New Year's holiday
(historical and geographical excursion)

New Year is the most favorite holiday in our country! Weekends, fun, meetings with friends, elegant Christmas trees and the smell of pine needles, the sound of champagne glasses, the flickering of lights...

I wonder how this holiday looked like in antiquity? It turns out that the New Year holiday is the oldest of all existing holidays. The very first of the holidays consciously celebrated by mankind.

During excavations of the ancient Egyptian pyramids, archaeologists found a vessel on which it was written: "The beginning of a new year." AT Ancient Egypt The New Year was celebrated during the flood of the Nile River (around the end of September). The flood of the Nile was very important, because. it was only thanks to him that grain grew in the dry desert. On New Year's Eve, statues of the god Amun, his wife and son were placed in a boat. The boat sailed on the Nile for a month, which was accompanied by singing, dancing and fun. Then the statues were brought back to the temple.


In ancient Babylon, the New Year was celebrated in the spring. During the holiday, the king left the city for several days. While he was away, the people had fun and could do whatever they liked. A few days later, the king and his retinue in festive clothes solemnly returned to the city, and the people returned to work. So every year people start life anew.


The ancient Greeks did not seem to celebrate the new year in any way. In their calendars and in general relations with time, there was a fair amount of inconsistency. The New Year in different policies began in different ways: In Athens, it began at the summer solstice (June 21, new style); in Delos, at the winter solstice (December 21, New Style), and in Boeotia, in October. Even the names of the months in different states were different. Each year in each city had its own name according to the main official of this year - in Athens, according to the first archon, in Sparta, according to the first ephor, etc. The famous treaty of 421 BC. e. Between Athens and Sparta - Nikiev World - was dated as follows: “Under the Spartan ephor Plistol, 4 days before the end of the month of artemisia, and under the Athenian archon Alkey, 6 days before the end of the month of elaphebolion” And go figure out when it was!


And the ancient Romans even before our era began to give new Year gifts and have fun all over new year's eve all the while, wishing each other happiness, good luck, well-being.
For a long time, the Romans celebrated the New Year in early March, until Julius Caesar introduced new calendar(currently called Julian). Thus, the date of the meeting of the New Year was the first day of January. The month of January was named after the Roman god Janus (two-faced). One face of Janus was allegedly turned back to the previous year, the other - forward to the new one. The celebration of the meeting of the new year was called "kalends". During the holiday, people decorated houses and gave each other gifts and coins with the image of two-faced Janus; slaves and their owners ate and rejoiced together. The Romans made gifts to the emperor. At first, this happened voluntarily, but over time, the emperors began to demand gifts for the New Year.
They say that Julius Caesar gave freedom to one of his slaves on New Year's Eve because he wished him to live longer in the new year than in the old.
The Roman emperor Caligula on the first day of the New Year went to the square in front of the palace and accepted gifts from his subjects, writing down who, how much and what gave...


The Celts, the inhabitants of Gaul (the territory of modern France and part of England) celebrated the new year at the end of October. The holiday was called Samhain from "summer" s end "(end of summer). On New Year's Eve, the Celts decorated their homes with mistletoe to exorcise ghosts. They believed that it was on New Year's Eve that the spirits of the dead were alive. The Celts inherited many Roman traditions, including the requirement New Year's gifts from subjects.Usually given jewelry and gold.A few centuries later, thanks to this tradition, Queen Elizabeth I amassed a huge collection of embroidered and jeweled gloves.On New Year's Day, husbands gave money to their wives for pins and other trinkets.This tradition was forgotten by 1800, but the term "pin money" (money for pins) is still used and means money for small expenses.


In the Middle Ages, there was complete confusion in the celebration of the new year. Depending on the countries, the time of the beginning of the year was different: for example, on March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, they celebrated the beginning of the year in Italy, and in Southern Italy and Byzantium, and in Russia, September 1 is considered to be the beginning of the year, and in many countries the year began on holidays Christmas or Easter, and in the Iberian Peninsula, the countdown of the new year was, as it is now - January 1. The Church was categorically against the last date, as it broke the cycle of the Christmas holidays. And only by the 18th century did they come to a single date in Europe (for example, the New Year in medieval England began in March, and only in 1752 was it decided by Parliament to postpone the New Year to January 1) By the same time, modern European traditions of celebrating the New Year began to take shape. years - but I will tell about the traditions in another post

The celebration of the New Year in Russia has the same difficult fate as its history itself. First of all, all the changes in the celebration of the new year were associated with the most important historical events that affected the entire state and each person individually. Undoubtedly folk tradition even after the officially introduced changes in the calendar, it retained ancient customs for a long time.

Celebration of the New Year in pagan Russia.
How was the new year celebrated in the pagan ancient Russia- one of the unresolved and controversial issues in historical science. The beginning of the celebration of the new year should be sought in ancient times. So among the ancient peoples, the new year usually coincided with the beginning of the revival of nature and was mainly timed to coincide with the month of March.
In Russia there was for a long time span, i.e. the first three months, and the summer month began in March. In honor of him, they celebrated avsen, ovsen or tusen, which later passed to the new year. Summer itself in antiquity consisted of the present three spring and three summer months - the last six months concluded winter time. The transition from autumn to winter was blurred like the transition from summer to autumn. Presumably, initially in Russia, the New Year was celebrated on the day of the spring equinox on March 22. Maslenitsa and New Year were celebrated on the same day. Winter is over and it means the new year has arrived. It was the holiday of Spring and new life.


