Today, most people attach great importance to such a great holiday as New Year. And this is not surprising, because the eve of the New Year is associated with gifts, frosty evenings and snow, as well as a decorated Christmas tree. But if you ask your parents or grandparents how the New Year came about, no one will really answer, because the holiday itself originated quite a long time ago.
In many countries around the world, New Year is considered one of the oldest holidays. Young children especially love it, as they expect to receive some kind of food on this day. interesting gift. For adults, this is a good reason to get together with your family or friends and have fun.
Where did the New Year first appear?
There are many different theories about where the new year came from. Some believe that the New Year was first celebrated in Babylon, others that it was invented in Mesopotamia, and still others in ancient Egypt. Many historians claim that the ancient Celts first began celebrating the New Year. Be that as it may, one thing must be admitted: initially the New Year was purely pagan holiday. On this day, people paid tribute to the evil and good spirits in whom they believed, and held festivities accompanied by food and fun.
In ancient Egypt, it was customary to celebrate the New Year in September. It was at this time that the Nile River overflowed its banks, which meant that a new agricultural season, so important for Egyptian farmers, began. It was at this time that it was customary to give each other gifts.
The ancient Celts considered the beginning of the next year to be the winter solstice. On this day, their whole families gathered in the forest near the Christmas tree, because they believed that this particular tree was endowed with magical powers. They believed that since spruce is an evergreen tree, it is not subject to any destructive forces, and a spirit lives in it, which must be appeased in order to have a bountiful harvest next year. To appease the spirit, people made sacrifices. As such, domestic animals were chosen, butchered, and their entrails were hung on spruce branches. Gradually, over the years, the animals were replaced with more humane offerings. The spruce was decorated with pieces of bread, apples and the like. A bouquet of ears of wheat was placed on the top of a green tree to appease the gods. Figures of people were placed under the tree to prevent diseases, various vegetables so that the new year would be fruitful, and much more. This tradition has taken hold among the people, so the New Year tree has become an invariable symbol of the holiday.
Time passed, and gradually the forest spruce began to be moved to warm houses, so as not to go into the cold and windy forest. The selected spruce was dug up and carefully replanted under the roof so that the tree remained alive and did not die. The tradition of cutting down spruce appeared much later. When the celebrations ended, the spruce was carefully replanted, as they still believed that the spirit lived in it.
How the New Year appeared in Russia
It is generally accepted that the New Year appeared in Russia thanks to Peter I. The Tsar loved everything new and foreign, and by his decree of 1699 he ordered to celebrate the New Year on January 1, as was already established among the Germans, so the New Year holiday officially appeared in our country. After the death of the emperor, they began to gradually forget about the celebration of the New Year; Christmas trees were put up less and less, and then mainly in drinking establishments. It was only in the late 1830s that Tsar Nicholas I revived this custom again. But, as it turned out, again not for long. Eighty years later, at the beginning of the First World War, the Christmas tree in Russia was removed again, because they believed that these were all German traditions and did not want to have anything to do with the warring side.
It was only in 1935 that the Soviet government managed to revive the New Year and the Christmas tree. The author of this idea was the Secretary of the Communist Party Pavel Postyshev. He relied on the argument that previously the New Year tree and the holiday in general were the lot of rich families, and the children of ordinary workers could only, sighing, watch this luxury only through the window. Postyshev believed that it would be fair to make the celebration of the New Year a generally accepted holiday, so that all the children of the country could enjoy what was previously available only to rich bourgeois families. The initiative was supported, and thanks to this, the New Year reappeared in Russia and has survived to this day.
Of course, the modern Christmas tree, toys and other New Year's items no longer have the meaning that people attached to them in ancient times. The customs of appeasing spirits are a thing of the past, and the New Year has become nothing more than the beginning of a new calendar year and a good reason to give gifts and get together for fun. However, the modern celebration of this celebration is very different in different countries and has its own local traditions, which are not accepted in Russia and the countries of the former USSR.
How to celebrate New Year in other countries
For example, in England, when the clock begins to strike at midnight, the back door is opened, as if thus releasing the old year. Then, with the final blow, the front doors open and the new year is invited into the house. In Spain, during the striking of the clock, everyone must have time to eat twelve grapes, according to the number of months of the outgoing year.In Scotland, on New Year's Eve, processions are organized through the streets of the city: lit barrels of tar are rolled in front of them. This symbolizes the “burning down” of the old year and lighting the way for the new one. But in Vietnam, instead of the usual Christmas tree, small tangerine trees are placed in the house, always with brightly colored fruits.
Italy has its own tradition: just before the New Year, people throw out old and no longer needed things and objects from all their windows. Italians believe that next year should be celebrated not only with an updated home interior, but also with new clothes. In Japan, in the first minute of the new year, everyone starts laughing loudly. The Japanese are sure that such cheerful laughter will certainly bring them good luck in the New Year.
In India, New Year is celebrated four times throughout the year - this is what they have national peculiarity. And in Cuba, on December 31, they pour water into all the vessels that are in the house. And when midnight comes, all the water begins to be poured out of the windows, thus wishing the new year a bright path, like water. These are just a few examples, but it is clear that the New Year is a very diverse holiday.
