Tomorrow is the New Year according to the Julian calendar; this holiday is called Old New Year since we already celebrated the civil New Year according to the Gregorian calendar two weeks ago.

The Gregorian calendar, where January 1 falls on the fourteenth day of the first month of the year, was introduced in Russia in 1918 and that’s when the tradition to celebrate the Old New Year has originated.

On the eve of the holiday and following the all-night Vigil, the ruling archpastor Metropolitan Georgiy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas presided at the New Year’s prayer service held in the Trinity Cathedral of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery. At the end of the prayer service, the traditional procession headed by the ruling hierarch walked along the holy Kanavka.

The New Year inspires us with hope to embark upon the most important struggle with ourselves and ingrained passions and to establish a new life, full of repentance and virtues.

Human life is made up of joys and sorrows. That’s what makes it complete, fulfilling, and meaningful. Joy teaches us to be thankful, whereas sorrow makes us think about our sins, repentance, and the understanding that anything happening with us is not without reason or accidental. We should also thank God for everything. This is what we prayed about today: “We thank you for the amazing bounties You previously bestowed upon us in our life, we pray to You, bountiful Lord! Bless the crown of the coming year with Your goodness: protect Your beloved servants. Increase their days in steadfast health, and grant them prosperity in all good works. Grant Thy goodness from on high to all Thy people, as well as health, salvation, and success in all things.”