Old-style New Years Day, celebrated on January 14th, is an unofficial holiday. But many Russians treat it with the same enthusiasm as the official New Year celebration. In many houses, Christmas trees continue to sparkle on this day.
The history of the emergence of this New Year's holiday is known to most of the citizens of our country, especially to the older generation. But not many people know what traditions accompanied this event.
Historical reference
They began to celebrate the Old New Year thanks to the transition of the Soviet state from Julian to Gregorian chronology. According to the decree signed by V. I. Lenin, the country switched to a new calendar from February 1, 1918. Now this date, applied to the new style, automatically became the fourteenth of February. As a result, there was a "jump" from January 31st to February 14th.
The Julian calendar was created in the Roman Empire, during the reign of Julius Caesar. At the end of the sixteenth century, a new, Gregorian calendar was introduced, blessed by the Pope, Gregory the thirteenth. It was more accurate timing. Gradually, most countries of the world switched to this calendar.
The Russian Orthodox Church did not approve of the transition to the Gregorian style, and continued to celebrate all holidays according to the Julian calendar.
On January 1, believers celebrated a church holiday - St. Basil's Day, which coincided with the meeting of the new year. With the transition to the Gregorian chronology, the country continued to celebrate the official New Year on January 1, but according to the modern calendar. And Vasilyev's Day began to be celebrated according to the old style, now on January 14th. Accordingly, the Old New Year was celebrated on the same day.
Traditions
- Traditions and rituals accompanying the Old New Year celebrations are closely connected with Vasilyev's Day, which believers celebrate as a sign of reverence for Saint Basil the Great, church chronicler and theologian.
- Saint Basil patronized pig breeders, therefore, on the Old New Year, they always cooked fried suckling pig in their own juice. The evening of January 13th was called the "generous evening." It was supposed to set a "rich" table so that in the coming year the family would have enough. The hostesses cooked wheat porridge with meat, cooked pancakes and baked pies with all kinds of fillings.
- There must be generous kutia on the festive table, abundantly seasoned with oil.
- For the holiday, dumplings with a "surprise" were made. Anything could be the filling, for example, a coin or a pea. It was only necessary to tell the guests that the dumplings were a secret. Anyone who gets caught will spend the new year.
- On the Old New Year, unmarried girls wondered about the betrothed. This prediction was considered the most correct.
- We went to the courtyards to carol. At the same time, the owners had to treat the carolers with a pork dish. Caroling was supposed to be until midnight.
- And on the morning of January 14, a sheaf of hay was burned in the central square, while jumping over it to drive away evil spirits.
- What not to do on the day of the holiday
- It is unacceptable to celebrate being in an exclusively female team. So you can stay lonely in the new year and attract misfortune.
- There is no need to lend and borrow money. This is towards poverty in the new year.
- In order not to "take" luck out of the house, it is not recommended to clean the house.
- Like the real one, the Old New Year is supposed to be celebrated cheerfully and with enthusiasm. It is not for nothing that since ancient times a human proverb says: "As you celebrate the New Year, you will spend it!"
