This holiday is, rather, a ritual, very ancient, originating in Rus' during the period of double faith. Sometimes Vodop is called Pereplut, Vodyanoy Day, Vodyanoy’s name day or Nikita Vodopol, but the essence remains unchanged — on this day (which, according to the old style, fell on April 3) in Rus' was greeted with awakening from the winter hibernation of Vodyanoy, mermaids and all aquatic life.
Along with the arrival of spring and the awakening of nature, he wakes up from hibernation and Vodyanaya. During the long cold winter, Grandfather Waterweak and hungry. Having woken up, Vodyanoy immediately wants to profit from something, and then goes to look around and inspect his water kingdom.
On this day at midnight, fishermen came to the water to feast and appease Grandfather Vodyanoy.
They say that the fishermen treated Vodyanoy by drowning his horse and saying: «Here is a hotel for your housewarming, grandfather: love, please our family». For this occasion, they bought the most worthless horse from the gypsies. When the fishermen appease him with a good hotel, a horse, he humbles himself, guards the fish, lures large fish from other rivers, saves the fishermen from storms and drowning, and does not tear seines and nonsense.
In some areas, fishermen gifted Vodyanoy with a hotel, pouring oil into the river, saying: «Here, grandfather, is a hotel for your housewarming. Love and feel sorry for our family».
From about this time, the Slavs expected the start of ice drift and river flooding. There was also a sign about this: when fishermen brought food to Vodyanoy on this day, they always noted: «If the ice does not touch on this day, then fishing this year will be thin».