On the night of January 13-14, many countries celebrate everyone's favorite holiday - the Old New Year. From year to year, many generations organize feasts on this day. The most interesting thing is that few people think about the history of the holiday. Believers who observe fasting on the Old New Year can celebrate the holiday from the heart and enjoy delicious dishes.
The Old New Year appeared after the change of chronology - this tradition is based on the divergence of two calendars: Gregorian and Julian.
Previously, in Rus', the New Year was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox, namely, March 22. After Christianity was adopted, the Byzantine calendar began to supplant the old one, after which the New Year was celebrated on September 1.
It is worth saying that until the 15th century a single date for the holiday was not established. Some celebrated it in the fall, while others celebrated it in the spring. In 1492, the date of the New Year was set in Rus' - September 1.
In December 1699, Peter the first moved the holiday to January 1, after which the next year of 1700 began four months later.
The Orthodox Church celebrates the New Year, Christmas and other holidays according to the Julian calendar. As a result of this discrepancy, Russian residents celebrate the New Year twice - in the old and new styles.
There are many customs and traditions associated with this holiday. On this day, the Orthodox Church remembers the day of St. Basil the Great. People also call the holiday as Vasiliev's Day; this day was very decisive for the year.
On this day, the children scattered wheat, rust and oats around the house, and also said:
“Give birth, O God, to every life according to the grain, that according to the grain and according to the great, and it would become a life for the whole baptized world.”
After this, the mistress of the house collected all the grains from the floor and stored them until sowing.
Another unique ritual is boiling porridge. On New Year's night, the woman brought cereal to the house, and the man brought water from the well. Until the stove was heated up, touching the cereal and water was not allowed. Then the older woman stirred the porridge in the pot.
While stirring the porridge, she said special words. Then the hostess put the porridge in the oven with a bow. If the porridge turned out rich and the pot was full, then they ate it and waited for a happy year and a big harvest.
If the pot cracked or the porridge went beyond its limits, it was thrown away.
The girls performed various fortune telling for the Old New Year. These fortune tellings were considered the most truthful, because you could see your betrothed.
To do this, girls combed their hair before going to bed, put a comb under their pillow and uttered the magic words: “Mummer, come and comb my head.”
No less interesting was the ritual of going home; people treated guests to pork dishes. According to tradition, guests had to be fed pies and other dishes containing pork.
Saint Basil was the patron saint of pig farmers, as well as any pork products. Everyone believed that an abundance of pork dishes that night would be the key to abundance and profit.
There is also a tradition of making dumplings with a surprise. Everyone is interested in who will get what surprise.
On holidays it is not customary to lend money, because then there will be no wealth. At the same time, receiving money on this day was considered a good omen - it meant profit.
On Vasilyev's evening, everyone put on new clothes so that they could dress well all year. The year will be happy if you spend it fun.
If the sky is starry and clear on Vasily's Day, then you can expect a rich harvest of berries and nuts. Fluffy snow also indicated a bountiful harvest.
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
New Year 2017: how to celebrate and what to expect....
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, the 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, we can trace natural order succession of holidays - the Nativity Fast preceded the holiday of the Nativity of Christ, after which six days later people celebrated the New Year.
The discrepancy between the old and new chronology in the 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 New Year according to the old style is known and loved in different corners There are countries on our planet 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 everyone 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, on this night people gather at the festive table 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 the UK, where they celebrate Hen Galan on 13 January. “Hen Galan” - a holiday of good neighborliness and “open doors”, according to the traditions of our ancestors, is greeted with songs, folk festival and local homemade beer.
And then, two New Years are a great occasion once again gather your 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 Vasiliev'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 according to the grain and according to the great, and it would become 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 will get 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.
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 in a shopping center in the capital of Georgia
In the old days there was a belief that if you carry out 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 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!”
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.
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, a transition was made to the Gregorian calendar - a 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 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 people live modern people. 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 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 specifically 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. Especially waiting for him were unmarried girls, who at that time willingly told fortunes. 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 Vasiliev's Day, peasants went from house to house with congratulations and wishes for well-being. At the same time ancient rite, known under different names: Avsen, Ovsen, Usen, 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 they prepare another dish 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 narrow circle family, less often with friends. For festive table
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 and put fancy structures on their heads that resemble doll houses or botanical gardens and call themselves Sylvester Claus. 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 the Vale of Guane 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 Gwayne 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 then poured 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 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. Especially waiting for him were unmarried girls, who at that time willingly told fortunes. 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 Vasiliev'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 under different names: avsen, ovsen, 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 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” containing 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 they prepare another dish 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.
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 the Vale of Guane 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 Gwayne 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 then poured 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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