Old New Year: when it is celebrated, celebrated, from what date, traditions. Old New Year: history of the holiday What date is the old new year

No one will argue that our country is very interesting, and the traditions are sometimes simply breathtaking. For example, who else can boast that they celebrate such a holiday as the Old New Year? Just listen to the name of the event! What date is the Old New Year 2018 celebrated - according to the modern calendar, this is the night from January 13 to 14. The fact is that earlier, before the change of calendars, the real New Year fell on these dates.

To figure out what date the Old New Year is celebrated and, in general, why they do it, you will need to go back a hundred years. Three revolutions took place in Russia and the power of the Soviets was established. It was the new Soviet government that decided to switch from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. As a result, the entire date grid moves by 13 days; this discrepancy in dates continues to this day. Just think about it, according to the old calendar, everything was correct: Christmas was celebrated before the New Year, and New Year’s Eve never fell during the strict period of Advent Lent, as is the case now.

Let us celebrate the Old New Year 2018 this year, but from time immemorial the traditions of celebration have been preserved and passed on. The church people still call this evening Vasilyev, this has been the custom since the time of Peter the Great. Traditionally, as on the eve of any holiday, houses are cleaned and the festive table is prepared. There may already be meat and dairy products on the table, because the Nativity fast is over. By the way, practice baking pancakes, because it will be celebrated very soon.

It seems to us that such an old and strange holiday is an excellent occasion to renew some old Russian traditions in your family or try for the first time. For example, for dessert you can bake gingerbread cookies, prepare uzvar, and also sochivo (wheat or rice porridge with honey and dried fruits). Be sure to serve. Hide some distinctive sign in a few pieces, which promises great luck in the new year to those who find this sign. For example, housewives hid a thread in a dumpling - this meant travel, a button promised new clothes, beans - an increase in the family, and a black peppercorn - excellent adventures.

Generate and guess

From January 13 to 14, this is the answer to the question of what date is the Old New Year in 2018. Traditionally in Rus' on this night, after sunset and before midnight, people went to give generously or sing carols (the ritual was called differently in different regions). They went from house to house, sang ditties wishing the owners all the best in the new year, and in return the owners treated the singers with goodies.

To protect the house from evil spirits, that night the owners made a sheaf of ears of grain from the previous year's harvest and burned it. During the burning process, they sang songs and had fun, asking for good luck in the new year.

Do not forget that this holiday falls during the Christmas season, which means this time is ideal for conducting various fortune-telling. Specifically .

Current signs for the Old New Year 2018

Beliefs and signs of the Old New Year:

• If there is snow or fog outside, then you should expect a rich harvest.
• You need to enter the New Year by asking everyone for forgiveness and by forgiving yourself.
• If a man enters the house first, this is an excellent omen.
• In order for the year to pass in wealth, there should be large bills in the house on the festive night.
• Wear clean clothes and bright jewelry to attract good luck and prosperity.
• If there is snow outside, then the summer will be warm and not very rainy.
• With a frosty holiday and no snow, summer will be dry and hot.
• A foggy morning on Old New Year's Day is a harbinger of a rich harvest.
• If a blizzard howls on the day of the holiday, expect a nut harvest in the fall.

Today, the Old New Year is not an official day off, but this year we are lucky that the holiday night falls exactly from Saturday to Sunday. So, be sure to prepare congratulations on the Old New Year 2018, some of which can be found on the cards in this article.

It is customary to celebrate the New Year in Russia for a long time and on a grand scale - in January we rest for more than a week. However, the festive mood continues even after the end of the official holidays, because on the night of January 13-14 the whole country celebrates the Old New Year. Kultura.RF talks about when and how a holiday with such a controversial name appeared.

New Year's pre-revolutionary postcard. Russia, before 1917.

The Old New Year came to our culture along with the old style of chronology.

