Russian traditions of celebrating the New Year. New Year traditions and rituals

We think that New Year always celebrated. However, it is not. The history of this holiday dates back at least 25 centuries.

This custom first appeared in Mesopotamia (Mesopotamia). According to some scientists, it was here, in the ancient civilization of the Sumerians, that they began to celebrate the New Year for the first time (in the third millennium).

The New Year became firmly established in the life of the ancient Babylonians. All agricultural work began at the end of March, after the water in the Tigris and Euphrates arrived. For 12 days, a solemn event was celebrated - the onset of the time of victory of the bright god Marduk over the forces of destruction and death. The holiday was accompanied by processions, carnivals and masquerades. At this time, it was forbidden to work, punish, or hold court.

How did the Slavs learn about this ancient holiday?
Scientists have proven that the Jews, who were in Babylonian captivity (during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar), borrowed this story and included it in the Bible. Tradition from the Jews New Year's celebration passed to the Greeks, and through them to the peoples of Western Europe.

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. The New Year brings us hope for the best and gives us many gifts. At this time, we begin to feel like heroes of a fairy tale. A child awakens in each of us, we begin to perceive what is happening through children's eyes, although we have long since grown up. But we also want to believe in Father Frost and the Snow Maiden, who will definitely come to our house someday. To believe that somewhere far away, in the endless expanses dominated by snow and ice, lives the beautiful Snow Queen. You may not agree with me, but in the soul this happens to everyone. And the New Year is to blame for it all - the time when the most important cherished desires and dreams. We just need to believe in the good, the good, and everything will work out for us.

Celebrating the New Year carries the most joyful feelings and is associated with peace, love and mutual understanding. This holiday, like many others, has its roots in ancient times. On this day, the closest people gather. Charm New Year's Eve everyone will remember for a long time.

In Russia The New Year began to be celebrated by decree of Peter the Great on January 1, 1700. Previously, the beginning of the new year was celebrated on September 1. This holiday with a Christmas tree (although under Peter the Great the Christmas tree was not decorated, but paws and twigs), decorations, and carnivals were very much loved by the Russian people. Now this is one of our favorite holidays. Did you know that earlier, instead of a Christmas tree, other trees were decorated. These were cherries specially grown in tubs. Previously, people believed that all trees were endowed with good powers, that good spirits lived in them. And by hanging treats and gifts on the trees, they tried to appease these spirits. Well, the evergreen spruce occupied a special place among all trees. She was the sacred center, the “world tree,” symbolizing life itself and a new rebirth from darkness and gloom. Previously, instead of toys, various fruits were hung on trees, for example:
apples - a symbol of fertility
nuts - the incomprehensibility of divine providence
eggs are a symbol of developing life, harmony and complete well-being.

As is known, custom of decorating a home spruce branches , came from Peter the Great. In the 30s of the 19th century, Christmas trees were put up for the holiday only in the houses of St. Petersburg Germans. By the end of the 19th century, Christmas trees became the main decoration of both city and country houses, and in the 20th century they were inseparable from winter holidays until 1918, when, due to the affiliation of the decorated tree with Christmas (that is, the religion of the church), it was banned for as long as 17 years (until 1935). It was only in 1949 that January 1 became a non-working day. So putting Christmas trees in houses is not such an ancient invention as it might seem. In Rus', he is 60-65 years old (no more).

Not a single New Year's holiday can be imagined without a richly and brightly decorated Christmas tree. In many countries, in addition to the Christmas tree, the house is decorated with bouquets of mistletoe. This custom originated from England. IN festive evening English houses are decorated with these plants. There are even mistletoe bouquets on lamps and chandeliers, and, according to custom, you can kiss a person standing in the middle of the room under a mistletoe bouquet.

