What is the old year? Why do we celebrate not only the New Year, but also the Old New Year? Signs and beliefs for the Old New Year

: what kind of holiday is this and how did it appear. The time for a completely unique holiday is approaching. Such a holiday is the Old New Year. In 2018, as usual, it is supposed to be celebrated on the night of January 13-14.

The Old New Year is a relatively young holiday. It appeared not so long ago and is not an independent holiday. The Old New Year is a holiday that arose as a result of the transition from one calendar to another, that is, from the Julian to the Gregorian. This happened in Soviet Russia in 1918 by order of Lenin. Until now, Russia, like other countries of the former Soviet Union They celebrate the New Year twice. However, many people mistakenly believe that only countries former USSR celebrate the Old New Year. In a number of other countries, citizens also celebrate the New Year twice.

According to the Gregorian calendar currently in effect, we celebrated the New Year 2018 on the night of December 31 to January 1. And on the night of January 13-14, 2018, we will celebrate the New Year “according to the old style,” that is, the Old New Year.

It is worth noting that opinions regarding the celebration of the Old New Year are different. Some people are happy to gather a festive feast on this day, set a rich table, and invite guests. Others, on the contrary, do not accept the Old New Year as a full-fledged holiday, and therefore do not celebrate it at all. There are no tips or recommendations in this situation. Everyone has the right to determine for themselves whether or not to celebrate the Old New Year on the night of January 13-14, 2018.

The Old New Year is another reason to get together with the whole family, congratulate friends and loved ones, give beautiful gifts and, of course, believe in a miracle. This winter holiday is celebrated in our country on the night of January 13-14 and completes a series of New Year celebrations. But is the Old New Year only in Russia? And in general, why did such an unusual holiday arise? We are sure that many of our readers have asked this question more than once on the eve of the winter holidays.

Usually the Old New Year falls on the first working week after a multi-day rest. But how great it is to watch New Year’s films again, cook “herring under a fur coat” and invite guests! We owe such a wonderful opportunity to an amazing phenomenon. Want to know which one? Read about it in our new article!

How did the holiday come about?

In Rus', in the distant times of paganism, our ancestors celebrated the New Year on March 22 - the day of the spring solstice. After Prince Vladimir adopted the Christian faith in 988, this holiday began to be celebrated on September 1. According to the Old Testament, this date corresponds to the first day of the creation of the world.

For many centuries there was no consensus on the celebration of the New Year: some celebrated it in the fall, while others continued to adhere to the pagan calendar. But in 1492 the discrepancies were put to an end, and the New Year was officially celebrated on September 1.

However, this date did not last long: after just a couple of centuries, Peter I moved our favorite holiday to January 1 from the Nativity of Christ, since the emperor did not want to be behind enlightened Europe. This decree was issued on December 19, 1699, so the current year was only four months: September, October, November and December. Since then, residents of Russia began to celebrate the New Year on January 1, as we do today.

But where did the 14th come from then? Here we come to the solution. The thing is that before the revolution it was used Julian "old" calendar. The difference between it and the “new” Gregorian calendar, according to which Europe had long lived, was as much as 13 days.

After the October Revolution and the arrival Soviet power Christmas was canceled due to its religiosity, and a year later the Bolsheviks decided that Soviet Russia was moving to a new calendar. Thus, the difference in the calendars was eliminated, and January 14, which used to be New Year's Day, coincided with St. Basil's Day. This is how two holidays began to be celebrated in our country.

It is noteworthy that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Christmas continued to be celebrated on January 7, which corresponds to the Julian “old” style, so the date of this religious holiday is connected specifically with the Old New Year.

Old New Year in other countries

The night from January 13 to 14 became a holiday not only for the former countries of the Soviet Union - the CIS countries, but also for some others: Switzerland, Greece, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Macedonia. And this is still an incomplete list.

