New Year's holiday
(historical and geographical excursion)

Today it is difficult to imagine the end of the calendar year in Russia without a magnificent celebration. This tradition appeared in Russia not so long ago. For many years in Soviet times, after the New Year's Eve, the next day, January 1, people had to go to work.

With the adoption of Christianity by Vladimir Svyatoslavovich in the 10th century, the history of the Russian church began to exist, and with it the New Year began to be celebrated according to Byzantine custom - September 1. During the reign of Peter I, the system of chronology changes - since 1700, the holiday begins to be celebrated on January 1.

After the reform of Peter the Great, the Church New Year in Russia continued to be celebrated on September 1, and January 1 was considered a secular holiday.

This continued until the Great October Revolution of 1917, after which the authorities canceled all the holidays that existed in the tsarist state. The next year after the "October" events, Russia, according to the decree of Vladimir Lenin, switched to the Gregorian calendar - so February 1, 1918 turned into the 14th. From that moment on, Christmas began to be celebrated on January 7 - instead of December 25 according to the old style.

Until 1929, when the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR "On working time and rest time in enterprises and institutions that are switching to a continuous production week" was issued, January 1 was non-working and festive. With the adoption of this document, the word "holidays" was replaced by "revolutionary days".

The cancellation in 1929 of Christmas led to the fact that the former holidays turned into working days. With the recognition of the Christmas tree as a "priestly" custom, the following campaign slogans began to appear: "Only the one who is a friend of the priests is ready to celebrate the Christmas tree!" “Guys are deceived that Santa Claus brought them gifts. The religiosity of the guys begins with the Christmas tree. The ruling exploiting classes also use the “nice” Christmas tree and the “kind” Santa Claus also in order to make obedient and patient servants of capital out of the working people,” anti-religious propaganda said on Christmas days.

In the first half of the 30s, Christmas did not officially exist - it was considered a relic of the past.

As for the New Year, the Soviet authorities considered it primarily a children's holiday, hence the absence of the need to release adults from work on December 31 and January 1.

During the "moratorium" on the New Year, there were daredevils who secretly nevertheless celebrated the holiday - they put up a Christmas tree, tightly hung the windows. There is an assumption that the tradition of celebrating the holiday with a feast, and not with solemn dances, developed precisely at the time when the New Year had to be celebrated in secret so as not to wake the neighbors.

They had to hide until the newspaper Pravda on December 28, 1935 published a letter from the statesman Pavel Postyshev, in which the author expressed the protest of a simple man who longed for a holiday and fun. In his letter, he turned to the authorities and called for "arranging collective Christmas trees for everyone." After the publication, Joseph Stalin returned the New Year to people with a smart Christmas tree, but there was no talk of a day off on January 1 yet. The next day after the holiday people went to work.

Justice triumphed on December 23, 1947, when the government of the USSR made January 1 a day off. "The day of January 1 - New Year's holiday - is considered a non-working day," the text of the decree briefly reported. However, in the case when a holiday fell on a weekend, it was not transferred to the next working day, but disappeared.

“By declaring January 1 as a day off, the authorities legitimized the actual practice. Because the,

having spent the night, the citizens came to their workplaces, to put it mildly, not in the best shape,”

- said in 1948 the curator of the exhibition "The First Day of the Calendar", which was then held, Irina Osipova.

Almost 60 years later, in 1991, Christmas returned to the homes of Russians - then January 7 was declared a free day from work. That year they showed Christmas services on TV and told people about the rules for holding a holy holiday.

Two years later - in 1993 - the Russians were released from work on January 2. The story continued in 2004, when new changes were made to the Labor Code and Russians were given the right to rest for 5 whole days - from January 1 to January 5. Together with the celebration of Christmas on January 7th, there were six free days.

Someone was pleased with the reform, and someone even these six days were not enough for a good rest. These disagreements led to the fact that in 2008 the speaker of the Federation Council, Sergei Mironov, proposed to extend the May holidays, shortening the New Year holidays. At the same time, Mironov previously proposed making December 31 a non-working day so that people “do not pretend to work, do not beat the thumbs at the workplace, but rather decorate Christmas trees and prepare at home for the holiday.”

Four years later, in 2012, it was nevertheless decided to extend the holidays to eight days - from January 1 to January 8. Taking into account the weekend, the holiday "day off" was about 10 days.

The authorities of foreign countries are not as generous to their citizens in the matter of the New Year holidays as the Russian ones. For example, Americans only have time to recover from holiday dinners on two separate days, December 25 and January 1. The British walk a day more - two days for Christmas and one day for the New Year. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, they will get a bonus Monday.

Japan's holiday policy is similar to Russia's. Since 1948, the Japanese have received the official right not to work from December 31 to January 3.

