When the old new year became old. Old New Year: studying the history of the holiday

Holiday January 14 - Old New Year. History of the Old New Year. Celebrations and traditions for the Old New Year 13.01.2018 14:33

On the night of January 13-14, Russians celebrate the Old New Year - a holiday that is incomprehensible to many foreigners. No one can really say - how is the Old New Year different from the traditional New Year familiar to everyone? 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 Russia 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 Russia on March 22 - on the day of the vernal equinox, and this was associated with the agricultural cycle. With the adoption of Christianity in Russia, 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 Russia 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.

Thus, two New Year celebrations were formed - according to the new and the old style.

Church about the Old New Year

The custom to celebrate the 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 Nativity 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 Meet the Old New Year on the night of 14 to 15," Chaplin said.

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," the representative of the Moscow Patriarchate concluded.

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, astronomers say. 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 - experts 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 All-Russian Center 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 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. On 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.

It is customary to celebrate the New Year in Russia for a long time and on a grand scale - in January we have a rest for more than a week. However, the festive mood persists 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 tells about when and how the holiday with such a controversial name appeared.

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

The old New Year came into our culture along with the old style of reckoning.

In 1918, the Bolshevik government decided to change the calendar. Royal Russia lived according to the Julian calendar, and Europe - according to the Gregorian. 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 latest knowledge about the structure of the universe. The difference between the two systems of calculation was 13 days and created inconvenience for the conduct of international political and economic affairs and led to funny incidents in Everyday life. For example, according to the dates on the postmarks, it turned out that the telegram was received in Europe a few days earlier than it was sent in Russia.

The transition to the Western European calendar took place on February 14, 1918. According to the decree, main goal of the entire project was "the establishment in Russia of the same calculus with almost all cultural peoples."

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

The Russian clergy did not agree with the transition to the 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 the church from the state and the school from the church. The old style has become informal.

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 New Year, or rather the New Year, the Orthodox Church celebrates on September 14 (September 1, according to the 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 in order to get rid of drunkenness (the disease of wine drinking).

Contrary to popular belief, the tradition of celebrating the Old New Year exists not only in our country. There are similar holidays in countries former USSR, as well as in Greece, Serbia, Montenegro, Algeria, Tunisia and many other countries. In all states, 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, old St. Sylvester's Day is celebrated on January 13, dressing up in fancy dress and wishing each other a Happy New Year. In Macedonia, carnivals are held on the New Year according to the old calendar. There is an analogue of our holiday in Wales - the Hen Galan festival. It also means the beginning 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 for festive table. And a number of museums and cultural organizations dedicate thematic exhibitions to the holiday.

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 the chronology. Due to this discrepancy in calendars, we celebrate two "New Years" - according to the old and new styles.

How did the old New Year

The date of the creation of the world (according to the ancient translation of the Old Testament) used to be March 1, 5508 BC. Therefore, the New Year began on the first day of spring (according to the new style, March 14).

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 from now on began on the first day of autumn.

In pagan times in Russia, the New Year was celebrated on March 22 - on the day of the vernal equinox. After the adoption of Christianity in Russia, the Byzantine calendar began to gradually replace the old one, and the New Year now began on September 1. Even today, some teachings interpret this date as the true birthday of Christ. DFor a long time in Russia, New Year's inconsistency persisted - 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 - they officially determined a single date for the beginning of the New Year in Russia - September 1.

Only 2 centuries later, on December 19, 1700, Peter I promulgated a decree to calculate summer from January 1 from the Nativity of Christ (that is, according to the "new" style - January 14). Thus, in 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 since switched to the Gregorian calendar. To narrow this gap in 1918, by decree of the Council of People's Commissars, a transition was made to the Gregorian calendar - a new style, and January 14 - the day of St. Basil, Archbishop of Caesarea Cappodacia - turned out to be the old New Year.

Old New Year today

On the night of January 13-14, everyone can afford to "complete" their favorite holiday. Indeed, for many believers, the Old New Year is of particular importance, since they can celebrate it wholeheartedly only after the end of the Advent.

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 that prolongs the charm of the New Year or allows you to feel this charm for the first time. After all, this holiday is more peaceful, it is not characterized by the fuss that is an inevitable companion of the New Year.

When will the 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 from the birth of Christ is not a multiple of four by one day. Now the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendar is currently 13 days. And from March 1, 2100, this difference will be 14 days. And from 2101, Christmas and the Old New Year will be celebrated a day later.

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 divergence of dates, we continue to celebrate the Old New Year, which gives a lot of 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 Russia was celebrated on March 22, which had a direct connection with agriculture. When they adopted Christianity, the Byzantine calendar began to gradually crowd out 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 system of chronology. In 1918, the Soviet government decided to switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. New Year according to the old style moved to January 14, which led to the emergence of a new holiday.

One of the reasons why they did not quickly forget about the triumph is related to the stubbornness of the Russian Orthodox Church, which continues to celebrate all such events according to the Julian calendar. However, this insistence is not really justified, precisely because even churchmen 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.

On the night of January 13-14, we will celebrate the Old New Year - a holiday that is completely incomprehensible to most foreigners. Nevertheless, since ancient times we have been accustomed to celebrating the Old New Year magnificently, observing many New Year traditions and rituals, conducting New Year fortune-telling and eating dumplings with predictions.

