What is the old New Year and why is it celebrated? Old New Year: history, traditions and signs of the holiday Why the old new year is celebrated on 13.

The tradition of celebrating the Old New Year is associated with the divergence of two calendars: the Julian - the "old style" calendar and the Gregorian - the "new style" calendar, according to which modern people live. This discrepancy in the XX-XXI centuries is 13 days, and the New Year according to the old style is celebrated on the night of January 13-14.

From March 1, 2100, the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars will be 14 days. From 2101 Old New Year will be celebrated a day later.

Almost all the Protestant states of Europe switched to the Gregorian chronology back in the 18th century, removing a few extra days from the calendar. Russia, however, switched to a new calendar only in 1918. By a decree of the Council of People's Commissars of January 26, 1918, after January 31, 1918, February 14 immediately came.

As a result of the transition to a new chronology, the date of the beginning of the New Year has changed. New Style January 1 falls on December 19 according to the Julian calendar, and January 14 according to the new style is January 1 according to the Julian calendar.

The Russian Orthodox Church continues to celebrate all church holidays according to the Julian calendar: both the Circumcision of the Lord (until 1918 coinciding with the civil New Year) and the Nativity of Christ. The modern New Year falls on the pre-Christmas fast - an Orthodox forty-day fast in honor of Christmas. According to the old style, everything went on as usual - the Advent fast preceded the feast of the Nativity of Christ, after which people celebrated the New Year six days later.

Therefore, the Old Style New Year is important for Orthodox believers living in countries where the church continues to use the Julian calendar.

In Russia, until 1918, the arrival of the New Year fell on the period of Christmas time, so all folk New Year's signs are more applicable specifically to the Old New Year. People believed that if a woman came to the house first on the morning of the New Year, then this would inevitably bring misfortune, if a man - happiness. If there is money in the house on New Year's Day, you will not need it all year, but only on condition that you do not lend to anyone. In addition, the following signs were also known: "If the first day of the year is cheerful (happy), then the year will be like that"; "The snow or fog that fell on the New Year portends a harvest"; "A full hole of water and fog for the New Year portend a big flood"; "If there is wind in the New Year - to the harvest of nuts"; "New Year - turn towards spring"; "New Year - sled on the move"; "New Year's first hour of the day is gaining."

In addition, January 14 (January 1, old style) in the old days was called St. Basil's Day - the celebration of the memory of St. Basil the Great of Caesarea - and was of decisive importance for the whole year.

On this day, it was customary to conduct all kinds of divination and ancient rituals. The evening before (now January 13) was called Vasiliev's evening. Unmarried girls were especially waiting for him, who at that time willingly guessed. They believed: what you guess on Vasily's day will surely come true.

St. Basil was considered a "pigsty" - the patron saint of pig breeders and pork products, and they believed that if there was a lot of pork on the table on the night before Vasily's Day, then these animals would breed in abundance and bring good profits to the owners.

Therefore, the main festive dish on Vasily's Day was a pig, which was roasted whole, and a hare and a rooster were also prepared. According to legend, pig roast provides well-being for the coming year; they ate hare meat to be agile like a hare, and rooster meat to be light like a bird.

The rite of going from house to house to be treated to pork dishes was interesting. On the night of Vasily, the guests certainly had to be fed with pork pies, boiled or baked pork legs, and in general any dishes that include pork. A pig's head was also placed on the table.

There was also a custom on Vasily's Day with special rituals to cook porridge. On New Year's Eve, at 2 o'clock, the eldest of the women brought cereals from the barn (usually buckwheat), and the eldest man brought water from a well or river. It was impossible to touch cereals and water until the stove was heated - 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 uttering certain ritual words.

Then everyone got up from the table, and the hostess put the porridge in the oven - with a bow. Ready porridge was taken out of the oven and carefully examined. If the pot was just full, and the porridge was rich and crumbly, then one could expect a happy year and a rich harvest - they ate such porridge in the morning. If the porridge got out of the pot, or it was small and white, and the pot cracked, this did not bode well for the owners of the house, and then trouble was expected, and the porridge was thrown away.

In the old days, on Vasilyev Day, peasants went from house to house with congratulations and wishes for well-being. At the same time, an ancient rite was performed, known under various names: avsen, ovsen, autumn, etc. Its essence was that the children of the peasants, having gathered together before mass, went from house to house to sow grains of oats, buckwheat, rye and other loaves and at the same time they sang a sowing song.

The owners of the house gave the sprinkler something as a gift, and the grains scattered by him were carefully collected, stored until spring, and mixed with other seeds when sowing spring crops.

There is also a tradition in Russia on the night of the Old New Year to sculpt and cook dumplings, some of which are with surprises. In each locality (even in each family), the meanings of surprises may differ.

