Old New Year is an unofficial, but unusually warm, joyful and magical holiday, which is celebrated on the night of January 13-14. This additional New Year was the result of a change in the order of chronology, so it can be considered a cultural and historical phenomenon.
Where did this holiday come from?
Confusion with the celebration of the Old New Year began in 1918, when the Gregorian calendar was introduced instead of the Julian calendar, and the concept of “old” and “new” styles entered our lives. At the same time, that day, which for centuries was considered the first of January, “moved” in the calendar to January 14. For those who did not want to change their habits, it remained a holiday.
In addition, celebrating the New Year from January 13 to 14 turned out to be more logical for Orthodox believers, who are accustomed to celebrating it 6 days after Orthodox Christmas. But they tried not to celebrate the holiday from December 31 to January 1, since it fell during the Nativity Fast, when you can’t set a festive table, you can’t drink wine and you can’t have fun to your heart’s content. And in general, in the public consciousness, since the 19th century, the New Year was considered a cheerful and riotous holiday.
“The New Year is the same as the mummers’ march in the village,” he writes in his essay historian Lev Lurie. – This is the time when people can behave indecently. After the New Year, it’s time for girls’ fortune telling. They told fortunes, of course, about the suitors - they let the rooster peck oats, melted wax, put pieces of paper with the names of potential suitors into a basin, and used a mirror.” The traditions of fortune telling are pagan; they were not only not welcomed by the Orthodox Church, but were also prohibited. Of course, it was clearly inappropriate to do all this during Lent.
Why do we still celebrate it?
By the way, there is no scientifically based date for the start of the new year. This is the subject of a social contract. It is simply more convenient for people to unify the calendar and consider that in all countries the calendar new year begins on the night of December 31 to January 1.
So, why not stop at this wonderful date? After all, now even Orthodox believers do not refuse to celebrate the New Year with everyone else. However, annual Levada Center polls show that the tradition of celebrating the Old New Year in our society not only does not die out, but only grows stronger from year to year. The number of people who celebrate this holiday is growing and amounts to last years already from 43 to 47% of respondents.
Scientists believe there are several reasons for this. The first is that in our culture, everything that confirms the idea of the mystery of the Russian soul is traditionally welcomed. “Our people generally like the idea that Russia has its own unique third way,” says expert at the Center for Political Technologies, social psychologist Alexey Roshchin. – That’s why we have our own specific holiday – the Old New Year. This allows us to feel that we stand out against the backdrop of general globalization.” However, in fairness it should be said that the Old New Year is celebrated not only in Russia, but also in most CIS countries, as well as in the former republics of Yugoslavia.
The second reason, according to psychologists, lies in the fact that our protracted Cold winter and the lack of light provokes us into seasonal blues. And the holidays - the best remedy to fight it. Holiday garlands, colorful lanterns, cheerful chaos, feasting, the desire to pamper yourself with food and alcohol. So we grab every opportunity not to fall into winter depression. How else can you defeat her?
The third source of why we so want to extend the New Year holidays follows from the previous one. “The fact is that the New Year holidays are best suited to feel like children and pamper our “inner child”, which is hidden in the soul of each of us, says psychologist Oksana Poleshchuk. – Christmas tree, tangerines, snow, skating rink, cafe, cinema, the opportunity to just have fun, be reckless, push aside the burden of daily responsibility, relax, sit in front of the TV, eat whatever you want without counting calories, and finally, just do nothing. Many of us, in fact, lack this, and after the holidays this lack is felt most acutely.”
There are even wonderful poems about this by Yunna Moritz, which Sergei Nikitin set to music, and the result was an unusually lyrical, wonderful song:
He's old, old, he's not new at all,
And still we are children, we are at the Christmas tree,
And we are flying for this ghostly supplement,
For the irrevocable and unique,
Add us at least the Old New Year.
Make your dreams come true
Finally, important reason The growing popularity of the Old New Year lies in the fact that in our divided world, with each passing decade, people experience a more noticeable lack of human understanding. And therefore we increasingly need warm, unhurried communication. The best thing is at the festive table, in the circle of the closest and most understanding people. Perhaps that is why the holiday from December 31 to January 1 remains wild and cheerful, with shooting and dancing until the morning. But the Old New Year is now assigned, rather, the role of a quiet, sincere, warm and magical holiday.
So if you feel that you celebrated the New Year not the way you would like, but “like people”: with frantic running around the shops and bowls of salads, then you still have a chance to realize your secret desires and celebrate the Old New Year like this , as you yourself want. Or just dream, let your dreams go into extraordinary distances, believe in miracles and return at least for a while to such wonderful world- the world of childhood!
Tatiana Rubleva
New Year in our country and in many neighboring countries is celebrated twice - on January 1 and 14. Where did the tradition of celebrating the holiday again two weeks after the chimes come from? The news agency Amitel recalls the roots of the old New Year and its traditions.
How did New Year become “old”?
The Old New Year begins on the night of January 13-14 according to the old Julian calendar. The holiday is unofficial; it appeared in Russia in 1918 after the transition to the Gregorian calendar. That is, it appeared due to the divergence of calendars and is now celebrated according to the old and new styles.
In ancient times, the new year began in the spring, on March 1, then on September 1. In pagan times, the beginning of the year began to be calculated from March 22 - on the day spring equinox. And then again on September 1... This discord persisted for a long time in Rus'. And only in 1700, Tsar Peter I issued a decree on the beginning of the new year on January 1 (according to the old style, January 14).
Back at the end of the 19th century, the Russian calendar lagged behind Europe, which already lived according to the Gregorian calendar, by 13 days. To reduce the gap, in 1918 our country also switched to such a calendar. So January 14 turned out to be the old New Year.
How is it customary to celebrate the old New Year?
Today, this holiday in our country is celebrated rather symbolically. This is, first of all, an opportunity to “pre-celebrate” the New Year, meet with those with whom it was not possible to do so on December 31, arrange friendly gatherings, cozy tea parties, and have intimate conversations. Meanwhile, for example, for believers, the old New Year is of great importance, since it becomes possible to celebrate the beginning of the new year after the Nativity Fast.
Some families have a tradition of caroling on this New Year's Eve. Yet most people view this day as an opportunity to extend the charm of New Year's celebrations. This holiday is characterized by harmony, comfort and tranquility. Spend this time with your closest and dearest people, and may the whole year be successful.
IA "News» . On the night from January 13th to 14th, many Russians traditionally celebrate the Old New Year - a holiday characteristic only of our country and absolutely incomprehensible to foreigners. The fact is that there are two reasons for the appearance of this celebration in our area: a change in the date of the beginning of the New Year in Rus' and the enviable stubbornness shown by the Russian Orthodox Church, which did not want to switch to a new style.
History of the Old New Year
In pagan times, the New Year in Rus' was celebrated on March 22 - the day of the vernal equinox, which was directly related to the agricultural cycle. However, with the adoption of Christianity, the Byzantine calendar began to gradually supplant the old one, and now the New Year began on September 1. This discrepancy persisted for a long time, until, finally, at the end of the 15th century in Rus', the beginning of the new year was officially determined - on the first day of autumn.
However, two centuries later, or rather in 1699, by decree of the first Russian Emperor Peter I, the holiday was postponed again. This time - on January 1 according to the old style, that is, on January 14 according to the new style. After the revolution, in 1918, the Bolsheviks abolished the “extra” 13 days a year, which made up the very difference between our calendar and the European one.
In fact, it was then that two New Years were formed - according to the new and old styles.
Old New Year: the attitude of the Church
It so happened that the custom of celebrating the 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 differs from the generally accepted Gregorian calendar by the same 13 days. But starting from March 1, 2100, this difference will be 14 days. Thus, starting from 2101, Christmas and Old New Year will be celebrated a day later in Russia.
The Russian Orthodox Church has repeatedly noted that they do not yet intend to make adjustments to their calendar 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 the 14th to the 15th.” .
For many believers, the Old New Year has special meaning, since they can fully celebrate it only after the end of the Nativity Fast, during the Yuletide festivities.
Old New Year: the opinion of scientists
Astronomers clearly consider the Old New Year to be an unscientific date, however, the now universally accepted calendar, in their opinion, is not ideal. 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, scientists explain. At the same time, the new style more accurately corresponds to the laws of astronomy.
It’s interesting that today there are quite a few enthusiasts who offer their own version of timekeeping. Their proposals are mainly related to changing the traditional week: some propose making it five days or doing away with weeks altogether and introducing ten days. However, from the point of view of science, there are still no ideal proposals - at least, this is the conclusion that experts from different countries, studying applications for changes in chronology received even by the UN. Scientists consider it inappropriate to carry out any calendar reforms now.
