The time of the New Year holidays is the time of a beautiful, kind fairy tale that comes to every home at the end of every year with the onset of winter cold. How much do you know about the history of this holiday and the traditions of the New Year? Let’s also remember how we prepared exactly a year ago for the already outgoing Year of the Tiger
New Year always gives us hope for the best, gives us many gifts and pleasant emotions. During this period, we can easily feel like heroes of a fairy tale. We all remember our childhood, perceiving what is happening around us through the eyes of a child. Everyone so wants to believe in Father Frost and the Snow Maiden, who will certainly come to visit us, and that somewhere far away, in cold lands, there lives a beautiful The Snow Queen. Some will disagree with me, but in the soul this happens to everyone. And the New Year is to blame for everything - the time of fulfillment of the most cherished desires. The main thing is to tune in only to the good, the good, and all your wishes will come true
Celebrating the New Year carries the brightest feelings and is associated with hope, love and support. This holiday, like most others, has its roots in ancient times. On this day everyone gathers big cheerful company and celebrate the year so that the charm of New Year's Eve will be remembered for a very long time
The history of the New Year goes back about 25 centuries. The celebration of the New Year among ancient peoples usually coincided with the beginning of the revival of nature, and was mainly confined to the month of March. The resolution to count the New Year from the month of “Aviv” (i.e., ears of grain), which corresponds to our March and April, is found in the Law of Moses. Since March, the Romans also considered a new year, until the transformation of the calendar in 45 BC by Julius Caesar. The Romans made sacrifices to Janus on this day and began major events on it, considering it an auspicious day.
Only in 1700, Russian Tsar Peter I issued a decree to celebrate the New Year according to European custom - January 1. Peter invited all Muscovites to decorate their homes with pine and spruce flowers. Everyone had to congratulate their relatives and friends on the holiday. At 12 o'clock at night, Peter I went out onto Red Square with a torch in his hands and launched the first rocket into the sky. Fireworks began in honor of the New Year holiday. About three hundred years ago, people believed that by decorating the New Year tree, they made evil forces kinder. The evil forces have long been forgotten, but the tree is still a symbol of the New Year holiday.
And now a little about the traditions of celebrating this wonderful winter holiday.
New Year's winter holidays had a lot of rituals: people played games, sang songs and danced in circles. The Magi predicted the future, and the girls told fortunes about their betrothed. But, most importantly, everyone went to visit each other. So, entering the house during the holiday, on the table of our ancestors one could see pies in butter, dumplings, porridge with honey, goose stuffed with milk mushrooms and jelly. And after the meal, guests were always treated to the sweet drink suritsa.
But here are the basic rules that the ancient Slavs adhered to:
- Wear something new so that you can spend the whole year in new clothes;
- Throw away old things to cleanse your home and soul of all rubbish;
- Spend the first day of the new year cheerfully so that the whole year will be joyful;
- Prepare as many treats and delicacies as possible for the holiday table in order to live in abundance all year round;
- Do not borrow money for the New Year, pay off all debts so that you are no longer in debt.
Now New Year's celebration, is also full of various beliefs and traditions. In Italy, for example, they get rid of old things, and in Bulgaria, when people gather at the festive table, the lights in all houses are turned off for three minutes. These minutes are called "minutes of New Year's kisses", the secret of which is preserved by darkness. An integral part of the New Year is the New Year tree (in some countries this is an attribute of Christmas celebration) and Santa Claus - a fairy-tale character who New Year's Eve puts gifts under the tree for obedient children. There also appeared modern traditions New Year - use of pyrotechnic products: sparklers, firecrackers, rockets, fireworks, as well as New Year's message President to the people on television, New Year's concerts and films.
The tradition of decorating the Christmas tree dates back to pre-Christian times. This ritual has a deep ritual meaning: the festive spruce is a symbol of the World Tree, the so-called Axis of the World, connecting heaven and earth (according to popular belief, the spirits of ancestors live on its branches). Therefore, when decorating the tree with sweets, we present gifts to them. But all this applies only to living things growing in the ground. It was strictly forbidden to cut down the tree; you could only cut off the branches. What stops us from making garlands of dried fruits, baking cookies in the shape of birds, animals, houses and hanging them on a live Christmas tree in the forest, in the country house or in the park near the house? And when the holiday is over, birds and even small animals (if you decorated a Christmas tree in the forest) will enjoy the treats with pleasure. This way the tree can be saved from death and our little brothers can be fed.
