On the night of January 13-14, Russians celebrate the New Year according to the old style, or as people say, the Old New Year. This amazing holiday has a lot of traditions and signs. Let's understand the history of the Old New Year, how it was celebrated at different times in Russia, and also find out what to cook for the Old New Year, what traditions should be observed, what signs to believe in.
Old New Year - the history of the holiday
New Year in Russia, by decree of Peter I, began to be celebrated on January 1 in 1700, and they began to celebrate the Old New Year in 1918, when Soviet Russia switched from the former Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar adopted in Europe. The tradition of celebrating the Old New Year appeared thanks to believers. Due to the difference between the calendars in Russia, until 1919, Christmas and New Year were celebrated 13 days later than in Europe. But the Russian Orthodox Church did not obey the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR of 1918 and did not accept the Gregorian calendar. With the official introduction of the new calendar, Christmas, as previously celebrated on December 25 according to the old style, “moved” to January 7. And the Orthodox continued to celebrate the New Year as before - six days after Christmas, that is, on the night of January 13-14.Interesting:
in 1918, when, during the transition to a new chronology, an amendment of 13 days was introduced, immediately after January 31, 1918, February 14 came in Russia.
The discrepancy between the dates of the Julian and Gregorian calendars increases every century. In the 20th-21st centuries this difference is 13, and from March 2100 it will be 14 days.
January 13 - Vasiliev evening
On the night of January 13-14, the Old New Year is celebrated(among Belarusians and Ukrainians it is known as a generous evening, in the central and some southern regions of Russia as autumn). This tradition arose after 1918, when a new chronology was introduced in Russia. Once upon a time this day fell on January 1 and was called Vasily's day(memory day of St. Basil the Great, and its eve is December 31 (which became January 13) - Vasilyev’s evening.
The evening on the eve of the Old New Year was popularly called generous. On the morning of January 13 (the day of Melania (Melanka)) it was necessary prepare porridge made from whole wheat grains. It could be seasoned with meat or lard, or topped with honey, sugar or jam. In addition, the hostesses baked pancakes, prepared pies and dumplings with cottage cheese to thank the guests. The most important dish for the Old New Year was considered pork dishes, by the way, a saint Basil the Great was considered the patron saint of pig farmers. “A pig and a boletus for Vasily’s evening”, “a pig is not a clean animal, but God has nothing unclean - Vasily will sanctify winter!”, say the proverbs about this day. This animal symbolized fertility and well-being. On this day, it was customary to generously set the table: a generous table on this day means prosperity throughout the year.
In the evening, people visited their neighbors to celebrate the New Year in peace and harmony.. According to popular beliefs, it was considered important who will be the first guest in the house in the New Year. It was a good sign if the first was a young man from a respected large family with a good household. And on the morning of December 14, young people walked to the crossroads burn “Grandfather” or “Didukha” - sheaves of straw. Young people jumped over the fire, which symbolized cleansing from wickedness.
Signs and traditions for the Old New Year on January 14
We prepared for Vasilyev's evening in advance. They sewed or bought beautiful clothes for him. The housewives put all the best things in the house on the table: pies, kutya, meat, wine, beer, vodka. Traditionally, a pig was prepared for this evening. It was a symbol of the fertility of the earth and the fertility of livestock in the coming year. Our ancestors, just like modern Russians, believed “how you celebrate the New Year is how you will spend it”: it was believed that an abundance of food on the first day of the year would bring prosperity for the whole year.Another custom associated with cooking is cooking porridge. The ritual was performed before dawn; When the porridge was ripe, the housewife took the pot out of the oven, and the whole family began to look at it. If the pot was cracked or the porridge turned out unsuccessful, this boded ill. If the porridge turned out fluffy and tasty, happiness was expected for the whole house.
