When we celebrated the New Year on January 13th. Why do we celebrate the Old New Year? Why do we still celebrate it?
The Old New Year is an unofficial, but unusually warm, joyful and magical holiday, which is celebrated on the night of January 13-14. This additional New Year was the result of a change in the order of chronology, so it can be considered a cultural and historical phenomenon.
Where did this holiday come from?
Confusion with the celebration of the Old New Year began in 1918, when the Gregorian calendar was introduced instead of the Julian calendar, and the concept of “old” and “new” styles entered our lives. At the same time, that day, which for centuries was considered the first of January, “moved” in the calendar to January 14. For those who did not want to change their habits, it remained a holiday.
In addition, celebrating the New Year from January 13 to 14 turned out to be more logical for Orthodox believers, who are accustomed to celebrating it 6 days after Orthodox Christmas. But they tried not to celebrate the holiday from December 31 to January 1, since it fell during the Nativity Fast, when you can’t set a festive table, you can’t drink wine and you can’t have fun to your heart’s content. And in general, in the public consciousness, since the 19th century, the New Year was considered a cheerful and riotous holiday.
“The New Year is the same as the mummers’ march in the village,” he writes in his essay historian Lev Lurie. – This is the time when people can behave indecently. After the New Year, it’s time for girls’ fortune telling. They told fortunes, of course, about the suitors - they let the rooster peck oats, melted wax, put pieces of paper with the names of potential suitors into a basin, and used a mirror.” The traditions of fortune telling are pagan; they were not only not welcomed by the Orthodox Church, but were also prohibited. Of course, it was clearly inappropriate to do all this during Lent.
Why do we still celebrate it?
By the way, there is no scientifically based date for the start of the new year. This is the subject of a social contract. It is simply more convenient for people to unify the calendar and assume that all countries have a calendar New Year begins on the night of December 31 to January 1.
So, why not stop at this wonderful date? After all, now even Orthodox believers do not refuse to celebrate the New Year with everyone else. However, annual Levada Center polls show that the tradition of celebrating the Old New Year in our society not only does not die out, but only grows stronger from year to year. The number of people who celebrate this holiday is growing and amounts to recent years already from 43 to 47% of respondents.
Scientists believe there are several reasons for this. The first is that in our culture, everything that confirms the idea of the mystery of the Russian soul is traditionally welcomed. “Our people generally like the idea that Russia has its own unique third way,” says expert at the Center for Political Technologies, social psychologist Alexey Roshchin. – That’s why we have our own specific holiday – the Old New Year. This allows us to feel that we stand out against the backdrop of general globalization.” However, in fairness it should be said that the Old New Year is celebrated not only in Russia, but also in most CIS countries, as well as in the former republics of Yugoslavia.
The second reason, according to psychologists, lies in the fact that our long, cold winter and lack of light provokes us into seasonal blues. And the holidays - the best remedy to fight it. Festive garlands, colorful lanterns, cheerful chaos, feasting, the desire to pamper yourself with food and alcohol. So we grab every opportunity not to fall into winter depression. How else can you defeat her?
The third source of why we so want to extend the New Year holidays follows from the previous one. “The fact is that the New Year holidays are best suited for feeling like children and pampering our “inner child”, which is hidden in the soul of each of us,” says psychologist Oksana Poleshchuk. – Christmas tree, tangerines, snow, skating rink, cafe, cinema, the opportunity to just have fun, be reckless, push aside the burden of daily responsibility, relax, sit in front of the TV, eat whatever you want without counting calories, and finally, just do nothing. Many of us, in fact, lack this, and after the holidays this lack is felt most acutely.”
There are even wonderful poems about this by Yunna Moritz, which Sergei Nikitin set to music, and the result was an unusually lyrical, wonderful song:
He's old, old, he's not new at all,
And still we are children, we are at the Christmas tree,
And we are flying for this ghostly supplement,
For the irrevocable and unique,
Add us at least the Old New Year.
Make your dreams come true
Finally, an important reason for the growing popularity of the Old New Year is that in our divided world, people are experiencing an increasingly noticeable lack of human understanding with each passing decade. And therefore we increasingly need warm, unhurried communication. The best thing is at the festive table, in the circle of the closest and most understanding people. Perhaps that is why the holiday from December 31 to January 1 remains wild and cheerful, with shooting and dancing until the morning. But the Old New Year is now assigned, rather, the role of a quiet, sincere, warm and magical holiday.