Perhaps someone will be surprised, but there are countries in which people do not celebrate the New Year at all. For example, in Saudi Arabia On the first of January, the usual everyday atmosphere reigns. The picture is the same in Israel. People also work there at this time, unless this day is Saturday. In Iran, people live according to their own Persian calendar, and March 21 is celebrated as Nowruz, or New Day. From this day the next year is counted there, and a similar picture is observed in some other Muslim countries.
However, how to celebrate the New Year and whether to celebrate it at all is something everyone chooses for themselves, but having told festive table the story of how the New Year holiday came to be will surprise most of your guests.
One way or another, today this is one of the most popular holidays, which many people love and look forward to.
Video about how the New Year appeared
By the way, for residents of Russian cities, New Year is the main winter holiday and is celebrated on January 1. However, there are exceptions among city residents who do not celebrate New Year. A real holiday for a believer is the Nativity of Christ. And before it is the strict Nativity Fast, which lasts 40 days. It begins on November 28 and ends only on January 6, in the evening, with the rising of the first star. There are even villages where all residents do not celebrate the New Year or celebrate it on January 13 (January 1, Julian style), after Lent and Christmas.
Now let's return to the history of New Year celebrations in Rus'
The celebration of the New Year in Rus' has the same complex fate as its history itself. First of all, all 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. There is no doubt that folk tradition, even after officially introduced changes in the calendar, preserved ancient customs for a long time.
Celebrating the New Year in pagan Rus'
How was it celebrated? New Year in pagan ancient Rus'- one of the unresolved and controversial issues in historical science. No affirmative answer was found at what time the year began.
The beginning of the New Year celebration should be sought in ancient times. Thus, among ancient peoples, the New Year usually coincided with the beginning of the revival of nature and was mainly confined to the month of March.
In Rus' there was a proleta for a long time, i.e. the first three months, and the summer month began in March. In honor of him, they celebrated Ausen, Ovsen or Tusen, which later moved to the new year. Summer itself in ancient times consisted of the current three spring and three summer months - the last six months consisted winter time. The transition from autumn to winter was blurred like the transition from summer to autumn. Presumably, originally in Rus' the New Year was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox March 22. Maslenitsa and New Year were celebrated on the same day. Winter has been driven away, which means a new year has arrived.
Celebrating the New Year after the Baptism of Rus'
Together with Christianity in Rus' (988 - Baptism of Rus'), a new chronology appeared - from the creation of the world, as well as a new European calendar - the Julian, with a fixed name for the months. The beginning of the new year began to be considered March 1.
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 carryover must be linked to an increasing value christian church in the state life of ancient Rus'. The strengthening of Orthodoxy in medieval Rus', the establishment of Christianity as a religious ideology, naturally causes the use of “holy scripture” as a source of reform introduced into the existing calendar. The reform of the calendar system was carried out in Rus' 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, following the word of the Holy Scriptures; Having established and substantiated it with a biblical legend, the Russian Orthodox Church has preserved this New Year's date until modern times as an ecclesiastical parallel to the civil New Year. In the Old Testament church, the month of September was celebrated annually, to commemorate peace from all worldly worries.
Thus, the New Year began on the first of September. This day became the feast of Simeon the First Stylite, which is still celebrated by our church and known among the common people under the name Semyon of the Summer Conductor, because on this day summer ended and the new year began. It was a solemn day of celebration for us, and the subject of analysis of urgent conditions, collection of quitrents, taxes and personal courts.
Innovations of Peter I in the celebration of the New Year
In 1699, Peter I issued a decree according to which they began to consider the beginning of the year 1st of January. This was done following the example of all Christian peoples who lived not according to the Julian, but according to the Gregorian calendar. Peter I could not completely transfer Rus' to the new Gregorian calendar, since the church lived according to the Julian calendar. However, the Tsar in Russia changed the calendar. If earlier years were counted from the creation of the world, now chronology starts from the Nativity of Christ. In a personal decree, he announced: “Now the year of Christ is one thousand six hundred and ninety-nine, and from next January, on the 1st day, the new year 1700 and a new century will begin.” It should be noted that the new chronology existed for a long time together with the old one - in the decree of 1699 it was allowed to write two dates in documents - from the Creation of the world and from the Nativity of Christ.
The implementation of this reform of the Great Tsar, which was so important, began with the fact that it was forbidden to celebrate in any way September 1, and on December 15, 1699, the beating of drums announced something important to the people who poured in crowds to Krasnaya square. A high platform was built here, on which the royal clerk loudly read the decree that Peter Vasilyevich commands “from now on, summers should be counted in orders and in all matters and fortresses written from the 1st of January from the Nativity of Christ.”
The king steadily ensured that New Year's celebration ours was no worse and no poorer than in other European countries.
In Peter's decree it was written: "...On large and thorough streets for noble people and at houses of deliberate spiritual and secular rank in front of the gates, make some decorations from trees and branches of pine and juniper... and for poor people, at least a tree or branch for the gate or place it over your temple..." The decree did not talk specifically about the Christmas tree, but about trees in general. At first they were decorated with nuts, sweets, fruits and even vegetables, and they began to decorate the Christmas tree much later, from the middle of the last century.
The first day of the New Year 1700 began with a parade on Red Square in Moscow. And in the evening the sky lit up with the bright lights of festive fireworks. It was from January 1, 1700 that folk New Year's fun and merriment gained recognition, and the celebration of the New Year began to have a secular (not church) character. As a sign of the national holiday, cannons were fired, and in the evening, multi-colored fireworks, never seen before, flashed in the dark sky. People had fun, sang, danced, congratulated each other and gave New Year's gifts.
