Interesting facts about the New Year

For many of us, New Year is a favorite holiday. This celebration is celebrated all over the world. Not only the dates differ, but also the traditions and rules that accompany the transition to the next year. Even those Russians who responsibly approach his meeting do not know where this holiday came from, and what ceremonies are traditional.

In many CIS countries, the traditional New Year is celebrated on the night of December 31 to January 1. It is worth noting that this date is adhered to far beyond the borders of Russia and neighboring states. New Year's holidays also include Christmas (January 7) and Old New Year (January 14). Despite the fact that this celebration is celebrated from year to year, few people know about the history of these celebrations and how other peoples celebrate the New Year.

Religious people adhere to certain traditions that are established according to the canons of religion. Some ceremonies that are traditional for some peoples look like unusual and surprising rules for others. At the heart of this holiday is a moral renewal. People take stock of the outgoing year and tune in to a new life. Many traditions are aimed at reaching a new level with the coming year.

Little-known and surprising events led to the annual New Year's celebration in Russia. This information has been preserved to this day in historical documents. Historians say that this holiday dates back to Mesopotamia. Local residents had a tradition to solemnly celebrate the awakening of nature, which fell in the month of March. The celebration took place over several days, more than a week. During this period of work, other concerns were postponed for later. Lavish festivities and colorful masquerades take place all the time. After a while, the ancient Greeks adopted the tradition of celebrating the beginning of the next year. After the holiday passed to the Egyptians and the inhabitants of Rome.

It should be noted that in Russia this holiday was not always celebrated in winter, during the transition from the first month to the second. To date, there is no exact data on the date that was established even before the baptism of Rus. Several historical documents indicate that this holiday was celebrated around the end of winter.

With the advent of the new chronology, the celebration was fixed on the first spring day - the first of March. Such changes were associated with the baptism of Rus. After a while, the New Year was postponed to the beginning of autumn and began to be celebrated on the first of September. The traditional date for the meeting of this celebration will be set by Tsar Peter the First, who, during his reign, back in 1699, issued a corresponding decree.

So_ New Year began to celebrate on the first of January. This tradition has survived to this day. The tradition of celebrating the holiday from the 31st to the first date exists in all European countries that live according to the Gregorian calendar. All these incredible events became the foundation for the largest celebration in the whole world.

One of the symbols of the New Year is a festive fir tree. It is customary for many peoples to install and decorate a coniferous tree. It is worth noting that instead of spruce, you can also use fir, pine and any other similar tree. This is a very ancient tradition that came to us from ancient times. At that time, people believed in the special power of this tree. It symbolized life. Many peoples had a special attitude towards evergreens. Initially, spruce, pine and other coniferous representatives of the flora were not cut. They were decorated right in the forests and gardens, keeping the tree safe and sound. After a while, the trees began to cut down and decorate in the houses. Thus, each family had its own holiday tree.

Now spruce trees decorate not only houses and apartments, but also city parks, squares and squares. Conifers decorated with garlands and toys can be found anywhere in the world: America, Asia, Europe, CIS countries. Given the great demand for living trees, many civilized countries have switched to artificial models to preserve the natural resource. They have found great demand not only among ordinary buyers.

Traditionally, the preparation of the festive banquet is prepared in advance. The table should mix in a variety of hearty and tasty treats. There is a belief that the table will be like this next year. Traditional dishes in different countries of the world are like that.

• In England this holiday cannot be imagined without traditional pudding. It is a sweet and satisfying dessert made with nuts, zest, raisins, fresh apples and aromatic spices. The hostesses start preparing this dish several before the onset of the holiday. The more children there are in the house, the larger the portion will be needed.
• US residents stuffed turkey is often prepared for a festive table. This is a traditional poultry dish not only for Thanksgiving, but also for the New Year. You can have any filling for poultry. Each family has their own favorite recipe. A treat in the form of a large stuffed bird is perfect for a large family.
• In Hungary and Austria a strudel is being prepared for next year's meeting. This dessert has a special place in the festive meal. Pastries are often served with ice cream. Strudel is also garnished with nuts, fresh fruits, berries and syrups.
• Residents from the Land of the Rising Sun prepare traditional Mochi cakes. These are small treats made from elastic rice dough. Bright desserts of various flavors are very popular in Japan. They are not only placed on the table, but also presented as a gift to friends and family.
• In Germany meat is especially revered. Pork knuckle is a must-have dish on the festive table. The Germans boil the knuckle in beer and serve it with sauerkraut.

