New Year is one of the oldest holidays known to mankind. Its history goes back more than 2500 years. The ancient custom of celebrating the New Year was born in Mesopotamia - on the territory of modern Iraq and its authorship belongs to the Sumerians. It was they, according to modern scientists, who began to celebrate the New Year, around 500 BC.
The New Year was also celebrated in Babylon. Back then, the New Year was celebrated at the end of March, after the water in the rivers had risen and agricultural work had begun. For almost two weeks, the inhabitants of ancient Babylon celebrated the victory of the light forces over the dark ones. Even then, this holiday vaguely resembled the modern Brazilian carnival, when a procession begins on the streets of the city, in which almost all residents participate. At this time, it was strictly forbidden to carry out any work, as well as to execute criminals and fight. A clay tablet that has survived to this day tells that the New Year in Babylon marked the beginning of unbridled fun, when all rules and orders were abolished, and the world around was almost literally turned upside down. Slaves no longer obeyed their masters and turned into masters themselves. This plot is even described in the Bible. The fact is that the authors of the holy scripture were just in captivity by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar during a two-week holiday dedicated to the New Year. Further, this tradition was adopted from the Jews by the inhabitants of Europe.
The British New Year began in March and only by decision of Parliament in the mid-18th century its celebration was moved to January 1. Very interesting was the reaction of women who believed that postponing the New Year would have a negative impact on the age of some of them. Thus, some women will become older. The parliamentarians greeted these protest sentiments with a smile and once again joked about women’s logic - naive and merciless.
In Rus', the beginning of the year also occurred in spring, when nature woke up and it was time to harvest. That is why the New Year in Rus' began on March 1st. At a later time, namely in the 14th century, a church council issued a decree according to which the New Year's celebration was postponed for another 6 months, namely to September 1. Three centuries later, Peter I zealously took up the matter, instilling in Rus' the traditions and morals of Western Europeans. With the help of his decree, the reformer king decided to move the New Year celebration to January 1. This tradition lives on in Russia to this day. Tsar Peter also decreed that in order to commemorate the onset of the New Year, we should have fun uncontrollably and send festive, grateful greetings to each other.
It was with Peter I that the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree and organizing large festive gatherings began in Rus'. Moreover, about drunkenness, Peter’s decree said unequivocally: “drunkenness and massacres should not be committed” and, as an option, it was proposed to transfer these fun to other days of the year. But in the 17th century, just as now festive fireworks were loudly fired from cannons, crowds of merrymakers roamed the streets, accompanying the New Year with songs and dances. And so that the holiday became more colorful and noisy every year, Peter I personally ensured that his New Year’s decree was properly observed and celebrated widely and on a grand scale. Moreover, the state treasury did not spare any funds for this. So that it’s no worse than in these Europeans of yours. By the way, people invented decorating the New Year tree to appease the spirits. Now, when decorating the Christmas tree, we only care about the festive atmosphere, and don’t even think about evil spirits. Apparently we removed them a long time ago.
Adults like to repeat that Santa Claus does not exist, although every time they themselves wonder, is this really so? It turns out to be a painfully beautiful and believable legend. They say that Grandfather Frost really existed and his other name was Nikolai the Wonderworker. He got his name for a reason, but thanks to the miracles that this kind wizard performed. IN different countries he is called differently: in Eastern Europe - Nikolai, in Western Europe - Klaus. But regardless of the name, the image of Santa Claus is the image of a good wizard who, once a year, is able to create a miracle for everyone who believes in him. But everyone’s favorite Snow Maiden is a young character in all respects, who appeared in the USSR only in 1935 and congratulated children at New Year’s parties. In the former countries of the USSR, the New Year is impossible without the Snow Maiden, so what Santa Claus copes with alone in the countries of Western Europe, in our country, is transferred to the fragile shoulders of the young Snow Maiden and her grandfather, Grandfather Frost. Unfortunately, it was not possible to establish the missing link between grandfather and granddaughter, in the person of Snegurochka’s parents.
How to tell children about the New Year holiday
An interesting story about the New Year for children, interesting stories and New Year's poems.
New Year is coming
January is coming to visit us.
The lights on the tree are bright,
And under the tree there are gifts!
Having received gifts from St. Nicholas, Sasha and Alyonka began to wait for gifts from Santa Claus. After all, New Year is coming!