After October revolution In 1917, the country's government raised the question of calendar reform, since most European countries had long switched to the Gregorian calendar, adopted by Pope Gregory XIII back in 1582, while Russia still lived according to the Julian calendar.
On January 24, 1918, the Council of People's Commissars adopted the "Decree on the introduction of the Western European calendar in the Russian Republic." Signed V.I. Lenin published the document the next day and came into force on February 1, 1918. It said, in particular: “...The first day after January 31 of this year should not be considered February 1, but February 14, the second day should be considered 15 -m, etc." Thus, Russian Christmas shifted from December 25 to January 7, and the New Year holiday also shifted.
Contradictions immediately arose with Orthodox holidays, after all, having changed the civil dates, the government did not touch church holidays, and Christians continued to live according to the Julian calendar. Now Christmas was celebrated not before, but after the New Year. But this did not bother the new government at all. On the contrary, it was beneficial to destroy the foundations of Christian culture. The new government introduced its own, new, socialist holidays.
In 1929, Christmas was cancelled. With it, the Christmas tree, which was called a “priestly” custom, was also abolished. New Year was cancelled. However, at the end of 1935, an article by Pavel Petrovich Postyshev “Let's organize a good Christmas tree for the children for the New Year!” appeared in the Pravda newspaper. A society that has not yet forgotten the beautiful and Holy holiday, responded quite quickly - Christmas trees and Christmas tree decorations went on sale. Pioneers and Komsomol members took upon themselves the organization and conduct Christmas 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.
old New Year
I would like to return once again to the change of calendars and explain the phenomenon of the Old New Year in our country.
The very name of this holiday indicates its connection with the old style of the calendar, according to which Russia lived until 1918, and switched to a new style by decree of V.I. Lenin. The so-called Old Style is a calendar introduced by the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar (Julian calendar). The new style is a reform of the Julian calendar, undertaken on the initiative of Pope Gregory XIII (Gregorian, or new style). From an astronomical point of view, the Julian calendar was not accurate and allowed for errors that accumulated over the years, resulting in serious deviations of the calendar from the true movement of the Sun. Therefore, the Gregorian reform was necessary to some extent.
The difference between the old and new styles in the 20th century was already plus 13 days! Accordingly, the day that was January 1 in the old style became January 14 in the new calendar. And the modern night from January 13 to 14 in pre-revolutionary times was New Year's Eve. Thus, by celebrating the Old New Year, we are, as it were, joining history and making a tribute to time.
New Year in the Orthodox Church
Surprisingly, the Orthodox Church lives according to the Julian calendar.
In 1923, on the initiative of the Patriarch of Constantinople, a meeting of the Orthodox Churches was held, at which a decision was made to correct the Julian calendar. Due to historical circumstances, the Russian Orthodox Church was unable to take part in it.
Having learned about the meeting in Constantinople, Patriarch Tikhon nevertheless issued a decree on the transition to the “New Julian” calendar. But this caused protests and unrest among the church people. Therefore, the resolution was canceled less than a month later.
The Russian Orthodox Church states that at present it does not face the question of changing the calendar style to Gregorian. “The overwhelming majority of believers are committed to preserving the existing calendar. The Julian calendar is dear to our church people and is one of the cultural features of our life,” said Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, secretary for inter-Orthodox relations of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.
The Orthodox New Year is celebrated on September 14 according to today's calendar or September 1 according to the Julian calendar. In honor of the Orthodox New Year, prayer services are held in churches for the New Year.
The history of the New Year holiday is quite interesting. The modern celebration is rightfully considered one of the most popular among the people. In addition, traditional feasts and mandatory weekends, which provide the opportunity not only to take a walk, but also to relax, contribute to the popularity of the holiday. Long before January 1 approaches, colorful garlands and decorations transform familiar surroundings into a fairy tale, which invariably brings joy to both children and adults. Just what do we know about its origin, what is the history of the New Year in Russia? This article is devoted to this issue.
How it all began
What is the origin story of the holiday? The New Year's roots go back to the times of the Holy Roman Empire. In particular, the Romans timed the beginning of the New Year to March and successfully celebrated it until 45 BC. It was customary to make sacrifices to Janus, as well as give each other various gifts. Moreover, special attention was paid to gifts from the powers that be - officials and patricians.
With the first month of spring, the countdown of new time began for the Jews, which can be traced in the Old Testament (the laws of Moses). Their holiday was not much different from the Roman one, apparently for the reason that the Jews were conquered by the Romans, were under their rule for a long time and gradually adopted customs.
New Year in Rus'
Rus' has its own interesting history of the holiday. New Year was celebrated here according to folk traditions. The life cycle of the Slavs before the adoption of Christianity was directly related to nature and the change of seasons. It is not surprising that the origin story of the New Year was connected with the spring equinox. When else to start counting down the days, if not with the arrival of spring and the awakening of all living things after winter sleep.
At the end of the 10th century, along with Christianity, Kievan Rus also adopted a new chronology - according to the Julian calendar. From now on, the year began to be divided into 12 months, which received their names accordingly weather conditions. And for another 4 centuries, the new year began on March 1.
