Why put up a Christmas tree for the New Year? Decorating the Christmas tree for the New Year: when is it customary to put it up and put it down. What's in Russia

03.10.2023 Oncology

New Year tree in ancient times

Christmas tree in medieval Europe

Decorating a Christmas tree with the whole family is a good New Year's tradition, which time after time takes us back to childhood and immerses us in the atmosphere of a real winter fairy tale. But have you ever wondered where this custom came to us? We offer you several versions that are followed in Europe and Russia.

Where did the tradition of decorating a spruce come from?

Many children and their parents do not know why they decorate the Christmas tree for the New Year. As one of the ancient legends says, the origin of this tradition is connected with the birth of Christ. Not only animals and people, but also various plants and trees gathered to greet the Messiah. They all brought gifts to the newborn Jesus in the form of flowers and fruits emitting delicious smells. The tree came from the cold northern regions and stood modestly aside while congratulating the other guests.

Everyone present had a question why the tree did not want to approach the baby. The tree replied that, firstly, it could not give the future Savior anything useful, and secondly, its sharp needles could scratch the newborn Jesus. Then all the trees and plants shared their fruits, bright flowers and nuts with the spruce. At the sight of the elegant and positive Christmas tree, the baby’s face lit up with a smile, and at the same moment, the star of Bethlehem shone above the top of the decorated tree.

There is another version of this legend. She claims that the rough Olive tree, together with the Palm tree, blocked the spruce's path to the Savior, ridiculing its ridiculous appearance, sharp needles and sticky resin. The modest tree had no objections, but it became sad and did not dare cross the threshold of the cave. Seeing the sadness of the evergreen tree, the angels took pity on it and decided to decorate its branches with stars from the sky. Having appreciated its unique outfit, the tree cast aside all doubts and dared to appear before the eyes of the baby Jesus.

Spirits of the forest

According to many famous researchers, the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree for the New Year is closely related to the belief of our ancestors in the supernatural forces of nature and that all plants have their own intelligence. They believed that the spirits living in the forest could easily destroy a person they didn’t like. They pointed other travelers with certain merits to the treasure and helped them find a way out of the dense thicket.

In the old days, they believed that decorating a Christmas tree appeased the spirits of the forest, since this tree has long been revered as a symbol of life. There were special rituals for decorating it with various treats and fruits.

About the New Year's tree in Russia

Speaking about why they decorate a Christmas tree for the New Year, it is worth taking a historical excursion into the southern German traditions that existed long before the Russians. The first Christmas tree in Russia was installed and decorated on the eve of the New Year 1700 by special order of Peter the Great. The Emperor ordered that signal lights be set off and fireworks lit, and that the center of the capital be decorated with branches of juniper, pine and spruce.

After the revolutionary coup in 1917, the Bolsheviks attempted to eliminate the New Year celebration as a bourgeois tradition. However, the masses managed to fall in love with this solemn event, and in the mid-30s the authorities brought it back.

The beginning of a great rehabilitation was a small article in Pravda (the main printed publication of the Communist Party of the USSR).

Features of the New Year's tree as a talisman

For the New Year, they decorate the Christmas tree because on the eve of the holiday, evil spirits descend on the earth to mock people and inflict all sorts of mean things on them. The creatures of evil can spoil the festive table, steal some useful little things and bring chaos to the process of preparing for the celebration.

To ward off wicked “guests,” it was customary to decorate the house with objects that scared them away and did not allow them to cross the threshold of the home. Speaking about why the Christmas tree is decorated for the New Year, it is worth noting that Christmas tree decorations in combination with sparkles and tinsel performed not only an aesthetic, but also an applied function, keeping evil spirits from entering the house.

In many countries around the world, they put up a Christmas tree for Christmas and New Year. Sometimes people try to decorate their home with at least one twig, just so that the house is filled with a pleasant, slightly tart and fresh smell. Let's find out why this “green” tradition appeared.

How did this custom appear in Europe?

