How is New Year celebrated in Russia?

New Year is one of the most important holidays for Russians. They are looking forward to it, and they are preparing for it in advance. New Year's Eve is the busiest and noisiest time, because all residents have fun and congratulate each other, not only at home, but also on the street. But this holiday was not always like this, its traditions and customs have been formed over many centuries.

The origins of New Year's celebration in ancient times are not fully understood. According to some sources, in pagan times, this holiday fell on March 22 - the day of the vernal equinox. Maslenitsa fell on the same date. After the baptism of Russia, a new chronology began, and the Julian calendar appeared, in which the names of the months were fixed. According to the new charter, the beginning of the year fell on March 1.

Over time, the Orthodox Church postponed the New Year on September 1... The celebration in Russia of this date continued until 1699, until Peter I issued a new decree postponing the holiday to January 1. To such a radical step he was prompted by a trip to Europe. He saw how people in those parts were celebrating the beginning of the new year, and decided to adopt this tradition. Then it was decided to switch to the Gregorian calendar.

For Peter I, it was important not only to change the date of the holiday, he wanted the New Year in Russia to be celebrated on the same scale as in European countries.

Christmas trees began to be decorated directly only in the middle of the last century. On the afternoon of January 1, 1700, a parade was held in Moscow on Red Square, and in the evening people watched the festive fireworks. From this date, the New Year in Russia acquired a secular character, while earlier it had exclusively ecclesiastical significance. The Russians liked this holiday - they sang, danced, had fun and exchanged gifts.

Over time, other Western traditions of celebrating the beginning of the new year were adopted. For example, this event began to be celebrated on the night of December 31 to January 1, they organized noisy feasts, invited relatives and friends, decorated a Christmas tree in the house and put gifts under it. After some time, Father Frost and Snegurochka appeared, who, according to pagan mythology, live in the city of Veliky Ustyug.

The Russian Federation, like most countries in the world, celebrates the New Year on the night of January 1. However, there are different peoples who celebrate this event on different dates and times of the year.

• In Greece the holiday falls on January 14th.
• In Asian countriesFor example, in China, Korea, Singapore and Malaysia, the New Year has a floating date. It falls on the day of the first new moon, which should take place after January 21.
• In India the beginning of the new year is celebrated several times. The first has already been mentioned above. The second is called Holi, and it is celebrated on February 24th. The third celebration falls on March 10th. On the 26th of the same month, the beginning of the year is celebrated in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
• Residents of countries such as Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan Celebrate New Year's Eve at night from 21 to 22 March.
• In Burma the holiday also does not have an exact date, it is reported by the Ministry of Culture. It falls annually on April 12-17. The celebration lasts 3 days.
• In Thailand New Year is called Songkran and is celebrated on April 13th.
• On April 14, the holiday comes to the territory Laos.
• Israelis celebrate the end of the year on September 1st and 2nd.
• In Ethiopia this event falls on September 11th and usually marks the end of the monsoon season.
• In Indonesia the holiday is celebrated on October 7. On this day, it is customary to ask for forgiveness from loved ones in order to start the new year with a clear conscience.
• In Yemen, Oceania and in Hawaii, the calendar year ends on 18 November.

In most countries, New Years celebrations start at midnight and the fun lasts until the morning. But in some peoples it is customary to celebrate this event during the day. As for the duration of the New Year holidays, in Russia they usually end after Christmas, that is, on January 9th. While for Catholics, who celebrate the birth of Jesus in December, only January 1 is considered a holiday.

Despite the fact that the New Year became its public holiday in 1700, it remained a working day until 1947. This year, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issued a decree to recognize January 1 as a day off. The second of January became a holiday weekend only in 1992. Over time, the duration of the holidays was increased to 10 days, but in 2013 it was decided to reduce them to 8 days. Hence, the weekend ends after Christmas.