From spring to autumn
The history of the New Year in Russia had another important stage. By the end of the 14th century, the decision was finally ripe to abandon the Constantinople calendar and switch to the Byzantine calendar, created simultaneously with the baptism of Kievan Rus. In 1492, by decree of Grand Duke John Vasilyevich III, it was ordered to begin celebrating this important day on September 1. Also at this time, the quitrent was collected, and the king received complainants, both nobles and peasants. Ceremonial events were held in the Kremlin, and the ruler was required to venerate icons and the Gospel.
However, it is worth noting that ordinary people were indifferent to the innovation, and the New Year continued to coincide with the spring equinox. Thus, Christianity was intricately intertwined with pagan rituals and actions, creating a special picture of the holidays.
The genius of Peter I
The history of the modern New Year in Russia began with the arrival of Peter I. Without a doubt, the first emperor was an outstanding personality and reformer who significantly transformed the country. Therefore, it is not surprising that European customs influenced the celebration of the New Year. Since in England, France, and Germany the year started on January 1, the new century in Russia began on the same day. Earlier, in 1699, a decree was promulgated to shift the date of the celebration. And already on the night of January 1, 1700, the empire began to live in a new way. By the way, the Russian New Year still did not coincide with the European one. Europe already lived according to the Gregorian calendar.
However, since the emperor ordered from now on to celebrate the New Year in January, then so be it. It was more expensive to disobey the wayward ruler, so they had to celebrate, set off fireworks and put up Christmas trees decorated in the Western style. By the way, it is interesting that the forest beauties were dressed up not as toys, but as sweets, nuts, and apples. After Peter’s death, they stopped putting up Christmas trees altogether, leaving them only in taverns. And the symbol of the holiday continued to be pine and birch branches.
For several years, it was customary to celebrate the New Year in the old capital, Moscow. However, in 1704, the official part of the holiday moved to St. Petersburg, the city of the emperor.
However, the history of the Russian New Year was of little concern to the peasants, who for a long time continued to celebrate the holiday in September, on the day of St. Simeon the Flyer. But there was a ritual dinner with a traditional roasted pig.
"The Forest Raised a Christmas Tree…"
When did the Christmas tree appear at the holiday? Today we can’t even imagine the New Year without her. It appeared relatively recently - some couple of centuries ago. As mentioned above, after the death of the first emperor, the tradition of displaying a fluffy beauty did not take root, and the holiday itself was largely popularized solely through the efforts of monarchs. In particular, Catherine the Great introduced a masquerade ball, which became a kind of guarantee of a successful celebration.
It is not known for certain when they started decorating the Christmas tree for the holiday again. According to one version, this custom was introduced by the Prussian Princess Charlotte, the wife of Emperor Nicholas I, who converted to Orthodoxy under the name of Alexandra Feodorovna. With her light hand in 1818, a Christmas tree was set up in the Moscow palace, and a year later in St. Petersburg.
According to the second version, the Russified Germans were the first to put up a Christmas tree in the 40s of the same century. There were quite a lot of them living in St. Petersburg at that time. Soon, Christmas trees appeared in the homes of famous and wealthy citizens.
At that time, fluffy beauties were placed on Christmas Eve and decorated according to the German model - with the obligatory Star of Bethlehem on top. In addition, apples, nuts, ribbons, candies, and candles acted as decorations. Toys with Christmas symbols and glass balls appeared later. In addition, in rich families they could decorate the tree with jewelry, drape luxurious fabric. Well, what is a holiday without gifts? Children received sweets, teenagers received books and clothes, girls received flowers, albums, and shawls.
In the same 40s, the tree, which represents the New Year, appeared on sale everywhere, becoming available not only to a select circle of those in power, but also to poor officials who also wanted to please their households. Fortunately, the time allotted for the celebration gradually lengthened: from one day to several, or even until Epiphany itself. Walk like that! The arrival of January is still associated with the long Christmas and New Year holidays.
First public Christmas tree
This has now become a tradition to organize various New Year's parties and decorate squares of settlements, private and municipal buildings with live or artificial trees. A century and a half ago, everything was different. The first public Christmas tree appeared only in 1852 in the building of the Ekateringofsky station (St. Petersburg). Later, the Russian New Year was enriched with charitable Christmas trees for the poor, and ladies from rich and noble families took an active part in their organization. By the way, the brothers Alfred and Ludwig Nobel, who had their own interests in the empire, also organized holidays for the children of St. Petersburg workers.
New Year cards
In 1897, the publishing house “Community of St. Eugenia” (St. Petersburg) published the first illustrated cards dedicated to the New Year holidays. Such famous artists as Vasnetsov, Repin, Benois, Bilibin, Makovsky had a hand in their creation. Moreover, Christmas cards differed from New Year’s cards in their subject matter. The theme of the first was scenes from the Bible, associated, respectively, with the birth of Jesus. The second ones were exclusively secular, with images of carnivals, clocks, couples in love, dances, etc.
The most popular New Year's song, “A Christmas tree was born in the forest,” also appeared in Tsarist Russia - with the light hand of Raisa Kudasheva. The poem was published in the magazine “Malyutka” in 1903, and the music for it was written by composer Leonid Bekman.
When did Santa Claus appear?
This fairy-tale character, a kind old man with a thick beard and a constant bag of gifts, first came to the New Year in 1910. However, it finally took root only in the Land of the Soviets. This is not surprising, given that the prototype of the good grandfather was not the good spirit of the cold, Studenets (aka Treskun, Frost). The stern old man from the mythology of the Eastern Slavs used a magic staff to punish naughty children. Moreover, it was customary to please this spirit with various gifts or sacrifices, asking not to destroy the harvest.
