New shod. New Year holiday: history, traditions, New Year celebration
New Year- this is the most beautiful and most beloved holiday for each of us. How the tradition of its celebration began and how it is celebrated in different countries? We want to talk about all this in our article.
history of the holiday
The history of the New Year goes back to ancient times. This holiday is now celebrated by people according to the modern calendar. This happens at the moment of leaving last day year and the beginning of the first day of the new year. An interesting fact is that the custom of celebrating the New Year was already in the 3rd millennium BC in Ancient Mesopotamia. The date of the first New Year was set by Julius Caesar. It was he who chose the day from which all other days were counted. The event took place in 46 BC. e. This date was the first day of January. By the way, the month of January got its name in honor of the god Janus.
Most people celebrate New Year's Eve on the first of January, because this is the first day of the Gregorian calendar. Taking into account standard time, the first to celebrate are the inhabitants of the little-known islands of Kiribati, located in the Pacific Ocean. And the last to be marked is Midway Island, in the Pacific Ocean. But some countries celebrate the holiday, such as the Chinese, according to the lunar calendar.
Jewish Rosh Hashanah comes 163 days after Passover. It is believed that this day decides human destiny for the entire next year. But the Chinese New Year is associated with the winter new moon. According to the Gregorian calendar, this date falls between January 21 and February 21. Chinese New Year has been the most celebrated since 1911 significant holiday in China and other Eastern countries. Moreover, in translation its name sounds like “Spring Festival”. At this time, houses put flowering peach branches in vases or decorate the premises with tangerine trees hung with fruits.
New Year in Rus' in pagan times
The history of the New Year in Rus' is one of the most controversial issues in science. The origins of the holiday should be sought in ancient times. The answer to the question of when the New Year was celebrated and from what point the time was counted has not yet been found. In ancient times, many peoples associated the beginning of the year with the period of the rebirth of nature. Basically, the beginning of the year was timed to March.
In Rus' for a long time there was a proleta - these are March, April and March. It is believed that, most likely, the New Year was celebrated on March 22, on the day of the spring equinox. It turns out that Maslenitsa and New Year were celebrated on the same day, because with the passing of winter, a new countdown began.
Changes that came after the baptism of Rus'
The situation changed with the arrival of Christianity in Rus'. After this event, a new chronology appeared, which is based on the creation of the world. In turn, the new calendar was called Julian. The names of the months were fixed in it. And the first of March began to be considered a new year.
At the end of the fifteenth century, the Orthodox Church moved the start of the year to the first of September in accordance with the Council of Nicaea. Such changes were associated with the increasing influence of the Christian Church on the life of Rus' at that time. The reform of the calendar was carried out without any consideration of the rhythm of the working life of ordinary people, without connecting it with agricultural plantings and work. NG in September was based on biblical stories. And so it happened that the beginning of the year fell on the first of September. This date began to be celebrated as Simeon's day - the period of the end of summer and the beginning of the new year.
Innovations of Peter I
Peter I carried out the reform in 1699. A decree was issued that the first of January should be considered the beginning of the year. This was done in accordance with the way all Christian peoples who used the Gregorian calendar lived. However, Peter I was unable to completely switch to the Gregorian calendar, since the church used the Julian calendar, as before. And yet in Russia the chronology was changed. If earlier it was traced from the creation of the world, then later it was traced from the Nativity of Christ. In fairness, it is worth noting that for a long time both calendars existed in parallel. The decree of Peter I allowed the use of two dates in documents for convenience.
New holiday concept
The innovations of Peter I were of extraordinary importance. The Tsar completely banned any celebrations of the first of September. He strictly ensured that NG in Russia was no poorer or worse than in European countries. Since then they began to appear new year traditions. Interesting facts about the New Year are recorded even in Peter’s decrees. The Tsar ordered that large streets be decorated with trees and gates of houses with pine and juniper branches. The decree did not talk about the Christmas tree, it talked about trees in general. But the beginning of the appearance of the main symbol of the New Year had already been made. Trees were first decorated with fruits, nuts, candies and even vegetables. But they started decorating the Christmas tree for the New Year much later - in the middle of the last century.
Thanks to innovations, the first of January 1700 began with a bright procession on Red Square in Moscow. And in the evening the sky was painted with colorful lights of festive fireworks. It was since 1700 that New Year's fun received universal recognition. And the celebration of the New Year itself began to have a general folk character, and not a church one. In honor of such a day, cannons were fired, and in the evenings they traditionally admired beautiful fireworks. People danced, sang, congratulated each other and gave gifts. Many Interesting Facts We don’t even know about the New Year, because we don’t even think about the fact that the history of the holiday has such long and deep roots.
Calendar change
After the revolution of 1917, the government raised the question of the need to reform the calendar. Indeed, at that time, most European countries switched to using the Gregorian calendar, which was adopted by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. Russia at that time still used the Julian calendar. This is how the phenomenon of the Old and New Years in Russia appeared - another interesting fact about the New Year.
The very name of the holiday already speaks of its connection with the old calendar style according to which Russia lived before 1918. The country switched to a new style by Lenin's decree. The old style is nothing more than the ancient Julian calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar. The new style is a reformed version of the old calendar. The changes were carried out on the initiative of Pope Gregory XIII. The reform was needed because of the astronomical inaccuracies of the calendar, which accumulated over the years and gave significant deviations from the true movement of the star. Therefore, we can say that the Gregorian reform was scientifically substantiated. In the twentieth century, the difference between styles was thirteen days.
This means that the day, which according to the old calendar was considered the first of January, has in fact already become the fourteenth of January. It turns out that in pre-revolutionary times the night from January 13 to 14 was New Year's Eve. Celebrating the Old New Year, people get involved in history and pay tribute to time.