For a family with children, it is not the joint celebration of the New Year that is important, but the joint preparation for it. Even the youngest children can be involved in decorating the Christmas tree (by the way, if children are not yet 5 years old, it is better to decorate the Christmas tree with unbreakable large toys that will not suffer from being tasted or thrown on the floor), hanging tinsel, and inventing fancy dress and learning songs and poems about winter, New Year and Santa Claus. At the same time, it’s worth telling your child how the change of year occurs, why it’s cold in winter, where Santa Claus lives, and what traditions of celebrating the New Year there are in other countries - you’ll get a festive, unobtrusive lesson in geography and regional studies. Tell me what's going on France To celebrate the New Year, a bean is baked in gingerbread. And the best New Year's gift for a fellow villager is a wheel. French Santa Claus - Père Noel - comes on New Year's Eve and leaves gifts in children's shoes. The one who gets a bean baked into a New Year's pie at the New Year's Eve receives the title of "bean king" and on the festive night of the New Year, everyone obeys his orders. Santons are wooden or clay figurines that are placed near the Christmas tree before celebrating the New Year. According to tradition, a good winemaker must clink glasses with a barrel of wine, congratulate it on the New Year and drink to the future harvest. The New Year itself, which the French call “St. Sylvester's Day,” is a very cheerful holiday; it is customary to celebrate it with a large circle of friends. The windows of cafes and restaurants, painted with attractive drawings and inscriptions, invite everyone to try New Year's dishes, exquisite French delicacies, the cooking features of which are passed down from generation to generation.

New Year's holidays in Italy quite simplified. Old traditions are rarely observed, mainly in villages. On the day before Christmas they work only until lunch, and after lunch they decorate the trees and prepare gifts.

Germans They love holidays and celebrations and celebrate them with special solemnity. The villages have preserved a lot ancient customs and rituals, especially carefully observed during the celebration of the New Year, Christmas, which is considered the biggest holiday. The atmosphere of the holiday is released onto the streets of cities long before its onset. The Germans decorate their houses with pine and spruce wreaths, in which candles are placed, lighting one every Sunday from the first of December.

Spain. Sparkling spirit, joy and fun, endless imagination - these are the main features of Spanish holidays. Dates big holidays throughout the year, people meet both as the main participant and as a spectator, realizing themselves simultaneously in these two forms. Folklore is an expression of the deepest spiritual feelings and joys of the Spaniards. Almost all regions of the country have a rich, original treasury where they keep their own dances, songs and traditions that inspire many performers of lyrical performances, as well as spectators.
Magi).

IN Czech Republic And Slovakia Young girls are looking forward to this holiday with great impatience, because it is on the night before Christmas that they will find out whether they will get married this year? The proof is... a house slipper, which they must throw over their heads towards the door. If the slipper falls with its toe towards the door, the groom will soon appear, and if towards the room, the bride will have to wait another 1 year.

In the land of the rising sun - Japan- all residents of cities and villages on the morning of February 1 go out to watch the sunrise. When the first Sun rays illuminate the earth, the Japanese congratulate each other on the new year and exchange gifts. And the evening is usually spent with family. And in order not to let evil spirits into their homes, they hang wreaths of straw in front of the entrance to the house. They believe it brings them happiness. They also have a custom - to laugh at the beginning of the New Year.

In another eastern country - Vietnam- New Year is celebrated at night. At dusk, Vietnamese people light bonfires in parks, gardens or on the streets. Several families gather around them and cook special rice delicacies over the coals. On this night, all quarrels are forgotten, all insults are forgiven, because the New Year is a holiday of friendship! The Vietnamese spend the entire next day with their families. The Vietnamese believe that the first person who enters their house in the New Year will bring them good luck, or vice versa - grief and misfortune. Therefore, my advice to you is that these days, meet only trusted people, just in case.

New Year's Eve at Tibet called Losar. New Year is celebrated at the end of January or at the beginning of February - during new moon. The two days before the New Year, called Gutor, are especially important. On the first day of Gutor it is customary to do general cleaning in my house. Moreover Special attention is given to the kitchen as, according to Buddhists, the most important place in the house. In Sri Lanka, New Year's Eve is celebrated on April 13 or 14. Before the New Year holiday, housewives clean their houses so that all the troubles of the outgoing year go away along with the garbage. On the last day of the old year, before the New Year, it is not customary to eat anything. And also turn on the lights in the houses. The first dish of the New Year that you can try after 12 midnight is rice with milk. Moreover, it must be prepared by the father or male head of the family.