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Who was the first to come up with the idea of celebrating the New Year? Nobody knows for sure! After all, this day has been celebrated by all nations since ancient times. True, the New Year comes to every nation at its own time. In addition, there are many different traditions and customs.
For a long time, the ancient Slavs celebrated the New Year on March 1. They gave us the tradition of lighting lights on New Year trees. Lighting the fire promised a good harvest. With the adoption of Christianity, the New Year began to be celebrated on September 1.
More than 300 years ago, in 1700, Tsar Peter I ordered to celebrate the New Year on January 1. At the same time, the tradition of decorating Christmas trees, arranging fireworks and New Year's costume carnivals arose.
Do you want to know more about how New Year is celebrated in other countries? When the clock begins to strike midnight, the British open the back doors of the house. Quietly comes out of them old year. With the final blow, the front doors are opened and the New Year is celebrated.
In Hungary, in the first second of the new year, children's pipes, horns and whistles begin to whistle. In this way, evil spirits are driven away from the house and joy is evoked.
In Germany, as soon as the clock begins to strike midnight, people different ages climb on chairs, tables and armchairs. And with the last blow, they “jump” into the New Year with joyful greetings. Just imagine how noisy their holiday is! .jpg)
In Italy, it is customary to throw away broken dishes, old clothes and even furniture from apartments at the last minute of the new year. Behind them fly firecrackers, confetti, and sparklers. They say: if you throw away the old, you will buy a new, even better one. And all the children are waiting for the sorceress Befana, who flies at night on a broom and enters the house through the chimney. The fairy fills children's shoes, specially hung from the fireplace, with gifts.
Spaniards eat grapes on New Year's Eve. But they don’t just eat, they also count. There should be exactly 12 berries - one for each of the twelve coming months.
In Scandinavia, in the first seconds of the New Year, it is customary to grunt under the table to ward off illness and failure from the family.
In modern China, New Year is a festival of lanterns. Only they celebrate it not on January 1, but change the date every time. On New Year's Eve, many small lanterns are lit on the streets and squares. The Chinese believe that sparks from them drive away evil spirits.
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Japanese children celebrate the New Year in new clothes. They believe that this will bring good luck and health. On New Year's Eve, children put a drawing of their dream under their pillow. The wish must come true.
New Year in India can be celebrated eight times! On one of these days, Gudi Padwa, one must eat the foliage of the neem neem tree. It is very bitter and unpleasant to the taste. But Indians believe that this foliage protects a person from diseases and troubles.
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In Bulgaria, it is traditional to celebrate the New Year at home. Before the start of the holiday, the youngest member of the family stands near the Christmas tree and sings carols to the guests. Grateful relatives give him gifts.
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In our country, the famous grandfather is Father Frost. He is dressed in a long red coat with white fur. Santa Claus has a long white beard and holds a staff in his hands. He comes to visit not only with gifts, but also with his assistant, his granddaughter Snegurochka.
In the USA, Canada, Great Britain and Western European countries, Father Frost is called Santa Claus. He is dressed in a red jacket, decorated with white fur, and red trousers. There is a red cap on the head.
There are two Santa Clauses in Sweden: the hook-nosed grandfather Yultomten and the dwarf Julnissaar. Both leave gifts on the windowsills on New Year's Eve.
In Finland, New Year's grandfather is called Joulupukki. He has a tall cone-shaped hat and a red outfit. He is surrounded by gnomes in pointed hats and capes with white fur.
And the Estonian Santa Claus is called Jiuluvana. He looks like his friend Joulupukki.
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There are also two Santa Clauses in France. One is called Père-Noël, which means Father Christmas. He is kind and brings gifts to the children in a basket. The second one is called Shaland. This bearded man wears a fur hat and a warm traveling raincoat. His basket contains rods for naughty and lazy children.
In Italy, the old fairy Befana comes to the children. She flies into the house through the chimney. The fairy brings gifts to good children, but naughty children receive only ashes.
In Romania, the “snow grandfather” is called Mos Creciun. He is very similar to our Santa Claus. In Uzbekistan his name is Korbobo. He is dressed in a striped robe and a red skullcap. Corbobo rides a donkey loaded with bags of New Year's gifts.
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.
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 gifts from the powers that be - 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.
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.
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 the baptism of 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 spring equinox. Thus, Christianity was intricately intertwined with pagan rituals and actions, creating a special picture of the holidays.