Celebration of the Old New Year
Even though the Old New Year is not a day off, its popularity in Russia is growing year by year. According to VTsIOM, the number of people wishing to celebrate the Old New Year (or already celebrating) has exceeded 60% of the total number of Russians. Moreover, among those who are going to celebrate the Old New Year as a real holiday- the majority of pupils and students, workers, entrepreneurs, housewives and, in general, people under 40 years of age, with secondary specialized and secondary education, and relatively high incomes.
Old New Year: traditions and rituals
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 - this is where the name of the holiday “Osen” or “Avsen” comes from. 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.
There was another unique ritual - boiling porridge. On 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 just 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. After that, everyone got up from the table, and the hostess put the porridge into 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 she crawled out of the pot, or the pot cracked, this did not bode well for the owners of the house and, according to legend, trouble awaited them. In this case, the porridge itself was simply thrown away.
Historians and ethnographers are also interested in the ritual of going from house to house, when everyone was treated to pork dishes. On the night of Vasily, guests certainly had to be fed pork pies, boiled or baked pork legs, and in general any dishes that included this type of meat. 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 people 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. As well as the sonorous saying: “A pig and a boletus for Vasiliev’s evening,” which also contributed to the owners’ mood for economic prosperity and abundance.
The tradition of making dumplings with surprises for the Old New Year appeared, oddly enough, 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 have a fun feast and eat dumplings, eagerly waiting to see who gets what surprise. This comic fortune telling is especially popular with children. Some people even bring dumplings with them to work - to cheer up colleagues and co-workers. Some food factories even specially produce such dumplings just for the Old New Year.
TASS DOSSIER. On the night of January 13-14, the Old New Year, or New Year according to the Julian calendar, is celebrated - a holiday that appeared in Russia as a result of the calendar reform of 1918.
The history of the holiday
In pre-Christian times in Rus', the date of the new year changed several times: the beginning of the new year fell on the day of the winter solstice (December 21 or 22), on the day of the vernal equinox (March 22) or on the day of the first spring full moon. After the baptism of Rus' in 988, the Byzantine chronology system “from the creation of the world,” or from 5508, and the Julian calendar were adopted. At the same time, the tradition of celebrating the onset of the New Year in March was preserved and continued to operate until the 15th century.
In 1492 (or 7000 from the creation of the world), by decree of Ivan III, the date of the New Year was moved to September 1 and began to coincide with the harvest holiday, as well as with the end of the payment of dues and taxes. This chronology was also used by the Russian Orthodox Church.
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a reform to replace the Julian calendar with the Gregorian calendar to correct the growing difference between the astronomical and calendar year. As a result, the calendar moved forward 10 days. A number of Christian churches, including the Russian one, continued to use the Julian system.
On December 29 and 30, 1699, Peter I issued two personal decrees on the introduction of a new calendar and on the celebration of the New Year. The documents prescribed that the years should be counted from the Nativity of Christ (the current year 7208 from the creation of the world thus became 1699) and that the New Year should be celebrated on January 1. At the same time, the king did not introduce the Gregorian calendar. Until the 20th century, Russia continued to live according to the Julian calendar, celebrating the New Year 11 days later than European states. The church date of the New Year remained unchanged - September 1.
By the 20th century, the Russian calendar was 13 days behind the European calendar. To close this gap, January 24, 1918. The Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR adopted a decree introducing the Gregorian calendar in Russia. The document was signed by the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, Vladimir Lenin, on January 26, 1918. The chronology according to the new calendar began to be called the “new style”, and according to the Julian calendar - “old”. According to the decree, the day following January 31, 1918 was prescribed to be counted not as February 1, but as February 14, thus the difference between the “old” and “new” style was 13 days. The Russian Orthodox Church did not recognize these innovations and retained chronology according to the Julian calendar.
Since then, in Russia, as in most other countries, the New Year is celebrated on January 1 according to the Gregorian style. The previous date (January 1 according to the Julian calendar) has moved to January 14. Thus a new one arose unofficial holiday, called "old New Year". The difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars continues to increase into the early 2100s. will reach 14 days. In 2101, the old New Year will be celebrated on the night of January 14-15.
Holiday traditions
The New Year according to the new style falls during the period of forty days of fasting preceding Christmas on January 7th. The Old New Year is celebrated after Christmas, during Christmastide (12 days from Christmas to Epiphany). Therefore, believers who strictly adhere to church canons prefer to celebrate the New Year on January 14.