In 1918, the Bolshevik government decided to change the calendar. Tsarist Russia lived according to the Julian calendar, and Europe lived according to the Gregorian calendar. The first was created in the Roman Empire and was based on ancient Egyptian astronomy. The Gregorian calendar was more accurate; it was created in the 16th century, taking into account the latest knowledge about the structure of the universe. The difference between the two counting systems was 13 days and created inconvenience for conducting international political and economic affairs and led to funny incidents in everyday life. For example, judging by the dates on the postmarks, it turned out that the telegram was received in Europe several days earlier than it was sent in Russia.

The transition to the Western European calendar occurred on February 14, 1918. According to the decree, the main goal of the entire project was “to establish in Russia the same calculus with almost all cultural peoples.”

An unusual holiday also appeared - the old New Year, that is, the New Year according to the old style, which was not forgotten among the people. However, the Old New Year was not celebrated on such a large scale as the night from December 31 to January 1.

The Russian clergy did not agree with the transition to a new style and did not abandon the Julian calendar. But this was not so important for the Bolsheviks, who had already signed the Decree on the separation of church from state and school from church. The old style became unofficial.

Today, the Russian Orthodox Church still uses the Julian calendar. Therefore, Christmas in our country is celebrated on January 7, and in Catholic countries on December 25. The Orthodox Church celebrates the New Year, or rather “new year,” on September 14 (September 1, old style) - not from the Nativity of Christ, but from the creation of the world. During the secular New Year holidays, believers keep the Nativity Fast.

Directly on January 1, the holy martyr Boniface is commemorated, to whom one should pray to get rid of drunkenness (the disease of drinking wine).

Contrary to popular belief, the tradition of celebrating the Old New Year exists not only in our country. There are similar holidays in the countries of the former USSR, as well as in Greece, Serbia, Montenegro, Algeria, Tunisia and many other countries. In all countries, the appearance of an unusual date is associated with transitions to different calendars, but each country has its own traditions. In the German-speaking regions of Switzerland, for example, on January 13, they celebrate the old St. Sylvester's Day, dress up in fancy dress and wish each other a Happy New Year. In Macedonia, carnivals are held on New Year's Day according to the old calendar. There is an analogue of our holiday in Wales - the Hen Galan festival. It also means the onset of the New Year according to the Julian calendar, and on this day children can “carol” - go from house to house and receive sweet gifts.

In Russia, according to statistics, the Old New Year is celebrated by about half of the country's population, gathering at the festive table. A number of museums and cultural organizations devote thematic exhibitions to the holiday.

Old New Year 2018: what date is celebrated, customs and traditions, congratulations in verse, and much more, read in the TopNews material.

Old New Year: what date is it celebrated?

On the night of January 13-14, the Old New Year 2018 begins. As a rule, in Russia this holiday is celebrated in large companies of friends and loved ones with a rich feast and wild fun.

The people called the holiday Vasily's Day on the part of St. Basil the Great, whose memory the Church honors on the next day - January 14.

Old New Year 2018: history of the holiday

The Old New Year is celebrated mainly in the CIS countries. The holiday appeared after the change of chronology in 1918, when intkbbee the new government decided to switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. The difference between the calendars was 13 days, and the New Year according to the old style falls exactly on the night from January 13 to 14 according to the new style. This was the reason for the celebration.

Old New Year: traditions and rituals

On the eve of the Old New Year, housewives clean their houses and prepare treats for the festive dinner. Celebrating the Old New Year begins on the evening of January 13th. Everyone gathers at a rich table, on which there are pies, pancakes, dumplings, cabbage rolls, sausages, aspic, cutlets, salads and other dishes. Gingerbread, cookies, cakes and rolls with cream fillings are served for dessert, and wine and champagne are popular among alcoholic drinks.

At midnight, people light sparklers, set off fireworks and make a wish.

In some regions, it is customary to sing carols after sunset and until midnight. Generous people go around houses and sing ritual songs wishing happiness to the owners. For this they are given sweets and money.

