Old New Year, what a tradition. Old New Year: traditions, signs and customs of the holiday in the world. History and essence

After the usual New Year has died down, and the streets are filled with people again, do not rush to say goodbye to the festive mood; another important winter holiday awaits you - the Old New Year. This date is celebrated on the night of January 13-14. And, like any holiday that has taken root among the Slavs, the Old New Year contains a lot of traditions.

In Belarus and Ukraine this holiday is known as “Generous Evening”, and in Russia - “Ovsen”. According to the old calendar, this day fell on January 1 and was called Vasilyev's day, since it was the day of memory of Vasily the Great, and the eve memorial day, respectively, December 31 - Vasilyev's evening.

Why is it called Old New Year? There is no special meaning in the name of this holiday. This day is called this way only because according to the Julian calendar, the New Year fell from January 13 to 14. Today we use the Gregorian calendar, which was introduced in 1918, which is why the holiday is called the “Old” New Year.

In addition, according to calendar tradition, Christmas must precede the New Year.

Where is the Old New Year celebrated Previously, the Old New Year was celebrated in all countries Soviet Union. Today this holiday exists in Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.

This tradition has been preserved in Switzerland, Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia. In the latter, for example, this holiday is called Serbian New Year. On the night of January 13-14, fireworks are traditionally given on the square in Belgrade.

In Japan, the Old New Year is called “Rissyun” - the beginning of spring; it is celebrated not in the middle of winter, but on February 4th.

Holiday rules

For this holiday they also bought good, beautiful clothes. The evening of January 13 was called “generous”, and therefore the table was set accordingly. People believed that as the table would be, so would the year be. In the morning, women had to prepare porridge made from whole wheat grains. The porridge was seasoned with lard or meat. Or served with jam or honey. Housewives also baked pies, pancakes or dumplings.

Since Saint Basil was considered the patron saint of pig farmers, the main dish on the festive table was pork dishes.

In the evening, people went to their neighbors to celebrate the Old New Year in peace. It was considered especially important that the “right” person come home first, and this was a young man from a large, respected family with a large household. In the morning, young people jumped over burning sheaves of hay to drive away evil spirits.

In some villages, carolers attended the holiday. Performers of carol songs were traditionally presented with treats.

Ancient Belarusian folk ritual "Carol Kings"

Traditional signs for the Old New Year The signs of this holiday were associated both with the weather and the New Year's table. For example, if the prepared holiday porridge turned out fluffy, beautiful and tasty, then you need to wait for a good year. If the pot cracked in the oven or the porridge turned out tasteless, you have to wait a bad year.

It was also believed that if the wind blows from the south at night, then next year will be prosperous and warm, but if from the west, you should expect an abundance of milk, as well as fish, but if from the east, then there will be good harvest fruit.

People said about the night: “Vasil’s night is starry - for the harvest of berries.” To ensure that the overall harvest was successful, they shook it off the fruit trees in the morning. If the weather is frosty but dry in the morning, then you shouldn’t expect much mushrooms next year.

Signs for the Old New Year - 2018

Those born on January 14, 2018 should wear jasper stone for good luck and wealth. Also, before the evening of January 13, it is necessary to remove the holiday tree from the house and pay off all debts so as not to owe money for the entire 2018 year. And, of course, it is necessary to make peace with everyone with whom you were in a quarrel, and forgive everyone with whom you held a grudge.

What should be on the table for the Old New Year According to ancient traditions, there should have been generous kutya or sochivo on the table on Vasilyev's evening. They did not spare halva, nuts, honey and raisins: the more generous the dish, the richer and richer the new year.

In addition, there was always a pig, rooster or hare on the table. All three meats carried different meanings: pork promised wealth, rooster dishes - freedom, and hare - success in all matters.

It was also important what was included in the filling of holiday pies and, most importantly, dumplings for the Old New Year. For example, mushrooms in the filling - to a long and happy life, meat - for prosperity, rice - for prosperity, cabbage - for money, and dill - for good health.

