The Old New Year is in many ways different from the usual noisy holiday. It is carried out calmly and spiritually, in a narrow family circle. The celebration is accompanied by traditional cuisine, rituals and fortune telling.
The history of the holiday
The New Year was celebrated in Rus', but was called the evening of St. Basil. The date of the celebration was the first of January, but with the change of the “calendar” the celebration was moved to the 13th.
Since January 1 “according to the old calendar” was associated with a saint, the Orthodox Church refused to move the date of the celebration, and so two holidays appeared:
- January 1 - New Year;
- January 13 is the “generous” evening of St. Basil, which eventually became the Old New Year.
What to cook for Old New Year
Among the Slavs, New Year's Eve was called Ovsen. The morning of the 13th traditionally began with the preparation of festive dishes. Pork was considered the main treat on the table, since Saint Basil was the patron saint of pig farmers. The festive table must be generous and the guests well-fed. This is considered a symbol of wealth and prosperity that will remain with you throughout the year. Much has changed in the traditions of the celebration, but they still believe in the New Year’s sign: “How you celebrate the New Year is how you will spend it.”
On this day, every dish and product on the table has its own meaning, for example:
- baked hare - success in business, rapid career growth;
- roast rooster - ease of life, a feeling of flight;
- whole grain dishes - new life;
- honey - health;
- poppy - financial stability.
On the eve of Ovsen, a generous kutia is traditionally prepared. There are many recipes for preparing festive sochi. Housewives generously flavor the dish with nuts, dried fruits, honey and halva. Traditionally, sochi is prepared from wheat or barley grain, but the usual rice or buckwheat will also work.
Dumplings are a must-have dish for the Old New Year. On this day they are prepared in a special way. Each dumpling has a different filling. Each one means something good. Having chosen a dumpling, the guest guesses for the future.
Meanings of various fillings:
- citrus fruits - pleasure;
- nuts - love joys;
- cherry - good luck;
- mushrooms - long life;
- cabbage - money;
- potatoes - moving up the career ladder;
- Bay leaf- popularity;
- minced meat - well-being;
- cheese - money gain.
Also on the table there were always “dumplings with a surprise”, to which various symbolic objects were added.
Warn your guests!
Your friends and family are sure to love this fortune lottery game, similar to the fortune cookies served during Chinese New Year. But before serving, do not forget to warn guests that the food contains solid and inedible objects.
Symbolism of things in dumplings:
- coin - financial well-being;
- ring - marriage;
- white thread - travel;
- green thread - trip abroad;
- a button is an expensive new thing;
- chain - new strong family ties.
What does it mean to be generous - traditions of Vasily's evening
The evening of January 13 begins with a hearty dinner with the family. They put on all the most expensive and beautiful clothes.
After dinner, the neighbors visit each other so that they can live together for the next year. Special and good sign It is considered if the first visitor to the house is a young guy from a prosperous and wealthy family.
When coming to visit, it is customary to ask for generosity from the hosts in the form of treats, and in return - to wish well-being and wealth for their home - to be generous. That is why the eve of the Old New Year itself is called “Generous Evening”, and the guests are called “generous people” or “generous people”. They are always greeted with joy, and do not spare treats and gifts.
On the morning of the 14th, when the New Year has already entered into force, young people gather in the streets, where the straw Didukh is symbolically burned. Afterwards, they jump over the fire, cleansing their aura of everything old and unclean.
Fortune telling for "Generous Evening"
Folk fortune telling is an integral part of the celebration. It is believed that during the change of the calendar year, higher power can answer your questions and open the door to the future.
For the groom
Fortune telling is performed with bread, a ring and a hook. These items are hidden in a container with cereal, and the girl takes one out without looking inside. The item is returned before the next fortuneteller begins the ritual. The bread symbolizes a rich spouse, the ring - a handsome one, the hook - a poor or sick one.
In the name of the betrothed
At the end of the festive meal, the girl leaves the house and asks the name of the first unknown man. This is exactly what the future spouse will be called.
