| Koliada | |
|---|---|
Solar cycle | |
 God Koliada by Andrey Mazin |
Koliada orKoleda (Bulgarian:Коледа,romanized: Koleda) is aSlavic pseudo-deity, a personification of the newborn winter Sun[1] and symbol of the New Year's cycle.[2] The figure of Koliada is connected with the solar cycle, (the Slavic root*kol- suggests a wheel or circularity[citation needed]) passing through the four seasons and from one substantial condition into another.
In the differentSlavic countries at thekoliada winter festival people performed rituals with games and songs in honour of the deity, such as thekoleduvane. In some regions ofRussia the ritual gifts (usuallybuns) for thekoledari are also calledkolyada. In the lands of theCroats, a doll called Koled symbolized Koliada.[3][better source needed] Koliada is mentioned either as a male or (more commonly) as a female deity in various songs.[2]
There are many traditions that recall both the deity and the ritual of Koliada. All of them occur on or around Winter Solstice:
There areSlavic neopagan communities in most of the Slavic countries whose goal is to popularize ancient pagan belief and practice in present-day society.
Some Slavicpagan rock andfolk rock bands have songs about Koliada: