Why is there a Christmas tree for the New Year?

New Year is one of the most beloved holidays for adults and children. Apart from delicious food and gifts, the most significant event is the setting up of the Christmas tree. A New Year tree is placed not only in the central square of the city, but also in every house. Regardless of the appearance, everyone loves and respects the New Year's beauty, they dance round dances around her and put gifts under her. Despite the fact that the New Year tree is a traditional and familiar symbol for us, it was not always so.

Modern people take the traditions of their ancestors for granted, and not everyone knows their roots and history. The New Year began to be counted from the birth of the baby Jesus Christ, since this event was significant and great for people. All symbols and beliefs that have survived to this day have a rationale that is worth knowing. Even such a simple, at first glance, question of why people put a Christmas tree on New Year's, can take many by surprise.

The history of the tradition of setting up a New Year tree at home dates back to the very birth of Jesus. There is a belief that not only people came to the holiday in honor of the birth of a baby, but also all living things. Everyone wanted to congratulate the baby, but only one tree, which had come a long way, hesitated to enter and stayed at the cave where the baby was. The trees inquired about the reason for this behavior, and the Christmas tree explained that she had neither beautiful leaves, nor fragrant flowers, nor juicy fruits, she had nothing to impress the baby with, and nothing to give him as a gift.

Such care and modesty struck the trees, grass and living creatures, and they presented the tree with a wide variety of gifts, decorating and transforming it, and only in this form did she decide to go to Jesus Christ. Belief says that the baby, seeing such a beautiful tree, reached out to him, and at that moment the star of Bethlehem lit up on the top of his head. It is this appearance of the Christmas tree that has become a symbol of the New Year. According to another belief, the reason for the transformation of the spruce was the angels, who saw the desire of the Christmas tree to greet the baby, but because of their modesty were ashamed to do it. The angels gave the evergreen tree decorations and lights that transformed the spruce, and she happily entered Christ on his birthday.

Another option, where we got the tradition of putting up a New Year tree, can be considered the German holiday Sylvester, who became the progenitor of the New Year. The Germans gathered with families, prepared a large number of dishes, cleaned and decorated the house.

Another belief says that at a time when paganism began to fade away, the monarch Boniface decided to completely say goodbye to him, having cut down the tree, which was sacred for the Germans then - an oak tree. When this oak fell, it broke, crushed and damaged many trees around, and only one tree survived, and therefore became a symbol of the new Christian faith.

Some believe that thanks to the German reformer Martin Luther in the 16th century, a tradition arose to bring spruce into the house on New Year's and decorate it. It was he who began to carry out such a ritual, which was later taken into account by others. Modern people decorate the Christmas tree in order to decorate the house, make it festive and beautiful, to give happiness to children and create a New Year's atmosphere in the house.

In ancient Germany, people were very religious and worshiped gods and spirits, therefore from time to time they pleased them with gifts. People believed that conifers were conductors between worlds, therefore, most often the rituals were carried out in the forest. The Germans decorated the tree with ribbons and beautiful things, hung sweets to appease the spirits of the forest and ensure a happy and comfortable life for the next year. There were rituals and traditions according to which the Christmas tree was decorated. Now the New Year tree is associated exclusively with the holiday itself, and many do not even suspect about its sacred meaning. Previously, the New Year was celebrated in the forest, but now the Christmas tree is cut down and installed at home, gathering family and friends for the holiday. Modern people celebrate the arrival of the new calendar year, make wishes, celebrate and have fun with all the heart.

The once religious and somewhat mystical rite of worship of spirits has become the primary source for the modern holiday, which is celebrated all over the world. Despite the fact that the tradition of installing a Christmas tree originated in Germany, it quickly gained popularity, and now almost every house on New Year's Eve is placed a spruce or pine tree, decorated with lights, rain, toys and sweets, and a star is placed on the top of the head.

The tradition of putting a Christmas tree on the New Year has gone from the Russians since the time of Peter I, who came up with the idea of ​​celebrating in Russia the same holidays that were then in Europe. It was thanks to this ruler that the celebration of the New Year was displaced and began to be celebrated not on September 1, but on January 1. Peter I also tried to introduce the custom of putting a Christmas tree as a decoration, but at that time people did not accept this innovation, since conifers were used in funeral rites.

The wife of Nicholas I gave new life to New Year's traditions: she began to decorate the house for Christmas and New Year with toys and other beautiful things. It was during these times that a Christmas tree appeared in the premises, which has now become entrenched as a New Year's symbol. Alexandra Fyodorovna was of German origin, therefore from childhood she saw a spruce in the house for the New Year, and after marriage she transferred this tradition to Russia.

The appearance of a New Year's coniferous tree in the courtyard aroused interest and excitement, and after a few years every ordinary person had a Christmas tree for the New Year. It was customary to decorate the symbol of the holiday with glass toys and sweets.... Now they have been largely replaced by plastic toys that have the same beautiful appearance, but great practicality and durability.

In addition to toys, modern people decorate the New Year's beauty with garlands, which especially paints her in the dark. The tradition of putting up a Christmas tree for the New Year came from Germany and, having come a long way, has taken root in all countries of the world, uniting them and rallying.

Let the reason for the emergence of this tradition was of a religious nature and was fueled by faith in spirits, but in the end it turned into a beautiful, noisy, cheerful holiday that pleases both adults and children, allowing for a moment to forget about everything and plunge into a fairy tale. The spruce itself is a symbol of the holiday, and it does not matter whether it is alive or artificial, the main thing is that a festive atmosphere reigns in the house.

In the post-revolutionary era, the Soviet government tried to cancel the New Year's celebration, but the people's love for this celebration was so strong that in the 30s of the last century everything was returned to its place, and now nothing threatens it. Ever since the time of Peter the Great, signal flares and fireworks have been launched during the New Year celebrations, which they do to this day. On New Year's Eve in every city, after the 12th strike of the clock, the sky is illuminated with bright and beautiful fireworks, and you can see sparklers in the room. These attributes are still unchanged and beloved, making the New Year a special holiday.

For a long time, the Christmas tree was decorated to appease the spirits, for the same purpose it was brought home, but now this tree serves as a talisman and a harbinger of a wonderful New Year's holiday. At different times, the tree was decorated with a wide variety of items.

• Nuts, fruits and everything that could be found at this time of year. To give an original and attractive appearance, the material at hand was decorated with bright paper and wrappers, which looked spectacular and festive.
• Figurines of animals and people cut out of cardboard, as well as delicacies and everything that fit the theme of the holiday. Paper toys were beautifully painted and decorated with ribbons. At the very top of the tree, they began to place the Star of Bethlehem.
• Glass toys, which began to be made by glassblowers, initially to order, and later as a general product. Traditional Christmas tree decorations were glass balls of different colors, sizes and patterns.
• During the Soviet era, it became fashionable to use soldiers, cosmonauts, parachutists as decorations. They began to hang garlands with small lamps on the tree, which were painted in different colors or covered with multi-colored plastic figures. The star of Bethlehem was supplanted by a red five-pointed crown.
• Now on sale you can find a wide variety of toys for every taste. - both handmade and factory products produced in huge editions. As a bright addition, they began to use LED garlands, in which there are a large number of tiny bulbs that can blink in different modes, which looks very nice.

Traditions are changeable - some arise, others disappear, but some pass from generation to generation, only slightly changing. Using a Christmas tree as a symbol of the New Year is an inexpensive, simple and effective solution that allowed to create a feeling of a holiday, a place for a festive program and that image,with which almost everyone associates the New Year.

For information on why a Christmas tree is put on the New Year, see the next video.