According to legend, the custom of putting up a fir tree in a house on Christmas Day is associated with Saint Boniface. One day he preached in Germany, talking about this significant holiday. To demonstrate his power and faith to the pagans, he cut down an oak tree - a symbol of the god Thor. A huge trunk fell, knocking down other trees, but without hitting the spruce. The pagans realized how weak their gods were and how tough Jesus was. In honor of this event, Boniface called the spruce “the tree of the infant Christ,” after which the green beauty became a full-fledged participant in the winter holiday.
In addition, since ancient times, people have revered spruce as a symbol of immortality and eternal life, health and rebirth, as well as communication with the afterlife. They believed that the trunks were inhabited by spirits that needed to be appeased with gifts. At the end of December, when the solar year began, people hung various offerings on the branches - ribbons, amulets, eggs, apples, and lit candles at the base.
This combination of pagan and early Christian traditions led to the fact that spruce began to gain popularity as a symbol of Christmas and the coming of the new year. The custom became more widespread during the Reformation in Protestant countries. They say that the famous Martin Luther was one of the first to decorate it: once on Christmas Eve he decorated the top of the tree with a star in memory of the Star of Bethlehem. And one of the first written evidence of decorated trees dates back to 1605. It describes the people of Strasbourg putting up fir trees in their houses and placing roses, waffles, gold foil, sugar, etc. on them.
By the way, in the 16th century in Central Europe there was a custom of decorating small deciduous trees. Sometimes they were hung from the ceiling.
Over the course of two centuries, the custom associated with the Christmas tree has spread throughout almost all of Europe - it affected England, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Austria and other countries. Thanks to emigrants, it appeared in America. In the USA, the spruce was decorated with fruits and candles, and then they began to use various toys. And residents of eastern countries appreciated spruce already in the 20th century. True, this tradition affected only a few states - Turkey, Iran, Morocco.

The appearance of a holiday attribute in Russia

The inhabitants of our country owe the appearance of the festive spruce to Peter I. At the beginning of the 18th century, he issued a decree according to which a new chronology was introduced in Russia, and the new year began on January 1. The document also contained instructions on how to properly organize the holiday. In it, the spruce appeared as a city decoration - it was not placed indoors.
The first Christmas trees appeared in homes at the beginning of the 19th century - St. Petersburg Germans, who religiously observed traditions, decorated their houses with them. It is believed that Nicholas I introduced the widespread fashion for these trees. Later, following the example of the royal family, conifers began to appear in rich metropolitan houses, gradually conquering the homes of Russians. This could have been facilitated by the newspapers, which suddenly started talking about the Christmas tree as an original decoration. The trees were not cheap, and the best specimens were brought from Finland.
After the revolution, the fashion for Christmas trees in homes did not disappear. True, it underwent changes after the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in the country, when Christmas and New Year changed places. In addition, the authorities began to fight against religious holidays, which negatively affected the status of Christmas, whose trees gradually became “Komsomol” ones.
They had a kind of revival in 1935 at the instigation of the second secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party Pavel Postyshev - he initiated the creation of a secular New Year's holiday. On his initiative, a decorated Christmas tree for children was installed in December of this year.
Later, events for the little ones became traditional, and the coniferous representative of the House of Unions received the status of the main Christmas tree. In 1976, this title was transferred to the green beauty in the Kremlin.
So gradually the spruce became a symbol of the New Year. Over the years, its decorations changed: toys depicting pioneers, astronauts, soldiers, doctors, cars, etc. were added to candies and fruits. During the reign of Nikita Khrushchev, corn cobs and hockey players were painted on glass balls.
With the abolition of religious Christmas, the tree in the USSR became a symbol of the New Year, although it brought with it the same attributes. Today, many residents of our country decorate it closer to New Years, while in some houses the tree remains until spring.

1700

Tsar Christmas tree

We borrowed the custom of putting up a Christmas tree for the New Year from Western Europe. This fact is considered a textbook truth. But with the author of the tradition, everything is not so simple.

There is a historical stereotype: Peter I, introducing a new calendar, due to which January 1 was not 7208, but 1700, at the same time decided to adequately celebrate the reform.

The most quoted historical document on New Year’s Eve is Peter’s decree: “On large and well-traveled streets, for noble people and at houses of special spiritual and worldly rank, make some decorations from trees and branches of pine and juniper in front of the gates, and for poor people, at least a tree or branch for each put a gate or over your temple."