In some parts of Russia they caroled on this day. For example, in the Tver, Yaroslavl, Moscow, Tula, Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Orenburg regions, the roundabout ritual of bunting was popular. The tradition got its name from the song that was sung while going home - “Osen”. People walked from house to house and sang songs. Participants in the walk-through approached from house to house and asked the owners for permission: “Can I call the oats?”, and they answered: “Click!” Then the ritual participants sang autumn songs to each family member individually. The most important “ovsen”, designed to ensure the well-being of the home and family, were addressed to the owner and his eldest sons. At the end, the generous owners of the house presented gifts to the performers.
- Gardeners shake snow off apple trees at midnight for harvest.
- If at night the wind blows from the south, the year will be hot and prosperous, from the west - to an abundance of milk and fish, from the east - expect a fruit harvest.
- Vasily's night is starry - for the harvest of berries.
- A lot of fluffy frost on the trees foreshadowed a good honey harvest.
What to cook for Old New Year
It is customary to spend the evening and night from January 13 to 14 with family at the festive table. Our ancestors always cooked for the New Year's table pig in its own juice, and made a dish of hare and rooster. All this was very symbolic:- the pig promised wealth and prosperity in the house next year;
- hare - speed and success in business;
- rooster - flying lightness and freedom.
- the grain symbolizes new life;
- honey - well-being and health;
- poppy - wealth in the house.
Traditional kutia recipe
Ingredients for traditional kutia:Wheat - 2 tbsp., poppy seeds - 200 g, walnuts - 200 g, raisins - 150 g, honey - 3 tbsp.
How to prepare traditional kutya:
Soak the peeled and washed wheat grains overnight in cold water. In the morning, drain the water, rinse the wheat, add hot water and cook over low heat until tender. Add a little water as needed. The porridge should turn out soft and crumbly. Cool the finished porridge and mix with a tablespoon of honey. Pour boiling water over poppy seeds and raisins for 30 minutes, each separately. Then strain the poppy seeds, add 1 tablespoon of honey and grind in a blender to obtain poppy milk. It’s better, of course, to do it in makitra for authenticity. Roast the nuts until crispy. Strain the raisins. Mix all ingredients, add honey. If the kutia is thick, then it should be diluted not with water, but with uzvar, the recipe for which we gave at the end of the article.
Generous rice kutia recipe
Ingredients for generous rice kutya:
1 cup rice, 100 g honey, 100 g nuts, 100 g raisins, 150 g poppy seeds, butter to taste, salt to taste
How to cook sochivo (kutya):
Prepare fluffy rice as usual. Roast nuts, if necessary, peel and chop. You can use any according to your taste. Wash the raisins and steam with boiling water. Also steam the poppy seed with boiling water and let it stand until it swells. Drain the water and grind in a mortar or coffee grinder. You will get milk of poppy seeds. Melt the butter and season the porridge with it. Send nuts, raisins, milk of poppy seeds and liquid honey there. If the honey is thick, you can dilute it slightly with water or cream. Mix everything and let the kutya stand. The taste of this sweet porridge can be varied with homemade jam, vanilla, candied fruits and so on.
Recipe for generous wheat kutia
Ingredients for generous wheat kutia:
200 grams of wheat, half a glass of poppy seeds, 100 grams of walnuts, sugar to taste, sweets (raisins, candied fruits, marmalade) to taste
How to cook kutya:
Wheat must be washed well, pour warm water over the grains, allow them to swell a little and cook in a large amount of water into a crumbly porridge. Add water (or uzvar), sugar (honey), crushed nuts, raisins to the steamed and ground poppy seeds and combine all this with wheat. The finished kutya can be put on low heat again and warmed up (5-7 minutes).
Dumplings with a surprise for the Old New Year
The Old New Year is a quiet, family holiday with its own traditions. One of them is to make dumplings with surprises. This is a long-standing tradition that originated from the custom of telling fortunes during Christmastide week. The filling in the dumplings symbolizes good wishes for the next year. Or rather, the filling is made as usual - cottage cheese or potato, and when molded, “surprises” are added. You can avoid putting your guests’ teeth in danger and fill the dumplings with oranges or cabbage - such fillings also have a special meaning.Important! Be sure to warn your guests if you put hard objects in the dumplings!