Very beautiful during the New Year celebrations in China. The whole country looks like a big glowing ball. And this happens because during the festive procession that flows through the streets of China on New Year's Eve, people light a lot of lanterns. This is done in order to light your way into the New Year. Since they believe that the New Year is surrounded by evil spirits and evil spirits, they scare them away with the help of crackers and fireworks.
Millennial Chinese tradition says that on New Year's Eve you should gather in family circle. In the northern part of the country, dumplings are always served for dinner, while niangao (sticky rice slices) are more popular among southerners. Celebrating the New Year is accompanied by many signs that in other countries would be called superstitions. But the Chinese (not only villagers, but also more than half of the townspeople) strictly observe them. For example, on the first day of the year you cannot say words that have a negative meaning: death, poverty, disaster, etc. - so that these misfortunes do not actually happen to a person. The house must have red decorations (in China it accompanies any joyful event). It is strictly forbidden to throw away garbage, so as not to sweep away your future wealth with it.

Since the predominant religion Egypt is Islam, then Christian holidays like New Year or Christmas are not widely celebrated here. But for tourists, New Year's celebrations with a gala dinner, shows and fireworks are planned in every Egyptian hotel. During the celebration, the customs of all religions are mixed, and together with Santa Claus you can see a half-naked girl performing an exotic belly dance. And the festive Egyptian feast can amaze any gourmet: whole roasted lambs, baked sea fish the size of a decent shark, stuffed pigeons, aromatic oriental sweets and some insane amount of cakes, pastries and pies. The imagination of local chefs knows no bounds - for example, they mix beef and oranges in salads, but it turns out delicious.

IN Mongolia The New Year coincides with the cattle breeding holiday, so it is characterized by sports competitions, tests of dexterity and courage. Even Santa Claus comes to them dressed as a cattle breeder.

IN Burma The New Year comes at the hottest time of the year, so its arrival is celebrated with the so-called “water festival”, when people pour water on each other when they meet. The tradition of pouring water is a kind of wish for happiness in the New Year.

And in Iran New Year is celebrated on March 21. There, people plant wheat grains in small pots several weeks before New Year. By the New Year they emerge - this symbolizes the beginning of spring and the New Year.

Happy New Year in Bulgaria. When people gather around the festive table, the lights in all houses are turned off for three minutes. These minutes are called "minutes New Year's kisses", the secret of which is preserved by darkness.

IN Romania it is customary to bake in New Year's pies various little “surprises” - small money, rings, hot pepper pods. If you find a ring in the cake, it means that the New Year will bring you happiness.

For residents of the capital Netherlands Amsterdam basics new year event- this is the appearance of the local Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, in the city port. The guest arrives in the country by sea, through Rotterdam, and a meeting is organized for him in the tiny fishing village of Monnikendam not only by ordinary citizens, but also by city authorities, including the mayor of the capital. This usually happens in early December. And all the subsequent New Year's Eve, Dutch children try not to play pranks in order to earn long-awaited gifts from Nicolas and his servant nicknamed “Black Pete”.

In this country holiday celebrations They take place very traditionally, except for the obligatory skating on the city skating rink, built specifically for the holidays. By the way, a similar skating rink exists in Copenhagen, and many Danes specially come to the capital with their families to “test the ice.”

For the rest of the Scandinavian peoples, the New Year's week between Christmas and December 31 is especially fairy-tale-like. In the small town of Lapland, Romaniemi, on the very Arctic Circle, according to legend, lives the most real Grandfather Freezing. It is from here that he sets off on his journey on Christmas night in order to have time to distribute gifts to children all over the planet.

Very exotic New Year celebrations take place in Australia. The absence of snow, Christmas trees, deer and other usual attributes of the holiday does not sadden the inhabitants of the continent at all. Father Christmas marks the start of the New Year with his own appearance on a special, brightly decorated surfboard on Sydney beaches. Moreover, observing the traditions of the Old World, his clothes always include a white beard and a red cap with a pompom at the end, as for the rest, then tanned body The gift giver is covered by a swimming suit.

New Year celebration traditions
In Rus', for the New Year, domestic animals were baked from dough: horses, cows, bulls. And when they came to the house to carol, the guests were presented with these figures, various sweets, and nuts. They also believed that the New Year should be celebrated in a new dress and shoes - then wear new clothes all year. Usually, before the New Year, all debts were repaid, all insults were forgiven, and those who were in a quarrel were obliged to make peace.