But even in winter, while we are celebrating now, the ancient Slavs had a holiday - Kolyadas are celebrated from December 25 to January 6 (Veles Day). Thus, December 25 is the beginning of the whole 10 days of the holiday. This time of the birth of the new Sun, as well as the "pass" of the year through the shortest and darkest days, has long been noted as a time of witchcraft and rampant evil spirits. Fortune-telling at Christmas time is one of the echoes of the old Slavic holiday Kolyada. On December 25, as the day “on a sparrow's toe” was added, people were going to carol. This was supposed to be done in terrible masks made from natural materials - fur, leather, bast, birch bark. Putting on masks, the disguised people went home to carol. At the same time, the so-called carols were sung, glorifying the owners and promising wealth, a happy marriage, etc. After caroling, they took to the feast-mountain. In the hut, in the red corner, there was always a sheaf (didukh) with a wooden spoon stuck into it or a straw doll depicting Kolyada.
They drank honey, kvass, uzvar (a decoction of dried fruits, compote, in our opinion), ate kutya, bagels and loaves, after a feast with songs and dances they went outside to roll a burning wheel up the hill, personifying the sun, with the words “In roll up the mountain, come back with the spring. The most persistent met the real sun - on a cold winter morning.

Celebration of the new year after the baptism of Russia
Together with Christianity in Russia (988 - the Baptism of Russia), a new chronology appeared - from the creation of the world, and a new European calendar - Julian, with a fixed name of the months. March 1st is considered the start of the new year.
According to one version at the end of the 15th century, and according to another in 1348, the Orthodox Church moved the beginning of the year to September 1, which corresponded to the definitions of the Council of Nicaea. The transfer must be put in connection with the growing importance of the Christian Church in the state life of ancient Russia. The strengthening of Orthodoxy in medieval Russia, the establishment of Christianity as a religious ideology, naturally causes the use of " scripture as a source of reform to be introduced into the existing calendar. The reform of the calendar system was carried out in Russia without taking into account the working life of the people, without establishing a connection with agricultural work. The September New Year was approved by the church, which followed the word of the Holy Scriptures; establishing and substantiating it with a biblical legend.
Thus, the new year began to lead from the first of September. This day became the feast of Simeon the First Stylite, which is still celebrated by our church and known to the common people under the name of Semyon the Summer Guide, because this day summer ended and the new year began. It was our solemn day of celebration, and the subject of parsing urgent conditions, collecting dues, taxes and personal courts.

Innovations of Peter I in the celebration of the new year
The tradition of celebrating the New Year was introduced in Russia by Peter I. The Tsar, wanting to keep pace with the West, forbade celebrating the New Year in the fall, transferring the holiday to January 1 by a special decree. However, Peter the Great retained the traditional Julian calendar for Russia, so that the new year in Russia came a few days later than in European countries. In those days, Christmas in Russia fell on December 25 (according to the Julian calendar), and the New Year was celebrated after Christmas. This meant that January 1 did not fall on the Christmas fast, which at that time was strictly observed by everyone, which means that on the holiday people could not limit themselves in eating and drinking. The first New Year in Russia was noisily celebrated with a parade and fireworks on the night of December 31 to January 1, 1700.

Moscow was then the capital, Petersburg had not yet been built, so all the celebrations took place on Red Square. However, from the new year of 1704, the celebrations were moved to the northern capital. True, the main thing at the New Year's holiday in those days was not a feast, but mass celebrations. Petersburg masquerades were held on the square near the Peter and Paul Fortress, and Peter not only took part in the festivities himself, but also obliged the nobles to do so. Those who did not appear at the festivities under the pretext of illness were examined by physicians. If the reason turned out to be unconvincing, a fine was imposed on the offender: he had to drink a huge cup of vodka in front of everyone.
After the masquerade, the inexorable tsar invited a narrow circle of especially close associates (80-100 people) to his imperial palace. The doors of the dining room were traditionally locked with a key so that no one would try to leave the premises before 3 days later. Such an agreement operated at the insistence of Peter. They frolicked immensely these days: by the third day, most of the guests quietly crawled under the bench, without disturbing the others. Only the strongest survived such a New Year's feast.


Winter New Year in Russia did not take root right away. However, Peter was persistent and ruthlessly punished those who tried to old tradition celebrate the new year on September 1st. He also strictly monitored that by January 1, the houses of nobles and commoners were decorated with spruce, juniper or pine branches. These branches were supposed to be decorated not with toys, as they are now, but with fruits, nuts, vegetables, and even eggs. Moreover, all these products served not only as decoration, but also as symbols: apples - a symbol of fertility, nuts - the incomprehensibility of divine providence, eggs - a symbol of developing life, harmony and complete well-being. Over time, the Russians got used to the new winter holiday. The evening before the new year began to be called "generous." Abundant festive table, according to popular belief, as if ensuring well-being for the whole coming year and was considered a guarantee of family wealth. Therefore, they sought to decorate it with everything that they would like to have in abundance in their household.
Empress Elizabeth I continued the tradition of celebrating the New Year started by her father. New Year's Eve and New Year's celebrations have become an integral part of palace festivities. Elizabeth, a great lover of balls and amusements, arranged luxurious masquerades in the palace, to which she herself liked to appear in men's suit. But unlike the riotous Peter the Great era, in Elizabethan times court celebrations and feasts were given ceremoniality.


Under Catherine II, the New Year was also celebrated on a grand scale, and the tradition of giving New Year's gifts became widespread. On New Year's Eve, a huge number of various offerings were brought to the imperial palace.


At the beginning of the 19th century, champagne became popular in Russia - a drink without which not a single New Year's feast can do today. True, at first, Russians perceived sparkling wines with suspicion: they were called the “drink of the devil” because of the flying cork and the foamy jet from the bottle. According to legend, champagne gained wide popularity after the victory over Napoleon. In 1813, having entered Reims, Russian troops, as winners, devastated the wine cellars of the famous Madame Clicquot house. However, Madame Clicquot did not even try to stop the robbery, wisely deciding that "Russia will cover the losses." The perceptive madam, as if looking into the water: the fame of the quality of her products spread throughout Russia. Three years later, the enterprising widow received more orders from the Russian Empire than in her homeland.