What not to do on St. Basil's Day

A week before the Old New Year, it was forbidden to dress up in new clothes; this could only be done on the holiday itself. On this day, you cannot say congratulations with the negative particle “no” - this can frighten away desire and luck. Also, you cannot celebrate this holiday exclusively in the company of women - this can lead to an unlucky year.

There should be no crayfish or other creatures on the holiday table that are moving backwards, since past problems can be carried over into the New Year. It is also strictly forbidden to clean this one, because you can take good luck and happiness out of the house.

Fortune telling for the Old New Year Girls on the night of January 13-14 told fortunes on various objects. Vasiliev's evening was considered the most successful for predictions. People believed that everything predicted and wished for at this time would come true. However, the Orthodox Church does not approve of fortune telling.

Metro newspaper

If for some reason you were unable to have fun on the night from December 31 to January 1, then tonight you will be given another chance.

Where did the Old New Year come from?

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the entire Russian Empire, without looking back to Europe in this matter, lived according to the Julian calendar, which did not provide for leap year. This calendar was extremely inaccurate, and with each century the discrepancy with the Gregorian calendar grew more and more.

In 1918, the Soviet government decided to deal with this time problem and decided to switch to the Gregorian calendar for calculating time. After signing the decree on the transition to a new chronology, Soviet citizens, having fallen asleep on January 31, 1918, woke up on January 14 of the following. Since then, the habit has developed of celebrating the New Year twice.

New Year in Rus'

The indispensable attributes of this holiday in Rus' were:

roasting a 2-3 week old pig;
generous kutya, emphasizing the end of Lent;
flatbreads and/or dumplings with surprises;
pancakes and pies, which were used to thank those who came to carol.

Making flatbreads and dumplings was common practice for the whole family. Various surprises were hidden in them. This symbolized fortune-telling about what awaits in the coming year. Carols were a very bright decoration of the holiday. And they went caroling only until midnight, until the evil spirits cleared up. On January 13, young girls and boys hid under masks, and one of the guys was dressed up in women's clothing.

In some lands Russian Empire On New Year's Day it was customary to burn “Didukh” (grandfather). To do this, they prepared a sheaf of straw in advance, and after the end of the carols they went out to the crossroads, set fire to the sheaf and, when the main flame diminished, began to jump over the fire, saying goodbye to evil spirits. All this was accompanied by songs, dances, ditties and other games. So, for example, as Zhanna Andrievskaya, a researcher of Old Russian customs, writes on her Instagram, they walked in groups and merrily sang under the windows of houses, jokingly addressing the owners: “Whoever gives a pie will have a belly yard” or “Whoever doesn’t give a flatbread, we will block up the windows.” If the owners did not open the windows and gates, the year promised them material losses. And if they didn’t give enough, they could also hear wishes of curses addressed to them: “Masters, may you have a stake and a grave, may your mare be skinned by wolves.”

Another beautiful tradition associated with the life of peasants is described by the portal NewYearParty.ru: in the morning, with wishes of happiness, health and wealth, they went to the houses of relatives and friends to “sow” grain. It is unknown where this custom came from, but it had its own rules:

only male persons could sprinkle grain, since it was believed that girls could not bring happiness;
the houses of the godparents were visited first;
the grains were carefully collected and stored until spring to be mixed with spring grains.
A special porridge was also cooked. The oldest woman in the family poured the cereal for her. The oldest man in the house had to fetch water from the well. The grain was taken out of the barn at two o'clock in the morning. It was impossible to touch her, so as not to change your future. Until the oven burned out, the ingredients were ignored. Then, when the porridge was being prepared, all family members sat around. The woman stirred it, saying special words. Then they put the porridge in the oven and waited for the result: if the porridge came out of the pot, it promised trouble for the whole house, so no one ate it; when the pot burst, they did the same, as this was a disease; a lot of foam on top foreshadowed empty troubles; rich, tasty porridge meant a harvest and happiness for all household members.