What is Old New Year?

No one can really say - how does the Old New Year actually differ from the New traditional, familiar to all year? Of course, from the outside it seems that the matter is solely in the discrepancy between dates. However, oddly enough, we all treat the Old New Year as a completely independent holiday that can prolong the charm of the New Year for us. For some, it is on this day that they finally manage to truly feel it. After all, the Old New Year is a more relaxed, family holiday, without the fuss and incredible troubles inherent in the holiday of January 1st.

One way or another, there are two reasons for the appearance of this unique Old New Year - a change in the date of the New Year on the territory of Russia and the incredible stubbornness, not the desire of the Russian Orthodox Church, to switch to the New style of chronology.

But, despite the banality of the reasons, many people endow these dates with a hidden meaning, placing great hopes and believing in the deep sacrament of the holiday. Do these dates carry any mysterious, mystical meaning? Let's figure it out.

History of the Old New Year

In pagan times in Russia, the New Year was celebrated on March 22 - a very logical date, given that this is the day of the vernal equinox, closely related to the agricultural cycle. After the adoption of Christianity in Russia, the Byzantine calendar began to gradually replace the old one, according to which the New Year now began on September 1. Even today, some teachings interpret this date as the true birthday of Christ. For a long time in Russia, New Year's inconsistency persisted - some continued to celebrate the New Year in the spring, others in the fall. And only at the end of the 15th century, a single date for the beginning of the New Year in Russia was officially determined - September 1.

In 1699, by decree of the famous innovator, Peter I, the beginning of the New Year was postponed to January 1, then according to the old style of chronology, therefore, according to the new style to January 14. And finally, in 1918, after the Great October revolution the Bolsheviks "abolished" the difference between the European and our chronology, "moving" the calendar by 13 days a year.

Thus, two New Year holidays were formed: one - according to the new style, an arc - according to the old one, respectively New - on January 1 and Old New - on the 14th.

The opinion of the Christian church about the Old New Year

The Russian Orthodox Church still celebrates the New Year today, however, like the Nativity of Christ, according to the old, Julian calendar, which is on this moment differs from the Gregorian calendar generally accepted in the world by the same 13 days. That is, on the night of January 13 to 14, we celebrate the Old New Year, and the church is simply New.

Interesting in this matter is the fact that the difference in dates from 2100, namely from March 1, will not be 13, but already 14 days. And the Old New Year, and Christmas since 2101, we will celebrate a day later. That is, the Old New Year - on the night of January 14 to the 15th, and Christmas - January 8th.

According to the Russian Orthodox Church, they have absolutely no intention of making any adjustments to their calendar, since they see absolutely no point in this. The difference between the calendars, Julian and Gregorian, indeed, increases every 100 years by one day. However, it is not worth attaching great importance to calendar differences, according to the church. The Gregorian calendar is also not accurate and has its shifts, so the Russian Orthodox Church continues to use the Julian calendar. Consent to calendar disputes can only be brought about by the development of a new, absolutely accurate calendar, which is practically unrealistic.

There is also a completely worldly explanation for church stubbornness. The fact is that for most believers, the Old New Year really has a special meaning, because they can celebrate it from the bottom of their hearts only after the Nativity Fast ends, during Christmas festivities.

Scientists about the Old New Year

January 14 is an unscientific date, astronomers say. However, the current calendar is not ideal either. According to scientists, the mechanics of the motion of the planets is "guilty" of the need to make some changes to the chronology. The Julian calendar, which was in force until 1918 in our country, lags behind the current Gregorian calendar by 13 days.

And the whole point is that the planet Earth does not turn around its axis in exactly 24 hours. Every day, additional seconds run up to this time, which gradually add up to days. They formed these 13 days by the beginning of the twentieth century, making up the difference between the new Gregorian and the old Julian systems. However, it should be noted that the new style is more accurate regarding the laws of astronomy.

The main thing, according to scientists, is that the calendar, whatever it may be, most accurately reflects the location of our planet in relation to the Sun. Many enthusiasts are still trying to solve the calendar problem today, and offer a lot of their own options for counting time. Applications for changing the calendar chronology, "tons" even come to the UN. Most of these proposals are based on changes to the traditional week, for example, some propose to introduce five day week or do without weeks altogether, replacing them with ten days. However, ideal proposals that meet the laws of astronomy, and still solve the problem with the chronology, perhaps, cannot exist - this is the conclusion that experts from many countries have come to. Scientists have come to the conclusion that it is inappropriate to carry out any calendar reforms at this stage.

Is Old New Year necessary?

But no matter what scientists say, and even despite the fact that this day is, unfortunately, not even a day off, the popularity of this holiday is growing uncontrollably. According to some centers for the study of public opinion, people who want to celebrate it in Russia have long exceeded 60%, in Ukraine and even more - about 80% of the population. Moreover, among those who regularly celebrate or plan to celebrate the Old New Year, there are people with completely different statuses, incomes and ages: pupils and students, workers, entrepreneurs, housewives, with secondary special and higher education, pensioners...

The whole point, I think, is that, unlike the Europeans, we have strong New Year traditions. We have something to do for the New and Old New Year, and for the Christmas holidays and for Christmas festivities ... The breadth of our Slavic soul will not let us get bored. In truth, we don’t really need a reason, but here it is! We walk!