Belarusian Rite Of The Kolyady (Christmas) Tsars

The rite of the Kolyady Tsars dates back to the 18th century, when the tsar’s military units were located not far from the village of Semezhevo. According to the local legend, during the New Year celebrations in accordance to the old style calendar (Julian calendar) soldiers and officers visited local houses to give comic performances and receive rewards. Since then, locals continued the tradition and turned it into a unique Christmas event. The rite of the Kolyady Tsars combines the elements of carnival and folk plays, with distinctive local performing arts, decorative and applied arts (costumes, interior decorations), special Christmas national cuisine dishes. People believe that being visited by the ''tsars'' brings peace, harmony and wealth for a year.

Tsars folk company

The rite was revived in 1996: the necessary documentary materials were collected, old-timers were interviewed. Since then Semezhevo has been hosting the Kolyady Tsars annually. Traditionally, young men and boys participate in the rite of the Kolyady Tsars. They dress in white trousers and shirts, with red embroidered Semezhevo belts crisscrossed across their chests, and high caps adorned with colorful paper ribbons. Every young man plays his own role - doctor, drummer, fur carrier… The other characters include the main lead Tsar Maximilian, the Tsar Mamay, the Ded (old man) and Baba (old lady).

Kolyady Tsars

Moving along the village’s street, the procession performs the historical religious drama “Tsar Maximilian” featuring picturesque scenes, folk medicine secrets. As darkness falls, the “tsars” light torches. The rite is celebrated on “Shchedry Vecher” (Shchedrets, Shchodryk, Malanka, from Russian ''shchedry'' - lavish) on 13-14 January.

The drama “King Maximilian” in action

Traditions Culture

"Yurievsky Karagod": for the wealth of the earth.

Annually in the village of Pogost people held the ancient rite "Yurievsky Karagod", which was the first in Belarus to receive the status of an immaterial historical and cultural value of national importance in 2005. The word "Karagod" consists of two bases: "karv" (bull) and "vadzits" (conduct). The bull is a sacrificial animal, which the ancient inhabitants of the earth brought as a gift to the solar deity.