What did our ancestors do to decorate their home during the New Year holidays?
They used everything they used in everyday life. In addition, the jewelry they invented carried the function of natural amulets. For this they used embroidered towels, men's and women's clothing, hats and scarves, tablecloths, curtains and bed linen. They painted the facades and gates of houses, doors, stoves, pottery and furniture. They collected brooms, wooden spoons, horseshoes, wreaths, braids of dried flowers, dried fruits, ears of corn, garlic and viburnum. It has long been known that those who were made relatives for each other had the greatest protective power.
Traditionally, the New Year holiday is considered a family holiday. Some people try to spend it in an atmosphere of home comfort and warmth, others, on the contrary, plan a celebration of a more cheerful and fiery nature, among friends, with a lot of energy, dancing and boundless fun. Some extreme sports fans are in a hurry to spend old year and meet the new one as brightly and dynamically as possible. Nowadays, celebrating the New Year on the top of a mountain or in a cave has become commonplace for thrill-seekers and challengers. History remembers people who celebrated this holiday in scuba gear on the seabed, while flying with a parachute. Everyone wants something unusual and memorable, they strive to surprise themselves and others. This is what makes the holiday of the change of year so wonderful.
We live in a time of birth of new traditions. Communication with the carriers of the old ones has long been lost. Create your own family traditions, which strengthens the connection of family members with nature and each other!
It will be true to say that the place where the New Year is celebrated is not as important as the company of people who will surround everyone during the celebration. Although, it is worth noting that the proper combination of venue, company selection and event planning will make every meeting of the Year a bright and colorful event. This is what will bring a little goodness, happiness and joy into the life of every person, and will also charge him with positivity for the coming year.
And now the year 2009 is almost over... The new year, 2010, is inevitably and excitingly approaching. And again, magical dreams and indescribable feelings of anticipation of extraordinary miracles and fabulous events await us. 2010 to eastern calendar- year of the metal Tiger. An old Burmese legend says that one day a Buffalo defeated a Tiger in a fight and laughed at him. Since then, the Tiger cannot stand Bulls (and Cows), therefore, when saying goodbye to 2009, one cannot praise him. But the New Year 2010 should be celebrated with respect and hope - this is what the Tiger likes. The tiger always goes forward, despises conventions, hierarchy and conservatism of the mind. The tiger is a sign of extraordinary action, unexpected situations and exceptional destiny. In any case, the year of the yellow metal Tiger is a year of outstanding personalities and a battle of the strongest human ambitions, a year of achievements and tests of the strength of a lifetime.
As astrologers note, the New Year 2010 should be celebrated under the auspices of hope and dignity. The tiger, similar in nature to the royal lion, loves this: admiration and exaltation, emphasizing its importance. He himself brings strength and action, power and ambition, while despising conservative rules and hierarchies built over decades. If you are an extraordinary person who is not afraid of tests of strength, this is your year. It foretells struggles and ups, grandiose battles and unattainable heights.
How to decorate a house? The decoration of the rooms and tables should contain things made of metal: silver dishes, metal trays, ceramic-metal jewelry. It’s better to make toys for the Christmas tree with your own hands and make secret wishes. And, although, of course, the main decoration of the apartment is an elegant Christmas tree, you can complement the festive atmosphere with green branches, making winter bouquets from them or New Year's compositions. The color scheme of decorative accessories should be dominated by white, black and yellow colors- “tiger color”.
Let's start with its decoration. This year one of the main attributes New Year's decor candles become. They should be two colors, the preferred range being stripes, gold, purple or pure white. Cover the table with a tablecloth and serve it with your best service, while not forgetting the symbolism of the approaching year. Place one large Tiger figure in the center or place several small ones between the dishes. You can buy napkins with the image of this animal - it will also turn out original.
In our country, perhaps the most favorite holiday is the New Year. Therefore, many inquisitive citizens have questions about its origin and formation. What does New Year mean?? Before continuing, I want to recommend some educational news, for example, what is Ramadan, what does the prefix Ex mean, what does the word Privatization mean?