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.
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 in 1818, a Christmas tree was set up in the Moscow palace, 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! Happy long Christmas and New Year holidays and now the arrival of January is associated.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Celebrated noisily new year holidays 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.
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 Lenin’s death, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin first simply forbade putting up Christmas trees, considering them a manifestation of anti-Soviet sentiment, and then completely left them for big country There are only two holidays - 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. Interesting story about the New Year is associated with the greeting dated December 31, 1991. For the first (and so far only) time with greetings and parting words It was not the head of state who spoke, 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.
Then the honorary mission passed to the new president, Boris Yeltsin. And in 1999, he gave the Russians an unexpected “gift”, in live announcing 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 on different days, but it always remained an 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.
New Year's holiday is the most popular on Earth today. It is celebrated everywhere. According to the widespread version, the New Year is, in general, the first holiday in origin that people began to celebrate. After all, they don’t even celebrate a birthday without celebrating the New Year. By the way, thanks to documents found in Mesopotamia, one can understand that the origin of the New Year and the traditions of its celebration began long before the birth of Jesus.
The history of the New Year dates back to the times of Ancient Egypt. Then the holiday was celebrated in September, when the Nile overflows its banks. This meant that the time had come to sow a new crop, and was the most significant day for the Egyptians. By the way, it was then that the practice of donation appeared New Year's gifts and nightly celebrations with dancing.
Julius Caesar made changes to the customs of celebrating the New Year. He introduced new calendar and moved the symbolic date to January 1. The month got its name from Janus, a two-faced god whose two heads look in different directions: into the past and the future. By the way, it was during those times that the New Year’s tradition of decorating their homes for the upcoming holiday arose.
However, it was still a long time before the day when in most European countries significant date will be postponed to January. Then in Rus', as in many European countries, the New Year was celebrated on the first of March, when the earth awakened from winter hibernation. Later they began to celebrate in the fall, when the harvest ended. And only during the reign of Peter the Great was it moved to January. At the same time, such New Year traditions as fireworks and folk games appeared.
However, the origin of the New Year and New Year traditions in our country still owes to Christmas. For a long time in Russia this holiday was the main one of the year. However, the Soviet government categorically forbade celebrating this date and severely punished anyone who showed their affiliation with Christianity. At the same time, she strongly encouraged New Year's celebrations. Christmas trees appeared for children, and adults began to receive their 13th salary. This is how this holiday has taken root with us.
By the way, the history of the New Year was not without incidents. So, for example, when the English government decided to move the New Year celebration to January, this event was met with a riot of women. The female half of England was categorically against adding extra months to their age. But the ladies had to come to terms with it, since the government did not change its decision.
Speaking about the origin of the New Year, one cannot fail to mention the traditional tree - the Christmas tree. It is believed that the New Year's tradition of installing and decorating a tree on New Year's Eve came to us from the celebration of Christmas. The same, in turn, has a separate story.
Saint Boniface decided to convince the pagans that the oak tree, sacred to them, does not have any magical properties. To confirm his words, he cut down a tree. Having fallen, the oak crushed all the bushes and trees that grew around, but did not touch the small Christmas tree. After this incident, the spruce began to be revered as the tree of Christ, and they began to place it in their homes on Christmas Eve.
In Germany there is another legend. It is said that it was Martin Luther (one of the founders of Protestantism) who put a fir tree in his home for Christmas and told his followers to do the same. Until this time, in pagan Germany it was customary to place a branch of a fruit tree in water on New Year's Day. The next morning, flowers were supposed to appear on it, symbolizing eternal life. But most often the branches did not bloom, which was considered a bad sign. To prevent grief, they began to put spruce or pine branches.
About the origin of the New Year and new year tradition Sophia Belova told Belova about putting up a spruce tree in the house.
New Year is one of the most beloved and vibrant holidays, which is celebrated with pleasure in all countries of the world. Due to the fact that different nations Around the world, religions, customs, and traditions are different, and the New Year is celebrated differently everywhere. However, all preparations for the holiday, the holiday itself and memories of it evoke in all people bright feelings and emotions of joy, pleasure, expectation, happiness, love, care for each other, for their loved ones and relatives; and in this all people are very similar. Despite this, the history of New Year celebrations varies from country to country.
