New Year's Eve in spring and autumn
Since ancient times, our ancestors celebrated the New Year in the spring. And, perhaps, there is enough symbolism in this. After a long, gloomy and cold winter hibernation, nature is reborn. Everything is blooming and renewing, and the villages are starting to prepare for the agricultural season. The harvest was the most valuable resource, so the revival of nature was the main symbol of the new year.
This continued until the 15th century, until the “rules of the game” were changed by the Orthodox Church. On the Ukrainian land subject to the Russian Empire, the Greco-Byzantine rite was introduced, and the New Year itself was postponed to September 1. But the height of the harvest season was also quite suitable for the Ukrainians.
Those same our ancestors who lived in the territories under the rule of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, even then celebrated New Year's Eve on January 1. Catholicism and its own traditions were established in the country.

New Year's Day January 1st or 14th?
For a long time in the Russian Empire, part of the population lived according to the old chronology. In some places, festive confusion was created, because the innovator Peter I suggested that the whole country should start celebrating the New Year on January 1. He taught people to put up Christmas trees, have fun, and gather in noisy companies. And so it was, and so it was for many years.
However, in 1918, when Soviet power came to the territory of Ukraine, the Gregorian calendar was introduced. Holidays caught up with the European tradition, but there was another confusion. The beginning of the year according to the new calendar has shifted by two weeks. But the church refused to change its rules and insisted on celebrating according to the Julian calendar.
And so it has been since those times - on January 1 we celebrate the calendar "official" New Year, and on January 14 we celebrate the religious Old New Year. However, Ukrainians are not upset by such confusion, as they are very fond of holidays and festivities.
New Year in Ukrainian traditions
Everything in Ukrainian culture was tied to symbolism, rituals, and our ancestors greatly revered higher powers. Secular, religious and pagan customs intertwined in the modern celebration. Like the New Year's salad "Shuba", the holiday accumulated its traditions layer by layer.
Initially, in pagan, pre-Byzantine times, Ukrainians believed that on New Year's Eve, higher powers hear all requests. And also that the ancestors come to visit, watch the heirs and bless.
Since the New Year was originally celebrated in the spring, rituals were adopted for the well-being and flourishing of agriculture. The owner of the house communicated with trees and livestock, calling for fertility. And they also guessed - they put up sheaves of various crops in the yard and watched. On which sheaf more frost settles, that crop will have a better harvest.
During the autumn period of New Year celebrations, instead of a Christmas tree, a didukh, a sheaf of wheat, decorated with ribbons, flowers, and berries, was placed in the house. The tree began to be put up later, when the belief that the needles protect the house from evil spirits entered our culture.
A generous evening came on New Year's Eve - a rich table was laid in the house, new tablecloths were covered, and generous treats were prepared. A traditional Ukrainian dish, dumplings, was also used for divination. Cunning hostesses sometimes hid unexpected ingredients in dumplings, which meant different things. Those who found a cherry stone in their dumplings attracted good luck, coins and grains were for wealth, and a large lump of salt was for tears and chagrin.
Young people in groups went from house to house, sang songs, wished happiness, prosperity and, of course, the fertility of the economy. Then the girls traditionally guessed the future, and the guys gathered in cheerful companies and were naughty. The funniest fun was to drag a girl on a marriage license from the yard ... the gate! This had to be done as quietly as possible so that the owner of the house would not notice. The hidden gates were returned to the owner only in exchange for a bottle of moonshine.
Peter I brought secular fun to the Ukrainian New Year. It was he who ordered to put up Christmas trees in the houses, "and for poor people, at least hang branches over the gates or doors." Also, by decree of the emperor, fireworks, sleigh rides, and the exchange of gifts were arranged on New Year's Eve. The New Year on January 1 turned into a real boom of revelry, and all traditions, rituals and symbols migrated to January 14, as they continue to this day.
Now the traditions of the celebration have changed a bit, many choose to rent housing for the New Year in another city, and someone stays at home with their families. If you decide to go to the capital for a holiday, it is better to rent an apartment in Kyiv in advance, as every day there are less and less free options.
It is not so important how you like to celebrate the New Year - according to ancient traditions or in a modern way. The most important feature pervades all ages. On a holiday, it is so important to meet with loved ones, forgive each other for old grievances and hopefully make a wish for the coming year! After all, we love this day precisely for the opportunity to touch the magic!