At the same time, some companies stop working as early as December 29. In North Korea, December 31 and January 1 are considered national holidays, but holidays for the local population are more an occasion for active homework and going to a demonstration than for relaxation.

Despite the fact that Brazil celebrates New Year and Christmas, the days off are not included in these days. Brazilians have time to relax and have fun in February, when the national carnival takes place in the country for four days. Although officially these days are not considered days off, local residents are definitely not up to work during this period.

In Germany, as in many other European countries, Christmas is very reverent. There are two days off from here - December 25 and 26. Also, as a bonus, the Germans have a day off on January 1st. According to Jewish traditions in Israel, the New Year (Rosh Hashanah) this year was celebrated from September 20-22: it is on these days that the Israelis are freed from work. In Belarus, holidays begin on December 25 - the day of the celebration of Catholic Christmas. The fun continues on December 30, and ends on January 2.

By the way, on these New Year holidays you can go to the cinema to see a movie

Not from the day of the creation of the world, but from the Nativity of the God-man, referring to the European nations. It was forbidden to celebrate September 1, and on December 15, 1699, the drum bai announced to the people on Red Square (from the mouth of the royal clerk) that, as a sign of a good undertaking and the beginning of a new century, after thanksgiving to God and prayer singing in the church, it was ordered streets, and notable people in front of the gates to make some decoration from trees and branches of pine, spruce and juniper. And for poor people (i.e. poor), at least put a tree or branches over the gates. And so that it is ripe by the 1st day of 1700 year, and to stand for that decoration of Invar (i.e., January) until the 7th day of the same year.On the 1st day, as a sign of joy, each other congratulate Happy New Year, and do this when the fiery fun begins on Red Square, and there will be shooting.
The decree recommended, if possible, to everyone in their yards using small cannons or small guns "to shoot three times and fire several rockets." From January 1 to 7, "at night, light fires from firewood, or from brushwood, or from straw."
Tsar Peter I was the first to launch a rocket. Wriggling in the air like a fiery snake, she announced to the people the onset of the New Year, and after that the celebration began "and throughout Belokamennaya."
As a sign of the national holiday, they fired from cannons, and in the evening, in the dark sky, multi-colored lights never seen before flashed fireworks. Illumination flashed. People had fun, sang, danced, congratulated each other and gave new Year gifts. Peter I steadily made sure that this holiday was no worse and no poorer in our country than in other European countries.
He was a resolute man and in one fell swoop resolved all calendar inconveniences. By the beginning of the reign of Peter the Great in Russia was the year 7207 (from the creation of the world), and in Europe 1699 (from the birth of Christ).
Russia began to establish ties with Europe, and such a "time difference" was very disturbing. But that was over.
It was from January 1, 1700 that the folk New Year's fun and fun received their recognition, and New Year celebration began to have a secular (non-church) character. From now on and forever this holiday was enshrined in the Russian calendar.
This is how the New Year came to us, with Christmas decorations, fires, bonfires (which Peter ordered to arrange at night from January 1 to January 7 by lighting tar barrels), creaking snow in the cold, winter children's fun, sleds, skis, skates, snowmen, Santa Claus, gifts...
I must say that the new New Year's customs took root among the Slavs quite quickly, because earlier at that time there was another Christmas holiday. And many old rites are merry carnivals, tricks of mummers, sleigh rides, midnight fortune-telling and round dances around the Christmas tree - fit well into the New Year's ritual.
And although it was frosty at that time, the cold did not frighten people. As you know, they burned bonfires in the streets, performed dances around them, calling on the sun (which they deified from time immemorial) to warm the earth bound by snow and frost.

Three lecterns were installed on the platform - two for the Gospels and one for the icon of Simeon, the Stylite, the Pilot. Large candles were placed in front of the lecterns, a table with a silver bowl for consecrating water. Opposite the lecterns, two places were placed: on the left for the patriarch, on the right for the king.

The tsar kissed the gospel and icons, and the patriarch blessed him. The patriarch in a special speech asked the king about his health. The king ended his response speech with the words "... God gave, he is alive."

Transformations of Peter I

Since 1700, by decree of Peter I, the New Year in Russia is celebrated, as in other European countries, on January 1, and still according to the Julian calendar.

On the 20th day of December 7208, the Great Sovereign Tsar and Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich, of all Great and Small and White Russia, indicated to say:

It became known to him by the great sovereign, not only in many European Christian countries, but also among the Slovene peoples, who agree with our Eastern Orthodox Church in everything, such as: Volokhi, Moldavians, Serbs, Dolmats, Bulgarians, and Cherkasy subjects most of his great sovereign and all the Greeks, from whom our Orthodox faith was received, all those peoples, according to their years, are counted from the Nativity of Christ on the eighth day later, that is, from January 1, and not from the creation of the world, for many strife and counting in those years, and now the year 1699 comes from the Nativity of Christ, and next January, from the 1st day, a new year 1700 comes, and also a new century; and for that good and useful deed he indicated that henceforth the years should be counted in orders, and in all deeds and fortresses to write from this January from the 1st day of the Nativity of Christ, 1700.

