New Year is one of the most ancient holidays of mankind. Although a single day of the new year has not yet been established, almost all people on earth celebrate this day. In our country, the beginning of the year also changed several times.
Until 1492, the New Year was celebrated on March 1, the first day of spring, and it was called New Year. Since 1492, according to the Julian calendar, it was moved to September 1 and began to be called the first day of the year. Since 1700, by decree of Peter I, the New Year in Russia began to be celebrated as throughout Europe on January 1.
Every year, December 31, people are going to celebrate a special holiday. On this day, even any kid will answer the question what holiday today will not hesitate to answer – New Year. And this is not surprising, because this is the most beloved holiday of all people in the world. Why did they start celebrating it? It is difficult to answer with reliability now, although many believe that it was with the beginning of the new year that people from ancient times associated the beginning of a new, better period in life. Perhaps this is why the first toast for the farewell of the old year sounds at the festive table, and after it congratulations on the upcoming New Year and wishes in the New Year.
In Russia, the new year is celebrated a long time ago, even before Christianity it was held in a pagan form, with an appeal to the then deity Yarila – the Sun. But since the adoption of Christianity, this holiday has suffered several modifications and changed several dates on the calendar. It was the beginning of spring – March 1, and the beginning of autumn – September 1, and finally stopped in the middle of winter – January 1.
On the day of New Year’s Eve, a platform was erected on the Cathedral Square in the Kremlin on which icons and two thrones were installed, for the king and for the patriarch. The people gathered in the square, after the ringing of the bell tower of Ivan the Great, the patriarch blessed the king and performed the service. Then the eminent boyars and foreign guests congratulated the king and all those present in the square beat with a brow. After that, the Annunciation Church was like a mass.
Christmas tree in the house
In 1700, Tsar Peter I changed the day of the New Year and by his decree determined to celebrate the New Year as in all of Europe on January 1, the eighth day from Christmas. The symbol of the New Year was the spruce, which had to be installed in houses, decorated and kept for seven days.
Decree of Peter I No. 1736 “On the celebration of the New Year” 7208, December 20 day The Great Sovereign Peter Alekseevich, Tsar of All Great and Malyi and Belyi of Russia indicated:
He knew the great sovereign, not only in many European Christian countries, but also in the Slovenian peoples, who agree with everything in our Eastern Orthodox Church, like: Volokhs, Moldavians, Serbs, Dolmatians, Bulgarians, and his great sovereign citizens Cherkasy and all the Greeks from whom our Orthodox faith was accepted, all those nations according to the summer, reckon from the Nativity of Christ on the eighth day later, that is, January 1, and not from the creation of the world, for many discord and reckoning in those years, and now come from the Nativity of Christ 1699, and the future of January 1 of 1700 comes a new, kupno and a new century of age; and for that good and useful work he indicated from now on to reckon in the orders, and in all matters and fortresses, to write from this January from the 1st day of the birth of Christ in 1700.
And as a sign of that good beginning and the new hundredth century, in the reigning city of Moscow, after due thanks to God and prayerful singing in the church, and to whom it will happen both in one’s house, along large and passing noble streets, noble people, and near deliberate houses of spiritual and a worldly order, before the collars to make some ornaments from the trees and branches of pine, spruce and juniper, against the samples, which are made in the Gostiny Dvor and at the lower pharmacy, or to whom it is more convenient and decent, looking at the place and gate, it is possible to make, and people are scarce though it’s revtsu branch or at the gate, or on his horomina deliver, and that the future is now ripe to 1 of January, the number of this year, and stand to the decoration of January, on the 7th day of the railway in 1700.
Yes, on January 1, as a sign of fun; congratulating each other on the New Year and the centenary, to do this: when the fire will be lit and the shooting will take place on the big Red Square, then at the noble yards, boyars, and roundabouts, and the duma and neighbors, and noble people, the famous military, military and merchant rank to people, each in his own yard, from small cannons, if anyone has one, and from several muskets, or another small gun, to fire three times and fire several rockets, how many will happen, and through large streets, where there is space, from 1st to 7th, at night og and light from wood, or brushwood, or straw, and where small yards, having gathered five or six yards, put such fire, or whoever wants it, put on the posts one, two, or three tar and thin barrels, and fill with straw or brushwood, light up, before the Burmeister town hall shooting and such lights and decoration, according to their consideration to be the same.
