Celebrating the Old New Year has become a good tradition for Russians. Most often, it is celebrated by gathering a close circle of relatives and friends at a festive table. When and why did this holiday arise?
The Old New Year came into being with the change of chronology. The fact is that the celebration of the New Year on January 1 was established by Peter I in 1699. It was from that time that Russia began to live according to the Julian calendar. And in 1918, our country began to count the days according to the Gregorian calendar, i.e. according to the "new style" calendar, which is 13 days ahead of the Julian calendar. At that time, the Bolsheviks simply "abolished" the extra 13 days, deciding that the country's population would quietly switch to the European chronology and, therefore, the New Year would move. However, the Christian Church did not accept this order and continued to celebrate its holidays according to the Julian calendar - the “old style.” That is why, due to the rejection of the new chronology, the Old New Year appeared. However, it is noted not only by strict adherents of church customs. This holiday has taken root very well among the population, and is a continuation of the traditional New Year. So the inhabitants of our country from year to year celebrate the same holiday on two calendars. An interesting fact is that the difference in the number of days between the two styles is gradually increasing. So if in the XX-XXI centuries the Old New Year falls on January 13, then in 2100 it will already be celebrated a day later. Previously, New Year's Eve was called Vasilyev's evening, and the next day after it was the day of Vasily of Caesarea or Vasily the Generous. It was customary to set a rich table, replete with a large amount of meat, all kinds of snacks and salads. On the same day, various rituals and fortune-telling were performed. Recently, the Old New Year is celebrated as an independent, separate holiday. And many people don't even know the story of its origin. January 13 is a great occasion for a quiet family celebration, not accompanied by the usual pre-New Year's worries and fuss. The tradition of celebrating the New Year according to the Julian calendar has been preserved in some other countries. It is celebrated in Serbia, Montenegro, Switzerland, Romania and even in Wales.
