december 31 – Malanka: what holiday is today, traditions, signs and what is forbidden to do
31 December 2025 08:28
december 31 is the last day of the calendar year according to the Gregorian calendar. In addition to preparing for the New Year, this day has important church and national significance. In Ukraine, believers honor the memory of St. Melania of Rome (popularly known as Malanka) and remember Metropolitan Petro Mohyla.
[Kommersant has gathered information on what church holiday is today, what traditions are associated with Malanka’s Day, what our ancestors believed in, and what not to do on December 31.
What church holiday is today – December 31
In the church calendar, December 31 is the day of remembrance of St. Melania the Roman, also known as Melania the Young. She lived in the IV-V centuries and is considered one of the most revered Christian ascetics.
Melania was born in 383 into a wealthy Roman family. She married at a very young age, but later experienced the death of her husband and two children. After these losses, Melania devoted her life to serving God: she gave away her possessions to the poor, made pilgrimages to the Holy Land and Egypt, and later founded monasteries in Jerusalem.
St. Melania spent the last years of her life in prayer, fasting, and helping the needy. She died in 439, leaving behind an example of humility, mercy, and spiritual fortitude.
Malanka’s Day in folk tradition
December 31 is popularly known as Malanka’s Day. Our ancestors believed that this day has a special energy – it summarizes the year and influences the fate of the next year.
Traditionally, on this day:
- prepare a generous table – it was believed that the more food, the richer and happier the year would be;
- trying to make peace with family and friends;
- they would make fortune-telling for the future, as they believed that it was on New Year’s Eve that the veil of fate was opened.
The main dish of the evening should be a generous kutia made of wheat or rice with honey, poppy seeds, nuts and raisins. It is also good to put pork dishes on the table as a symbol of prosperity and fertility. It is important to meet this time in a good mood and, if possible, in new clothes – according to beliefs, then the whole year will pass in joy and without poverty.
In the old days, this evening was accompanied by songs, carols, jokes, and good wishes – the customs of giving and singing carols have survived to this day.
What not to do on December 31
According to popular beliefs, there are several important prohibitions on Malanka Day:
- do not take out the garbage from the house – you can “take out” your good fortune with it;
- you should not start new businesses, as they may end in failure;
- it is forbidden to borrow or lend money so as not to spend the whole next year in shortage.
Folk signs for December 31
Our ancestors closely watched nature and believed that the weather on this day told them what the year would be like:
- starry sky – to a bountiful mushroom season;
- a strong snowstorm – for a good harvest of nuts;
- fog – the year will be fruitful;
- warm weather – spring will come late.
