Why & how do Russians celebrate the Old New Year?
Many Russians celebrate New Year's Eve twice: on December 31 and then on January 13, in the so-called “old style”. We asked our readers if and how they do it.
Re-watching movies
One of the main New Year traditions in Russia is re-watching popular Soviet movies. Whether it's the comedy ‘The Irony of Fate!’ (1976) and ‘Kidnapping, Caucasian style’ (1967) or the ‘Morozko’ fairy tales and ‘Aladdin & his Magic Lamp’ (1967).
The “Old” New Year is another reason to finish watching what you didn't have time to watch during the holidays.
In addition to movies, Russians often watch TV shows that aired on New Year's Eve. “I want to watch them when I'm awake,” writes our reader Olga Knyazeva. “Today I've decided to watch the New Year's ‘Blue Light’.” https://vk.com/rusbeyond?z=photo-31911374_457275841%2F9a09be906db8068e74
Making a festive table
The Old New Year is celebrated not at night, but in the evening, as it usually falls on working days. And the feast is modest: champagne, tangerines and the traditional ‘Olivier’ salad. “I love the Old New Year! Even more than New Year! And I always celebrate: easily, with joy and simply!” writes Nadezhda Petrakova.
Fortune-telling
Varêniki.
The Old New Year falls on the Holy Week, the time from Christmas to Epiphany. During this week in Old Russia, fortune telling was a tradition and some families do it on the night before Old New Year's Eve even today.
Another of the more popular things to do is to make dumplings with different fillings. Who gets what kind is how the year will be. The meanings can be anything: for example, dumplings with orange signify wealth, while with fish – pregnancy!
Don’t take down the Christmas tree
As a rule, the New Year's tree in Russia is put up in early December and left until the Old New Year. Why? “So that the year can retire with honor, under the sparkling decorations of the Christmas tree,” writes Irina Khiyalova.