The world in photographs

The whole family sat down to the table late in the evening, and this dinner was not to be missed. At this time, Christmastide continued, so New Year's fortune telling was also used. It was customary to tell fortunes about the betrothed, about a quick wedding, the fulfillment of a wish, the appearance of a child, etc. Traditions could differ depending on the place of residence, as well as on the veneration of saints. Some villages had their own saints, who received additional attention during the New Year.

wikipedia

We were attentive to the signs, among which the following stood out:

The first girl to enter the house on New Year's Day means trouble;
the first day of the New Year was warm, then the summer will be good;
frost on the trees meant a fruitful year;
It was forbidden to count small money on the first day of the New Year, so as not to shed tears.
did not give or borrow;
if there was a blizzard or blizzard at night, it was believed that the year would be restless;
Hearing an unusual ringing in the morning was news of a possible replenishment.
They made sure to appease livestock so that the New Year would be calm and fruitful for them.

Modern Old New Year

The Old New Year at the beginning of the 21st century is a quiet and peaceful holiday. Some people celebrate it, considering it a kind of continuation of the New Year’s festivities, while others completely forget it. It is believed that on the Old New Year you need to accomplish what you couldn’t do on January 1st. But some peoples have preserved their special traditions of celebrating the Old New Year.

Abkhazia

Abkhazia-Inform

In Abkhazia, on the night of January 13-14, the Azhyrnykhua holiday is celebrated - the Day of the Creation of the World, Renewal, coinciding with the celebration of the New Year according to the old style. According to the APSnypress portal, Azhyrnykhua is one of the public holidays and is a non-working day.

On the evening of the 13th, in many Abkhaz families in Western and Eastern Abkhazia, where the ancestral forges and anvils of “Azhyir” are carefully preserved from generation to generation, family prayer is performed. The main feature of this holiday is that on this day all descendants of the same clan gather at the ancestral forge.

Despite the widespread spread of Orthodoxy in Abkhazia, many Abkhaz families continue to believe in the magic of the forge. During the festive family prayer, the elder-prayer turns to God with a request to ward off troubles, illnesses and other misfortunes from all his relatives, so that the family continues, multiplies and prospers. After each family member in turn repeats this prayer, tastes a piece of the liver and heart of the sacrificial animal, and drinks a glass of sacred “pure” (no sugar) wine, the common feast begins.

On the festive table there must be boiled young cockerels with adjika for each family member, boiled kid meat, homemade wine from a freshly unsealed clay jug buried at a sacred place, or from a new barrel. Women prepare candles for each family member and bake cheese pies (achashv) and sweets. After the ceremony, everyone goes to the house, where they continue the celebration of Azhyrnykhua and the “old” New Year.

United Kingdom

Bluestone

For several centuries now, a community of 200 Welsh in the west of Great Britain has been celebrating a holiday called Hen Galan on January 13th. It is celebrated without fireworks or champagne, but is greeted according to the traditions of our ancestors - with songs, carols, and local home-made beer. Since 1752, the United Kingdom has used the Gregorian calendar, with New Year's Day falling on January 1st. But a small community of Welsh farmers, centered in a village called Guane Valley, celebrates the New Year according to the Julian calendar, and, unlike the rest of the country, January 13 is their official day off.

The reason why the Guane Valley and its surrounding farms fell behind the times is now unknown. Some say that it was the will of a local feudal lord opposed to the Catholic Church. Others believe that it was the will of the entire community, which decided to defend its traditional customs.

Residents celebrate this day with songs, carols and home-made beer. Both adults and children take part in the celebration. They start caroling early in the morning, collecting sweets and money. Then the adults gather in local village pubs, without inviting outsiders. Hen Galan is a holiday only for one’s own, friends and neighbors.