Recipe for dumplings with a surprise
If you are short on time, you can use store-bought unleavened frozen dough and make dumplings from it.Ingredients for dumpling dough:
1 egg, 4 cups flour, 1 cup water, 4 tbsp. l. vegetable oil, 2 tsp. sugar, salt
How to cook dumplings with a surprise:
Mix flour with sugar and salt and make a mound.
Make a depression on the top and break the egg into it, pour in the water and oil.
Knead the stiff dough, knead until it becomes smooth and homogeneous.
Place in the refrigerator for two hours, covering with film to prevent drying. Meanwhile, prepare the filling.
Sprinkle the table with flour, roll out the dough into a thin layer, and cut it into circles with a glass.
Place the filling in the middle of the circle, fold the dough in half, and pinch the edges.
Cook by throwing into boiling water.
Meanings of surprise fillings
Orange - for pleasure
Peanuts - for a love affair
Cherry - good luck
Peas - home peace
Walnut - health
Buckwheat - favorable and profitable news
Mushrooms - to a long and happy life
Big money - big win
Grain - to wealth
Raisins - to great temptation
Cabbage - for money
Caramel - for love
Potatoes - for a promotion at work
Cranberry - to unexpected changes in life
Ring - for the wedding
Red pepper - to chagrin
Dried apricots - to joy
Bay leaf - to fame (career growth)
Honey - health
Coin - a prosperous year in material terms
Carrots - for new acquaintances
Torment - to suffer
Meat - for well-being
White thread - long journey (long and long journey)
Green thread - the road abroad
Thread with knots - for a difficult year
Black thread - a short and not very long trip
Cucumber - for a strong man, good sex
Nut - immediately to two fans (admirers)
Pepper - thrill
Ground allspice - to “spicy”, i.e. an eventful life, major changes
Button - for a new thing
Millet - futile efforts
Rice - prosperity in the home
Sugar - sweet life (easy, favorable year)
Seeds - to new fruitful plans
Salt - to quarrels and failures (tears)
Capsicum - for sexual pleasures
Cheese - to win
Cottage cheese - to new friends
Dough, beans, or fish scales - to add to the family
Dill - to good health
Hazelnuts - for successful acquisitions
Bread - the year will be full and good
Chain - strengthening family ties
Black peppercorns - to friends (to new friendly relations)
Garlic - for a marriage of convenience
Apple - to a well-deserved reward
Fortune telling for the Old New Year
Vasilyev's evening was recognized as the most successful time for predicting the future. They said that everything predicted at this time would certainly come true. However, the Orthodox Church does not approve of fortune telling.Fortune telling for the Old New Year on a ring, bread and hook: the listed three things are placed in a vessel along with pieces of bread, coals, pebbles and other small objects. The vessel is covered with a towel, after which each young lady, without looking, drags the first thing she comes across (the pulled out item is then returned to the vessel). If he pulls out bread, the husband will be rich, if the ring is handsome, if the hook is disabled or poor.
Fortune telling for the Old New Year using bulbs It is carried out like this: all the girls take an onion and place them with their roots in the water, after which they observe - whose onion will give green sprouts first, which girl will be married sooner.
Fortune telling for the Old New Year by dogs. The girl is left alone in the room, after which the dog is allowed in. If a dog immediately runs up to a girl, then family life will be happy; if it starts sniffing the floor first, then the husband will be angry, and family life will be unhappy; if the dog begins to caress, then the husband will be affectionate.
Fortune telling for the Old New Year using the names of passersby. You need to leave the house and call out to the first male person you meet, asking what his name is. Whatever name he gives, that’s what his future husband will be called.
Fortune telling for the Old New Year using a comb. Before going to bed, the girl puts a comb under her pillow with the words “Betrothed, mummer, come and comb my hair.” If in a dream she sees a man combing her hair, then this year she will be married to the person in the dream.
Fortune telling for the Old New Year using conversations. They went to eavesdrop under the windows of their neighbors and, based on what they heard, judged their future marriage. If they scolded in the hut, then the husband will be angry, if they laughed, he will be a merry fellow, if they drank, he will be a drunkard, etc.