January 14 Christian church also honors the memory of St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappodacia. In the folk calendar, this day is called Vasilyev's Day, and the evening of December 13 is Vasilyev's Evening (also known as Shchedrets, Rich Evening, Malanya, etc.). According to tradition, as many festive treats as possible were supposed to be placed on the table, and roast pig was considered the main dish. According to legend, a hearty and plentiful meal on this day will ensure prosperity in the household for the whole year. The holiday was accompanied by festivities, as well as caroling (singing ritual songs, carols). In the southern regions of Russia and the Volga region, special New Year's carols were sung (ausen, avsen or autumn).
Where else is the holiday celebrated?
The tradition of celebrating the old New Year has been preserved in the former Soviet republics, now the CIS and Baltic countries, as well as in Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Greece, Romania. In Serbia, the holiday is called "Serbian New Year" or "Little Christmas", in Montenegro - "Proper New Year", in Greece St. Basil's Day is celebrated.
The holiday is also celebrated in a number of north-eastern cantons of Switzerland, whose residents refused to follow the papal calendar reform of 1582 (for example, in Appenzell they celebrate St. Sylvester's Day), as well as in some Welsh communities in Great Britain.
The New Year is celebrated on January 12 and 13 by the Berbers of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and other North African countries, who live according to their own calendar (which is the Julian calendar with some differences). The Berber holiday is called Yennayer, also known as the “Moroccan New Year”, it is not official.
This is a strange holiday after all. It’s just some kind of complete oxymoron, a kind of “combination of the incongruous.” Well, how is it - the Old Year and then the New Year? But nevertheless, the popularity of the Old New Year in Russia today is growing from year to year. All more people They treat it as an independent holiday that prolongs the charm of the New Year.
In 1918, when the new revolutionary government carried out many reforms, the calendar also suffered. On January 24, the “Decree on the introduction of the Western European calendar in the Russian Republic” was adopted, which came into force on February 1, 1918. Thus, the Old New Year is a rare historical phenomenon, additional holiday, which resulted from a change in chronology. Due to this discrepancy in calendars, we note two New Year's holiday- according to the old and new styles. And so it happened that in Russia two New Years are celebrated at once: traditional, on the night of January 31 to 1, and according to the old style, on the night of January 13 to 14.
Why celebrate the Old New Year?
In Orthodox Russia, all Christian holidays are still celebrated according to the Old Russian calendar, the Julian. In the Julian calendar, the day January 14 was dedicated to Basil the Great and was called Vasily's Day. After the abolition of the old calendar, believers did not change their traditions and celebrated the New Year at their usual time, January 14. And now, despite the fact that almost a hundred years have passed since the replacement of the Julian calendar with the Gregorian calendar, many celebrate the New Year according to the old style. For believers, the Old New Year has a special meaning, because it can be fully enjoyed only after the end of the strict Nativity fast, which lasts until January 6. New Year's Eve from December 31 to January 1 falls during the strictest time - the Orthodox forty-day fast in honor of the Nativity of Christ. According to the old style, everything went as usual: the Nativity Fast preceded the Christmas holiday, shortly after which people celebrated the New Year.
Where else is the Old New Year celebrated?
To be fair, we must say that we are not the only happy “owners” of this holiday. The Old New Year is celebrated in many countries of the post-Soviet space: in Latvia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Georgia. And also in Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, Romania - in these countries church holidays are also celebrated according to the Julian calendar. Old New Year is also celebrated in north-eastern Switzerland, in some German-speaking cantons and in the small Welsh community in Wales in western Great Britain. Residents of these places in the 16th century did not accept the reform of Pope Gregory and still celebrate the holiday on the night of January 13-14.
How to celebrate a holiday that is not marked in red on the calendar?
The Old New Year is the same holiday for most of us, only it is celebrated at the end and in a “lighter version”: the table is no longer bursting with treats, wishes are not made, gifts are not given and the chimes do not strike. You can modestly celebrate the New Year by old tradition a bottle of champagne, which is opened at 12 o'clock at night, an original dessert or a light snack. For several years now, all television channels on this night have been broadcasting the same concert program as in New Year's Eve- this creates a pleasant feeling of deja vu and puts an end to the New Year and Christmas fun. And from January 15, it is customary to dismantle the New Year trees, remove decorations and immerse yourself in the usual work atmosphere, no matter how much you want to extend the holiday.
Old New Year– a great reason to stop once again for a while in the daily hustle and bustle and pay attention to your loved ones and loved ones. On this day, it was customary to prepare many dishes, varied and satisfying, because the more dishes on the table, the more generous one promised to be next year. Required on festive table There were special traditional dishes:
