New Year old style when. Old New Year - the history and traditions of the holiday

On the night of January 13-14, Russia celebrates "Old New Year". Try to translate this holiday name to a foreigner, most of them will not understand.

Yes, that foreigners, many of our compatriots do not understand why we are celebrating two New Years. I'll try to explain.

When was the New Year celebrated in Rus'?

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

In the Era of Constantinople, this date was recalculated, and the day of the creation of the world began to be considered September 1, 5509 B.C. e.

IN pagan times New Year in Rus' was celebrated at different times. According to one version December 22(Winter solstice). The year began with Christmas time or Holy Week. According to another March 22(day of spring equinox).

After the adoption of Christianity in Rus' and the Byzantine calendar, the New Year "moved" to September 1. But for several centuries the “New Year's leapfrog” continued, some celebrated the holiday in the spring, others in the fall. And only at the end of the 15th century (1492) was the beginning of the New Year officially fixed - September 1.

On December 19, 1700, Peter I promulgated a decree to calculate summer from January 1 from the Nativity of Christ. It should be noted that in the Russian state the year 1699 lasted only 4 months.

Gregorian and Julian calendar, what are the differences?

The so-called old style is a calendar introduced by the Roman emperor Julius Caesar ( Julian calendar). The new style is a reform initiated by Pope Gregory XIII ( Gregorian calendar).

The earth rotates around its axis not exactly in 24 hours, but for several minutes more, which, over time, turn into a day. The difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars increases every century, by one day when the number of hundreds in the year from the birth of Christ is not a multiple of four.

By the twentieth century, an extra 13 days had accumulated, which made up the difference between the old Julian and the new Gregorian systems.

But from March 1, 2100, this difference will be 14 days. And in 2101 Christmas and Old New Year will be celebrated a day later.

According to astronomers, the New Style more accurately meets the laws of astronomy. But it's not completely accurate either.

How did you switch to the Gregorian calendar?

Almost all the Protestant states of Europe switched to the Gregorian chronology in the 18th century, then deleting a few extra days from the calendar.

Russia has switched to new calendar only in 1918 by the 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.

Russian Orthodox Church continues to celebrate all church holidays according to the Julian calendar, including Nativity.

As a result, the modern New Year falls on the pre-Christmas post. According to the old style, everything was logical: Advent before the Christmas holiday, after which the New Year. New Year's Eve is now before Christmas.

Church about the Old New Year

So far, the Russian Orthodox Church does not intend to make adjustments to its calendar. Some of the priests blame the laity for the fact that during the pre-Christmas fast they indulge in gluttony and celebrate the “pagan holiday” with fun. But the majority still adheres to a calmer opinion:

The New Year is a civil holiday, but in which church people can take part. The tradition of celebrating the new year is very ancient, and it existed even before the rise of Christianity. And we must pay tribute to the fact that this holiday is celebrated from time immemorial.

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.

In what other countries celebrate the Old New Year?

The Old New Year is celebrated not only in the CIS.

old New Year celebrated in those states where the church continues to use the Julian calendar.

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

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

What do I celebrate on January 14th?

Old New Year, it is closely connected with two holy days - Vasiliev and Malanin. Malanya, according to one of the beliefs, was allegedly the wife of Vasily. Expression “to prepare as for Malanin’s wedding”- this is the very tradition, the custom is to cook a lot and tasty, like at the wedding of Vasily and Malanya.

On the night of January 13-14, many of us will again fill our glasses with champagne and make a toast that seems a little strange: “ ”. How and why do we continue to do this and why is this holiday interesting?

history of the holiday

This is not at all someone's whim or invention - but exactly the same New Year, only according to a different calendar. The Julian calendar was in use in the Roman Empire in the first century BC - it reached Rus' only by the 15th century and was good for everyone, even taking into account the extra days running every 128 years: they didn’t really bother anyone and formally didn’t make any difference.

Another calendar, the Gregorian, just took into account this difference, by the 20th century it was already 14 days - and the revolutionary Vladimir Lenin transferred the whole country to new time rails in 1918, so this year the holiday celebrates its centenary.

Vasiliev Day, or Generous Evening

Before the translation of the conventional clock hands on this day, another holiday was always celebrated on January 14 - Vasiliev Day, or Generous Evening. It was customary to show generosity and treat guests with especially plentiful food. According to tradition, it was a solemn porridge - kutya, but it was not seasoned with vegetable oil, as on Christmas, when fasting was still ongoing, but with meat, lard, or sprinkled with plenty of sugar and fruit.

