Postcard from Bishkek

Christmas is not the only festival that we experience a surplus of in Kyrgyzstan – there’s also New Year.

The history of the Calendar which we use is a long and complex affair.  At present we tend to mark the beginning of the New Year on 1^st January.  It has not always been so … and the existence of different calendars mean that several “New Years’ Day” can be celebrated in Kyrgyzstan during a twelve month period … although only January 1^st is an official holiday.

Others include:

• “Starry Noviy God” or “Old New Year” – celebrated on January 13^th … and marks the New Year according to the old Julian calendar.
• Chinese New Year – which falls on different days each year… although, in general usage, the year of the Pig, Horse, Ram, etc. tends to marked as commencing from January 1^st …  .
• Noruz – sometimes (mistakenly) referred to as Muslim New Year – is a Zoroastrian festival held on the Vernal Equinox, March 21^st.
• Muslim New Year – which is based on a Lunar calendar – it is sometimes marked by the more religious members of the community – but is a muted affair

(Incidentally … the ancient world the New Year was deemed to start on March 21^st – or April 1^st … In Imperial Russia, the New Year was deemed to start on September 1^st, until Peter the Great decreed that the year should start on January 1^st).

New Year – January 1st

During the Soviet period … New Year became the great winter festival.  Christmas Trees were banned – but New Year’s trees were permitted.  St. Nicholas’ Day (December 6^th) was duly ignored … but he was replaced by Dydya Moroz – Grandfather Frost – and his granddaughter/assistant, Snegorochka, the Snow Maiden.

In fact – if you happen to visit Kyrgyzstan over New Year you may be surprised to see Grandfather Frost and Snegorochka … but don’t mistake him for Santa Claus.  In Russian tradition there is a different story associated with him … Grandfather Frost is a tall old man with a long white beard in a red fur coat, special mittens, felt boots, with a magic staff and bag of gifts for children. His sledge is not drawn by reindeer, but by 3 horses and with little bell under an arch. His usual place of stay is winter snow wood, where he organizes blizzards and snowstorms.  Snegorochka is a particularly Russian variation on the tradition … and is ot found in other European countries.  She is dressed in light-blue fur coat with white ermine fur, white boots. From under a round fur hat, her fair-hair is braided and reaches down to below her belt.  She is a mistress for birds and animals of a winter wood: hares, squirrels, and bullfinches.  Other Russian variations include malicious Baba Yaga and the Forest Man who steal the Grandfather Frost’s bag with gifts and presents for the children. The malicious wolf and artful fox help them.  The Snowman is seen as a comic person.  Snegorchka says to the children: “Let’s help Grandfather Frost find his bag with presents!”, and a search ensues … and when the bag is found the contents are distributed to the children.  Grandfather Frost then lights fires on fir tree with his magic stuff and there is dancing around the trees.

In Kyrgyzstan:

There are all the usual trappings associated with New Year – which you might experience at home … although you may think of them as associated with Christmas rather than New Year … trees, presents and parties and general merriment, especially if there is snow, which seems to emphasize and accentuate the holiday mood.

For those who like to watch local television, then at least one channel is likely to show the famous traditional Soviet comedy “Twist of Fate, or with easy steam”, (“Ironiya Sudby, ili C Lyekim Parom” – generally known by just the last phrase – “C lyegkim parom”).

New Years’ Eve, a group of friends go to a sauna where they drink vodka – and they all end up drunk, including Genia who does not normally drink very much.  At the end of the evening his friends put him in a taxi and take him to the airport to catch a flight back home to Leningrad, but unfortunately, he mistakenly boards the wrong flight and ends up in a different city.  Oblivious to his mistake he hails a taxi and gives his address and, arriving at the typical anonymous, generic, soviet apartment block manages to open the door of “his” apartment and goes to sleep.  Shortly afterwards the owner of the apartment, a young woman arrives home expecting to see her fiancée.  And so unfolds a comedy of errors.

Many restaurants and discotheques hold special events to mark the occasion.

