Orthodox Christians mark Old-style New Year

Chisinau, 13 January /MOLDPRES/ - The old-style Orthodox Christians mark the New Year on the night of 13 to 14 January. The difference of 13 days between the official holidays of Orthodox Christians appeared in 1924, when some believers refused to adopt the Gregorian calendar and maintained the Julian one. 

In Moldova, the customs of the old-style New Year are preserved in rural settlements. On the eve of this holiday, groups of young people, as well as adults go from house to house to congratulate hosts, to wish them a wealthier year, with a better harvest.   

The custom to congratulate people on the eve of the New Year comes from times immemorial, when on the last day of the year local residents were going throughout the settlement and were wishing for themselves soil’s fertility and wealth for households. As a rule, these people were bearing traditional clothes and masks, which represented various mythological figures, were singing, dancing, in order to meet the New Year with good temper.  

The old-style New Year is marked also in Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Latvia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and in Georgia. The tradition to mark the old-style New Year was preserved also in Serbia and Montenegro, because the Serbian Orthodox Church, just as the Russian one, continues to act according to the Julian calendar; this tradition is maintained in some cantons of Switzerland too.   

The difference between those who mark holidays according to the old-style calendar and those who observe the Gregorian calendar consists in the fact that the holidays according to the new style with fixed date are marked by 13 days earlier. The only new-style holiday which observers the old Julian calendar is Easter; yet, although this holiday has its bench mark the date from the Julian calendar, it is established depending on the new calendar.