Fortune telling for the Old New Year from a book. To do this, take a book and each girl in turn asks a question, and then names the page number and line (bottom or top) where the answer is contained. The answer is read in the book. The works of classics of Russian literature are great for fortune telling (just be careful with Dostoevsky! But Tolstoy or Pushkin are simply ideal). It is better to formulate the question so that it requires a detailed answer, rather than “yes-no”.
On the night of January 13-14, Russians celebrate the Old New Year - a holiday incomprehensible to many foreigners. No one can really say - how does the Old New Year differ from the traditional New Year that is familiar to everyone? Of course, from the outside it would seem that the issue is only a discrepancy in dates. However, we all treat the Old New Year as a completely independent holiday that can prolong the charm of the New Year. Or maybe this is the first time to feel it, because the situation can be different, but on this day the holiday is calmer, there is no fuss, so characteristic of the holiday on January 1st.
There are two reasons for the appearance of a unique New Year - a change in the date of the beginning of the New Year in Rus' and the stubbornness of the Russian Orthodox Church, which did not want to switch to the New Style.
Story
In pagan times, the New Year was celebrated in Rus' on March 22, the day of the vernal equinox, and this was associated with the agricultural cycle. With the adoption of Christianity in Rus', the Byzantine calendar began to gradually replace the old one, and now the New Year began on September 1. For a long time, discord persisted, and in some places the New Year continued to be celebrated in the spring. Only at the end of the 15th century in Rus' the beginning of the New Year was officially determined - 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 calendar and the European one.
This is how two New Year holidays were formed - according to the new and old styles.
Church about the Old New Year
The custom of celebrating 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 the Nativity of Christ according to the Julian calendar, which still differs from the generally accepted Gregorian calendar by 13 days. But starting 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.
Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, said that the Russian Orthodox Church does not yet intend to make adjustments to its calendar. “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 Celebrate the Old New Year on the night of 14 to 15," Chaplin said.
According to him, one should not attach much importance to 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,” concluded the representative of the Moscow Patriarchate.
For many believers, the holiday of January 14, the Old New Year, has a special meaning, since they can celebrate it from the heart only after the end of the Nativity Fast, during the Yuletide festivities.
Scientists' opinions
The Old New Year is an unscientific date, astronomers say. However, the current calendar is not ideal, according to specialists from the Astronomical and Geodetic Society of Russia. According to them, the strict mechanics of planetary movement forces people to make changes to the calendar. 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. Additional seconds 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 new Gregorian systems. The new style more accurately corresponds to 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 offering their own version of timekeeping. Their proposals are mainly related to changing the traditional week: some propose making a week of five days or doing without weeks at all, and introducing ten days. However, from a scientific point of view, there are probably no ideal proposals - specialists from different countries came to this conclusion after studying applications for changing the chronology that were submitted even to the UN. Scientists consider it inappropriate to carry out any calendar reforms now.
Celebration
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 the All-Russian Center for the Study of 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
In the old days, January 14 was called Vasilyev's Day, and was of decisive importance for the whole year. On Vasilyev'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". This ritual 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 housewife then collected it and stored it until sowing time. Ukrainian rituals were distinguished by fun, dancing and songs.
And there was also a peculiar ritual - cooking porridge. On New Year's Eve, at 2 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 disaster was expected, and the porridge was thrown away. This was the program - either for troubles or for prosperity, and it is not surprising that it was often implemented - after all, they believed in it seriously.
An interesting ritual is going from house to house to treat yourself to pork dishes. On the night of Vasily, guests certainly had to be fed pies with pork, 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. This sign is much more positive than the ritual with porridge, especially for zealous and hardworking owners. The surprisingly sonorous and coherent saying: “A pig and a boletus for Vasilyev’s evening” also contributed to the mood of the owners for economic prosperity and abundance.
