Today, most people attach great importance to such a great holiday as the New Year. And this is not surprising, because the eve of the New Year is associated with gifts, frosty evenings and snow, as well as a decorated Christmas tree. But if you ask your parents or grandparents how the New Year came about, no one will really answer, because the holiday itself originated quite a long time ago.

In many countries around the world, New Year is considered one of the oldest holidays. Young children especially love it, as they expect to receive some interesting gift on this day. For adults, this is a good reason to get together with your family or friends and have fun.

Where did the New Year first appear?

There are many different theories about where the new year came from. Some believe that the New Year was first celebrated in Babylon, others that it was invented in Mesopotamia, and still others in ancient Egypt. Many historians claim that the ancient Celts first began celebrating the New Year. Be that as it may, one thing must be admitted: initially the New Year was a purely pagan holiday. On this day, people paid tribute to the evil and good spirits in whom they believed, and held festivities accompanied by food and fun.

In ancient Egypt, it was customary to celebrate the New Year in September. It was at this time that the Nile River overflowed its banks, which meant that a new agricultural season, so important for Egyptian farmers, began. It was at this time that it was customary to give each other gifts.

The ancient Celts considered the beginning of the next year to be the winter solstice. On this day, their whole families gathered in the forest near the Christmas tree, because they believed that this particular tree was endowed with magical powers. They believed that since spruce is an evergreen tree, it is not subject to any destructive forces, and a spirit lives in it, which must be appeased in order to have a bountiful harvest next year. To appease the spirit, people made sacrifices. As such, domestic animals were chosen, butchered, and their entrails were hung on spruce branches. Gradually, over the years, the animals were replaced with more humane offerings. The spruce was decorated with pieces of bread, apples and the like. A bouquet of ears of wheat was placed on the top of a green tree to appease the gods. Figures of people were placed under the tree to prevent diseases, various vegetables so that the new year would be fruitful, and much more. This tradition has taken hold among the people, so the New Year tree has become an invariable symbol of the holiday.

Time passed, and gradually the forest spruce began to be moved to warm houses, so as not to go into the cold and windy forest. The selected spruce was dug up and carefully replanted under the roof so that the tree remained alive and did not die. The tradition of cutting down spruce appeared much later. When the celebrations ended, the spruce was carefully replanted, as they still believed that the spirit lived in it.

How the New Year appeared in Russia

It is generally accepted that the New Year appeared in Russia thanks to Peter I. The Tsar loved everything new and foreign, and by his decree of 1699 he ordered to celebrate the New Year on January 1, as was already established among the Germans, so the New Year holiday officially appeared in our country. After the death of the emperor, they began to gradually forget about the celebration of the New Year; Christmas trees were put up less and less, and then mainly in drinking establishments. It was only in the late 1830s that Tsar Nicholas I revived this custom again. But, as it turned out, again not for long. Eighty years later, at the beginning of the First World War, the Christmas tree in Russia was removed again, because they believed that these were all German traditions and did not want to have anything to do with the warring side.

It was only in 1935 that the Soviet government managed to revive the New Year and the Christmas tree. The author of this idea was the Secretary of the Communist Party Pavel Postyshev. He relied on the argument that previously the New Year tree and the holiday in general were the lot of rich families, and the children of ordinary workers could only, sighing, watch this luxury only through the window. Postyshev believed that it would be fair to make the celebration of the New Year a generally accepted holiday, so that all the children of the country could enjoy what was previously available only to rich bourgeois families. The initiative was supported, and thanks to this, the New Year reappeared in Russia and has survived to this day.

Of course, the modern Christmas tree, toys and other New Year's items no longer have the meaning that people attached to them in ancient times. The customs of appeasing spirits are a thing of the past, and the New Year has become nothing more than the beginning of a new calendar year and a good reason to give gifts and get together for fun. However, the modern celebration of this celebration is very different in different countries and has its own local traditions, which are not accepted in Russia and the countries of the former USSR.

How to celebrate New Year in other countries

For example, in England, when the clock begins to strike at midnight, the back door is opened, as if thus releasing the old year. Then, with the final blow, the front doors open and the new year is invited into the house. In Spain, during the striking of the clock, everyone must have time to eat twelve grapes, according to the number of months of the outgoing year.

In Scotland, on New Year's Eve, processions are organized through the streets of the city: lit barrels of tar are rolled in front of them. This symbolizes the “burning down” of the old year and lighting the way for the new one. But in Vietnam, instead of the usual Christmas tree, small tangerine trees are placed in the house, always with brightly colored fruits.

Italy has its own tradition: just before the New Year, people throw out old and no longer needed things and objects from all their windows. Italians believe that next year should be celebrated not only with an updated home interior, but also with new clothes. In Japan, in the first minute of the new year, everyone starts laughing loudly. The Japanese are sure that such cheerful laughter will certainly bring them good luck in the New Year.

In India, New Year is celebrated four times throughout the year - this is their national feature. And in Cuba, on December 31, they pour water into all the vessels that are in the house. And when midnight comes, all the water begins to be poured out of the windows, thus wishing the new year a bright path, like water. These are just a few examples, but it is clear that the New Year is a very diverse holiday.

Perhaps someone will be surprised, but there are countries in which people do not celebrate the New Year at all. For example, in Saudi Arabia, on the first of January, a normal everyday atmosphere reigns. The picture is the same in Israel. People also work there at this time, unless this day is Saturday. In Iran, people live according to their own Persian calendar, and March 21 is celebrated as Nowruz, or New Day. From this day the next year is counted there, and a similar picture is observed in some other Muslim countries.

However, how to celebrate the New Year and whether to celebrate it at all is something everyone chooses for themselves, but by telling the story of how the New Year holiday came to be at the festive table, you will surprise most of your guests.

One way or another, today this is one of the most popular holidays, which many people love and look forward to.

Video about how the New Year appeared

Since by this time the difference between the old and new styles was 13 days, the decree ordered that after January 31, 1918, not February 1, but February 14. The same decree prescribed, until July 1, 1918, after the date of each day according to the new style, to write in brackets the number according to the old style: February 14 (1), February 15 (2), etc.

From the history of chronology in Russia.

The ancient Slavs, like many other peoples, initially based their calendar on the period of changing lunar phases. But already by the time of the adoption of Christianity, i.e. by the end of the 10th century. n. e., Ancient Rus' used a lunisolar calendar.

Calendar of the ancient Slavs. It was not possible to definitively establish what the calendar of the ancient Slavs was. It is only known that initially time was counted by seasons. Probably, the 12-month lunar calendar was also used at the same time. In later times, the Slavs switched to a lunisolar calendar, in which an additional 13th month was inserted seven times every 19 years.

The most ancient monuments of Russian writing show that the months had purely Slavic names, the origin of which was closely related to natural phenomena. Moreover, the same months, depending on the climate of the places in which different tribes lived, received different names. So, January was called where the section (the time of deforestation), where the prosinets (after the winter clouds the blue sky appeared), where the jelly (since it became icy, cold), etc.; February—cut, snowy or severe (severe frosts); March - birch zol (there are several interpretations here: the birch tree begins to bloom; they took sap from birch trees; they burned the birch for coal), dry (the poorest in precipitation in ancient Kievan Rus, in some places the earth was already dry, sap (a reminder of birch sap); April) - pollen (gardens bloom), birch (beginning of birch flowering), duben, kviten, etc.; May - grass (grass turns green), summer, pollen; June - cherver (cherries turn red), isok (grasshoppers chirp - “izoks” "), milking; July - lipets (linden blossoms), cherven (in the north, where phenological phenomena are delayed), serpen (from the word "sickle", indicating the time of harvest); August - serpen, stubble, roar (from the verb "to roar " - the roar of deer, or from the word "glow" - cold dawns, and possibly from "pasori" - polar lights); September - veresen (blooming heather); ruen (from the Slavic root of the word meaning tree, giving yellow paint); October - leaf fall, “pazdernik” or “kastrychnik” (pazdernik - hemp buds, the name for the south of Russia); November - gruden (from the word “heap” - frozen rut on the road), leaf fall (in the south of Russia); December - jelly, chest, prosinets.

