Dressed as goats, bears, oxen and cranes, many Ukrainians ring in the new year in the colorful rituals of the Malanka holiday.
Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14.
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Dressed as goats, bears, oxen and cranes, many Ukrainians ring in the new year in the colorful rituals of the Malanka holiday.
The celebrations stem from a pagan myth about Malanka, a daughter of the Slavic deity Lada, who was once kidnapped by an evil snake and locked up in the underworld before being rescued.
A man walks towards a building where traditional bear costumes are prepared for the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Children, dressed in traditional costumes, pose for a photo while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. Dressed as goats, bears, oxen and cranes, many Ukrainians rang in the new year last week in the colorful rituals of the Malanka holiday. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. In the festivities, celebrants go from house to house, where the dwellers offer them food. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Participants, dressed in traditional costumes, dance while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. Dressed as goats, bears, oxen and cranes, many Ukrainians rang in the new year last week in the colorful rituals of the Malanka holiday. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. In the festivities, celebrants go from house to house, where the dwellers offer them food. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Participants, dressed in traditional costumes, celebrate the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
A participant, dressed in a traditional costume, leans on a windowsill while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. Dressed as goats, bears, oxen and cranes, many Ukrainians rang in the new year last week in the colorful rituals of the Malanka holiday. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. In the festivities, celebrants go from house to house, where the dwellers offer them food. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Participants, dressed in traditional costumes, cross a bridge while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. Dressed as goats, bears, oxen and cranes, many Ukrainians rang in the new year last week in the colorful rituals of the Malanka holiday. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. In the festivities, celebrants go from house to house, where the dwellers offer them food. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Villagers, dressed as soldiers, guard a check point during Malanka celebrations near the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Traditional costume masks used to celebrate the Malanka festival are placed on a fence in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. Dressed as goats, bears, oxen and cranes, many Ukrainians rang in the new year last week in the colorful rituals of the Malanka holiday. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. In the festivities, celebrants go from house to house, where the dwellers offer them food. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Villagers dressed in traditional costumes, rest , eat and drink while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. Dressed as goats, bears, oxen and cranes, many Ukrainians rang in the new year last week in the colorful rituals of the Malanka holiday. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. In the festivities, celebrants go from house to house, where the dwellers offer them food.(AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Children are handed money as a gift while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
A villager, dressed in a traditional bear costume, celebrates the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. Dressed as goats, bears, oxen and cranes, many Ukrainians rang in the new year last week in the colorful rituals of the Malanka holiday. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. In the festivities, celebrants go from house to house, where the dwellers offer them food. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Participants, dressed in traditional costumes, eat and drink while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Participants, dressed in traditional costumes, celebrate the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Participants, dressed in traditional costumes, ride in a horse-drawn cart while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
An aerial view of villagers parading the street while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2022. Dressed as goats, bears, oxen and cranes, many Ukrainians rang in the new year last week in the colorful rituals of the Malanka holiday. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. In the festivities, celebrants go from house to house, where the dwellers offer them food. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Participants dressed in traditional costumes, celebrate the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Children dressed in bear costumes, pose for a photo while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Participants, dressed in traditional costumes, take a break while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
A girl, dressed in a traditional costume, reacts after being handed money as a gift while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
In the festivities, celebrants go from house to house, where the dwellers offer them food. According to tradition, a household should have 12 dishes on offer — one for each month of the year. Pancakes, pies and cheese dumplings are common dishes for the holiday.
Ivan Perchek dresses in a traditional bear costume ahead of the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
The celebrations stem from a pagan myth about Malanka, a daughter of the Slavic deity Lada, who was once kidnapped by an evil snake and locked up in the underworld before being rescued.
One of the most famous rituals is the driving of a man dressed as a goat, symbolizing a dying and resurrecting deity. In some areas, homeowners will burn straw and a didukh — a decoration made from a sheaf of wheat — to symbolize the death of everything bad.
Villagers decorate bear costumes in preparation for the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
A man walks towards a building where traditional bear costumes are prepared for the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Children, dressed in traditional costumes, pose for a photo while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. Dressed as goats, bears, oxen and cranes, many Ukrainians rang in the new year last week in the colorful rituals of the Malanka holiday. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. In the festivities, celebrants go from house to house, where the dwellers offer them food. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Participants, dressed in traditional costumes, dance while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. Dressed as goats, bears, oxen and cranes, many Ukrainians rang in the new year last week in the colorful rituals of the Malanka holiday. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. In the festivities, celebrants go from house to house, where the dwellers offer them food. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Participants, dressed in traditional costumes, celebrate the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
A participant, dressed in a traditional costume, leans on a windowsill while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. Dressed as goats, bears, oxen and cranes, many Ukrainians rang in the new year last week in the colorful rituals of the Malanka holiday. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. In the festivities, celebrants go from house to house, where the dwellers offer them food. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Participants, dressed in traditional costumes, cross a bridge while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. Dressed as goats, bears, oxen and cranes, many Ukrainians rang in the new year last week in the colorful rituals of the Malanka holiday. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. In the festivities, celebrants go from house to house, where the dwellers offer them food. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Villagers, dressed as soldiers, guard a check point during Malanka celebrations near the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Traditional costume masks used to celebrate the Malanka festival are placed on a fence in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. Dressed as goats, bears, oxen and cranes, many Ukrainians rang in the new year last week in the colorful rituals of the Malanka holiday. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. In the festivities, celebrants go from house to house, where the dwellers offer them food. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Villagers dressed in traditional costumes, rest , eat and drink while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. Dressed as goats, bears, oxen and cranes, many Ukrainians rang in the new year last week in the colorful rituals of the Malanka holiday. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. In the festivities, celebrants go from house to house, where the dwellers offer them food.(AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Children are handed money as a gift while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
A villager, dressed in a traditional bear costume, celebrates the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. Dressed as goats, bears, oxen and cranes, many Ukrainians rang in the new year last week in the colorful rituals of the Malanka holiday. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. In the festivities, celebrants go from house to house, where the dwellers offer them food. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Participants, dressed in traditional costumes, eat and drink while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Participants, dressed in traditional costumes, celebrate the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Participants, dressed in traditional costumes, ride in a horse-drawn cart while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
An aerial view of villagers parading the street while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2022. Dressed as goats, bears, oxen and cranes, many Ukrainians rang in the new year last week in the colorful rituals of the Malanka holiday. Malanka, which draws on pagan folk tales, marks the new year according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 13-14. In the festivities, celebrants go from house to house, where the dwellers offer them food. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Participants dressed in traditional costumes, celebrate the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Children dressed in bear costumes, pose for a photo while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
Participants, dressed in traditional costumes, take a break while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)
A girl, dressed in a traditional costume, reacts after being handed money as a gift while celebrating the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. (AP PhotoEthan Swope)