But the Snow Maiden is an exclusively literary character, who appeared in the play of the same name by Alexander Ostrovsky in 1873. The girl fashioned from snow was the daughter of Spring and Frost.
Father Frost “comes” for the New Year from Veliky Ustyug, where his property is supposedly located. The homeland of the Snow Maiden’s granddaughter is considered to be the village of Shchelkovo in the Kostroma region, where the house-museum of A. Ostrovsky is located.
Turn of the century holiday
The history of the New Year in Russia at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries is notable not for noisy celebrations, but for the skillful moves of enterprising businessmen. So, it was in 1900 that the magazine “ New Age", French champagne "End of the Century" appeared, as well as a series of perfumes from the Moscow factory named after Ostroumov.
New Year's holidays were celebrated noisily in 1901. Three orchestras played at once in the Moscow Manege, showed the play “World Review” and dioramas depicting the most important events of the 19th century. In addition, holiday prayer services were held in all city churches.
Thus, the history of the New Year holiday in the Russian Empire went through several stages of formation. The final chord came in 1914, when, in the wake of anti-German sentiment caused by the First World War, the Synod forbade the installation of a Christmas tree, calling this idea hostile and alien to the Russian Orthodox people.
New Year and the USSR
Almost until the end of the First World War, the huge empire continued to live according to the Julian calendar, stubbornly ignoring the Gregorian calendar adopted by all of Europe back in 1582. Therefore, the issue of transition became acute after the October Revolution of 1917 and was soon resolved. In 1919, a new countdown began for the country.
In particular, the New Year, the date of which fell on the Nativity Fast according to the old style, finally began to organize the church. Previously, she was extremely dissatisfied with noisy holidays during the required abstinence. And with the transition, an additional holiday was added, which foreigners are so often surprised by - the old New Year. The date of celebration of the latter is the night of January 13-14.
By the way, as for foreigners, they are really very surprised by this “incomprehensible” holiday. He seems mysterious and enigmatic to them, just like the Russian soul. Although in popular resorts everyone is already accustomed to the fact that we celebrate the New Year twice. In Turkey, for example, hotel administrators are trying to “make a business” out of this by throwing parties. Only other visitors to the resorts, in particular Europeans, are surprised.
It is noteworthy that after the February Revolution, the Provisional Government had no time for New Year celebrations, but now the Council of People's Commissars recognized the holiday as counter-revolutionary. True, they immediately came up with a replacement for it in the form of the “Red Blizzard,” which symbolized the beginning of the revolution.
However, it was soon canceled too. After the death of Lenin, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin first simply forbade putting up Christmas trees, considering them a manifestation of anti-Soviet sentiment, and then completely left only two holidays for the big country - May 1 and November 7. By the way, the leader himself never wished the people Happy New Year; this tradition appeared much later.
The tree was rehabilitated in the mid-30s by Postyshev. Already in 1936, a festive tree was installed in the Hall of Columns of the House of Unions, and two years later even a special form was issued, which described how to properly decorate a spruce. In particular, Star of Bethlehem replaced with a five-pointed one and always red. And traditional toys were generously diluted with symbols of the new era - figurines of pioneers, hammer and sickle, even members of the Politburo. In 1937 the first New Year cards, all with the same five-pointed red star.
After the end of World War II, in 1947, the first of January finally became a day off, and the population of the vast country became addicted to “Soviet champagne,” which appeared back in 1928. During the reign of Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, the holiday began to be celebrated on a larger scale, and the main Christmas tree of the USSR, the Kremlin, was also lit. In 1962, “Blue Light” was first released.
The tradition of delivering a New Year's address from television was introduced by Leonid Brezhnev in 1976, and then Mikhail Gorbachev successfully adopted it. Interesting story about the New Year is associated with the greeting dated December 31, 1991. For the first (and so far only) time, it was not the head of state who delivered a greeting and parting words, but Mikhail Zadornov, a famous writer and satirist. Moreover, he did not make it in the allotted time, so the chimes had to wait. The satirist still often recalls this event and talks about it at his concerts.
What now
Then the honorary mission passed to the new president, Boris Yeltsin. And in 1999, he gave the Russians an unexpected “gift” by announcing live that he was handing over the reins of power to V. Putin. From then to the present day, Russians have been congratulated by Vladimir Vladimirovich, who was replaced in the presidential chair only once for 4 years by Medvedev.
As you can see, the history of the origin of the New Year has gone through many stages and changes over the centuries of its existence. Celebration dates and traditions shifted, new symbols and characters appeared, and old ones faded into obscurity. This is the history of the holiday. New Year in our country remains a solemn event. And on December 31st we continue to wait for a small miracle.
Traditions changed, the holiday was celebrated in different days but always remained important event. This is the story of the New Year in Russia. Today, every child hopes that the kind Grandfather Frost will put a gift for him under the Christmas tree. And he runs early in the morning to check, sincerely rejoicing at what he discovered. Well, adults understand that only they themselves can make their loved ones happy by giving something for the holiday. However, deep down in their souls, there is a spark of hope that one day on the eve of the celebration something wonderful, special and long-awaited will happen.
