It is also refers to a evil spirit which shortens one's life, in particular bringing a sudden death, as in the curse "Let Karachun take you!"
[2] The etymology of steps is usually favored, as it shows a liminal or transitional quality to the holiday as the solstice approached and a new solar cycle began.
The first recorded usage of the term was in 1143, when the author of the Novgorod First Chronicle referred to the winter solstice as "Koročun".
On this day, Western Slavs lit fires at cemeteries to keep their loved ones warm, and organized feasts to honor the dead and keep them fed.
In some Slavic languages, the word came to denote unexpected death of a young person and the evil spirit that shortens life.