So if you feel that you celebrated the New Year not the way you would like, but “like people”: with frantic running around the shops and bowls of salads, then you still have a chance to realize your secret desires and celebrate the Old New Year like this , as you yourself want. Or just dream, let your dreams go into extraordinary distances, believe in miracles and return at least for a while to such a wonderful world - the world of childhood!
Tatiana Rubleva
On the night of January 13-14, the Old New Year is celebrated in Russia, as well as in many neighboring countries. AiF.ru explains how and when this holiday appeared.
The Old New Year is a rare historical phenomenon, an additional holiday that resulted from a change in chronology. Because of this discrepancy in calendars, we celebrate two “New Years” - according to the old and new styles.
How did the Old New Year appear?
The date of creation of the world (according to the ancient translation of the Old Testament) was previously considered March 1, 5508 BC. e. Therefore, the New Year began on the first day of spring (March 14 according to the new style).
However, in the era of Constantinople, this date was recalculated more accurately, and September 1, 5509 BC was considered the day of the creation of the world. e. Therefore, the New Year henceforth began on the first day of autumn.
In pagan times in Rus', the New Year was celebrated on March 22 - the day of the spring equinox. After the adoption of Christianity in Rus', the Byzantine calendar began to gradually replace the old one, and the New Year now began on September 1. This date is still interpreted today by some teachings as the true birthday of Christ. D For a long time, New Year's inconsistency persisted in Rus' - some continued to celebrate the New Year in the spring, others in the fall. And only at the end of the 15th century - in 1492 - was a single date for the beginning of the New Year in Rus' officially determined - September 1.
Only 2 centuries later, on December 19, 1700, Peter I promulgated the decree of summer to be calculated from January 1 from the Nativity of Christ (that is, according to the “new” style - January 14). Thus, in the Russian state, 1699 lasted only 4 months, from September to December.
By the twentieth century, the calendar of Russia, which continued to use the Julian calendar, was 13 days behind Europe, which had long ago switched to the Gregorian calendar. To reduce this gap, in 1918, by decree of the Council of People's Commissars, the transition to the Gregorian calendar was carried out - new style, and January 14 - the day of St. Basil, Archbishop of Caesarea of Cappodacia - turned out to be the Old New Year.
What other countries celebrate the Old New Year?
The Old New Year is celebrated not only in the CIS. On January 13, a festive table is also set in the following countries:
- Greece;
- Macedonia;
- Romania;
- Serbia;
- Montenegro;
- Switzerland.
The Old New Year is also celebrated in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. True, it is celebrated according to the Berber calendar, which is the Julian calendar with minor differences. As a result of accumulated errors, the eve of the holiday falls on January 11th.
Old New Year today
On the night of January 13-14, everyone can afford to “pre-celebrate” their most favorite holiday. Indeed, for many believers, the Old New Year has a special meaning, since they can wholeheartedly celebrate the beginning of the new year only after the end of the Nativity Fast.
Today, the popularity of the Old New Year is growing from year to year, and Russia is no exception. More and more people treat it as an independent holiday, which prolongs the charm of the New Year or allows them to feel this charm for the first time. After all, this holiday is calmer, it is not characterized by the bustle that is an inevitable companion of the New Year.
When will New Year be celebrated in 90 years?
Interestingly, the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars increases every century when the number of hundreds in the year after Christ is not a multiple of four for one day. Currently, the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars is 13 days. And from March 1, 2100, this difference will be 14 days. And from 2101, Christmas and Old New Year will be celebrated a day later.
The Old New Year is 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
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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 everything 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 Nativity of Christ, after which six days later people celebrated the New Year.
The discrepancy between the old and new chronology in 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, people gather at the festive table on this night 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" is a holiday of good neighborliness and " open doors“According to the traditions of the ancestors, they are 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, give birth to every life according to the grain, that is according to the grain, and according to the great, and it would be a life 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. IN 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 gets 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.
In order to dress well all year round, on Vasilyev's evening to celebrate the New Year one should wear good new clothes.
One of the women's and men's clothing stores in shopping center in the capital of Georgia
In the old days, there was a belief that if you spend the 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.