The year began on March 1, and around this time agricultural work began.

Many ancient names of months later passed into a number of Slavic languages ​​and were largely retained in some modern languages, in particular in Ukrainian, Belarusian and Polish.

At the end of the 10th century. Ancient Rus' adopted Christianity. At the same time, the chronology used by the Romans came to us - the Julian calendar (based on the solar year), with Roman names for the months and a seven-day week. It counted years from the “creation of the world,” which allegedly occurred 5508 years before our chronology. This date - one of the many variants of eras from the “creation of the world” - was adopted in the 7th century. in Greece and has been used by the Orthodox Church for a long time.

For many centuries, the beginning of the year was considered March 1, but in 1492, in accordance with church tradition, the beginning of the year was officially moved to September 1 and was celebrated this way for more than two hundred years. However, a few months after Muscovites celebrated their next New Year on September 1, 7208, they had to repeat the celebration. This happened because on December 19, 7208, a personal decree of Peter I was signed and promulgated on the reform of the calendar in Russia, according to which a new beginning of the year was introduced - from January 1 and a new era - the Christian chronology (from the “Nativity of Christ”).

Peter's decree was called: "On the writing henceforth of Genvar from the 1st day of 1700 in all papers of the year from the Nativity of Christ, and not from the creation of the world." Therefore, the decree prescribed that the day after December 31, 7208 from the “creation of the world” should be considered January 1, 1700 from the “Nativity of Christ.” In order for the reform to be adopted without complications, the decree ended with a prudent clause: “And if anyone wants to write both those years, from the creation of the world and from the Nativity of Christ, freely in a row.”

Celebrating the first civil New Year in Moscow. The day after the announcement of Peter I’s decree on calendar reform on Red Square in Moscow, i.e. December 20, 7208, a new decree of the tsar was announced - “On the celebration of the New Year.” Considering that January 1, 1700 is not only the beginning of a new year, but also the beginning of a new century (Here a significant mistake was made in the decree: 1700 is the last year of the 17th century, and not the first year of the 18th century. The new century began on January 1 1701. An error that is sometimes repeated today.), the decree ordered that this event be celebrated with especially solemnity. It gave detailed instructions on how to organize a holiday in Moscow. On New Year's Eve, Peter I himself lit the first rocket on Red Square, giving the signal for the opening of the holiday. The streets were illuminated. The ringing of bells and cannon fire began, and the sounds of trumpets and timpani were heard. The Tsar congratulated the population of the capital on the New Year, and the festivities continued all night. Multi-colored rockets took off from the courtyards into the dark winter sky, and “along the large streets, where there is space,” lights burned—bonfires and tar barrels attached to poles.

The houses of the residents of the wooden capital were decorated with needles “from trees and branches of pine, spruce and juniper.” For a whole week the houses were decorated, and as night fell the lights were lit. Shooting “from small cannons and from muskets or other small weapons,” as well as launching “missiles,” were entrusted to people “who do not count gold.” And “poor people” were asked to “put at least a tree or branch on each of their gates or over their temple.” Since that time, our country has established the custom of celebrating New Year's Day on January 1 every year.

After 1918, there were still calendar reforms in the USSR. In the period from 1929 to 1940, calendar reforms were carried out in our country three times, caused by production needs. Thus, on August 26, 1929, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR adopted a resolution “On the transition to continuous production in enterprises and institutions of the USSR,” which recognized the need to begin a systematic and consistent transfer of enterprises and institutions to continuous production starting from the 1929-1930 business year. In the fall of 1929, a gradual transition to “continuity” began, which ended in the spring of 1930 after the publication of a resolution of a special government commission under the Council of Labor and Defense. This decree introduced a unified production timesheet and calendar. The calendar year had 360 days, i.e. 72 five-day periods. It was decided to consider the remaining 5 days as holidays. Unlike the ancient Egyptian calendar, they were not located all together at the end of the year, but were timed to coincide with Soviet memorial days and revolutionary holidays: January 22, May 1 and 2, and November 7 and 8.