That’s all true, but as we understand it, the merry king did not order the organization of New Year trees. And his “some tree decorations” did not fully correspond to the German Christmas tradition. In addition, the people are accustomed to celebrating the evening of Basil of Caesarea on the night of December 31 to January 1. Other names: “generous” (they walked like on Maslenitsa, even the term appeared: “Caesarean” pig, which was roasted whole), Vasiliev’s evening.

It can be assumed that full-fledged Christmas trees, decorated with sweets and toys, still stood in our capital at that time. But most likely - only in the houses of foreigners living in Moscow, primarily Lutheran Germans, who retained their customs in a foreign land.

Since 1704, Peter I moved New Year's celebrations to St. Petersburg. There they walked like a king, and attendance at the New Year's masquerade balls of nobles was mandatory.

After the death of Peter, the custom began to die. There were no special persecutions against Christmas trees. The problem was that Peter’s idea did not take root very well among the people. During the period of Peter the Great's reign it was purely urban fun. They completely forgot to explain to the village why they need to hang apples and gingerbread on the Christmas trees.

Moreover, not the whole country immediately switched to the Peter the Great calendar. Since ancient times, the people of Rus' have celebrated the onset of the New Year on March 1st. And this continued until the end of the 15th century. In 1492, the Russian Orthodox Church decided to move the New Year to September 1.

To put it mildly, we had time to get used to it. And foundations are always difficult to break.

For example, in the Arkhangelsk province the New Year is still celebrated three times. The first two (new and old styles) are with the whole country, and on September 14 the Pomeranian New Year is also celebrated.

In addition, in Rus', spruce branches were often used to cover the path along which the deceased was carried to the graveyard. Therefore, the peasants somehow did not associate the Christmas tree with fun and celebration.

Finally, the Orthodox Church had little desire to promote Lutheran customs to the masses. Perhaps, only those who would now be called restaurateurs most steadfastly kept Peter’s covenants. The roofs of many taverns in Rus' were decorated with Christmas trees. By the way, after the New Year holidays the food was not removed from them at all. The very expression “going under the tree” in those days meant going to a drinking establishment.

1819

Second coming

The second “campaign” of the New Year tree against Russia was again undertaken from Germany. But this time - more successful. In 1817, Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich married the Prussian princess Charlotte, who was baptized in Orthodoxy under the name Alexandra. The princess convinced the court to accept the custom of decorating the New Year's table with bouquets of fir branches.

In 1819, Nikolai Pavlovich, at the insistence of his wife, first erected a large-sized New Year tree in the Anichkov Palace. In 1825, a public Christmas tree was installed for the first time in St. Petersburg.

In those days there were no toys yet; the Christmas tree was decorated with fruits and sweets.

“Under the Christmas tree,” which was installed in the capital on December 24, on Christmas Eve, the royal banquet was also held. The archives preserved the menu: soups, pies, beef with seasoning, roast with salad, pickles (the emperor simply adored them), Swedish jellied meat, Welsh rabbit, Norwegian cod, Abbey-style lamprey, ice cream.

The Christmas tree still did not take root in the villages. But the new fashion simply took over the cities, the Christmas tree rush began: expensive Christmas tree decorations were ordered from Europe, and children's New Year's parties were held in rich houses. “Yolka” was no longer called taverns, but a Christmas holiday for children with the distribution of gifts.

Under Alexander III, a new tradition was started: members of the imperial family performed at New Year's "corporate parties." As a rule, the emperor and the grand dukes went to the arena of the cuirassier regiment for the Christmas tree for the lower ranks of His Majesty's own convoy, the combined guards battalion and the palace police. A fantastic detail: the next day the Christmas tree was repeated for the ranks who were on guard the day before. Agree, some kind of simply unrealistic concern for his subjects.

1915

Elka is an enemy of the state

This continued until the First World War, which Russia entered in 1914. An active anti-German campaign began in the country. In the spring of 1915, Nicholas II approved the “Special Committee to unite measures to combat German dominance”; closer to winter, the liquidation of German colonies in the Volga region, southern Ukraine and the Caucasus began, as well as the forced resettlement of colonists to Siberia.

On the eve of 1915, German prisoners of war in the Saratov hospital held a holiday with a traditional Christmas tree. The press called this a “blatant fact”; the journalists were supported by the Holy Synod and Emperor Nicholas II. The tsar called the tradition “enemy” and categorically forbade it to be followed.