Orthodox Church
An interesting fact is that Orthodox Church and continues to live according to the Julian calendar. Back in 1923, a meeting of the Orthodox Churches was held, where it was decided that it was necessary to make some corrections in the Julian calendar. Due to certain circumstances, there were no representatives of the Russian Church at this meeting. Having learned about the changes that had been adopted, Patriarch Tikhon issued a decree to switch to a new calendar. However, the decree was soon canceled due to protests from the church people. And at present there is no question of changing the calendar in the Russian Orthodox Church.
How is New Year celebrated in different countries?
To be fair, it is worth saying that the New Year holiday, like no other, is incredibly loved by people. Moreover, each nation has its own special traditions for celebrating New Year. Sometimes there are completely incredible customs or even extravagant ones. How is New Year celebrated in different countries? It is physically impossible to talk about the traditions that exist in different countries. But it’s worth telling about the most interesting ones.
Well, who among us doesn’t like to decorate the Christmas tree for the New Year? Meanwhile, this tradition originated a long time ago in Germany, back in the Middle Ages. And later it spread almost throughout the world. In general, the Germans believe that their Santa Claus always rides a donkey, and therefore children put hay in their shoes to please the animal.
But the ancient Vietnamese sincerely believed that the New Year would come to them on the back of a carp. Therefore, there is still a custom in the country to purchase live carp and release the fish into the river. The main symbol of the New Year in Vietnam is a blossoming peach branch. They decorate their homes with them and also give them to each other.
Many of us love to give cards on holiday eve. But not everyone knows where this tradition came from. It turns out that this custom originated in England. An obligatory ritual for a festive night is celebrating the New Year. They let him into the house through the front doors, but before that they certainly see him off. old year through the rear. In England, on New Year's Eve, lovers kiss under a sprig of mistletoe, but this must be done precisely while the bells are ringing. It is believed that the observance of such a ritual should forever strengthen the future relationship of the couple.
As for Sweden, it was in this country that they first began to decorate the Christmas tree with real glass toys. It is customary here to turn on bright lighting for the holiday. But the French generally celebrate the holiday quite extravagantly. On New Year's Day they bake a pie with a bean hidden in it. Whoever finds it will become the bean king. And everyone else must fulfill his wishes on the festive night.
In the USA, back in 1895, for the first time, an electric garland was decorated The White house. Since then, this tradition has spread to many countries. It’s interesting, but on New Year’s Eve Americans don’t give gifts and don’t gather around the table. They do all this at Christmas.
But the Finns are more like us in this regard. They celebrate not only Christmas, but also the New Year itself. It was from them that the tradition of melting wax and dipping it in water came about, and then, based on the outlines of the figures, making assumptions about what awaits them in the new year.
In Italy, festivities begin only on January 6th. At this time, Italians try to get rid of unnecessary and old things. They throw away furniture and utensils that they no longer need. But children look forward to the holiday with special delight, since on the festive night a fairy fairy comes to every home. She opens doors with her golden key and fills children's stockings with sweets and gifts. Only obedient kids receive rewards. And instead of sweets, bullies and brawlers receive only a pile of ash and coal.
Venetians tend to go to Saint-Marc Square on New Year's Eve. There, couples in love celebrate the holiday and kiss. This unusual tradition appeared not so long ago, but quickly took root among young people.
A very interesting tradition exists in Scotland. There, on New Year's Eve, lit barrels of tar are rolled through the streets. It is believed that this in an original way local residents say goodbye to the old year and invite the new one into the house.
But in Colombia, during the holidays, the Old Year walks the streets on stilts. He makes people laugh and tells funny stories to kids. At night people set off fireworks. And on the eve of the holiday, a parade of dolls parades through the streets. These are the traditions of celebrating the New Year that exist in the world.
New year in Russia
When discussing interesting facts about the New Year, it is worth remembering our holiday traditions. This holiday has been celebrated in Russia for more than 300 years. The main symbol is Father Frost, who congratulates children with his assistant Snegurochka. From the first days of December, festive characters attend all kinds of matinees and events to please the kids. The children lead round dances, recite poems and sing songs, for which they then receive gifts from Grandfather Frost. New Year's Eve for children is the brightest holiday, because at this time magic reigns all around, starting from decorating a wonderful Christmas tree and ending with the long-awaited gifts under it.
Wizard's Residence
Since 1998, our Grandfather Frost has lived in a town called Veliky Ustyug. This is where his famous residence is located. Numerous guests come to the wizard from all over the country, and not only at the end of December. All children know that November 18 is the birthday of Santa Claus. And of course, the wizard celebrates his holiday by organizing magnificent festivities at the residence. No one knows exactly how old he is. However, it is known that more than 2000 years. Santa Claus's birthday is a special date. It was invented by the children themselves, because it is on this day that winter comes into its own in Veliky Ustyug and real frosts set in.
Celebrations are especially magnificent in the wizard’s homeland. Not only adults and children, but also fabulous colleagues from different countries come to congratulate grandfather.
At the wizard’s residence there are many assistants, among whom, as already mentioned, is the Snow Maiden. They are the ones who help Grandfather Frost read all the magical letters from children that come to his fabulous mail. Every child knows that the wizard will not ignore his request and will try to fulfill his cherished desire. Sometimes they meet very touching letters, which bring tears to the eyes of not only Santa Claus, but also his assistants.
IN last years A fairly new tradition for our country has emerged to celebrate St. Nicholas Day. On holiday, all children look under the pillow for sweets, which the wizard leaves at night while the kids are sleeping.
