Krasnoilsk Malanka. The revival of the carnival

The old name of this holiday is Shchedryi Vechir (Bountiful evening), and it got its modern name (Malanka) due to overlapping with the Christian holiday of St. Melania
The main characters of the celebration in Ukrainian tradition are Melania and Vasyl whose roles were carried out by a girl and a boy.
On this day, people sing special songs called shchedrivky, greeting the hosts of the house with the New Year and wishing them all the best for the future.
Malanka celebration traditions have more in common with central European customs rather than with Ukrainian ones. This is reason why Malanka is a unique phenomenon in Ukraine.
On the 13th and the 14th of January, the village turns into one big festivity area where everyone is happy to welcome the New Year.
The classic Malanka characters are always the same: any vataha (team of Malanka participants) is headed by Komendant, the main organizer of the performance, who gathers people
The brightest characters of the Malanka are undoubtedly the Gypsy and the Bear. To perform as the Bear is a very honorable role. It can be performed only by unmarried young men
“Malanka walks from house to house to chase evil spirits out. They sing carols so that the New Year starts joyfully,” local people explain, giving the meaning of the performances.