Shchedrivka

The shchedrivka is a ritual glorifying song performed on Shchedryi Vechir (31 December; 13 January for those who keep the Julian calendar). Unlike carols tied to Christmas, shchedrivkas preserve vivid pre-Christian, agrarian motifs: wishes for a good harvest, healthy livestock offspring, and abundance in the home. A typical refrain is 'Generous evening, good evening.' Compositionally, the shchedrivka addresses the master of the house, his wife, or a maiden, and paints an idealized picture of future prosperity. The world-famous 'Shchedryk,' arranged by Mykola Leontovych (first performed 1916) and known internationally as 'Carol of the Bells,' arose precisely from a folk shchedrivka about a swallow. Shchedrivkas were studied by Oleksandr Potebnia and Filaret Kolessa.