Signs for the old new year. Old New Year: signs, rituals and fortune telling Signs and rituals for the Old New Year

From January 13 to 14 the Old New Year. There are many signs and customs according to which in 2018 this holiday should be celebrated with a hearty table and cheerful songs and gifts. New Year according to the old style is known and loved in different parts of the world.

If the holiday is in warm weather, the summer will be rainy.

The sunny Old New Year foreshadows a rich harvest of fruits and berries.

According to signs, snow on January 13 promises a good harvest in 2018. The Old New Year with frost abundantly covering the trees foreshadows a harvest of grain and honey.

Signs for the Old New Year

If there is ice, vegetables and fruits will be damaged.

A windy holiday night means a warm, fairly prosperous year, if the wind direction is from the south. The west wind means that there will be an abundance of milk and fish all year round. When the wind blows from the east on holiday, it means there will be a decent fruit harvest next year.

If you heard an unusual ringing from the very early morning of January 14, this is all about a possible addition to your family.

Signs about well-being

In order for 2018 to be successful, on the Old New Year on January 13, according to signs, you must be dressed in new beautiful clothes.

If there are a lot of dishes on the festive table, then all year long you will experience only the best moments, good luck and prosperity - both for humans and animals.

A quiet and peaceful holiday night promises a successful year.

The sunny holiday brings good luck and success throughout the year.

On this fabulous holiday, it is taboo to borrow money. If you violate this prohibition, then you will live in poverty all year.

As the celebration itself takes place, in a similar atmosphere and mood, the entire period of the reign of the sweet and kind Yellow Dog will pass.

If you make some cherished wishes for the Old New Year, they will definitely come true.

If on Old New Year 2018 a man is the first to enter your apartment or household, there will be prosperity in your family for the entire period of the Yellow Dog’s reign. If a woman comes in, then this Bad sign.

The best treats

According to signs, you should bake delicious aromatic pies and pancakes for the Old New Year on January 13th. Those who come into the house singing and dancing should be treated to these delicacies. This way you can attract good luck and fortune for the whole of 2018.

On Generous evening cook kutya. Previously, if the dish turned out to be tasty, they ate it; if not, then they poured it into the river so that it would take all the troubles with it.

A notable attribute of the Old New Year is dumplings with a surprise on the festive table. What content you get is what you should expect next year. If there is a thread, then the road awaits you. If money means financial well-being. A button in a dumpling is a new thing. If there is sugar inside, a sweet life awaits you. Pepper - you will get sharp and vibrant sensations all year long. Beans in dumplings - for children, flour - you will suffer all year.

The most common signs

If there is money in your apartment or household during the Old New Year, the entire period of the Dog’s reign promises to be financially successful. If you lend on this occasion, you will live in poverty all year.

You cannot eat fish or poultry on the eve of the Generous Evening. According to signs, in this case happiness will fly away from you, luck will float away.

A quiet magical night during the celebration of the Old New Year foreshadows a carefree year filled with positivity.

IN festive evening According to signs, you must be generous - treat all guests with delicious treats in abundance. According to signs, this promises a life of abundance.

Taboo for the Old New Year according to signs

You cannot take trash out of the house on Old New Year, and you also cannot borrow something, lend money or things.
It is not a good omen to count small money or deal with issues related to financial matters on a holiday.
You cannot say the word “thirteen” on Old New Year’s Day.

Special signs

In the year of the reign of the Yellow Dog, signs take on a special meaning. If a dog barks at you on the holiday from January 13 to 14, you need to be careful towards others all year. If you offend someone, then a dog's barking warns you of your wrong actions. The dog is friendly, she does not like quarrels and insults, so you should not anger the mistress of the year.

If your dog barks for too long and it follows you, change your behavior, or better yet, your lifestyle. How you treat people is how they will treat you. There is a boomerang effect in life.

If on Old New Year's Day, as you were leaving your front door, you met an unfamiliar dog, then you will have good luck all year long.

If you feed your dog at midnight, the year will be successful. The richer the animal’s dinner, the more favorable the year will be for you. After all, the mistress of 2018 will be the Yellow Dog. And it’s better to appease her than to anger her.