And as a sign of that good undertaking and the new centenary century, in the reigning city of Moscow, after due thanksgiving to God and prayer singing in the church, and who will happen in his house, along large and passing noble streets, noble people, and at the houses of deliberate spiritual and worldly rank, in front of the gate, make some decorations from trees and branches of pine, spruce and juniper, against samples that are made at Gostiny Dvor and at the lower pharmacy, or to whom it is more convenient and decent, depending on the place and gate, it is possible to make, but meager people someone, at least according to a tree or a branch on the gate, or put it over his mansion, and so that now the future genvar will ripen by the 1st of this year, and that decoration of the genvar will stand until the 7th day of that well, 1700.

Yes, January 1 on the 1st day, as a sign of fun; congratulating each other on the New Year and the centenary, do this: when fiery fun is lit on the Great Red Square and there will be shooting, then in the noble courts, boyars, and okolnichi, and duma and neighbors, and noble people, cloaked, military and merchant rank famous to people, each in his own yard, from small cannons, if anyone has, and from several muskets, or other small guns, shoot three times and fire several rockets, as many as they happen, and along the large streets, where there is space, Genvara with 1 to 7, at night, light fires from firewood, or brushwood, or straw, and where there are small yards, five or six yards gathered, put such a fire, or, whoever wants, put one, two, or three on the columns tar and thin barrels, and filling with straw or brushwood, ignite, in front of the mayor’s town hall, shooting and such fires and decoration, according to their consideration.

However, by 1700, most European countries had already switched to the Gregorian calendar, so Russia celebrated the onset of 1700 10 days later than in European countries, the onset of 1701-1800 - 11 days later, 1801-1900 - 12 days later, and 1901-1918 - 13 days later. On February 14, 1918, the Gregorian calendar was introduced in Soviet Russia, and the celebration of the coming of 1919 took place in a new style.

A new style

In pre-revolutionary times, the bourgeoisie and bourgeois officials always arranged a Christmas tree for their children on New Year's Eve. The children of the workers enviously looked through the window at the Christmas tree sparkling with multi-colored lights and the children of the rich having fun around it.

Why do our schools, orphanages, nurseries, children's clubs, palaces of pioneers deprive the children of the working people of the Soviet country of this wonderful pleasure? Some, none other than "leftist" benders, denounced this children's entertainment as a bourgeois undertaking.

This wrong condemnation of the Christmas tree, which is a wonderful entertainment for children, should be put to an end. Komsomol members, pioneer workers should arrange collective New Year's parties for children on New Year's Eve. In schools, orphanages, in the palaces of pioneers, in children's clubs, in children's cinemas and theaters - there should be a children's tree everywhere! There should not be a single collective farm where the board, together with the Komsomol members, would not arrange a Christmas tree for their children on the eve of the New Year. City councils, chairmen of district executive committees, village councils, public education bodies should help arrange a Soviet Christmas tree for the children of our great socialist motherland.

Children's organizations Christmas tree our kids will be grateful.

I am sure that the Komsomol members will take the most active part in this matter and eradicate the absurd opinion that the children's tree is a bourgeois prejudice.

So, let's organize a fun New Year's Eve for children, arrange a good Soviet Christmas tree in all cities and collective farms!

Until 1947, January 1 in the USSR continued to be a working day. December 23, 1947, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, January 1 became a holiday and a day off. According to the law of September 25, 1992 in Russia, January 2 became a day off. Since 2005, New Year holidays have been established in Russia from January 5 to January 5 (previously - only 1 and 2), and these days are declared non-working, and taking into account the days off and Christmas - an official holiday, the weekend lasts 10 days. Since 2013, the New Year holidays in Russia have been reduced to 8 days (from January 1 to January 8).

New Year traditions

In Soviet times, their own attributes of the New Year also appeared: tangerines, salad Olivier, the chiming clock, during which it is necessary to make a wish, the solemn address of the state leader to the citizens of the country. In the Russian Empire, balls were held on New Year's Eve, in Soviet times they were replaced, as in a number of other countries, by New Year's lights and feasts that accompany traditional songs, such as “ In the forest, a Christmas tree was born" and "Five minutes".

In 1954, the main Christmas tree of the country, the Kremlin, was lit for the first time. Subsequently, repatriates from the USSR turned the celebration of the New Year into an "ethnic holiday" of Russian Jews with New Year's gifts, Christmas trees, Santa Clauses, "midnight champagne".