Pork was generally considered a particularly significant dish on the Generous Evening - a saint named Basil was especially favored by the swineherds, so he needed to be better gratified so that the cattle would not get sick during the year and regularly bring forth offspring. It was believed that luck would be exceptionally favorable to business in general, not only in pig breeding, if the table was set with pomp.

Signs of the Old New Year

It was customary to dress solemnly and smartly in new and beautiful clothes - luck, as you know, is a capricious lady - she also meets clothes. As you meet the New Year, so you will spend it, this fully applied to the meeting of the Old New Year.

It was considered a good sign to see immediately after midnight on the threshold of a young man from a strong and friendly large family- this meant that he would bring prosperity and wealth to the house. For this reason, they did not try to let women out of the house at all on Vasily's Day, but the young men walked with pleasure among the guests, singing cheerful songs of congratulations and, of course, not refusing a plentiful and satisfying treat.

Prohibitions of the Old New Year

A company of only women on this day was considered unlucky - therefore, if the gender balance was disturbed in the family, some of the girls simply went to visit them to do divination and fortune-telling, there are also many interesting details. Or, specially for the celebration, special “custom guests” were invited - men who spent two or three hours with the owners, wishing the house prosperity and blessings.

It was impossible to do cleaning and generally take anything out of the house that day - it was believed that you could inadvertently sweep away the luck that had just settled in the room.

Borrowing and lending was also considered completely inappropriate, financial issues were tried to be resolved either before the holiday itself, or no longer stuttering about money for another day or two.

It was highly discouraged to put dishes from aquatic animals or fish, birds on the festive table - so that luck could not swim away or fly away. Animals that walk sideways or backwards - obviously, we are talking about crayfish and crabs - were also considered undesirable so that past problems and difficulties did not take it into their heads to return back.

When pronouncing a toast, it was in no case possible to pronounce the particle “not” - so that all the same luck would not leave the hospitable house, but stay longer. Perhaps, even if such beliefs can cause an involuntary smile, it is worth taking these old methods into service - thinking before making a toast is not harmful to anyone, but who will sort it out, this luck? Will it suddenly work?

Where else is it customary to celebrate the Old New Year?

For some reason, it is commonly believed that this date is exclusively for “strange Russians who have few reasons to have fun”, but this is not at all the case, the Old New Year is usually celebrated in many countries, and these are not only countries former Union, which would be understandable.

In Serbia, for example, thousands and thousands of people on this day conduct rituals very similar to ours, after visiting the church - the Serbian Orthodox Church, like the Russian one, continues to live according to the Julian calendar, and in Macedonia they take out the tables on the street and celebrate with the whole world.

Montenegrins call this day “Rights of Nova Godina”, which translates as “Proper New Year”, and on this day they cook vasilitsa - insanely delicious round pies made from corn dough with kaimak - cream curdled into soft tart cheese. In Macedonia, they celebrate almost identically.

In Morocco, Japan and some German-speaking cantons of Switzerland, this day is also considered a holiday - although this cannot be strictly called the celebration of the Old New Year, but the fact remains - people also sit at a rich table. The Swiss celebrate the day of St. Sylvester, who, according to legend, rid the world of a terrible monster back in the 4th century, the Japanese have a spring festival called “rissun”, and the Moroccans, like some Muslims, rejoice at the new year according to their own Berber calendar.

In Greece, this is St. Basil's Day - children leave their shoes by the fireplaces or hearths for gifts and often find them filled with sweets or toys.

Divination for the Old New Year

It is believed that the results of divination on this day will be especially accurate, since the day is permeated with the special energies of the holiday and miracle. It was often customary to sculpt dumplings into which certain small symbolic objects were folded, the same could be done with a pie.

A button - for a new thing, a coin - for a gift or a win, a fruit bone - for a rich harvest, a key - for a new house or moving, a ring - for a quick marriage, a small pink or blue button - for the birth of a daughter or son. Actually, as you can see, they tried to reduce all the signs to the positive - and no one bothers us to carry out this cute ceremony, which promises everyone something pleasant and bright in the new year.

On this day, the girls planted bulbs in an open saucer, marking them - whose arrows shoot faster, she will be the happiest. Sprouted onions were then taken home and stored until the onset of real spring - it was believed that any disease would go away, one had only to chew on some juicy greens. Well, against the background of the traditional pre-spring beriberi, a fairly common custom.

