Ukrainian American Society of Texas

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Malanka - New Year's Eve

(Gregorian) Dec.31; (Julian) Jan.13.

Malanka is a Ukrainian folk holiday celebrated on January 13th, which is New Year's Eve in accordance with the Julian calendar. Malanka commemorates the feast day of St. Melania. On this night in Ukraine, carolers traditionally went from house to house playing pranks or acting out a small play (similar to "Vertep" -- see above), with a bachelor dressed in women's clothing leading the troop. Malanka caps off the festivities of the Christmas holidays, and is often the last opportunity for partying before the solemn period of Lent which precedes Easter.

Ukrainian New Year’s Eve

ACROSS NORTH AMERICA, Americans and Canadians of Ukrainian origin celebrate Malanka or Malanckyn Vechir, the New Year’s Eve celebrations, on January 13 according to the Julian calendar. It falls one week after Christmas Eve, January 6 by the same calendar, and is an occasion which, with the exception of the religious note of Christmas, resembles it in several ways.

While Christmas is an entirely religious occasion, Ukrainian New Year’s Eve has maintained more of its pre-Christian secular, pagan beliefs, in particular, those pertaining to the supernatural and animalistic. New Year’s Eve perhaps derives its name Malanka from the following folk tale collected by the Ukrainian ethnologist Osip Fedkovich (1834-1888):

Once upon a time there was The Creator Praboh, who had four sons and one daughter. His daughter is our mother Earth, who was named Lada. The first son, who fought with his father God and his brothers and sisters was the chief of hell, the Devil. (Yar-Yarylo) St. George, was the second son and the third was Rai who was later identified as St. John. The youngest and fourth son was Lad or Myr (Peace).

THE SUN ITSELF was called Svyatovydam (All-seeing) and was considered a knight and hero in a golden cloak, with seven swords at his side and an eighth in his hand. He rode around the earth on white horses. The daughter Lada (Earth) had two children, a son which was the Moon (Knias Misyats) and a daughter Spring-May who was later called Mylanka because she was loving (myla) to the whole world. It was she who covered the world with flowers and greenery every May. Because the Evil One did harm to everyone, he as defiant enough to desire to take Malanka (Mylanka) to his underground kingdom. He finally stole her at a time when her brother, the Moon, was hunting. But she was eventually freed by him and under the name of Basil they were married. While she was absent from the world, there was no Spring. Spring finally came when she, Malanka, returned to Mother Earth. So the celebration of Malanka symbolizes the beginning of Spring being released from captivity and on her arrival bringing the flowers and greenery to life again. This tale is clearly similar to that of Persephone in Greek mythology who was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. In Latin she was known as Proserpina. The story may indicate a cultural link between ancient Greek civilization and ancient Ukraine, since Greek colonies flourished on the Black Sea coast 2,500 years ago. In North America it is traditional for Ukrainian organizations such as Business and Professional Clubs to celebrate Malanka with a banquet and a dance.

The Malanka is a carnival .....