Koliada
| Koliada | |
|---|---|
Christmas carolers in Ukraine ("Little Russia") by K. Trutovsky | |
| Also called | Kolyada, Коледа, Kоляда, Коледе, Kalėda, Colindă |
| Observed by | Eastern European, Balts and Slavic people |
| Significance | celebration of New Year re-birth |
| Begins | January 6 |
| Ends | January 7 |
| Date | December 25, January 7, January 6, December 24 |
| First time | unknown |
| Related to | Christmas traditions, Eastern Orthodox liturgical days |
Koliada or koleda (Cyrillic: коляда, коледа, колада, коледе) is the traditional Slavic name for the period from Christmas to Epiphany or, more generally, for Slavic Christmas-related rituals, some dating to pre-Christian times. It represents a festival or holiday, celebrated at the end of December to honor the sun during the Northern-hemisphere winter solstice. It also involves groups of singers who visit houses to sing carols.