If you find a tuft of fur from this animal, then this is real luck. You are marked as the queen of the year if you find wool on your clothes in the Old New Year.

Great luck awaits those celebrating the holiday at the family table all year long. Thus, the friendly Dog, the symbol of 2018, favors you.

New Year is a favorite holiday for many. And everyone has the opportunity to repeat it exactly two weeks later.

How to celebrate the Old New Year according to signs?

What we didn’t manage to accomplish on the first of January, according to signs, needs to be done on the thirteenth, on the Old New Year.

Make a wish, write it on a napkin in advance, burn it and throw it into a glass of champagne.
Watch those interesting programs that you didn’t have time to watch New Year's Eve.
Send Happy New Year greetings to your family and friends, again wishing them health and happiness in the new year.
Under christmas tree put down the gifts that you didn’t have time to give on New Year’s Day.

The day after the celebration of the Old New Year, you can remove the Christmas tree from your home.

In order for the coming year to be rich in good news, in the southern regions they prepare pig or pork delicacies.

Useful signs

Dreams on the eve of the Old New Year are prophetic. From them you can find out what will happen in the coming year.
To strengthen family relations, tie the legs of the festive table with ribbons in the Old New Year. A strong rope will also work - it is important that the tapes do not interfere with those who will sit behind festive table.
Attach a souvenir in the shape of a dog, made of stone or wood, to the gifts that you will give on the holiday. According to the superstition, such gifts scare away mercantile and envious people.
In order to get rid of bad luck, a woman needs to throw a shawl over her shoulders on Old New Year, then make a wish and suddenly take it off. This way all the problems that happened last year will go away.
On Old New Year you cannot have fun through gambling. According to signs, a holiday spent playing cards promises the emergence of a gambling addiction, and winnings will be very rare throughout the year.
On the night of the Old New Year, whisper into one glass of water everything you want to leave behind last year. In another glass you should say what you dream about next year. After this, pour the water that is dedicated to the past year into the sink and drink the second glass. Water can store information. Having carried out such a ritual, you will leave all the bad things in the past, and next year you will take only the best, your dreams, which may well come true if you do not anger the good-natured but fair Dog.

Yes, of course, there are many superstitious people who believe in omens for the Old New Year on January 13, 2018, but there are also those who do not believe in them. In any case, all information regarding signs will be useful to everyone without exception.

If you are not lazy, try to do everything possible to achieve your goal, then everything will definitely work out. Each of us is the creator of our own happiness. The next year will be special for everyone, because we will leave all the bad things in the past, we will try to make our future bright and prosperous. And knowledge of signs will simply tell you what is best to do and what is better not to do.

Russians are accustomed to celebrating the New Year twice – on January 1 and 14. But this is not just because we love holidays. Not even because we love to eat and sing. Some people do not think about ancient customs, but celebrate the Old New Year out of habit, because they have always done it this way.

For the Romans, the day of St. Melania traditionally ended the year, and the day of St. Basil began a new one. In the popular imagination, these images turned into a stable pair and became tied to real historical figures (Prince Vladimir the Great and his mother Malusha). And in ritual texts one can find echoes of legal norms and some details of life in the 10th century.

On the night of January 13-14, Russians celebrate the Old New Year - a holiday that is incomprehensible to many foreigners. No one can really say - how does the Old New Year differ from the traditional New Year that is familiar to everyone? Of course, from the outside it would seem that the issue is only a discrepancy in dates.

However, we all treat the Old New Year as a completely independent holiday that can prolong the charm of the New Year. Or maybe this is the first time to feel it, because the situation can be different, but on this day the holiday is calmer, there is no fuss, so characteristic of the holiday on January 1st.

There are two reasons for the appearance of a unique New Year - a change in the date of the beginning of the New Year in Rus' and the stubbornness of the Russian Orthodox Church, which did not want to switch to the New Style.

Old New Year: History of the holiday

In pagan times, the New Year was celebrated in Rus' on March 22 - the day spring equinox, and this was connected with the agricultural cycle. With the adoption of Christianity in Rus', the Byzantine calendar began to gradually replace the old one, and now the New Year began on September 1. For a long time, discord persisted, and in some places the New Year continued to be celebrated in the spring. Only at the end of the 15th century in Rus' the beginning of the New Year was officially determined - September 1.