In Russia, this holiday was not always celebrated on January 1. The ancient Slavs divided the year into 12 months, and each name corresponded to a specific time of year. January was the time for deforestation; February was accompanied by severe frosts; in March, birch sap was collected; April was the month when fruit trees bloomed; in May the grass was green and adorned the earth; In June, cherries ripened, which was one of the favorite berries in Rus'. In July, linden blossomed, which was subsequently used to make tea; That’s why this month was called “Lipets”. August was the beginning of seasonal work, the harvest was in progress in the fields; September was called “spring” because the heather blossomed during this month; “leaf fall” was the name given to October, and this name speaks for itself. November was accompanied by cold weather, the earth became bare, frozen, and seemed lifeless, and with the arrival of December came cold with frosts.
In 988, Christianity was officially adopted in Rus' by Vladimir the Saint. Along with this event, Rus' also learned about the chronology used by the Romans. For the ancient Slavs, the year began on March 1, since at this time work began in the fields after winter. This chronology followed the church calendar, and according to the civil calendar, the Slavs celebrated the New Year on September 1. However, this often caused confusion, some inconvenience and even intense debate. In order to resolve them, Metropolitan Theognost took measures to establish one New Year date for both the church and the worldly people - September 1.
On this day, New Year celebrations took place primarily in squares in front of churches, where lay people came. In Moscow, these events took place on Ivanovskaya Square in the Kremlin. In the presence of a large crowd of people, the Head of the Russian Church congratulated the Russian Tsar, making the sign of the cross over him. On the morning of the next day, the king came out to the people and congratulated them on the holiday, often this was accompanied by the distribution of alms, and gifts were given to people close to the king.
On the same day, the tsar communicated closely with the people: every ordinary subject could turn to the sovereign with a petition, with hope for the tsar to improve their living conditions. What they then did with such petitions is unknown to history, but for ordinary Russian people such a custom was a great joy. In addition, during the New Year celebrations, various taxes were collected from people, which did not allow them to relax and forced them to believe in the “strong hand of control of the Tsar-Father.”
In 1699, an important event occurred that influenced the further history of New Year celebrations in Russia. The great reformer Peter I forbade celebrating the New Year in September. On December 15 of the same year, he issued a decree on a new calendar - the New Year began to be celebrated on January 1. Since the emperor was a big fan of everything European, the celebration of the New Year became a bright, cheerful annual event in the life of the Russian people, as in Europe. According to Dutch traditions, people were supposed to decorate their houses with pine branches and not remove these decorations until the Nativity of Christ.
On the night from December 31 to January 1, everyone was supposed to relax and have fun. The emperor himself was present at such festivities. He personally fired the first fireworks rocket brought from Europe. However, it wasn't just fireworks that decorated the festive city; noble people had to shoot small cannons and rifles into the air to give grandeur to the celebration. Warm hugs, Russian kisses and congratulations of the Russian people on the holiday were observed on the streets of Moscow until the morning.
These traditions are still alive today. Each of us associates the New Year holiday with a good mood, cheerful festivities and feasting. However, the custom of putting up a Christmas tree, and not decorating the house with its branches, appeared later - only in the 30s. 19th century This custom came from Germany. The Russian people quickly liked him with his beauty and unusualness. The tradition of putting up and decorating a Christmas tree in the house soon moved outside and, as sources say, in 1852 the first public Christmas tree was decorated.
The main character of the holiday - Father Frost (European Santa Claus) - also came to us from the West in the second half of the 19th century. Initially, he was just a fairy-tale character, but so impeccable in his kindness and generosity that he wanted to be animated. And the Russian people “dressed” him in a smart red fur coat, a fluffy hat and down mittens, which corresponded to the Russian winter. And so that it would not be difficult for him, a Russian, to entertain children on New Year’s Eve, he had a granddaughter, Snegurochka, a sweet and cheerful girl, whom everyone immediately fell in love with for her kindness.
Unfortunately, as history shows, the joyful celebration of the New Year in Russia sometimes had dark periods. In 1914, due to the war with Germany, the bright traditions taken from this country had to be forgotten. This was the case with the tradition of putting up New Year trees in houses and on the streets. Further events in Russian history also negatively affected the celebration of the New Year. In fact, it was banned in 1917 after the establishment of the Bolshevik government, which saw echoes of religion in it. The life of children and adults without a holiday has become gloomy and boring. In the 30s 20th century the holiday was revived. Newly decorated Christmas trees, festive performances in kindergartens and schools, children waiting for their favorite gifts and other traditions associated with this holiday inspired new life into the morals and customs of the Russian people.
