Old New Year
| Old New Year | |
|---|---|
| Also called |
|
| Observed by | Users of the Julian calendar |
| Significance | The first day of the Julian year |
| Date | 11 January (1583–1700) 12 January (1701–1800) 13 January (1801–1900) 14 January (1901–2100) 15 January (2101–2200) |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | New Year's Day (Gregorian calendar) |
The Old New Year, the Orthodox New Year, also known as Ra's as-Sanah or Ras el-Seni in the Middle East, is an informal traditional holiday, celebrated as the start of the New Year by the Julian calendar. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the Old New Year falls on 14 January in the Gregorian calendar.
This traditional dating of the New Year is sometimes commonly called "Orthodox" because it harks back to a time when governments in Russia and Eastern Europe used the Julian calendar, which is still used by some jurisdictions of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church's liturgical year actually begins in September.
In the Middle East, within the Alawites and Middle Eastern Christians, the term Ra's as-Sanah or Ras el-Seni refers to the Old New Year, which is regularly celebrated by these groups.