Old New Year- one of the unique holidays, celebrated on the night of January 13-14 in many countries, including in the post-Soviet space
Many generations from year to year arrange a feast for the Old New Year and do not even think about the history of its origin.
For many believers, it symbolizes the end of Lent and is a good reason to celebrate it from the heart.
Story
Old New Year is a holiday that is celebrated unofficially. This holiday arose as a result of a change in chronology. The tradition of celebrating the Old New Year is associated with the divergence of two calendars: the Julian - “old style” and the Gregorian - “new style”.
New Year's decorations on the Christmas tree
New Year 2017: how to celebrate and what to expect....
Almost all European countries switched to the Gregorian calendar back in the 18th century, removing a few extra days from the calendar. By the twentieth century, the Russian 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 to the Gregorian calendar was carried out - a new style. In fact, after January 31st, February 14th came immediately. As a result, January 14 - St. Basil's Day turned out to be the old New Year.
The Orthodox Church continues to celebrate all church holidays according to the Julian calendar. The modern New Year falls on the pre-Christmas fast - the Orthodox forty-day fast in honor of Christmas.
Santa Claus is photographed with children near the New Year tree in one of the parks of the Georgian capital
Focusing on the Julian chronology, one can trace the natural order of the holidays - the Nativity Fast preceded the holiday of the Nativity of Christ, after which six days later people celebrated the New Year.
The discrepancy between the old and new chronology in the XX-XXI centuries is 13 days, so the New Year according to the old style is celebrated on the night of January 13-14. The difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars will gradually increase and from March 1, 2100 will be 14 days, so from 2101 the Old New Year will be celebrated a day later.
Where do they celebrate...
For many years in the countries of the post-Soviet space, including Georgia, the custom of celebrating the Old New Year has been preserved, which, as it seemed to us, was incomprehensible to the rest of the world.
In fact, the Old Style New Year is known and loved in different parts of our planet, and there are countries that also celebrate the arrival of the New Year twice a year.
This custom can be found among residents of the former Yugoslavia. The reasons are also similar - church ministers count all significant dates according to the Julian chronology system.
Serbs call this holiday "Serbian New Year" or "Little Christmas". In Montenegro, it is customary to call this holiday “Prava Nova Godina”, which means “Correct New Year”.
The inhabitants of Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria have a similar custom. They live according to their own Berber calendar, similar to the Julian calendar. As a result of many deviations and errors, they celebrate the second New Year on January 12.
The night of January 14 is considered fabulous in Romania and some cantons of Sweden. In Greece, on this night they gather for festive table to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. This Greek holiday is called St. Basil's Day, famous for his kindness.
Old Style New Year is celebrated in the small Welsh community in Wales in the west of Great Britain, where they celebrate Hen Galan on January 13th. "Hen Galan" - a holiday of good neighborliness and "open doors" according to the traditions of our ancestors, is greeted with songs, folk festivals and local home-made beer.
And then, 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
On January 14, the Orthodox Church commemorates Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappodacia. In the popular calendar it is called Vasiliev's Day and was of decisive importance for the whole year.
There are many traditions and customs associated with the Old New Year in Rus'. 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".
On this day, the children scattered grains of wheat, oats, and rye around the house, saying: “O God, beget every life according to the grain, that is according to the grain and according to the great, and then life would be for the whole baptized world.” The mistress of the house collected grains from the floor and stored them until sowing.
And there was also a peculiar ritual - cooking porridge. On New Year's Eve, at about two 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 trouble was expected, and the porridge was thrown away.
On the night of the Old New Year, the girls told fortunes about their betrothed - after all, the Christmastide period continued, the best time of year for all kinds of fortune-telling and predictions. People believed that fortune telling on the night of January 13-14 was the most truthful and it was at this time that you could see your future spouse in a dream.
Toys and decorations on the New Year treeNew Year tree
Celebrate the New Year and stay alive!
To do this, the girls combed their hair before going to bed, put a comb under their pillow and said the magic words: “Mummer, come comb my head.”
The ritual of going from house to house to treat yourself to pork dishes is also interesting. 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 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.
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 observed with pleasure 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 these dumplings, eagerly waiting to see who will get what kind of surprise.
Signs
On New Year's Day they did not lend money so that there would not be a shortage of it throughout the year. It was considered very lucky to receive money on this day - it foreshadowed profit in the new year.
To dress well all year round, on Vasilyev's evening to celebrate the New Year you should wear good new clothes.
One of the women's and men's clothing stores in a shopping center in the capital of Georgia
In the old days there was a belief that if you carry out old year and meet the new one as cheerfully as possible, then it will pass happily.
The clear, starry sky on Vasily's Day foreshadowed a rich harvest of berries. A fierce snowstorm on the evening of January 13 indicated a bountiful nut harvest.
Also, fluffy snow on tree branches in the morning and thick fog on Vasily’s Day indicated a bountiful harvest in the new year.
By folk beliefs Saint Basil 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 on January 14, a man should be the first to enter the house, then the year would turn out to be prosperous; if a woman enters, it would mean trouble.