The workers of each enterprise and institution were divided into 5 groups, and each group was given a day of rest on every five-day week for the whole year. This meant that after four working days there was a day of rest. After the introduction of the “uninterrupted” period, there was no longer a need for a seven-day week, since weekends could fall not only on different days of the month, but also on different days of the week.

However, this calendar did not last long. Already on November 21, 1931, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR adopted a resolution “On the intermittent production week in institutions,” which allowed the People's Commissariats and other institutions to switch to a six-day intermittent production week. For them, permanent days off were established on the following dates of the month: 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30. At the end of February, the day off fell on the last day of the month or was postponed to March 1. In those months that contained 31 days, the last day of the month was considered the same month and was paid specially. The decree on the transition to an intermittent six-day week came into force on December 1, 1931.

Both the five-day and six-day periods completely disrupted the traditional seven-day week with a general day off on Sunday. The six-day week was used for about nine years. Only on June 26, 1940, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issued a decree “On the transition to an eight-hour working day, to a seven-day working week and on the prohibition of the unauthorized departure of workers and employees from enterprises and institutions.” In development of this decree, on June 27, 1940, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR adopted a resolution in which it was established that “in addition to Sundays, non-working days also include:

January 22, May 1 and 2, November 7 and 8, December 5. The same decree abolished the six special days of rest and non-working days that existed in rural areas on March 12 (Day of the Overthrow of the Autocracy) and March 18 (Paris Commune Day).

On March 7, 1967, the Central Committee of the CPSU, the Council of Ministers of the USSR and the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions adopted a resolution “On the transfer of workers and employees of enterprises, institutions and organizations to a five-day work week with two days off,” but this reform did not in any way affect the structure of the modern calendar."

But the most interesting thing is that passions do not subside. The next revolution is happening in our new time. Sergei Baburin, Victor Alksnis, Irina Savelyeva and Alexander Fomenko introduced a bill to the State Duma in 2007 on the transition of Russia to the Julian calendar from January 1, 2008. In the explanatory note, the deputies noted that “there is no world calendar” and proposed establishing a transition period from December 31, 2007, when, for 13 days, chronology would be carried out simultaneously according to two calendars at once. Only four deputies took part in the voting. Three are against, one is for. There were no abstentions. The rest of the elected representatives ignored the vote.

New Year's holiday
(historical and geographical excursion)

New Year- a holiday celebrated by many peoples in accordance with the accepted calendar, which occurs at the moment of transition from the last day of the year to the first day of the next year. The custom of celebrating the New Year already existed in Ancient Mesopotamia, presumably in the third millennium BC. The beginning of the year on January 1 was established by the Roman ruler Julius Caesar in 46 BC. In ancient Rome this day was dedicated Janus - to the god of choice, doors and all beginnings. The month of January got its name in honor of the god Janus, who was depicted with two faces: one looking forward and the other looking back.

Janus statue in Vatican

Most countries celebrate the New Year on January 1, the first day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. New Year's celebrations, taking into account standard time, always begin in the Pacific Ocean on the islands Kiribati. The islanders are the last to see off the old year. Midway in the Pacific Ocean. Some countries, such as China, celebrate New Year according to the lunar calendar.

As already mentioned, not all nations have a New Year's holiday on January 1st. So Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah(chapter of the year) is celebrated 163 days after Passover(no earlier than September 5 and no later than October 5). On this day, a ten-day period of spiritual self-deepening and repentance begins. The next 10 days until the day of judgment ( Yom Kippur) are called “days of teshuva” (“return” - meaning return to God). They are also called “days of repentance” or “days of trembling.” It is believed that on Rosh Hashanah the fate of a person for the year ahead is decided. On the Day of Judgment following the holiday, Jews greet each other with the wish: “ May you be recorded and subscribed for a good year in the Book of Life!" Believers dress in light clothes. During the holiday meal, it is customary to dip challah or an apple in honey.