Actually, there was something paranoid about this ban. Okay, if only the enemy soldiers were having fun under the tree. But so are ours!

Here are entries from the diary of Nicholas II: “I went to the military hospital for a Christmas tree for the sick,” “in Alix’s new room there was our own Christmas tree with a lot of wonderful mutual gifts...”.

Or here is the daily routine of Nicholas II on December 31, 1913. At 15 o'clock the tsar went to the military hospital and to the infirmary of the Hussar Regiment for the Christmas tree... At 23 o'clock 30 min. We went to the regimental church for a New Year's prayer service.

Well, what does “enemy tradition” have to do with it?! In principle, in this situation, the tsar was obliged to declare himself an enemy of the Russian people.

1919

Father Frost

without "browning"

After the revolution the ban was lifted. The German proletariat, even under church influence alien to the revolution, by definition could not be considered an enemy of Soviet power. And most importantly, Lenin loved the Christmas tree.

However, there were attempts at tradition in those days too. Even during the life of the leader, many of his comrades, prominent party members, tried to declare the Christmas tree a “bourgeois prejudice.” But they could not do anything with this religious relic. How to prohibit “prejudice” if the leader himself personally arranged a Christmas tree for the children in Sokolniki?

At the same time, he sometimes showed miracles of heroism. On January 6, 1919, when he was driving from the Kremlin to Sokolniki for the first New Year's children's party, the car was stopped by the raiders of the famous Moscow bandit Yakov Koshelkov. They literally threw Ilyich out of the car, put a revolver to his head, rummaged through his pockets, took away his money, documents, and Browning (Lenin’s armed guards and his personal driver did not resist so as not to endanger the life of the leader). Koshelkov did not recognize Lenin, which he later very much regretted: he told his accomplices that if he had taken Lenin hostage, he could have demanded the release of the entire Butyrka in exchange for him. Well, the money is a substantial ransom.

However, he did not regret it for very long; the security officers found and killed all the raiders within a few months. By the way, the Browning was returned to Ilyich. But that's not the point, of course. Lenin, having survived the stress, immediately took a new car and arrived at the children’s Christmas tree. He made jokes, led round dances, treated them to sweets, and gave everyone a gift - a trumpet and a drum. Well, the real Santa Claus.

Even on New Year's Eve 1924, when Ilyich was mortally ill and had three weeks to live, N.K. Krupskaya arranged a traditional Christmas tree. But after the death of the leader, the tree was dealt with. Our great-grandfathers heard the following verses:

Only the one who is a friend of the priests

Ready to celebrate the Christmas tree.

You and I are enemies to the priests,

We don't need Christmas!

Since 1926, decorating a Christmas tree was already considered a crime: the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks called the custom of erecting the so-called Christmas tree anti-Soviet. In 1927, at the XV Party Congress, Stalin announced the weakening of anti-religious work among the population. An anti-religious campaign began. The 1929 party conference abolished the “Christian” Sunday: the country switched to a “six-day week”, and the celebration of Christmas was prohibited.

It is strange that it did not occur to anyone that such formulations actually declared Lenin a malicious anti-Soviet, an obscurantist and simply a criminal.

1935

Hands got used to axes

Why, just eight years later, the authorities suddenly radically changed their attitude towards the Christmas tree is a mystery. It is believed that the rehabilitation of the Christmas tree began with a small note in the Pravda newspaper, published on December 28, 1935. We were talking about the initiative to organize a nice Christmas tree for children for the New Year. The note was signed by the Second Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine Postyshev.

Unexpectedly for everyone, Stalin agreed.

And although there were no uncoordinated initiatives in Pravda, officials were in no hurry to organize Christmas trees. Even when they were allowed, many celebrated the New Year of 1936 without the forest beauty. Just in case, someone took the proposal as a provocation. The rest wisely decided that before chopping wood - in the sense of cutting down Christmas trees - it would be wiser to first monitor the fate of both the initiator of the Christmas tree rehabilitation and the initiative itself.

