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I just read an article about Russian students in Russian newspaper Комсомольская правда and saw the following:

Каждый студент хоть раз в своей жизни слышал это заветное слово - Халява. Что же оно означает? Халява - это некое студенческое божество, позволяющее успешно сдать экзамен, даже если на обилие знаний в голове рассчитывать не приходится. С вызовом Халявы связано великое множество различных ритуалов. Самый известный из них и получивший наибольшее распространение в студенческой среде ритуал выглядит следующим образом:

Надо в ночь перед экзаменом ровно в 12 часов выглянуть в открытую форточку и произнести три раза незамысловатую фразу: «Халява, приди!». При этом в руках следует держать зачетку, развернутую на той странице, где на экзамене должен будет расписаться преподаватель.

(Source)

Being intrigued by the mention of Goddess Khalyava, I made a search on the Internet and found confirmations of existence of the belief about her, e.g.:

Халява — студенческая богиня, к которой обречённые люди взывают накануне экзамена, вместо того чтобы познавать матан. (Source)

I got very much intrigued by this. I know that the Russian word халява means a freebie, but I see no logical connection to students and exams. Exams are measurements to measure the level of knowledge of each student, and each student gets the grade he deserves.

Could you explain the mythology and etymology associated with Goddess Khalyava? I am especially curious as to exactly what the students are hoping for when they call Khalyava. Are they hoping the goddess will tell them, during the exam, something they don't know?

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  • I think it’s pretty clear from the article that it’s an irony. As of халява it’s easily googled.
    – shabunc ♦
    Sep 21, 2019 at 18:03
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    "each student gets the grade he deserves" - in a perfect world. In real world, (particularly in the past), exams were a literal lottery - students pulled examination cards lying face down on examiner's table.
    – Alexander
    Sep 23, 2019 at 16:39
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    I've met version listed above: origin for Russian word халява is Hebrew חָלָב (chalav, milk).
    – Alexander Sapozhnikov
    Oct 31, 2019 at 17:14
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    there is no such goddess, it joking style of writing. There is such thing as халява though, it rare, you may pray for it to goods of Chaos and Order only them have sufficient power to bring it to you, but never count on them doing that.
    – MolbOrg
    Nov 13, 2019 at 8:44

3 Answers 3

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Getting a good mark at an exam is the dream of every student, especially if the student didn't study anything during the past semester. Халява is getting something for nothing, freebie, so it's natural that students evoke Халява as a goddess. Since the word is a slang one, the etymology is obscure, as always.

Different etymologies have been proposed, like these, from the official site of ИГУМО (Института гуманитарного образования и информационных технологий):

По наиболее распространенной версии, происходит оно от еврейского «халев» — «молоко». В еврейских общинах издревле существовал обычай по пятницам раздавать молоко неимущим. И когда-то в Одессе местные бедняки также могли бесплатно получить молоко. Его привозили с криками «халяву привезли». Отсюда в дальнейшем и вошло в русский язык выражение «получить на халяву», то есть, не тратя абсолютно никаких усилий.

Согласно Словарю живого великорусского языка Владимира Даля, халява — сапожное голенище. По этой версии считается, что польские солдаты, в том числе служившие или воевавшие в России, «брали на голенища», то есть закладывали в сапоги мелкие подарки, еду или просто то, что можно было взять бесплатно.

С этим же связано и другое предположение: сапожное голенище — халяву распарывали ножницами. Эта работа считалась самой примитивной, отсюда и лёгкое обогащение.

У Даля находим ещё одно толкование: халява — это раздутое в пузырь стекло. То, что первично получается из пузыря, и есть халява, то есть сосуд без формы. В этом смысле её можно понимать как недоделку или халтуру.

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  • Thanks a lot. >> Getting a good mark at an exam is the dream of every student, especially if the student didn't study anything during the past semester.<< How can you get a good mark if you didnt study anything?
    – Mitsuko
    Sep 22, 2019 at 9:13
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    @Mitsuko - Naturally, by халява! The ways to practically do it are: hoping that the teacher won't notice you using your cheat sheet, or hoping that at the oral exam you'll be asked the only question that you've learned (1 out of 30 lottery), or hoping that at the critical moment a fellow student will prompt you and the teacher won't notice it, or, ultimately, the teacher looking at your kind eyes will have mercy on you, condescend, and give you the passing points. Or whatever else with a very low chance to happen.
    – Yellow Sky
    Sep 22, 2019 at 13:22
  • Don't ever trust anyone who proposes the "jewish milk" etymology.
    – n. m. could be an AI
    Nov 8, 2019 at 9:33
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Could you explain the mythology and etymology associated with Goddess Khalyava?

There is no mythology. Do not take any of this seriously. Personifying Халява as a goddess is a joke. Some students, journalists like to be creative on this subject. Rituals are invented every day, you can expect any crazy requirement to win the favor of Goddess Халява.

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There is a popular expression among students: "сдать на халяву", which means "pass (an exam) easily or undeservedly". Your text seems to humorously allude that students pray for that when they are not prepared.

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    Thank you for this answer but keep in mind that more the answer adds to the answers already provided the higher is the probability it won't be down-voted.
    – shabunc ♦
    Nov 8, 2019 at 8:46

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