Festive table served with traditional dishes on Rosh Hashanah

Traditional Chinese New Year is timed to coincide with the winter new moon at the end of the full lunar cycle, which took place after the winter solstice (that is, on the second new moon after December 21). In the Gregorian calendar, this corresponds to one of the days between January 21 and February 21. Chinese New Year, which after 1911 is literally called “Spring Festival”, has been the main and longest holiday in China and other East Asian countries since ancient times. In the north of the country on New Year's Eve ( Tet) a flowering peach branch is installed in the house, or the house is decorated with tangerine trees hung with orange fruits, symbolizing prosperity. During this period, peach and apricot trees, tangerines and almonds bloom. The streets are decorated with young flowering branches and simply bouquets of flowers. In the south of the country, on Tet they prefer to decorate their home with a blooming apricot branch, and apricot flowers must have five petals. In addition, southerners place watermelons on the altar, the red, sweet flesh of which symbolizes good luck in the coming year.

In the evening, on New Year's Eve, mass dragon dances take place, in which all people, regardless of income, take part. The most magnificent processions and colorful events take place at night. At dusk, bonfires are lit in parks, gardens or on the streets. Several families gather around each fire.

Until the 15th century in Rus', the new year began not from January, as now, but from March 1 (as in republican Ancient Rome) (in some varieties of the calendar, around this date, possibly on the nearest full moon), or from September 1, as in Byzantium , according to the Julian calendar. Since the 15th century, the predominant date for the New Year has been September 1. Information about the celebration of the New Year appears from the end of the 15th century. The Parisian Muscovite Dictionary (16th century) preserved the Russian name for the New Year holiday: First day of the year . Since 1700, by decree of Peter I, the New Year in Russia has been celebrated, as in other European countries, on January 1 (according to the Julian calendar). Since 1897, January 1 has become a non-working day in Russia. Since 1919, the New Year holiday in Russia began to be celebrated in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. From 1930 to 1947, January 1 was a regular working day in the USSR, and since 1947 it has again become a holiday and day off.

Soviet postage stamp

New Year's Eve is a very significant holiday in many countries. And it is accompanied by a variety of pop events, feasts, and folk festivities. According to tradition, a New Year tree is installed in the house. In many countries they put it up for Christmas and call it a Christmas tree. The Christmas tree is dressed up and decorated with a variety of toys.

Of course, the New Year holiday cannot be complete without a fairy-tale (folklore) character. In the Christian world it is recognized as such Santa Claus(English: Santa Claus) is a Christmas grandfather who gives gifts to children on Christmas Day. And, although it is directly related only to the Christmas holidays, its presence on the New Year has also become a tradition. The name Santa Claus is a corruption of the Dutch transcription of the name St. Nicholas, whose memorial day is celebrated on December 6.

Santa Claus

In Russia, the fairy-tale character of East Slavic folklore is Father Frost. In Slavic mythology - the personification of winter frosts, a blacksmith who binds water. The collective image of Santa Claus is based on the hagiography of St. Nicholas, as well as descriptions of ancient Slavic deities Pozvizda, Zimnika And Korochuna. On New Year's Day, Father Frost gives children gifts, which he brings in a bag behind his back. Often depicted in a blue, silver or red fur coat, embroidered with patterns, in a hat, with a long white beard and a staff in his hand, wearing felt boots. He rides three horses, skis or walks.

Mikhailov Andrey 12/23/2014 at 18:30

On December 20, 1699, Russian Tsar Peter I signed a decree on Russia’s transition to a new calendar and the postponement of the beginning of the year celebrations from September 1 to January 1. Since then, we have been celebrating the main holiday of the year on this day. In general, the history of the New Year in Rus' is quite interesting. At different times, in addition to the above dates, we celebrated it on March 1, March 22, and September 14.

But first, let's return to the young Russian Tsar. By his decree, Peter ordered on January 1, 1700 to decorate houses with pine, spruce and juniper branches according to the samples exhibited in Gostiny Dvor, as a sign of fun, be sure to congratulate each other on the New Year and, naturally, on the new century.

As historical chronicles say, fireworks, cannon and rifle salutes were set off on Red Square, and Muscovites were ordered to fire muskets and launch rockets near their houses. In short, the order was to have fun with all the might of the Russian soul, albeit in a European manner! The boyars and service people were ordered to dress in foreign costumes - Hungarian caftans. And the women also had to be dressed in foreign dress.

