January 14, 2002	Monday	Shawwal 29, 1422

MOSCOW, Jan 13: With the fir tree still intact and traditional salads upon the table, Russians will toast the New Year once again on January 14, obedient to the Julian calendar to which the Orthodox Church still adheres.

“In the Soviet Union, Christmas was forgotten, but we always celebrated the ‘Old New Year’,” 61-year-old Yelena Andreyeva reminisced.

“On the morning of January 14, I ran to the tree, knowing that my parents had put gifts under it,” her 25-year-old daughter Veronika added.

The Orthodox Christmas — celebrated on January 7, also in accordance with the Julian calendar — has slowly made its way back into the Russian lives since the fall of the Soviet Union. The Orthodox New Year was always marked, and no Russian would dare throw the fir tree away until January 14 is past.

The Russian Orthodox Church refuses to recognise the Gregorian calendar, which was introduced in Europe in 1582.

To invoke the holiday mood, many television channels repeat their New Year entertainment programmes.

“This is like a second take in the film. If the New Year’s party was not a success, you have a chance to start it over,” Inna, a 34-year-old secretary, explained.

As the clock strikes midnight, Inna will write her wish on a piece of paper, burn it and mix the ashes with her champagne, as an old New Year tradition dictates.—AFP