Andriivsky evenings are not only dumplings with various tasty fillings. This is an evening of interesting and scary stories, divination, brawling and of course echoes of happy laughter. St. Andrew’s Day, or the holiday of Kalyta, is the most mysterious and enigmatic of all other calendar holidays of Ukrainians. We remembered the traditions of celebrating Andriivski evenings. Now we think: why not try?
Are you ready to restore old customs and rituals to feel the true spirit of the holiday? Once upon a time, on this day, young people gathered in the hut of an older woman to have fun, make and cook dumplings, tell stories, sing songs and, of course, foretell marriage and a happy fate.
Divination 1 Once in Andriivski evenings, young ladies cut a twig of cherry and put it in water. If it blooms before Christmas, then the girl should have expected a courtship or marriage this year. And if not – she had to be a virgin for another year. Not everyone dared to divination in this way, because people believed that it could become a kind of «curse of the cherry branch», because cherries do not bloom in January. Therefore, the old people of the family told the young: «As easy as cherries bloom in January, so it will be easy for a girl to live». Only the bravest girls allowed themselves to divination on a cherry branch. To believe or not to believe in superstitions is your business, but be careful. Who knows what that cherry branch will like?
Divination 2 Safer and more common was the method of divination on baking small round cakes, or balabushok. Each of the girls baked her own cake, but under a special condition: to knead the dough, she had to bring water from a well in her mouth. The boys at this time had to make the girls laugh so that they could not bring water for the dough. When the balabushki were taken out of the oven, a dog or a cat was let into the house. The girl whose pet was the first to eat was to be the first to get married. We haven’t checked to see if there are any wells on Google Map and how it is to go with a full mouthful of water in a mask, but it can be fun. Share if you try.
Divination 3 To find out who will marry first, the girls put their boots in turn «chain», moving them from a remote corner of the room to the threshold. Whose boot will be the first to cross the threshold of the house, and the first to get married. It’s easy at all! And although boots, sneakers, shoes do not need to keep a social distance, girls who have decided to have so much fun should not forget about the quarantine realities.
Divination 4 On St. Andrew’s Day, those who wanted to know the name of their future husband were happy. To do this, the girls made dumplings, in which instead of stuffing put sheets with written male names. One of the boiled dumplings was taken out. Whatever name the girl finds inside will be called her destiny. Oh, how interesting it is to find out if the paper will not boil… And what are the guarantees that that divination will come true even if there is no person whose name you wrote for fun even among your friends on FB? But you can simplify the task: go outside and ask the name of the first-best man. It is believed that this is the name of the groom.
Divination 5 Another way for the curious and willing to get married is to write 12 notes with male names, be sure to have one piece of paper without a name and put them under a pillow. In the morning, take out a piece of paper and read. Is there a name? Then prepare for a meeting with the chosen one. If you get a blank slate, then be prepared to dedicate the next year to other ways of self-realization.
While the unmarried girls were divining on St. Andrew’s Night, the boys were brawling in their yards, removing gates or wickets. This was done as a subtle hint that the girl liked him, and the obstacles to marriage with her were removed. History does not say which tools were used in such hints. In our time, we would not advise active followers of traditions to announce their intentions by encroaching on property rights. Although who knows: maybe there will be someone whose icy heart will melt from the traditional national creativity. The main thing is that men are soberly aware of the consequences.
On this miracle evening, women and older men usually admired the youth and shared stories of their own adventures, not avoiding the rite of biting Kalyta.
And no matter how our ancestors did not hold Andriivski evenings there, they certainly knew how to have fun and enjoy life. And we need to learn that, especially today. Happy holidays to you!