Folk signs for the New Year
Whoever sneezes a lot during the New Year's party will live happily all year. “The number of times you sneeze, the number of girls will love you.”
If the echo goes far in January, the frosts get stronger
Clouds go against the wind - towards snowfall.
How you celebrate the New Year is how you will spend it.
On New Year's Eve with a new thing, whole year wear new clothes.
You cannot give money away before the New Year, otherwise you will have to give it away the whole year.
When celebrating the New Year, French women always wear new red underwear. They believe that this will scare away evil and calculating men, and will attract decent gentlemen.
On New Year's Day, the sky is starry - for the harvest.
By the New Year they try to finish all their affairs, especially unpleasant ones, so that they do not turn into next year. However, haste and the inevitable weakening of attention to the surrounding environment are your main enemy on New Year's Eve. Take a realistic look at life: whatever you don’t have time to do before 5 p.m., let it go to another year.

The New Year is coming - it’s time for gifts and congratulations, banquets and feasts, green fluffy Christmas trees and the same fluffy white snow.

Organizing the New Year is one of the most interesting and exciting areas in organizing holidays, because it is the kindest and most fabulous holiday, the time frame of which has recently extended to a whole week, connecting New Year and Christmas.

Let's celebrate the New Year dressed as Father Frost (Snow Maiden)!
Have you ever felt envy at the sight of Santa Clauses and Snow Maidens? They walk through the streets in such a businesslike manner, they are so welcome. They know some secret, despite the “cotton wool beard” and cheap makeup. Most do not dare to imagine themselves in their place, but in vain. Who's stopping you from getting a Santa Claus (Snow Maiden) costume and going outside? In this form, you can come to any company, to any restaurant or club - you are unlikely to be asked for an ID. You will receive so much attention, such a portion of smiles and compliments that you will want to celebrate the New Year every weekend. In addition, you will be in a more advantageous position than the “real” Santa Clauses and Snow Maidens: you will not have to entertain anyone, and the Zarya company will not require you to report on gifts.
An ideal option for those looking for new acquaintances. You will be out of competition.

How to celebrate the New Year of the Pig 2007
Trust the old legend that says: how you celebrate the New Year is how you will spend it. Celebrate the holiday to the fullest and do not deny yourself anything, at least one day a year.

Do you want to celebrate the New Year with many friends according to all imaginable and inconceivable rules? Great, then order it banqueting hall, there is enough space for everyone and there will still be some left over. Decorate the hall balloons, definitely warm color range.

So that you and your friends don't get bored, order entertainment program. Dancing, music, a fun show will certainly put you in the right mood. Don't forget to put it in a visible place main symbol for the coming year - a figurine of a pig. The size and material of your figurine does not matter, the main thing is that it is there. Rejoice and make everyone around you happy, infect everyone around you with the virus Have a good mood.

Don't forget that New Year is a holiday of good mood and, of course, gifts. Call and congratulate, at least in words, all your friends and relatives. And for those closest to you, prepare pleasant and original surprises, which will bring them a lot of pleasant sensations and linger in their memory for a long time. Present - required attribute New Year's fairy tale. It doesn't matter whether Santa Claus brought it under the Christmas tree, or the gnomes put it in a stocking, or you bought it at " Children's world"together - the gift is important in itself, as a symbol of change.

New Year in Russia is celebrated on the night from December 31 to January 1. Traditionally, it is customary to celebrate it with family and loved ones. Young people prefer noisy parties in clubs.

On the eve of the New Year, in the main squares of cities, the fir tree is lit, near which the main events of the winter holidays unfold. The main Christmas tree of Russia is installed on Cathedral Square of the Kremlin. It is live and selected to strict standards. It should have a smooth trunk, without moss, lichens and hollows. The span of the branches at the base of the main coniferous beauty must be at least 9 meters and the height must be at least 30 meters. A team of designers works on decorating the Christmas tree, coming up with new ideas every year: from colors to LED garlands.

Traditions and rituals

Housewives invite guests in advance, create menus and purchase ingredients for festive meals.

A few weeks before the holiday, old, beloved New Year's films begin to be shown on TV: “Carnival Night”, “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!”, “Sorcerers”, “Girls”. People enjoy watching these films year after year and have already sorted them out into quotes.

Russians believe in the superstition: “How you celebrate the New Year is how you will spend it!” On the eve of the holiday, they try to complete all important tasks, pay off debts, and forgive grievances. People buy in advance festive outfit. It is believed that whoever greets the coming year in the new beautiful clothes, will spend it in new clothes.

