On the Eve of Old New Year in Ukraine is celebrated Epiphany Eve. This holiday goes back to pre-Christian times. According to Christian calendar today is celebrated reverend Melania Day. As a result, these two holidays were united, and now we have a holiday of Epiphany Eve o Melania Day.

Students of Ukrainian Philology Department at Pavlo Tychyna USPU prepared ethnographical ritual “Christmas interlude “The Goat”, aimed at national New Year traditions revival. The future philologists, headed by deputy dean in educational work Natalia Mamchur and head of theatre studio “Vervechka” and master class “Words Theatre” Inna Tereshko, represented traditions of the Ukrainians, in particular of Uman region.

For scenario of ethnographical event the organizers used materials of scientific folklore association named after Khrysanf Yaschurzhynskiy, headed by candidate of pedagogical sciences, professor, director of scientific and research laboratory “Cherkassy Region Ethnology” Natalia Syvachuk. Students-participants in the folklore association gather and write down folklore, national customs and traditions, rituals of historic Uman. They were used during presentation of Christmas interlude. The audience took pleasure from the performance with dances, songsand congratulations, and specific to this holiday.

The students reproduced old Ukrainian Christmas customs of “goat leading” and “Melanka”. Except of family supper, the main custom of Epiphany Eve was singing carols, “goat leading”, “Melanka”, merry celebrations, congratulations. According to ethnography materials, there was no home without such guests as a goat or Melanka.

The hosts– a husband and a wife – admitted their guests at their clean and decorated home. Girls, boys and Melanka performed songs and danced.

After this, the hosts received members of ritual performance – a goat, a gipsy, a grandfather, a doctor – who performed their parts very well. Girls-members of folklore ensembles of Ukrainian Philology Department “Lelia” (head Tetyana Khlivna) and “Sofia” (head – Vasyl Semenchuk) were singing songs, while the goat was dancing. Suddenly, the goat fell down. The grandfather was very upset. Neither doctor nor gipsy could save the goat from death. But the goat came back to life and began to dance on hearing the music.

The host and the hostess treated the guests to sweets and cookies, in the end they sang together New Year’s song and wished each other peace, goodness and well-being in New Year.

In the end of the event deputy dean in educative work Natalia Mamchur thanked the students paticipants for organization of ethnographical holiday and delivered the best students of Ukrainian Philology Department diplomas.

On occasion of Epiphany Eve we wish everybody good health, peace, goodness, good harvest, family prosperity and success in work.