According to signs, if the sky is clear and starry at night before Vasiliev's day, then there will be a rich harvest of berries. According to popular belief, St. Basil the Great guards 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-furred snow, so St. Basil will shake off the worm-reptile of every spring!"

Some regions of Russia have their own traditions of celebrating the Old New Year. For example, in Yalga, a suburban village of Saransk (Mordovia), residents gather near the New Year's fire, dance and, together with old things, burn all the troubles that have accumulated over the year. They also have a tradition of comic fortune-telling with an old boot or felt boots. Yalga residents stand in a circle and pass each other a "magic slipper" in which there are notes with good wishes. They believe that a note pulled out of a boot will surely bring good luck.

The tradition of celebrating the Old New Year has been preserved not only in Russia, but also in the former Soviet republics. In Belarus and Ukraine, the evening on the eve of January 14 is called "generous", since it is customary to cook "generous kutya" - a rich table after the Christmas Lent. Both Georgia and Abkhazia celebrate the Old New Year.

In Abkhazia, January 13 is officially listed as Azhyrnykhua or Hechkhuama - Creation Day, update. It is festive and non-working. The holiday of renewal or the creation of the world takes its origin in the pagan past of the country and is associated with the veneration of the deity Shashva, the patron saint of blacksmiths. Traditionally, roosters and goats are slaughtered on this day as a sacrifice to Shashva. The holiday gathers under the roof of the family sanctuary - the "forge" - all relatives on the paternal side. Representatives of other people's families - wives and daughters-in-law stay at home.

The Old New Year is also celebrated in some other countries.

In the former Yugoslavia (Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia), they also celebrate the Old New Year on the night of January 13-14, since the Serbian Orthodox Church, like the Russian one, continues to live according to the Julian calendar.

Serbs call this holiday "Serbian New Year" or Little Christmas. Sometimes the Serbs bring "badnyak" into the house on this day - one of the two logs that they prepared on Christmas Eve for Christmas and Little Christmas.

In Montenegro, it is customary to call this holiday "Rights of Nova Godina", which means "correct New Year".

Vasilitsy are prepared for the Old New Year: round pies made from corn dough with kaymak - cream curdled like cheese. Sometimes another dish is prepared from corn dough - parennitsa.

On the night of January 14, they gather at the festive table to celebrate the arrival of the New Year in Greece. This Greek holiday is called Saint Basil's Day, known for his kindness. In anticipation of this saint, Greek children leave their shoes by the fireplaces so that St. Basil puts gifts in them.

In Romania, the Old New Year is celebrated more often in the narrow circle of the family, less often with friends. For the festive table, they make New Year's pies with surprises: coins, porcelain figurines, rings, hot peppers. The ring found in the pie promises great luck.

Old New Year is also celebrated in the north-east of Switzerland in some German-speaking cantons. In the 16th century, the inhabitants of the canton of Appenzell did not accept the reform of Pope Gregory and still celebrate the holiday on the night of January 13-14. On January 13, they celebrate the old day of St. Sylvester, who, according to legend, in 314 caught a terrible monster.

It was believed that in the year 1000 the monster would break free and destroy the world, but this did not happen. Since then, on New Year's Eve, the inhabitants of Switzerland dress up in masquerade costumes, put on bizarre structures resembling dollhouses or botanical gardens on their heads and call themselves Sylvester Clauses. Walking along the streets, the locals make noise and shout, thereby expelling evil spirits and inviting good spirits.

In addition, the Old Style New Year is celebrated in a small Welsh community in Wales in the west of the UK. On January 13 they celebrate "Khen Galan". There are no fireworks or champagne on this day. "Khen Galan" is greeted according to the traditions of the ancestors with songs, carols and local home-made beer.

Since 1752 in the United Kingdom The Gregorian calendar is in effect, with New Year's Day on January 1st. But a small community of Welsh farmers, centered in a village called Gwayne Valley, celebrates the onset of the New Year according to the Julian calendar, and unlike the rest of the country, it is on January 13 that they have an official holiday.

The reason why Gwayne Valley and its surrounding farms have fallen 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 way of life.

The children start the holiday. From early morning they carol all over the valley, collecting gifts and money. For adults, the fun comes in the late afternoon. The whole village and nearby farms gather at the local pub. Outside visitors are not allowed. In an ancient pub, one of the few in the UK where beer is brewed and immediately poured into jugs, nothing but beer is served. Locals bring their own food. In the pub, people sing songs in Welsh to the accompaniment of an accordion, which were performed by their grandfathers and great-grandfathers.

For local residents, Khen Galan is a holiday of good neighborliness and "open doors" - but open to their own. According to legend, in ancient times, the inhabitants of the valley went from house to house to visit in a round dance with songs.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

http://rian.ru/spravka/20110113/320985003.htm

On the night of January 13-14, the Old New Year is celebrated in Russia, as well as in many neighboring countries. AiF.ru explains how and when this holiday appeared.