The appearance of the first public Christmas tree in Russia and St. Petersburg dates back to the reign of Emperor Nicholas I. Before that, as already mentioned, the Russians decorated the house only with coniferous branches. However, any tree was suitable for decoration: cherry, apple, birch. In the middle of the 19th century, only Christmas trees began to be decorated. The first dressed-up beauty lit up with lights indoors in 1852. And by the end of the nineteenth century, this beautiful custom has already become familiar not only in Russian cities, but also in villages.



In the 60s of the XIX century, the French chef Lucien Olivier invented the Salad "Olivier". He was the owner of the Hermitage tavern, which at that time was located on Trubnaya Square. By all accounts, it was not a tavern, but the highest-ranking Parisian restaurant. The Olivier salad immediately became the main attraction of the Hermitage cuisine.
Lucien Olivier kept the method of preparing the salad a secret and with his death the secret of the recipe was considered lost. However, the main ingredients were known and in 1904 the salad recipe was reproduced. Here is its composition; 2 hazel grouse, veal tongue, a quarter pound of pressed caviar, half a pound of fresh lettuce, 25 pieces of boiled crayfish, half a can of pickles, half a can of soy kabul, two fresh cucumbers, a quarter of a pound of capers, 5 hard-boiled eggs. For the sauce: Provence mayonnaise should be cooked in French vinegar from 2 eggs and 1 pound of Provence (olive) oil, however, according to connoisseurs, this was not it. But try cooking.


From Christmas in St. Petersburg in the early twentieth century, the season of balls and festive festivities began. Numerous Christmas trees with obligatory gifts were arranged for children, for folk entertainment ice palaces and mountains were built, free performances were given. The most solemn moment of the meeting of the New Year was the exit of the Highest Persons in the Winter.


By tradition, St. Petersburg residents celebrated Christmas and Christmas Eve at home, with their families. But on New Year's Eve, they booked tables in restaurants or entertainment venues. At that time there were a great many restaurants in St. Petersburg - for every taste and budget. There were aristocratic restaurants: "Kyuba" on Bolshaya Morskaya Street, or "Bear" on Bolshaya Konyushennaya. The more democratic "Donon" gathered writers, artists, scientists, graduates of the School of Law at their tables.

The capital's beau monde - people of art and literature - arranged their evenings in the fashionable "Kontana", on the Moika. The program of the evening includes a lyrical divertissement with the participation of the best Russian and foreign artists, a virtuoso Romanian orchestra; flowers were brought to the ladies free of charge. Literary youth preferred artistic cabarets to ordinary restaurants. The most colorful of them was the "Stray Dog" on Mikhailovskaya Square.


But along with such restaurants for the intelligent public, there were establishments of a completely different kind. Winter cafe "Villa Rode", appeared in St. Petersburg in 1908. Dancers and a gypsy choir performed on the stage. Young ladies and ladies from decent families were not recommended to visit this institution.

New Year under Soviet rule. Calendar change.
After the revolution, in 1918, by Lenin's decree, Russia switched to the Gregorian calendar, which by the 20th century had overtaken the Julian calendar by 13 days. February 1, 1918 was immediately declared the 14th. But the Orthodox Church did not accept this transition and announced that it would celebrate Christmas according to the old Julian calendar. Since then, Orthodox Christmas in Russia has been celebrated on January 7 (December 25, old style). In 1929, Christmas was canceled. With it, the Christmas tree, which was called the "priestly" custom, was also canceled. New Year's Eve was cancelled. Former holidays turned into normal working days. The Christmas tree was recognized as a "priestly" custom. “Only the one who is a friend of the priests is ready to celebrate the Christmas tree!” - Wrote children's magazines. But in many families they continued to celebrate the New Year, although they did it with great care - they put the Christmas tree secretly, tightly curtaining the windows. Probably, it was in those years that the New Year in Russia began to be celebrated not with masquerades and dances, but with a feast. After all, they had to celebrate secretly so as not to wake the neighbors. This continued until 1935. However, at the end of 1935, an article by Pavel Petrovich Postyshev appeared in the Pravda newspaper "Let's organize a good Christmas tree for the new year for children!" The society, which has not yet forgotten the beautiful and bright holiday, reacted quite quickly, and the “highest directive” changed. It turned out that the New Year is a wonderful holiday, which, moreover, can once again testify to the achievements of the country of the Soviets. - Christmas trees and Christmas tree decorations appeared on sale. Pioneers and Komsomol members took upon themselves the organization and holding of New Year trees in schools, orphanages and clubs. On December 31, 1935, the Christmas tree re-entered the homes of our compatriots and became a holiday of "joyful and happy childhood in our country" - a wonderful New Year's holiday that continues to delight us today.
Since 1936, Russia's most important children's Christmas tree has been taking place in the Kremlin.
Since 1947, the day of January 1 has again become a "red day of the calendar", that is, non-working.




Dances and masquerades were almost completely excluded from the New Year's program: in cramped apartments, one had to choose: either a table or dances. With the advent of TV sets in Soviet families, the table finally won. The main action in the New Year was the opening of a bottle of "Soviet champagne" to the sound of the Kremlin chimes.




For the New Year, television has always prepared an extensive entertainment program: the annual "Blue Lights" were especially popular. Later, special "New Year's" films began to appear.










In 1991, with the beginning of the Yeltsin era, after an almost 75-year break, Russia began to celebrate Christmas again. January 7 was declared a non-working day: TV showed Christmas services and explained to the Russians how to celebrate the holy holiday.