Friends, let's bring joy to our loved ones more often! Let small but soul-pleasant miracles visit our homes not only on New Year’s Eve. Thanks to them, our life will become brighter, warmer and more pleasant. And a smile will more often illuminate our faces, play kindly on our lips and glow with sparkles in our eyes. Do something nice for your loved ones right now, give them some of your time, especially those whom you see infrequently. After all, life is short, another opportunity may not present itself.
New Year is the most wonderful and favorite holiday for each of us. How did the tradition of its celebration begin and how is it celebrated in different countries? We want to talk about all this in our article.
history of the holiday
The history of the New Year goes back to ancient times. This holiday is now celebrated by people according to the modern calendar. This happens when the last day of the year passes and the first day of the new year begins. An interesting fact is that the custom of celebrating the New Year was already in the 3rd millennium BC in Ancient Mesopotamia. The date of the first New Year was set by Julius Caesar. It was he who chose the day from which all other days were counted. The event took place in 46 BC. e. This date was the first day of January. By the way, the month of January got its name in honor of the god Janus.
Most people celebrate New Year's Eve on the first of January, because this day is the first according to the Gregorian calendar. Taking into account standard time, the first to celebrate are the inhabitants of the little-known islands of Kiribati, located in the Pacific Ocean. And the last to be marked is Midway Island, in the Pacific Ocean. But some countries celebrate the holiday, such as the Chinese, according to the lunar calendar.
Jewish Rosh Hashanah comes 163 days after Passover. It is believed that this day decides human destiny for the entire next year. But the Chinese New Year is associated with the winter new moon. According to the Gregorian calendar, this date falls between January 21 and February 21. Chinese New Year has been the most celebrated since 1911 significant holiday in China and other Eastern countries. Moreover, in translation its name sounds like “Spring Festival”. At this time, houses put flowering peach branches in vases or decorate the premises with tangerine trees hung with fruits.
New Year in Rus' in pagan times
The history of the New Year in Rus' is one of the most controversial issues in science. The origins of the holiday should be sought in ancient times. The answer to the question of when the New Year was celebrated and from what moment the time was counted has not yet been found. In ancient times, many peoples associated the beginning of the year with the period of the rebirth of nature. Basically, the beginning of the year was timed to March.
In Rus' for a long time there was a proleta - March, April and March. It is believed that, most likely, the New Year was celebrated on March 22, on the day of the spring equinox. It turns out that Maslenitsa and New Year were celebrated on the same day, because with the passing of winter, a new countdown began.
Changes that came after the baptism of Rus'
The situation changed with the arrival of Christianity in Rus'. After this event, a new chronology appeared, which starts from the creation of the world. In its turn, new calendar was called Julian. The names of the months were fixed in it. And the first of March began to be considered a new year.
At the end of the fifteenth century, the Orthodox Church moved the start date of the year to the first of September in accordance with the Council of Nicaea. Such changes were associated with the increasing influence of the Christian Church on the life of Rus' at that time. The calendar reform was carried out without any consideration of the rhythm of working life ordinary people, without connecting it with agricultural plantings and work. NG in September was based on biblical stories. And so it happened that the beginning of the year fell on the first of September. This date began to be celebrated as Simeon's day - the period of the end of summer and the beginning of the new year.
Innovations of Peter I
Peter I carried out the reform in 1699. A decree was issued that the first of January should be considered the beginning of the year. This was done in accordance with the way all Christian peoples who used the Gregorian calendar lived. However, Peter I was unable to completely switch to the Gregorian calendar, since the church used the Julian calendar, as before. And yet in Russia the chronology was changed. If earlier it was traced from the creation of the world, then later it was traced from the Nativity of Christ. In fairness, it is worth noting that for a long time both chronologies existed in parallel. The decree of Peter I allowed the use of two dates in documents for convenience.
New holiday concept
The innovations of Peter I were of extraordinary importance. The Tsar completely banned any celebrations of the first of September. He strictly ensured that NG in Russia was no poorer or worse than in European countries. Since then they began to appear new year traditions. Interesting facts about the New Year are recorded even in Peter’s decrees. The Tsar ordered to decorate the trees and gates of houses along large streets with pine and juniper branches. The decree did not talk about the Christmas tree, it talked about trees in general. But the beginning of the appearance of the main symbol of the New Year had already been made. Trees were first decorated with fruits, nuts, candies and even vegetables. But they started decorating the Christmas tree for the New Year much later - in the middle of the last century.
Thanks to innovations, the first of January 1700 began with a bright procession on Red Square in Moscow. And in the evening the sky was painted with colorful lights of festive fireworks. It was since 1700 that New Year's fun was universal recognition. And the celebration of the New Year itself began to have a general folk character, and not a church one. In honor of such a day, cannons were fired, and in the evenings they traditionally admired beautiful fireworks. People danced, sang, congratulated each other and gave gifts. We don’t even know many interesting facts about the New Year, because we don’t even think about the fact that the history of the holiday has such long and deep roots.
Calendar change
After the revolution of 1917, the government raised the question of the need to reform the calendar. Indeed, at that time, most European countries switched to using the Gregorian calendar, which was adopted by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. Russia at that time still used the Julian calendar. This is how the phenomenon of the Old and New Years in Russia appeared - another interesting fact about the New Year.
The very name of the holiday already speaks of its connection with the old calendar style according to which Russia lived before 1918. The country switched to a new style by Lenin's decree. The old style is nothing more than the ancient Julian calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar. The new style is a reformed version of the old calendar. The changes were carried out on the initiative of Pope Gregory XIII. The reform was needed because of the astronomical inaccuracies of the calendar, which accumulated over the years and gave significant deviations from the true movement of the star. Therefore, we can say that the Gregorian reform was scientifically substantiated. In the twentieth century, the difference between styles was thirteen days.