In Peter’s decree it was written: “...On large and well-traveled streets, noble people and at houses of special spiritual and secular rank in front of the gates should make some decorations from trees and branches of pine and juniper... and for poor people, each at least a tree or branch for the gate or over their temple put..." In fact, the decree was not talking specifically about the Christmas tree, but about trees in general. At first they were decorated with nuts, sweets, fruits and even various vegetables, and they began to decorate a specific beautiful Christmas tree much later, from the middle of the last century.

On January 6, the mighty festivities ended with a religious procession to the Jordan. Contrary to the ancient custom, the tsar did not follow the clergy in rich vestments, but stood on the banks of the Moscow River in uniform, surrounded by the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments, dressed in green caftans and camisoles with gold buttons and braid.

In general, the celebration of the New Year in Rus' has the same complex fate as its history itself. The old folk tradition, even after the officially introduced changes in the calendar, preserved ancient customs for a long time. Here's what Pravda.Ru told about the New Year's story Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Nikolai Kaprizov:

“In Rus', in the old, still pagan times, there was a long period of passing, that is, the first three months, and from March the summer month began. In honor of it, they celebrated Ausen, Ovsen or Tusen, which later moved on to the new year. Summer itself in ancient times consisted in the current three spring and three summer months - the last six months included winter time. The transition from autumn to winter was shaded like the transition from summer to autumn. Presumably, initially in Rus' the New Year was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox, that is, March 22. Maslenitsa and The New Year was celebrated on one day, and the winter was driven away, which means the New Year has come.

Well, along with Christianity, that is, after the Baptism of Rus' in Rus' (988), naturally, a new chronology appeared - from the Creation of the world. A new European calendar, the Julian, also appeared, with a fixed name for the months. March 1 began to be considered the beginning of the new year. According to one version, at the end of the 15th century, and according to another in 1348, the Orthodox Church moved the beginning of the year to September 1, which corresponded to the definitions of the Council of Nicaea.

In general, the reform of the calendar system was carried out in Rus' without taking into account the working life of the people, without establishing any special connection with agricultural work. The September New Year was approved by the church, following the word of the Holy Scriptures. In the Old Testament church, the month of September was celebrated annually, as if to commemorate peace from all worldly worries.

Thus, the New Year began on the first of September. This day became the feast of Simeon, the first pillar, which is still celebrated by our church. This holiday was known among the common people under the name Seeds of the Summer Conductor, because on this day summer ended and the new year began. It was both a solemn day of celebration and the subject of analysis of urgent conditions, collection of quitrents, taxes and personal courts.

Well, in 1699, Peter I issued a decree according to which January 1 was considered the beginning of the year. This was done following the example of all Christian peoples who lived not according to the Julian, but according to the Gregorian calendar. Peter I, in general, could not immediately transfer Rus' to the new Gregorian calendar, despite all his determination - after all, the church lived according to the Julian calendar.

Citizens of the Soviet country, having gone to bed on January 31, 1918, woke up on February 14. The “Decree on the introduction of the Western European calendar in the Russian Republic” came into force. Bolshevik Russia switched to the so-called new, or civil, style of calculating time, which coincided with the Gregorian church calendar used in Europe. These changes did not affect our Church: it continued to celebrate its holidays according to the old Julian calendar.

The calendar split between Western and Eastern Christians (believers began to celebrate the main holidays at different times) occurred in the 16th century, when Pope Gregory XIII undertook another reform, replacing the Julian style with the Gregorian. The purpose of the reform was to correct the growing difference between the astronomical year and the calendar year.

Obsessed with the idea of ​​world revolution and internationalism, the Bolsheviks, of course, did not care about the Pope and his calendar. As stated in the decree, the transition to the Western, Gregorian style was made “in order to establish in Russia the same calculation of time with almost all cultural peoples...” At one of the first meetings of the young Soviet government in early 1918, two time reform projects were considered . The first envisaged a gradual transition to the Gregorian calendar, dropping 24 hours every year. This would have taken 13 years. The second envisaged doing this in one fell swoop. It was he who liked the leader of the world proletariat, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, who surpassed the current ideologist of multiculturalism, Angela Merkel, in globalist projects.

