Catholics and Protestants celebrate Christmas on December 25th. The Russians will celebrate it only in two weeks. This difference in dates arose due to the transition from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian one.
How it all began
The ancient Roman Julian calendar was introduced in Rome as a result of a reform initiated by Julius Caesar in 46 BC. In Kievan Rus, the Julian calendar appeared in the time of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich almost immediately with the beginning of the introduction of Christianity. For example, the Tale of Bygone Years uses the Julian calendar with Roman month names and the Byzantine era. The chronology was conducted from the Creation of the world, taking as a basis 5508 BC. - the Byzantine version of this date. And the beginning of the new year was decided to be calculated from March 1 - in accordance with the ancient Slavic calendar.
Bicalendaria
The people, to put it mildly, did not experience an obvious delight from the innovation, contriving to live according to two calendars. A sufficient number of examples of wooden folk calendars have survived, on which one can find the simultaneous designation of church holidays according to the Julian calendar, and local events based on the pagan folk calendar.
The Julian calendar was used primarily in cases where it was necessary to know about the date of church holidays.
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The old calendar, based on the lunar phases, the solar cycle and the change of the seasons, reported on the dates of vital matters, first of all, on the beginning or completion of field work. In modern life, for example, such pagan holidays as Shrovetide associated with the lunar cycle, or "solar" celebrations - Kolyada and Kupala - have survived.
Attempt is torture
For almost 500 years, Russia tried to live according to the Julian calendar. In addition to a large number of discrepancies, the problem was also the confusion that arose in the annals: the Russian chroniclers relied on dating according to the Slavic calendar, and the invited Greeks used the dates of the new calendar.
None of the prohibitions of the old calendar, up to the execution of especially zealous adherents, helped.
The reigning Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III tried to "settle" the discrepancies. In the Summer of 7000 from the Creation of the World, that is, in 1492, the Moscow Church Council approved the postponement of the beginning of the year from March 1 to September 1 (a decision that is still valid in the Russian Orthodox Church).
Shortest year
Another attempt to transform the chronology was made by Peter I. By his decree of 1699, he moved the beginning of the year from September 1 to January 1. Thus, 1699 lasted only 4 months: September, October, November and December. The year was also shortened by the Soviet government, which on January 24, 1918, corrected the error of the Julian calendar of 13 days by introducing the Gregorian calendar, according to which Catholic Europe had lived since 1582. After January 31, 1918, it was not February 1, but immediately 14.
Everyone is walking
Fearing to be misunderstood once again, Peter I made an attempt to "disguise" the introduction of the new chronology with grandiose festivities.
It was ordered to decorate the "reigning city" "from trees and branches of pine, spruce and juniper" and to organize "fiery fun": launching "rockets, whoever has what happens" and shooting from cannons, muskets and "other small guns".
On New Year's Eve, the king personally gave the signal for the start of the celebrations. In addition to the spectacles, Peter offered the people "various foods and vats of wine and beer" - a meal was organized in front of the palace and at the three triumphal gates. According to the tsarist decree, honest people walked for a week, and when they came to their senses after noisy undertakings, "quite a significant murmur arose in Moscow." Many wondered: "How could the king change the solar current?"
Many of those who were firmly convinced that "God created light in the month of September" still lived according to the old calendar.
Peter decided not to enslave the people, making a reservation in the decree: "And if anyone wants to write both those years, from the creation of the world and from the birth of Christ, in a row freely."
old style
Today, according to the Julian calendar, there are only four Orthodox churches: Russian, Jerusalem, Georgian and Serbian. An attempt to replace the calendar was made by Patriarch Tikhon on October 15, 1923.
True, the "new style" lived in the Church for only 24 days, since on November 8, 1923, the patriarch ordered to "temporarily postpone the widespread and obligatory introduction of the new style into church use."
The modern Orthodox church calendar (Paschalia) consists of two parts: a fixed Monthly, associated with the solar cycle, and a movable Easter, based on the lunar calendar. The Julian calendar, which differs from the Gregorian in 13 days, forms the basis of the fixed part - it includes the non-transient Orthodox holidays and the days of commemoration of saints. Easter determines the date of Easter that changes every year, and with it the rolling holidays that depend on it.