Old New Year: a holiday that lives only in Russia — that's what it really means
The Old New Year is an unofficial but steadily persisting holiday in the Russian calendar. Its appearance is associated with the country's transition to the Gregorian calendar system at the beginning of the 20th century and the preservation of the Julian calendar in church tradition and popular culture. Despite the lack of a state status, the Old New Year is considered part of the winter holiday cycle and is perceived by many as a symbolic end to the New Year and Christmas days. For more information about the origin of this holiday, its meaning and traditions, see the Izvestia article.
How the old New Year appeared
The history of the old New Year is directly related to the calendar reform carried out in Russia after the October Revolution. Until 1918, the Russian Empire officially lived according to the Julian calendar, which was introduced in ancient Rome and was used for a long time in Europe. However, by the beginning of the 20th century, the Julian calendar was noticeably lagging behind astronomical time and the Gregorian system adopted in most European countries.
The beginning of the uprising on Tverskaya Street during the October Revolution
The difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars is formed due to differences in the rules of leap years. In the Julian calendar, every fourth year is considered a leap year, without exceptions, whereas in the Gregorian calendar, years that are multiples of 100 are not considered leap years unless they are multiples of 400. As a result, in the XX–XXI centuries, the difference between the calendars is 13 days.
In January 1918, the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR adopted a decree on the transition to the Gregorian calendar. According to the document, after January 31, 1918, February 14 immediately began in the country. Thus, 13 days were excluded from the civil calendar, and the official dates began to coincide with the pan-European ones.
At the same time, the Orthodox Church did not switch to calendar reform and continued to use the Julian calendar. This led to a discrepancy between the dates of religious and secular holidays. In particular, Christmas began to be celebrated on January 7 according to the Gregorian calendar, and the New Year according to the Julian style fell on January 14. It was this date that received the name of the old New Year in everyday life.
Folk traditions played an additional role in consolidating the holiday. In pre-revolutionary Russia, the beginning of the year in the old style coincided with the Yuletide period and the feast of St. Basil's Day, which fell on January 1 according to the Julian calendar. After the reform, these rituals did not disappear, but continued to exist under new calendar conditions.
Why celebrate the old New Year
In the modern sense, the old New Year does not have an official or religious function, but retains social and cultural significance. It is perceived as an additional festive occasion, allowing you to complete the long winter cycle, including New Year, Christmas and Yuletide.
For many, the old New Year has become an opportunity to celebrate the holiday in a more relaxed atmosphere. Unlike the night of January 1, it is not accompanied by mass events, fireworks and obligatory celebrations. This makes it primarily a family or chamber celebration.
From a cultural point of view, the old New Year preserves the memory of two calendar systems that have coexisted in Russia for decades. It reflects the country's historical transition from one time model to another and demonstrates the resilience of traditions that continue to exist even after official reforms.
In addition, the old New Year is perceived as a symbolic "threshold" between the holidays and the return to the daily rhythm of life. In many families, it is after January 14 that the Christmas decorations are removed and the festive season ends.
When is the old New Year celebrated in Russia in 2026
In 2026, the old New Year, as in previous years, is celebrated on the night of January 13-14. This is due to the fact that the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars is currently 13 days.
Thus, January 1 in the Julian calendar corresponds to January 14 in the Gregorian calendar. This scheme will remain in place until 2100. After that, the difference between the calendars will increase to 14 days, since 2100 will be a leap year in the Julian system, but will not be a leap year in the Gregorian system. However, for 2026 and the coming decades, the date of the old New Year remains unchanged.
The Old New Year is not a day off and is not included in the list of public holidays, but it continues to be widely celebrated in everyday and cultural practice.
How is it customary to celebrate the old New Year
Modern forms of Old New Year celebrations do not have strict rules and depend on family traditions. Most often it takes place in the format of a dinner or a meeting with loved ones.
In traditional culture, Old New Year's Eve was known as Vasiliev Evening, or Generous Evening. During this period, it was customary to arrange lavish treats, symbolizing prosperity and well-being in the coming year. Special importance was attached to the generosity of the table and the hospitality of the hosts.
In a number of regions, there were rituals of generosity and sowing. Generosity consisted of going around the houses with songs and wishes for well-being. The sowing took place on the morning of January 14: participants symbolically scattered grain in the house, wishing the owners a harvest and prosperity.
Today, these rituals are more often preserved in the form of folklore events, museum programs, and cultural festivals. In everyday life, some families continue the tradition of cooking festive dishes or dumplings with symbolic "surprises", which are interpreted as wishes for the coming year.
Omens for the old New Year
Folk signs associated with the old New Year relate to the Yuletide cycle and reflect traditional ideas about the future harvest, the weather and the well-being of the family. It was believed that a rich table on the night of January 14 portends prosperity in the house for the whole year. Special attention was paid to the first guest: if a man entered the house first, it was considered an auspicious sign.
Weather observations also played an important role. Snow on the night of the old New Year was associated with a good harvest, and clear and frosty weather was associated with a prosperous year. The wind on this day was interpreted as a sign of change.
In the tradition of sowing, grain was a symbol of future fertility. The ceremony itself was seen as a way to "appease" the coming year and ensure the well-being of the family.
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