Competently

Religious historian Alexey Yudin talks about how Christian churches celebrate Christmas:

First of all, let’s make it clear right away: it is incorrect to say that someone celebrates December 25, and someone celebrates January 7. Everyone celebrates Christmas on the 25th, but according to different calendars. In the next hundred years, from my point of view, no unification of Christmas celebrations can be expected.

The old Julian calendar, adopted under Julius Caesar, lagged behind astronomical time. The reform of Pope Gregory XIII, which was called papist from the very beginning, was extremely negatively received in Europe, especially in Protestant countries, where the reformation was already firmly established. Protestants were against it primarily because “it was planned in Rome.” And this city in the 16th century was no longer the center of Christian Europe.

Red Army soldiers take church property out of the Simonov Monastery at a subbotnik (1925). Photo: Wikipedia.org

If desired, the calendar reform can, of course, be called a schism, bearing in mind that the Christian world has already split not only along the “east-west” principle, but also within the west.

Therefore, the Gregorian calendar was perceived as Roman, papist, and therefore unsuitable. Gradually, however, Protestant countries accepted it, but the transition process took centuries. This is how things were in the West. The East did not pay attention to the reform of Pope Gregory XIII.

The Soviet Republic switched to a new style, but this, unfortunately, was connected with the revolutionary events in Russia; the Bolsheviks, naturally, did not think about any Pope Gregory XIII, they simply considered the new style the most adequate to their worldview. And the Russian Orthodox Church has an additional trauma.

In 1923, on the initiative of the Patriarch of Constantinople, a meeting of Orthodox churches was held, at which they decided to correct the Julian calendar.

Representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, of course, were unable to travel abroad. But Patriarch Tikhon nevertheless issued a decree on the transition to the “New Julian” calendar. However, this caused protests among believers, and the decree was quickly canceled.

You see that there were several stages of searching for a calendar match. But this did not lead to the final result. So far, this issue is completely absent from serious church discussion.

Is the Church afraid of another schism? Of course, some ultra-conservative groups within the Church will say: “They betrayed sacred time.” Any Church is a very conservative institution, especially with regard to everyday life and liturgical practices. And they rest on the calendar. And the church-administrative resource is ineffective in such matters.

Every Christmas, the topic of switching to the Gregorian calendar comes up. But this is politics, a profitable media presentation, PR, whatever you want. The Church itself does not participate in this and is reluctant to comment on these issues.

Why does the Russian Orthodox Church use the Julian calendar?

Father Vladimir (Vigilyansky), rector of the Church of the Holy Martyr Tatiana at Moscow State University:

Orthodox churches can be divided into three categories: those that celebrate all church holidays according to the new (Gregorian) calendar, those that serve only the old (Julian) calendar, and those that mix styles: for example, in Greece Easter is celebrated according to old calendar, and all other holidays - in a new way. Our churches (Russian, Georgian, Jerusalem, Serbian and Athos monasteries) never changed the church calendar and did not mix it with the Gregorian calendar, so that there was no confusion in the holidays. We have a single calendar system, which is tied to Easter. If we switch to celebrating, say, Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar, then two weeks are “eaten up” (remember how in 1918, after January 31, February 14 came), each day of which carries a special semantic significance for an Orthodox person.

The Church lives according to its own order, and in it many significant things may not coincide with secular priorities. For example, in church life there is a clear system of progression of time, which is tied to the Gospel. Every day excerpts from this book are read, which has a logic connected with the gospel history and the earthly life of Jesus Christ. All this lays down a certain spiritual rhythm in the life of an Orthodox person. And those who use this calendar do not want and will not violate it.

A believer has a very ascetic life. The world can change, we see how before our eyes our fellow citizens have a lot of opportunities, for example, for relaxation during the secular New Year holidays. But the Church, as one of our rock singers sang, “will not bend to the changing world.” We will not make our church life dependent on the ski resort.

The Bolsheviks introduced a new calendar "in order to calculate time in the same way as almost all cultural peoples." Photo: Publishing project of Vladimir Lisin "Days of 1917 100 years ago"