of maidens sing the _Kolyada_, or carols. Here again appears the
ancient custom of gift-making, for the maidens who attend the goddess
expect to receive gifts in appreciation of their songs.

The word _Kolyada_ is of doubtful origin. It may refer to the sun, a
wheel, or a sacrifice; there is no telling how, when, or where it
originated, but the singing of these songs has been a custom of the
people from time immemorial, and after the introduction of
Christianity it became a part of the Christmas festivities.

Ralston in his "Songs of the Russian People" gives the following
translation of one of these peculiar songs:

"Kolyada! Kolyada!
Kolyada has arrived.
On the Eve of the Nativity,
Holy Kolyada.
Through all the courts, in all the alleys,
We found Kolyada
In Peter's Court.
Round Peter's Court there is an iron fence,
In the midst of the Court there are three rooms,
In the first room is the bright Moon,
In the second room the red Sun,
And in the third room, the many Stars."

Strangely enough the Russians make the Moon the _master_ of the
mansion above, and the Sun the _mistress_, a twist about in the
conception of these luminaries worthy of the Chinese, and possibly
derived from some of Russia's Eastern invaders. In the above song, the