Old New Year when they celebrate. What is the old New Year and why is it celebrated? Traditional kutya recipe

On the night of January 13-14, there is another unofficial holiday in Russia under an unusual name. The Old New Year, although not a reason for a day off or a red day of the calendar, is celebrated by Russians, and federal TV channels actively repeat their New Year's broadcasts. However, not everyone knows that in fact the Old New Year is a historical holiday, formed "due to the fault" of the discrepancy between the old and new calendars. the site will delve a little into the past and tell what kind of holiday it is and why we love to celebrate it so much, albeit formally

How and when did the holiday start?

At the very end of the 15th century (in 1492) in Rus', the date of the beginning of the New Year was officially determined. This date was September 1 and lasted in his new "position" a little more than two centuries. The changes were made by the great reformer Peter the Great, when in 1700 he issued a decree on the beginning of a new chronology from January 1. According to the "new style" January 1 was the fourteenth.

By the beginning of the 20th century, those in power seriously thought about switching from the obsolete Julian to the Gregorian calendar, which had long been successfully used in Europe. And so it happened: in 1918, the decree of the Council of People's Commissars, by its law, fulfilled the long-standing dreams of the people and officially transferred the chronology in the country to the Gregorian version of the calendar, which is also called simply “new style”. Julian remained in the past, therefore, “according to the old style”, January 14 in its current position would coincide with the first day of the year. It is 1918 and the decision of the Council of People's Commissars that can consider the birthday of a holiday called the Old New Year.

Calendars are to blame for the appearance of the holiday. Photo: kp.ua

Where, besides Russia, is it customary to celebrate the Old New Year?

It is interesting that we told the story of the appearance of an unofficial holiday only in Russia, but it is also celebrated outside the CIS. Despite the seemingly obvious translation difficulties in understanding the essence of this holiday by foreigners, the Old New Year is celebrated and mentioned in one way or another in countries such as Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Switzerland, Montenegro and Serbia. Surprisingly, the Old New Year is also in Africa Old New Year: it is also celebrated in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.

Soon the Christmas holiday and the Old New Year will shift by a day. This is true?

Holiday traditions

Old New Year's Eve is called Generous Evening (Vasiliev Evening). On this day, the church celebrates the memory of the patron saint of pig breeders, St. Basil. On the evening of January 13, women cook meat kutya with butter, after which they put the cooked dish in the corner with icons. Another traditional dish of the evening on the table is a roasted pig (a symbol of the fertility of the earth and the fruitfulness of livestock). Also on the eve of the Old New Year, with the sun setting until midnight, teenage girls go to their neighbors to be generous, wishing their owners happiness, health and good luck in the coming year.

The owners of the next day, January 14, are men. According to custom, they sow grain from peasants, relatives, relatives and friends from the very morning. According to popular beliefs, on this day, it is the man who should enter the house first. This will bring happiness in the coming year. Sowers congratulate the New Year, wish wealth and abundance. The owners in return give pies, sweets and fruits, and sometimes money. The grain after sowing is left until the evening. It is customary not to sweep it with a broom, but to carefully collect it, and use it for sowing in the spring.

Folk signs of the Old New Year

In the Old New Year, there are many different signs. So, in some villages to this day, on the night of January 13-14, they burn old clothes and put on new ones, which symbolizes the beginning of a new and good life. The rite of January 14 has been preserved, when the housewives with three lit candles go around the whole house clockwise and are baptized. This will protect the house from all troubles.

Photo: yandex.ru

On this day, the male owners lightly knock on the threshold of the house with an ax, saying “life, health, bread”. Young people have a tradition associated with matters of the heart. For example, a previously rejected guy could try his luck in love again and offer a lady a hand and a heart. Matchmaking is also common on this day. If you get engaged on January 13, then the marriage will be successful.

Photo: yandex.ru

In folk beliefs, the Old New Year is also associated with other signs that say that on the eve of the holiday you can’t pronounce the number 13, and on January 14 they don’t count a trifle, otherwise the year will be whining, you can’t take out the garbage, otherwise take happiness out of the house with it .

If on the morning of January 14 the branches are covered with fluffy hoarfrost, it means that a lot of honey will be born next year. On the Old New Year you can not borrow anything, otherwise the year will be in debt. On a holiday, it is customary to ask for forgiveness, make peace and resolve conflicts. Reconciliation and forgiveness cannot be denied. If you get sick on this day, then you will be sick all year. Morning snow - the winter will be snowy, and the spring will be late. Ice on the street is a good harvest. If you want to reap a big harvest of apples, then at midnight shake the snow from the apple tree. To be born on this day promised a rich life.

Rituals and ceremonies of the Old New Year

The night from January 13 to 14 is full of mysteries and mysticism. All the wishes that you make on this night will almost certainly come true. Everything hidden becomes clear. All unfulfilled dreams come true. At least, our ancestors firmly believed in it. You, too, can try your luck by performing a ritual for well-being, world peace, or love to the grave.

Trouble out! Each of us would like to get rid of any problems in our lives. We propose to burn them! To do this, you need to cut small pieces of paper onto a small plate. On each piece of paper you should write what you would like to get rid of. Thought on paper should be specific, not generalized. After that, you should burn all the sheets on the plate with words of gratitude.

Photo: yandex.ru

There is not much money. This ritual requires preparation. A few days before the Old New Year, put two five-ruble coins in your wallet. Without pulling them out of your wallet, wear them until January 13, the coins should “get used” to you. On the eve of the Old New Year, melt some green candle wax (green color attracts money). From the resulting mass, make a small cake and stick the prepared coins on it on both sides. Money talisman on the morning of January 14 in a green canvas bag and hide in a secluded place. It will bring you prosperity throughout the year.

Photo: yandex.ru

Amorous affairs. Looking for a second half? Dating sites not for you? No problem! Old New Year will solve this problem. Light red, white and green candles, then put them in a crystal decanter of water on a round mirror and ask for love as pure as spring water, hot as a flame and transparent as a mirror. Repeat the spell three times. Before the ceremony, you need to forgive all former partners, whom you hold a grudge against, let go of fears and doubts. On Valentine's Day, you won't be alone anymore.

Photo: yandex.ru

Beauty is a terrible force. On the way to beauty, all means are good! Before going to bed on January 12, lying in bed, read:

“From a soft bed to a clean lake, with a parental blessing, I will draw water in a heavenly well. That vodushka is more precious than golden rings, more precious than stone chambers, silver cups. And the water is beauty. I will wash my white face in it and I will appear to young fellows, old old men, elderly men, decrepit old women, young girls, elderly widows more beautiful than the red sun, the clear moon, the morning ray. If my beauty seemed to everyone and everyone every time, every minute and every day, it would fall on their hearts and eyes. Amen".

The next day, January 13, pour spring water into a cup and place it at the head of the bed on the night before the Old New Year. On the morning of January 14, waking up, without getting out of bed, take a cup with your left hand and read:

“From a soft bed, I, a servant of God, will get up, Jesus Christ and the Mother of God will be remembered (or whose god you revere), I will go to the gate, go out to the key, I want to get some water for myself. So that, having washed it cleanly, to become a white-faced, red-blushed, beauty girl, and not some black one. So that everyone who sees me and praises my beauty, speaks about love, gives gifts. To have suitors, as in a herd of cows. To become like a beauty girl, she was like that for a whole year, until the conspiracy comes down. Amen."

Drink half a cup of spring water and douse yourself with the rest. You can't wash until the next day.

Stills from the film "Frost"

In general, if you have long wanted, waited or wanted to change something in your life, then the Old New Year will help you with this.

Christopher Clavius, calendar designer

On February 24, 1582, Gregory XIII issued the papal bull Inter gravissimas (Among the most important), according to which the new calendar was put into effect from October - after October 4, October 15 should have come. The Catholics adopted the Gregorian calendar immediately, all the rest - gradually.

The transition to the new chronology did not go smoothly. Catholic states coexisted with Protestant ones - and when moving from one to another, a person literally "fell" into the past or the future. In 1583, Belgium and Holland were left without Christmas, since after December 21, 1582, January 1, 1583 immediately came. In 1584, merchants in Riga, when introducing a new calendar, declared that they were losing from it, because it disrupted the delivery of goods, and raised an uprising.

In Sweden, they began to switch to a new calendar under Charles XII, in 1700. But then the king began to fight with Russia, and Sweden lived for 11 years outside of both the Julian and Gregorian chronologies. In 1711, Charles XII changed his mind and ordered the return of the old calendar, adding two days to it - so in 1712 Sweden had February 30! The new style was introduced here only in 1753.

Russia stubbornly held on to the Julian calendar. Therefore, for example, the battle of Borodino according to the Russian account took place on August 26 - and according to the French on September 7. The difference in calendars was the reason that the day of the October Revolution is celebrated on November 7th. The transition to a new account of dates in Russia took place in 1918 - according to the decree "On the introduction of the Western European calendar", after January 31, February 14 immediately came. From that moment on, there were two New Years in Russia.

In fact, the Old New Year in Russia is September 1st. It was the current Day of Knowledge that was considered the first day of the new year in Rus', the chronology of which was conducted from the creation of the world. At the time of the calendar reform initiated by Peter the Great in Rus', the year was 7207 - after which the 1700th came. Today, September 1, there is a reason to celebrate the year 7522!

Naturally, in the former republics of the USSR, even in the Baltic states. In addition, in the former Yugoslavia (Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia), in the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland. Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Japan have their own "Old New Year".

Where is the current year?

Not all states in the world lead the reckoning from the Nativity of Christ.

In Iran and Afghanistan, there is a Solar Hijra - a calendar in which the first six months are 31 days each, the next five are 30 days each, and the last 29 days in ordinary years and 30 days in leap years. New Year according to this calendar comes in the spring - on Navruz, on March 21. In Iran and Afghanistan, it is now the year 1393 of the solar hijra.

In Thailand, the Buddhist chronology is conducted from the year of the departure of Gautama Buddha into nirvana. It is now 2558 in Thailand. But Thailand enters the New Year on January 1st.

Those who adhere to the Jewish calendar in Israel know that they have the year 5776 in their yard. In the Jewish calendar, there are twelve months, and sometimes thirteen. The year begins in the autumn in the month of Tishri (September-October), on the first day of which Adam and Eve were created. The New Year's holiday according to this calendar is called Rosh Hashanah, and falls on the 20th of September (in 2014 - September 24-26, when it will be in 2015 it was not possible to find out).

In India, where there is an abyss of peoples, confessions and castes, there is a single calendar that comes from the Saka era, established in memory of the defeat of the Sakas in 78 AD. Therefore, it is not difficult to calculate what year it is in India now - we subtract 78 from 2015, we get 1937. According to this calendar, the New Year comes in the spring - after the day of the vernal equinox, after March 21.

In Cambodia, the New Year begins on April 14-17. They use the Buddhist calendar, so Cambodia lives in the distant future - in 2556.

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 the trumpet of the Last Judgment would soon sound. 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 the October Revolution of 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 ruled out 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.

The local Orthodox churches of 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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The Old New Year is another reason to get together with the whole family, congratulate friends and relatives, present 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 the series of New Year celebrations. But is there an Old New Year only in Russia? And 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 many-day rest. But how great it is to watch New Year's films again, cook a “herring under a fur coat” and invite guests! We owe this wonderful opportunity to an amazing phenomenon. Do you 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 - on the day of the spring solstice. After the adoption of the Christian faith by Prince Vladimir 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: someone celebrated it in the fall, and someone 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 only 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, the people 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 lived for a long time, was as much as 13 days.

After the October Revolution and the advent of Soviet power, Christmas was canceled due to its religiosity, and a year later the Bolsheviks decided that Soviet Russia was switching to a new chronology. Thus, the difference in calendars was eliminated, and January 14, which used to be the New Year, coincided with the day of St. Basil. 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 has a connection 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 the "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 inaccuracies and errors, Old New Year's Eve in Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria is celebrated on January 11th.

Our days

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

Today, this holiday is becoming more and more popular. Its special charm is associated with pre-revolutionary Russia, Orthodox traditions, and simply the people's love for the New Year. This celebration, in part, has even become independent, because it has its own history of occurrence. In addition, by the end of the holidays, the pre-holiday fuss 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 14th. Probably, we should be grateful to this unusual historical phenomenon for the fact that we have one more chance to happily celebrate the New Year and believe in a winter fairy tale.

TASS-DOSIER. On the night of January 13-14, the old New Year, or New Year according to the Julian calendar, is celebrated - a holiday that appeared in Russia as a result of the calendar reform of 1918.

The history of the holiday

In pre-Christian times in Rus', the date of the new year changed several times: the beginning of the new year fell on the day of the winter solstice (December 21 or 22), on the day of the vernal equinox (March 22) or on the day of the first spring full moon. After the baptism of Rus' in 988, the Byzantine system of chronology "from the creation of the world", or from 5508, and the Julian calendar were adopted. At the same time, the tradition of celebrating the onset of the new year in March was preserved and continued to operate until the 15th century.

In 1492 (or in 7000 from the creation of the world), by decree of Ivan III, the date of the new year was postponed to September 1 and began to coincide with the harvest festival, as well as the end of the payment of dues and taxes. This chronology was also used by the Russian Orthodox Church.

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a reform to replace the Julian calendar with the Gregorian calendar to correct for the growing difference between the astronomical and calendar years. As a result, the calendar moved forward 10 days. A number of Christian churches, including the Russian one, continued to use the Julian system.

On December 29 and 30, 1699, Peter I issued two nominal decrees on the introduction of a new chronology and on the celebration of the New Year. The documents prescribed to count the years from the Nativity of Christ (the current year 7208 from the creation of the world thus became the year 1699) and to celebrate the New Year on January 1. At the same time, the king did not introduce the Gregorian calendar. Until the 20th century, Russia continued to live according to the Julian calendar, celebrating the New Year 11 days later than European states. The church date of the new year remained unchanged - September 1.

By the 20th century, the Russian calendar was 13 days behind the European one. To close this gap, January 24, 1918. The Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR adopted a decree introducing the Gregorian calendar in Russia. The document was signed by the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars Vladimir Lenin on January 26, 1918. The chronology according to the new calendar began to be called the "new style", and according to the Julian - "old". According to the decree, the day following January 31, 1918 was prescribed not to be February 1, but February 14, thus the difference between the "old" and "new" styles was 13 days. The Russian Orthodox Church did not recognize these innovations and retained the chronology according to the Julian calendar.

Since then, in Russia, as in most other countries, the New Year is celebrated on January 1 according to the Gregorian style. The previous date (January 1 according to the Julian calendar) has shifted to January 14. So a new unofficial holiday arose, called the "old New Year". The difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars is constantly increasing and in the early 2100s. reaches 14 days. In 2101, the old New Year will be celebrated on the night of January 14-15.

Holiday traditions

New Year according to the new style falls on the period of forty days of fasting preceding Christmas on January 7th. The Old New Year is celebrated after Christmas, during Christmas time (12 days from Christmas to Epiphany). Therefore, believers who strictly adhere to church canons prefer to celebrate the New Year on January 14th.

On January 14, the Christian Church also honors the memory of St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea Cappodacia. In the folk calendar, this day is called Vasily's Day, and the evening of December 13 is Vasily's Evening (also known as Shchedrets, Rich Evening, Malanya, etc.). By tradition, it was supposed to put as many festive treats as possible on the table, and the roast pig was considered the main dish. According to legend, hearty and plentiful food on this day will provide prosperity to the household for the whole year. The holiday was accompanied by festivities, as well as caroling (singing ritual songs, carols). In the southern regions of Russia and in the Volga region, special pre-New Year carols (autumn, avsen or autumn) were sung.

Where else is the holiday celebrated?

The tradition of celebrating the old New Year has been preserved in the former Soviet republics, now the CIS and Baltic countries, as well as in Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Greece, and Romania. In Serbia, the holiday is called "Serbian New Year" or "Little Christmas", in Montenegro - "Proper New Year", in Greece St. Basil's Day is celebrated.

The holiday is also celebrated in a number of northeastern Swiss cantons, whose inhabitants refused to follow the papal calendar reform of 1582 (for example, St. Sylvester's Day is celebrated in Appenzell), as well as in some Welsh communities in Great Britain.

The New Year is celebrated on January 12 and 13 by the Berbers of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and other countries of North Africa, who live according to their own calendar (it is a Julian calendar with some differences). The Berber holiday is called Yennayer, also known as the "Moroccan New Year", it is not official.