When and how do I make a donation to the Old New Year? Russian traditions

Vasiliev has a long story. Long since it was accompanied by mass fun, interesting rituals. It is a pity that today very few of our compatriots know how to donate to the Old New Year.

The Merry God of Kolyada

They say that everything new is a long-forgotten old. The traditions of modern Russians have pagan roots. Researchers offer two versions of the one when the ancient people celebrated the coming of the New Year. Some believe that this date fell on March 22 - Vernal Equinox Day. Others are sure that our ancestors have been counting since January. This month there were big holidays. Then revered the newborn god, Kolyada. Often he was portrayed as an infant, since he was the smallest of the sons of the supreme ruler of Dazhbog.

The Slavs loved this holiday. Bake cakes, put on the table a sweet porridge. The children ran around the courtyards and portrayed the young Kolyada. They congratulated the hosts on the New Year with songs, for which they received gifts. Today, the feast of the baby god falls on days when people go for caroling and giving. In the people he was called Holy.

The first two days

Until the tenth century, our ancestors used the ancient Slavic calendar. But with the adoption of Christianity in 988, Russia switched to a new time count, which was called "from the creation of the world." This system was invented by Emperor Basil II. The essence was that the chronology began from 5509 BC. E. - the supposed date when God created the earth.

This calendar was introduced by the Byzantine church and practically coincided with the Julian style. The only difference is the start date. According to the statements of the first, the counting was to be carried out from September 1, the second was marked on March 1 start.

For a long time the Slavs celebrated both. The reason for this was that pagan customs coincided with Christian rites. So, for example, the New Year in the Julian calendar fell on the Slavonic New Year, and the September holiday - on the Day of Volha Zmeevich, which meant the end of the working season. The cult of the above-mentioned god reincarnated at Christmas time - a week when they go to carol and lavish, thus extolling the birth of Christ.

A king who struck out thousands of years

The situation changed Peter I. The Emperor took a lot from Europe, including time. On his initiative, December 19, 1699 issued a decree, which noted that the New Year will be January 1. Also, the country adopts another system of chronology. Therefore, from the year 7208 onwards, the people moved to the year 1700 from the birth of Christ. But he did not manage to finish the business to the end.

Some European countries in 1582 moved from the Julian to the more accurate Gregorian calendar. Already during the reign of Peter I the difference between the two styles was 11 days.

The changes were perceived by Russians easily, as the holiday began to fall out on Vasiliev's evening, when they go to give presents. On the day of memory of the holy people carefully prepared. Everywhere had fun, tables bent from eating, people congratulated each other.

A fortnight in one night

The thing that did not bring Peter, the Bolsheviks finished. At the time of their coming to power, the difference in chronology with Europe was 13 days. In order not to lag behind, in 1918 the Soviet government decided to adopt a new style. Consequently, the country fell asleep on January 31, and woke up when it was already February 14th.

Nevertheless, the church continued to use the Julian calendar. It is with this phenomenon that the difference in dates in Orthodoxy and Catholicism is connected. Therefore, the civil New Year on the Gregorian style falls on the pre-Christmas post. But the true believers according to the church tradition celebrate it on the night of January 13 to January 14, exactly when it is necessary to carouse and give thanks.

So there was a unique holiday - Old New Year. Today it is an informal celebration of the former peoples of the Russian Empire.

Unusual guests

A lot has been done by the Soviet Union for the oblivion of folk rituals. But symbolic fun has survived in a difficult time. Moreover, they are popular now.

The holiday begins in Vasiliev evening, which is celebrated on the night of January 13. That's when you need to be generous. The table is covered richly. Until now, it is believed that the more luxurious food on this day, the more successful the year will be.

Groups of people go from house to house. About their parish they declare a song, which is started even under the windows.

Entering the room, you should say hello to the hosts. You need to contact everyone: from the oldest to the youngest. In the same order, congratulate and wish all the best.

How to donate to the Old New Year and where to start, tell people's poems and songs.

Start of the holiday

Usually improvised scenes are tied with a short greeting. Also the guests praise the owners of the house. Then they sing ritual songs. The most popular ones - "Schedrovochka lavished, under the window spent the night" and "Good evening to you, affectionate owner." The first has a playful character, the second - a religious one. In general, according to this principle, absolutely all festive rhymes are divided. In order for the performance to be more vivid, it is worthwhile to unite them.

The seasoned people know well at what time and on what date they are going to give gifts. For those who do this for the first time, it is worth saying that they start singing only when the hosts sat down at the table. Usually dinner begins at 18:00, when the Malanka holiday is over, which the people are celebrating on January 13.

Mix of plots

Depending on the songs, the character of the performance is built. Melodies with a Christian plot differ with special tenderness and sentimentality. So, "Good evening to you, affectionate master" reports that Christ was born on earth. The motive calls for the glory of the Savior.

Much remains of the Gentiles. For example, there are songs where the master is referred to as the heavenly month, his wife is called the sun, and the children are called the stars. With the adoption of a new faith, the context merged. That is why today Russia has such a variety of ritual tunes.