By decree of Peter I in 1699, the New Year was moved to January 1 according to the old style, that is, to January 14 according to the new style. After the revolution in 1918, the Bolsheviks “abolished” another 13 days a year, which made up the difference between our calendar and the European one.

This is how two New Year celebrations were formed - according to the new and old styles.

On the night of January 13-14, the Old New Year 2018 is celebrated - an additional holiday that arose as a result of the change in chronology.

Old New Year: Holiday Traditions

In the old days, this day was called Vasilyev's Day, and was of decisive importance for the whole year. On Vasilyev's Day, they celebrated the holiday of agriculture, which was associated with the future harvest, and performed the ritual of sowing - hence the name of the holiday "Osen" or "Avsen". This ritual differed in different regions of the country: for example, in Tula, children scattered spring wheat around the house, while saying a prayer for a rich harvest, and the housewife then collected it and stored it until sowing time. Ukrainian rituals were distinguished by fun, dancing and songs.

And there was also a peculiar ritual - cooking porridge. On New Year's Eve, at 2 o'clock, the eldest of the women brought cereal from the barn, and the eldest man brought water from a well or river. It was impossible to touch the cereal and water until the stove burned out - they simply stood on the table. Then everyone sat down at the table, and the eldest of the women began to stir the porridge in the pot, while pronouncing certain ritual words - the cereal was usually buckwheat.

Then everyone got up from the table, and the hostess put the porridge in the oven - with a bow. The finished porridge was taken out of the oven and examined carefully. If the pot was simply full, and the porridge was rich and crumbly, then one could expect a happy year and a rich harvest - such porridge was eaten the next morning. If the porridge came out of the pot, or the pot cracked, this did not bode well for the owners of the house, and then disaster was expected, and the porridge was thrown away. This was the program - either for troubles or for prosperity, and it is not surprising that it was often implemented - after all, they believed in it seriously.

An interesting ritual is going from house to house to treat yourself to pork dishes. On the night of Vasily, guests certainly had to be fed pies with pork, boiled or baked pork legs, and in general any dishes that included pork. A pig's head was also required to be placed on the table. The fact is that Vasily was considered a “pig farmer” - the patron saint of pig farmers and pork products, and they believed that if there was a lot of pork on the table that night, then these animals would breed in abundance on the farm and bring good profits to the owners. This sign is much more positive than the ritual with porridge, especially for zealous and hardworking owners. The surprisingly sonorous and coherent saying: “A pig and a boletus for Vasilyev’s evening” also contributed to the mood of the owners for economic prosperity and abundance.

But the tradition of making dumplings with surprises for the Old New Year appeared not so long ago - no one remembers exactly where and when, but it is happily observed in many regions of Russia. In some cities, they are made in almost every home - with family and friends, and then they arrange a cheerful feast and eat these dumplings, eagerly waiting for who will get what kind of surprise. This comic fortune telling is especially popular with children. They even bring dumplings with them to work to cheer up their friends and colleagues; and local food factories often produce such dumplings - just for the Old New Year.

The modern Old New Year is now celebrated in the same way as on New Year's Eve. It is believed that on the Old New Year you need to accomplish what you couldn’t do on January 1st. For example: make a wish by first writing it on a napkin, which is burned and thrown into champagne; watch concerts and letters that you haven’t had time to watch yet; send Old New Year greetings to family and friends with repeated wishes for good and health; put gifts that were previously forgotten under Christmas tree, after which it can be removed. In the southern regions, the custom of cooking pig or pork dishes has been preserved to make the New Year rich in good news. In some villages, carols are celebrated, but their true meaning is often lost.

And yet, despite the fact that this day, unfortunately, is not even a day off, the popularity of the Old New Year is growing. According to the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion, the number of people wishing to celebrate the Old New Year has already exceeded 60%. Among those who are going to celebrate the “old” New Year are the majority of pupils and students, workers, entrepreneurs, housewives and, in general, people under 40 years old, with secondary specialized and secondary education, with relatively high incomes.