This means that the day, which according to the old calendar was considered the first of January, has in fact already become the fourteenth of January. It turns out that in pre-revolutionary times the night from January 13 to 14 was New Year's Eve. Celebrating the old New Year, people get involved in history and pay tribute to time.
Orthodox Church
An interesting fact is that the Orthodox Church continues to live according to the Julian calendar. Back in 1923, a meeting of the Orthodox Churches was held, where it was decided that it was necessary to make some corrections in the Julian calendar. Due to certain circumstances, there were no representatives of the Russian Church at this meeting. Having learned about the changes that had been adopted, Patriarch Tikhon issued a decree to switch to a new calendar. However, the decree was soon canceled due to protests from the church people. And at present there is no question of changing the calendar in the Russian Orthodox Church.
How is New Year celebrated in different countries?
To be fair, it is worth saying that the New Year holiday, like no other, is incredibly loved by people. Moreover, each nation has its own special traditions for celebrating New Year. Sometimes there are completely incredible customs or even extravagant ones. How is New Year celebrated in different countries? It is physically impossible to talk about the traditions that exist in different countries. But it’s worth telling about the most interesting ones.
Well, who among us doesn’t like to decorate the Christmas tree for the New Year? Meanwhile, this tradition originated a long time ago in Germany, back in the Middle Ages. And later it spread almost throughout the world. In general, the Germans believe that their Santa Claus always rides a donkey, and therefore children put hay in their shoes to please the animal.
But the ancient Vietnamese sincerely believed that the New Year would come to them on the back of a carp. Therefore, there is still a custom in the country to purchase live carp and release the fish into the river. The main symbol of the New Year in Vietnam is a blossoming peach branch. They decorate their homes with them and also give them to each other.
Many of us love to give cards on holiday eve. But not everyone knows where this tradition came from. It turns out that this custom originated in England. An obligatory ritual for a festive night is celebrating the New Year. They let him into the house through the front doors, but before that they certainly see off the old year through the back doors. In England, on New Year's Eve, lovers kiss under a sprig of mistletoe, but this must be done precisely while the bells are ringing. It is believed that the observance of such a ritual should forever strengthen the future relationship of the couple.
As for Sweden, it was in this country that they first began to decorate the Christmas tree with real glass toys. It is customary here to turn on bright lighting for the holiday. But the French generally celebrate the holiday quite extravagantly. On New Year's Day they bake a pie with a bean hidden in it. Whoever finds it will become the bean king. And everyone else must fulfill his wishes on the festive night.
In the USA, back in 1895, the White House was decorated for the first time with an electric garland. Since then, this tradition has spread to many countries. It’s interesting, but on New Year’s Eve Americans don’t give gifts and don’t gather around the table. They do all this at Christmas.
But the Finns are more like us in this regard. They celebrate not only Christmas, but also the New Year itself. It was from them that the tradition of melting wax and dipping it in water came about, and then, based on the outlines of the figures, making assumptions about what awaits them in the new year.
In Italy, festivities begin only on January 6th. At this time, Italians try to get rid of unnecessary and old things. They throw away furniture and utensils that they no longer need. But children look forward to the holiday with special delight, since on the festive night a fairy fairy comes to every home. She opens doors with her golden key and fills children's stockings with sweets and gifts. Only obedient children receive rewards. And instead of sweets, bullies and brawlers receive only a pile of ash and coal.
Venetians tend to go to Saint-Marc Square on New Year's Eve. There, couples in love celebrate the holiday and kiss. This unusual tradition appeared not so long ago, but quickly took root among young people.
Very interesting tradition exists in Scotland. There, on New Year's Eve, lit barrels of tar are rolled through the streets. It is believed that this in an original way Local residents say goodbye to the old year and invite the new one into the house.
But in Colombia, during the holidays, the Old Year walks the streets on stilts. He makes people laugh and tells kids funny stories. At night people set off fireworks. And on the eve of the holiday, a parade of dolls parades through the streets. These are the traditions of celebrating the New Year that exist in the world.
New year in Russia
When discussing interesting facts about the New Year, it is worth remembering our holiday traditions. This holiday has been celebrated in Russia for more than 300 years. The main symbol is Father Frost, who congratulates children with his assistant Snegurochka. From the first days of December, festive characters attend all kinds of matinees and events to please the kids. The children lead round dances, recite poems and sing songs, for which they then receive gifts from Grandfather Frost. NG for children is the most bright holiday, because at this time magic reigns all around, starting from decorating a wonderful Christmas tree and ending with the long-awaited gifts under it.
Wizard's Residence
Since 1998, our Grandfather Frost has lived in a town called Veliky Ustyug. This is where his famous residence is located. Numerous guests come to the wizard from all over the country, and not only at the end of December. All children know that November 18 is the birthday of Santa Claus. And of course, the wizard celebrates his holiday by organizing magnificent festivities at the residence. No one knows exactly how old he is. However, it is known that more than 2000 years. Santa Claus's birthday is a special date. It was invented by the children themselves, because it is on this day that winter comes into its own in Veliky Ustyug and real frosts set in.