Fortune telling with a comb
Before going to bed, girls comb their hair and hide the comb under the pillow. The dreamed man will be the betrothed.
Signs for a gardener for the Old New Year
Summer residents on Vasiliev Evening should pay attention to the weather; simple signs will help determine what the next year will be like:
- the south wind promises a hot, prosperous summer, the north - a cool and rainy year, the west - an abundance of fish, the east - a good fruit harvest;
- a clear starry night - there will be a generous harvest of berries;
- fluffy snow on the branches is a good year for beekeepers.
Don't forget to shake off the snow from the apple trees at midnight - this will ensure a good and healthy harvest.
Bottom line
The Old New Year has a religious basis, since it was the church that refused to postpone this holiday due to the change of the calendar. This day is filled with spirituality and is associated with the traditions of ancestors, and therefore it is recommended to spend it with family and best friends.
On the night of January 13-14, Ukrainians will celebrate the Old New Year - a unique holiday that arose after the change in chronology.
Despite the fact that Old New Year is not an official holiday, many of us love and honor this day. On the eve of the holiday HB Style tells how the Old New Year is celebrated and what customs, rites and rituals it is accompanied by.
The celebration of the Old New Year began in 1918, when the Gregorian calendar was introduced instead of the Julian calendar, and the concept of “old” and “new” styles entered our lives.
Thus, if you didn’t have enough fun and entertainment on the night from January 31 to January 1, you can celebrate the holiday again. By the way, for many believers, the Old New Year is a brighter holiday than the usual New Year, since lavish feasts are allowed only after the end of the Nativity Fast.
Old New Year: customs
In Ukraine, the Old New Year is celebrated by setting a rich table, on which there must be kutia. The generous evening on January 13 is very similar to the Holy Evening before Christmas, but the dishes here are no longer Lenten: on the table there are sausages, meat, lard, pies, dumplings, pancakes and much more.
Bhofack2/
The whole family should gather at the festive dinner, ask each other for forgiveness and wish for happiness and prosperity in the new year.
From time immemorial, traditionally, on the days of the Old New Year, Ukrainians also celebrated Malanka Day (January 13) and St. Basil's Day (January 14). These holidays were always accompanied by folk festivities, dressing up and fortune telling.
Among the main rituals for the Old New Year, one cannot fail to note the generosity and driving of the Malanka goat. From evening until night, groups of generous people went from house to house, singing ritual songs of generosity, dancing and joking. The company was accompanied by the goat Malanka, which young boys most often dressed up as.
On the morning of January 14, it is customary to sow in Ukraine. According to this ritual, on the Old New Year, boys and young men fill their mittens with grain and sow first in their home, then in the houses of their godparents, relatives and neighbors. At the same time, the sowers wish happiness, prosperity and harvest in the new year.
In some regions of the country, on the morning of January 14, they burn “didukhs” - pre-prepared sheaves that stood in the house on the red corner (on pokuti) on the Generous Evening.
This ritual for the Old New Year did not end with just burning straw: in order to cleanse themselves of all the troubles and troubles accumulated over the past year, people jumped over the fire.
Among the ancient Ukrainian customs for the Old New Year, it is worth highlighting matchmaking. Only on January 13, those young guys who had previously received a “garbuza” from their beloved girl could repeat the attempt and again send matchmakers to the girl’s house. You can get married on Malanka for the first time, because it is believed that if you agree to get married on Generous Evening, then the life of the young couple will be generous and joyful.
The night from January 13 to 14 was considered magical, so fortune telling for the Old New Year was also an integral part of the celebration.
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The Old New Year is not an independent holiday. It is celebrated due to the change of the calendar from the Julian to the Gregorian. Nevertheless, the tribute to traditions was embodied in a wonderful celebration, which is usually celebrated with the family.