Residents of Russia are sensitive to the patron saint of the Chinese (Oriental) calendar. They try to appease the owner of the coming year: they prepare decorations that suit him, put dishes on the table that should please him (bananas for the Monkey, cereal products for the Rooster, cheese for the Rat), and give symbolic souvenirs to loved ones. Russians believe that a petted animal will bring good luck and prosperity to the house.

New Year celebrations begin on the evening of December 31st. The owners of the house and their guests gather at a luxurious table and say goodbye to the outgoing year. At 00 hours and 00 minutes, as the chimes strike, they drink champagne, watch the President’s New Year’s address on television, congratulate each other and make a wish. Particularly adventurous people write down their wish on a piece of paper, which is set on fire at midnight. The ashes are placed in a glass of champagne and drunk. They believe that this ritual will lead to the fulfillment of a wish.

history of the holiday

New Year in Russia began to be celebrated on January 1 in 1700, by decree of Tsar Peter I. In tsarist times, it was celebrated for seven whole days. Noble families placed elegant coniferous trees in front of their houses, lit tar barrels and launched rockets. Cannons were fired in front of the Kremlin.

Modern traditions of celebrating the New Year originated in the USSR. He became real family holiday, with its integral attributes: the Olivier salad, the striking of the Kremlin chimes, Father Frost and the Snow Maiden. January 1st has been a public holiday since 1948. In 1993, January 2 was also declared a non-working day. Since 2005 have been installed New Year holidays from 1st to 5th. Since 2013, they have been extended until January 8.

New Year decoration

A few weeks before the holiday, Russians decorate city streets, shop windows, shopping centers and at home with garlands and New Year's compositions. Each house has a Christmas tree, which is decorated with balls and garlands. Figures of Father Frost and Snow Maiden are placed under the coniferous beauty. A popular decoration are snowflakes cut out of paper or foil. They are glued to windows in apartments, houses, offices, schools and kindergartens.

In the last decade, Russians have adopted some American and European traditions. One of them is decoration front door New Year's wreath made of fir branches.

Festive table

New Year celebrations in Russia are distinguished by an abundance of dishes on the table. Housewives spend the entire day of December 31 in the kitchen preparing holiday treats. Integral dishes are the “Olivier” and “Herring under a Fur Coat” salads, meat jelly (jellied meat). Russian housewives also prepare casseroles, pies, and various desserts. On some tables there are pies with wishes, inside of which they put a sweet or salty filling and a piece of paper in foil. A pleasant wish for next year is written on paper.

No one New Year's table Can't do without tangerines. Their smell is an integral attribute of the winter holidays.

On New Year's Eve, Russians use different alcoholic drinks, the most popular of which is champagne. Even on children's tables there is a non-alcoholic substitute for an “adult” drink. In addition to champagne, there are wines, cocktails, cognac, and vodka on the tables.

Present

In Russia, for the New Year, it is customary to give gifts to friends, relatives and colleagues. various gifts: from symbolic cards and souvenirs to expensive jewelry and gadgets.

Father Frost brings gifts to children with his assistant, his granddaughter Snegurochka. He rides a team with three horses and leaves sweets and toys under the Christmas tree for the children who have been obedient all year. The birthplace of this character is Veliky Ustyug, where his official residence is located. In the estate of Father Frost there is a post office to which children from all over the country send letters.

New Year's resorts in Russia

Russia is huge and beautiful country, where you can find relaxation for every taste.

The hallmark of the New Year in the Russian Federation is Veliky Ustyug. This northern city is a holiday destination for the whole family. Children and their parents will be in winter's tale, filled with magic and Russian hospitality. Guests are welcome here interesting entertainment, fairs and performances. Through Santa Claus Mail you can send a postcard with his autograph or personal stamp to your family and friends.

Winter St. Petersburg will appeal to young people and lovers of cultural recreation. The city will greet its guests with an atmosphere of romance and ancient palaces steeped in history. New Year's fairs, fireworks, theatrical performances, concerts, city skating rinks and snow slides will delight entertainment lovers.

