Why do people celebrate the New Year?

The New Year holiday is celebrated in almostall countries of the world at different times of the year. For us, the countdown begins traditionally on January 1, and few people are wondering why this particular date was the day of the coming of another year and why people celebrate the New Year in general.

This will be discussed in this article.

Ancient Russia

The exact date for the celebration of the New Year in the paganRussia is not established. On this issue, historians argue to this day. It should be noted that most of them agree that the countdown of the new year began on March 22, that is, on the day of the vernal equinox. The holiday was combined with Maslenitsa and celebrated with her in one day.

Regarding a specific date, many historians stilldo not agree, but they also believe that the new year in Russia began in March. By the way, today some experts believe that such a count is more expedient than the traditional one - on January 1. They explain their position by the fact that the very "heat" of winter, when nature is asleep (or rather, dies for a while) can not be associated with the beginning of a new life as a new year. The revival of nature must coincide with this holiday.

Baptism of Russia

After the Baptism of Rus in 988, theJulian calendar with the name of months. Then the countdown of the new year was carried to the very beginning of spring - March 1. However, with the strengthening of the position of the Orthodox Church by the end of the 15th century, the date was postponed to September 1. It is important to note that this date is celebrated by the Russian church today and acts as a kind of ecclesiastical alternative to the New Year that is habitual for us.

This holiday bears the name of Semen Letoporodtsa,Since September 1, according to the church, summer is coming and a new year begins. Many scientists associate the choice of this date with the collection and accumulation of the crop. That is, at that time taxes and dues were collected, and ordinary people could afford a well-deserved rest and celebration.

Petrovskaya Rus

So why do people celebrate the New Year in Russia? 1January? All the "guilt" of the reform of Peter I, who by the beginning of the 18th century issued a decree, according to which the new year began from the 1st day of the second winter month. The king did this according to the Gregorian calendar, although the church continued (and continues to this day) to live in the Julian calendar. He changed the calendar, which began not from the creation of the world, but from the birth of Christ.

Peter I banned the celebration of the New Year 1September, and for January 1 issued a decree that all residents must put in front of their houses or at the gate a decorated branch or tree. It is noteworthy that it was not a question of trees, but of trees in general, although this tradition was reborn into today's decoration of trees for this holiday. On the night of January 1, fireworks flared in the sky, people danced, had fun and congratulated each other. So the secular New Year was born, which is radically different from the church celebration.

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