But not everything can be sung in the Old New Year. Some motives need to be performed only on Christmas Eve, others - only in Vasiliev evening. This is the difference between the Christmas odes and the songs that are sung on the night of January 14. Then how many kolyadovat and lend? Today, these two concepts are almost merged. But initially with Christmas carols went to Christmas to celebrate the birth of the son of the Lord, and with generous - in the evening of Basil the Great wish happiness in the new year.

Congratulations or threats

On a separate stage there are comic stories. There are hundreds of such versions. They are made up to this day. For example, everyone knows the cheerful and easy rhyme "Shchedrik-Petrik, give the varenik". With such comedy lines, the children not only raised their spirits, but hinted that they wanted to receive a gift for their work. Our ancestors treated what was on the table.

Today, sweets and gifts are added to the money. But here we should remember that the main task is not to collect more gifts, but to smash the spirit of the holiday. Joyful mood and positive desires - this is the main rule of how to lend to the Old New Year.

The hosts themselves can take part in the action. So, at the request of the children to give them a patch of a trunk or something delicious the owner can refuse. Then the toddler starts a humorous song, such as, for example, "Do not give me a cheesecake - you'll get on the vertex".

Usually such "threats" were just a joke, an improvised production.

The main task is to wish wealth to the house. And the more beautiful the words, the more beautiful the gratitude. But even here our ancestors added humor. For example, the phrase "how many aspen, so much pig to you" or "where the horse's tail - there lived a bush".

How to dress?

The generous ladies walked home in ridiculous images. Fur coats were put on the inside, face smeared with soot. Do not shy away and costumes. Some children depicted Malanka, others - Basil. Used masks of horses, sheep, chickens - that is, all those animals that were present at the birth of Jesus.

It was necessary to dress so that even the closest people did not recognize you. What number should be generous, everyone knew, so they prepared images in advance. Rehearsed together various scenes for Christian motifs.

Today, boys and girls prefer folk costumes. Such images are bright and soulful. When a company of people passes along the street, passers-by immediately understand what is happening. This action calls young people to love their roots.

Nowadays Ukraine, Belarus and the south of Russia actively sponsor. The dressed people roam the streets, peer into the windows, where the lights go on, knock on strangers at the door, sing, and then sit down with the guests for a sumptuous table.

The holiday opens the future

One of the most colorful Russian traditions is also associated with the evenings of the Great Basil. It was a night not only when you need to carol and lend, but also to guess. The young people gave fortunes to married, married women and married men - for crops and children, the elderly learned about their life and death.

To look in the previous years it is possible and today. Young girls who want to know who will be their fiance can put a comb under the pillow. In this case, it is important to say: "Suchen, come to your beloved braid to braid." The one whom the beautiful woman sees in a dream, and becomes her husband.

In order to find out the name of the groom, it is worthwhile to go out into the street with a spoonful of porridge. On the road you have to say: "Dear, go home to supper." The first, who will pass by, is the namesake of the betrothed. If a woman meets, her name is the name of her future mother-in-law.

The elderly, grandfathers and grandmothers will tell you what to do, how to revive, how to give gifts to the Old New Year.

Adults can also spy on the future. They need to put a crumpled piece of paper or a hank of hay on the plate. Then turn off the light and set fire to the material. Shadows from the fire on the wall will draw an amazing story, warn about the trouble, tell what awaits.

The people believed that miracles happen on the eve of the holiday, so the result of fortune-telling will be good.

Sowing

January 14 comes St. Basil's Day. It has long been customary to sprinkle a house with corn. How and what number to give is already known. But what does it mean to sow?

The first day in the ancient Slavic calendar was also called Oatsenya. Earlier, in the pre-Christian period, he was celebrated on March 1. But after the transfer of the holiday from spring to winter, one of the rituals also moved. In order to appease the gods, the children scattered the grain around the house. The hostess collected it in a special container, then threw it into the ground.

When the date of the New Year was changed on January 1, the rite also migrated. Usually the ceremony was conducted by boys who played the role of sowers. At the same time, the words of the wishes of a good and successful harvest were uttered. The simplest lines: "I sow, sow, sow, happiness, joy I wish." The various cereals of the lad were poured into the mitten. There the owners threw presents as gratitude for congratulations.

About that, when they go to give, sow and carol, every child knew. It was a good opportunity to have fun and collect delicious gifts.

Rich people

Soviet power struggled in all ways with religious rites. But to destroy customs, the history of which has more than a thousand years, could not. From generation to generation this knowledge was transferred.

Unfortunately, today these traditions are partially forgotten, and they are remembered to a greater extent in the villages. But modern youth seek to restore old rituals, although not everyone knows how and when to be generous.

Nevertheless, the cultural program of the Russian Federation is aimed at popularizing folk traditions and returning ancient values. Houses of creativity, church choir groups and people who are not indifferent to the past go to the Old New Year every year on the Old New Year and congratulate the hosts on the holiday. The purpose of their actions is not to receive rewards from the guests for their work, but to revive interest and love for the past of their people.

The life of ancestors should not live on paper, but in reality!