Ukraine

Wikimedai Commons

In Ukrainian cities and villages, traditions and rituals of celebrating the New Year according to the old style are due to the fact that the holiday coincides with Melanka Day and Vasily Day. On Melanka in Ukraine they prepare delicious and hearty treats, and therefore the eve of the Old New Year is called Generous Evening. On the evening of January 13, hosts and guests gather around a richly laid table and celebrate the arrival of the New Year. And the very next day, January 14, unmarried girls wonder about their fate, their betrothed, their wedding, the portal says

01/13/2012 01/04/2016 by Mnogoto4ka

On the night of January 13-14, Russians celebrate Old New Year - a holiday incomprehensible to many foreigners. Nobody can really say what Old New Year Is it different from the traditional New Year that everyone is used to? Of course, from the outside it would seem that the matter is only a discrepancy in dates. However, we all treat the Old New Year as a completely independent holiday that can prolong the charm of the New Year. Or maybe this is the first time to feel it, because the situation can be different, but on this day the holiday is calmer, there is no fuss, so characteristic of the holiday on January 1st.

There are two reasons for the appearance of a unique New Year - a change in the date of the beginning of the New Year in Rus' and the stubbornness of the Russian Orthodox Church, which did not want to switch to the New Style.

History of the Old New Year

In pagan times, the New Year was celebrated in Rus' on March 22, the day of the vernal equinox, and this was associated with the agricultural cycle. With the adoption of Christianity in Rus', the Byzantine calendar began to gradually replace the old one, and now the New Year began on September 1. For a long time Discord still persisted, and in some places the New Year continued to be celebrated in the spring. Only at the end of the 15th century in Rus' the beginning of the New Year was officially determined - September 1.

By decree of Peter I in 1699, the New Year was moved to January 1 according to the old style, that is, to January 14 according to the new style. After the revolution in 1918, the Bolsheviks “abolished” another 13 days a year, which made up the difference between our calendar and the European one.
This is how two New Year celebrations were formed - according to the new and old styles.

Church about the Old New Year

The custom of meeting Old New Year on the night of January 13-14 in Russia is due to the fact that Russian Orthodox Church continues to celebrate both the New Year and Christmas according to the Julian calendar, which still differs from the generally accepted Gregorian calendar by 13 days. But starting from March 1, 2100, this difference will be 14 days. From 2101, Christmas and Old New Year in Russia will be celebrated a day later.

Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, said that the Russian Orthodox Church does not yet intend to make adjustments to its calendar. “Indeed, the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars increases by one day every 100 years when the number of hundreds in the year after Christ is not a multiple of four. And if the Lord allows this world to exist for another 100 years, then the Orthodox will celebrate Christmas on January 8, and celebrate the Old New Year on the night of 14 to 15,” Chaplin said.

According to him, one should not attach of great importance calendar differences. “The Gregorian calendar is also not entirely accurate, so the Russian Orthodox Church continues to use the Julian calendar,” Chaplin explained.

“If agreement can be found in calendar disputes, then only after the development of a new, absolutely accurate calendar,” concluded the representative of the Moscow Patriarchate.

For many believers, the Old New Year has a special meaning, since they can celebrate it from the heart only after the end of the Nativity Fast, during the Yuletide festivities.

Scientists' opinions about the Old New Year

Old New Year is an unscientific date, astronomers say. However, the current calendar is not ideal, according to specialists from the Astronomical and Geodetic Society of Russia. According to them, the strict mechanics of planetary movement forces people to make changes to the calendar. The Julian calendar, which was in force in our country until 1918, is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar, according to which Europe lives. The fact is that the Earth does not rotate around its axis in exactly 24 hours. Additional seconds to this time, gradually accumulating, add up to days. By the beginning of the twentieth century, they turned into 13 days, which made up the difference between the old Julian and new Gregorian systems. The new style more accurately corresponds to the laws of astronomy.

According to Edward Kononovich, associate professor of the Department of Astrophysics at Moscow State University, the main thing is that the calendar accurately reflects the position of the Earth in relation to the Sun. Today there are many enthusiasts offering their own version of timekeeping. Their proposals are mainly related to changing the traditional week: some propose making a week of five days or doing without weeks at all, and introducing ten days. However, from a scientific point of view, there are probably no ideal proposals - experts have come to this conclusion different countries, studying applications for changes in chronology received even by the UN. Scientists consider it inappropriate to carry out any calendar reforms now.