Place rolled papers under the pillow male names- also a very common way to find out the name of the betrothed-mummer in the morning immediately after waking up.

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. No one can really say what Old New Year different from the traditional, familiar to all the New Year? Of course, from the outside it would seem that the matter is only in the divergence of dates. However, we all treat the Old New Year as a completely independent holiday that can prolong the charm of the New Year. And maybe for the first time to feel it, because the situation is different, but on this day the holiday is more calm, there is no fuss, so characteristic of the holiday of January 1.

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

History of the Old New Year

In pagan times, the New Year was celebrated in Rus' on March 22 - on 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 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 Rus' 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 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 Christmas according to the Julian calendar, which differs from the generally accepted Gregorian calendar by 13 days. But already 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.

Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, deputy chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, said that the Russian Orthodox Church does not intend to make adjustments to its calendar yet. “Indeed, 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 birth of 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, ”said Chaplin.

According to him, one should not give 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 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, say astronomers. However, the current calendar is not ideal, experts of the Astronomical and Geodetic Society of Russia believe. 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.

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 who offer their own version of the countdown. Their proposals are mainly related to a change in the traditional week: some propose to make a week of five days or do without weeks altogether, and introduce ten days. However, from the point of view of science, there are perhaps no ideal proposals - specialists came to this conclusion different countries, studying applications for changing the chronology, even coming to the UN. Scientists consider it inappropriate to carry out any calendar reforms now.

Celebration of 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 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

This day in the old days was called Vasily's Day, and was of decisive importance for the whole year. On Vasily's Day, they celebrated the holiday of agriculture, which was associated with the future harvest, and they 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 kind of ritual - cooking porridge. IN 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. 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 - the groats were usually buckwheat. 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 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. Such was the program - either for troubles or for prosperity, and it is not surprising that it was often realized - after all, they seriously believed in it.

An interesting rite of going from house to house to treat yourself to pork dishes. 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. This sign is much more positive than the ceremony with porridge, especially for diligent and hardworking owners. Surprisingly sonorous and foldable saying: "A pig and a pig for Vasilyev's evening" also contributed to the mood of the owners for economic prosperity and abundance.

But the tradition of sculpting 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 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. They even bring dumplings with them to work to cheer up friends and colleagues; and local food enterprises often produce such dumplings - just before the Old New Year.

Outside the window it is snowing and sweeping, the frost is crackling, and from the outskirts of the village the cheerful songs of the 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, uninitiated in the mystery of the Old New Year, understand the meaning of this holiday. And its name causes bewilderment 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 meeting of the New Year. 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 the old days

New Year in old Rus' as such was not celebrated. People celebrated not the calendar transition to a new calculation of days in a 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 see off the old and meet the new year. People said goodbye to winter and met the Sun, spring. More such a holiday was like a modern Maslenitsa.

Usually, the celebration among pagan tribes fell on March 22 - the Day of the spring 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 determined that our world was counting from March 1, 5508 BC. e.

It was from this date that the calendar chronology began. A calendar appeared, according to which the year began on March 1, when the Old New Year was celebrated.

In the Constantinople era, the date of the creation of the world was recalculated when the New Year appeared according to 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 date of the beginning of the year was just a new date on the calendar, which never became a holiday.

From Petrovsky New Year to the birth of the Old New Year: what date was celebrated

The answer, 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 it was supposed to celebrate the year 1700 on January 1. In this way, the ruler tried to eliminate confusion in dates. Since that time, the date of the celebration of the old New Year has become the night from December 31 to January 1.

But everything Russian state lived according to the old or Julian calendar.

It turns out that in fact, for more than 2 centuries, the old New Year fell on the 14th according to the new style.

The situation changed with the advent of the Bolsheviks. Not only the system in the country has changed, but also the chronology.

The Gregorian calendar was introduced, according to which all of Europe lived at that time. Automatically, the New Year was moved to January 1 according to the new style.

But people are so accustomed to a series of winter holidays that they did not want to refuse to celebrate the usual old New Year, when they celebrate it 7 days after Christmas.

So, in fact, the New calendar holiday was born, corresponding to the new style, and the old New Year, which is celebrated according to the old canons, has been preserved.

The attitude of contemporaries to the Old New Year, the date of celebration

Many 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 - the Christian Orthodox Church did not begin to switch to new styles.