However, the traditions of celebrating Christmas in Russia were already lost. Several generations of Soviet people, brought up in the spirit of atheism, did not understand either the essence or the form of this holiday. However, the extra day off was accepted with pleasure. Revival of the celebration Orthodox Christmas in Russia, in a sense, threatened the long-standing "Soviet" tradition of celebrating the New Year. On December 31, the last week before Christmas begins: according to Christian canons, this is a time of repentance, abstinence and prayer. And suddenly, in the middle of a strict fast, according to the established "secular" tradition, the most magnificent and most delicious tables are laid. What "traditions of celebrating Christmas" can we talk about? It is not known how this paradox will be resolved in the future, which arose due to the unwillingness of the Russian church to switch to “ new style". While the confrontation between secular and church tradition confidently wins the New Year, which for many years has held the position of the favorite family holiday of Russians.

Original entry and comments on

AT different countries it is celebrated in accordance with local, national traditions, but the main symbols remain almost everywhere - a decorated Christmas tree, garland lights, clock strikes, champagne, gifts and, of course, a cheerful mood and hope for something new and good in the coming year.

People have been celebrating this bright and colorful holiday since ancient times, but few people know the history of its origin.

The most ancient holiday

New Year is the most ancient holiday, and in different countries it was celebrated and continues to be celebrated in different time. The earliest documentary evidence dates back to the third millennium BC, but historians believe that the holiday is even older.

The custom of celebrating the New Year first appeared in ancient Mesopotamia. In Babylon, it was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox, when nature began to awaken from its winter sleep. It was installed in honor of the supreme god Marduk, the patron of the city.

This tradition was connected with the fact that all agricultural work began at the end of March, after the water arrived in the Tigris and Euphrates. This event was celebrated for 12 days with processions, carnivals and masquerades. During the holiday it was forbidden to work and administer courts.

This festive tradition was eventually adopted by the Greeks and Egyptians, then it passed to the Romans and so on.

© REUTERS / Omar Sanadiki

new year in Ancient Greece came on the day of the summer solstice - June 22, it was dedicated to the god of winemaking Dionysus. The Greeks began their reckoning from the famous Olympic Games.

Ancient Egypt celebrated for centuries the flooding of the Nile River (between July and September), which marked the beginning of the new planting season and was vital important event. It was a sacred time for Egypt, because a drought would endanger the very existence of this agricultural state.

During the celebration of the New Year, the Egyptians had a custom to fill special vessels with "holy water" from the overflowing Nile, the water of which at that time was considered miraculous.

Even then it was customary to arrange nightly celebrations with dances and music, to give gifts to each other. The Egyptians believed that the waters of the Nile washed away everything old.

The Jewish New Year - Rosh Hashanah (head of the year) is celebrated 163 days after Pesach (not earlier than September 5 and not later than October 5). On this day, a ten-day period of spiritual self-deepening and repentance begins. It is believed that on Rosh Hashanah the fate of a person is decided for the year ahead.

Solar chronology

The ancient Persian holiday Navruz, which meant the beginning of spring and the sowing period, was celebrated on the vernal equinox March 20 or 21. This Navruz differs from the Muslim New Year, since the Muslim calendar is based on the lunar annual cycle.

The celebration of Navruz is associated with the emergence of the solar chronology calendar, which appeared among the peoples of Central Asia and Iran seven thousand years ago, long before the rise of Islam.

The word "Navruz" is translated from Persian as "new day". This is the first day of the month "Farvadin" according to the Iranian calendar.

A few weeks before this date, wheat or barley seeds were placed in a dish to germinate. By the New Year, the seeds sprouted, which symbolized the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year of life.

Chinese New Year

Chinese or Oriental New Year is a grand affair, lasting in the old days for a whole month. The New Year's date is calculated according to lunar calendar and usually falls between January 17 and February 19. In 2017, the people of China will celebrate the advent of 4715 New Year - Fire Rooster 28 January.

© Sputnik / Alexander Imedashvili

During the festive procession that passes through the streets of China on New Year's Eve, people light many lanterns. This is done in order to light your way into the New Year. Unlike Europeans who celebrate the New Year with a Christmas tree, the Chinese prefer tangerines and oranges.

Julian calendar

For the first time, the calendar, in which the year began on January 1, was introduced by the Roman emperor Julius Caesar in 46 BC. Before that, in ancient Rome, the New Year was also celebrated in early March.

The new calendar, which then began to be used by all countries that were part of the Roman Empire, naturally began to be called the Julian. The account according to the new calendar began on January 1, 45 BC. That day was the first new moon after the winter solstice.

However, throughout the world, the New Year was celebrated for many centuries either at the beginning of spring or at the end of autumn - in accordance with agricultural cycles.

The first month of the year, January, is named after the two-faced Roman god Janus. On this day, the Romans made sacrifices to the two-faced god Janus, after whom the first month of the year was named, which was considered the patron of undertakings, and timed important events to this day, considering it especially auspicious.

In ancient Rome, there was also a tradition of giving New Year's gifts. It is believed that the first gifts were laurel branches, which foreshadowed happiness and good luck in the coming year.

Slavic New Year

Among the Slavs, the pagan New Year was associated with the deity Kolyada and was celebrated on the Day of the winter solstice. The main symbolism was the fire of a fire, depicting and invoking the light of the sun, which, after the longest night of the year, had to rise higher and higher.

In addition, he was associated with fertility. According to the Slavic calendar, the year 7525 is now coming - the year of the Crouching Fox.

But in 1699, Tsar Peter I, by his decree, moved the beginning of the year to January 1 and ordered that this holiday be celebrated with a Christmas tree and fireworks.