Celebrating the Old New Year

And yet, despite the fact that this day, unfortunately, is not even a day off, the popularity of the Old New Year is growing. According to the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion, the number of people wishing to celebrate the Old New Year has already exceeded 60%. Among those who are going to celebrate the “old” New Year are the majority of pupils and students, workers, entrepreneurs, housewives and, in general, people under 40 years old, with secondary specialized and secondary education, with relatively high incomes.

Traditions for the Old New Year

In the old days, this day was called Vasilyev's Day, and was of decisive importance for the whole year. On Vasilyev's Day, they celebrated the holiday of agriculture, which was associated with the future harvest, and performed the ritual of sowing - hence the name of the holiday "Osen" or "Avsen". This ritual differed in different regions of the country: for example, in Tula, children scattered spring wheat around the house, while saying a prayer for a rich harvest, and the housewife then collected it and stored it until sowing time. Ukrainian rituals were distinguished by fun, dancing and songs.

And there was also a peculiar ritual - cooking porridge. IN New Year's Eve, at 2 o'clock, the eldest of the women brought cereal from the barn, and the eldest man brought water from a well or river. It was impossible to touch the cereal and water until the stove burned out - they simply stood on the table. Then everyone sat down at the table, and the eldest of the women began to stir the porridge in the pot, while pronouncing certain ritual words - the cereal was usually buckwheat. Then everyone got up from the table, and the hostess put the porridge in the oven - with a bow. The finished porridge was taken out of the oven and examined carefully. If the pot was simply full, and the porridge was rich and crumbly, then one could expect a happy year and a rich harvest - such porridge was eaten the next morning. If the porridge came out of the pot, or the pot cracked, this did not bode well for the owners of the house, and then disaster was expected, and the porridge was thrown away. This was the program - either for troubles or for prosperity, and it is not surprising that it was often implemented - after all, they believed in it seriously.

An interesting ritual is going from house to house to treat yourself to pork dishes. On the night of Vasily, guests certainly had to be fed pies with pork, boiled or baked pork legs, and in general any dishes that included pork. A pig's head was also required to be placed on the table. The fact is that Vasily was considered a “pig farmer” - the patron saint of pig farmers and pork products, and they believed that if there was a lot of pork on the table that night, then these animals would breed in abundance on the farm and bring good profits to the owners. This sign is much more positive than the ritual with porridge, especially for zealous and hardworking owners. The surprisingly sonorous and coherent saying: “A pig and a boletus for Vasiliev’s evening” also contributed to the mood of the owners for economic prosperity and abundance.

But the tradition of making dumplings with surprises for the Old New Year appeared not so long ago - no one remembers exactly where and when, but it is happily observed in many regions of Russia. In some cities, they are made in almost every home - with family and friends, and then they arrange a cheerful feast and eat these dumplings, eagerly waiting to see who will get what kind of surprise. This comic fortune telling is especially popular with children. They even bring dumplings with them to work to cheer up their friends and colleagues; and local food factories often produce such dumplings - just for the Old New Year.

New Year is the favorite holiday of many people, but in Russia it is possible to repeat it exactly 14 days later. The traditions of celebrating the Old New Year began to take shape at the beginning of the last century when the calendar changed. Not all of them, alas, have survived to this day, although they can significantly diversify the usual holidays.

From this article you will learn:

The history of the holiday or how it all began

If Russia had not decided to switch to the Gregorian calendar in 1918, the Old New Year would not have appeared. So far it falls on the night of January 14th. But over time the date will be postponed.

Church celebrations took place on the same days as before. As a result, a lot of things got mixed up, and we had to constantly remind ourselves which customs should be performed on a specific date.

They began to celebrate the New Year holiday from January 13 to 14, motivated by the postponement of dates. But at the same time, two important church dates overlapped: the day of memory of Melania and the veneration of St. Basil the Great. In Orthodox families, this night also began to be called the meeting of Melanka with Vasily.

Is the Old New Year celebrated in other countries?

In addition to countries that were previously part of the USSR, the Old New Year is celebrated by residents of:

Algeria;
Tunisia;
Greece;
Romania;
Serbia;
Montenegro;
Switzerland;
Morocco.

