New Year celebration in Russian culture

Novy God (Russian: Новый Год) is the Russian phrase for "New Year", and also designates the Russian New Year's Eve and New Year's Day celebration.

A New Year Spruce in Moscow in 2007–2008

Ded Moroz and Snegurochka in Belarus

This celebration is observed in all post-Soviet states, and though the observance of the holiday is criticised by conservative Muslim groups in Central Asia,^[1] and nationalist groups in the Baltics and Ukraine,^[2] it remains popular across the region. It is also celebrated by the Russian diaspora all over the world.

History

From AD 1492, the new year was originally celebrated on 1 September as per the Byzantine calendar.^[3] In 1699, Peter the Great issued a proclamation adopting the Christian era beginning in 1700 and also changing the celebration of the new year to 1 January.^[4] He called for streets to be decorated with the branches of fir, juniper, and pine trees for the holiday. The tradition later evolved into the practice of decorated New Year trees, although their use in homes was hindered by the Slavic superstition of fir trees being associated with funeral rites.^[5][6]

After the October Revolution, Russia adopted the Soviet calendar, which was derived from the Gregorian calendar, in 1918.^[5][6] In 1929, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union abolished all religious holidays, including Christmas, as part of a wider campaign against religion. Soviet officials argued that Christmas was a pagan ritual of sun worship and that the Christmas tree was a bourgeois symbol originating from Germany — one of Russia's World War I enemies.^[5]

In December 1935, via a letter published by the party's official newspaper Pravda, politician Pavel Postyshev proposed that the New Year be celebrated as a secular holiday benefiting Soviet youth. The celebration would adopt Christmas traditions in a secular form, including New Year trees (stated to symbolise happiness and prosperity among youth) replacing Christmas trees, and the figure of Ded Moroz.^[7][5]

A tradition of writing and sending greeting postcards to each other for the holidays was began (about three million postcards were produced per year). The New Years tree was decorated with a "rain" made of metal foil and "snow" made of cotton wool. New Year's matinees were held in kindergartens. On New Year's Eve, visits to relatives and friends were popular, as well as festivities on streets and ice slides.^[8] On television, the Soviet variety show Little Blue Light (Goluboy ogonyok) traditionally ran an episode on New Year's Eve from 1962 to 1985.^[9][10]

The history of the USSR could be traced by the history of New Year tree toys. During The Great Patriotic War, airplanes, soldiers, and ambulance dogs appeared. After 1947, the production of fairy-tale characters, glass fruits and vegetables were established. During Khrushchev period, golden glass corn gained popularity. After the success of the film "Carnival Night", toys "Clocks" appeared — with hands set five minutes before midnight. After the first human flight into space, glass rockets with the inscription "СССР" (USSR) and figurines of cosmonauts began to be released. In the 70s and 80s, glass cones and houses settled on New Year trees, as well as cardboard lanterns (which were good because they did not break).^[8]

Even after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the reinstatement of religious holidays, Novy God has remained a popular celebration in modern Russia,^[11][12][13] and among Soviet expats living in other countries.^[14] The Little Blue Light New Year's Eve special was revived in 1997^[9][10] (as a reaction to success of Channel One's Old Songs about the Main Thing [ru] project).^[15] Since 1999, a residence in the town of Veliky Ustyug is promoted as Ded Moroz's "home", children are encouraged to write letters to him, and GLONASS has promoted a Ded Moroz "tracker" on New Year's Eve similar to the NORAD Tracks Santa campaign.^[16][5]

Traditions

Since the era of the Soviet Union, Novy God has usually been considered a gift-giving holiday with similarities to Christmas (albeit in a secular form), with New Year trees (Russian: yolka meaning "spruce") decorated and displayed in homes and public spaces,^[17][5][18] and Ded Moroz (Russian: Дед Мороз, lit. 'Old Man Frost') depicted as delivering presents to children on New Year's Eve (similar to the Western figure of Santa Claus),^[19][5][18] with assistance from his granddaughter Snegurochka (Russian: Снегурочка, lit. 'the Snow Maiden').^[20]

The President's New Year's address is traditionally televised shortly before midnight in each time zone, reflecting on the previous year and the state of the country.^[21][22] At Moscow's Red Square, revellers gather under the Kremlin Clock—whose chimes at midnight are traditionally followed by the playing of the Russian national anthem, and a fireworks display.^[23]

Russia-1 televises the annual special Little Blue Light (Russian: Голубой огонёк), which features music and variety acts,^[9][10][24] while Soviet films Carnival Night and The Irony of Fate is also traditionally aired on New Year's Eve.^[25][10][26]

Russians often take the week between New Year and Orthodox Christmas (celebrated on 7 January, the Christmas Day according to the Julian Calendar) off (Новогодние каникулы "New Year's holidays").^{[citation needed]} Unlike Christmas, the Russian New Year uses the Gregorian calendar.

