Holidays of the Slavs - Prosinets

The winter period in Rus' is a time of cheerful holidays and folk rituals. There were especially many festivities in the month of January, when it was time to invite the young sun and ask it to burn brighter. Every January day was special, but to a greater extent this applied to the 21st, when the Slavs celebrated Prosinets and glorified Svarga - the habitat of all deities. The name of the holiday is identical to the Old Russian designation for the entire month of January. Prosinets meant the clearing or radiance that clear winter days slowly began to bring joy to. The bright sun became stronger and bolder every day, and lingered longer in the sky, promising the inevitable arrival of spring. According to legend, on January 21, the god Kryshen pours heavenly Surya into the earth’s waters - a divine honey drink from Svarga, infused with paradise herbs and fermented under the bright rays of the sun. For the first time, Kryshen gifted people with Surya and divine fire in ancient times, when ice and winter bound the earth all year round. By drinking Surya and receiving fire, people were able to survive and emerge from their semi-wild state. On Prosinets, the heavenly honey drink spilled by Kryshen is present in all water sources. Every drop of water is filled with life-giving and healing power. That is why it is so useful on this holiday to drink water from natural sources, wash your face and hands, and immerse yourself completely. This ritual gives a person health, and the water stored on Prosinets helps save him from any illnesses and ailments until the next winter. The tradition of obtaining healing power from water has become a Christian tradition and is intertwined with the holiday of Epiphany. Many rituals were associated with the water of the holiday to charge talismans and amulets with divine power. After swimming in the winter ice holes, one was supposed to enjoy a hearty feast. On festive tables on Prosinets Day, it was customary to display dairy dishes, cottage cheese pastries with berry filling and honey drinks. Porridge with milk and cottage cheese meant snow, cherries and grapes were reminiscent of the paradise trees of Iria, and honey was reminiscent of the magical power of solar Surya.