Traditions

New Year is a truly international holiday, but different countries celebrate it in their own way. The Italians throw old irons and chairs out of the windows with all the southern passion, the inhabitants of Panama try to make as much noise as possible, for which they turn on the sirens of their cars, whistle and shout.

In Ecuador, special importance is attached to underwear, which brings love and money, in Bulgaria they turn off the lights, because the first minutes of the New Year are the time for New Year's kisses.

© REUTERS / Ints Kalnins

In Japan, instead of 12, 108 bells sound, and a rake is considered the best New Year's accessory - to rake in happiness.

Very interesting new year tradition exists in Myanmar. On this day, everyone you meet pours cold water on the other. This is due to the fact that the New Year in Myanmar falls on the hottest time of the year. In the local language this day is called "water festival".

In Brazil, it is customary to ward off evil spirits on New Year's Eve. To do this, everyone puts on white clothes. Some jump into the ocean waves on the beach and throw flowers into the sea.

© AFP / Michal Cizek

In Denmark, to wish love and prosperity to yourself or your friends, it is customary to break dishes under their windows.

At midnight, Chileans eat a spoonful of lentils and put money in their shoes. It is believed that this will bring prosperity and wealth throughout the year. The more daring can spend New Year's Eve at the cemetery with deceased loved ones.

In the tradition of the countries of the post-Soviet space, there was the following tradition - write down your desire on a piece of paper, burn it and pour the ashes into a glass of champagne, mix and drink. All this procedure had to be done in the time interval until the clock strikes twelve.

© AFP / VINCENZO PINTO

In Spain, there is a tradition - to quickly eat 12 grapes at midnight, and each grape will be eaten with each new strike of the clock. Each of the grapes should bring good luck in each month of the coming year. Residents of the country gather in the squares of Barcelona and Madrid in order to have time to eat grapes. The tradition of eating grapes has been around for over a hundred years.

In Scotland, before the onset of the New Year, members of the whole family sit near a lit fireplace, and with the first strike of the clock, the head of the family must open front door, and silently. Such a ritual is designed to spend the old year and let the New Year into your home. The Scots believe that whether luck or bad luck enters the house depends on who is the first to cross their threshold in the new year.

© AFP / Niklas HALLE"N

On New Year's Eve, the inhabitants of Greece, like the inhabitants of many other countries, go to visit each other with gifts. However, there is a peculiarity - in addition to gifts, they carry a stone to the owners, and the more the better. In Greece, they believe that the heavier the stone, the heavier will be the purse of the recipients in the coming year.

According to another Greek tradition, the eldest member of the family must break a pomegranate fruit in the courtyard of his house. If pomegranate seeds scattered around the yard, then his family will have a happy life in the coming year.

There is a very unusual New Year tradition in Panama. Here it is customary to burn effigies of politicians, athletes and other famous people. However, the inhabitants of Panama do not wish evil to anyone, just all these stuffed animals symbolize all the troubles of the outgoing year.

© Sputnik / Levan Avlabreli

Moreover, every family should burn the scarecrow. Apparently another Panamanian tradition is connected with this. At midnight, on the streets of Panamanian cities, the bells of all fire towers begin to ring. In addition, car horns are honking, everyone is screaming. Such noise is meant to threaten the coming year.

The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.

Three lecterns were installed on the platform - two for the Gospels and one for the icon of Simeon, the Stylite, the Pilot. Before the lecterns they put big candles, a table with a silver bowl for the consecration of water. Opposite the lecterns, two places were placed: on the left for the patriarch, on the right for the king.

The tsar kissed the gospel and icons, and the patriarch blessed him. The patriarch in a special speech asked the king about his health. The king ended his response speech with the words "... God gave, he is alive."

Transformations of Peter I

Since 1700, by decree of Peter I, the New Year in Russia is celebrated, as in other European countries, on January 1, and still according to the Julian calendar.

On the 20th day of December 7208, the Great Sovereign Tsar and Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich, of all Great and Small and White Russia, indicated to say:

It became known to him by the great sovereign, not only in many European Christian countries, but also among the Slovene peoples, who agree with our Eastern Orthodox Church in everything, such as: Volokhi, Moldavians, Serbs, Dolmats, Bulgarians, and Cherkasy subjects most of his great sovereign and all the Greeks, from whom our Orthodox faith was received, all those peoples, according to their years, are counted from the Nativity of Christ on the eighth day later, that is, from January 1, and not from the creation of the world, for many strife and counting in those years, and now the year 1699 comes from the Nativity of Christ, and next January, from the 1st day, a new year 1700 comes, and also a new century; and for that good and useful deed he indicated that henceforth the years should be counted in orders, and in all deeds and fortresses to write from this January from the 1st day of the Nativity of Christ, 1700.

And as a sign of that good undertaking and the new centenary century, in the reigning city of Moscow, after due thanksgiving to God and prayer singing in the church, and who will happen in his house, along large and passing noble streets, noble people, and at the houses of deliberate spiritual and worldly rank, in front of the gate, make some decorations from trees and branches of pine, spruce and juniper, against samples that are made at Gostiny Dvor and at the lower pharmacy, or to whom it is more convenient and decent, depending on the place and gate, it is possible to make, but meager people someone, at least according to a tree or a branch on the gate, or put it over his mansion, and so that now the future genvar will ripen by the 1st of this year, and that decoration of the genvar will stand until the 7th day of that well, 1700.