In addition, an informal celebration of the "Old New Year" is observed on the January 13/14 night (in the 20th and 21st centuries), which is the New Year date by the Julian Calendar.

Music

Among the most popular works are:

• A Spruce Was Born in the Forest (1905)
• The Little New Year Tree is Сold in Winter (1935)^[27][28]
• Five Minutes [ru] (1955)^[26][28]
• Tell Me, Snow Maiden, Where You Were (1974) (from "Well, Just You Wait!" series)^[27][28]
• A Song about a Snowflake [ru] (1982)^[27][28]
• "If There Were no Winter" (1984) (from "Winter in Prostokvashino [ru]")^[27][28]
• New Year Toys [ru] (1987)^[27][28]
• "The New Year's One" ("New Year is rushing to us...") (1999)^[29][28]
• «Happy New Year!» (2003) (from Fabrika Zvyozd-3 project)^[27][28]
• "The New Year's One" ("Are you tired of worries...") (2003)^[27]
• "White Winter" (2004)^[27][28]
• "This is New Year" (2012) (from "The Snow Queen" soundtrack)^[28]

In other countries

Israel

In Israel, Novy God (נובי גוד) is celebrated by many first– and second–generation Russian Jewish immigrants from the Soviet Union, with celebrations being particularly prominent in areas with a large ex-Soviet population (such as Ashdod, Ashqelon, Beersheba, Netanya, and Haifa).^[30][31] Some customs have been adapted for Israeli environs, like the use of palm trees for the New Year tree and starting celebrations using the Moscow time zone.^[32]

In Israel, New Year's Eve celebrations that are associated with the Gregorian calendar or Christianity are referred to as Silvester, to distinguish it from the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah (which takes place 2–3 months earlier). As Pope Sylvester I is considered to have been an anti-semite, New Year's Eve celebrations have not been as popular among the Israeli Jew population.^[33][34][35] Those who celebrate Novy God are sometimes seen as out of line with the national Jewish identity despite the event's lack of religious affiliation, with some having confused it for Christmas or Silvester; amongst ultra-orthodox groups, anti-Novy God flyers and chain letters^[36] are common, and in 2004 a bill that would ban the presentation of Christmas iconography in schools was presented to the Knesset.^[37] In the late-2010s, campaigns were undertaken to promote public awareness of the holiday among Israelis and the 1.5 generation, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also began to acknowledge the holiday in his greetings.^[38][39][40]

It is common to allow soldiers of Russian-speaking heritage serving in noncombat facilities to go on leave on the night of the 31st to allow them to celebrate the holiday; however, this is not enforced by official order.^[41]