According to popular 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 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.
When the New Year and Christmas are over, the fireworks and firecrackers have died down, the abundant cheerful feasts have ended, and the “long” holidays have finally come to an end, there remains one more strange holiday ahead, for a “snack” - the Old New Year. Many Russians, even without knowing what its essence is, do not forget to celebrate it - in order to prolong their holidays. The history and traditions of the Old New Year were studied by a correspondent.
History with calendars
Julius Caesar, who seized power in Ancient Rome, in 45 BC. e. To simplify the management of his power, he introduced a new calendar into circulation. An ambitious man and a military genius, relying on the most perfect administrative and military system of his time, he could not even imagine that a few centuries would pass - and the “eternal” Roman Empire would sink into history, and its chronology system, developed by scientists - Alexandrian astronomers at the head with the sage Sozigenes, every 128 years will accumulate an extra day and eventually become obsolete.
The fall of the Julian calendar is largely due to the triumph of Christianity. By the 16th century, pious Catholic astronomers were convinced that the holiday of the Nativity of Christ, which originally coincided with the winter solstice, began to shift more and more towards spring. As a result, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII, famous not only for his brutal persecution of Protestants, but also for his scholarship, ordered the introduction of a more accurate calendar, which was named after him - the Gregorian calendar.
The spiritual flock of the Roman Catholic Church quickly accepted the innovation. Protestant Europe resisted for a long time, but mainly out of the spirit of contradiction to the papal throne - they were also aware of the convenience of the new chronology. The conservative British and Swedes held out the longest, until 1752, but in the end they also gave in.
It was not for nothing that the Russian Empire was proud of the title of the Third Rome - it was faithful to the Roman Julian calendar to the end. However, after October Revolution The decree of the Council of People's Commissars of January 26, 1918 unified the chronology system in Russia with the whole world. Only the Russian Orthodox Church, not submitting to the godless Bolsheviks who excommunicated it from the state, remained faithful to the Julian calendar. This is how the Russian phenomenon arose New Year's holidays- Christmas after the New Year and the tradition of celebrating the Old New Year from January 13 to 14, that is, according to the “old style”, as an integral part of our New Year's epic.
Vasiliev's day
The Old New Year holiday owes its appearance both to the ineradicable habit of Soviet citizens to find a reason to celebrate something with a cheerful feast, and to folk ritual and religious traditions associated, in particular, with the church holiday - St. Basil's Day, which fell on January 14 of the old style. It's no secret that in Russians folk customs, especially peasant ones, Christian rituals are inextricably and organically intertwined with the pre-Christian heritage.
The Christian saint of the late Roman era, religious philosopher and writer, Archbishop Basil of Caesarea was called by the Russian peasant Vasily the Solnovorot, which is associated with the winter solstice, and Basil the Pigkeeper, the patron saint of pig farming. Vasiliev's Day falls at the end of the strict Nativity Fast (November 28 - January 6), during which believers abstain from New Year's festivities.
The day of veneration of St. Basil fits into Christmastide - 12 have fun days between Christmas and the Epiphany of the Lord, when it is not forbidden to rejoice and have fun, as well as break the fast at the festive table. Therefore, on this day, as a tribute to Vasily the Pigkeeper, the decoration of the meal was usually a baked pig's head, roasted pig or other pork dishes, and in poorer houses - cookies in the shape of pigs or other livestock.
But an interesting folk ritual among the Slavs - sowing or sowing, performed in Orthodox countries on January 13-14, has clearly pre-Christian roots and is timed to coincide with the winter solstice, when the luminary “turns to spring” and means appeasing the future sowing and harvest. Hence the other, common name for Vasiliev's Day in Russian peasant usage - Ovsen, as well as Busen and Tausen in Ukraine and Belarus.
The rituals of grain growers are associated with the cult of grain as a guarantee of the well-being and survival of the peasant community. Nowadays, they are preserved primarily by reconstructors of folklore traditions, but a hundred years ago they were revered in every large patriarchal peasant family from the Bug and the Carpathians to Siberia. The holiday was opened by children, a symbol of spring and procreation, who went from house to house and “sowed” grains from a sleeve or from a bag with the saying: “For happiness, for health, for a new summer, give birth, O God, to rye, wheat and all arable land.” The mistress of the house - the "big woman" - then collected this grain in an apron, and it was with them that the spring sowing was opened.