Fortune telling for the Old New Year

For dinner, as on Christmas Eve, the whole family sits down. It is very important that clothes on this day are thoroughly washed and clean. After dinner, you must definitely go to your neighbors and ask each other for an apology for possible guilt towards each other, so that you can celebrate the New Year in peace and harmony.

The evening before the New Year also gives a chance to those guys who failed during matchmaking. It is this evening that you can make a second attempt. True, for this you need to find the girl at home, and this is very difficult, since gangs of generous girls are already walking around the village. The girls could only be generous under the windows of houses, and then only towards the end of the Generous Evening, that is, towards midnight.

Girls' fortune telling deserves special attention. Whatever the representatives of the weaker half did, just to find out what capricious fate had in store for them. Try at least this: before going to bed, put a comb under your pillow, while saying: “My betrothed mummer, comb my head!” “The one who scratches his head in a dream will be the one who is betrothed.

If you go out into the yard at midnight, you can feel how the new year drives away the old one. On the first day of the New Year, the most common ritual was, and still is, the sowing ceremony. It is believed that this ritual came to us from pre-Christian times, because our ancestors celebrated the New Year not in winter, but in spring, and therefore the sowing ritual is associated with hopes for a good harvest. Most of the sowing was done by children, and the most generous gifts were given to those who came to the house first. In addition to single sowers, there were entire sowing groups. In that case this interesting ritual turned into a real performance, where the main actors there were Vasily, Melanka (Malanka), and the gypsy.

Old New Year: Signs

Signs for January 13 and 14 We were attentive to the signs, among which the following especially stood out:

The weather on Melanka was warm, then the summer will be good;

Frost on the trees meant a fruitful year;

If there was a blizzard or blizzard at night, it was believed that the year would be restless;

Hearing an unusual ringing in the morning was news of a possible replenishment. They made sure to appease livestock so that the New Year would be calm and fruitful for them.

If at least some elements and traditions of the celebration are returned to modern reality, you can improve the New Year's mood even more and make the celebration unforgettable.

The tradition of celebrating the New Year, which has become unofficial, has been preserved by Russians. According to the calendar, this is an ordinary working day, but its night is full of secrets and mysticism.

It falls on Christmastide - a period of fortune telling and predictions, and also on this day they celebrate the feast of St. Basil the Great, who is known for his miracles.

All wishes, if you make them correctly and specifically on this night, come true, even the most seemingly unrealistic ones.

Old New Year's Eve is suitable for performing magical rites, conspiracies and rituals to attract health, wealth, love, luck and female beauty.

Much is connected with this magical day and folk signs on a variety of topics.

What signs for the Old New Year did our ancestors unconditionally believe in? What beliefs, customs and rituals did the Slavs have for this holiday?

Vasilyev's Day or Old New Year. Signs

The people celebrated not so much Vasily's Day itself, but its eve - Vasily's Evening, January 13, which is called Generous Evening, Vasily's Evening or Holy Evening (Svyatvecher).

On the evening of January 13, it is customary to prepare a second or generous kutya, which is no longer lean, as for dinner on Christmas Eve, but with meat and lard. The second ritual dish was dumplings with surprises or predictions.

Basil the Great was the patron saint of pigs, so the main dish of the Generous Evening was a whole roasted pig. It was considered a symbol of the fertility of livestock and the fertility of the land. So they said: “A pig and a boletus for Vasilyev’s evening.”

People believed that in the evening all the evil spirits gathered for a party.

They say that on Vasiliev's evening, witches steal the month, fearing that its light has not revealed their nightly walks with unclean spirits.

Therefore, after sunset and until midnight, teenage girls walk around the courtyards and give generously, dispersing evil spirits with their songs and wishing the owners all the best in the coming year. The New Year's carols were called "Avsen", "Tausen", "Usen".

On Vasiliev evening, crowds went under the windows to collect pies and pork legs. Approaching the window, they shouted: “Guts and legs through the upper window.”

In some villages they perform this ritual: on the night of the Old New Year they burn old clothes and immediately put on a new one. This ritual symbolizes the beginning of a new, better life.

In popular beliefs, there are other signs for the Old New Year on January 13. For example, you cannot say the word “thirteen” on this day.