But the tradition of making dumplings with surprises for the holiday on January 14 - Old New Year - appeared not so long ago - no one remembers exactly where and when, but it is happily observed in many regions of Russia. In some cities, they are made in almost every home - with family and friends, and then they arrange a cheerful feast and eat these dumplings, eagerly waiting to see who will get what kind of surprise.
This comic fortune telling is especially popular with children. They even bring dumplings with them to work to cheer up their friends and colleagues; and local food factories often produce such dumplings - just for the Old New Year.
There are many beautiful winter holidays in our country. We celebrate New Year twice. We fill the glasses with champagne again on the night of January 14, sit down at the festive table and take our time to clean up.
Historical phenomenon
New Year in Russia is one of the most interesting holidays from a historical point of view. Until the 15th century (1495), the new year began in March and was associated with the awakening of the earth from hibernation. In 1495, everything changed: the date of the new year moved to September 1.
Later, Peter the Great, who decided to keep up with Europe, ordered to celebrate the New Year on January 1. In December 1699 he issued an Edict requiring the meeting of 1700 to take place on 1 January rather than in September. The text of the Decree contained strict instructions: decorate houses with spruce, juniper or pine branches, fire rifles and muskets into the air at midnight, light bonfires in the streets throughout the holiday week and arrange fireworks on Red Square.
Alexei Tolstoy in the historical novel " Peter I"described the state of the common people and boyars, whose usual way of life was collapsing. It seemed to many that the trumpet of the Last Judgment would soon sound. Gradually everyone got used to the decorated fir trees and the hectic holiday, which began to be celebrated annually on January 1 according to the Julian calendar, i.e. according to the "old style". This calendar was introduced by the Emperor of Ancient Rome, Julius Caesar, using the solar year as a basis, rather than the astronomical one. In Russia Julian calendar came from Byzantium.
This was the case until the October Revolution of 1917. Most other countries have long lived according to Gregorian calendar . It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII on October 4, 1582 (XVI century) so that there were no discrepancies with astronomical data. The difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars today is thirteen days.
In 1918, the Bolshevik government decided to switch to a single calendar throughout the world. V.I. Lenin issued a corresponding Decree on the transition to the Gregorian calendar. This eliminated confusion and difficulties in international relations: diplomacy, mail, train schedules, etc. The Russian Orthodox Church preserved the traditional calendar and continued to live according to the old calendar. She dated the holidays according to the old style, emphasizing her uniqueness.
Today, in some reference publications, the dates of birth and death of people, various events of pre-revolutionary Russia are given according to two calendars, i.e. according to the new and old style. This happened with the New Year, which begins on January 1 (14). On the Old New Year, Orthodox people do not have to deny themselves food and fun. According to the Julian calendar, it occurs after (January 7), i.e. after graduation from strict. According to the Gregorian calendar, Christmas is celebrated on December 25th.
Local Orthodox churches in some foreign countries (Jerusalem, Russian, Serbian, Georgian) also use the Julian calendar in our time. Some monasteries and parishes live according to the Julian calendar in those countries where the Gregorian calendar is adopted for church services (for example, Mount Athos in Greece). In addition, the Julian calendar is adopted in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and in the Russian Greek Catholic Church.
Vasiliev evening
On the night of January 13-14 it is celebrated Vasiliev evening , and January 14 - Vasiliev's day (Kolyada). You can read about this fun holiday, generous with food and drink, in the article.
Everyone likes the holiday: girls tell fortunes about their betrothed, and gardeners shake apple trees in their orchards for a good harvest.
This year we will again congratulate our family and friends not only on the New Year, but also on the Old New Year! Wish them happiness, love, health and joy! Giving gifts, sitting at the festive table late in the evening and raising a glass of champagne at midnight. It’s so good that there is a reason for this!
P.S.
With each century, the Gregorian and Julian calendars diverge more and more in time. The difference is accumulating, and by 2100 it will be not 13, but a full 14 days.
