Happy St. Vasile/Orthodox New Year
So I am just sitting at work, minding my own business when an old hunched over woman, maybe maxing out at 5 feet, decked out in her head scarf and shawl, comes wandering into the office. Next thing I know, she is throwing handfuls of grain at me saying salutations for the new year, and me, my host partner, and this elderly woman are doing shots of orange soda. This my friends, is St. Vasile’s.
If you didn’t already know, The Eastern Orthodox faith has a different calendar(the Julian Calendar) then the one that now dominates the globe and keeps everyone from Bangkok to Boston on the same day(the Gregorian Calendar). Thus new year’s eve in the Julian calender is actually January 13th and January 14th is New Year’s day/Feast day of St. Vasile.
The history and explanations of the full development and meaning behind the traditions of this day are not fully known to me, however, I can tell you what I observed.
On New year’s eve (Jan. 13) Children come in packs of 3 or 4 to the doors of the households in the village. They ring a bell and recite a poem or some type of chant. They then receive a small sum of money or candy from that household, a bit like Halloween.
The following day, people go around with a pocket full of grain, and throw grain wishing blessing of a happy new year and a good harvest (thus, the grain).
From what I understand, the combination of emigration (less young people in the village) and just the wear of time that happens to tradition (kind of like door to door carolling) that it isn’t as widely celebrated as it once was. However, it was another thing that I am blessed to experience, that I would have never experienced without Peace Corps.
O by the way, I hope you are all enjoying those low 20′s and snow in Cincinnati. I have been enjoying my low 40′s in short sleeves, even though I haven’t caught a glimpse of the sun in months.