Vasilyev's evening was a very important time for telling fortunes about the future and about the betrothed. It was believed that Christmas fortune-telling for the Old New Year always comes true. There are also folk saying: “If a red maiden makes a wish for Vasil, everything will come true, but what will come true will not pass.”

Weather signs for the Old New Year:

Vasiliev's night star - for the berry harvest
bright stars - for frost and hot summer
if the wind blows from the south, the year will be hot and prosperous
from the west - to an abundance of milk and fish
from the east - a rich harvest of fruits
frost and snow for a good harvest
Blizzard on Basil's Day - large harvest of nuts
frost on tree branches - a lot of honey
dry and cold weather - few mushrooms
the sun will rise high - the year will be happy
on Vasiliev evening the day arrives for 40 minutes

Signs on the night of the Old New Year:

If Vasiliev's day is a cheerful day in the year, then so is the year
Old year- turn towards spring
for St. Basil the Great - a pig's head on the table

People with good incomes had a pig's head on their table all week after Christmas.

Magical signs for the Old New Year on January 14

In the morning, at dawn, it was time for another old pagan sign for the Old New Year - sowing or sowing. On January 14, teenage boys went to “sow” grain with relatives and friends, singing sowing songs.

By the way, according to ancient folk belief, on the morning of the Old New Year, a man had to be the first to enter the house in order to bring happiness to it for the whole next year.

The sowers congratulated everyone with special charming words and wished them a rich year. And the owners of the house in return gave them sweets, pies, and candies. It was impossible to give money to the sowers, so as not to give away the prosperity from home.

One of the most favorite holidays Slavic peoples- Old New Year. Many families prepare for this ancient festival as carefully as for Orthodox Christmas and New Year. Let's talk about old signs, the secrets of which have been passed down through generations for centuries.

It is customary for all relatives to gather on this holiday. January 13 is called Malanka Day, and January 14 is called St. Basil's Day. On the night of January 13-14, people go from house to house singing generous songs, accompanied by a comic character - the goat Malanka. A young guy usually dresses up in a goat costume, and the festivities involve jokes and cheerful dancing.

On the morning of January 14, guests come to the owners to sow. If a boy or a man comes, then there will be prosperity and happiness in the household. Boys sow first with their natural parents, then with their godparents. It is customary to treat all those sowing with sweets. In some villages they burn sheaves of hay and jump over fires to cleanse themselves of diseases and misfortunes.

The sign says that great importance has the quality of a special dish - kutia, prepared by the hostess. When the housewife prepares a dish, she mixes its ingredients, pronouncing spells or wishes. If kutia is tasty, then it is eaten at the festive table. If the dish did not turn out well, it is poured into the river so that the flowing water will carry away future troubles.

Another festive dish is dumplings. During modeling, some dumplings were filled with a coin, thread, button, pepper, beans, and sugar. If a family member came across a dumpling with a special filling, then this was interpreted as a correct prediction for the future:

the coin meant quick profit;
thread - fast road;
button - new thing;
pepper meant that the fortuneteller would be afraid;
beans predicted an addition to the family;
A sweet dumpling with sugar promises a carefree time.

On Generous Evening, it is imperative to put up with ill-wishers and forgive those who have caused offense. To refuse the proposed reconciliation on this day is a great sin.

Signs of fate for the Old New Year

Old people advise converting Special attention on the weather, surrounding nature.

If there is fog outside on Old New Year, then the harvest will be fertile.
Snow is a sign of good luck in business, rain portends trouble, wind warns of possible changes in life (positive or negative).
A clear sky with myriads of stars visible to the naked eye promises a generous harvest of berries.
If on the morning of January 14 there is fluffy frost on the tree branches, the honey harvest will be better than usual.
A snowstorm on St. Basil's Day promises an abundance of nuts in the fall.
It is not recommended to lend money during the Old New Year. If you violate this ban, you will be haunted by lack of money.
Making a profit on January 14 is a huge success for a long time.

