''Mnohaya lita'' ( ua, Многая літа, literally "Many Years" or the implied meaning "wishing you many years of life") is a traditional Ukrainian celebratory song. The song is based on both the el, Εις πολλά έτη ''Eis polla etē'' ("Many Years to You") and on the
Byzantine Rite
The Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite or the Rite of Constantinople, identifies the wide range of cultural, liturgical, and canonical practices that developed in the Eastern Christianity, Eastern Christian Church of Constantinople.
Th ...
polychronion (from the cu, мъногаꙗ лѣта ''mŭnogaja lěta'') or the hierarchical acclamation ''
Ton Despotin'', which is normally sung at the end of
church services
A church service (or a service of worship) is a formalized period of Christian communal worship, often held in a church building. It often but not exclusively occurs on Sunday, or Saturday in the case of those churches practicing seventh-day Sa ...
. The song is also sung at informal gatherings (such as
birthday
A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person, or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage.
Many re ...
s or
name day
In Christianity, a name day is a tradition in many countries of Europe and the Americas, among other parts of Christendom. It consists of celebrating a day of the year that is associated with one's baptismal name, which is normatively that of a ...
s) and at formal events, such as
weddings
A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marria ...
, church events or other celebrations.
Many variations of the
melody
A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
are in use, but the lyrics in most cases stay the same (i.e., repeating ''Mnohaya lita''). It remains an integral part of
Ukrainian diaspora
The Ukrainian diaspora comprises Ukrainians and their descendants who live outside Ukraine around the world, especially those who maintain some kind of connection, even if ephemeral, to the land of their ancestors and maintain their feeling of Uk ...
culture long after assimilation.
Similar songs
The song serves the same function as "
Happy Birthday To You
"Happy Birthday to You", also known as "Happy Birthday", is a song traditionally sung to celebrate a person's birthday. According to the 1998 ''Guinness World Records'', it is the most recognised song in the English language, followed by " Fo ...
" or "
For He's a Jolly Good Fellow
"For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" is a popular song that is sung to congratulate a person on a significant event, such as a promotion, a birthday, a wedding (or playing a major part in a wedding), a retirement, a wedding anniversary, the birth of a ...
". As a secular song, its message is similar to that of the Polish "
Sto lat
''Sto lat'' (One Hundred Years) is a traditional Poland, Polish song that is sung to express good wishes, good health and long life to a person. It is also a common way of wishing someone a happy birthday in Polish. ''Sto lat'' is used in many bi ...
" ("One Hundred Years") and is traditionally sung to a person to express wishes of good health and long life.
Lyrics
Traditional lyrics repeat the same words:
Alternative lyrics include a more religious undertone:
Use as a phrase
The phrase "Mnohaya lita" is sometimes accompanied with Благая / "Blahaya" ("Blessed"). For example, when a priest says, "... Mnohaya i blahaya lita," the congregation sings in response, "Mnohaya lita".
When celebrating someone's birthday, you could say "Mnohaya lita" to them (equivalent to saying "Happy Birthday" in English).
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References
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Ukrainian folk songs
Ukrainian traditions
Wedding songs
Songs about birthday parties
Songs about birthdays