From the evening of January 13, according to the new style, holiday porridge was served in the house, usually buckwheat, which was not only a treat for the holiday table, but also a means of fortune telling for the future harvest and the well-being of the home. Having changed into clean smart shirts and prayed, the eldest man and eldest woman in the family got to work. He brought water, she took grain or cereal from the barn, lit the stove and brewed porridge with the corresponding sentences and chants. The younger members of the family watched the ritual in reverent silence, so as not to scare away Zhitsen, the pagan ancient Slavic spirit of zhit, the patron saint of grain growers, from the house.
When the “magic” brew was finished, it was placed on the table and carefully examined. If the porridge “ran away”, expect trouble “over the edge”. A cracked pot also did not bode well. If the grains are too harsh, the farm will be at its worst, but it will last. If the forecast was negative, the porridge was thrown into the river. And if the porridge is a great success, the harvest will be good, the family will prosper, and the treat can be served to the family.
Caroling and generosity
Carols
In the evening on Vasily’s Day, young people went around the village to carol. Since the original meaning of this holiday was the spell of a generous harvest, it was also called generous. Ukrainians and Belarusians have attached the name Shchedry to this evening.
Some folklorists find the refrains of “Vasiliev’s generosity” even more diverse than those of Christmas carols, and see in this echoes of pagan ritual chants. However, the Christian patron of this day, Saint Basil, is not forgotten in them: “Give out a pig and a boletus for Vasily’s evening.”
The owner had to give the loud-mouthed midnight singers as abundantly as possible with treats and small money, not only so that they would quickly go away screaming to their neighbors, but also luck in field work and harvesting would not turn away from him. There is also a procession with mummers in the generosity on Vasily’s Day, which has its own specifics in many regions. Common Slavic mummers - “goat”, “wolf”, “tur”, “bear” - are accompanied, for example, in some regions of Belarus by a beautiful elegant girl - Shchedra, and in Ukraine - Vasil and Malanka.
On the night of the Old New Year, it is also customary for girls to tell fortunes about their betrothed - on nut shells, on a comb, on coals, on pies, etc., although this custom applies to the entire Christmastide period.
The tradition of “generosity” and spells of the harvest on New Year’s Eve exists among all Slavic and most European peoples in various forms. Moreover, among Catholics and Protestants, as well as among some foreign Orthodox Christians, it is tied to the Gregorian calendar.
Old New Year in other countries
Winter Belgrade
In addition to the Russian Orthodox Church, a number of other people remain faithful to the Julian chronology system local churches- Jerusalem, Georgian and Serbian Orthodox churches, Ukrainian Greek Catholic, several ancient Eastern churches, including Ethiopian, etc. Connected with this are the traditions of celebrating the Old New Year and St. Basil on January 13-14, which have been preserved in a number of countries.
Serbs even call the Old New Year Serbian (Srpska Nova Godina). By the way, despite the historical popularity of pig farming in Serbia, Serbian peasants consider Vasily’s Day a “professional” holiday not for swineherds, but for cheese makers. The holiday is also accompanied by a procession of mummers - young guys depicting a comic wedding procession. In some areas of the country, there is a custom on St. Basil's Day to bring into the house a “badnyak” - an intricately decorated bouquet of oak branches or just an oak log, which is prepared for Christmas and burned in the hearth or on a fire on Christmas Eve.
Of course, for such lovers of delicious food as the Serbs, Vasily’s Day is not complete without a culinary “specialty”. They serve “vasilitsi” - delicious corn pies with kaymak - thick curdled cream, as well as “paru” - a dish of corn bread doused with hot milk with the addition of feta cheese, butter and olives.
The Old New Year is also celebrated in Macedonia and occasionally in Bulgaria, but there it is rather a custom adopted from the Russians during the era of socialism. In addition, in Western Europe on the night of January 13-14, not only people from former USSR. Residents of the Swiss semi-canton of Appenzell-Innerhoden, stern Protestant mountaineers, also did not accept the calendar reform of Pope Gregory in the 16th century and defended their right to celebrate the New Year according to the Julian calendar.