The Old New Year will be celebrated on the night of January 13-14. This holiday dates back to 1918, when Lenin's decree abolished the Julian calendar. There are many traditions that are carefully passed on from generation to generation. It is believed that this time should be spent with good thoughts, generous treats and always in new clothes, so that life is prosperous and happy.
Historically, Old New Year's Day fell on Orthodox holidays Circumcision of the Lord and the day of St. Basil the Great. The holiday was celebrated throughout the Soviet Union, and now these traditions continue to be maintained in Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.
Traditions and signs of the Old New Year
It is customary to celebrate the Old New Year without skimping on treats. According to traditions and signs, hospitable hosts who welcome guests will attract wealth and prosperity to their home.
By which direction the wind blows on January 14, you can determine the summer weather. If it blows from the south, then the summer period is expected to be hot and not dry. Also on this day, a starry, clear sky promises a good harvest of berries, and frost on the trees portends a rich harvest of honey. To achieve a bountiful harvest of apples, you need to shake off the snow from the apple tree branches at midnight.
It was previously forbidden to celebrate the Old New Year only in the company of women, otherwise there would be trouble. It was also impossible to borrow and lend money, or do cleaning, so as not to lose luck and prosperity.
On the eve of the holiday, a ban was imposed on bad words. If you use foul language or get involved in conflicts, you will spend the whole year in negativity.
According to traditions, during the celebration there must be treats prepared by caring housewives on the table. Previously, on Vasilyev's day, kutya or sochivo was prepared in the morning with the addition of candied fruits, honey and nuts. Meat dishes were a must. Moreover, according to legend, pork was served to enrich the family in the New Year. Chicken meat, and rooster was especially valued, gave the necessary freedom, and rabbit meat promised success in business and new endeavors.
In the evening, you can safely tell fortunes. Young girls can find out the time of marriage. The older generation was engaged in predicting the future. On Vasiliev's Day, according to signs, one could see one's destiny and make one's deepest wishes that would come true within a year. Despite the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church does not approve of such rituals, many on the night of January 13-14 do not miss the opportunity to tell fortunes.
The brightest entertainment on the day of the holiday were carols. People dressed up in various costumes of buffoons, animals and evil spirits, walked around houses and courtyards, sang songs and collected treats. Carols were famous throughout Rus', and in modern times you can meet cheerful companies of mummers who sing New Year's songs and wish everyone happiness and prosperity. It is believed that treating such mummers with sweets is a sign of wealth and prosperity. Those who are greedy will experience difficulties all year.
Whatever your holiday, spend it in a good mood and in the company of loved ones. You can agree in advance with friends and dress up for carols, or you can arrange home gatherings. We wish you good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and
11.01.2018 04:16
During the celebration of the Old New Year, everyone can tell their fortunes and find out what awaits them in...
The Old New Year is an unofficial, but unusually warm, joyful and magical holiday, which is celebrated on the night of January 13-14. This additional New Year was the result of a change in the order of chronology, so it can be considered a cultural and historical phenomenon.
Where did this holiday come from?
Confusion with the celebration of the Old New Year began in 1918, when the Gregorian calendar was introduced instead of the Julian calendar, and the concept of “old” and “new” styles entered our lives. At the same time, that day, which for centuries was considered the first of January, “moved” in the calendar to January 14. For those who did not want to change their habits, it remained a holiday.
In addition, celebrating the New Year from January 13 to 14 turned out to be more logical for Orthodox believers, who are accustomed to celebrating it 6 days after Orthodox Christmas. But they tried not to celebrate the holiday from December 31 to January 1, since it fell during the Nativity Fast, when you can’t set a festive table, you can’t drink wine and you can’t have fun to your heart’s content. And in general, in public consciousness Since the 19th century, the New Year has been considered a cheerful and riotous holiday.
