The painting shows a moonlit Russian folk divination during Eastern Orthodox Christmastide (svyatki) in a rural log house (izba).

Five out of seven depicted women gathered around a rooster pecking the grain, the alectryomancy which foretells a marriage in the near future.

[2] If the number of remaining grains would be even, then the marriage will happen soon, and if odd, then it will be in the next year.

[2] A sleeping elder woman is depicted sitting on a bench to the left.

The upper left part of the painting shows a candlelit icon corner.