January 13 - Generous Evening, or Shchedrets: folk traditions, prohibitions and omens

Generous Evening is celebrated annually on the eve of the Old New Year, January 13. This holiday, also known as Shchedrets, completes the first part of the Holy Days and has many traditions. In 2025, the celebration falls on Monday. About what rites, prohibitions and omens are associated with this day, tell "Izvestia".

History of the holiday Generous Evening, celebrated on January 13

In the folk calendar, the holiday appeared long before the adoption of Christianity in Russia. Initially it was celebrated on the night of January 1 according to the old style. With the transition to the Gregorian calendar the date shifted, and Generous Thursday began to be celebrated in the middle of the month.

The celebration got its name due to the noisy festivities with generous feasts, which were organized everywhere in the olden days. It was believed that the richer the table, the better the current year would be.

The history of Shchedretsa is connected with the ancient Slavic legend about Milanka (aka Malanka, Melanka) - the daughter of the goddess Lada, who was kidnapped by a serpent. The girl was rescued from her imprisonment by the bogatyr Bespalchik-Vasilchik. He defeated the beast and married Melanka. Celebrations were held in honor of her return home.

After the baptism, the pagan celebration was replaced by a church celebration: January 13 began to be celebrated as a day of remembrance of the Venerable Melania the Roman, who lived in Rome in the IV-V centuries. So the holiday got another name - Malanya.

Generous evening: what is strictly forbidden, mystical items

On this holiday it is customary to have a lavish feast and put on plays

How Generous Evening, or Shchedrets, was celebrated in Russia

In Russia, Generous Evening was one of the most hospitable holidays. People started preparing for it early in the morning. Housewives cooked porridge from whole grains of wheat, baked pancakes and pies, and the whole family made dumplings. One of them had a surprise - a prediction, by which you could know your fate.

Young people dressed up, put on masks and went door to door to carol (caroling). Near the houses they sang shchidrovka - ritual Christmas songs with wishes of abundance and good harvest. The most widespread were the chidrovki in the southern regions of Russia, as well as in Ukraine and Belarus. Traditionally, they contained the words: "Generous evening, good evening, good health to good people".

From the carols Shchedrets differ in the fact that the former are sung on Christmas Day, and the others on Shchedrets - January 13. But since Shchedrets was not included in the church calendar like Christmas and Epiphany, there were practically no religious motifs in the songs.

They usually sowed in the evening, and at dawn they went to sow - to scatter grain around the houses, singing other songs - sowing songs. It was not allowed to throw away the grain after the holiday. It was collected and given to poultry or stored until spring and used for sowing spring crops.

In addition, the holiday was considered an ideal time for divination. People believed that everything predicted would come true. Women inquired about the health of the household. Unmarried girls sought to find out what their soulmate would be like, and farmers were concerned about the future harvest.

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What you can and can not do on Generous Evening on January 13

In the old days, it was forbidden to quarrel and conflict on Generous Evening. According to folk beliefs, any quarrels on this day meant a fight for the whole year. In the morning you could not talk to anyone until you had washed your face. Otherwise, the whole day could be spent in idle chatter.

Also, one should not count change, give or borrow money. These actions led to the loss of material prosperity. In addition, it was forbidden to kick out those who sang cheradrovki, and refuse them a treat. Those who violated the prohibition risked losing luck in all matters for a long time.

According to the weather signs of the day predicted what kind of harvest will be in the new year. If the wind blew from the south, it promised a prosperous bread year. The western wind promised an abundance of milk and fish, and the eastern wind promised a rich harvest of fruits and berries.

A day earlier in Russia celebrated Anisyin day. "Izvestia" told about the history and traditions of this holiday.