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Signs, customs and traditions of celebrating the Old New Year
New Year is the favorite holiday of many people, but in Russia it is possible to repeat it exactly 14 days later. The traditions of celebrating the Old New Year began to take shape at the beginning of the last century when the calendar changed. Not all of them, alas, have survived to this day, although they can significantly diversify the usual holidays. From this article you will learn:
- where did the tradition of celebrating the Old New Year come from;
- in which countries there is a custom to celebrate the Old New Year;
- main customs and rituals performed in Rus';
- how to make the modern Old New Year memorable;
- What signs should you pay attention to this New Year's Eve?
The history of the holiday or how it all began
If Russia had not decided to switch to the Gregorian calendar in 1918, the Old New Year would not have appeared. So far it falls on the night of January 14th. But over time the date will be postponed. Church celebrations took place on the same days as before. As a result, a lot of things got mixed up, and we had to constantly remind ourselves which customs should be performed on a specific date.
They began to celebrate the New Year holiday from January 13 to 14, motivated by the postponement of dates. But at the same time, two important church dates overlapped: the day of memory of Melania and the veneration of St. Basil the Great. In Orthodox families, this night also began to be called the meeting of Melanka with Vasily.
Is the Old New Year celebrated in other countries?
In addition to countries that were previously part of the USSR, the Old New Year is celebrated by residents of: Algeria; Tunisia; Greece; Romania; Serbia; Montenegro; Switzerland; Morocco.
Different countries have their own characteristics regarding how the celebration should take place.
In Greece, during the Old New Year, it is forbidden to raise your voice and quarrel. It’s bad if the dishes break, so everyone tries to handle them carefully. If you are invited to a celebration, you need to take a stone with you. It symbolizes the wealth that the owners wish to gain in the coming year. In Romania, pies are a must on the table. But with an interesting filling in the form of coins, hot peppers, garlic or rings. In Switzerland, this holiday is dedicated to the veneration of St. Sylvester. Residents dress in funny masquerade costumes reminiscent of botanical gardens or houses, calling themselves Sylvester Clauses. In Montenegro, they definitely cook parenica, a national dish made from corn dough.
Russian customs have many similarities with Ukrainian or Belarusian ones, and therefore are considered common.
Traditions and customs of celebration in Rus'.
Despite the fact that on January 1 the table was full, the Old New Year became an even greater test for the stomach. The indispensable attributes of this holiday in Rus' were: roasting a 2-3 week old pig; generous kutya, emphasizing the end of Lent; dumplings with surprises; pancakes and pies, which were used to thank those who came to carol. Making dumplings was a tradition for the whole family. As in Romania, various surprises were hidden in them. This symbolized fortune-telling about what awaits in the coming year. Carols were a very bright decoration of the holiday. And they went caroling only until midnight, until the evil spirits cleared up. On January 13, young girls and boys hid under masks, and one of the guys was dressed in women's clothing as a symbol of Melania.
What other traditions were characteristic of this time?
Kutya for the New Year's feast began to be cooked in the morning.
If unpleasant omens happened, she had to be thrown into the hole directly with the pot. An interesting tradition of this night was the burning of “Didukha” (grandfather).
To do this: prepare a sheaf of straw in advance; on Old New Year, after the end of the carols, they went out to the crossroads; they set fire to the sheaf; when the main flame diminished, they began to jump over the fire, saying goodbye to evil spirits. All this was accompanied by songs, dances, ditties and other games. There is another beautiful tradition associated with the life of peasants. In the morning, with wishes of happiness, health and wealth, we went to the houses of relatives and friends to “sow” grain. It is unknown where the custom came from, but it has its own rules: only males sow, because it was believed that girls could not bring happiness; the houses of the godparents were visited first; the grains were carefully collected and stored until spring to be mixed with spring grains. A special porridge was also cooked. The oldest woman in the family poured the cereal for her. The oldest man in the house had to fetch water from the well. The grain was taken out of the barn at two o'clock in the morning. It was impossible to touch her, so as not to change your future. The ingredients were left unattended until the oven burned out. Then, when the porridge was being prepared, all family members sat around. The woman stirred it, saying special words. Then they placed the porridge in the oven and waited for the result: if the porridge came out of the pot, it promised trouble for the whole house, so no one ate it; when the pot burst, they did the same, because this was a disease; a lot of foam on top foreshadowed empty troubles; rich, tasty porridge meant a harvest and happiness for all household members. The whole family sat down to the table late in the evening, and this dinner was not to be missed. At this time, Christmastide continued, so Old New Year's fortune-telling was also used. It was customary to tell fortunes about the betrothed, about a quick wedding, the fulfillment of a wish, the appearance of a child, etc. Traditions could differ depending on the place of residence, as well as on the veneration of saints. Some villages had their own saints, who received additional attention during the New Year.