In fact, such love for the New Year has special reasons, after all, every adult was at one time a child who wanted magic on a wonderful night, when all dreams come true and Grandfather Frost brings long-awaited gifts. So when did New Year start?
This holiday goes back to such depths of time that it’s even scary to imagine. Some researchers believe that the New Year was the first holiday celebrated by all of humanity. Historians have found mention of NG in ancient manuscripts dating back to 3000 BC. It turns out that the New Year was celebrated even in Mesopotamia, that is, these festivals took place about 5 thousand years ago.
New Year- this is one of the oldest and most popular holidays among all mankind
However, the first peoples who celebrated this event put a slightly different meaning into it than we do now. Holiday NG in the form to which we are accustomed arose in Ancient Egypt. However, it was not connected with the change of year, as such, but with the change of season, because at that time the Nile was the nurse of the entire country, and the September flood of this river was an extremely important event. Already in those distant times, people dressed in the most best clothes, danced to music and gave each other simple gifts.
As for January 1, this day became the first day of the New Year already under Julius Caesar. Under him, a new calendar was created, and this year was named in honor of the “two-faced” god Janus. If you find an image of this deity, you will find that his two heads look in different directions, as if symbolizing the past and the new year that is just emerging. It was during these happy times that the custom of decorating their homes arose.
However, the rest of the world did not notice that in the Roman Empire New Year came on January 1; other nations celebrated this holiday either at the beginning of spring or at the end of autumn, guided by agricultural periods. In our country, until the 15th century, New Year was celebrated on March 1, which seems quite reasonable. IN 1600 year, following fashion trends, it was decided to celebrate NG at the end of autumn, and after another hundred years, everything changed again, and Peter 1 ordered that, as in Europe, the New Year should be celebrated on January 1. Also, by his decree, folk festivities were organized on this day with fireworks.
However, this is only in Russia NG is considered the main holiday; throughout the Christian world, Christmas is considered more important. It is for this reason that all gifts are given on December 25, which greatly surprises tourists from Russia who are unfamiliar with such customs.
Although before the coup 1917 year, in Tsarist Russia, the most important holiday was the Nativity of Christ, and only during Soviet Russia it was banned as something old regime. So all my love and waiting better people moved to the New Year, which became a truly legendary event for every Soviet person. After Christmas was again allowed to be celebrated, Russian people received the longest weekend in the world, as much as 10 days.
As for our western neighbors, they are already January 2 they go to their disgusting work with curses, and Jews, Japanese and Chinese do not consider these days a holiday at all and work as usual.
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 start of the year was postponed 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.
The song What is New Year is great for having fun with in kindergarten.
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Usually the song is used at matinees, complementing the words with simple movements. The children dance around the Christmas tree, clap their hands, stomp their feet, and sway from side to side. What is New Year is worth listening to online in order to understand - the ease of performing the song and the simplicity of the words make it possible to use this musical composition even in junior groups. Let’s say that in nurseries you can simply walk around the Christmas tree to this song, and in older groups you can perform quick dances. The bright and catchy song will appeal to both very young and mature children of kindergarten age.
What is New Year's notes
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What is New Year text
These are berries and honey.
La-la-la-la-la-la-la!
This is all without exception -
From nuts to cookies -
New Year!
This is a friendly round dance,
La-la-la-la-la-la-la!
These are pipes and violins,
Jokes, songs and smiles -
This is what it means, this is what it means -
New Year!
This is what New Year means!
It's the arrival of the holiday!
La-la-la-la-la-la-la!
This is the laughter of merry friends,
This is dancing near the Christmas trees -
This is what it means, this is what it means -
New Year!
This is what New Year means!
This is what New Year means!
New Year's holiday
(historical and geographical excursion)
New Year- a holiday celebrated by many peoples in accordance with the accepted calendar, which occurs at the moment of transition from the last day of the year to the first day of the next year. The custom of celebrating the New Year already existed in Ancient Mesopotamia, presumably in the third millennium BC. The beginning of the year on January 1 was established by the Roman ruler Julius Caesar in 46 BC. In ancient Rome this day was dedicated Janus - to the god of choice, doors and all beginnings. The month of January got its name in honor of the god Janus, who was depicted with two faces: one looking forward and the other looking back.