At midnight, everyone goes into the street to set off rockets into the night sky …

The period between New Year and Orthodox Christmas is normally declared as “non-working days” which means that many businesses and offices will be closed, although shops and restaurants will be open, however, banks will not.

Old New Year – January 13th

The Old New Year, (or the Orthodox New Year – in Russian it is called Stariy Noviy God), is marked on January 13th.

When Soviet Russia officially adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1918, the Russian Orthodox Church continued to use the old Julian calendar.  The New Year (January 1st) according to the Julian calendar fell on the 13th according to the new reckoning and Stariy Noviy God – the “Old” New Year - continued to be marked as a special day and observed informally.  Thus the tradition of celebrating the coming of the New Year twice was established and is now widely enjoyed.

In the West there was a tradition that Christmas decorations were erected before Christmas, (for example on Christmas Eve) and left until “Twelfth Night” – January 6th, which marked the Epiphany of the infant Jesus to Simeon in the Temple, when he was circumcised.  In the local tradition, New Year decorations, which bear a remarkable resemblance to Christmas decorations in the West) are erected before New Year and removed on Stariy Noviy God … which marks the end of the, now, traditional New Year festivities.

In Kyrgyzstan:

Usually not as festive as the “New New Year”, for many this is a nostalgic family holiday ending the New Year holiday cycle with the traditional large meals, singing and celebratory drinking.

Chinese New Year

The Chinese calendar is “lunisolar”.  That is, it incorporates elements of a lunar calendar with those of a solar calendar.

It is not exclusive to China, but is followed by many other Asian cultures and, although it is not recognized as a holiday in Kyrgyzstan, many people commemorate the occasion with the exchange of cards and/or small gifts.  Officially it is no longer in use as China  adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1912, however, it is is still used for marking traditional East Asian holidays such as the Chinese New Year, (also known as the Spring Festival), other traditional festivals and in astrology, such as choosing the most auspicious date for a wedding or the opening of a building.

It is often referred to in the West as the Chinese calendar because it was first perfected by the Chinese around 500 BC.

Chinese New Year, often called the Lunar New Year, is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays.  The New Year festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first month in the Chinese calendar, (which falls on the first full moon following the Winter Solstice), ending on the 15th, (which is called the Lantern Festival). Being based on a lunar calendar and phases of the moon, Chinese New Year falls on different dates, in the Gregorian calendar, each year between January 21 and February 20 – and hence is a moveable feast.

According to Chinese Astrology, each year is associated with, and named after, an animal in a twelve cycle: Rat; Ox; Tiger; Rabbit; Dragon; Snake; Horse; Ram; Monkey; Rooster; Dog and Pig.  The cycle began again in 2008 with the year of the Rat, and 2009 is the year of the Ox.  The small gifts and cards which people may give each other at New Year usually reflect the animal that denote the year.

Rat		1900	1912	1924	1936	1948	1960	1972	1984	1996	2008
Ox		1901	1913	1925	1937	1949	1961	1973	1985	1997	2009
Tiger		1902	1914	1926	1938	1950	1962	1974	1986	1998	2010
Rabbit		1903	1915	1927	1939	1951	1963	1975	1987	1999	2011
Dragon		1904	1916	1928	1940	1952	1964	1976	1988	2000	2012
Snake		1905	1917	1929	1941	1953	1965	1977	1989	2001	2013
Horse		1906	1918	1930	1942	1954	1966	1978	1990	2002	2014
Goat		1907	1919	1931	1943	1955	1967	1979	1991	2003	2015
Monkey		1908	1920	1932	1944	1956	1968	1980	1992	2004	2016
Rooster		1909	1921	1933	1945	1957	1969	1981	1993	2005	2017
Dog		1910	1922	1934	1946	1958	1970	1982	1994	2006	2018
Pig		1911	1923	1935	1947	1959	1971	1983	1995	2007	2019

In Kyrgyzstan:

The event is not marked in any special way although many people may give each other cards and small presents and restaurants and discotheques may organize events to mark the occasion.

Tags: Calendar, For_the_Record, Kyrgyzstan, Life_in_Kyrgyzstan, Public_Holidays