It is worth noting that Russia has its own unshakable New Year traditions that have been honored for many years - a glass of champagne during the chime, a festive tree with garlands and balls, Olivier salad, sparklers, firecrackers and much more. It’s hard to imagine a holiday without all these attributes. The main tradition is to celebrate the holiday well and cheerfully, because there is even a saying: “The way you celebrate New Year’s Eve is how you will spend it.” Therefore, New Year's Eve is a magnificent feast, laughter and fun. Lush festivities with songs and dances are usually held on the streets.
But the celebration doesn't end there. After all, ahead of people awaits Christmas and Old New Year, which has remained a holiday for the people. Of course, it is not celebrated as magnificently and richly as the New Year itself, but traditions are still respected, and therefore on this evening people also gather around the table.
Celebrating the New Year began in the distant past. In ancient times, this event was celebrated in the spring, when field work began.
The history of the creation of the New Year
Scientists believe that the celebration began around 3000 BC, and this happened for the first time in Mesopotamia. In ancient times, people believed that at this time the god Madruk defeated the forces of death and destruction. And so, for several months, people in Mesopotamia rejoiced at the victory of light over darkness. They organized processions, carnivals and masquerades. At this time it was impossible to work, conduct trials and punish.
In different countries and at different times, the New Year was celebrated in March, September, and December. But then the Roman emperor Julius Caesar decided to move the New Year holiday to January 1. In Rome, sacrifices to the god Janus took place on this day. Since the beginning of the new year, a favorable time has come for any major undertakings.
After Christianity was introduced in Rus', the New Year here began either in March or on Easter. Then, by decree of the Moscow Council in 1492, the celebration of the New Year was approved in the fall, on September 1, when it was necessary to collect tribute, duties and various quitrents from people. To add solemnity to this day, the day before the Tsar himself appeared in the Kremlin, and every person, even commoners, could turn to the Tsar for truth and mercy.
New Year's Eve story
The history of the appearance and celebration of the New Year in winter dates back to 1699, when the king issued a decree to celebrate the New Year on January 1, at the same time as Europe. According to this decree, Peter I ordered all residents of Rus' to decorate their houses and streets with coniferous branches. Everyone had to congratulate friends and relatives on the upcoming holiday. Peter I himself went out to Red Square at midnight and launched a rocket for the first time. All over Moscow, guns began to fire, and the sky was painted with never-before-seen fireworks. So the New Year holiday entered the Russian calendar on January 1, 1700. Symbols of the New Year appeared: a Christmas tree decorated with various toys and garlands, good Santa Claus bringing gifts in his bag.
Old New Year - the history of the holiday
In Russian-speaking countries, there is another holiday, incomprehensible to foreigners: the old New Year, which we celebrate from January 13 to 14. This tradition appeared after the October Socialist Revolution. According to Lenin's decree, Russia switched to the Gregorian calendar in 1918. This calendar was already ahead of the Julian calendar by 13 days by that time. However, the Orthodox Church did not accept such a transition, declaring that it would continue to use the Julian calendar. Since then, January 7 has been celebrated. But many Russians at that time were unclear when to celebrate the New Year. In addition, January 1 marks the strictest week of church fasting. It was then that the tradition arose to celebrate the old new year according to the Julian chronology.
History of the New Year in the USSR
In Tsarist Russia, January 1 was a non-working day back in 1897. After the arrival of Soviet power 
The New Year has become a family one, unofficial holiday, and January 1 is a regular working day. In the mid-thirties of the last century, the New Year became one of the official holidays, however, on January 1, people, as before, regularly went to work. And only since 1948, the holiday of January 1 became a day off. The current New Year's traditions appeared in the post-war period.
The assortment of Christmas tree decorations, compared to today's balls, was more diverse: astronauts, figurines of animals and birds, vegetables and fruits. On New Year's table Every home had to have traditional Olivier and mimosa, herring under a fur coat.
The history of the New Year holiday is quite interesting. The modern celebration is rightfully considered one of the most popular among the people. In addition, traditional feasts and mandatory weekends, which provide the opportunity not only to take a walk, but also to relax, contribute to the popularity of the holiday. Long before January 1 approaches, colorful garlands and decorations transform familiar surroundings into a fairy tale, which invariably brings joy to both children and adults. Just what do we know about its origin, what is the history of the New Year in Russia? This article is devoted to this issue.
How it all began
What is the origin story of the holiday? The New Year's roots go back to the times of the Holy Roman Empire. In particular, the Romans timed the beginning of the New Year to March and successfully celebrated it until 45 BC. It was customary to make sacrifices to Janus, as well as give each other various gifts. Moreover, special attention was paid to presentations strong of the world this - to officials and patricians.
With the first month of spring, the countdown of new time began for the Jews, which can be traced in the Old Testament (the laws of Moses). Their holiday was not much different from the Roman one, apparently for the reason that the Jews were conquered by the Romans, were under their rule for a long time and gradually adopted customs.
New Year in Rus'
Rus' has its own interesting history of the holiday. New Year was celebrated here according to folk traditions. The life cycle of the Slavs before the adoption of Christianity was directly related to nature and the change of seasons. It is not surprising that the origin story of the New Year was connected with the spring equinox. When else to start counting down the days, if not with the arrival of spring and the awakening of all living things after winter sleep.
At the end of the 10th century, along with Christianity, Kievan Rus also adopted a new chronology - according to the Julian calendar. From now on, the year began to be divided into 12 months, which received their names according to weather conditions. And for another 4 centuries, the new year began on March 1.
From spring to autumn
The history of the New Year in Russia had another important stage. By the end of the 14th century, the decision was finally ripe to abandon the Constantinople calendar and switch to the Byzantine calendar, created simultaneously with baptism Kievan Rus. In 1492, by decree of Grand Duke John Vasilyevich III, it was ordered to begin celebrating this important day on September 1. Also at this time, the quitrent was collected, and the king received complainants, both nobles and peasants. Ceremonial events were held in the Kremlin, and the ruler was required to venerate icons and the Gospel.