Admirers winter species sports will be welcomed by the ski resorts of Sochi. The snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus Mountains, mild climate and clean air will make your vacation unforgettable. Trails different categories difficulties, safe lifts and modern hotels will pleasantly surprise vacationers.

Lovers of national color and untouched nature have plenty of places to roam. Winter tours to Karelia, Krasnoshchelye, Kamchatka, the Kola Peninsula will give you the opportunity to get in touch with local traditions, ride a sled with reindeer or dogs and sample local cuisine.

New Year in Russia is considered one of the most beloved holidays, so local residents celebrate this winter celebration on a grand scale, sparing no effort, time or money. Over the centuries, the country has formed its own special traditions characteristic of the New Year, and today they have been added to modern customs who came to Russia from other nations.

From the history of the holiday

New Year's holidays began to be celebrated in Russia by order of Tsar Peter I, who ordered to decorate a coniferous tree in every house, have fun, organize feasts, but “not to commit any outrages.” In the 19th century, thanks to the future wife of Nicholas I, German by birth, fashionable tradition began to install and decorate the fir tree. In Germany, the forest beauty personified a kind spirit that brings warmth, comfort and prosperity to the house; moreover, the evergreen plant was associated with immortality, therefore providing mental and physical health to all family members. The Russians learned how to properly decorate a spruce tree from the French, who hung paper garlands, candies and apples. On New Year's and Christmas holidays it was customary to get married - since then, one of the main traditions has been the giving of gifts.

Do you know which product should never be served on the New Year's table?

On festive table There should be no Cancers on New Year’s Day, otherwise you will be constantly “backing away” for the next 365 days.

New Year in Russia is an exclusively secular holiday, however, it does not exclude some superstitions, rules of behavior, ritual requirements and customs, the most popular of which are the following.

It is believed that how a person spends the New Year will determine his life over the next 12 months.

A hearty feast is perhaps the most important New Year's tradition. Housewives prepare for the holiday ahead of time, cutting salads, baking cakes, preparing snacks.

IN Lately In Russia, people are increasingly listening to the recommendations of astrologers regarding gastronomic preferences for each specific year.

New Year's celebrations are usually celebrated with family, and only after midnight do the celebrations continue with friends, relatives or neighbors.

How to make a wish for the New Year

On New Year's Eve it is customary to make wishes. There are many ways to do this, including the most famous - at the time of the chimes, write on a piece of paper your most cherished dream, roll up the paper, burn it, pour the ashes into a glass of champagne, which should be finished to the bottom.

Don't leave debts

Bad omen It is considered to leave debts or unresolved problems in the old year, since the next year must be entered without burdensome duties.

Advice

Before the New Year, try to forgive all your enemies and make peace with those whom you yourself have offended.

Our ancestors also considered New Year's Eve ideal for various kinds fortune telling. The girls wanted to bewitch their groom, and the boys tried to find out how this or that female person treated them. The most famous are the following fortune-telling:

• under other people's doors they eavesdrop on random conversations - phrases spoken and predict what awaits a person next year;
• melted wax from a candle is poured into water and see what shape is obtained - this will be a symbol of your life in the New Year.

Conclusion:

For Russian people, New Year is one of the most revered holidays, which dates back to the reign of Peter I. On New Year's Eve, it is customary to set tables, give gifts to each other, congratulate your loved ones, make wishes and tell fortunes.

Perhaps not a single holiday of the year has received such anticipation as the New Year. As children, we expect a tall old man in a red coat with a cotton wool beard, who will definitely bring new toys and lots and lots of candy. With age, desires become less modest and often cynical. The only thing everyone, from kids to old people, expects from the New Year is a new turn in life, something bright and pure.

Surprisingly, it is New Year’s traditions that unite peoples and generations, strengthen families and force large-scale and local conflicts to stop, at least temporarily. The green forest beauty, abundantly decorated with balloons and candies, the aroma of tangerines and volleys of fireworks - this is how the New Year is remembered from early childhood.

Russian New Year traditions

Despite the fact that the New Year is celebrated all over the world, each nation has its own traditions, special and extremely rich. Special treats for the table, behavior on a festive night, and even “special visitors” such as Father Frost and Santa Claus are different everywhere. An interesting fact is that, despite the great interest of Russians in the West, they do not abandon their New Year traditions, continuing to confidently expect new, bright events in life from the holiday.

