This unofficial holiday is widely celebrated not only in the territories of the former USSR but also in countries such as Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, Tunisia, Algeria, and Switzerland, each of which has its unique traditions.
In the post-Soviet countries, the tradition of caroling is popular on this day, where people go from house to house, scattering grains of wheat or oats and singing folk songs with wishes of happiness and prosperity. There is also a belief that divinations on the night of January 13 to 14 are particularly accurate.
Photo from the internet. Postcard for the Old New Year
In the countries of the former Yugoslavia, the Old New Year is celebrated with great fanfare, including family festivities and fireworks. In Serbia, this day is known as Serbian New Year, and the main events take place at the Temple of Saint Sava in Belgrade. Traditionally, on this day, a badnjak — a special log left over from Christmas — is burned. In the Republic of Srpska, January 14 is declared a public holiday, while in Montenegro, the holiday is called "Prava nova godina" — "the correct New Year."
In Abkhazia, January 13 is also celebrated as the Day of Creation of the World, when locals make sacrifices of goats and roosters in honor of the deity Shashve. This day is a public holiday.
In Greece, this holiday is called St. Basil's Day, who is considered the Greek equivalent of Santa Claus. Children place their shoes by the fireplace in hopes of receiving gifts, and arguments on this day are considered a bad omen — they can lead to conflicts throughout the year.
From January 12 to 14, a carnival program takes place in Macedonia with dancing around large bonfires, which is considered a way to drive away evil spirits.
In Wales, they celebrate the Hen Galan festival, symbolizing the beginning of the new year according to the Julian calendar. On this day, children go from house to house receiving gifts.
Some German-speaking regions of Switzerland also celebrate the Old New Year, known as St. Sylvester's Day. The celebration is associated with popular resistance to the transition to the Gregorian calendar in the 17th-18th centuries. On this day, people dress in Sylvester costumes and walk the streets singing yodeling songs.
The Berbers, the indigenous people of North Africa, celebrate the New Year according to their calendar, which is analogous to the Julian calendar but with slight modifications. In Algeria, the first day of the new year has been a paid holiday since 2018, and in 2023, the Berber New Year was recognized as an official holiday in Morocco, celebrated on January 14.
In Japan, the Little New Year, or "Koshogatsu," is celebrated on January 15, when people visit temples and pray for a good harvest. On this day, New Year's decorations are taken down, and instead, bamboo, rice cakes, coins, and amulets are hung in the house.
