Malanka

By Volodymyr Kish

Although most of us never give it much thought, the start of a new year is a purely arbitrary thing. January 1 is really just another day, no different from March 1 or September 22. We owe it to the Romans that January 1 has become accepted as the first day of a “new year”. In 42 BC, the Roman Senate designated January 1 as an official day of recognition of the deification of Julius Caesar, honouring both an extraordinary man and the creation of what is now known as the Julian calendar. When the Roman Empire adopted Christianity, that day become entrenched as the first day of a new year. When Pope Gregory corrected the Julian calendar in 1582, he also confirmed January 1 as the first day of a new year, though he replaced the connection to Julius Caesar by associating the day with the more Christian commemoration of the Circumcision of Jesus Christ.

Despite the influence of the Church, it took some time for that date to be popularly accepted as the start of a new year throughout the world. In England for instance, it was not until the 18^th Century that the January date came into widespread acceptance. Prior to that, the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) was considered as the official start of a new year.

Other cultures of course have celebrated, and some still continue to celebrate the start of a new year based on other criteria, primarily astronomical or traditional agricultural cycles. The Chinese as well as many other South East Asian cultures celebrate their New Year on the first day of the lunar calendar, which varies typically between January 20 and February 20. In Vietnam, for instance, the holiday is known as Tet, and has become well known in the West because of its association with the infamous Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War. In the Indian sub-continent, the New Year usually falls in mid-April. In Iran and many other cultures, the vernal equinox (usually March 21) is accepted as the start of a new year. In Ethiopia, New Year’s Day is celebrated on September 11, based on an ancient calendar whose provenance has receded into the mists of history.

Within Ukrainian tradition, New Year’s Day is celebrated on either January 1 (Gregorian calendar) or January 14 (Julian calendar) depending on one’s religious affiliations. Malanka, the Ukrainian version of New Year’s Eve known also as Shchedriy Vechir (Generous Eve), is one of the primary holidays of the Ukrainian cultural and religious calendar. According to Christian tradition, the name is derived from the fact that the day is also the feast day of Saint Melania the Younger. She was a Roman of noble birth living in the 4^th Century AD, who became baptized, and subsequently devoted her life to charitable works, including founding a number of convents. Although only recognized by the Catholic Church in the past century, she has been a prominent member of the pantheon of saints of the Byzantine Church since shortly after her death.

There is also another pre-Christian version of the legend which holds that Malanka was the daughter of Mother Earth and personified spring. During winter, she was held captive by the evil ruler of the underworld. On New Year’s Eve she is liberated from her captivity and returns as a herald of the spring to come.

There are many customs and practices surrounding Malanka, many of which have pagan origins, but which have been transformed and moderated by Christian beliefs. One common tradition was for the young men of the village to get dressed in colourful and sometimes bizarre costumes representing animals, witches, devils, gypsies and eccentric characters, and visit all the households of the village, singing carols, enacting short morality plays, and engaging in practical jokes and hijinks. One should note that the next day, January 14, is also the feast day of Vasyl or Basil the Great, and it is common that two of the costumed characters making the rounds were an old couple aptly named Malanka and Vasyl.

Whatever the case, Malanka has always marked the end of the festivities surrounding the Christmas season and provided an opportunity for Ukrainians to inaugurate the New Year on a fun and festive note.