There are some peculiarities about how the celebration should take place.

In Greece, during the Old New Year, it is forbidden to raise your voice and quarrel. It’s bad if the dishes break, so everyone tries to handle them carefully. If you are invited to a celebration, you need to take a stone with you. It symbolizes the wealth that the owners wish to gain in the coming year.

In Romania, pies are a must on the table. But with an interesting filling in the form of coins, hot peppers, garlic or rings.

In Switzerland, this holiday is dedicated to the veneration of St. Sylvester. Residents dress in funny masquerade costumes reminiscent of botanical gardens or houses, calling themselves Sylvester Clauses.

In Montenegro, they must prepare parenitsa - national dish from corn dough.

Russian customs have many similarities with Ukrainian or Belarusian ones, and therefore are considered common.

Traditions and customs of celebration in Rus'

Despite the fact that on January 1 the table was full, the Old New Year became an even greater test for the stomach. The indispensable attributes of this holiday in Rus' were:

roasting a 2-3 week old pig;
generous kutya, emphasizing the end of Lent;
dumplings with surprises;
pancakes and pies, which were used to thank those who came to carol.

Making dumplings was a tradition for the whole family. As in Romania, various surprises were hidden in them. This symbolized fortune-telling about what awaits in the coming year.

They were a very bright decoration of the holiday. And they went caroling only until midnight, until the evil spirits cleared up. On January 13, young girls and boys hid under masks, and one of the boys was dressed in women's clothes as a symbol of Melanka.

What other traditions were characteristic of this time? Kutya for the New Year's feast began to be cooked in the morning. If unpleasant omens happened, she had to be thrown into the hole directly with the pot.

An interesting tradition of this night was the burning of “Didukha” (grandfather). To do this:

a sheaf of straw was prepared in advance;
on Old New Year, after the end of the carols, they went out to the crossroads;
they set fire to the sheaf;
when the main flame diminished, they began to jump over the fire, saying goodbye to evil spirits.

All this was accompanied by songs, dances, and other games.

There is another beautiful tradition associated with the life of peasants. In the morning, with wishes of happiness, health and wealth, we went to the houses of relatives and friends to “sow” grain. It is unknown where the custom came from, but it has its own rules:

only males sow, because it was believed that girls could not bring happiness;
the houses of the godparents were visited first;
the grains were carefully collected and stored until spring to be mixed with spring grains.

A special porridge was also cooked. The oldest woman in the family poured the cereal for her. The oldest man in the house had to fetch water from the well. The grain was taken out of the barn at two o'clock in the morning. It was impossible to touch her, so as not to change your future. Until the oven burned out, the ingredients were ignored. Then, when the porridge was being prepared, all family members sat around. The woman stirred it, saying special words. Then they placed the porridge in the oven and waited for the result:

if the porridge came out of the pot, it promised trouble for the whole house, so no one ate it;
when the pot burst, they did the same, because this was a disease;
a lot of foam on top foreshadowed empty troubles;
rich, tasty porridge meant a harvest and happiness for all household members.

The whole family sat down to the table late in the evening, and this dinner was not to be missed.

At this time, Christmastide continued, so and were used. It was customary to tell fortunes about the betrothed, about a quick wedding, the fulfillment of a wish, the appearance of a child, etc. Traditions could differ depending on the place of residence, as well as on the veneration of saints. Some villages had their own saints, who received additional attention during the New Year.

Modern Old New Year

Now it is customary to celebrate the same way as on New Year's Eve. It is believed that on the Old New Year you need to accomplish what you couldn’t do on January 1st. For example:

make a wish by first writing it on a napkin, which is burned and thrown into champagne;
watch concerts and letters that you haven’t had time to watch yet;
send Old New Year greetings to family and friends with repeated wishes for good and health;
put gifts that were previously forgotten under the New Year tree, after which it can be removed.

In the southern regions, the custom of cooking pig or pork dishes has been preserved so that the New Year becomes rich in good news. In some villages, carols are celebrated, but their true meaning is often lost.

