Novi God

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

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, and nationalist groups in the Baltics and Ukraine, 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. 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. 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.

After the October Revolution, Russia adopted the Soviet calendar, which was derived from the Gregorian calendar, in 1918. In 1929, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union abolished all religious holidays, including Christmas in Russia, Christmas, as part of a USSR anti-religious campaign (1928–1941), wider campaign against religion. Soviet officials argued that Christmas was a Paganism, pagan ritual of Solar deity, sun worship and that the Christmas tree was a bourgeois symbol originating from Germany — one of Russia's World War I Eastern Front (World War I), enemies.

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 Komsomol, Soviet youth. The celebration would adopt Christmas traditions in a Secularity, secular form, including New Year trees (stated to symbolise happiness and prosperity among youth) replacing Christmas trees, and the figure of Ded Moroz.Karen Petrone, ''Life Has Become More Joyous, Comrades: Celebrations in the Time of Stalin'', Indiana University Press, 200,
Google Print, p.85

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.Как отмечали Новый год в СССР: пять правил праздника по-советски
In Russian On television, the Soviet variety show ''Little Blue Light'' (''Goluboy ogonyok'') traditionally ran an episode on New Year's Eve from 1962 to 1985.

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 Nikita Khrushchev, Khrushchev period, golden glass maize, corn gained popularity. After the success of the film "Carnival Night", toys "Clocks" appeared — with hands set five minutes before midnight. After the Vostok 1, 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).

Even after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the reinstatement of religious holidays, Novy God has remained a popular celebration in modern Russia, and among Soviet expats living in other countries. The ''Little Blue Light'' New Year's Eve special was revived in 1997 (as a reaction to success of Channel One (Russia), Channel One's project). 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.

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, 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 Christian, Western figure of Santa Claus), with assistance from his granddaughter Snegurochka (russian: Снегурочка, lit=the Snow Maiden).

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

Russia-1 televises the annual Television special, special ''Little Blue Light'' (russian: Голубой огонёк), which features music and Variety show, variety acts, while Soviet films ''Carnival Night'' and ''The Irony of Fate'' is also traditionally aired on New Year's Eve. p. 171."Карнавальной ночи" - 65 лет: как снимали музыкальную кинокомедию
In Russian

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"). 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)
* (1955)
* Tell Me, Snow Maiden, Where You Were (1974) (from "Well, Just You Wait!" series)
* (1982)
* "If There Were no Winter" (1984) (from "")Лучшие новогодние песни: 25 композиций на все времена
In Russian
* (1987)
* "The New Year's One" ("New Year is rushing to us...") (1999)
* «Happy New Year!» (2003) (from Fabrika Zvyozd, Fabrika Zvyozd-3 project)20 лучших новогодних песен: от «В лесу родилась елочка» до «Расскажи, Снегурочка»
In Russian
* "The New Year's One" ("Are you tired of worries...") (2003)
* "White Winter" (2004)
* "This is New Year" (2012) (from "The Snow Queen (2012 film), The Snow Queen" soundtrack)

In other countries

Israel

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

In Israel, New Year's Eve celebrations that are associated with the Gregorian calendar or Christianity are referred to as Saint Sylvester's Day, ''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 Antisemitism, anti-semite, New Year's Eve celebrations have not been as popular among the Israeli Jews, Israeli Jew population. 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 are common, and in 2004 a bill that would ban the presentation of Christmas iconography in schools was presented to the Knesset. In the late-2010s, campaigns were undertaken to promote public awareness of the holiday among Israelis and the Immigrant generations#1.5 generation, 1.5 generation, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also began to acknowledge the holiday in his greetings.

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.

See also

* Old New Year

References

External links

*
*
* {{commons category-inline, New Year in Ukraine

January observances
New Year in Russia,
Public holidays in Russia
Winter events in Russia
Winter traditions
Russian-Jewish culture in Israel