Despite the fact that each country has its own traditions, some customs are the same for almost all peoples.

• The first rule of the New Year is to devote time to friends and family. It is customary to celebrate this holiday with the family. On the eve of the celebration, they go to visit and invite friends to their house.
• Another tradition is to decorate a home. Before you start decorating, you need to do a general cleaning. The next year must be met after physical and moral renewal.
• To please loved ones, it is customary to give gifts. This tradition was established in ancient times and has retained its relevance to this day.

The ceremonies of some peoples are very funny and interesting. Many would be curious to know what they do on the largest holiday on the planet. Amazing facts and traditions from different parts of the world.

• In Cuba an interesting tradition has been preserved to get rid of sins with the help of an unusual rite. Water is poured into different containers, and with the arrival of the New Year it is poured onto the street. This is a symbol of purification.
• In Greece the head of the family smashes a large and ripe pomegranate against the wall. This should be done in such a way that the grains scatter in different directions. This is a symbol that the next year will be successful and happy.
• Residents of Italy get rid of old things, however, this is done in an unusual way. Furniture, dishes, clothes and other items are thrown directly out of windows. During this period, you need to be as careful as possible on the street.
• A special tradition continues in Micronesia. It is a small state located on one of the islands in the Pacific Ocean. On the first day of January, people acquire new names. They share them with family and dear people, pronouncing them in a whisper. To prevent evil spirits from accidentally overhearing a new name, you need to beat the drums loudly.
• Germans leave gifts on the windowsill. Santa Claus and Snegurochka leave presents under the tree, but Santa Claus, who is revered in America, leaves them in socks, stockings or boots. These attributes are specially prepared for the holiday.

In Brazil, a huge festive tree is being erected to celebrate the New Year. Its height is 85 meters. This is the building's height of 28 floors. Artificial spruce is placed directly on the water, to the delight of local residents and tourists. However, the absolute record was set in Mexico City. In anticipation of 2009, a 110-meter high spruce was installed. The weight of the structure reached 330 tons. She set a tree for the New Year on the water of the Caribbean Sea.

Let us mention some of the historical events associated with the celebration of the New Year.

• Many believe that the tradition of exchanging gifts is relatively recent. It is also believed that this is a marketing plan to increase sales during the winter holidays. However, they began to give presents to each other back in the days of Ancient Rome. Residents of that era first gave treats, and then switched to cash gifts. At that time, offerings in the form of money addressed to nobles were considered quite common and had nothing to do with bribes.
• In Russia, she began to celebrate the arrival of the New Year magnificently and on a grand scale after Tsar Peter I was indicated.He stated that this is a special identity, during which you need to make noise, have fun, shoot guns and blow up tar barrels. Over time, this tradition was entrenched in the Russian people and residents of neighboring states.
• Some people mistakenly believe that conifers were the first to decorate the Slavic peoples, however, this is a European tradition. The ancient Slavs treated this tree with caution and apprehension. It was believed that forests of coniferous trees were inhabited by spirits and all sorts of evil spirits. After Peter the Great introduced the innovation of using spruce or pine as a festive attribute, a wave of discontent swept over the people. Many took the news with hostility.
• If you think that decorating a holiday tree with sweets and other treats is a relatively new tradition, then you are wrong. Originally ate, pine and other representatives of this species were decorated with food. We used sweets, gingerbread, fresh fruits.
• It is believed that the first glass balls, which were used to decorate Christmas trees, appeared in Bavaria due to a shortage of live apples. Glassblowers found a way out of this situation and replaced fresh fruit with artificial products.

In the next video, you will find additional interesting facts about the New Year.