Inside Ukraine's Biggest Party

Petro Dragun, 18, centre, in an elaborate bear costume, celebrates the Malanka Festival on Thursday, January 14, 2016 in Krasnoilsk, Ukraine. The annual celebrations, which consist of costumed villagers going in a group from house to house singing, playing music, and performing skits, began the previous evening, carried on all through the night, and will last until evening.

Stepan Savchuk is sewn into his bear costume. "I like to be a bear; it's tradition," he says. "When Malanka comes, it attracts everybody."

Yelizaveta Savchuk cooks ponchiki (a type of donut), which will be eaten as a chaser for samogon, a homemade vodka, during the festival.

In keeping with a New Year tradition, villagers go from house to house in Krasnoilsk singing carols and playing music. January 13th is New Year's Eve in the Julian calendar.

Revellers in costume cross a small footbridge on Thursday morning. They have been celebrating since the night before.

Heavy snow falls on the citizens of Krasnoilsk as they celebrate Malanka.

Revellers jump for joy as Malanka festivities continue.

A vendor sells balloons to revellers.

Bear costumes can be enormous creations like the one on the left, or they can be faux-fur onesies like the one on the right. Any elements of the costume that survive the day are saved for the next year.

After the costumed villagers travel from house to house, they meet in the town square to feast, dance, and play music.

Todor Mytyk, 10, left, and Petrya Velia, 11, wear traditional costumes to celebrate Malanka. The annual celebration ushers in the new year and welcomes the coming spring.

According to tradition, married men may only participate in Malanka while wearing masks. Here, Dmytro Katan celebrates dressed as an old woman.