From the book Oleksy Voronaya “Customs of our people”


Day of the Great Martyr Catherine, or, as usual, this holiday is called in the people, “Kateriny”, is a holiday of a girl’s destiny. On the eve of this holiday, once the boys asked God to send them a good wife. On a festive day, on the seventh of December, the girls invoke and call on fate.

In the morning, before sunrise, the girl goes to the garden and cuts a branch of cherry. In the hut, the girl puts that twig in a bottle of water and waits for the Melanka holiday. If before “Melanka” the cherry will develop and blossom, this is a good sign, because the fate of the girl will also bloom. The branch without color will wither away – a bad sign.

In the evenings, the girls converge in one hut and cook a common dinner – borsch and porridge. Come guys, entertainment begins Dance can not, fast, but without dancing fun – laughter, songs…

At midnight, before the “cocks,” the girls take the kazanok from the “evening”, wrap it in a new towel and go “to call on fate.” Going to the gate. Each of the girls climbs in turn to the gate, holding the Kazanok with porridge and borscht in their hands, and three times calls: “Fate, fate, come to me to supper!” If at this time the cock crows, “fate responded”; if not: “The fate is deaf, does not hear my voice.” The girl laments and curses fate. “So that you do not hear the cuckoo, my unfaithful!”


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From the book Oleksy Voronaya “Customs of our people”