You need to wear smart clothes for the holiday so that you always have money for new things throughout the year.
If the festive feast takes place in a friendly atmosphere or is fun, then the owner will be lucky.
Note to housewives: cook beef or pork for the holiday to attract prosperity and wealth. Fish or poultry dishes are contraindicated on this day, so that the happiness of the family does not accidentally float away or fly away.
It is better not to count money on this day, so as not to name the number 13 - this will lead to a sad event with tears.

The most important sign of the Old New Year is that a male person should be the first to come into the house in the morning. A woman or girl who comes into the house first in the morning on January 14 is a bad omen that promises trouble. Respectable women who know this sign try not to leave the threshold in the morning so as not to spoil the fate of the person they meet. Witches do exactly the opposite - they get up at dawn and go to visit the one they want to harm.

What not to do on Old New Year

Many superstitions are worth listening to and avoiding certain events.

Broken dishes in the Old New Year mean serious quarrels in the family.
If someone quarrels at the feast, expect sad news.
You cannot skimp on food for a festive feast - a meager table symbolizes difficult times.
On the Old New Year, you cannot deny anyone holiday treats; you need to warmly welcome all guests, including beggars and homeless animals - this is the only way to avoid running out of money.
Don’t forget to treat the brownie - a spoonful of the most delicious dishes, a glass of vodka or a glass of wine are left on the table for him at night.

Signs for housewives in the Old New Year

Material well-being worries everyone, it can be ensured by observing certain traditions.

On the eve of the holiday, it is advisable to buy a new broom, tie it with a red ribbon, and place it in a corner with the whisk facing up.
On January 13, after lunch, garbage is not thrown out of the apartment, so as not to take away the good things that happened in the past from the house. Cleaning is done in the morning so as not to frighten away luck.
Old things are thrown away before the holiday, so as not to clutter the house, preventing the penetration of energy and cash flows into it.
An open fire is favorable for attracting financial luck, so it is advisable to light church or ordinary candles before guests arrive. Some signs state that it is better to choose green candles, letting them burn out to the end.
Before the holiday, sit down and remember - who did you quarrel with? Be sure to make peace with everyone. Make an effort to improve your relationship - this is extremely important. The one who did not want to reconcile and pushed his neighbor away will face financial failure.

Don’t forget to pay off your existing debts, sincerely thanking those who helped you with money.
The night time from January 13 to 14 is considered the most magical of the year; it should be spent cheerfully or peacefully - without quarrels or discomfort, in order to ensure financial well-being for a long time.
It is advisable to put a brand new banknote in your right pocket. It’s great if the bill is of large denomination.
To prevent money from leaving, celebrate the holiday in new clothes, which bring success in business and good luck.
Beans, lentils, peas, and greens should be present on the table.
Choose a white tablecloth to attract good luck.
A yellow coin is placed under the tablecloth on each corner of the table.

Love omens for the Old New Year

Love plays a huge role in life, and the magical night of January 13-14 is great for fortune telling and love omens.

Girls need to look out the window in the morning; if she sees a jackdaw or a crow, she will soon receive news about her beloved guy. A titmouse is a joyful omen; you can expect a pleasant event soon.
Try to remember what you dreamed about on the holiday night - this dream is prophetic.
For young girls, meeting a woman and not a man first on the morning of January 14 is a sign of the appearance of a beautiful rival in love.
If an unmarried girl found a coin on January 14, then you need to pay attention to how it lies. “Heads” means she will have a wedding soon, but “tails” means she won’t get married in the coming months.

Signs for those who want a child

The Old New Year is a time of miracles, so those who want the birth of a child should use this time.

If a couple expecting a child comes to visit for the holiday, then the hostess will soon become pregnant if she eats something from the pregnant woman’s hands.
You can push fate a little by independently inviting a couple expecting to add to their family to the holiday, accepting a treat from the hands of the expectant mother.
Take a souvenir photo with the pregnant woman.
Buy something for infant, putting it in the “red corner”.
To neutralize negativity in the house, place a ficus tree in the bedroom for the holiday.
For the Old New Year, wear jewelry made of noble metal with agate.
Before the holiday, buy an aquarium with fish of a breed that reproduces quickly.
If you want to help a woman get pregnant and have the means, then give her a pearl necklace that will lead to the birth of offspring.

