The Kury Rite is connected with the celebration of so-called Sviatki, winter holidays between Christmas and Epiphany, is observed every year on Ščodry Viečar, which is celebrated on New Year’s Eve on January 13. The Kury Rite is unique in that it involves only children (aged 6 to 14). Another interesting feature of the tradition is that this Christmas group carry no traditional caroling masks, that would represent any traditional characters – they do not have a goat, or a bear, or a horse. The girls and boys wear special ceremonial clothes, decorate a Christmas star, and go through the village singing songs. When approaching a house, they sing special Christmas holiday songs, one of them being a special song called Kury (Chickens). The homeowners, in their turn, give the members of the group some treats: pancakes, local kind of bacon sala, and sweets. The rite ends with the sunset. The ritual act is associated with some special ceremonial attributes, such as the clothing, a Christmas star and a candle that burns in the Christmas star at the icon of Our Lady of Sorrows. Not one generation of the villagers from Dzmitraŭka, Virkaŭ and Niasieta took part in the Rite when they were children. Many of them - today’s grandparents, parents, or elder sisters – are enthusiastic about sharing the caroling tradition, the songs and the order of performance with today’s rite performers
The ’Varvarynskaja Sviača’ Rite, which is practiced in Bascenavičy Village, Mscislaŭ District, Mahilioŭ Region, is associated with paying tribute. The distinctive feature of this Rite is that the tribute (colorful ribbons, fabric, traditional towels ručniks) can be brought only by women. The reason for that is that the Candle is made in honor of the Holy Martyr Barbara (Varvara), who was beaten to death by her own father for having professed Christianity. While bringing tribute, women are asking the Candle for help, they believe in its powers and are convinced that if the Candle comes to their home, it will bring wealth, health and happiness.
The Candle is shaped like a human with its hands raised upright and has “the body”, “the head” and “the arms”. Once a year, on December 16, on the eve of St. Barbara’s Day, the Candle is “rejuvenated”: new handmade candles are attached to the old ones, and the clothes are changed for the new ones (an underwear shirt, a dress, a belt, a wreath), and having dome this the women have a festive dinner. The next day, the women take the Candle to church for consecration. Last year's “clothes”of the Candle remain in the church and anyone can take some of them home for his/her family upon donating a contribution to the church. In the evening, women get together again to honor the Candle in its new home
