A kolyadka is the musical symbol of Ukrainian Christmas. Carolers (a male troupe, often with the “Goat,” “Star,” and “Nativity scene”) visit every home, sing a kolyadka for the hosts, and receive gifts. The most famous Ukrainian winter ritual song is the shchedrivka Shchedryk, arranged for choir by Mykola Leontovych, which became the global Christmas hit Carol of the Bells.
Kolyadkas divide into sacred (religious, about the birth of Christ: “Nova radist stala,” “Boh predvichnyi”) and secular (with archaic agrarian-magical motifs: “Oi u misiatsia v misiachenka,” “Oi syvaia ta zozulenka”). The deep roots of these songs are pre-Christian, from ancient Slavic winter rites. Contemporary performers: DakhaBrakha, Taras Kompanichenko, and the Kyiv choir of Mykola Hobdych.