Yes, January 1 on the 1st day, as a sign of fun; congratulating each other on the New Year and the centenary, do this: when fiery fun is lit on the Great Red Square and there will be shooting, then in the noble courts, boyars, and okolnichi, and duma and neighbors, and noble people, cloaked, military and merchant rank famous to people, each in his own yard, from small cannons, if anyone has, and from several muskets, or other small guns, shoot three times and fire several rockets, as many as they happen, and along the large streets, where there is space, Genvara with 1 to 7, at night, light fires from firewood, or brushwood, or straw, and where there are small yards, five or six yards gathered, put such a fire, or, whoever wants, put one, two, or three on the columns tar and thin barrels, and filling with straw or brushwood, ignite, in front of the mayor’s town hall, shooting and such fires and decoration, according to their consideration.

However, by 1700, most European countries had already switched to the Gregorian calendar, so Russia celebrated the onset of 1700 10 days later than in European countries, the onset of 1701-1800 - 11 days later, 1801-1900 - 12 days later, and 1901-1918 - 13 days later. On February 14, 1918, the Gregorian calendar was introduced in Soviet Russia, and the celebration of the coming of 1919 took place in a new style.

New style

In pre-revolutionary times, the bourgeoisie and bourgeois officials always arranged a Christmas tree for their children on New Year's Eve. The children of the workers enviously looked through the window at the Christmas tree sparkling with multi-colored lights and the children of the rich having fun around it.

Why do our schools, orphanages, nurseries, children's clubs, palaces of pioneers deprive the children of the working people of the Soviet country of this wonderful pleasure? Some, none other than "left" benders, slandered this children's entertainment as a bourgeois idea.

This wrong condemnation of the Christmas tree, which is a wonderful entertainment for children, should be put to an end. Komsomol members, pioneer workers should arrange collective New Year's parties for children on New Year's Eve. In schools, orphanages, in the palaces of pioneers, in children's clubs, in children's cinemas and theaters - there should be a children's tree everywhere! There should not be a single collective farm where the board, together with the Komsomol members, would not arrange a Christmas tree for their children on the eve of the New Year. City councils, chairmen of district executive committees, village councils, public education bodies should help arrange a Soviet Christmas tree for the children of our great socialist motherland.

Organizing a children's Christmas tree, our children will only be grateful.

I am sure that the Komsomol members will take the most active part in this matter and eradicate the absurd opinion that the children's tree is a bourgeois prejudice.

So, let's organize a fun New Year's Eve for children, arrange a good Soviet Christmas tree in all cities and collective farms!

Until 1947, January 1 in the USSR continued to be a working day. December 23, 1947, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, January 1 became a holiday and a day off. According to the law of September 25, 1992 in Russia, January 2 became a day off. Since 2005, New Year holidays have been established in Russia from January 5 to January 5 (previously - only 1 and 2), and these days are declared non-working, and taking into account the days off and Christmas - the official holiday, the weekend lasts 10 days. Since 2013, the New Year holidays in Russia have been reduced to 8 days (from January 1 to January 8).

New Year traditions

In Soviet times, their own attributes of the New Year also appeared: tangerines, salad Olivier, the chiming clock, during which it is necessary to make a wish, the solemn address of the state leader to the citizens of the country. In the Russian Empire, balls were held on New Year's Eve, in Soviet times they were replaced, as in a number of other countries, by New Year's lights and feasts that accompany traditional songs, such as “ In the forest, a Christmas tree was born" and "Five minutes".

In 1954, the main Christmas tree of the country, the Kremlin, was lit for the first time. Subsequently, repatriates from the USSR turned the celebration of the New Year into an "ethnic holiday" of Russian Jews with New Year's gifts, Christmas trees, Santa Claus, "midnight champagne".

New Year in the films of the USSR.

The Soviet tradition of celebrating the New Year is one of the main plots in the following films:

New trends.

Since the late 1970s, a fashionable trend has appeared in the Soviet Union and other European countries to associate the arrival of the New Year with one of the animals of the Chinese horoscope (rat, bull, pig, and others), even though the Chinese New Year comes later.

Since the late 1980s, foreign (primarily American) symbols of the new year have become increasingly popular: reindeer in a Santa Claus team, combinations of red and green in decorative elements, postcards with images of wreaths, which are usually not accepted in Russia.

Since 1992, only January 1 and 2 have been non-working days in Russia. Since the mid-2000s, New Year holidays have been established from January 1 to January 5; later, thanks to the postponement of holidays and Christmas on January 7, the duration reached 10 days. From 2013 to New Year holidays January 6 and 8 were added, and Christmas lost the status of a public holiday, officially considered only as one of the days of the New Year holidays, which, however, does not interfere with its celebration.

Since the end of the 1980s, household fireworks began to go on sale and it gradually became a tradition to light them immediately after midnight, both organized and impromptu, simply by residents locality, district, quarter, house or a separate company of those celebrating. [ ]

New Year's signs

Happy New Year in Russia is traditionally associated a large number of folk signs(some of them passed to him from Christmas, which was not celebrated for a long time). On New Year's Eve it is customary to dress in new and best clothes, because if you enter the new year with a new thing, then you will walk in new clothes for a whole year. It is also believed that you cannot give money on New Year's Eve, otherwise you will have to give it all year. Therefore, before the New Year, they paid off all debts in advance, forgave all insults, and those who were in a quarrel were obliged to make peace. Until now, they also believe that it is impossible to borrow on New Year's Eve, otherwise you will have to sit in debt all year. It is also impossible to sleep on New Year's Eve, otherwise the whole year will pass sluggishly and uninterestingly (the exception is children under the age of 7 years). The New Year's table should be bursting with dishes and wines so that the whole year can be lived richly and cheerfully. Before the New Year, it is also recommended to throw out all broken dishes from the house, wash windows and mirrors. Those who believe in signs associated with the belonging of the coming year to one or another animal according to the Chinese (Buddhist) calendar, try to enrich the festive table with dishes that are considered pleasing to this animal (for example, cheese for the year of the Mouse, bananas for the year of the Monkey) and abstain from objectionable (beef for the year of the Ox).