“The New Year is the same as the mummers’ march in the village,” he writes in his essay historian Lev Lurie. – This is the time when people can behave indecently. After the New Year, it’s time for girls’ fortune telling. They told fortunes, of course, about the suitors - they let the rooster peck oats, melted wax, put pieces of paper with the names of potential suitors into a basin, and used a mirror.” The traditions of fortune telling are pagan; they were not only not welcomed by the Orthodox Church, but were also prohibited. Of course, it was clearly inappropriate to do all this during Lent.
Why do we still celebrate it?
By the way, there is no scientifically based date for the start of the new year. This is the subject of a social contract. It is simply more convenient for people to unify the calendar and consider that in all countries the calendar new year begins on the night of December 31 to January 1.
So, why not stop at this wonderful date? After all, now even Orthodox believers do not refuse to celebrate the New Year with everyone else. However, annual Levada Center polls show that the tradition of celebrating the Old New Year in our society not only does not die out, but only grows stronger from year to year. The number of people who celebrate this holiday is growing and amounts to last years already from 43 to 47% of respondents.
Scientists believe there are several reasons for this. The first is that in our culture, everything that confirms the idea of the mystery of the Russian soul is traditionally welcomed. “Our people generally like the idea that Russia has its own unique third way,” says expert at the Center for Political Technologies, social psychologist Alexey Roshchin. – That’s why we have our own specific holiday – the Old New Year. This allows us to feel that we stand out against the backdrop of general globalization.” However, in fairness it should be said that the Old New Year is celebrated not only in Russia, but also in most CIS countries, as well as in the former republics of Yugoslavia.
The second reason, according to psychologists, lies in the fact that our long, cold winter and lack of light provokes us into seasonal blues. And holidays are the best way to combat it. Festive garlands, colorful lanterns, cheerful chaos, feasting, the desire to pamper yourself with food and alcohol. So we grab every opportunity not to fall into winter depression. How else can you defeat her?
The third source of why we so want to extend the New Year holidays follows from the previous one. “The fact is that the New Year holidays are best suited to feel like children and pamper our “inner child”, which is hidden in the soul of each of us, says psychologist Oksana Poleshchuk. – Christmas tree, tangerines, snow, skating rink, cafe, cinema, the opportunity to just have fun, be reckless, push aside the burden of daily responsibility, relax, sit in front of the TV, eat whatever you want without counting calories, and finally, just do nothing. Many of us, in fact, lack this, and after the holidays this lack is felt most acutely.”
There are even wonderful poems about this by Yunna Moritz, which Sergei Nikitin set to music, and the result was an unusually lyrical, wonderful song:
He's old, old, he's not new at all,
And still we are children, we are at the Christmas tree,
And we are flying for this ghostly supplement,
For the irrevocable and unique,
Add us at least the Old New Year.
Make your dreams come true
Finally, an important reason for the growing popularity of the Old New Year is that in our divided world, people experience an increasingly noticeable lack of human understanding with each passing decade. And therefore we increasingly need warm, unhurried communication. Best of all - for festive table, in the circle of the closest and most understanding people. Perhaps that is why the holiday from December 31 to January 1 remains wild and cheerful, with shooting and dancing until the morning. But the Old New Year is now assigned, rather, the role of a quiet, sincere, warm and magical holiday.
So if you feel that you celebrated the New Year not the way you would like, but “like people”: with frantic running around the shops and bowls of salads, then you still have a chance to realize your secret desires and celebrate the Old New Year like this , as you yourself want. Or just dream, let your dreams go into extraordinary distances, believe in miracles and return at least for a while to such a wonderful world - the world of childhood!
Tatiana Rubleva
What dates does our history not contain? The Old New Year holiday is not on any calendar in the world, but for almost a century it has been celebrated in our country and in some countries near and far abroad. Almost two weeks after the first of January, the fun at the Christmas tree returns. The emerging dual tradition greatly surprises foreigners, and not all of our compatriots know why this happens. Where did the custom of celebrating the Old New Year come from? What date is it celebrated? In our article we will understand all the mysteries of the appearance of this amazing holiday.
