New Year (Slavic New Year)

The Christian holiday of the New Year has its roots in the history of Ancient Rome Then, every 15 years, emperors collected taxes from their subjects The collection day was set for September 1st The new financial period, at the end of which it was necessary to submit taxes, was called an indict Much later, the indictment began to last not 15 years, but a year This is how the word “indict” became a synonym for the noun “year” Emperor Constantine the Great allowed his people to profess Christianity on the day the new indictment began From that moment on, September 1st began to be considered not only the beginning of the new year, but also a symbol of recognition of Christianity The New Year in the new style falls on September 14th In Orthodox sources, the day is called the Beginning of the Indictment or the Decrease This day came to the Slavs after the adoption of the Byzantine religion However, it did not immediately become official: after all, the Slavs celebrated the new year on March 1 Only from the 15th century did the tsar and bishop begin to participate in the celebrations of September 1, that is, the holiday acquired the status of a church-state holiday Later, Peter the Great moved the celebration to the date familiar to modern people - January 14 (according to the new style - January 1) However, Christian believers still consider the Decrepit to be the true beginning of the year On this day, Orthodox Christians attend services in churches in honor of the Beginning of the Indictment They also remember Simeon the Stylite, who erected a pillar and prayed on it for several decades Believers pray for good luck in the coming new year, asking God for blessings at a new stage of life In the house you should also read prayers for the message of a good year You should not ask for your financial status on this holiday, because it will be inappropriate on such a bright day On New Year's Eve it is permissible to visit, meet with relatives and friends, exchange gifts from the heart, and set a generous table People call the Beginning of the Indictment the Day of Semyon the Flight Guide in honor of the seer and healer Simeon the Stylite On this day, peasants paid taxes and dues; also during this period, annual contracts and transactions between the Slavs ceased to operate It was recommended to pay off debts by this day so as not to start a new milestone in life with a heavy heart Traditionally it was believed that from this moment autumn comes into its own The peasants needed to complete the harvest and prepare for the autumn thaw