New Year in the circle of other Russian holidays

New Year in the USSR became the main public holiday, along with May Day and October Revolution Day. This was partly facilitated by the secular nature of the holiday, as well as the fact that he had little connection with the communist ideology, despite the efforts of the party. In modern Russia, as well as in a number of post-Soviet states, it remains the main holiday.

Christmas tree

In addition to Russia, the tradition of setting up Christmas trees exists in other countries where it is not customary to set them up for Christmas: for example, in Turkey and Vietnam.

New Year's table

Main article: New Year's table

When meeting the New Year, close people gather at the New Year's table, usually on the evening of December 31 of the outgoing year. In the full version of the celebration of the New Year, the audience first “sees off” the old year - they remember what it was remembered for or what was the main thing for each of the participants; wish each other that all the best from the old year passed into the new.

immutable attributes New Year's table in Russia, by tradition, there are champagne, Salad "Olivier" and "herring under a fur coat", tangerines.

After the speech of the head of state at 0000 hours on January 1, the chimes strike. With the beginning of the chime, which marks the arrival of the new year, it is customary to clink glasses of champagne (and make a wish).

Father Frost

Santa Claus is a fairy-tale character, a symbol of the New Year in Russia.

Santa Claus first appeared at Christmas in 1910, but did not become widespread. In Soviet times, a new image was spread: he came to the kids on New Year's Eve and left gifts under the tree for children who had behaved well during the year. He did not work alone, he was helped by his granddaughter Snegurochka.

New Year films

In the USSR, before each New Year, a set of "New Year's films" was shown on TV [ ] , for example:

• Caucasian captive, or New adventures Shurik
• Fairy tale "Morozko"
• Fairy tale "Three nuts for Cinderella"

Today, the tradition continues with success, but modern New Year's films are added to the list.

• The man in my head

Christmas cartoons

The cartoons “When the Christmas Trees Light up”, “Santa Frost and the Gray Wolf”, “New Year's Journey” and “Snowman Postman” are included in the children's collection “Christmas Tree Holiday”, which was released in 1991. Today, the tradition of showing cartoons continues, but modern cartoons are added to the list.

New Year's songs

• "Dialogue at the New Year tree" - Spanish. Sergey Nikitin, Valentina Tolkunova and Leonid Serebrennikov
• "Happy New Year" - Spanish. ABBA , Marina Kapuro
• "The last hour of December" - Spanish. beat quartet "Secret"
• "New Year's toys" (A. Khoralov) - Spanish. duet Arkady Khoralov and Aurika Rotaru
• "Song about the snowflake" (from the movie "Magicians" E. Krylatov - L. Derbenev) - Spanish. Olga Rozhdestvenskaya and VIA Good well done
• "New Year" (Yu. Loza) - Spanish. Yuri Loza
• “Five minutes” (from the movie “Carnival Night”) - Spanish. Lyudmila Gurchenko
• "New Year's Dreams" - Spanish. Irina Allegrova and Mikhail Shufutinsky
• "From the first to the thirteenth" - Spanish. Alexander Abdulov
• “Laughter rings with silver” (from the musical “For two hares”) - Spanish. Alla Pugacheva
• "New Year" (I. Sarukhanov) - Spanish. Lolita Milyavskaya , Vladimir Presnyakov , Marina Khlebnikova , Igor Saruhanov , Valery Syutkin , Alena Sviridova , groups Old Friend , Lyceum , Lyube and Inveterate scammers
• “Happy New Year” (Fluffy snow flies from heaven, glasses foam with champagne) - Spanish. Na-na group
• "Under the New Year" - Spanish. Tatiana Bulanova
• "New Year's" (A. Makarevich - K. Khlebnikov) - Spanish. Lyceum group
• “New Year” (“New Year is rushing towards us ...”) - Spanish. Diskoteka Avaria
• "Happy New Year, baby" - Spanish. Mumiy Troll group
• “How the New Year will come to a fairy tale” (“Last Christmas”) - Spanish. Arrows
• "New Year's" ("Slowly the ball spins") - Spanish. Visitors from the future
• "White Winter" - Spanish. Sofia Rotaru
• "This is the New Year" ("New Year") - Group Reflex
• "Smell of the New Year" - Group Reflex
• "New Year" ( Are you tired of worries...) -

13. 12.2015

Catherine's blog
Bogdanova

Good afternoon, readers and guests of the Family and Childhood website. New Year's Eve is a magical holiday that both adults and children are waiting for. He breathes magic, beckons with brilliance and bright lights to the fabulous world of unusual creatures. This holiday, like all others, has its own history, traditions and features.

The history of the New Year's holiday

The history of the new year has many centuries. It was celebrated even three thousand years before the birth of Christ. Julius Caesar, the well-known ruler of ancient Rome, set the beginning of the year on January 1 in 46 BC. This day belonged to the god Janus, and the first month of the year was named after him.
In Russia, January 1 began to be considered the first day of the year only under Tsar Peter I, who signed a corresponding decree in 1700. Thus, the emperor moved the celebration to the same day on which it was customary to celebrate the New Year in Europe. Prior to this, New Year's festivities were held in Russia on September 1. And until the XV century, it was believed that the year originates on March 1.

If we talk about history closer to our days, then January 1 first became a public holiday in 1897. In the period from 1930 to 1947 it was a normal working day in the USSR. And only in December 1947 it was again made a holiday and a day off, and since 1992 one more day has been added to it - January 2. And quite recently, in 2005, there was such a thing as the New Year holidays, which last for 10 days, including weekends.