Such a holiday as “Old New Year” exists among states that used the Berber chronology before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar. In fact, it differs slightly from the Julian, but due to some errors and errors, the eve of the Old New Year in Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria is celebrated on January 11.

Our days

For many people in our country who profess Orthodoxy, there is only one holiday - the Old New Year, because until Christmas they observe the Nativity Fast. For everyone else, this is an opportunity to once again celebrate their favorite holiday and feel the atmosphere of magic: how you want to meet Santa Claus again and find a treasured gift under the tree!

These days this holiday is becoming increasingly popular. Its special charm is associated with pre-revolutionary Russia, Orthodox traditions, and simply popular love for the New Year. This celebration has even partially become independent, because it has its own history of origin. In addition, by the end of the holidays, the pre-holiday bustle subsides, and the Old New Year can be enjoyed in a quiet family circle.

Our little historical journey has come to an end. We hope that you have learned a lot of interesting things, and now you have no doubt why the Old New Year is celebrated on January 14. Perhaps we should be grateful to this unusual historical phenomenon for the fact that we have another chance to happily celebrate the New Year and believe in a winter fairy tale.

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 chronology. Because of this discrepancy in calendars, we celebrate two “New Years” - according to the old and new styles.

How did the Old New Year appear?

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

However, in the era of Constantinople, 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 henceforth began on the first day of autumn.

In pagan times in Rus', the New Year was celebrated on March 22 - the day of the spring equinox. After the adoption of Christianity in Rus', the Byzantine calendar began to gradually replace the old one, and the New Year now began on September 1. This date is still interpreted today by some teachings as the true birthday of Christ. D For a long time, New Year's inconsistency persisted in Rus' - 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 - was a single date for the beginning of the New Year in Rus' officially determined - September 1.

Only 2 centuries later, on December 19, 1700, Peter I promulgated the 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, 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 ago switched to the Gregorian calendar. To reduce this gap, in 1918, by decree of the Council of People's Commissars, the transition to the Gregorian calendar was carried out - a new style, and January 14 - the day of St. Basil, Archbishop of Caesarea of Cappodacia - turned out to be the Old New Year.

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.

The Old New Year is also celebrated in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. True, it is celebrated according to the Berber calendar, which is 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 “pre-celebrate” their most favorite holiday. Indeed, for many believers, the Old New Year has a special meaning, since they can wholeheartedly celebrate the beginning of the new year only after the end of the Nativity Fast.

Today, the popularity of the Old New Year is growing from year to year, and Russia is no exception. All more people They 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 calmer, it is not characterized by the bustle that is an inevitable companion of the New Year.

When will 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 after Christ is not a multiple of four for one day. Currently, the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars is 13 days. And from March 1, 2100, this difference will be 14 days. And from 2101, Christmas and Old New Year will be celebrated a day later.

What dates does our history not contain? The Old New Year holiday is not on any calendar in the world, but for almost a century it has been celebrated in our country and in some countries near and far abroad. Almost two weeks after the first of January, the fun at the Christmas tree returns. The emerging dual tradition greatly surprises foreigners, and not all of our compatriots know why this happens. Where did the custom of celebrating the Old New Year come from? What date is it celebrated? In our article we will understand all the mysteries of the appearance of this amazing holiday.

Change of chronology

Until the beginning of the twentieth century, the Julian calendar was in effect in Russia. Back in the sixteenth century, astronomers recognized it as erroneous, and the countries of Europe began to live according to the Gregorian system, introduced by Gregory XIII. The thing is that the year has a different average length, and therefore a difference in dates gradually arose.

By 1917, there was a discrepancy of as much as thirteen days in Russia and Europe. Having come to power, the Bolsheviks carried out numerous changes and reforms, including the issue of bringing time into the same format as the European one. The decree issued by Vladimir Lenin in 1918 on the transition of Russia to one eliminated the confusion in numbers, and the whole world began to live according to the same chronology.