The Old New Year is a rare historical phenomenon, an additional holiday that resulted from a change in the chronology. Due to this discrepancy in calendars, we celebrate two "New Years" - according to the old and new styles.

How did the Old New Year

The date of the creation of the world (according to the ancient translation of the Old Testament) used to be March 1, 5508 BC. e. Therefore, the New Year began on the first day of spring (according to the new style, March 14).

However, in the Constantinopolitan era, this date was recalculated more accurately, and September 1, 5509 BC was considered the day of the creation of the world. e. Therefore, the New Year from now on began on the first day of autumn.

In pagan times in Russia, the New Year was celebrated on March 22 - on the day of the vernal equinox. After the adoption of Christianity in Russia, the Byzantine calendar began to gradually replace the old one, and the New Year now began on September 1. Even today, some teachings interpret this date as the true birthday of Christ. D For a long time in Russia, New Year's inconsistency persisted - some continued to celebrate the New Year in the spring, others in the fall. And only at the end of the 15th century - in 1492 - they officially determined a single date for the beginning of the New Year in Russia - September 1.

Only 2 centuries later, on December 19, 1700, Peter I promulgated a decree of summer to be calculated from January 1 from the Nativity of Christ (that is, according to the "new" style - January 14). Thus, in the Russian state, the year 1699 lasted only 4 months, from September to December.

By the twentieth century, the calendar of Russia, which continued to use the Julian calendar, was 13 days behind Europe, which had long since switched to the Gregorian calendar. To narrow this gap, in 1918, by decree of the Council of People's Commissars, a transition was made to the Gregorian calendar - a new style, and January 14 - the day of St. Basil, Archbishop of Caesarea Cappodacia - turned out to be the Old New Year.

In what other countries celebrate the Old New Year?

The Old New Year is celebrated not only in the CIS. On January 13, a festive table is also set in the following countries:

Greece;
Macedonia;
Romania;
Serbia;
Montenegro;
Switzerland.

Also celebrate the Old New Year in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. True, it is celebrated according to the Berber calendar, which is a Julian calendar with minor differences. As a result of accumulated errors, the eve of the holiday falls on January 11th.

Old New Year today

On the night of January 13-14, everyone can afford to "complete" their favorite holiday. Indeed, for many believers, the Old New Year is of particular importance, since they can heartily celebrate the beginning of the new year only after the end of the Advent.

Today, the popularity of the Old New Year is growing from year to year, and Russia is no exception. More and more people treat it as an independent holiday that prolongs the charm of the New Year or allows you to feel this charm for the first time. After all, this holiday is more peaceful, it is not characterized by the fuss that is an inevitable companion of the New Year.

When will the New Year be celebrated in 90 years?

Interestingly, the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars increases every century when the number of hundreds in the year from the birth of Christ is not a multiple of four by one day. Now the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendar is 13 days. And from March 1, 2100, this difference will be 14 days. And from 2101, Christmas and the Old New Year will be celebrated a day later.

On the night of January 13-14, citizens, mainly of Ukraine and Russia, celebrate the Old New Year - a holiday that is incomprehensible to many foreigners

No one can really explain how the Old New Year differs from the traditional one, but there are several versions: a change in the start date of the New Year in Russia 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 Russia on March 22 - on the day of the vernal equinox, and this was associated with the agricultural cycle. With the adoption of Christianity in Russia, the Byzantine calendar began to gradually replace the old one, and now the New Year began on September 1. For a long time there was still discord, and in some places the New Year continued to be celebrated in the spring. Only at the end of the 15th century in Russia officially determined the beginning of the New Year - 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 chronology and the European one. So two celebrations of the New Year were formed - according to the new and the old style.

Church about the Old New Year

The custom of celebrating the Old New Year on the night of January 13-14 is due to the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church continues to celebrate both the New Year and Christmas according to the Julian calendar, which so far differs from the generally accepted Gregorian calendar by 13 days. But already from March 1, 2100, this difference will be 14 days, since the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars increases by one day every 100 years, when the number of hundreds in the year from the Nativity of Christ is not a multiple of four. From 2101, Christmas and Old New Year will be celebrated a day later.

For many believers, the Old New Year is of particular importance, since they can celebrate it wholeheartedly only after the end of the Nativity Fast, during Christmas festivities.

Opinions of scientists about the Old New Year

Old New Year is an unscientific date, astronomers say. According to them, the strict mechanics of the movement of the planets forces people to make changes to the reckoning. 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. Seconds additional 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 the new Gregorian systems. The new style more closely complies with the laws of astronomy.