Signs for January 13 and 14

We paid close attention to the following, among which the following stood out:

The first girl to enter the house on January 14 means trouble;
Melanka was warm, then the summer will be good;
frost on the trees meant a fruitful year;
It was forbidden to count small money on Vasily, so as not to shed tears. They also did not give or take in debt;
if there was a blizzard or blizzard at night, it was believed that the year would be restless;
Hearing an unusual ringing in the morning was news of a possible replenishment.

They made sure to appease livestock so that the New Year would be calm and fruitful for them.

If at least some elements and traditions of the celebration are returned to modern reality, you can improve the New Year's mood even more and make the celebration unforgettable.

The feast on the Old New Year is organized year after year by many generations, and at the same time they do not even think about the history of the origin of the holiday.

For many believers who observe the Nativity Fast, the Old New Year is a good reason to heartily celebrate the coming of the New Year.

How and when this holiday appeared and why the Old New Year is celebrated in Russia and many other countries.

History and essence

The Old New Year, which is celebrated unofficially, arose as a result of a change in chronology - this tradition is associated with the divergence of two calendars: the Gregorian - “new style” and the Julian - “old style”. But let's not get ahead of ourselves and tell everything in order.

In pagan times, the New Year in Rus' was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox, that is, March 22. After the adoption of Christianity in Rus', the Byzantine calendar began to gradually replace the old one, and the New Year began to be celebrated in the fall - on September 1.

Although until the 15th century there was no single date for celebrating the New Year in Rus' - some celebrated it in the fall, and some, out of habit, celebrated it in the spring. The official beginning of the New Year in Rus' was set on September 1 only in 1492.

The New Year was moved to January 1 (old style) by decree of Peter I in December 1699, as a result of which the next year 1700 arrived four months later.

In the 18th century, almost all European states switched to the Gregorian calendar, removing a few extra days from the calendar. And Russia, which by the twentieth century continued to live according to the Julian calendar, lagged behind Europe by as much as 13 days.

The Bolsheviks decided that it was time to “catch up” with the Old World and abolished the calendar discrepancy by decree in 1918. As a result, January 14 - St. Basil's Day turned out to be the Old New Year.

The Russian Orthodox Church continues to celebrate the New Year, Christmas and all other church holidays according to the Julian calendar. Because of this discrepancy in calendars, Russians celebrate two “New Years” - in the old and new styles.

In the XX - XXI centuries, the discrepancy between the old and new chronology is 13 days, so the New Year according to the old style is celebrated on the night of January 13-14.

But the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars is gradually increasing and from March 1, 2100 will be 14 days, so from 2101 everyone will have to celebrate the Old New Year a day later.

By the way, the modern New Year falls during the Nativity Fast, which ends on January 7, so it is natural that the Old New Year for many Orthodox Christians who observe fasting has special meaning, since they can celebrate it from the heart only after the end of fasting.

And yet, despite the fact that this day, unfortunately, is not even a day off, the popularity of the Old New Year is growing every year.

By the way, the natural order of the holidays can be traced based on the Julian calendar - the Nativity Fast preceded the Nativity of Christ, after which six days later people celebrated the New Year.

Where else are they celebrating?

The custom of celebrating the Old New is preserved in the countries of the post-Soviet space. New Year according to the old style is loved in different parts of our planet, and there are countries that also celebrate the arrival of the New Year twice a year.

Residents of the former Yugoslavia celebrate New Year twice a year, as church ministers there count everyone significant dates follow the Julian calendar.

"Serbian New Year" or "Little Christmas" is what the Serbs call this holiday. And in Montenegro it is customary to call this holiday “Prava Nova Godina”, which means “Correct New Year”.

The people of Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria have a similar custom. They live according to their own Berber calendar, similar to the Julian calendar. But as a result of many deviations and mistakes, they celebrate the second New Year on January 12.