Modern Old New Year
Nowadays it is customary to celebrate the same way as on New Year's Eve. It is believed that on the Old New Year you need to accomplish what you couldn’t do on January 1st. For example: make a wish by first writing it on a napkin, which is burned and thrown into champagne; watch concerts and letters that you haven’t had time to watch yet; send Old New Year greetings to family and friends with repeated wishes for good and health; put gifts that were previously forgotten under the New Year tree, after which it can be removed. In the southern regions, the custom of cooking pig or pork dishes has been preserved to make the New Year rich in good news. In some villages, carols are celebrated, but their true meaning is often lost.
We were attentive to the signs, among which the following stood out:
- The first girl to enter the house on January 14 means trouble;
- Melanka was warm, then the summer will be good;
- frost on the trees meant a fruitful year;
- It was forbidden to count small money on Vasily, so as not to shed tears. They also did not give or take in debt;
- if there was a blizzard or blizzard at night, it was believed that the year would be restless;
- Hearing an unusual ringing in the morning was news of a possible replenishment.
The Old New Year is the final holiday in the galaxy of endless January celebrations. After two weeks of cloudless happiness, we return to prosaic everyday life. Adults go to work, children return to school after the holidays, life returns to normal. That is why the old New Year is an important holiday, during which we say goodbye to our past carefree life and start a new one.
Excursion into history
The story is that back in 1918, during a change of power, the country adopted the Gregorian calendar, which differed from the Julian calendar, which was familiar at that time, by 14 days. Since then, we celebrate the New Year two weeks earlier, but we still remember that our ancestors once lived according to a different calendar. In fact, people quickly got used to the new calendar and did not pay attention to such an uninteresting fact as changing the date. The Civil War played an important role here. The political conflict not only changed the life of the authorities, but also affected the life of ordinary people. It so happened that with the end of the Civil War, the old era, which many still yearn for, also passed away.
Rituals of the Old New Year
Many years ago, on this day, Vasilyev's holiday was celebrated, dedicated to the start of a new cycle in nature. During the celebration, a sowing ceremony took place, attracting good luck and a good harvest. While the men scattered grain on the ground, the women sang "sowing." Russians now do not associate the Old New Year with a holiday in honor of the future harvest, but grandmothers still remind us of folk signs. In the villages, it was customary not only to sing “sowing songs”, with which women congratulated their loved ones on all holidays, but also to organize noisy round dances, visit guests and sing carols. Now for the Slavs, the old New Year has become a quiet and family holiday.
Family holiday
On this day, everyone gathers at the New Year's table and bless their loved ones for a successful and profitable year, give each other gifts and read congratulations. Old New Year is the time when all unmarried girls take part in Christmas fortune-telling and predict each other the name of their betrothed. Children and their parents clean the house and prepare dinner. All these rituals also came to us from our ancestors. Many years ago at this time, on Vasilyev’s Day, the whole large and friendly family was doing a general cleaning of their house. After the home was cleaned, everyone cooked porridge under the leadership of the head of the family. An important feature was that absolutely all family members had to stir the porridge during cooking, and only children added pinches of salt. Whatever mess the family ends up with, that’s how the year will be. The more satisfying, rich and tasty it is prepared, the more profitable it will be in the near future, but if the dish was unsuccessful, it foreshadowed poverty. Another interesting rite is the appeasement of St. Basil as the patron saint of pigs. On the table in every family there was
