On the night of 13 January 14, Ukrainians celebrate the Old New Year. What are the features of this holiday and what folk omens bode happiness on this day?
Some anthropologists believe that the Old New Year - is an ancient custom that has survived since pre-Christian times. January 13 celebrate Venerable Melania or Christmas Eve, and on January 14 - the feast of St. Basil. Our ancestors had their own unique traditions of New Year celebrations in the old style.
history of the holidayold New Year
New Year, old style arose from the difference between the Gregorian and the Julian calendar in 13 days. It is the Gregorian calendar Ukrainians have used for a long time. Initially, the new year was celebrated in Russia in the spring, then autumn. When the New Year was moved for the winter it is not clearly known, but many traditions preserved on Christmas Eve, came to us from pre-Christian times.
Christmas Eve
Most of Ukraine celebrate Christmas Eve the 13th. While in Galicia it falls on the eve of Epiphany, they also called him the second Holy night.
The main dish on the table in the New Year's Eve - kutya. She prepared a generous and not lean. Therefore, evening and called generous. In addition, the hostess was cooking mandatory food on Christmas Eve - generous treats for the whole family. It was believed that the richer the table that evening, the richer will be the year of the house owner. On the table was served cakes, dumplings, pancakes, sausage, roasted pigs, pies with various fillings.
At the table to celebrate the Old New Year the whole family, invited guests shared their gifts. At the table did not sit in dirty clothes. The whole outfit was be freshly laundered, and even better - the new. It was impossible to quarrel on this day, if you do not want to spend the whole year in a quarrel, and to take or to lend money to.
Rites of the Old New Year
That evening there were such rites "driving goats" and "Malanka". Something they were similar to the nativity scene, they also were different everyday scenes with a difference, in the evening not caroling, and schedrovali.On the same evening the girls guessed. It was believed that any divination fulfilled, and wondered and 14 January.
New Year's Eve or the feast of St. Basil
In the morning on January 14 after a New Year's Eve were seeded in homes. It is believed that this ceremony has come to us from the time of paganism, when the ancient Russians celebrated the New Year in the spring. Then rite conducted to inoculate the rich grain yield and zasevalnoe first sown in the field. Now when sowing wish wealth and happiness. Then the grain is collected and given to the birds. Only seeded men and boys.
On this day it was decided to cover up the whole house, since Christmas was considered a bad omen sweep. We are taking out the trash in the yard and burned as a symbol of purification. In some regions, jumping through fire, and households themselves, to purify themselves. In other parts of Ukraine, on the contrary, take out the garbage on the Old New Year was considered a bad sign, they say, and happiness vynesesh with him. A good sign is when the first house after the New Year's Eve was part of a man. Also on this day it was taken Didukh burn.
Old New Year «frightened» trees, which gave a bad harvest. "Master", whom were children, came with an ax in the garden, threatening to chop down a tree, if it will not give birth in the next year.
Folk omens on the first day of the Old New Year
Ukrainians peered into the weather that day, because she could tell what the next year.
For example, if it was a sunny morning – then the year will be a happy one.
If New Year's night sky was clear and starry - so it will be a rich harvest of berries.
Snowstorm foreshadowed many nuts in the following year. Frost on the trees 14 January pointed to a generous harvest of honey.
You will also be interested to know when singing carols, generous, posevayut: Ukrainian traditions of the winter holidays.
Photos in the text:istockphoto.com