IN Russian Empire The New Year was celebrated on the first of September and correlated it with the new harvest. Everything changed during the reign of Peter the Great, a great connoisseur of Western culture. It was he who declared this holiday secular and ordered all nobles to decorate Christmas trees and celebrate the New Year with their families. Perhaps it was at this time that most of the customs and signs associated with this bright celebration appeared; this is where it begins.

First of all, it should be mentioned that in New Year's feast must be a family affair. For visiting and inviting friends, there is the first of January, but on the last night only family members should gather. A mandatory dish on the Russian table on this night is a pig, baked and served whole - a symbol that brings prosperity to the family. It is strictly forbidden to serve crayfish on the table - they represent a constant return to the past, a lack of movement forward.

“As soon as you meet, the next year will pass!”

This belief gave rise to the main New Year traditions in Russia, Belarus and a number of other countries. Before the holiday night, it is customary to do a general cleaning of the house, throw away old things, or donate tired clothes and toys to poor families. All debts, including loans and pawn deposits, must be repaid before the New Year. It is considered a good omen to lend someone before a celebration - money, salt, sugar - it doesn’t matter. But it is strictly forbidden to get into debt yourself, so as not to drag out bondage for the entire coming year.

The brightest tradition is the reconciliation of all warring parties. If you have offended someone or quarreled with a loved one, then you need to resolve the conflict by any means before the New Year. On this holiday in Russia you are unlikely to see anyone gloomy, because everyone wants the next year to be marked by joyful events.

The clock is striking twelve...

The president’s address has, perhaps, also become a tradition, but people listen to it exclusively in anticipation of the striking of the chimes on the Kremlin tower. While the clock ticks, thousands of people all over Russia make a wish, and then drink a glass of champagne to the very bottom. It is believed that what was wished for this night will definitely come true.

Family New Year traditions

But perhaps the most valuable are the New Year celebrations. This is not the case in almost any country in the world, but in Russia every family has its own special customs - after all, this brings all family members closer together and erases the boundary between children and parents. The most common thing is to decorate the Christmas tree and home before the New Year with the whole family, and many families make toys and tinsel with their own hands.

Leo Tolstoy mentioned that it was precisely this custom that was passed down in his family from generation to generation. Together with their mother, they carved dolls out of wood, and each child decorated and put on the creation in their own way, after which everyone hung the dolls together with the balls on the Christmas tree.

In many families it is customary to give gifts in an unusual way, for example, play them in a lottery, and after a while change them or hide them, and give the children notes with riddles, after finding the answer to which they will easily find the present itself.

No matter how the years fly by and no matter what happens in the world, the traditions of celebrating the New Year will not be lost or forgotten, because so much attention is paid to them. Even the most gloomy people smile on this night, and those at war forgive each other all insults.

There is very little time left before the holiday. Salads are being prepared, the house is being decorated, and everyone probably already has an elegant outfit. Christmas tree. But few people know where these pleasant holiday worries came from to Russia.

The tradition of celebrating the New Year in Russia was introduced in Russia by Peter I. Before that, the New Year in Rus' fell on September 1, and even earlier on March 1. However, the tsar, wanting to keep pace with the West, forbade celebrating the New Year in the fall, moving the holiday to January 1 by a special decree. The capital then was Moscow, St. Petersburg had not yet been built and all the celebrations took place on Red Square. However, in 1704 the holiday was moved to the northern capital. True, the main thing is New Year's holiday in those days there was not a feast, but mass celebrations. Peter not only himself took part in folk festival, but also obliged the nobles to do this. Those who did not attend the festivities under the pretext of illness were examined by doctors. If the reason turned out to be unconvincing, a fine was imposed on the offender: he had to drink a huge amount of vodka in front of everyone.

After the holiday, the inexorable king called to his imperial palace narrow circle especially close ones (80-100 people). Traditionally, the doors of the dining room were locked with a key so that no one would try to leave the premises before 3 days later. This agreement was in force at the insistence of Peter. They reveled immensely these days: by the third day, most of the guests quietly slid under the bench, without disturbing the others. Only the strongest could withstand such a New Year's feast. That's who introduced the tradition of drinking alcohol on New Year's Day.

