Hurome - Christmas Dance of Circassians by Kabardinka

Enable subtitles for general information about the dance.

The new year, like many other cultures, represents a significant time for Circassians, and they were celebrating their own new year around the March Equinox, long before Christianity reached the region. After adapting to Christianity during the Middle Ages, they also started to celebrate Christmas and they called it Hurome. It was originally a pre-Christianity festive.

Although Circassians accepted Christianity, they typically kept most of their own faiths and traditions, uniquely combining them into Christianity. And it equally affected their Christmas celebrations, so it's not a surprise to see that Hurome contains many Pagan rituals endemic in Circassians along with Christian traditions.

This is a habitual behavior in Circassians,
as seen later on when they adapted to Islam.
They continued to practice many of their own traditions,
ignoring the Islamic rules or Sharia,
especially conflicting orders with Khabze, the moral codes of Circassian Societies.

Hurome celebrations begin on January 7th with a tour around the village by a group of people, mostly children and younger Circassians, carrying baskets and singing songs special to Hurome day. During the tour they pass by every house and collect gifts, sweets and food from householders. The most popular gift is the egg.

After the tour is completed, the collected products are used for cooking, which is a social cooperation, and everyone voluntarily contributes to it. Every member of the society including strangers passing by are graciously welcomed to the celebration dinner.

When the dinner is finished, it's time to have fun. Young female and males gather around dancing, singing and playing different games. During the ceremony there is also praying where it starts in the choreography at 04:00. Some of the translations recited prayers are as follows:

Oh, Christmas!
Chorus: Wo-wo!
Oh, Christmas is upon us!
Chorus: Wo-wo!
Oh, plentiful millet for us…
Chorus: Wo-wo!
Oh, what good fortune…
Chorus: Wo-wo!
Oh, what merriment!
Chorus: Wo-wo!
The table is placed in the middle!
Chorus: Wo-wo!
It gives us such a great joy!
Chorus: Wo-wo!
New Year’s regalement…
Chorus: Wo-wo!
May it also be your lot!
Chorus: Wo-wo!

Circassians would inevitably leave Hurome ceremonies, as they were struggling to resist against
Russia's long-lasting brutal invasion, Islam began growing and replacing rapidly older beliefs throughout the region earlier in the 19th century.

Having lost its ritual functions and literal meanings, Hurome evolved into a children's game. And, like many other things they had once possessed, it was eventually perished away from the collective memories of Circassians as a result of their tragic exile from the historic homeland.

Although the majority of Circassians don't practice or remember it anymore, a small minority of Christian/Pagan Circassians left in Mozdok and North Ossetia, are still preserving some Hurome traditions as today.

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