How to break the tradition


Now it is difficult to imagine that New Year’s congratulations in Russia were made not on the first of January, but on another day. Meanwhile it was just like that…

Years come and go, and with them traditions are born and die. Almost three centuries ago, on September 1, “7208 years from the creation of the world”, Muscovites, as usual, gathered to celebrate the arrival of the New Year – this was the custom in Russia since the 15th century.

But the holiday was not destined to take place. On Red Square the heralds of Tsar Peter I, who usually announced tsarist decrees, announced that now and forever September 1 is considered a weekday. The New Year will come after December 31, 7208. This day will be January 1, 1700, the Christian era, as is customary in European states.

December 31, around midnight, Peter I himself opened the festivities. He torched a rocket, which showered all with sparks, ashes and soot. Bells were struck in the churches.

In the Kremlin, guns began to fire. The music of military bands was coming off. The general fun began.

The king ordered to walk all week and to congratulate each other as a sign of the triumph of January 1, wishing happiness, well-being, health and joy for the whole year. So for the first time in Russia celebrated the January New Year.

Peter the Great was not afraid to break the tradition. Many innovations appeared in Russia during his reign. Usually they remember how the king ordered the boyars to shave their beards. And planting new habits? For example, from the Petrine era, we had to drink coffee, follow the European fashion in clothes, cook a lot of new dishes on the model of Western cuisine.

And how many new words came in Russian under Peter the Great! Scientific, naval, military terms… True, the influx of foreign words created considerable difficulties, so the king himself ordered to write and say “as intelligibly as possible,” although in his speech there were many gallicisms and German borrowings.

Not all Peter’s reforms have stood the test of time, but the January New Year has become a wonderful tradition. How many times in Russia already meet him in a new way…

Changed the times and morals, but the Christmas tree, fun for the whole night firmly entered the life of people celebrating the New Year. And, of course, Santa Claus brings presents on this joyful day.


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

How to break the tradition