The festivities were historically centred around house-to-house visiting by groups of young men, costumed as characters from a folk tale of pre-Christian origin, as well as special food and drink.

The story is based on the daughter of the creator god Praboh, whose four sons included Veles (demonized as "the Devil"), Yarilo (or Yarylo, identified with St. George), Rai ('paradise'; St. John), and Lado or Mir ('peace').

In a version of the myth of Hades and Persephone, Mylanka's evil uncle (the Devil) desired her presence in the underworld and abducted her one day when the Moon was hunting.

While Mylanka was gone, the Earth lacked the rebirth of spring, and once she was released from the vices of the Devil, flowers began to bloom and greenery spread around the world.

[1] Another theory regarding the name of the character Malanka relates it to the Christian saint Melania the Younger, whose feast day is December 31: New Year's Eve.

[3][4] A traditional way of referring to the holidays during the Christmas season in the Eastern Slavic languages is by which recipe of kutia (whole-grain sweetened porridge), the most symbolic ritual food, is used.

In some villages of Vinnytsia Oblast, on this day they prepare a traditional festive dish of blood sausage, which is also called "malanka".

In addition, the women bake mlyntsi (pancakes), and make pyrihs and dumplings with cheese, to give as gifts to the carolers and "sowers".

According to custom, after finishing their ritual rounds, the next morning the young men went to a crossroads to burn the "Did" or "Didukh" – a sheaf of grain that had stood in the pokuttia since Sviat Vechir – and then jumped over a bonfire.

Canadian folklorist Robert Klymasz identifies the Ukrainian tradition of Malanka as alike to the mummering practiced in Britain, Ireland and Newfoundland, but with several differences.

[2] In North America, house visits were largely replaced by Ukrainized versions of an Anglo-North American New Year's Eve ball after the Second World War.

They typically occur a week after Christmas Eve (Old Calendar), but not necessarily falling on 13 or 14 January; they are usually held on an ensuing Friday or Saturday night.