This is the history of the holiday. The Old New Year, as we see, arose due to a change in the calendar. Instead of moving the event from one date to another, the current historical situation provided another reason for celebration. Now we have two opportunities to celebrate the coming year, this can be done in the old and new style.

Origins - in church traditions

The Julian calendar was preserved in Russian Orthodox Church, which to this day calculates everything only based on it. Keeping traditional time, the so-called " old style", the Russian Church rejects the European chronology. Since the worldly New Year falls on January 14, the Old New Year can otherwise be called the New Year according to the old style. It was this day before the revolution that was considered the first day of January. Historically, our ancestors, having switched to a new calendar, did not move away from the previous one. This is the secret of the two New Year holidays in our country and some nearby countries.

Is it possible to have a feast during Lent?

For Orthodox people The current January 1st falls during the strict Nativity fast. During this period, believers refuse meat, savory food and entertainment. These prohibitions end only because on January 14, the Old New Year becomes a truly special day when you can enjoy life and enjoy the holiday. In European countries, Catholic Christmas is celebrated on December 25, so the New Year's table can be safely set with any dishes.

Second chance, or To be continued...

Surprisingly, since 1918, people have traditionally celebrated the Old New Year every year. Today even children know what date to celebrate this holiday.

What is the secret of the holiday’s popularity is difficult to answer unequivocally. For some, this is the Orthodox New Year, for others it is a reason to gather the whole family at the table, for others it is an opportunity to complete what they did not manage to do before January 1st.

The pre-New Year bustle and hype has subsided, there is no more running around the shops in search of gifts and products, and a person has a unique chance to prolong the charm of the holiday. If you celebrated the chimes on December 31st with your family, then this time you can have a party with friends, or vice versa. If, when setting the table at the end of last year, you prepared the traditional Olivier salad and herring under a fur coat, then on this day you can experiment with new dishes.

What to do on Old New Year?

It's no secret that TV has become a part of our lives. The whole country watches TV programs, programs and films. Prepared specifically for New Year's Eve, some shows may be of interest. If you missed a holiday movie or program last time because of a trip to the Christmas tree or a noisy feast, then don’t be upset: TV people, well aware of this point, usually repeat their program on the evening of January 13th. Each family can come up with its own traditions for celebrating the Old New Year.

The carol has arrived - open the gates

Mid-January is Christmas time. They begin on Christmas Eve and last for two weeks until Epiphany. Being in the middle, the holiday divides Christmastide into two halves. The first week was called "holy evenings." This time is dedicated to the birth of Christ. But the second week was called “terrible evenings.” The ancestors believed that evil spirits were walking around these days. People turned to fortune telling and recalled various rituals. On the Old New Year, on Christmas Eve and the eve of Epiphany, it was customary to carol.

This folk event was something like a fun carnival. Young people and children dressed up in various costumes and masks and walked around the village. Stopping at each house, they sang special songs. Moreover, they were performed both on Christmas and Epiphany, and not just on the Old New Year.

The history of the origin of the word “kolyada” is associated with the Latin term calendae, which translates as “first day of the month.” The semantic meaning has gradually changed, and now it means funny songs that mummers sing under the windows of houses, while collecting alms - treats.

The sheepskin coat is inside out, the bag is in your hands, and off you go!

For this fun, young people usually gathered in a whole group. A “mekhonosh” was always appointed, who was responsible for a large basket or bag where treats brought by generous owners were placed. Most often they dressed up as animals, for example, a bear, a wolf or a goat. They also dressed as all kinds of evil spirits, for example, the devil or Baba Yaga. At the same time, complex costumes were not required; the transformation took place literally using scrap materials. The sheepskin coat was turned inside out and tied with a simple rope, the face was smeared with soot, coal or sprinkled with flour.

