Slavic Pagan Calendar

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.

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

Sbruch's Idol from South Slavic Land 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. "Then he saw that they were intractable, he had hatred for the Christian priests. People were sent to Kiev and it was ordered, 'Burn and destroy all the Christian churches and temples in Kiev.' And later he went himself to Kiev, wanting all Christians to be killed. So let it be." Thus in 980, Sviatoslav's people destroyed the churches and placed representations of the pagan Gods on its remains.

Perun's Day
Cherven (July) 20

This is the holiday on which the Great God of Thunder, Perun, is celebrated. On this day human sacrifices (the slaying of a man or woman for God), were made on 12th of Cherven (July). At that time, a bull was also sacrificed and people feasted on the animal. The King and the Volvhs organized a spectacular fete with plays and much merry-making. "In the year 6491, the old men would make the decision; 'Cast lots on a boy and a girl. Destiny will decide who will be sacrificed.' There was a Varagian Christian who had a son. The lot [for sacrifice] fell on his son." (From Povest Vremeniih Let [The Tale of Years Past])

Harvest Holiday
Serpen (August) 7

This is a holiday of bread, a holiday of the harvest. In the fields people cease their reaping in honor of Volos's beard. Thanks are brought to Volos and to Mother Earth in gratitude for a large harvest.

Sproshinki
Serpen (August) 15

This is an agricultural holiday celebrating the end of haymaking. People have a good time, feasting, boxing, and much more.

The Day of Remembrance for the Pagan People of Novgorod
Ruen (September) 3

"When the people of Novgorod were notified that Dobrinja wanted to Christianize them, they held a "Veche" (Thing) and decided to swear an oath: 'Do not let Dobrinja into town. Do not let our idols be destroyed.' Dobrinja sent word to them offering them silver, but the people refused him and would not let him enter the city." The highest Volvh under the direction of a Slavic Pagan Priest, named Bogomil, (also known as Nightengale or "Solovey"), Voevoda Ugonay goes on to declare, went about the city on a horse, declaring with a loud voice: 'Better for us to die than to let our Gods see disgrace.' However, Dobrinja prevaled and each of the idols were cast into the river and the wooden sculptures were incinerated. This, truly, was a day of great mourning and sadness for the Pagan People..." - Iokimovskaja Letopis

The events which happened on this day demonstrates all the "love" and essence of Christianity.

The Feast of Honor for Lada and Lela
Ruen (September) 8

This day Lada and Lela are honored because of the work in the fields has come to a close. A celebration is held with dancing and song. This marks the passing of Summer and its attendant warmth.

Svarog's Holiday
Ruen (September) 21

This is the Autumnal Equinox, the day of the God of Fire and the Sky. This is the day to drink mead and honor Svarog.

AUTUMN

Day of the Ancients
Pasdernik (October) 26

This is the fourth day of commemoration/worship of the Ancient Ones in the year. This is also a day of remembrance for the warriors who were slain in the year 1380 on Kulikovskoe Field. Say a toast to the honor and glory of the Russian Heroes.

Makoshe's Holiday
Pasdernic (October) 25 to Gruden (November) 1

We celebrate this holiday on the Friday between October 25 and November 1. On this day we honor Mother Earth and give gratitude to her for her care and concern for us. The central icon for this feast is the vegetable.

Day of Remembrance for Volhvs
Gruden (November) 11

"At the time of Gleb Svatsolavich, a Volhv appeared ... who went unto the people and told his story. ...A rebellion of great proportions occured in the town, and the people were set on killing the bishop. The townspeople became divided: Knjaz Gleb and his consort sided went with the bishop, but all the people sided with the Volhv." - Tale of Years Past

The great rebellion in all the High Volga Region occured in Susdal in the year 1024. In 1071, two Wizards gave orders to the vast area from the Volga. 'In the year 6735, (1227 C.E.), four Volhvs were immolated for their conjuring and working of magic. And God did this! They were all burned in Jaroslav's Court'. - First Novgordian Epistle

Tip the horn in remembrance of those (people) who died at the Christian's "virtuous" hands.

Day of Remembrance for Bogatir Svatogor
Studen (December) 3

The date refers back to the time of the Great Barrow Gulbishe and the first fight with Pechenegs. Awesome were the honors at the funeral for this great noble warrior. His implements and armor were gigantic, twice as large as the ordinary in size. Today, say a toast to this great warrior.


Glossary
Knjaz: "King" of the Rus; the scandinavian anaolog - Konung
Drevlane (Drevlani), Krivichi, Vjatichi, Deregovichi: North Slavic tribes
Drugina: the cadre/comradship of the Knjaz's warriors
Volhv: a priest of Slavic Paganism; analogous to the scandinavian "Godhi"
Tsargrad: The Old Russian name for Constantinople
Navija: the spirit of one who died
Komoed: "Bear" in Old Russian
Rusalka: The Ancient Spirit of Rivers and Lakes
Voevoda: The highest warrior within the Drugina and their commander; analogous to the scandinavian "Jarl"
Bogatir: "Greatest Hero" in Old Russian