Winter does not last in vain: how to celebrate the New Year and not break the fast
The Church sanctifies calendar time, its divisions and boundaries, so on New Year's Eve, December 31, a special prayer service for New Year's Eve is served in churches. In addition, more and more churches are now holding festive Divine Liturgies on New Year's Eve. Thanks to this relatively new custom, Russians who observe the Christmas fast are no longer tormented by the sacramental question of whether to celebrate New Year's Eve in front of the TV or not at all, said priests interviewed by Izvestia. How believers and fasting people can celebrate New Year's Eve in such a way that it would not be painfully painful later for the aimless night - in Izvestia's article.
The right to joy
Orthodox Russians who observe the Christmas fast do not have to feel like white crows who do not have the right to New Year's joy, noted the priests interviewed by Izvestia on the eve of the New Year 2025. According to them, even a person who is fasting always has an alternative of how to spend New Year's Eve, and this is largely the freedom of his personal choice.
The Church is focused on eternity, but it also sanctifies calendar time, Archpriest Fyodor Borodin, rector of the Church of St. Cosmas and Damian on Maroseike, told Izvestia. Therefore, on New Year's Eve, December 31, a special prayer service for New Year's Eve is served in churches.
- During this prayer service we kind of summarize the past year, thank God for all his good deeds, repent for our mistakes and ask for blessing for the coming year, - said the priest.
According to him, many people who consider themselves believers, on New Year's days are focused on fasting. They are immersed in anticipation of the Christmas holiday and spend this time in spiritual tension and austerity, so they do not want to celebrate the New Year "in front of the TV".
But as a rule, it is impossible to go to bed on New Year's Eve because of the noise of fireworks and general merriment. For this reason, noted Father Fyodor Borodin, recently more and more churches are serving the night liturgy. It begins at midnight on January 1, just as the Kremlin chimes strike.
On the one hand, it is an ordinary service - believers confess and receive communion. On the other hand, it is still colored with a festive mood.
At the same time, the priest drew attention to an interesting detail: coincidentally, it is on New Year's Eve, January 1 (the church day begins in the evening), when hot drinks usually flow in rivers, the Church celebrates the memory of the martyr Vonifatius of Rome. To this saint, who lived in Rome in the III century, believers of three traditions - Orthodox, Catholic and Armenian - traditionally pray for healing from the disease of drunkenness.
- There is a large icon of this saint in our church on Maroseike, and we have been holding New Year's Eve services for many years in a row," said Father Fyodor Borodin.
"The Temptation of Olivier."
In itself, the beginning of the New Year is not considered a special event for Christians, as it is just a calendar date, the priests emphasized. But during the Soviet decades it became almost the only holiday that was not colored politically, said Father Fyodor Borodin. And since the only officially authorized religion in those years was atheism, the New Year became a kind of alternative to Christmas, said the rector of the church on Maroseike. Therefore, for many people, especially older generations, to celebrate the New Year is important and essential. And for any person, even those who fast, it will be quite natural to come and congratulate their elderly parents.
- You can raise a glass to your parents, wish them all the best, thank them, hug and kiss them," he said. - And if mom tried and cooked olivier, you can eat a little bit of it and at the same time say warm words to her. We may sin against fasting in this way, but we will not sin against love.
At the same time, the priest added, it would be logical to "balance" the gastronomic liberties allowed on New Year's Eve with further stricter fasting and going to the Christmas Eve night service.
- After all, if you had the strength to stay awake on New Year's Eve, and you sleep through Christmas night, it will be strange," said Father Fyodor Borodin. - After all, the feast of Christmas is a celebration of God's love for man.
Orthodox Christians used to celebrate their real Church New Year on September 14 or September 1 on the old style, Priest Michael Dochia reminded Izvestia. They began to celebrate it on January 1 in Russia only since the XVIII century, but the liturgical cycle still begins on September 1.
But no one forbids believers to celebrate this "ordinary" secular holiday - the main thing is to correlate their celebration with the principles of Christian life, the priest noted.
- As an alternative to secular entertainment, you can celebrate New Year's Eve at a night service, which is held, for example, in the capital's Sretensky Monastery," he advised. - Fasting is not a hindrance in celebrating the New Year, because it can be celebrated with no less tasty fasting food and without violating church regulations.
New Year without judgment
For Christians, any significant event - joyful, responsible or sorrowful - is an occasion for prayer, Deacon Ilya Kokin, candidate of theology and cultural studies, told Izvestia.
- The New Year is also a significant event, so during the festive New Year prayer service we thank God for everything that happened to us in the past year, ask Him to help us correct the mistakes made in the past year and pray that the coming year will be peaceful and calm," the clergyman said.
New Year is also an occasion to spend time with loved ones, tell them about love and make nice gifts. Such a holiday will definitely not be a reason for judgment, said Ilya Kokin.
According to the clergyman of the Ivanovo-Voznesensk diocese, Hieromonk Makary Markish, the Church goes towards people in many ways, including through the events of the calendar. On these days, special services are celebrated in churches and special elements are added to the prayers.
- The Church welcomes personal and family holidays, including the civil New Year, " Father Macarius said. - As for abstaining from food, in these times of abundance and a wide variety of foods, you will find at any table you can follow the accepted custom of fasting.
Holiday Therapy
Many adults associate New Year's Eve with a period of childhood, and it is often associated with fond memories of events and gifts they received during the holiday. Immersion in these memories and their "replaying" becomes a good holiday therapy for those celebrating, believes psychologist Larisa Ovcharenko.
- At such moments you can dream about something, remember something, - said the psychologist. - This is a kind of special period for people to communicate more with their loved ones and spend time with them.
New Year's Eve is a holiday that allows you to relax with your family and friends, remember the good events that happened during the year, agreed psychologist Natalia Naumova. Also, according to her, it is a good reason to summarize, set goals for the next year. And if a person does not meet the holiday in the place and with the people with whom he would like, he may have a sense of anxiety.
- If you want fun with friends, then you should organize it for yourself, not wait for someone else to create it, - said the psychologist. - If you are so tired in a year that you just want to sleep that night, then you should do it.
People are important symbolic dates related to the cyclical nature of time, says psychotherapist Pavel Beschastanov. In one form or another, all peoples have such dates - when summarizing the results, open plans and hopes for the future, one period of life is replaced by another.
During the New Year, any worldly difficulties recede into the background. Therefore, it is important to allow yourself to celebrate it the way you want to, to get an emotional release and distract yourself from problems, experts summarized.
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