Treat a caroler to a year of living with dignity: signs for the Old New Year

The carolers praised the owners, their generosity, house, livestock and yard, congratulated them on the holiday, wished them health, wealth, a bountiful harvest, and for this the owners presented them with pies, pancakes and other goodies. Such treats were prepared in advance and in large quantities. It was considered to ignore the carolers. For those owners who regretted the treats, the mummers not only sang ditties ridiculing greed, but could also cause mischief by bringing down a woodpile of firewood, tying the doors with resin rope, or in other ways. It happened that a cheerful procession forgot to enter a house, accidentally letting it pass. Such an incident was considered a harbinger of something bad. Carol carolers did not enter homes that were visited by misfortune during the year and claimed someone’s life.

Protection from dark forces

Naturally, such dressing up as all kinds of evil spirits was not welcomed by the Church and was considered a devilish undertaking. Therefore, at the end of Christmas time, carolers washed themselves with holy water and hurried to atone for sin in the temple of God. For a long time, people have tried in every possible way to protect themselves and their home from various troubles; there were special conspiracies for this. On the Old New Year, for example, to protect against the evil eye, damage and misfortune, it was supposed to take 3 lit candles and read the following words near the entrance to the house: “Happiness is in the house, all troubles are out!” Whoever thinks evil will be returned threefold. Whoever wants to jinx him, trouble will find him. And the Lord will protect this house, Saint Basil will look after it. Amen". These Old New Year conspiracies were repeated not only at the threshold, but also at every window in the house. In the old days, people adhered to such rituals very strictly.

Folk signs for the Old New Year

As you know, there are events that contain unusual days and related to them. The history of the holiday is also noted in it. The Old New Year is celebrated on January 14 and is called Vasily's Day according to the folk calendar. People noticed that if the weather was frosty and little snow, this promised a bountiful harvest. The thaw on this day was perceived as a harbinger of a cold and lean summer. There were other signs too. On the Old New Year there was a blizzard - nuts would be born.

“Avsen, avsen, you walked around everyone...”

Vasiliev's Day was a holiday of agriculture, and therefore it was celebrated cheerfully: calendar songs were sung, round dances were held, people started dancing. Traditional rituals were also used. On the Old New Year, they carried out seeding and scattered wheat grain in the house. They also prayed that she would be born this summer.

The patron saint of not only agriculture, but also pig breeding was considered the holy martyr Basil, whose day was celebrated on the Old New Year. The story goes that the owners prepared meat dishes, pies, and pork jellied meats. It was believed that this would bring health and happiness to everyone at home. In addition, it was necessary to treat the guests with meat, so that night people went to each other - both to congratulate and taste goodies.

Whatever kind of porridge you brew, that’s how you’ll spend the year

Another interesting tradition has been preserved by the history of the holiday. The Old New Year was a day of predictions. At night, elderly members of the family, a man and a woman, prepared ritual porridge. First, they waited until the oven got hot, and then they poured water over the cereal and put the pot in the oven overnight. By how the porridge turned out, they determined what the coming year would be like. A whole pot and aromatic and crumbly porridge foreshadowed a happy future and good harvest. This dish was eaten in the morning. If the cereal ended up outside the pot, running over the edge, or the vessel itself cracked, poverty and a bad harvest awaited the owners. In this case, the ritual porridge was not eaten, but was immediately thrown away.

Even in ancient times, people said: “As you greet the year, so will you spend it.” This statement, which has survived to this day, encourages us to set a rich table with treats and dishes on the holiday and have fun, inviting wealth, prosperity and health into our home.

What is the old New Year and why is it celebrated?

On the night of January 13-14, the Old New Year is celebrated in Russia, as well as in many neighboring countries.

How did the Old New Year appear?

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

By the twentieth century, the calendar of Russia, which continued to use the Julian calendar, was 13 days behind Europe, which had long ago switched to the Gregorian calendar. To reduce 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 of Cappodacia - turned out to be the Old New Year.

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.

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

Old New Year today

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, which prolongs the charm of the New Year or allows them to feel this charm for the first time. After all, this holiday is calmer, it is not characterized by the bustle that is an inevitable companion of the New Year.