Fortune telling for the Old New Year

It is believed that on the night of January 13-14, higher powers descend to Earth, so fortune telling during this period is especially accurate. On this night, it is customary to guess about the future, about the fulfillment of a wish, about the betrothed, about the wedding date. People perform magical rituals in which they turn to higher powers for help. It is believed that all the predictions of this night will come true in the near future.

Old New Year: signs and beliefs

• It is believed that if it snows or is foggy on the Old New Year, then the year will be fruitful.
• On the eve of the Old New Year, you should ask forgiveness for grievances from all loved ones and acquaintances and forgive your own.
• According to legend, if a man is the first to enter the house on the morning of the Old New Year, then this is considered a good omen, and if it is a woman, then it will be a misfortune.
• If there are large banknotes in the house for the holiday, then the coming year will pass in wealth.
• On the eve of the Old New Year, you need to wear new, clean clothes so that the year will be accompanied by good luck and prosperity.

Congratulations on the Old New Year are short and in verse

Here comes the Old New Year -

A holiday, but in reverse!

And we will still say:

Happy New Year with a new happiness!

We wish you various blessings:

Live richly, don't get sick,

And goodness and peace in the world,

And more, wider smiles.

And in the hearts - love and happiness,

Despite all the bad weather.

Let miracles happen

So that life is a fairy tale.

Celebrated by all the people

Holiday - Old New Year!

I wish you joy, fun,

And a groovy mood,

So that all your dreams come true,

Reach heights in your career

Health, money, a lot of strength,

May you give happiness every moment!

Let the Old New Year

Will bring you happiness

A little bit of peace.

Will show you the right path,

Will fulfill all dreams

Add beauty

Will pour love into hearts,

Health will drip into the blood.

And every moment and hour

Trying hard for you!

Olivier, feast, toasts,

The mummers come to visit.

Deja vu? Or maybe not?

The Old New Year is a holiday that is incomprehensible to foreigners. And not every modern Russian is able to explain how this celebration actually differs from the traditional one, celebrated on the first day of January. Despite the fact that the difference between the holidays is only in the discrepancy in dates, we continue to celebrate the Old New Year, which gives many pleasant emotions. Now it is perceived as a continuation of the usual, when everyone can afford to continue celebrating their favorite holiday on the night of January 14th.

history of the holiday

Previously, the New Year in Rus' was celebrated on March 22, which had a direct connection with agriculture. When Christianity was adopted, the Byzantine calendar began to gradually replace the old one, and the holiday moved to the first day of September. Peter I decided to eliminate the confusion by moving the celebration to January 1 according to the old style. In this form it existed until the Bolsheviks came to power, who decided to change the chronology system. In 1918, the Soviet government decided to switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. The Old Style New Year moved to January 14, which led to the emergence of a new holiday.

One of the reasons why the celebration was not quickly forgotten is due to the stubbornness of the Russian Orthodox Church, which continues to celebrate all such events according to the Julian calendar. However, this insistence is in fact not very justified precisely because even clergy should keep up with the times.

Now the clergy say that they do not intend to change their traditions, and calendar differences should not be given much importance. They refer to statements by astronomers who claim that the current calendar is also not ideal, and people will repeatedly make changes to the chronology system.

In 2020, the Old New Year falls on the weekend, when Saturday turns into Sunday, which allows Russians to have fun without compromising their work schedule - the holiday is unofficial.

• history of the holiday

history of the holiday

Until 1918, the beginning of the year was celebrated on the night of January 14, since the Julian calendar was adopted in Tsarist Russia. In order to balance important dates of global significance, the power of workers' and peasants' deputies decided to transfer the empire to the Gregorian calendar, adopted in most countries of Europe and the world.

Here there was a contradiction with church guidelines - according to Orthodox canons, the New Year should have been celebrated after the Nativity of Christ, which was preceded by an important fast. Naturally, the festive night is accompanied by a considerable amount of delicacies and strong drinks, remaining a great temptation for believers.