However, it is worth noting that ordinary people were indifferent to the innovation, and the New Year continued to coincide with the spring equinox. Thus, Christianity was intricately intertwined with pagan rituals and actions, creating a special picture of the holidays.
The genius of Peter I
The history of the modern New Year in Russia began with the arrival of Peter I. Without a doubt, the first emperor was an outstanding personality and reformer who significantly transformed the country. Therefore, it is not surprising that European customs influenced the celebration of the New Year. Since in England, France, and Germany the year started on January 1, the new century in Russia began on the same day. Earlier, in 1699, a decree was promulgated to shift the date of the celebration. And already on the night of January 1, 1700, the empire began to live in a new way. By the way, the Russian New Year still did not coincide with the European one. Europe already lived according to the Gregorian calendar.
However, since the emperor ordered from now on to celebrate the New Year in January, then so be it. It was more expensive to disobey the wayward ruler, so they had to celebrate, set off fireworks and put up Christmas trees decorated in the Western style. By the way, it is interesting that the forest beauties were dressed up not as toys, but as sweets, nuts, and apples. After Peter’s death, they stopped putting up Christmas trees altogether, leaving them only in taverns. And the symbol of the holiday continued to be pine and birch branches.
For several years, it was customary to celebrate the New Year in the old capital, Moscow. However, in 1704, the official part of the holiday moved to St. Petersburg, the city of the emperor.
However, the history of the Russian New Year was of little concern to the peasants, who for a long time continued to celebrate the holiday in September, on the day of St. Simeon the Flyer. But there was a ritual dinner with a traditional roasted pig.
"The Forest Raised a Christmas Tree…"
When did the Christmas tree appear at the holiday? Today we can’t even imagine the New Year without her. It appeared relatively recently - some couple of centuries ago. As mentioned above, after the death of the first emperor, the tradition of displaying a fluffy beauty did not take root, and the holiday itself was largely popularized solely through the efforts of monarchs. In particular, Catherine the Great introduced a masquerade ball, which became a kind of guarantee of a successful celebration.
It is not known for certain when they started decorating the Christmas tree for the holiday again. According to one version, this custom was introduced by the Prussian Princess Charlotte, the wife of Emperor Nicholas I, who converted to Orthodoxy under the name of Alexandra Feodorovna. With her light hand, a Christmas tree was erected in the Moscow palace in 1818, and a year later in St. Petersburg.
According to the second version, the Russified Germans were the first to put up a Christmas tree in the 40s of the same century. There were quite a lot of them living in St. Petersburg at that time. Soon, Christmas trees appeared in the homes of famous and wealthy citizens.
At that time, fluffy beauties were placed on Christmas Eve and decorated according to the German model - with the obligatory Star of Bethlehem on top. In addition, apples, nuts, ribbons, candies, and candles acted as decorations. Toys with Christmas symbols and glass balls appeared later. In addition, rich families could decorate the tree with jewelry and drape it with luxurious fabric. Well, what is a holiday without gifts? Children received sweets, teenagers received books and clothes, girls received flowers, albums, and shawls.
In the same 40s, the tree, which represents the New Year, appeared on sale everywhere, becoming available not only to a select circle of those in power, but also to poor officials who also wanted to please their households. Fortunately, the time allotted for the celebration gradually lengthened: from one day to several, or even until Epiphany itself. Walk like that! The arrival of January is still associated with the long Christmas and New Year holidays.
First public Christmas tree
This has now become a tradition to organize various New Year's parties and decorate squares of settlements, private and municipal buildings with live or artificial trees. A century and a half ago, everything was different. The first public Christmas tree appeared only in 1852 in the building of the Ekateringofsky station (St. Petersburg). Later, the Russian New Year was enriched with charitable Christmas trees for the poor, and ladies from rich and noble families took an active part in their organization. By the way, the brothers Alfred and Ludwig Nobel, who had their own interests in the empire, also organized holidays for the children of St. Petersburg workers.
New Year cards
In 1897, the publishing house “Community of St. Eugenia” (St. Petersburg) published the first illustrated cards dedicated to the New Year holidays. Such famous artists as Vasnetsov, Repin, Benois, Bilibin, Makovsky had a hand in their creation. Moreover, Christmas cards differed from New Year's cards in their subject matter. The theme of the first was scenes from the Bible, associated, respectively, with the birth of Jesus. The second ones were exclusively secular, with images of carnivals, clocks, couples in love, dances, etc.
The most popular New Year's song, “A Christmas tree was born in the forest,” also appeared in Tsarist Russia - with the light hand of Raisa Kudasheva. The poem was published in the magazine “Malyutka” in 1903, and the music for it was written by composer Leonid Bekman.
When did Santa Claus appear?
This fairy-tale character, a kind old man with a thick beard and a constant bag of gifts, first came to the New Year in 1910. However, it finally took root only in the Land of the Soviets. This is not surprising, given that the prototype of the good grandfather was not the good spirit of the cold, Studenets (aka Treskun, Frost). The stern old man from the mythology of the Eastern Slavs used a magic staff to punish naughty children. Moreover, it was customary to please this spirit with various gifts or sacrifices, asking not to destroy the harvest.
But the Snow Maiden is an exclusively literary character, who appeared in the play of the same name by Alexander Ostrovsky in 1873. The girl fashioned from snow was the daughter of Spring and Frost.
Father Frost “comes” for the New Year from Veliky Ustyug, where his property is supposedly located. The homeland of the Snow Maiden’s granddaughter is considered to be the village of Shchelkovo in the Kostroma region, where the house-museum of A. Ostrovsky is located.