It is customary to celebrate the New Year on a special scale. Russian people are convinced that as they will meet him, they will see him off, so the tables are always bursting with treats, and the house is full of decorations. Today the holiday is celebrated with family or friends, but it can also be found in an entertainment establishment, which usually prepare an entertainment program for such a large-scale event. Before the feast, they must listen to the president's congratulations, to the chimes, they raise glasses of champagne and congratulate each other on the new year.

In Russia, it was customary to arrange folk festivals. Everyone went out to the square, staged a masquerade, sang, danced and had fun. A similar tradition exists to this day. After the feast, the Russians go outside to the decorated Christmas tree, which is usually erected on the main square of the city.As a rule, fairs and concerts are held there, fireworks and fireworks are launched, they congratulate each other on the holiday and wish happiness in the new year.

Previously, family members dressed up in them and congratulated the children, and they, in turn, learned New Year's poems, and then told them to their wizard grandfather. Today, more and more often they order animators who do an excellent job of their role. New Year's Eve is a time of magic, so many perform various rituals to fulfill desires, find love, recover or enrich... Some of them resemble Christmas rituals.

The New Year's table is replete with a variety of dishes. It is customary to serve several types of side dishes, various salads, cuts and many snacks. In every family, the festive menu has its own characteristics, but it certainly contains traditional food:

• Olivier salad;
• herring under a fur coat;
• sandwiches with red caviar or fish;
• jellied fish;
• aspic:
• stuffed eggs;
• baked chicken or duck.

Of the sweets, tangerines, sweets and cookies must be on the table. As for drinks, champagne is considered traditional, which is drunk to the chimes.

A week before the New Year, according to tradition, Russian-speaking peoples decorate the house. First of all, they decorate the Christmas tree. Previously, sweets and fruits were used for this, but over time, glass and plastic toys, garlands, lanterns and multi-colored tinsel appeared. Figures of Santa Claus and Snegurochka, as well as gifts, are placed under a decorated Christmas tree.

Windows are usually decorated with artificial snow and snowflakes, which are drawn directly on the glass or cut out of paper. Russians are no less creative in their own New Year's outfits. There is still a tradition of throwing dress-up parties. Someone specially sews or rents a suit for this, while someone simply decorates their clothes with shiny tinsel, "rain", snowflakes and so on. Bengal lights, firecrackers and firecrackers are another important attribute of the New Year. They are set on fire or blown up exactly at midnight with happy laughter and loud congratulations.

New Year is a family holiday, so it is traditionally celebrated at home. As a rule, relatives gather at the older family members, cook together, set the table and begin their meal at midnight. The younger generation prefers to celebrate with friends, and for this they usually gather at someone's house or rent an apartment.

Those who do not like to arrange feasts at home and burden themselves with cooking and cleaning prefer to celebrate the New Year in entertainment establishments, for example, in a restaurant or in a club. In such places, the celebration is very fun and colorful, because a festive program with treats, dances and competitions is thought out in advance for the guests.

Wealthier Russians go on a trip for the New Year... Especially popular are warm countries and islands. However, there are those who prefer to celebrate in the mountains - they choose ski resorts.

New Year - this is not only a Christmas tree and a feast, but also gifts... As a rule, they give interesting things that symbolize this magical holiday, for example, souvenirs in the form of a symbol of the coming year or with its image. The most common options are cups, magnets, key rings, and postcards.

Traditionally, children are given sweets and toys, which they ask Santa Claus for in advance.For a woman they love, men usually choose jewelry, perfume or fur products, and in return they receive a good perfume, a set of tools, personal hygiene products or expensive accessories.

For the older generation, gifts should be more practical, so you should choose things that will be needed in everyday life. Just don't buy ultra-modern technology, since it will be difficult for pensioners to understand how to use it. A trainer, massager, electric kettle, dishes and kitchen utensils would be a good choice.

It is offensive for women to receive kitchen utensils as a gift, except for the expensive appliances they dreamed of. Men, in turn, do not like when they are presented with shower gel or shaving foam, the only exception can be a branded set of cosmetics.

In addition, if you show your imagination, you can make a present with your own hands, which will definitely be appreciated.

In the video you will find out why New Year's Eve is celebrated twice in Russia.