Christmas trees and masquerades

Empress Elizabeth I continued the tradition of celebrating the New Year started by her father. She was a great lover of balls and entertainment, and organized luxurious Christmas trees and masquerades in the palace, which she herself loved to attend. men's suit. On January 2, 1751, Petersburg Vedomosti described in detail the New Year's ball given in the imperial palace. The nobles arrived at the masquerade in rich dresses and gathered in big hall, “where at eight o’clock the music began in two orchestras and continued until 7 o’clock in the morning.” After the dances, tables were set, “on which a great many pyramids of sweets were placed, as well as cold and hot food.” More than 15 thousand people took part in the masquerade, who were “satisfied with various vodkas and the best grape wines, as well as coffee, chocolate, tea, horchata and lemonade and other drinks.”

Culinary masterpieces on the New Year's table

Under Catherine II, the New Year was also celebrated on a grand scale. In the 18th century, the Russian New Year's table became more refined and tasty: the desire to surprise and amuse guests with unusual and unusual dishes came into the art of cooking. Historians tell a legend about a strange dish that the French court chef prepared for the empress as a surprise for the New Year's meal. A very intricate treat was not cheap and required extraordinary skill from the cook. The recipe for the dish was as follows: pieces of anchovies were put into fleshy olives instead of pits; the olives were a filling for a gutted lark, which should be put into a fat partridge, and that into a pheasant. The last shell was a piglet. At first, the secret of the “royal” New Year’s treat was kept strictly secret, but then a rich nobleman found it out. This roast was called “Empress” and was a great success among the St. Petersburg nobility.

Champagne

At the beginning of the 19th century, champagne became popular in Russia - a drink that today not a single New Year's feast can do without. True, at first Russians viewed sparkling wines with suspicion: they were called “the devil’s drink” because of the flying cork and foamy stream from the bottle. According to legend, champagne gained wide popularity after the victory over Napoleon. In 1813, upon entering Reims, Russian troops, as victors, devastated the wine cellars of the famous house of Madame Clicquot. However, Madame Clicquot did not even try to stop the robbery, wisely deciding that “Russia will cover the losses.” The insightful madam looked into the water: the fame of the quality of her products spread throughout Russia. Within three years, the enterprising widow received more orders from the Russian Empire than in her homeland.

Christmas tree

The reign of Emperor Nicholas I dates back to the appearance of the first public New Year tree in Russia and St. Petersburg. Before this, as already mentioned, Russians decorated their houses only with pine branches. However, any tree was suitable for decoration: cherry, apple, birch. In the mid-19th century, only Christmas trees began to be decorated. The first dressed-up beauty lit up the room with lights in 1852. And by the end of the 19th century, this beautiful custom had already become familiar not only in Russian cities, but also in villages.

Table decoration

In the ceremonial feast of those times, the beauty of the table decoration was valued no less than the quality of the prepared food. Moreover, not only the setting and served dishes had to be beautiful. The art of compiling and designing menus came into particular fashion during the reigns of Alexander III and Nicholas II. The dishes were named beautifully and sumptuously, and the menu cards were decorated with exquisite drawings, monograms, and vignettes. The menu has turned into a masterpiece applied arts. Often, menu cards remained in the family archive, as a memory of the holiday at which they ate.

New Year's entertainment

At the beginning of the 20th century, according to tradition, Russians celebrated New Year and Christmas at home, with their families. But after New Year's Eve, they booked tables in restaurants or entertainment venues. There were a great variety of restaurants at that time, especially in St. Petersburg - for every taste and budget. There were aristocratic restaurants in the northern capital: “Kyuba” on Bolshaya Morskaya Street, or “Bear” on Bolshaya Konyushennaya. The more democratic “Donon” gathered writers, artists, scientists, and graduates of the School of Law at its tables. The traditional drink here was zhzhenka. The attraction of this restaurant was the “Album of Diners”, in which minutes of meetings, impromptu remarks, jokes, and caricatures were recorded. The capital's St. Petersburg elite - people of art and literature - held their evenings in the fashionable "Contan", on the Moika. The evening's program includes a lyrical divertissement with the participation of the best Russian and foreign artists, a virtuoso Romanian orchestra; Ladies were presented with free flowers. Literary youth preferred artistic cabarets to ordinary restaurants. The most colorful of them was “ homeless dog"on Mikhailovskaya Square.

Painting: Robert Duncan