Why is Russian New Year's later than ours?
The Julian calendar was introduced in 45 BC by Julius Caesar and superseded by the Gregorian calendar in 1582. The 16th century calendar reform was intended to deal with the problem of a moving vernal equinox -- Julius Caesar calculated his calendar based on a 365.25 day year, but it is actually 11 minutes shorter than that (i.e. 365.2425 days), so there was calendar "drift." The new Gregorian calendar was a reform introduced by Pope Gregory XIII.
However, the Russians (among others) did not recognize the authority of the Catholic pope, and resisted the new calendar. Indeed, only in January of 1918, after the October Revolution of 1917, did the Russians "modernize" to the new calendar, skipping 13 days of that year entirely. (This is one of the reasons that the "October Revolution" of 25 October has its anniversary on 7 November, just one anomaly of Soviet rule.)
Ever since officially adopting the Gregorian calendar, Russians have had "Old Style" dates and "New Style" dates. In the 18th century the difference between the two calendars was 11 days; 12 days in the 19th, 13 in the 20th, and 14 in the 21st century. When discussing historical events, one must be clear. For example, the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin was born on May 26, 1799. When Russian emigres wanted to celebrate his birthday after the Revolution (they were living in exile in Europe and hoped to claim "their" poet and keep the Soviets from claiming him), they initially celebrated the so-called Day of Russian Culture on 8 June rather than 6 June, forgetting that the math necessary for 20th century dates differed from math for 18th century dates.
Why is this important? First, of course, it is interesting in and of itself. Thinking about the artificiality of calendars, and how various calendars were adopted by different countries and empires, helps us remember how precious traditions can be. That "conservative" bent in any culture is about fear of change, dedication to the past, and a belief in tradition. Also, though, the Russian Orthodox Church has still not adopted the Gregorian calendar, so religious Russians live according to two different calendars, a secular one and a liturgical one.
Which means that Russian Christmas in the 21st century is celebrated not on December 25, but on January 7. Consequently, Russian New Year's Day is not January 1 but January 14.
Russians today can celebrate the New New Year as well as the Old New Year -- and that is what we will be doing with our New Year's Feast (on Sunday the 13th -- can't do it on Monday!).
When reading Anna Karenina, you need to know a little about the Russian Orthodox religion. You might also want to know that Tolstoy had doubts about religion and was eventually excommunicated by the Orthodox Church in 1901 for his own unorthodox (!) religious teachings. As he was completing the novel, he had a kind of religious conversion. What Tolstoy objected to was the mumbo-jumbo of religion -- the "smells and bells" -- the church as property owner and its relationship to finances and money, and later the church's support of the Russian imperial state and its military efforts. (How could any church condone the murder perpetrated during war, he asked.)
As you read the novel, pay attention to Levin and his doubts about religion. (You've already figured out by now that Levin is in many ways based on Leo [or Lev in Russian] Tolstoy himself). In Part IV Levin and Kitty begin their "mystic intercourse" (Chapter XI) and the "joyous, clear, and almost wordless communication" (Chapter XIII) that will characterize the best parts of their marriage. (The marriage proposal through initial letters of word was the way Tolstoy proposed to his 18-year-old sweetheart, Sophia Behrs. Tolstoy also shared his diary -- including descriptions of his sexual experience -- with his bride-to-be, and she was as upset as Kitty is in the novel.)
Religion can be a problem for married couples. (Remember that Darwin held back with his Origin of Species for many years in part because he knew it would cause a scandal and hurt his wife's feelings -- she was a real believer.) Kitty, though, is not worried about Levin's lack of overt religious belief; she sees that he is a good man and for her that means that he believes in God and is a Christian. But the confession required before the church marriage (Part V) feels hypocritical to Levin; he cannot lie, and yet he senses that there is something artificial and wrong about the conversation he has with the priest.
Notice, too, in part V, his feelings during the church wedding. There are some fun Orthodox rituals here -- such as the holding of the crown over the bride and groom's heads during the ceremony -- but Tolstoy also highlights the hypocrisy of some of the churchgoers whenever he can. Kitty is simplicity and perfection, especially as they settle into their marriage after the miserable honeymoon, and the scene with Levin's dying brother Nikolai (or Nicholas) shows Levin's fear of death and his dependence on Kitty who understands everything instinctively. Levin thinks too much, and this is his primary problem.
Let me know if you have any questions about Orthodoxy; I'll try to answer them.
Happy (new) New Year! Keep reading! You're doing great!