Outside the window it is blowing and blowing, the frost is crackling, and from the outskirts of the village the cheerful songs of generous people are already heard. Very soon the Old New Year will come - another favorite winter holiday. It mixed history and folk traditions, cheerful songs and generous treats, amazing ancient customs and modern habits.
Few people uninitiated into the mystery of the Old New Year understand the meaning of this holiday. And its name causes confusion among foreigners.
But it turns out that the Old New Year, which we usually celebrate from January 13 to 14 in Russia, is not the only option for an unusual New Year’s celebration. Let's try to figure out why the Old New Year is celebrated on January 14, and what other dates exist for celebrating the New Year according to the old calendar.
New Year in old times
The New Year was not celebrated as such in old Rus'. People celebrated not the calendar transition to a new number of days in the year, but the arrival of a new time, the revival of nature.
Therefore, the celebration always took place at the beginning of spring, when they said goodbye to the old year and welcomed the new year. People said goodbye to winter and welcomed the Sun and spring. This holiday was more like a modern Maslenitsa.
Typically, the celebration among pagan tribes took place on March 22 - the Day of the Vernal Equinox.
Therefore, according to old customs, the New Year always fell at the end of March.
When people began to think about time, about the creation of the world, scientists were certain that our world dates back to March 1, 5508 BC. e.
It was from this date that the calendar began. A calendar appeared according to which the year began on March 1, when the Old New Year was celebrated.
During the Constantinople era, the date of the creation of the world was recalculated when the New Year appeared in the old Byzantine style. Its celebration, like the beginning of the year, was postponed to September 1.
There will be more changes in the history of the Old New Year.
But at that time, the start date of the year was just a new number in the calendar, which never became a holiday.
From Peter's New Year to the birth of the Old New Year: what date was celebrated
The answer to when the Old New Year is celebrated will still have to be sought in historical events.
The holiday first appeared in Russia after the decree of Peter I, according to which the year 1700 was to be celebrated on January 1. In this way, the ruler tried to eliminate confusion in dates. From that time on, the date of celebration of the old New Year became the night from December 31 to January 1.
But that's it Russian state lived according to the old or Julian calendar.
It turns out that for more than 2 centuries, the old New Year fell on the 14th according to the new style.
The situation changed with the arrival of the Bolsheviks. Not only the system in the country has changed, but also the calendar.
The Gregorian calendar was introduced, according to which all of Europe lived at that time. The New Year was automatically moved to January 1 according to the new style.
But people were so accustomed to a series of winter holidays that for a long time they did not want to give up celebrating the usual old New Year, when it is celebrated 7 days after Christmas.
Thus, in fact, a New calendar holiday was born, corresponding to the new style, and the old New Year, which is celebrated according to the old canons, was preserved.
The attitude of contemporaries to the Old New Year, the date of celebration
Many people associate the date of the celebration of the Old New Year, from what date it is celebrated, with the preservation of the old church calendar, corresponding to the Julian style. Indeed, many church holidays are celebrated according to the old calendar - Christian Orthodox Church I didn’t switch to new styles.
But as such, the New Year holiday in church calendar there is neither January 1st nor the 14th. And on January 14, they celebrate not the Old New Year, but the Circumcision of the Lord, as well as the day of St. Basil the Great.
And on January 13, the Old New Year is absent from the church calendar. On this day it is customary to celebrate the day of St. Melania the Roman.
The New Year in the church is still celebrated on September 1, in honor of which a large service is held. On the occasion of the civil New Year, on January 1, only a prayer service is held in the church.
Therefore, it is wrong to associate the celebration of the Old New Year with the church calendar features.
Rather, this holiday has been preserved as folk tradition. Moreover, it is on January 13 that the Generous Evening falls, and on January 14, St. Basil, the patron saint of pig farmers, is celebrated.
These days fall on the Christmas holidays, filled with many interesting rituals, signs, and fortune telling. Definitely, these days the traditions of many holidays are mixed together.
But no one wants to give up another beloved holiday - the Old New Year.
Amazing fact. Since the chronology system is still not ideal, and the difference between the Gregorian and Julian calendars changes annually, the gap between them on March 1, 2100 will increase by exactly one day.
Therefore, the Old New Year holiday in 2101 will be celebrated from January 14 to 15, if this folk tradition continues by this time.
Considering that scientists call the modern civil chronology, corresponding to the Gregorian calendar, inaccurate, perhaps the calendar will be changed.
And it is not known how in 100-200 years the New Year will be celebrated, and on what date the Old New Year will be celebrated.
01/13/2012 01/04/2016 by Mnogoto4ka
On the night of January 13-14, Russians celebrate the 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 issue 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 A 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 the Russian Orthodox Church continues to celebrate both the New Year and the Nativity of Christ 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 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 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". 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. 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 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.
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 the Russian Orthodox Church, which to this day calculates everything only according to 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's holidays in our country and some nearby states.