Turn of the century holiday
The history of the New Year in Russia at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries is notable not for noisy celebrations, but for the skillful moves of enterprising businessmen. Thus, it was in 1900 that the magazine “New Century” came out of print, the French champagne “End of the Century” appeared, as well as a series of perfumes from the Moscow factory named after Ostroumov.
New Year's holidays were celebrated noisily in 1901. Three orchestras played at once in the Moscow Manege, showed the play “World Review” and dioramas depicting the most important events of the 19th century. In addition, holiday prayer services were held in all city churches.
Thus, the history of the New Year holiday in the Russian Empire went through several stages of formation. The final chord came in 1914, when, in the wake of anti-German sentiment caused by the First World War, the Synod forbade the installation of a Christmas tree, calling this idea hostile and alien to the Russian Orthodox people.
New Year and the USSR
Almost until the end of the First World War, the huge empire continued to live according to the Julian calendar, stubbornly ignoring the Gregorian calendar adopted by all of Europe back in 1582. Therefore, the issue of transition became acute after the October Revolution of 1917 and was soon resolved. In 1919, a new countdown began for the country.
In particular, the New Year, the date of which fell on the Nativity Fast according to the old style, finally began to organize the church. Previously, she was extremely dissatisfied with noisy holidays during the required abstinence. And with the transition, an additional holiday was added, which foreigners are so often surprised by - the old New Year. The date of celebration of the latter is the night of January 13-14.
By the way, as for foreigners, they are really very surprised by this “incomprehensible” holiday. He seems mysterious and enigmatic to them, just like the Russian soul. Although in popular resorts everyone is already accustomed to the fact that we celebrate the New Year twice. In Turkey, for example, hotel administrators are trying to “make a business” out of this by throwing parties. Only other visitors to the resorts, in particular Europeans, are surprised.
It is noteworthy that after the February Revolution, the Provisional Government had no time for New Year celebrations, but now the Council of People's Commissars recognized the holiday as counter-revolutionary. True, they immediately came up with a replacement for it in the form of the “Red Blizzard,” which symbolized the beginning of the revolution.
However, it was soon canceled too. After the death of Lenin, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin first simply forbade putting up Christmas trees, considering them a manifestation of anti-Soviet sentiment, and then completely left only two holidays for the big country - May 1 and November 7. By the way, the leader himself never wished the people Happy New Year; this tradition appeared much later.
The tree was rehabilitated in the mid-30s by Postyshev. Already in 1936, a festive tree was installed in the Hall of Columns of the House of Unions, and two years later even a special form was issued, which described how to properly decorate a spruce. In particular, the Star of Bethlehem was replaced with a five-pointed one and always red. And traditional toys were generously diluted with symbols of the new era - figurines of pioneers, hammer and sickle, even members of the Politburo. In 1937 the first New Year cards, all with the same five-pointed red star.
After the end of World War II, in 1947, the first of January finally became a day off, and the population of the vast country became addicted to “Soviet champagne,” which appeared back in 1928. During the reign of Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, the holiday began to be celebrated on a larger scale, and the main Christmas tree of the USSR, the Kremlin, was also lit. In 1962, “Blue Light” was first released.
The tradition of delivering a New Year's address from television was introduced by Leonid Brezhnev in 1976, and then Mikhail Gorbachev successfully adopted it. An interesting story about the New Year is connected with the greeting dated December 31, 1991. For the first (and so far only) time, it was not the head of state who delivered a greeting and parting words, but Mikhail Zadornov, a famous writer and satirist. Moreover, he did not make it in the allotted time, so the chimes had to wait. The satirist still often recalls this event and talks about it at his concerts.
What now
Then the honorary mission passed to the new president, Boris Yeltsin. And in 1999, he gave the Russians an unexpected “gift” by announcing live that he was handing over the reins of power to V. Putin. Since then and to this day, Russians have been congratulated by Vladimir Vladimirovich, who was replaced in the presidential chair only once for 4 years by Medvedev.
As you can see, the history of the origin of the New Year has gone through many stages and changes over the centuries of its existence. Celebration dates and traditions shifted, new symbols and characters appeared, and old ones faded into obscurity. This is the history of the holiday. New Year in our country remains a solemn event. And on December 31st we continue to wait for a small miracle.
Traditions changed, the holiday was celebrated in different days but always remained important event. This is the story of the New Year in Russia. Today, every child hopes that the kind Grandfather Frost will put a gift for him under the Christmas tree. And he runs early in the morning to check, sincerely rejoicing at what he discovered. Well, adults understand that only they themselves can make their loved ones happy by giving something for the holiday. However, deep down in their souls, there is a spark of hope that one day on the eve of the celebration something wonderful, special and long-awaited will happen.
Friends, let's bring joy to our loved ones more often! Let small but soul-pleasant miracles visit our homes not only on New Year’s Eve. Thanks to them, our life will become brighter, warmer and more pleasant. And a smile will more often illuminate our faces, play kindly on our lips and glow with sparkles in our eyes. Do something nice for your loved ones right now, give them some of your time, especially those whom you see infrequently. After all, life is short, another opportunity may not present itself.