Celebrations are especially magnificent in the wizard’s homeland. Not only adults and children, but also fabulous colleagues from different countries come to congratulate grandfather.
At the wizard’s residence there are many assistants, among whom, as already mentioned, is the Snow Maiden. They are the ones who help Grandfather Frost read all the magical letters from children that come to his fabulous mail. Every child knows that the wizard will not ignore his request and will try to fulfill his cherished desire. Sometimes there are very touching letters that bring tears to the eyes of not only Santa Claus, but also his assistants.
IN last years A fairly new tradition for our country has emerged to celebrate St. Nicholas Day. On holiday, all children look under the pillow for sweets, which the wizard leaves at night while the kids are sleeping.
It is worth noting that Russia has its own unshakable New Year traditions that have been revered for many years - a glass of champagne during the chime, a festive tree with garlands and balls, Olivier salad, sparklers, firecrackers and much more. It’s hard to imagine a holiday without all these attributes. The main tradition is to celebrate the holiday well and cheerfully, because there is even a saying: “The way you celebrate New Year’s Eve is how you will spend it.” That's why New year's night- this is a magnificent feast, laughter and fun. Lush celebrations with songs and dances are usually held on the streets.
But the celebration doesn't end there. After all, ahead of people awaits Christmas and Old New Year, which has remained a holiday for the people. Of course, it is not celebrated as magnificently and richly as the New Year itself, but traditions are still respected, and therefore on this evening people also gather at the table.
It is difficult to find a person who would be indifferent to the New Year holidays! The love for this magical night is ingrained in everyone from early childhood. Everyone associates New Year with gifts, sweets, fun and good mood! But few people know why the calendar year begins on January 1. Meanwhile, the history of this holiday is rich and interesting.
Why is New Year celebrated on the first of January?
New Year is one of the oldest holidays, but the world still does not have a single start date for the year. Different peoples record time from different periods, and in some countries there is no fixed date at all, and chronology is based on the lunar calendar.
In pre-Christian times this important holiday Many peoples celebrated on the day of the winter solstice. In Rus', until the 10th century, the beginning of the new year was celebrated on days close to the spring equinox. Celebrating the birth of the year in the spring was natural - people rejoiced at the end of the long winter, the addition of days, and the new harvest.
With the advent of Christianity (988-989), Rus' switched to the Julian calendar. Since then, the beginning of the year began to be celebrated on the first day of spring, considered the day of the birth of the world. At the same time, the year was divided into 12 months and each of them was given its own name, corresponding to natural phenomena.
In 1492, the start date of the year was moved to September 1. The corresponding decree was signed by John the Third. To create a festive mood among the people, the sovereign organized a magnificent celebration in the Kremlin, to which everyone was invited. On this day, any ordinary person could approach the king and ask him for help, which the ruler almost never refused. The last time the New Year was celebrated in this format in Rus' was in 1698, then the sovereign gave each guest an apple and affectionately called him brother.
Russians owe the fact that the New Year holiday falls on January 1 to the great reformer Peter the Great - it was he who, by decree “On the Reform of the Calendar in Russia,” ordered the New Year celebration to be moved to the generally accepted day in Europe. By decree of the king, all residents of large and small cities were supposed to joyfully celebrate the holiday, congratulate each other and give gifts. The Emperor gave the order exactly at midnight to launch the first rocket, thus congratulating everyone gathered on Red Square on the New Year 1700.
Since 1897, January 1 has become an official non-working day in Russia. This was enshrined in a corresponding decree and applied to all workers in factories, factories and other industries.
After power in the country fell into the hands of the Bolsheviks, the beginning of the year began to be celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar. Thus, the holidays fell during the period of fasting, which made them uninteresting for Christians. The communists also did not really celebrate the New Year, Christmas trees were banned in the country, and public festivities were not approved. In the period from 1930 to 1947, this day was a typical working day and only in 1947 it was returned to the status of a weekend.
For a long time, only January 1 was considered a holiday in the Soviet Union, and a two-day weekend was established in 1992. Russians received even more holidays in 1995 - then a decree was issued on a five-day New Year holiday, which actually extended the January holiday to 8-10 days. In 2013 to holidays were counted on January 6 and 8.
Where did Santa Claus come from?
The image of Santa Claus appeared much earlier than the New Year celebration. In Russian folklore, the keeper of the cold was most often angry and unfriendly. After the beginning of the year was moved to winter time, the frost lord received a new role - he began to give gifts and bring a holiday to people of all ages.
Modern Father Frost has his own birthday - November 18 and his own home, which is located in Veliky Ustyug. Now he receives requests for gifts by email and transmits his coordinates via satellite navigation system.
History of the New Year tree
A Christmas tree decorated with toys and garlands is the main symbol of the New Year, without which it is difficult to imagine a fun and tasty holiday. Decorating spruce trees was customary in ancient times, when the beginning of the year was celebrated on the day of the spring solstice. Then the Slavs sang songs near the Christmas trees, performed round dances and danced.
In Russia, the coniferous beauty appeared in 1700; as you might guess, this elegant custom was introduced by Peter the Great. However, only by the middle of the 19th century the holiday tree spread throughout the country and became a people's favorite, representing not only the New Year, but also the Nativity of Christ. In 1920, the Bolsheviks banned decorating coniferous trees, classifying this custom as a religious relic. Only in 1936 did the spruce return legally, and its top began to be decorated with a symbolic five-pointed star.