Fates turned out differently. At the Christmas tree it’s good, at Postyshev’s it’s not so good. At the end of the 30s, he was transferred from Ukraine to the post of 1st Secretary of the Kuibyshev Regional Party Committee. Arriving in the region, he organized an unprecedented campaign of arrests. Personally “exposed” a large number of enemies of the party and the people, sending thousands of people to camps or to be shot. Then he himself was arrested. On February 26, 1939, the military collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR sentenced him to death and was executed on the same day. In 1955 he was rehabilitated.

Some historians call Postyshev “the man who returned the Christmas tree to the people.” The thesis is not indisputable.

Nikita Khrushchev will clarify in his memoirs that Postyshev, before writing a note in Pravda, approached Stalin personally with the idea. He reacted somewhat uncharacteristically, and therefore mysteriously. Khrushchev writes that the leader, almost without hesitation, answered Postyshev: “Take the initiative, and we will support.”

Which makes me think. Firstly, Postyshev was, to put it mildly, not a very significant figure in the party hierarchy. Secondly, Stalin never made significant ideological decisions at once. The decision was most likely carefully thought out and prepared. And hardly anyone else except the leader himself.

1937

Star and champagne

Postyshev was still alive when New Year trees began to be lit across the country. The first - in 1937 in Moscow, in the Hall of Columns of the House of Unions. Instead of the golden star of Bethlehem, a new one appeared - red. The image of Father Frost in a long fur coat, a high round hat and with a staff in his hand was performed by the well-known entertainer Mikhail Garkavi in those years. By the way, the tradition of celebrating the holiday with champagne is also associated with his name. The debut of “Soviet champagne” took place on January 1, 1937, when in the Kremlin, at a festive reception for the Stakhanovites, Garkavi drank a glass of sparkling wine for the first time while the chimes were striking. Let us note that we have only just begun to produce champagne. In 1937, the first 300 thousand bottles were bottled. Not everyone got it for the New Year.

At first, Christmas trees were decorated in the old fashioned way with sweets and fruits. Then toys began to reflect the era. Pioneers with bugles, faces of Politburo members. During the war - pistols, paratroopers, paramedic dogs, Santa Claus with a machine gun. They were replaced by toy cars, airships with the inscription "USSR", snowflakes with a hammer and sickle. Under Khrushchev, toy tractors, ears of corn, and hockey players appeared. Then - cosmonauts, satellites, characters from Russian fairy tales.

The Snow Maiden appeared in the early 1950s. The image of the granddaughter of Santa Claus was invented by Stalin Prize laureates Lev Kassil and Sergei Mikhalkov. From this moment on, the domestic New Year tradition can be considered complete. No fundamental changes in New Year celebrations have been noticed since then. Well, except that instead of a star, various politically neutral peak-shaped tops are increasingly being used. Mostly of Chinese design and manufacture.

Why they decorate a Christmas tree for the New Year: we understand the origins of the New Year tradition

Very soon, the striking of the Kremlin chimes will mark the beginning of the new year, thousands of colored fireworks lights will light up in the sky, and in every house, on every city square there will be a fireworks display - an elegant one.festive, beautiful New Year tree. In the morning, children will happily scurry around in search of gifts from Santa Claus, and adults will enjoy the leisurely holiday morning, the first morning of the new year.1. Introduction
2.Religious legends
3. German roots
4. What about Russia?
5. Conclusion

However, few of us adults have thought about why on N New Year decorate the Christmas tree,why a Christmas tree and why on this holiday. Indeed, the question is not easy, but if it comes from the lips of a smallcurious why - an adult who is not savvy in terms of erudition and knowledge of all traditions is at great risk of undermining his authority as an all-knowing sage.

Well, it's time for a little educational program, right? Let's understand this wonderful tradition ii and her origins together with Luckymummy.

Religious legends

The appearance of a decorated Christmas tree at Christmas time is associated with the birth of Jesus Christ. Tradition says that to greet a newbornNot only people wanted Jesus, but even the animal and plant world. Everyone - from a small blade of grass to mighty predators - honored Christ and gathered at the very cave where the Virgin Mary was with her baby.

Among Those honored were also a modest Christmas tree, which had made a long and difficult journey from the northern countries.Stopping at the entrance, the spruce tree did not dare to take a step inside and was embarrassed to go in and pay homage to the baby. When asked by other trees, the Christmas tree replied that it cannot boast of lush leaves, large bright berries or flowers, but the spines can reasons a thread to little Jesus pain. Then the trees took pity on the Christmas tree and happily shared it withwith your decorations. Then the sprucewalked and greeted Christ, he stretched out his hands to her, and on the top of his headBethlehem tree shone emsk star.

