Slavic Pagan Kalendar

SLAVIC PAGAN KALENDAR

WINTER

Kolada Studen (December) 24-31

This is one of the most important pagan Slavic holidays. At the time of the Winter Solstice, we sing songs for Lada and of praise to Perun who are prisoner now under frost and snow. During these days we celebrate our Gods by drinking a toast to them and burning bonfires deep within the forest. We wend our way singing from house to house, bemasked and dancing as we go. Under the aegis of the New Year, we sacrifice a Goat:

Behind a large mountain
Beside a swift river
Within a dark forest,
Big bonfires are lit.
On benches around the fire,
These benches made of oak,
Men of reknown on these benches seated
Famous men, beautiful ladies
Sing Kolada's songs.
The Old Man in the center, seated
Grinds his knife of iron;
Boiling hot, boiling
With the goat nearby…
The time of sacrifice for the goat.

(From an ancient song)

The Days of Volos Procines (January) 1-6

These moonlit and frosty nights have a name: The Holiday of the Wolves.

These days are set aside for the worship of the God of pets and of cattle, whose name is Volos. We give our thanks for the animals on these days, which bring food and sustenance to our homes from ancient times. We also defend them from the ravenous wolves which attack.

The Day of Remembrance for Princess Olga Procines (January) 3

On this day we celebrate Olga who brought glory and honor to herself for all eternity through her acts of heroism. She avenged her husband's murder by slaying the perpetrator, Drevlane. She later gave birth to the Great Prince Sviatoslav and thus united all the Russias; a feat of great honor in her remembrance. Today is the day of a toast to the Great Paganess, Olga.

Turisi Procines (January) 6

This is the holiday of the bull, Jar-tur, a symbol of the strong power of life and fertility. People today celebrate this day by donning masks, parading and imitating the Great Bull. Younger and older folk alike join in playing games of enjoyment, called «Turisi». This also ends the New Year holiday.

A Day of Remembrance for Oleg the Prophet (Visionary) Sjechen (February) 3

The Varangian's (Viking's) king was a good example of the Rus-Viking. His history is very instructive, yet at the same time mysterious. Volhv of Kiev (a pagan wizard) prophecied to Oleg that his horse would die in battle but afterward he would also be killed. He triumphed under the Byzantines, and after his final battle, his shield was hung on the Gate of Tsargrad in Constantinople.

Navii's Day (Vjunitci) Suhii (March) 1

On this first of four days, slavic pagans remember their ancestors in prayer. Today, Navii's Day is the «Day of the Dead». People bring sacrifices and invite their ancestors to attend their feast with them.

Day of Remembrance for Prince Igor Suhii (March) 3

This pagan prince struck fear in the heart of Byzantine Christianity by attacking its capitol, Constantinople. During this time, Igor enlisted the help of many vikings who helped him rule his kingdom and fight against his enemies. Prince Igor was killed by the Drevlani when he attempted to secure fees for rent from them when they were on the lands of his kingdom.

Maslenitsa Suhii (March) 21

Maslenitsa is a very ancient festival, the holiday of the Spring Equinox and the end of the winter frosts. People enjoy themselves, engaging in much feasting, dancing, wearing of masks, playing on traditional musical instruments, and contests of strength, all to enact spring unbridled, in action and fighting. Traditional pastries are also baked, called blini (a type of potato pancake), to symbolize the sun.

SPRING

Komoeditsi Suhii (March) 24

This day is a very ancient Pagan holiday. This day we honor the great Bear God (Meveshii Bog) and make sacrifices to the Great God of Honey.

Goddess Karna's Day Berezozol (April) 7

This second holiday is for the worship of our ancient ones, our ancestors. On this day, the Goddess of Crying and Wailing is honored.

«…Put water on the table. Let refuse be burned near the gates on Great Thursday, and declare: «Walking here near this fire, the spirits have warmth».

Lela's Holiday Berezozol (April) 22

Today is the feast day to honor the Goddess-daughter, Lela. In Scandinavia, this day is celebrated in Odin's (Woden's) Honor. That says to us that Lela was one of the important Slavic Goddesses. Say a toast in honor of this Deity.

Rodonitsa Traven (May) 1

This is the third great day of worship of our ancesetors, a day of remembrance. Today we bring beer, vodka, and food to our dead. During the feast, celebrants call their guests to stir from their sepluchres and eat and drink in remembrance of Trisna. This day is named «Rodnitsa» to honor the God Rod, the God of Family and of the Cosmos.

Grudie Rosnoe Traven (May) 20-30

During these ten days, Volhvs (Magicians, Soothsayers, Sorcerors) bring sacrifices to Rod for rain and for good, productive harvests.

SUMMER

Jarila's Day Kresen (June) 4

Today is dedicated to Jarila, the God of the Sun and fertility. Slavic people celebrate this holiday with festivities and dancing on a grand scale. «…As we approached, we saw about 4,000 men and women who had gathered together from all over Rus. It was some holiday, and we feared, when we saw how these manic people celebrated this day by erotic dancing, singing, and loud and high shreeks of delight.» (Gerborod, July 4, 1121).

Rusalka's Week Kresen (June) 19-24

During this week we worship the Divinity of Rivers, Rusalka. Many tales and fortune-telling are associated with this week. In the forests bonfires blaze atop the mountains, and the spirits fly free over fields and lakes.

Kupala Kresen (June) 23

(In the Old Russian tongue, Kupala means «bather»). Today the holiday of the Summer Solstice and remembrance of the human sacrifices made in olden times to the Master of things Sub-marine, Jasse (Dragon). All through the night people are celebrating, singing songs, hiking, doing readings (fortune-telling). A blot is held near water. In times gone by, fires were lit in preparation for a sacrifice of a young maiden by rowning in the river. Later, however, the human sacrifice was replaced by a doll made of bread (a loaf-doll).

The Day of Remembrance for Knjaz Sviatoslav the Great Cherven (July) 3

Sviatoslav, the Great Pagan Knjaz of Rus fought an extremely devastating war with Byzantium. Sviatoslav had not the least bit of respect for Christianity. He enlarged the lands of Rus from Hasar's land on the Volga River to the Danube in the Balkans. Pechenegs was expelled and stopped the influx of Christianity. At the time of Tsargrad's siege, Sviatoslav sufferred some losses, and his persecution by the Christians continued.