Change of chronology
Until the beginning of the twentieth century, the Julian calendar was in effect in Russia. Back in the sixteenth century, astronomers recognized it as erroneous, and the countries of Europe began to live according to the Gregorian system, introduced by Gregory XIII. The thing is that the year has a different average length, and therefore a difference in dates gradually arose.
By 1917, there was a discrepancy of as much as thirteen days in Russia and Europe. Having come to power, the Bolsheviks carried out numerous changes and reforms, including the issue of bringing time into the same format as the European one. The decree issued by Vladimir Lenin in 1918 on the transition of Russia to one eliminated the confusion in numbers, and the whole world began to live according to the same chronology.
This is the history of the holiday. The Old New Year, as we see, arose due to a change in the calendar. Instead of moving the event from one date to another, the current historical situation provided another reason for celebration. Now we have two opportunities to celebrate the coming year, this can be done in the old and new style.
Origins - in church traditions
The Julian calendar was preserved in Russian Orthodox Church, which to this day calculates everything only based on it. While preserving traditional time, the so-called “old style,” the Russian Church rejects the European chronology. Since the worldly New Year falls on January 14, the Old New Year can otherwise be called the New Year according to the old style. It was this day before the revolution that was considered the first day of January. Historically, our ancestors, having switched to a new calendar, did not move away from the previous one. This is the secret of the two New Year's holidays in our country and some nearby states.
Is it possible to have a feast during Lent?
For Orthodox people, the current January 1st falls during the strict Nativity fast. During this period, believers refuse meat, savory food and entertainment. These prohibitions end only because on January 14, the Old New Year becomes a truly special day when you can enjoy life and enjoy the holiday. IN European countries Catholic Christmas is celebrated on December 25, so the New Year's table can be safely set with any dishes.
Second chance, or To be continued...
Surprisingly, since 1918, people have traditionally celebrated the Old New Year every year. Today even children know what date to celebrate this holiday.
What is the secret of the holiday’s popularity is difficult to answer unequivocally. For some, this is the Orthodox New Year, for others it is a reason to gather the whole family at the table, for others it is an opportunity to complete what they did not manage to do before January 1st.
The pre-New Year bustle and hype has subsided, there is no more running around the shops in search of gifts and products, and a person has a unique chance to prolong the charm of the holiday. If you celebrated the chimes on December 31st with your family, then this time you can have a party with friends, or vice versa. If, when setting the table at the end of last year, you prepared the traditional Olivier salad and herring under a fur coat, then on this day you can experiment with new dishes.
What to do on Old New Year?
It's no secret that TV has become a part of our lives. The whole country watches TV programs, programs and films. Prepared specifically for New Year's Eve, some shows may be of interest. If you missed a holiday movie or program last time because of a trip to the Christmas tree or a noisy feast, then don’t be upset: TV people, well aware of this point, usually repeat their program on the evening of January 13th. Each family can come up with its own traditions for celebrating the Old New Year.
The carol has arrived - open the gates
Mid-January is Christmas time. They begin on Christmas Eve and last for two weeks until Epiphany. Being in the middle, the holiday divides Christmastide into two halves. The first week was called "holy evenings." This time is dedicated to the birth of Christ. But the second week was called “terrible evenings.” Ancestors believed that these days he walks devilry. People turned to fortune telling and recalled various rituals. On the Old New Year, on Christmas Eve and the eve of Epiphany, it was customary to carol.
This folk event was something like a fun carnival. Young people and children dressed up in various costumes and masks and walked around the village. Stopping at each house, they sang special songs. Moreover, they were performed both on Christmas and Epiphany, and not just on the Old New Year.
The history of the origin of the word “kolyada” is associated with the Latin term calendae, which translates as “first day of the month.” The semantic meaning has gradually changed, and now it means funny songs that mummers sing under the windows of houses, while collecting alms - treats.
The sheepskin coat is inside out, the bag is in your hands, and off you go!