The time of the New Year holidays is the time of a beautiful, kind fairy tale that comes to every home at the end of each year with the onset of winter cold. How much do you know about the history of this holiday and the traditions of the New Year? Let’s also remember how we prepared exactly a year ago for the already outgoing Year of the Tiger
The New Year always gives us hope for the best, gives us many gifts and pleasant emotions. During this period, we can easily feel like heroes of a fairy tale. We all remember our childhood, perceiving what is happening around us through the eyes of a child. Everyone so wants to believe in Father Frost and the Snow Maiden, who will certainly come to visit us, and that somewhere far away, in cold lands, there lives a beautiful Snow Queen. Some will disagree with me, but in the soul this happens to everyone. And the New Year is to blame for everything - the time of fulfillment of the most cherished desires. The main thing is to tune in only to the good, the good, and all your wishes will come true
Celebrating the New Year carries the brightest feelings and is associated with hope, love and support. This holiday, like most others, has its roots in ancient times. On this day everyone gathers big cheerful company and celebrate the year so that the charm of New Year's Eve will be remembered for a very long time
The history of the New Year goes back about 25 centuries. The celebration of the New Year among ancient peoples usually coincided with the beginning of the revival of nature, and was mainly confined to the month of March. The resolution to count the New Year from the month of “Aviv” (i.e., ears of grain), which corresponds to our March and April, is found in the Law of Moses. Since March, the Romans also considered a new year, until the transformation of the calendar in 45 BC by Julius Caesar. The Romans made sacrifices to Janus on this day and began major events on it, considering it an auspicious day.
Only in 1700, Russian Tsar Peter I issued a decree to celebrate the New Year according to European custom - January 1. Peter invited all Muscovites to decorate their homes with pine and spruce flowers. Everyone had to congratulate their relatives and friends on the holiday. At 12 o'clock at night, Peter I went out onto Red Square with a torch in his hands and launched the first rocket into the sky. Fireworks began in honor of the New Year holiday. About three hundred years ago, people believed that by decorating the New Year tree, they made evil forces kinder. The evil forces have long been forgotten, but the tree is still a symbol of the New Year holiday.
And now a little about the traditions of celebrating this wonderful winter holiday.
New Year's winter holidays had a lot of rituals: people played games, sang songs and danced in circles. The Magi predicted the future, and the girls told fortunes about their betrothed. But, most importantly, everyone went to visit each other. So, entering the house during the holiday, on the table of our ancestors one could see pies in butter, dumplings, porridge with honey, goose stuffed with milk mushrooms and jelly. And after the meal, guests were always treated to the sweet drink suritsa.
But here are the basic rules that the ancient Slavs adhered to:
- Wear something new so that you can spend the whole year in new clothes;
- Throw away old things to cleanse your home and soul of all rubbish;
- Spend the first day of the new year cheerfully so that the whole year will be joyful;
- Prepare as many treats and delicacies as possible for the holiday table in order to live in abundance all year round;
- Do not borrow money for the New Year, pay off all debts so that you are no longer in debt.
Now the New Year holiday is also full of various beliefs and traditions. In Italy, for example, they get rid of old things, and in Bulgaria, when people gather at the festive table, the lights in all houses are turned off for three minutes. These minutes are called "minutes of New Year's kisses", the secret of which is preserved by darkness. An integral part of the New Year is the New Year tree (in some countries this is an attribute of Christmas celebrations) and Santa Claus - a fairy-tale character who puts gifts under the tree for obedient children on New Year's Eve. Modern New Year traditions also appeared - the use of pyrotechnic products: sparklers, firecrackers, rockets, fireworks, as well as the President's New Year's address to the people on television, New Year's concerts and films.
The tradition of decorating the Christmas tree dates back to pre-Christian times. This ritual has a deep ritual meaning: the festive spruce is a symbol of the World Tree, the so-called Axis of the World, connecting heaven and earth (according to popular belief, the spirits of ancestors live on its branches). Therefore, when decorating the tree with sweets, we present gifts to them. But all this applies only to living things growing in the ground. It was strictly forbidden to cut down the tree; you could only cut off the branches. What stops us from making garlands of dried fruits, baking cookies in the shape of birds, animals, houses and hanging them on a live Christmas tree in the forest, in the country house or in the park near the house? And when the holiday is over, birds and even small animals (if you decorated a Christmas tree in the forest) will enjoy the treats with pleasure. This way the tree can be saved from death and our little brothers can be fed.
What did our ancestors do to decorate their home during the New Year holidays?
They used everything they used in everyday life. In addition, the jewelry they invented carried the function of natural amulets. For this they used embroidered towels, men's and women's clothing, hats and scarves, tablecloths, curtains and bed linen. They painted the facades and gates of houses, doors, stoves, pottery and furniture. They collected brooms, wooden spoons, horseshoes, wreaths, braids of dried flowers, dried fruits, ears of corn, garlic and viburnum. It has long been known that those who were made relatives for each other had the greatest protective power.
Traditionally, the New Year holiday is considered a family holiday. Some people try to spend it in an atmosphere of home comfort and warmth, others, on the contrary, plan a celebration of a more cheerful and fiery nature, among friends, with a lot of energy, dancing and boundless fun. Some extreme sports fans are in a hurry to spend the old year and meet the new one as brightly and dynamically as possible. Nowadays, celebrating the New Year on the top of a mountain or in a cave has become commonplace for thrill-seekers and challengers. History remembers people who celebrated this holiday in scuba gear on the seabed, while flying with a parachute. Everyone wants something unusual and memorable, they strive to surprise themselves and others. This is what makes the holiday of the change of year so wonderful.
We live in a time of birth of new traditions. Contact with the carriers of the old ones has long been lost. Create your own family traditions that strengthen the connection of family members with nature and each other!
It will be true to say that the place where the New Year is celebrated is not as important as the company of people who will surround everyone during the celebration. Although, it is worth noting that the proper combination of venue, company selection and event planning will make every meeting of the Year a bright and colorful event. This is what will bring a little goodness, happiness and joy into the life of every person, and will also charge him with positivity for the coming year.