Thus, for Russia, the history of the New Year celebration originates in European countries, but at the same time, throughout its development, its own additions are made to it, for example, the appearance of the Snow Maiden. From the very beginning of its appearance, this holiday for the Russian people has become deeply loved by the hearts of millions. Every child, every adult annually prepares for this holiday in their own way, expecting something better and more beautiful from the New Year, compared to the previous one.
It should be said that the history of the New Year holiday is different in each country, but today almost everywhere it is celebrated on the night of December 31 to January 1. In Germany, very interesting custom New Year's Eve. A minute before midnight, people stand on chairs, stools, beds and at the last second jump from them - as if on another New Year, and then begin to congratulate each other. In Italy, on New Year's Eve, all unnecessary things that have accumulated over the year are thrown out of the house right through the window. As for the table, in Italy, since ancient times, the main dish of the Italian New Year's table is lentil soup, boiled eggs and grapes.
Grapes, by the way, are a favorite treat for the New Year among the Spaniards. However, it is eaten on a full stomach. In the capital of Spain - Madrid - a minute before midnight, people eat 12 grapes, which symbolizes the life of each month of the new year. In Austria, the main dish of the New Year is pork with horseradish and green peas, which symbolizes happiness, health and prosperity in money. And the Vienna Mint produces souvenir coins, on which a boy sitting astride a pig is minted, since the pig for the Austrians symbolizes good luck and prosperity in business.
In Finland, it is customary to lay out gifts in advance, but not open them until the New Year. And for this purpose they are covered with inverted plates. In Romania, on New Year's Eve they carol and perform the capra dance, i.e. goats. Usually it is danced by young men in a special costume and a goat mask, who are then happily treated to various delicacies in all homes.
Hungarians love to see New Year's table roasted, jellied or chocolate pig, which also symbolizes the prosperity and wealth of the coming year. Punctual and clean Englishmen transfer their qualities to traditions. On New Year's Eve, their house should be tidy and clean, clothes should be ironed, sewn, cleaned, all debts should be paid off, books should be arranged in alphabetical order, dishes should be washed. Before midnight, the owner or mistress of the house opens the front door, which symbolizes the departure of the old year with all the difficulties, problems and troubles and the arrival of the New year - with expectations of happiness, good luck, health and joy. After this, the fact of who comes to visit first is of great importance. They don't really like women, fair-haired and dark-haired people. It is considered a good omen if a red-haired child comes to visit first.
In Greece, before the New Year, all the water is poured out of the house in order to fill the entire container with St. Basil's water the next day. Echoes of mythology play a big role in the Greek New Year celebrations. During the twelve-day period (the time of Christmastide), according to legend, the earth is visited by mythological characters - calicondrases, who can cause a lot of harm to a person. But to prevent this from happening, people try to please them - they leave various treats for them.
Just like the Italians, who get rid of old furniture on New Year's Eve, Sweden gets rid of old dishes. It is broken into small fragments; and it is believed that the more of them, the happier you will be coming year. In China, great importance is attached to the New Year feast. Here, each dish symbolizes something. For example, the Chinese are very fond of seafood, so well-cooked oysters are a sign of a successful business; fish baked with spices - to abundance. Mushrooms on the New Year's table mean a wonderful future, and pork means money. Therefore, every Chinese family, when choosing a menu for the New Year's table, seems to be planning the most important moments in the coming year.
In Muslim countries, the New Year is called Nowruz and is celebrated on March 20-23. An important tradition is the need for all family members to be present at the holiday. If this tradition is not followed, absent relatives will face separation from their home for the entire next year.
The Jewish New Year also has its own characteristics. It is called Rosh Hashanah and falls on one of the autumn days from September 5 to October 5. The main dish for Jews on the New Year's table is fish, and important attribute is a fish head. “Be our head and not our tail” is a Jewish proverb that explains the important role of the presence of a fish’s head on the table.
Thus, the New Year is fun, interesting, bright holiday, which receives a lot of attention in all countries of the world. Each nation has its own characteristics and traditions in celebrating and celebrating the New Year, but they all boil down to one well-known saying: how you celebrate the New Year is how you will spend it!