The Julian calendar was introduced in 45 BC by Julius Caesar and superseded by the Gregorian calendar in 1582. The 16th century calendar reform was intended to deal with the problem of a moving vernal equinox -- Julius Caesar calculated his calendar based on a 365.25 day year, but it is actually 11 minutes shorter than that (i.e. 365.2425 days), so there was calendar "drift." The new Gregorian calendar was a reform introduced by Pope Gregory XIII.
However, the Russians (among others) did not recognize the authority of the Catholic pope, and resisted the new calendar. Indeed, only in January of 1918, after the October Revolution of 1917, did the Russians "modernize" to the new calendar, skipping 13 days of that year entirely. (This is one of the reasons that the "October Revolution" of 25 October has its anniversary on 7 November, just one anomaly of Soviet rule.)
Ever since officially adopting the Gregorian calendar, Russians have had "Old Style" dates and "New Style" dates. In the 18th century the difference between the two calendars was 11 days; 12 days in the 19th, 13 in the 20th, and 14 in the 21st century. When discussing historical events, one must be clear. For example, the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin was born on May 26, 1799. When Russian emigres wanted to celebrate his birthday after the Revolution (they were living in exile in Europe and hoped to claim "their" poet and keep the Soviets from claiming him), they initially celebrated the so-called Day of Russian Culture on 8 June rather than 6 June, forgetting that the math necessary for 20th century dates differed from math for 18th century dates.
Why is this important? First, of course, it is interesting in and of itself. Thinking about the artificiality of calendars, and how various calendars were adopted by different countries and empires, helps us remember how precious traditions can be. That "conservative" bent in any culture is about fear of change, dedication to the past, and a belief in tradition. Also, though, the Russian Orthodox Church has still not adopted the Gregorian calendar, so religious Russians live according to two different calendars, a secular one and a liturgical one.
Which means that Russian Christmas in the 21st century is celebrated not on December 25, but on January 7. Consequently, Russian New Year's Day is not January 1 but January 14.
Russians today can celebrate the New New Year as well as the Old New Year -- and that is what we will be doing with our New Year's Feast (on Sunday the 13th -- can't do it on Monday!).
When reading Anna Karenina, you need to know a little about the Russian Orthodox religion. You might also want to know that Tolstoy had doubts about religion and was eventually excommunicated by the Orthodox Church in 1901 for his own unorthodox (!) religious teachings. As he was completing the novel, he had a kind of religious conversion. What Tolstoy objected to was the mumbo-jumbo of religion -- the "smells and bells" -- the church as property owner and its relationship to finances and money, and later the church's support of the Russian imperial state and its military efforts. (How could any church condone the murder perpetrated during war, he asked.)
As you read the novel, pay attention to Levin and his doubts about religion. (You've already figured out by now that Levin is in many ways based on Leo [or Lev in Russian] Tolstoy himself). In Part IV Levin and Kitty begin their "mystic intercourse" (Chapter XI) and the "joyous, clear, and almost wordless communication" (Chapter XIII) that will characterize the best parts of their marriage. (The marriage proposal through initial letters of word was the way Tolstoy proposed to his 18-year-old sweetheart, Sophia Behrs. Tolstoy also shared his diary -- including descriptions of his sexual experience -- with his bride-to-be, and she was as upset as Kitty is in the novel.)
Religion can be a problem for married couples. (Remember that Darwin held back with his Origin of Species for many years in part because he knew it would cause a scandal and hurt his wife's feelings -- she was a real believer.) Kitty, though, is not worried about Levin's lack of overt religious belief; she sees that he is a good man and for her that means that he believes in God and is a Christian. But the confession required before the church marriage (Part V) feels hypocritical to Levin; he cannot lie, and yet he senses that there is something artificial and wrong about the conversation he has with the priest.
Notice, too, in part V, his feelings during the church wedding. There are some fun Orthodox rituals here -- such as the holding of the crown over the bride and groom's heads during the ceremony -- but Tolstoy also highlights the hypocrisy of some of the churchgoers whenever he can. Kitty is simplicity and perfection, especially as they settle into their marriage after the miserable honeymoon, and the scene with Levin's dying brother Nikolai (or Nicholas) shows Levin's fear of death and his dependence on Kitty who understands everything instinctively. Levin thinks too much, and this is his primary problem.
Let me know if you have any questions about Orthodoxy; I'll try to answer them.
Happy (new) New Year! Keep reading! You're doing great!