Sviatki Traditions
Sviatki is marked by the observance of special traditions, some which predate Christianity's appearance in Russia. Old Slavic traditions included lighting fires, a practice which made sense in any case due to the fact that Sviatki occurs in the depth of winter.
Svyatki fortune telling may still be done today (though mostly for fun). There were many ways Russians told fortunes in times of old. For example, melting wax then pouring it quickly into cold water or snow was believed to predict events surrounding the fortune teller or those close to her.
The Russian Christmastide tradition of caroling is not unique to Russia – carols are a part of the holiday traditions in other Eastern European countries, too. The koliadki, as they are called, are sung during Svyatki. The carolers, or mummers, may dress up in costume. Evidence of this tradition can be found in Russian literature, even if Svyatki is not mentioned by name. Two well-known examples include Pushkin's Eugene Onegin, in which fortune telling is referenced before “Twelfth Night” and Tolstoy's War and Peace, in which costumed carolers are described during a Christmastime scene.