See also

• Old New Year

References

1. "Central Asians Stand By 'Un-Islamic' New Year's Traditions". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
2. "No Ukrainian should have a Soviet-style New Year's tree". Euromaidan Press. 26 December 2016. from the original on 2 May 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
3. Черепнин, Л. В. (in Russian). p. 26. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
4. "Russia in the Age of Peter the Great". archive.nytimes.com. from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
5. Weber, Hannah (25 December 2020). "Yolka: the story of Russia's 'New Year tree', from pagan origins to Soviet celebrations". The Calvert Journal. from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
6. Tamkin, Emily (30 December 2016). "How Soviets Came to Celebrate New Year's Like Christmas (and Why Russians Still Do)". Foreign Policy. from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
7. Karen Petrone, Life Has Become More Joyous, Comrades: Celebrations in the Time of Stalin, Indiana University Press, 200, ISBN 0-253-33768-2, Google Print, p.85 4 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine
8. Как отмечали Новый год в СССР: пять правил праздника по-советски. In Russian
9. "Inventorying the Past: Russia Refreshes Its Historical Memory". Wilson Center. from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
10. "Holiday TV Traditions Around The World". The Hollywood Reporter. 22 December 2017. from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
11. Dice, Elizabeth A. (2009). Christmas and Hanukkah. Infobase Publishing. p. 44. ISBN 9781438119717. The Christmas tree, or Yolka, is another tradition that was banned during the Soviet era. To keep the custom alive, people decorated New Year's trees instead.
12. "Russia's answer to Father Christmas". CNN.com. 26 December 2000. from the original on 1 January 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
13. "Father Frost and the Snow Maiden deliver Russia's winter warmer, by Helen Womack, 31 December 1996". The Independent. London. 31 December 1996. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
14. Neiman, Rachel (30 December 2019). "Celebrating Silvester, AKA the secular New Year, in Israel". ISRAEL21c. from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
15. История «Голубого огонька»: когда зажегся, как сиял и почему потух?. In Russian
16. . Fortune. Archived from the original on 13 September 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
17. "Father Frost and the Snow Maiden deliver Russia's winter warmer, by Helen Womack, 31 December 1996". The Independent. London. 31 December 1996. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
18. Echo of Islam. MIG. 1993. In the former Soviet Union, fir trees were usually put up to mark New Year's day, following a tradition established by the officially atheist state.
19. "Father Frost and the Snow Maiden deliver Russia's winter warmer, by Helen Womack, 31 December 1996". The Independent. London. 31 December 1996. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
20. Душечкина Е. В. (2003). "Дед Мороз и Снегурочка". Отечественные записки. No. 1. from the original on 27 June 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
21. Zubtsov, Vitaly (29 December 2016). "Survival guide: How to survive New Year, Russian-style". Russia Beyond. from the original on 1 January 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
22. "The 10 Best Places to Spend New Year's Eve in Moscow". The Moscow Times. 29 December 2014. from the original on 1 January 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
23. "Russia Unveils New National Anthem Joining the Old Soviet Tune to the Older, Unsoviet God". The New York Times. Associated Press. 31 December 2000. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on 28 December 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
24. "Красно-бело-голубой огонек". www.kommersant.ru (in Russian). 26 December 2005. from the original on 26 December 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
25. Horton, Andrew; Brashinsky, Michael (1992). The Zero Hour: Glasnost and Soviet Cinema in Transition. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691019208. p. 171.
26. "Карнавальной ночи" - 65 лет: как снимали музыкальную кинокомедию. In Russian
27. 20 лучших новогодних песен: от «В лесу родилась елочка» до «Расскажи, Снегурочка». In Russian
28. Лучшие новогодние песни: 25 композиций на все времена. In Russian
29. Песня «Новогодняя» (1999) группы «Дискотека Авария»: почему забраковали новый клип на легендарный хит. In Russian
30. "A Happy Novy God (Without God)". Haaretz. from the original on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
31. "דרישה בנתניה: העירייה צריכה לממן את חגיגות הסילבסטר". NRG (in Hebrew). from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
32. "Igor Ebadusin – celebrations of Novy God within ex-USSR immigrants". from the original on 24 December 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
33. "Celebrating an anti-Semitic pope on Sylvester". The Jerusalem Post – Christian World. from the original on 31 December 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
34. Kershner, Isabel (30 December 2018). "New Year's Fete From Russia Irks Some in Israel: 'It's Not a Jewish Holiday'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on 10 September 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
35. קריסטל, מירב (2 January 2010). ""הרוסים לא חוגגים את הסילבסטר"". Ynet (in Hebrew). from the original on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
36. "Anti-Novy God chain letter (Hebrew)". from the original on 5 January 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
37. צור, רענן בן (12 January 2004). "הכנסת קבעה: בלי עצי אשוח ובלי סנטה קלאוס". Ynet (in Hebrew). from the original on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
38. Barak, Naama (27 December 2021). "Making a home for Novy God in the Israeli calendar". ISRAEL21c. from the original on 10 September 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
39. "What is Novy God? What you need to know about the Russian new year". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. from the original on 10 September 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
40. Kershner, Isabel (30 December 2018). "New Year's Fete From Russia Irks Some in Israel: 'It's Not a Jewish Holiday'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on 10 September 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
41. "Archived copy". www.idf.il. from the original on 29 May 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

External links

•   Media related to New Year in Azerbaijan at Wikimedia Commons
•   Media related to New Year in Russia at Wikimedia Commons
•   Media related to New Year in Ukraine at Wikimedia Commons