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Today, September 14, the Orthodox Church celebrates the beginning of indiction – the ecclesiastical New Year.translated

September 13, 2026 · 1 min read

The beginning of the indiction or ecclesiastical New Year (new year) is celebrated on September 14 by the Orthodox Church. In 312, Emperor Constantine the Great, who was a Christian, decreed that the start of the new year should be celebrated not on January 1 but on September 1.

This was primarily due to the system of tax collection and the beginning of the financial year.

In the Christian Church, this tradition was not immediately accepted. It was only in the VI century, during the reign of Emperor Justinian I, that the tradition of celebrating the start of a new year on September 1 entered Church life.

On ancient Rus', however, the New Year was traditionally celebrated on March 1. Firstly, this was connected with the Church tradition about the creation of the world, and secondly, it coincided with the pagan tradition of welcoming the New Year.

Nevertheless, at the Moscow Council in 1492, a decision was made to celebrate the New Year from September 1.

Under Peter I, the dates for celebrating the start of the civil and ecclesiastical New Year were separated, as the Church did not adopt the new date (January 1) established by the tsar. After the 1917 revolution, the Gregorian calendar was introduced.

The main difference between the Gregorian and Julian calendars lies in their...

Source: Журнал ФОМА  ·  Read the full story →
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