For this fun, young people usually gathered in a whole group. A “mekhonosh” was always appointed, who was responsible for a large basket or bag where treats brought by generous owners were placed. Most often they dressed up as animals, for example, a bear, a wolf or a goat. They also dressed as all kinds of evil spirits, for example, the devil or Baba Yaga. At the same time, complex costumes were not required; the transformation took place literally using scrap materials. The sheepskin coat was turned inside out and tied with a simple rope, the face was smeared with soot, coal or sprinkled with flour.
Treat a caroler to a year of living with dignity: signs for the Old New Year
The carolers praised the owners, their generosity, house, livestock and yard, congratulated them on the holiday, wished them health, wealth, a bountiful harvest, and for this the owners presented them with pies, pancakes and other goodies. Such treats were prepared in advance and in large quantities. It was considered to ignore the carolers. For those owners who regretted the treats, the mummers not only sang ditties ridiculing greed, but could also cause mischief by bringing down a woodpile of firewood, tying the doors with resin rope, or in other ways. It happened that a cheerful procession forgot to enter a house, accidentally letting it pass. Such an incident was considered a harbinger of something bad. Carol carolers did not enter homes that were visited by misfortune during the year and claimed someone’s life.
Protection from dark forces
Naturally, such dressing up as all kinds of evil spirits was not welcomed by the Church and was considered a devilish undertaking. Therefore, at the end of Christmas time, carolers washed themselves with holy water and hurried to atone for sin in the temple of God. For a long time, people have tried in every possible way to protect themselves and their home from various troubles; there were special conspiracies for this. On the Old New Year, for example, to protect against the evil eye, damage and misfortune, it was supposed to take 3 lit candles and read the following words near the entrance to the house: “Happiness is in the house, all troubles are out!” Whoever thinks evil will be returned threefold. Whoever wants to jinx him, trouble will find him. And the Lord will protect this house, Saint Basil will look after it. Amen". These Old New Year conspiracies were repeated not only at the threshold, but also at every window in the house. In the old days, people adhered to such rituals very strictly.
Folk signs for the Old New Year
As you know, there are events that contain unusual days and those associated with them. The history of the holiday is also noted in it. The Old New Year is celebrated on January 14 and is called folk calendar- Vasiliev's day. People noticed that if the weather was frosty and little snow, this promised a bountiful harvest. The thaw on this day was perceived as a harbinger of a cold and lean summer. There were other signs too. On the Old New Year there was a blizzard - nuts would be born.
“Avsen, avsen, you walked around everyone...”
Vasiliev's Day was a holiday of agriculture, and therefore it was celebrated cheerfully: calendar songs were sung, round dances were held, people started dancing. Traditional rituals were also used. On the Old New Year, they carried out seeding and scattered wheat grain in the house. They also prayed that she would be born this summer.
The patron saint of not only agriculture, but also pig breeding was considered the holy martyr Basil, whose day was celebrated on the Old New Year. The story goes that the owners prepared meat dishes, pies, and pork jellied meats. It was believed that this would bring health and happiness to everyone at home. In addition, it was necessary to treat the guests with meat, so that night people went to each other - both to congratulate and taste goodies.
Whatever kind of porridge you brew, that’s how you’ll spend the year
One more interesting tradition preserved the history of the holiday. The Old New Year was a day of predictions. At night, elderly members of the family, a man and a woman, prepared ritual porridge. First, they waited until the oven got hot, and then they poured water over the cereal and put the pot in the oven overnight. By how the porridge turned out, they determined what the coming year would be like. A whole pot and aromatic and crumbly porridge foreshadowed a happy future and a good harvest. This dish was eaten in the morning. If the cereal ended up outside the pot, running over the edge, or the vessel itself cracked, poverty and a bad harvest awaited the owners. In this case, the ritual porridge was not eaten, but was immediately thrown away.
Even in ancient times, people said: “As you greet the year, so will you spend it.” This statement, which has survived to this day, encourages us to set a rich table with treats and dishes on the holiday and have fun, inviting wealth, prosperity and health into our home.