It is important to remember that the tradition of casting a spell on the betrothed on this night has roots in paganism and has no connection with church settings.

Before the revolution, there was also huge confusion regarding the celebration of the new 12 months next year. As historians say, the celebration has roots in distant Mesopotamia - it was the Babylonians who celebrated the next period noisily and cheerfully, dressing in carnival costumes and worshiping the supreme deity. This happened in the spring, signifying the joy of the winter experienced and the rebirth of nature.

From Mesopotamia the celebration migrated to the Greeks, then to the Roman Empire. Gaius Julius Caesar streamlined the calendar (hence the name “Julian calendar”) by issuing a decree according to which the next year began on January 1. It was on this day that tax collectors were appointed to the state treasury.

An interesting fact is that the word “calendar” translated from Greek means “debt book.”
In 1582 AD, Pope Gregory XIII decided to combat errors in chronology and introduced his own calendar - accordingly, the “Gregorian”. This account of past and future days was adopted by countries in which Catholics had an advantage. Thus, the difference in the onset of the New Year was 10 days.

History of the Russian New Year

In the 10th century AD, Christianity came to the Slavs. Together with faith in a new and single god, instead of a huge number of small and large idols, as well as in natural phenomena.

The high priests began to calculate chronology according to the Julian calendar, while state authorities continued to count the elapsed time since the creation of the world. Then the New Year celebration took place on March 1st. After John III came to power, the celebration was moved to September 1.

The tradition was changed by Peter I. As is known, the reformer tsar was a great admirer of European rules of existence, therefore, by decree of December 15, 1699, he ordered all subjects of the Russian state to celebrate the beginning of the next period of time on January 1, forcing the entire country to switch to a new chronology. According to the document, the year 7208 turned into 1700 in an instant.

According to the decision of the autocrat, who “cut a window to Europe,” all city governors had to ensure that on the night of January 1, the noble population decorated spruce, pine and juniper trees in front of the gates. On holidays, it was necessary to organize festive events for children. Local authorities were supposed to provide low-income households with branches from the specified plant species. All this decoration was supposed to be kept at the gate until January 7th. At the same time, Peter the Great ordered that “fire fun” and folk festivals be held on Red Square.

Interestingly, a separate clause in the decree includes a ban on drunkenness and fighting for adults - according to the sovereign, the remaining days of the year were enough for such entertainment!

When is the holiday celebrated in different countries?

For a long time it was believed that the Old New Year refers only to Russian historical reality, when, due to a change in chronology, an incident occurred with the traditional double holiday.

However, there are states in which the long-awaited holiday has also been extended due to the peculiarities of the formation of political cells in the world community:

The tradition of celebrating the Old New Year has been preserved by the Baltic countries, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, and Belarus. Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan are not far behind them. This is due to the “Soviet” past, when independent states were union republics;
Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro continue to celebrate the new chronology according to the old style, calling the holiday the “Serbian” New Year;
in the German-speaking areas of Switzerland, residents fundamentally refused to accept the Gregorian calendar, which is associated with the confrontation between Catholics and Protestants;
The Berber calendar, used by the peoples of Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco, is a modified Julian version. Therefore, the beginning of the year is celebrated here on the night of January 11-12. At the same time, in 2017, the President of Algeria made the first day of the New Year an official holiday;
On this day, residents of the Land of the Rising Sun celebrate the end of winter. In Japan, the agricultural calendar begins from January 13 to 14.

How to celebrate the Old New Year

During its existence, the holiday has acquired signs and rules, according to which luck will always accompany the owners of the house in the New Year. So, the feast should be plentiful, so that during the transition from the Old New Year to weekdays, the spirit of wealth remains in the family.

When everyone sits down for a festive treat, you should definitely invite a man to the table if you don’t have your own representative of the stronger half of humanity in the house. According to tradition, an all-female company on the night of January 13-14 is considered a bad sign.