In some cantons of Sweden and Romania, the night of January 14 is considered fabulous. On this night they gather to celebrate the arrival of the New Year and festive table in Greece. This Greek holiday is called St. Basil's Day, famous for his kindness. In the west of Great Britain, the Old Style New Year is celebrated in a small Welsh community in Wales and is called “Hen Galan” - a holiday of good neighborliness and “open doors”. According to the traditions of our ancestors, the holiday is celebrated with songs, folk festivals and local home-made beer.

Two New Years are an excellent occasion to once again gather the whole family and friends at one table and have a good time.

Customs and traditions

In Rus', many traditions and customs are associated with the Old New Year - the Orthodox Church commemorates on this day St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia.

In the folk calendar, January 14 is called Vasily’s Day, which was of decisive importance for the whole year. On Vasiliev's Day, they celebrated the holiday of agriculture, which was associated with the future harvest, and performed the ritual of sowing - hence the name of the holiday "Osen" or "Avsen".

On this day, the children scattered grains of wheat, oats, and rye around the house, saying: “O God, give birth to every life, according to the grain, and according to the great, and it would be a life for the whole baptized world.” Then the mistress of the house collected grains from the floor and stored them until sowing.

Cooking porridge is another unique ritual. On New Year's Eve, at about two o'clock, the eldest woman brought cereal, usually buckwheat, from the barn, and the eldest man brought water from a well or river. It was impossible to touch the cereal and water until the stove burned out - they simply stood on the table.

After the stove was heated, the rest of the household sat down at the table, and the eldest of the women began stirring the porridge in the pot.

While stirring, she uttered certain ritual words. Then everyone got up from the table, and the hostess put the porridge into the oven with a bow. Then everyone together took the finished porridge out of the oven and examined it carefully.

If the porridge turned out rich and crumbly, and the pot was simply full, they ate the porridge the next morning and expected a happy year and a rich harvest.

The porridge was thrown away if it came out of the pot or the pot cracked - this was a harbinger of a bad year.

On the night of the Old New Year, girls told fortunes about their betrothed - the Christmastide period, the best time of year for all kinds of fortune-telling and predictions. Fortune telling on the night of January 13-14 was popularly considered the most truthful, and it was at this time that you can see your future spouse in a dream.

To do this, girls combed their hair before going to bed, put a comb under their pillow and uttered the magic words: “Mummer, come and comb my head.”

Also interesting is the ritual of going home - at this time people treated themselves to pork dishes. According to an ancient tradition, on the night of Vasily, guests had to be fed pork pies and, in general, any dishes that included pork.

A pig's head was always served on the table. Saint Basil was considered the “pig coop,” that is, the patron saint of pig farmers and pork products, and it was believed that the abundance of pork dishes on the table that night would be the key to abundance and profit.

Another tradition - making dumplings with surprises for the Old New Year - appeared not so long ago. This tradition is observed with pleasure in many regions of Russia, although exactly where and when it originated is unknown.

Dumplings are made in almost every home - with family and friends, they arrange a cheerful feast, eating dumplings and looking forward to who will get what kind of surprise.

Signs

They did not lend money on New Year's Day, so that there would be no shortage of it throughout the year. It was considered a good omen to receive money on this day - this foreshadowed profit in the new year.

On Vasilyev's evening one should wear good new clothes in order to dress well all year round.

In the old days, they believed that the year would pass happily if you spent the old one and met the new one as cheerfully as possible.

A rich harvest of berries was foreshadowed by a clear, starry sky on Vasily's Day, and a fierce blizzard on January 13 indicated a bountiful harvest of nuts. A bountiful harvest in the new year was also indicated by fluffy snow on tree branches in the morning and thick fog on Vasily’s Day.

Icon "St. Basil of Caesarea" (XVII century)

Saint Basil, according to popular belief, protects gardens from worms and pests. On the morning of the Old New Year, you need to walk through the garden with the words of an ancient conspiracy: “As I shake off (name) the white, fluffy snow, so Saint Basil will shake off every worm-reptile in the spring!”

In the old days, they believed that the year would be prosperous if a man was the first to enter the house on January 14, but if a woman entered, there would be trouble.