And now the year 2009 is almost over... The new year, 2010, is inevitably and excitingly approaching. And again, magical dreams and indescribable feelings of anticipation of extraordinary miracles and fabulous events await us. 2010 to eastern calendar- year of the metal Tiger. An old Burmese legend says that one day a Buffalo defeated a Tiger in a fight and laughed at him. Since then, the Tiger cannot stand Bulls (and Cows), therefore, when saying goodbye to 2009, one cannot praise him. But the New Year 2010 should be celebrated with respect and hope - this is what the Tiger likes. The tiger always goes forward, despises conventions, hierarchy and conservatism of the mind. The tiger is a sign of extraordinary action, unexpected situations and exceptional destiny. In any case, the year of the yellow metal Tiger is a year of outstanding personalities and a battle of the strongest human ambitions, a year of achievements and tests of the strength of a lifetime.
As astrologers note, the New Year 2010 should be celebrated under the auspices of hope and dignity. The tiger, similar in nature to the royal lion, loves this: admiration and exaltation, emphasizing its importance. He himself brings strength and action, power and ambition, while despising conservative rules and hierarchies built over decades. If you are an extraordinary person who is not afraid of tests of strength, this is your year. It foretells struggles and ups, grandiose battles and unattainable heights.
How to decorate a house? The decoration of the rooms and tables should contain things made of metal: silver dishes, metal trays, metal-ceramic decorations. It’s better to make toys for the Christmas tree with your own hands and make secret wishes. And, although, of course, the main decoration of the apartment is an elegant Christmas tree, you can complement the festive atmosphere with green branches, making winter bouquets or New Year’s compositions from them. The colors of decorative accessories should be dominated by white, black and yellow – “tiger color”.
Festive table
Let's start with its decoration. This year one of the main attributes New Year's decor candles become. They should be two colors, the preferred range being stripes, gold, purple or pure white. Cover the table with a tablecloth and serve it with your best service, while not forgetting the symbolism of the approaching year. Place one large Tiger figure in the center or place several small ones between the dishes. You can buy napkins with the image of this animal - it will also turn out original.
From the history of the New Year holiday
Our Slavic ancestors counted the years by season. The year began on the first day of spring - March 1, when nature came to life and it was necessary to think about the future harvest. In the 10th century Ancient Rus' adopted Christianity, the Byzantine chronology and the Julian calendar. The year was divided into 12 months and they were given names associated with natural phenomena. March 1 was considered the beginning of the new chronology.
In 1348, a Council was held in Moscow, at which they adopted the position of starting the year in September, and not in March. And since 1700, by decree of Peter I, the New Year in Russia is celebrated, as in other European countries, on January 1 (according to the Julian calendar). But only starting in 1919, the New Year holiday in Russia began to be celebrated in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. From 1930 to 1947, January 1 was a regular working day in the USSR. And since 1947, January 1 has become a holiday and a day off. Since 2005, in Russia from January 1 to January 5, New Year holidays(previously - only the 1st and 2nd) and these days are declared non-working days, and taking into account weekends and Christmas - an official holiday - the weekend lasts 10 days.
If you are asked what is your favorite holiday after your birthday, you will probably answer: New Year. This is a holiday when you are not forced to go to bed early, but are seated at the table with adults. This is a holiday when you eagerly wait for the chimes to end so you can throw yourself under the tree and see what surprise Santa Claus has prepared for you. New Year is a vacation with mom and dad, it's sweets and tangerines, it's winter fun. New Year is the most favorite holiday in our country. Both adults and children love him. New Year is a holiday with fluffy white snow outside the window, the smell of... spruce branches, sparkling multi-colored toys and tinsel, obligatory fireworks, gifts, as well as with an elegant Santa Claus and the beautiful Snow Maiden. We have been waiting for it for a long time, and when the chimes strike at midnight on December 31, we rejoice in the coming year, hoping for better times, and we are sad as we say goodbye to the passing year.
The first day of the year is one of the main holidays for many peoples. In European countries, the new year begins on January 1. In countries where a lunar or lunisolar calendar is adopted, the New Year falls on different dates of the solar year.
Now let's see How this fun holiday is celebrated in other countries.
England. In addition to the Christmas tree, the house is decorated with mistletoe branches. The English name for Father Frost is Santa Claus.
Italy. On New Year's Eve it is customary to get rid of old things, old furniture and other rubbish. New Year is a symbol of renewal.
France. The French Santa Claus - Père Noel - leaves gifts not under the tree, like ours, but in shoes hanging and standing by the fireplace. On New Year's Eve, beans are baked into a pie. And the one who gets it receives the title of “bean king”, and on the festive night everyone obeys his orders.
Sweden. On New Year's Eve, children choose the Queen of Light, Lucia. She is dressed up in White dress and a crown with lit candles. Lucia brings gifts to children and treats to pets.
Bulgaria. When people gather at festive table, the lights in all houses are turned off for three minutes. These minutes are called “minutes of New Year’s kisses,” the secret of which is preserved by darkness.
Cuba. Before the onset of the New Year, residents of the country fill all the jugs, buckets, basins and bowls that are in the house with water. At midnight, water is poured out of the windows. So they wish the outgoing year a path as bright as water. While the clock strikes 12 times, you need to eat 12 grapes, and then goodness, harmony, prosperity and peace will accompany a person all year.
Japan. Here on New Year's Eve the bells are rung 8 times. Each strike of the bell corresponds to one of the vices. According to the Japanese, there are six of them: greed, stupidity, anger, frivolity, indecisiveness and envy, but each vice has 18 different shades. This adds up to 108 bell strikes.
Traditions of celebrating the New Year in Russia
There are quite a lot of traditions for celebrating the New Year in Russia. From the times of Slavic paganism we inherited mummers, buffoons and jesters. The era of Peter the Great and subsequent centuries brought into the traditions of the holiday a New Year tree with toys, fireworks and a New Year's table with Olivier salad, vinaigrette, stuffed goose or duck, Father Frost and the Snow Maiden, the obligatory champagne with tangerines on the table and the chiming clock on the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower.
