Winter Trojan — is an important date for the ancient Slavs. They considered this day a day of Military Glory, when many Russian soldiers fell from Roman soldiers in the Danube region, near Troyan Val (the etymology of the name has not yet been clarified). Most likely, Troyan Val was a defensive embankment, but a small outpost may have been erected on this site.
Those warriors fought without laying down their arms or showing their backs. This holiday is also known as «Stribozhi grandchildren», «remembrance of the fallen at Troyanov Val».
Unfortunately, today much has not been clarified from the history of the heroic feat at Troyan Val, including — of the exact date (about 101 AD) and other details. This episode in the history of Ancient Rus' is clearly mentioned in the Book of Veles and is praised in the «Word about Igor’s campaign»:
«Then the Romans envied us and plotted evil against us — came with their carts and iron armor and struck us, and therefore fought them off for a long time and threw them away from our land; and the Romans, seeing that we were firmly defending our lives, left us» (Book of Veles).
«And they lay down on the straight path to the trizna, and Stribog’s grandchildren dance over them, and cry for them in the fall, and in the cold winter they lament about them. And the wondrous pigeons say that they died gloriously and left their lands not to their enemies, but to their sons. And so we are their descendants, and we will not lose the land» (Book of Veles).
Ancient Slavic warriors thought about descendants and about the Greatness of the Russian Lands — they were not afraid of death, but entered into battle, not even allowing thoughts of betrayal, retreat or surrender to enemies.
Therefore, from ancient times, it was customary for the Slavs on this day to do something heroic, dangerous, useful for the Motherland or family and remember brave warriors at the table.