The Kalyady Tsars (Christmas Tsars) is a ritual and festive event that takes place in the Semezhava village in the Minsk region of Belarus around the beginning of the year. Belarusian New Year celebrations are held according to the ‘old’ Julian calendar, which is combined with distinctive performing arts. A legend suggests that a squad of Russian soldiers was stationed in Semezhevo in the 18th century, and was responsible for the origin of this rite. During the Christmas holidays, soldiers and officers used to go around the village. They would wish villagers Merry Christmas, perform small performances, dance, and sing songs, as well as ask for treats. When the squad left, local people, especially young men, began dressing up in costumes that resembled military uniforms. These characters were dubbed 'tsars' by the locals. This became a unique Christmas event and is continued to this day.
A total of 500 men participate annually in the event, of which seven are chosen to play the roles of the Kalyady Tsars in the national historical-religious play, Tsar Maximilian. Additional comic characters, Dzad (old man) and Baba (old lady), played by young girls and boys respectively, interact with the audience. The Kalyady Tsars visit the local houses of unmarried girls to perform comic performances and receive awards and good wishes. The procession continues into the night, lighting up the region with a torchlight. It is believed that the annual visit from the Kalyady Tsars brings harmony, peace, and wealth to the local people, so the locals greet them openly. The performers wear traditional Semezhavan dresses and ornaments with geometric shapes. Their chests are crisscrossed by red straps and their shirts and trousers are white. They also wear black boots and paper hats with multicolored paper ribbons. After the show, all the participants gather at one table to celebrate a traditional Christmas feast.
Its incorporation of dramatic allusions to various aspects of modern life, as well as culturally-specific ethnic groups and individuals, has made the ceremony a vivid example of cultural diversity. Although the ceremony is popular with older residents, it is diminishing in popularity with younger generations. This situation likely resulted in a gap in knowledge transmission concerning the production of costumes, instruments, interior decorations, and the recipes associated with the particular dishes associated with the event. The intangible heritage of these rites may not survive the present generation of residents. In 1996, proceedings were reconstructed from documents and interviews with older members of the community.