Among other interpretations of religious traditions that explainwhy they decorate a Christmas tree for the New Year, you can consider this option:

Spruce, who came To celebrate the birth of Christ, she was afraid to enter the cave with the mother and baby, looking at the beautiful trees and flowers that rejoiced at the coming of the prophet along with the others. But the guardian angel, who was watching the spruce tree nearby, took pity on the tree and decorated it with thousands of stars. Then the Christmas tree admired its beauty, but it was not filled with pride. Then the infant prophet rejoiced at her appearance, and the Angel named the spruce a symbol of the Nativity of Christ.
This is such a beautiful story.

Germanic roots of tradition

Who would have thought, but the answer to the question: “Why is it customary to decorate the Christmas tree for the New Year?? lies in Germany, yes, yes, that’s where they came up with the idea of using this pinenew tree as christmasnsky attribute.

Previously in Germany they believed into the spirits, and so that they Thank you, people went into the forest and brought gifts to the forest. It was believed that "conductors"It was coniferous trees that stood between the human world and the spiritual world. It was believed that the spirits would be appeased if you brought them special gifts. Sweets, provisions, various beautiful things, red ribbons were hung on the thorny branches of spruce and pine trees asgratitude to higher powers for prosperity and fertility in the coming year.

There is another version, according to which the monk Boniface decided to refute the belief in paganism by cutting down the sacred oak tree, which was worshiped by many pagans in those days. The oak fell on nearby trees, crushing them under its majestic trunk. However, one spruce growing nearby remained unharmed., and then a fir began to grow from the trunk of the fallen oak.Many took this as a sign of victory over the paganism of the Orthodox religion. Since then ina sign of gratitude and as gifts for future fertility, it is customary to decorate the spruce with gifts from nature and various beautiful things.

There was a rumor that the famous Reformed or Luther in the 16th century cemented the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree in homes, once bringing a small spruce after a walk in the forest. The kids decorated itshiny balls, nuts and fruits. Rumor has it that many of the guests who were in Luther's houseWe took note of this idea, which, of course, quickly spread throughout the country and was loved by everyone.

Later, festive Christmas trees began to be installed and decorated in city squares not only in Germany, but throughout Europe. People still decorated trees as a symbol of your gifts. With to the spirits, danced in circles and sang Christmas songs. There is an opinion that the tradition of conducting round dances is nothing more than transformed ritual dances around a sacred tree.

What about in Russia?

The tradition of putting up a Christmas tree for Christmas appeared in Russia during the reign of Peter the Great. I , who, as is known, was an ardent admirer of Europe and its culture, trying to integrate it in his country. There was even a decree which read: place decorated Christmas trees everywhere, and the start of the new year was moved to January 1st instead of September 1st according to the old calendar. However, this innovation did not take root among the Russian people. It can be assumed that people associated coniferous branches with a funeral procession rather than with a holiday, since in Rus' it was customary to line the last path of the deceased with coniferous branches.

Further, Nikolai’s wife gave new life to the tradition I , German by origin. Christmas decorations began to appear in the royal palace n new Christmas trees, and then all the nobility adopted this custom.Then fir trees and pine needles appeared in the homes of ordinary people during the Christmas holidays.

In revolutionary Russia, they ate something like thatthe jubilant attribute was attributedIt's cool, but everythingthey didn’t ban it: Vladimir ILyich really loved Christmas trees, and then coniferous vegetation became a New Year's attribute. After eating they became “persona non grata” asreligious symbol until 1948. Once upon a time magazine A sheets of one of the newspapersproposed to Stalin “to organize a New Year’s tree for children,” to which they received unexpected consent. Since thendecorate the tree for the New Yearhas become a pleasant tradition to this day.

Conclusion

Well, now, when you decide to decorate the Christmas tree with your child, and he suddenly asks a question from the series: “Why are we doing this?”, you can explain to him where this wonderful tradition came fromand tell him one of these wonderful stories.

Happy New Year and Merry Christmas!

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