In your home, most likely, your mother or grandmother will take care of the New Year's table. It will be nice if you take part in preparing the festive table as much as you can. And participating in decorating the New Year tree and room is a great pleasure. When decorating a Christmas tree, first of all, hang an electric garland with light bulbs on it (but not a homemade one - they don’t joke with fire!), then toys: first large, then small. You should not hang decorations of the same shape and color next to each other. Lastly, they put a spire on the top of the tree and scatter a shiny “rain”.
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Christmas tree
It is not known exactly when the first Christmas tree appeared in Rus'. But, most likely, the first Christmas trees appeared in the middle of the 19th century in the houses of St. Petersburg Germans. Living in a foreign land, they did not forget their traditions and habits, rites and rituals.
Following the Germans, in the Russian houses of the St. Petersburg nobility they also began to put up Christmas trees for children. They were decorated with wax candles and lanterns, flowers and ribbons, nuts, apples and sweets. Initially, on New Year’s Day, the tree stood for one day, then these periods were increasingly lengthened: two days, three, until Epiphany or until the end of Christmastide. There was a period in our history when the Christmas tree was even banned. But on December 31, 1935, she re-entered the homes of Russians and to this day is a symbol of “a joyful and happy childhood in our country.”
DIY Christmas tree toys
You will need: a needle and thread, scissors, an awl, glue (it’s better to take PVA - when it dries, it becomes transparent), glitter, colored paper, wrapping, paints and brushes, felt-tip pens, cotton balls, threads, paper clips, multi-colored woolen threads.
The “Falling Snow” garland can be made from cotton wool. To do this, short threads are tied to a long thin thread at small intervals. Cotton balls are threaded onto each short thread. At the bottom, to prevent the balls from slipping, the thread is smeared with glue. This garland can be hung directly on a window or in a doorway.
Wonderful toys are made from eggshells. Using a thick needle or awl, carefully make holes in the washed raw egg on both sides. Blow the contents of the egg into a bowl. We wash the shells with running water and dry them. Now it can be used to make toys. The egg can be painted with paint or felt-tip pens, you can glue various parts cut out of paper to it: legs, ears, tails and hats, turning it into a funny little animal or person: a hare, chicken, fish, matryoshka, gnome, penguin. To make it more convenient to paint eggshells with paints, stick a piece of plasticine on a saucer and carefully place the eggshell on it. To prevent the paint from getting dirty, after finishing work, sprinkle the toy with glitter and spray it with hairspray.
If the Christmas tree is small, you should not overload it with bulky toys. The size of the decorations gradually decreases from the lower branches to the upper ones. You should not hang too many decorations on the tree - it looks tasteless.
In the old days, various edible decorations were hung on the Christmas tree. Why not revive this custom? Try decorating the Christmas tree with edible toys - tangerines, apples, sweets in bright wrappers, walnuts, wrapped in gold foil, chocolate medals and other chocolate figures.
Now let's try to decorate the tree branches and cones with snow. To do this, rub the foam on a grater, grease the branches of spruce, pine and cones on them with transparent glue and sprinkle with grains of foam. We arrange branches in vases throughout the room. This creates the atmosphere of a fabulous winter forest.
New Year- the holiday is special also because, in addition to Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden, in addition to funny Christmas decorations, fragrant tangerines and cherished gifts for children, this holiday means the onset of the long-awaited winter holidays. You just need to think in advance about how to spend these short winter days with maximum pleasure and benefit.
And without what you can’t imagine traditional winter fun - of course, without snow, ice and frost! True, in recent years the weather has become very capricious, but still on New Year’s days you can still find skating rinks, snowdrifts, and ice slides.
Thanks to the active propaganda of television, figure skating has become popular again. Every year there are more and more skating rinks. You just need to learn how to skate and not be afraid of bruises and bumps - the inevitable accompaniments of mastering this sport.
Even just skating is a great pleasure. And it doesn’t matter at all how well you know how to do this, when in the center of the skating rink the Christmas tree sparkles with lights, and the spotlights and lively music create the atmosphere festive mood. But if you get tired of just cutting circle after circle, then you can arrange fun competitions.
Game "Locomotive"
You will need skittles or plastic bottles, filled with water or just snow - so that they are not blown away by the wind. They need to be placed on the ice on the same line at a certain distance from each other. The smaller the distance, the more difficult the task. So, we stand according to height - the smallest one is in front, the next one is bigger... - the last one, of course, is dad. We place our hands on the shoulders of the person in front, and - forward! You need to snake around the pins without knocking them over.
Game "Relay Race"
You need to split into two teams, equal in number of participants and approximately equal in strength. Not only age is taken into account, but also skating ability. The starting line can be marked with skate covers. About 20-30 meters from the starting line, we place two pins (plastic bottles) for each team. On the “start” command, players reach the pin, go around it and return, passing the baton to the next player. The team that completes the task faster wins. The more players there are, the more fun and interesting the relay will be.
Perhaps the most popular winter Games- snowballs, sledding, building a snowman, storming a snow fortress. All this, despite ancient history, is unlikely to bore both your friends and parents.
You can also go with the whole family to the nearest forest park on skis for a “winter fairy tale.” This is best done after heavy snowfall. Here is a “snow leopard” lying on the branches of a pine tree, and here is some kind of “weevil” peeking out of a snowdrift, and here you just need to draw ski pole eyes - and you get a huge “snow toad”. You definitely need to take a camera with you for a walk like this!
Of course, these are not all winter fun and games - you can come up with a hundred more! Just be sure to remember wearing the right clothes. Sweating in the cold can cause you to catch a cold. If this happens, go home quickly. Don't forget about spare mittens. As for the rest, what could be better than an active winter family holiday in the fresh air, filled with wonderful, vivid impressions and a sea of positive emotions?!
Have fun, honest people, winter is coming!