Signs to find money

There are mystical techniques that provide money luck, which are valid not only on the Old New Year, but also on other days. Never pass things over the threshold, do not lend salt or bread (give these products free of charge). The wallet should never remain completely empty; get an irredeemable bill that is never spent, no matter how hard it is. A wallet is a “house” for money, so keep it in order by purchasing a new one in a timely manner if the old one is torn or has lost its presentation. Fold the money yourself carefully, in ascending order of bills. Keep small denomination coins in a separate place in your wallet, never count them.

Spend the Old New Year holiday with dignity, trying to please yourself, your family, neighbors, all living beings - luck loves kind, generous, joyful people!

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On New Year's Eve we are used to partying in a big way, on Christmas - a little calmer and more modestly, but sometimes we completely forget about such a holiday as the Old New Year. But in vain! It is also famous for its fun and rich in tradition.

Why are we celebrating?

It's simple - thanks to the difference in chronology, we can celebrate the New Year twice. So, due to the 13-day discrepancy between the Julian and Gregorian calendars, it is customary to go for a walk both on the night of December 31 to January 1, and from January 13 to 14. By the way, Orthodox Church still celebrates the New Year according to the old style - January 14. By church calendar it is also the day of remembrance of the Venerable Melania (Melanka, Malanka, Milanka).

On January 13, it is customary to celebrate Generous Evening in Ukraine. There are many signs, rituals and fortune telling associated with this date.

What can and cannot be done?

For good luck:

Make peace, resolve quarrels and conflicts, ask for forgiveness;

Visit neighbors and relatives;

Sit down at the table in beautiful festive clothes;

Treat guests generously;

Gather an even number of guests at the table (if this does not work, place an empty plate);

To failure:

Lend money;

Solve financial issues and count money;

Argue;

Taking out the trash;

Be stingy when setting the table;

There is a bird or fish (otherwise happiness will “fly away” or “swim away”).

Generous table

On the evening of January 13, it is customary to sit down to a rich table. The main dish is generous kutia, which, unlike the Lenten Christmas one, is seasoned with meat and lard. Housewives also prepare colorful Ukrainian dishes - homemade sausage, roast, dumplings, pies, pancakes, various snacks and salads. It is important to put on the table everything that can maximally demonstrate the wealth in the family.

Previously, one of the main attributes of the Generous Evening was considered a roasted pig - a symbol of the fertility of livestock and the fertility of the earth.

After the meal, the young people went to be generous and tell fortunes.

We give and sow

Among the people, Generous Evening is considered a time of revelry. evil spirits. Generators drive away all evil spirits, wishing the owners happiness, health and good luck in the new year.

It is best to be generous in mummer costumes or wear animal masks - wolf, bear, goat.

It is customary to walk from house to house and sing songs after sunset until midnight. Such guests should be invited to the table and treated generously to appease them.

But in the morning it’s time for the sowers. The guys fill mittens or fabric bags with grain and scatter it around the room with the words “We sow, winnow, sow, Happy New Year! Even though it’s the Old New Year, it still brings goodness!” The owners treat the sowers or thank them with money. And it is not customary to sweep the grain before sunset.

Girls' favorite pastime during the Old New Year is telling fortunes about their betrothed. It is believed that the most truthful fortune telling occurs on Generous Evening.

Fortune telling by chain

You need to guess right after midnight (the beginning of the New Year according to the old style) and always in complete solitude. To do this you need to pick up a gold or silver chain, preferably an antique one, and, crumpling it in the palm of your hand, sharply throw it on the floor or other hard, flat surface, for example, on a table. Depending on the shape the chain takes, predictions are made for the coming year.

If the chain lies in the form of a circle, this means that the year will be difficult. If the dropped figure resembles an oval or ellipse, this portends a difficult year, but difficulties will be interspersed with joyful events. If the chain is a straight line, good luck will accompany you in everything next year. A polygonal figure (for example, a triangle) also portends a successful year, but the path to success will not be straight and cloudless. A winding line resembling the path of a snake is a warning about the possible treachery that you will encounter. If the figure resembles a figure eight, this is an omen of an imminent wedding. If the chain depicts a letter, it means that you are destined to soon meet your betrothed, and his name will begin with this letter.

