Serbian New Year: Another Reason to Celebrate

If you are a party animal and just can't get enough of New Year's Eve celebrations, should prolong your stay in Serbia, which has another New Year's Eve on January 13.

No, Serbs are not addicted to having two "wildest nights of the year" in one month. The second celebration is a consequence of the fact that the Serbian Orthodox Church still sticks to the old, Julian calendar.

The most widely used calendar in the world, the Gregorian calendar, is actually a perfection of the Julian one, with a 0.002 per cent correction in the length of the year.

Serbia, as well as some other Ortho- dox countries, such as Russia, long ago switched to the Gregorian calendar for ordinary matters, but their Orthodox Churches continue to use the Julian one, which is why the second New Year falls between January 13-14.

Apart from the Balkan countries and Russia, this "second" New Year is observed in Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia and Kazakhstan. It also lives on, after a fashion, in Wales (as "Hen Galan"), in Gaelic parts of Scotland and Switzerland as the "alter Silvester", or "Old New Year".

Serbs have given it more of a national touch, labelling it Serbian New Year, which is why squares, cafes and restaurants in the country will be packed with fun-seekers on the night of January 13, while many famous singers will hit stages around the capital, performing well into the night.

One of the biggest events will take place in front of the Church of St Sava in the neighbourhood of Vracar. Here there will be a fantastic firework display once the clock strikes midnight.

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