals stemming from the ancient ''[calendae](/source/calends)''<ref name="Encyclopedia of Ukraine">[http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/pages%5CK%5CO%5CKoliadaIT.htm Encyclopedia of Ukraine]</ref> as for example the [Kalenda Proclamation](/source/Kalenda_Proclamation).

thumb|Women singing koliada songs with the star of Bethlehem in Belarus, 2023
In modern [Belarusian](/source/Belarusian_language) (каляда), [Ukrainian](/source/Ukrainian_language) (koliada), [Czech](/source/Czech_language), [Slovak](/source/Slovak_language), [Croatian](/source/Croatian_language) (koleda, kolenda), [Kashubian](/source/Kashubian_language) (''kòlãda'' [kwɛlãda]) and [Polish](/source/Polish_language) (''kolęda'' {{IPAc-pl|k|o|'|l|ɛ̃|d|a}}, Old Polish ''kolenda''<ref>Biblioteka warszawska. 1858 s. 318, Materyały antropologiczno-archeologiczne i etnograficzne 1826 s. 186</ref>) the meaning has shifted from Christmas itself to denoting the tradition of strolling, singing, and having fun on [Christmas Eve](/source/Christmas_Eve), same in the Balkan Slavs. It specifically applies to children and teens who walk house to house greeting people, singing and sifting grain that denotes the best wishes and receiving candy and small money in return. The action is called '''kolyadovanye''' ({{Langx|ru|Колядования}}) in Russian, '''kolyaduvannya''' ([Ukrainian](/source/Ukrainian_language) колядування) in Ukrainian and is now applied to similar Old [East Slavic](/source/Early_East_Slavs) celebrations of other old significant holidays, such as ''[Generous Eve](/source/Malanka)'' ({{langx|ru|Маланья, Щедрый вечер}}, {{langx|be|Шчодры вечар}}, {{langx|uk|Щедрий вечiр}}) the evening before New Year's Day, as well as the celebration of the arrival of spring. Similarly in [Bulgaria](/source/Bulgaria) and [North Macedonia](/source/North_Macedonia), in the tradition of '''koleduvane''' (коледуване) or '''koledarenje''' (коледарење) around Christmas, groups of children visiting houses, singing carols and receiving a gift at parting. The kids are called '[koledari](/source/koledari)' or rarely 'kolezhdani' who sing [kolyadki](/source/Koliadka) (songs).

Koleda is also celebrated across northern [Greece](/source/Greece) by the [Slavic speakers of Greek Macedonia](/source/Slavic_speakers_of_Greek_Macedonia), in areas from [Florina](/source/Florina) to [Thessaloniki](/source/Thessaloniki), where it is called '''Koleda''' (Κόλιντα, Κόλιαντα) or  '''Koleda Babo''' (Κόλιντα Μπάμπω) which means "Koleda Grandmother" in Slavic. It is celebrated before Christmas by gathering in the village square and lighting a bonfire, followed by local [Macedonian music](/source/Music_of_North_Macedonia) and dancing.

Croatian composer [Jakov Gotovac](/source/Jakov_Gotovac) wrote in 1925 the composition "Koleda", which he called a "folk rite in five parts", for male choir and small orchestra (three [clarinet](/source/clarinet)s, two [bassoon](/source/bassoon)s, [timpani](/source/timpani) and [drum](/source/drum)). Also, [Dubrovnik](/source/Dubrovnik) kolenda is one of the oldest recorded traditions of this kind in Croatia (its first mentioned in 13th century).<ref>{{cite news | title = Dubrovačka kolenda proglašena zaštićenim nematerijalnim kulturnim dobrom | date = 2021-02-09 | url = https://radio.hrt.hr/radio-dubrovnik/kultura/dubrovacka-kolenda-proglasena-zasticenim-nematerijalnim-kulturnim-dobrom-3713087 | language = hr | publisher = [Croatian Radio](/source/Croatian_Radio) | author = Radio Dubrovnik }}</ref> There is also a [dance](/source/Croatian_kolo) from [Dubrovnik](/source/Dubrovnik) called "The Dubrovnik Koleda."

It is celebrated in the Büyükmandıra village of [Babaeski district](/source/Babaeski), [Kırklareli Province](/source/K%C4%B1rklareli_Province) in [Turkey](/source/Turkey) as a [halloween](/source/halloween)-like festival and dates back a thousand years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kırklareli celebrates horror festival Koleda - Türkiye News |url=https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/kirklareli-celebrates-horror-festival-koleda-179968 |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=Hürriyet Daily News |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Commons category|Koliada}}
* [Colindă](/source/Colind%C4%83), a similar Romanian/Moldovan tradition
* [Korochun](/source/Korochun)
* [Crăciun (disambiguation)](/source/Cr%C4%83ciun_(disambiguation))
* [Twelfth Night (holiday)](/source/Twelfth_Night_(holiday))
* [Yule](/source/Yule)
* [Christmas carol](/source/Christmas_carol)
**[List of Christmas carols](/source/List_of_Christmas_carols)
*[Ķekatas](/source/%C4%B6ekatas)
* [Koliadka](/source/Koliadka)
* [Koledari](/source/Koledari)
*[Mummering](/source/Mummering)
* [Turoń](/source/Turo%C5%84)
* [Koleda](/source/Serbian_Christmas_traditions) (Koledovanie) in the Serbian tradition
* [Kalenda Proclamation](/source/Kalenda_Proclamation)
* [Shchedryk (song)](/source/Shchedryk_(song))
* [Calennig](/source/Calennig)
* [Christmas Waits](/source/Christmas_Waits)
* [Beltane](/source/Beltane), Gaelic festival in honour of the sun
* ''[Festive Procession with a Song. Kolyada](/source/Festive_Procession_with_a_Song._Kolyada)''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Polish folk customs and traditions}}{{Slavic holidays|state=collapsed}}
Category:Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Category:Slavic culture
Category:Slavic holidays
Category:Folk calendar of the East Slavs
Category:Belarusian traditions
Category:Bulgarian traditions
Category:Czech traditions
Category:Polish traditions
Category:Russian traditions
Category:Serbian traditions
Category:Slovak traditions
Category:Ukrainian traditions
Category:Slavic Christmas traditions
Category:Winter solstice
Category:Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ukraine
Category:Croatian traditions

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Koliada](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koliada) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koliada?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.