Celebration of the Old New Year

Despite the fact that this day is not a holiday for everyone and is not even a day off, the popularity of the Old New Year is growing. Every year the number of those wishing to celebrate the Old New Year increases and is already more than 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

This day in the old days was called Vasily's Day, and was of decisive importance for the whole year. Vasiliev day was celebrated farming holiday, which was associated with the future harvest, and performed the rite of sowing - hence the name of the holiday "Autumn" or "Avsen". This rite 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 hostess then collected it and kept it until sowing time. Ukrainian rituals were distinguished by fun, dances and songs.

And there was also a ritual cooking porridge. On New Year's Eve, at 2 o'clock, the eldest of the women brought cereals from the barn, and the eldest man brought water from a well or river. They cooked porridge in the oven, then they took it out and carefully examined it. If the pot was just full, and the porridge was rich and crumbly, then one could expect a happy year and a rich harvest - they ate such porridge in the morning. If the porridge got out of the pot, or the pot cracked, this did not bode well for the owners of the house, and then trouble was expected, and the porridge was thrown away.

interesting house-to-house ritual to eat pork. On the night of Vasily, the guests certainly had to be fed with pork pies, boiled or baked pork legs, and in general any dishes that include pork. A pig's head was also placed on the table. The fact is that Vasily was considered a “pigsty” - the patron saint of pig breeders 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.

And here is the tradition sculpt dumplings for the Old New Year with surprises appeared not so long ago - no one remembers exactly where and when, but many people observe it with pleasure. In some cities, they are made in almost every house - with family and friends, and then they arrange a fun feast and eat these dumplings, looking forward to who and what kind of surprise will come across. This comic fortune-telling is especially liked by children; sometimes such dumplings are often produced at local food enterprises - just before the Old New Year.

It is customary to celebrate the New Year in Russia for a long time and on a grand scale - in January we have a rest for more than a week. However, the festive mood persists even after the end of the official holidays, because on the night of January 13-14, the whole country celebrates the Old New Year. Kultura.RF tells about when and how the holiday with such a controversial name appeared.

New Year pre-revolutionary postcard. Russia, before 1917.

The old New Year came into our culture along with the old style of reckoning.

In 1918, the Bolshevik government decided to change the calendar. Tsarist Russia lived according to the Julian calendar, and Europe - according to the Gregorian. The first was created in the Roman Empire and was based on ancient Egyptian astronomy. The Gregorian calendar was more accurate; it was created in the 16th century, taking into account the latest knowledge about the structure of the universe. The difference between the two systems of calculation was 13 days and created inconvenience for the conduct of international political and economic affairs and led to funny incidents in everyday life. For example, according to the dates on the postmarks, it turned out that the telegram was received in Europe a few days earlier than it was sent in Russia.

The transition to the Western European calendar took place on February 14, 1918. According to the decree, the main goal of the entire project was "the establishment in Russia of the same calculus with almost all cultural peoples."

An unusual holiday appeared - the old New Year, that is, the New Year according to the old style, which was not forgotten by the people. However, they celebrated the old New Year not on such a large scale as the night from December 31 to January 1.

The Russian clergy did not agree with the transition to the new style and did not abandon the Julian calendar. But this was not so important for the Bolsheviks, who had already signed the Decree on the separation of the church from the state and the school from the church. The old style has become informal.

Today, the Russian Orthodox Church still uses the Julian calendar. Therefore, Christmas in our country is celebrated on January 7, and in Catholic countries - on December 25. The New Year, or rather the New Year, the Orthodox Church celebrates on September 14 (September 1, according to the old style) - not from the Nativity of Christ, but from the creation of the world. During the secular New Year holidays, believers keep the Nativity Fast.

Directly on January 1, the holy martyr Boniface is commemorated, to whom one should pray in order to get rid of drunkenness (the disease of wine drinking).

Contrary to popular belief, the tradition of celebrating the Old New Year exists not only in our country. There are similar holidays in the countries of the former USSR, as well as in Greece, Serbia, Montenegro, Algeria, Tunisia and many other countries. In all states, the appearance of an unusual date is associated with transitions to different calendars, but each country has its own traditions. In the German-speaking regions of Switzerland, for example, old St. Sylvester's Day is celebrated on January 13, dressing up in fancy dress and wishing each other a Happy New Year. In Macedonia, carnivals are held on the New Year according to the old calendar. There is an analogue of our holiday in Wales - the Hen Galan festival. It also means the beginning of the New Year according to the Julian calendar, and on this day children can “carol” - go from house to house and receive sweet gifts.

In Russia, according to statistics, the old New Year is celebrated by about half of the country's population, gathering at the festive table. And a number of museums and cultural organizations dedicate thematic exhibitions to the holiday.