Mikhail Kozhemyakin
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The tradition of celebrating the Old New Year is associated with the divergence of two calendars: the Julian - the “old style” calendar and the Gregorian - the “new style” calendar according to which modern people live. This discrepancy in the XX-XXI centuries is 13 days, and the New Year according to the old style is celebrated on the night of January 13-14.
From March 1, 2100, the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars will be 14 days. From 2101, the Old New Year will be celebrated a day later.
Almost all Protestant states of Europe switched to the Gregorian calendar back in the 18th century, removing a few extra days from the calendar. Russia switched to a 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 start date of the New Year has changed. January 1 according to the new style falls on December 19 according to the Julian calendar, and January 14 according to the new style is January 1 according to the Julian calendar.
The Russian Orthodox Church continues to celebrate all church holidays according to the Julian calendar: the Circumcision of the Lord (until 1918, which coincided with the civil New Year), and the Nativity of Christ. The modern New Year falls on the pre-Christmas fast - the Orthodox forty-day fast in honor of Christmas. According to the old style, everything went as usual - the Nativity Fast preceded the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, after which six days later people celebrated the New Year.
Therefore, the Old Style New Year is important for Orthodox believers living in countries where the church continues to use the Julian calendar.
In Russia, until 1918, the arrival of the New Year fell during the Christmastide period, so all folk New Year's signs are more applicable to the Old New Year. People believed that if a woman comes to the house first on the morning of New Year's Day, then this will inevitably bring misfortune, if a man - happiness. If you have money in the house on New Year's Day, you won't need it all year, but only if you don't lend it to anyone. In addition, the following signs were known: “If the first day of the year is cheerful (happy), then the year will be like that”; “Snow or fog that falls on New Year’s Day foreshadows the harvest”; “A full hole of water and fog on New Year’s Day foreshadow a big flood”; “If there is wind on New Year’s Day, there will be a nut harvest”; "New Year - turn to spring"; "New Year - sleigh on the move"; "The New Year is picking up the first hour of the day."
In addition, January 14 (January 1, old style) in the old days was called Vasily’s Day - the celebration of the memory of St. Basil the Great of Caesarea - and was decisive for the whole year.
On this day, it was customary to perform all kinds of fortune-telling and ancient rituals. The evening before (now January 13) was called Vasilyev's evening. They were especially looking forward to it unmarried girls, who at this time were willing to guess. They believed: whatever you predict on Vasily’s Day will definitely come true.
Saint Basil was considered the “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 on the night before St. Basil’s Day, then these animals would breed in abundance and bring good profits to their owners.
Therefore, the main festive dish on Vasily’s Day was a pig, which was roasted whole; a hare and a rooster were also prepared. According to legend, roast pig ensures prosperity for the coming year; They ate hare meat to be as agile as a hare, and rooster meat to be as light as a bird.
An interesting ritual was going from house to house to treat yourself to pork dishes. 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.
There was also a custom on Vasily’s day to cook porridge with special rituals. On New Year's Eve, at 2 o'clock, the eldest of the women brought cereals from the barn (usually buckwheat), and the eldest man brought water from a well or river. It was impossible to touch 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.
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 was small and white, and the pot cracked, this did not bode well for the owners of the house, and then trouble was expected, and the porridge was thrown away.
In the old days, on Vasilyev's Day, peasants went from house to house with congratulations and wishes for well-being. At the same time, an ancient ritual was performed, known as different names: autumn, autumn, autumn, etc. Its essence was that the children of the peasants, having gathered together before mass, went from house to house to sow grains of oats, buckwheat, rye and other grains from a sleeve or from a bag and at the same time sang a sowing song.
The owners of the house gave the sprinkler something as a gift, and the grains scattered by him were carefully collected, stored until spring and mixed with other seeds when sowing spring crops.
There is also a tradition in Russia on the night of the Old New Year to make and cook dumplings, some of which contain surprises. In each locality (even in each family), the meanings of surprises may differ.
According to signs, if the night before Vasily’s Day the sky is clear and starry, it means there will be a rich harvest of berries. According to popular belief, St. Basil the Great 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!”
Some regions of Russia have their own traditions of celebrating the Old New Year. For example, in Yalga, a suburban village of Saransk (Mordovia), residents gather around the New Year's bonfire, dance in circles and, along with old things, burn all the troubles that have accumulated over the year. They also have a tradition of comic fortune-telling with an old boot or felt boot. Yalga residents stand in a circle and pass each other a “magic shoe”, in which there are notes with good wishes. They believe that a note pulled from a boot will definitely bring good luck.