The traditions of the new year are many and varied. Each of them carries a certain meaning and has its own history. So, Christmas tree- an essential attribute of the holiday. Decorated in Russia for the first time spruce branches at home by decree of Peter I, who imitated Europe in everything.

And the custom to put and decorate a green beauty for Christmas appeared already at the end of the 19th century. It was taken from the Germans. At the beginning of the twentieth century, it was forbidden to put up a Christmas tree, but in 1936 this ban was canceled, and green beauty again began to bring joy to children and adults.

Separately, it is worth talking about. In ancient times, a green tree was decorated unpretentiously. Usually they hung vegetables or fruits, as a rule, apples, nuts and various products of labor. At the same time, each individual decoration carried a certain meaning. And only in the 17th century did the first toys appear, which served as a prototype for modern Christmas tree decorations. It was then that the first glass balls appeared in Germany.

This happened in the town of Thuringia in 1848. And in 1867 in Lausch, Germany, the first factory for the production of Christmas tree decorations was built. It is worth noting that the Germans for a long time rightfully held the primacy in this matter.

And the tradition of decorating the top of the Christmas tree with a figure of Christ originated in Scandinavia. Later, it was replaced with a golden angel. And closer to our time, they began to decorate with a spire. In the USSR, a red star burned at the top of the Christmas tree in every house.

Over time, not only the appearance of the toys changed, but also the styles in which the Christmas tree was decorated. So, bright sequins and tinsel at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century (as in our days) were replaced by the fashion for a Christmas tree in restrained silvery tones. Later, figurines made of paper and cardboard gained popularity. But fashion is cyclical, and bright shiny jewelry soon regained its place in homes.

It is interesting to note that the history of our state is directly reflected in Christmas decorations. In the USSR, there were many figurines of vegetables and fruits during Khrushchev's time. During the Second World War, figurines of paratroopers were hung on branches.

Under Stalin, Christmas tree hockey players and figurines of circus characters were produced. In addition, toys with state symbols were widely distributed, for example, the already mentioned star on top.

Nowadays, it is fashionable to make toys with your own hands. For this, a variety of technologies and materials are used. They are knitted, glued, cut and combined these different techniques. Almost every home today has a toy or garland made by the hands of children and their parents.

Another tradition is Christmas gifts. Without them, a holiday is not a holiday. Boxes of different sizes, wrapped in multi-colored paper, are placed under the Christmas tree on New Year's Eve. And in the morning, these gifts discovered by children will be a source of joy and Have a good mood. The obligatory guests of the New Year's holiday are Santa Claus and his granddaughter Snegurochka. It is they who, according to legend, bring gifts to children in a bag.

Image fabulous grandfather Frost collective. It was created on the basis of St. Nicholas and the Slavic folklore character Moroz, who personifies winter frosts.

If there are prototypes of Santa Claus in many national cultures, then the Snow Maiden is a purely Russian heritage. She appeared relatively recently. Most likely, it was first mentioned in fairy tales in the 18th century. And in 1873, A.N. Ostrovsky composed the play "The Snow Maiden", where she is depicted as the fair-haired daughter of Father Frost and Spring-Red, dressed in a blue and white hat, fur coat and mittens.

And in 1936, the image of the Snow Maiden received its completed form, when, after the official permission of the holiday, in manuals for organizing New Year's matinees she began to perform on a par with Santa Claus.

Features of the celebration

As you know, New Year is a family holiday. On this night, the whole family gathers at the table, various delicacies and treats are prepared. There is such a sign "As you meet the New Year, so you will spend it." Therefore, the table, as a rule, is bursting with a variety of dishes, so that in the coming 365 days such an abundance would be on the table every day. This can also explain the desire to dress in new beautiful outfits.

In the past few years, the celebration of the new year has increasingly been transferred from cozy houses and apartments to cafes and restaurants. In order to have a fun night, hosts are invited to organize contests and offer other interesting entertainment. Also gaining popularity New Year tours, which make it possible to celebrate this holiday in other cities and even countries.

According to custom, at 11 p.m. on December 31, they see off the outgoing year. The celebration of the new coming year begins at midnight with the chimes and the clink of filled glasses. Many people believe that if you manage to write your cherished desire on a piece of paper, burn it and sip champagne, then it will surely come true.

New Year's mood is also given by television programs and programs dedicated to this holiday. As December 31 approaches, the air is flooded with good old films about the New Year, musical television programs, and fairy tales. Every inhabitant of our country at least once saw the "Irony of Fate", without showing which not a single New Year passes.

"Blue Light" and other musical programs are shown on each channel. The President's speech and his congratulations have the opportunity to watch the whole country. This tradition dates back to 1970, when Leonid Brezhnev spoke to the citizens of the country for the first time.

Nowadays, it is impossible to imagine New Year's Eve without festive fireworks. Run it both centrally and privately. Starting from midnight until 1 a.m., multi-colored stars and artificial lights scatter non-stop in the sky.

This action looks especially grandiose in big cities, where they arrange impressive pyrotechnic shows. In addition to fireworks, sparklers are lit in every house and crackers explode. You can read about how to choose the right one.

The use of fireworks, firecrackers, firecrackers and other pyrotechnics during the New Year holidays originates in China. It was believed that evil spirits that night, expelled from their former habitats, are looking for a new home.

Having found it, they will cause various troubles and troubles to its owners all year round. BUT loud noise and bright lights from gunpowder explosions can scare them away. This tradition has gained wide popularity and spread all over the world.

The celebration of the Old New Year is common only in Russia and some CIS countries. It is celebrated on the night of January 13-14. On this day, according to the Julian calendar, the new year began. In fact, it is an echo of the change of chronology during the transition to the Gregorian style. For Russian people, this is another reason to gather at the festive table.