 Source of image: www.nbrb.by
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| Kalyady
The principal winter festival Kalyady (Christmas) is associated with the winter solstice, the beginning of a new solar and, consequently, agrarian year. In the past, it began on the longest winter night of December 24 and ended on January 6. Today, it is celebrated during this period by Belarusian Catholics, whereas the Belarusian Orthodox Church is observing it from the night of January 6 until January 19. The Kalyady cycle comprised three culminations, i.e. the beginning of the festival, the Lavish night, and Baptism.
During Kalyady a ceremonial meal boiled rice with raising and honey – was cooked: initially the first meal (main, Lenten, fatless); the second for the Lavish night (meat, rich, heavy, lavish); and the third for the Baptism (Lenten, scanty, baptismal). Towards the night of the second feast day Carollers, among there were various personages wearing masks, began Christmas carolling. The mask of a she-goat was deemed a symbol of fertility, wealth, and well-being, because “where is a she-goat walks, rye yields.” On the eve of the New Year (Saint Basil), throughout Belarus girls were fortune-telling future marriages, the character of would-be husbands, and family life.
The Kalyady cycle ended with the Baptism. Water consecrated on that day was called baptismal water, and was kept by each family throughout the year as a fetish. During Christmas season, particularly at the time of the three culminations, peasants were watching the state of weather so they could make weather and crop forecasts for the year to come. At that time, it was strictly forbidden to work, and the young people were therefore arranging evening parties at which they sang songs, danced, sang and danced in a ring, played ceremonial games devoted to Kalyady which were of a distinct love nature and were directed at facilitating the awakening of nature and soil fertility in the coming year.
Three major Christian festivals of the Orthodox Church fall within this period: the Nativity of the Son of God Jesus Christ (January 7); day in memory of the Saint Basil the Great, archbishop of Cesaria in Kappadocia (January 14); and the Baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River (January 19); while the Roman Catholic Church observes the following great Christian festivals: Christmas Eve (December 24); Christmas (December 25); the festival of the God’s Mother (January 1); and Epiphany (Three Kings)(January 6).
T.I. Kukharonak
Ph.D. (History)
Text from the official flyer “Kalyady” of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus | |
| Date : 20.12.2004 |
| Metal : Ag 925 |
| Diameter, mm : 38.61 |
| Weight, g : 31.10 |
| Mintage, St. : 5000 |
Minted by :
CJSC "Lithuanian Mint", Vilnius, Lithuania |
Design :
S.Zaskevich |
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Ebay-Statistic
(Prices in Euro):
| Year |
Count |
Ave
rage |
Min. |
Max. |
| 2006 |
7 |
42,56 |
23,50 |
70,33 |
| 2007 |
5 |
101,87 |
51,02 |
189,37 |
| 2008 |
2 |
124,62 |
121,12 |
128,11 |
| 2009 |
0 |
0,00 |
0,00 |
0,00 |
| 2010 |
3 |
121,00 |
93,00 |
141,00 |
| 2011 |
1 |
130,00 |
130,00 |
130,00 |
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