The tradition of celebrating the Old New Year has been preserved not only in Russia, but also in the former Soviet republics. In Belarus and Ukraine, the evening before January 14 is called “generous”, since it is customary to prepare “generous kutya” - a rich table after the Nativity fast. Both Georgia and Abkhazia celebrate the Old New Year.
In Abkhazia, January 13 is officially listed as Azhyrnykhua or Khechhuama - Day of the Creation of the World, renewal. It is a holiday and non-working day. The holiday of renewal or creation of the world originates in the pagan past of the country and is associated with the veneration of the deity Shashva, the patron saint of blacksmiths. Traditionally, on this day, roosters and goats are slaughtered as a sacrifice to Shashwa. The holiday brings together all paternal relatives under the roof of the family sanctuary - the “smithy”. Representatives of other people's clans - wives and daughters-in-law - remain at home.
The Old New Year is also celebrated in some other countries.
In the former Yugoslavia (Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia), the Old New Year is also celebrated on the night of January 13-14, since the Serbian Orthodox Church, like the Russian, continues to live according to the Julian calendar.
Serbs call this holiday "Serbian New Year" or Little Christmas. Sometimes Serbs on this day bring “badnjak” into the house - one of the two logs that they prepared on Christmas Eve for Christmas and Little Christmas.
In Montenegro, it is customary to call this holiday “Prava Nova Godina”, which means “correct New Year”.
Basilica is prepared for the Old New Year: round pies made of corn dough with kaymak - cream curdled like cheese. Sometimes another dish is prepared from corn dough - parenitsa.
On the night of January 14, people gather at the festive table to celebrate the arrival of the New Year in Greece. This Greek holiday is called St. Basil's Day, famous for his kindness. While waiting for this saint, Greek children leave their shoes by the fireplaces for St. Basil to put gifts in them.
In Romania, the Old New Year is celebrated more often in a narrow circle of family, less often with friends. For the festive table, they make New Year's pies with surprises: coins, porcelain figurines, rings, hot peppers. A ring found in a pie promises great luck.
Old New Year is also celebrated in northeastern Switzerland in some German-speaking cantons. Residents of the canton of Appenzell in the 16th century did not accept the reform of Pope Gregory and still celebrate the holiday on the night of January 13-14. On January 13, they celebrate the old day of St. Sylvester, who, according to legend, captured a terrible monster in 314.
It was believed that in the year 1000 a monster would break free and destroy the world, but this did not happen. Since then, on New Year's Day, Swiss residents dress up in masquerade costumes, put fancy structures on their heads that resemble dolls' houses or botanical gardens, and call themselves Sylvester Klaus. Walking along the streets, local residents make noise and shout, thereby driving out evil spirits and inviting good spirits.
In addition, Old Style New Year is celebrated in the small Welsh community in Wales in the west of Great Britain. On January 13th they celebrate "Hen Galan". There are no fireworks or champagne on this day. "Hen Galan" is greeted according to the traditions of their ancestors with songs, carols and local home-made beer.
Since 1752 in the United Kingdom The Gregorian calendar is in effect, where the New Year begins on January 1. But a small community of Welsh farmers, centered in a village called Guane Valley, celebrates the New Year according to the Julian calendar, and unlike the rest of the country, January 13 is their official day off.
The reason why the Guane Valley and its surrounding farms fell behind the times is now unknown. Some say that it was the will of a local feudal lord opposed to the Catholic Church. Others believe that it was the will of the entire community, which decided to defend its traditional way of life.
The children start the holiday. From early morning they carol throughout the valley, collecting gifts and money. For adults, the fun comes in the late afternoon. The whole village and nearby farms gather at the local pub. Outside visitors are not allowed. The ancient pub, one of the few in the UK where beer is brewed and poured immediately into jugs, serves nothing but beer. Local residents bring their own food. In the pub, people, to the accompaniment of an accordion, sing songs in Welsh that were sung by their grandfathers and great-grandfathers.
For local residents, "Hen Galan" is a celebration of good neighborliness and "open doors" - but open to their own. According to legend, in ancient times the inhabitants of the valley danced and sang from house to house to visit.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
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