But as such, the New Year's holiday in church calendar There is no January 1st or January 14th. And on January 14, not the Old New Year is celebrated, 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 performed in the church.

Therefore, it is wrong to associate the celebration of the Old New Year with church calendar features.

Rather, this holiday has been preserved as folk tradition. And it is on January 13 that Generous Evening falls, and on January 14 St. Basil, the patron saint of pig breeders, is celebrated.

These days fall on the Christmas holidays, filled with many interesting rituals, omens, fortune-telling. Definitely, today the traditions of many holidays are mixed together.

But no one wants to give up one more beloved holiday - the Old New Year.

Amazing Fact. Since the chronology system is still not perfect, and the difference between the Gregorian and Julian calendars changes every year, 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 has been preserved by this time.

Considering that the modern civil chronology, corresponding to the Gregorian calendar, is also called inaccurate by scientists, the calendar may be changed.

And it is not known how in 100-200 years the New Year will be celebrated, and what date the Old New Year will be celebrated.

There are many beautiful winter holidays in our country. We celebrate New Year twice. We fill the glasses with champagne again on the night of January 14, sit down at the festive table and take our time to clean up.

historical phenomenon

New Year in Russia is one of the most interesting holidays in terms of history. Until the 15th century (1495), the new year began in March and was associated with the awakening of the earth from hibernation. In 1495, everything changed: the date of the new year moved to September 1.

Later, Peter the Great, who decided to keep up with Europe, ordered to celebrate the New Year on January 1. In December 1699, he issued a Decree that the meeting of 1700 was to take place on January 1 instead of September. The text of the Decree contained strict instructions: decorate houses with spruce, juniper or pine branches, fire rifles and muskets into the air at midnight, burn bonfires in the streets throughout the festive week and arrange fireworks on Red Square.

Alexei Tolstoy in the historical novel " Peter I"Described the state of the common people and the boyars, whose habitual way of life was collapsing. It seemed to many that soon "the trumpet will sound doomsday". Gradually, everyone got used to the decorated fir trees and the hectic holiday, which began to be celebrated annually on January 1 according to the Julian calendar, i.e. according to the "old style". This calendar was introduced by the emperor of ancient Rome, Julius Caesar, taking as a basis the solar year, and not the astronomical one. In Russia Julian calendar came from Byzantium.

So it was before October revolution 1917. Most other countries have long lived in Gregorian calendar . It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII on October 4, 1582 (XVI century) so that there were no discrepancies with astronomical data. The difference between the Julian and Gregorian reckoning today is thirteen days.

In 1918, the Bolshevik government decided to switch to a single chronology throughout the world. V.I. Lenin issued a corresponding Decree on the transition to the Gregorian calendar. This eliminated confusion and difficulties in international relations: diplomacy, mail, train schedules, etc. The Russian Orthodox Church retained the traditional chronology and continued to live according to the old calendar. She dated the holidays according to the old style, emphasizing her uniqueness.

Today, in some reference publications, the dates of birth and death of people, various events of pre-revolutionary Russia are given according to two calendars, i.e. new and old style. So it happened with the New Year, which begins on January 1 (14). On the Old New Year, Orthodox people do not have to deny themselves food and fun. According to the Julian calendar, it comes after (January 7), i.e. after the end of the strict According to the Gregorian calendar, Christmas is celebrated on December 25th.

local Orthodox churches some foreign countries (Jerusalem, Russian, Serbian, Georgian) also use the Julian calendar in our time. Some monasteries and parishes also live according to the Julian calendar in those countries where the Gregorian calendar is adopted in church services (for example, Athos in Greece). In addition, the Julian calendar is adopted in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and in the Russian Greek Catholic Church.

Vasiliev evening

On the night of January 13-14, it is celebrated Vasiliev evening , and on January 14 - Vasiliev day (Kolyada). You can read about this fun, generous holiday for food and drink in the article.

Everyone likes the holiday: girls tell fortunes about their betrothed, and gardeners shake apple trees in their orchards for a good harvest.

This year we will once again congratulate relatives and friends not only on the New Year, but also on the Old New Year! Wish them happiness, love, health and joy! Give gifts, sit late at night at the festive table and raise a glass of champagne at midnight. It's good that there is a reason for this!

P.S.

With each century, the Gregorian and Julian calendars diverge more and more in time. The difference is cumulative, and by 2100 it will be not 13, but a full 14 days.

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