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 25th, so New Year's table You can safely cover it 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 the “holy evenings.” This time is dedicated to the birth of Christ. But the second week was called “terrible evenings.” Ancestors believed that these days he walks devilry. 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.
Treating a caroler means living with dignity for a year: 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 all over..."
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 cooked meat dishes, pies, 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
One more interesting tradition preserved 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 a 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 a holiday and have fun, inviting wealth, prosperity and health into our home.
The Old New Year is a unique holiday, which allows you to slightly prolong the feeling of winter magic and once again gather around the table with a cheerful company.
Many foreigners are trying to understand what the essence of this date is for Russians, to which our people simply laugh, continuing to celebrate the Old New Year every year.
1. Old New Year - the history of its appearance
Previously, the New Year in Rus' was celebrated in the spring - March 22, on the day of the so-called vernal equinox. It was this date that the peasants engaged in agriculture considered the most suitable for celebrating the new calendar year.
Peter I moved this date to January 1, which according to another calendar fell on January 14. After the revolution, the chronology changed - the Bolsheviks abolished the 13-day difference between ours and the European chronology, but the holiday remained. This is how two New Years were formed at once, and since Vasily’s Day was celebrated in Rus' on the night from January 13th to 14th, almost all the traditions of this holiday passed on to the Old New Year.
2. The popularity of the holiday is associated with the church
It is believed that the Old New Year has stuck with us mainly for the reason that the Orthodox Church still celebrates some holidays (including the New Year) according to the old and familiar Julian calendar. The priests believe that the Gregorian calendar is as inaccurate as the Julian calendar, but at the same time the latter is more familiar to them.
3. Celebrating the Old New Year
Despite the fact that January 14 is not a day off, most Russian people still celebrate this holiday. In general, the celebration is not much different from an ordinary New Year: everyone sits at a large table on which Olivier stands, and everyone’s favorite New Year’s programs are shown on TV.
By the way, the Old New Year has gained significant popularity in last years. And it is celebrated not only by older people, but also by young people. Especially girls do not miss the opportunity to get together once again in order to tell fortunes for their betrothed.
4. Should I remove the Christmas tree? Only after the 14th!
This holiday is considered the date when you can start removing the Christmas tree. Of course, for some people it can last until May, but usually the tree is not removed before this particular holiday. The Old New Year is considered the official closing of the holiday season.
5. Surprises for the Old New...
There is a funny tradition for the Old New Year: the hostess serves a large dish of dumplings on the table, and the guests help themselves as much as they want.
The bottom line is that some dumplings contain surprises - additional ingredients, thanks to which you can guess what awaits a person next year. For example, buckwheat means good news, a coin means financial well-being, and cottage cheese warns of the possible appearance of new friends. Children really like this game, although adults also enjoy waiting for dumplings to appear on the table.
6. Time to get married
In Rus', on the night from January 13th to 14th, young guys came to woo the parents of their beloved girls. It was on this evening that it was allowed to ask for the hand of the beloved several times, even if the guy had already been refused. It was believed that if you get married on this night, the couple will have a happy married life.
7. Seeding
A tradition that has been around for a long time, but continues to be popular in our time. So, on January 14, before sunrise, a man or boy should enter the house and, scattering grain everywhere, should wish the owners of the house happiness and prosperity. It was believed that if a woman enters the house first on this day, it will mean trouble.
8. Old New Year in other countries
Some countries, such as Wales and Switzerland, have their own analogues of this holiday. Its essence, however, is approximately the same: the New Year is celebrated according to the good old Julian calendar. On this day, small children go from house to house and receive various gifts from adults.
9. All the best - for the Old New Year table
On this day, it was customary to serve all the most delicious, rich and satisfying dishes to the table: meat (always pork), kutya, alcohol, pies, etc. Nothing was spared for the guests. Now, of course, the Old New Year's table is inferior to the New Year's, but it is also replete with a variety of dishes.
10. Split holiday – split personality?
Many people note that on the eve of the Old New Year they discover some new character traits and unexpected aspects of personality in themselves and in their friends. Eyewitnesses say it looks like a split personality. However, this is not surprising, because the Old New Year is a kind of bifurcation of the holiday, so anything can happen!
11. Will the Old New Year move forward?
Interestingly, every 100 years the difference between the Gregorian and Julian calendars increases slightly, so starting in 2100 people will celebrate this holiday one day later. If, of course, our descendants still celebrate this date.
12. Time to guess
It has long been believed that the most truthful and accurate fortune telling occurs on the night of January 13th to 14th. On this night, young girls in Rus' wondered about their betrothed, and older people - about the future harvest. Nowadays, girlfriends also often gather for a bachelorette party for the Old New Year in order to have fun and tell fortunes.
13. In the morning– porridge
In Rus', on the Old New Year, they always cooked porridge in the morning, because it was from it that one should see what the next year would be like: the porridge should be rich, thick, it was necessary to add oil to it - then harmony and prosperity would reign in the house in the coming year. Those who believe in omens can also try cooking their own New Year's porridge.
This is how it is - a multifaceted, mysterious and interesting Old New Year!