Fortune telling by thread

They tell fortunes with their friends: they cut the threads of the same length and set them on fire at the same time. Whose thread burns out faster than others - that girl will get married first. If the thread immediately goes out or burns only to half, then, alas, you are not destined to get married.

Fortune telling with bulbs

The girlfriends take an onion and place them with their roots in the water, after which they observe - whose onion will sprout green sprouts first, which girl will be married sooner.

Fortune telling by ring

The ring is placed in a glass of water. The bottom of the glass should be level. Then they light a candle and place it on the left side of the glass. Exactly at midnight they look intently into the ring, making a wish. Soon the water in the glass will become cloudy and you will see an image that will answer your question.

Fortune telling under neighbors' windows

Fortune telling is usually done this way in rural areas. To do this, on the night of the Old New Year, they quietly approach their neighbors’ windows and listen to what sounds are coming from there. If there is a scandal with swearing and breaking dishes, then we should expect an alarming and turbulent year. If you hear nothing or only a quiet conversation reaches you, it means that the coming year will be calm and harmonious.

Fortune telling on things

This fortune telling was very popular among young girls. Take a felt boot (or other shoes) and put it there various items: a piece of sugar, meaning a happy, comfortable life, a ring - marriage, an onion - tears, a rag - a poor husband, a scarf - a handsome husband, a coin - a rich husband. Shake your felt boots, and then, without looking, take out the first object you come across, which will predict your fate.

Fortune telling by book

To do this, take a book and each girl in turn asks a question, and then names the page number and line (bottom or top) where the answer is contained. The answer is read in the book. Classic works are great for fortune telling. It is better to formulate the question so that it implies a detailed answer.

Fortune telling on bread

Several pieces of bread, different in size, according to the number of family members, are placed in a bowl of water. While swirling the water with your finger, say the following words:

“Circle, bread and water, my whole family is here. If there is trouble, separate the bread and water.”

If, looking in the morning, all the pieces of bread are together, then the whole family will be safe and sound. And if some piece is separated from the others, then that person will either leave or die.

Fortune telling on the street

1. Girls go out into the street, and which animal they meet first will be the betrothed: if it’s a dog, then it’s bad, but life is a dog’s life, a cat is independent and freedom-loving, a sheep is quiet and obedient, and so on.

2. When leaving the house, you need to call out to the first man, guy or boy you meet and ask his name. That's what their future husband will be called.

Fortune telling by dogs

The girl is left alone in the room, after which the dog is allowed in. If the dog immediately runs up to the girl, then family life will be happy, if she starts sniffing the floor first, then the husband will be angry, and family life will be unhappy; if the dog begins to caress, then the husband will be affectionate.

Fortune telling by spoon

Freeze water in a spoon and watch: if there are bubbles, then this is a good sign. He portends a long happy life. And if there is a hole in the ice, then this will lead to grief and misfortune.

Fortune telling for the betrothed

1. They put a comb under the pillow and, going to bed, say: “Mummer, comb my head!” Whoever you dream about is the one you will marry.

2. Before going to bed, put several fragments from a broom in a plate of water, saying: “Betrothed-mummer, take it across the bridge.” If in the morning the fragments are placed at the crown, then the girl will become engaged to the one she dreamed about.

1. Gardeners shake off snow from apple trees at midnight - for the harvest.

2. If at night the wind blows from the south, then the summer will be hot and prosperous, from the west - to an abundance of milk and fish, from the east - expect a fruit harvest.

3. Starry night - for the berry harvest.

4. A lot of fluffy frost on the trees foreshadowed a good honey harvest.

5. If the night after the New Year is quiet and clear, there will be a happy year not only for people, but also for livestock.

6. If the sun rises high, the whole year will be happy, and the garden harvest will be especially good.

7. If frost covers the trees abundantly, there will be a grain harvest and a good honey harvest.

8. If soft snow falls, it means a harvest, and when it’s warm, the summer will be rainy.

9. Whatever the first day of the New Year, such will be the year: if there is a thaw on Generous Evening, expect a warm summer.

10. From which side the sky is covered with clouds on the Old New Year, happiness will come from there.