Janus statue in Vatican
Most countries celebrate the New Year on January 1, the first day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. New Year's celebrations, taking into account standard time, always begin in the Pacific Ocean on the islands Kiribati. The islanders are the last to see off the old year. Midway in the Pacific Ocean. Some countries, such as China, celebrate New Year according to the lunar calendar.
As already mentioned, not all nations have a New Year's holiday on January 1st. So Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah(chapter of the year) is celebrated 163 days after Passover(no earlier than September 5 and no later than October 5). On this day, a ten-day period of spiritual self-deepening and repentance begins. The next 10 days until the day of judgment ( Yom Kippur) are called “days of teshuva” (“return” - meaning return to God). They are also called “days of repentance” or “days of trembling.” It is believed that on Rosh Hashanah the fate of a person for the year ahead is decided. On the Day of Judgment following the holiday, Jews greet each other with the wish: “ May you be recorded and subscribed to good year in the Book of Life!" Believers put on light clothes. During the holiday meal, it is customary to dip challah or an apple in honey.
Festive table served with traditional dishes on Rosh Hashanah
Traditional Chinese New Year is timed to coincide with the winter new moon at the end of the full lunar cycle, which took place after the winter solstice (that is, on the second new moon after December 21). In the Gregorian calendar, this corresponds to one of the days between January 21 and February 21. Chinese New Year, which after 1911 is literally called “Spring Festival”, has been the main and longest holiday in China and other East Asian countries since ancient times. In the north of the country on New Year's Eve ( Tet) a flowering peach branch is installed in the house, or the house is decorated with tangerine trees hung with orange fruits, symbolizing prosperity. During this period, peach and apricot trees, tangerines and almonds bloom. The streets are decorated with young flowering branches and simply bouquets of flowers. In the south of the country, on Tet they prefer to decorate their home with a blooming apricot branch, and apricot flowers must have five petals. In addition, southerners place watermelons on the altar, the sweet red flesh of which symbolizes good luck in the coming year.
In the evening, on New Year's Eve, mass dragon dances take place, in which all people, regardless of income, take part. The most magnificent processions and bright events are held at night. At dusk, bonfires are lit in parks, gardens or on the streets. Several families gather around each fire.
Until the 15th century in Rus', the new year began not from January, as now, but from March 1 (as in republican Ancient Rome) (in some varieties of the calendar, around this date, possibly on the nearest full moon), or from September 1, as in Byzantium , according to the Julian calendar. Since the 15th century, the predominant date for the New Year has been September 1. Information about the celebration of the New Year appears from the end of the 15th century. The Parisian Muscovite Dictionary (16th century) preserved the Russian name for the New Year holiday: First day of the year . Since 1700, by decree of Peter I, the New Year in Russia has been celebrated, as in other European countries, on January 1 (according to the Julian calendar). Since 1897, January 1 has become a non-working day in Russia. Since 1919, the New Year holiday in Russia began to be celebrated in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. From 1930 to 1947, January 1 was a regular working day in the USSR, and since 1947 it has again become a holiday and day off.
Soviet postage stamp
New Year's Eve is a very significant holiday. And it is accompanied by a variety of pop events, feasts, and folk festivities. According to tradition, the house is installed Christmas tree. In many countries they put it up for Christmas and call it a Christmas tree. The Christmas tree is dressed up and decorated with a variety of toys.
Of course, the New Year holiday cannot be complete without a fairy-tale (folklore) character. In the Christian world it is recognized as such Santa Claus(English: Santa Claus) is a Christmas grandfather who gives gifts to children on Christmas Day. And, although it is directly related only to the Christmas holidays, its presence on the New Year has also become a tradition. The name Santa Claus is a corruption of the Dutch transcription of the name St. Nicholas, whose memorial day is celebrated on December 6.
Santa Claus
In Russia, the fairy-tale character of East Slavic folklore is Father Frost. In Slavic mythology - the personification of winter frosts, a blacksmith who binds water. The collective image of Santa Claus is based on the hagiography of St. Nicholas, as well as descriptions of ancient Slavic deities Pozvizda, Zimnika And Korochuna. On New Year's Day, Father Frost gives children gifts, which he brings in a bag behind his back. Often depicted in a blue, silver or red fur coat, embroidered with patterns, in a hat, with a long white beard and a staff in his hand, wearing felt boots. He rides three horses, skis or walks.