New Year in the films of the USSR.

The Soviet tradition of celebrating the New Year is one of the main plots in the following films:

New trends.

Since the late 1970s, a fashionable trend has appeared in the Soviet Union and other European countries to associate the arrival of the New Year with one of the animals of the Chinese horoscope (rat, bull, pig, and others), even though the Chinese New Year comes later.

Since the late 1980s, foreign (primarily American) symbols of the new year have become increasingly popular: reindeer in a Santa Claus team, combinations of red and green in decorative elements, postcards with images of wreaths, which are usually not accepted in Russia.

Since 1992, only January 1 and 2 have been non-working days in Russia. Since the mid-2000s, New Year holidays have been established from January 1 to January 5; later, thanks to the postponement of holidays and Christmas on January 7, the duration reached 10 days. Since 2013, January 6 and 8 have been added to the New Year holidays, and Christmas has lost the status of a public holiday, officially considered only as one of the days of the New Year holidays, which, however, does not interfere with its celebration.

Since the end of the 1980s, household fireworks began to go on sale and gradually it became a tradition to light them immediately after midnight, both in an organized manner and impromptu, simply by residents of a settlement, district, quarter, house or by a separate company of celebrating. [ ]

New Year's signs

A large number of folk signs are traditionally associated with the New Year in Russia (some of them passed to him from Christmas, which was not celebrated for a long time). On New Year's Eve it is customary to dress in new and best clothes, because if you enter the new year with a new thing, then you will walk in new clothes for a whole year. It is also believed that you cannot give money on New Year's Eve, otherwise you will have to give it all year. Therefore, before the New Year, they paid off all debts in advance, forgave all insults, and those who were in a quarrel were obliged to make peace. Until now, they also believe that it is impossible to borrow on New Year's Eve, otherwise you will have to sit in debt all year. It is also impossible to sleep on New Year's Eve, otherwise the whole year will pass sluggishly and uninterestingly (the exception is children under the age of 7 years). The New Year's table should be bursting with dishes and wines so that the whole year can be lived richly and cheerfully. Before the New Year, it is also recommended to throw out all broken dishes from the house, wash windows and mirrors. Those who believe in signs associated with the belonging of the coming year to one or another animal according to the Chinese (Buddhist) calendar, try to enrich the festive table with dishes that are considered pleasing to this animal (for example, cheese for the year of the Mouse, bananas for the year of the Monkey) and abstain from objectionable (beef for the year of the Ox).

New Year in the circle of other Russian holidays

New Year in the USSR became the main public holiday, along with May Day and October Revolution Day. This was partly facilitated by the secular nature of the holiday, as well as the fact that he had little connection with the communist ideology, despite the efforts of the party. In modern Russia, as well as in a number of post-Soviet states, it remains the main holiday.

Christmas tree

In addition to Russia, the tradition of setting up Christmas trees exists in other countries where it is not customary to set them up for Christmas: for example, in Turkey and Vietnam.

New Year's table

Main article: New Year's table

When meeting the New Year, close people gather at the New Year's table, usually on the evening of December 31 of the outgoing year. In the full version of the celebration of the New Year, the audience first “sees off” the old year - they remember what it was remembered for or what was the main thing for each of the participants; wish each other that all the best from the old year passed into the new.

The invariable attributes of the New Year's table in Russia, according to tradition, are champagne, Salad "Olivier" and "herring under a fur coat", tangerines.

After the speech of the head of state at 0000 hours on January 1, the chimes strike. With the beginning of the chime, which marks the arrival of the new year, it is customary to clink glasses of champagne (and make a wish).

Father Frost

Santa Claus is a fairy-tale character, a symbol of the New Year in Russia.

Santa Claus first appeared at Christmas in 1910, but did not become widespread. In Soviet times, a new image was spread: he came to the kids on New Year's Eve and left gifts under the tree for children who had behaved well during the year. He did not work alone, he was helped by his granddaughter Snegurochka.

New Year films

In the USSR, before each New Year, a set of "New Year's films" was shown on TV [ ] , For example:

• Caucasian captive, or New adventures Shurik
• Fairy tale "Morozko"
• Fairy tale "Three nuts for Cinderella"

Today, the tradition continues with success, but modern New Year's films are added to the list.

• The man in my head

Christmas cartoons

The cartoons “When the Christmas Trees Light up”, “Santa Frost and the Gray Wolf”, “New Year's Journey” and “Snowman Postman” are included in the children's collection “Christmas Tree Holiday”, which was released in 1991. Today, the tradition of showing cartoons continues, but modern cartoons are added to the list.

New Year's songs

• "Dialogue at the New Year tree" - Spanish. Sergey Nikitin, Valentina Tolkunova and Leonid Serebrennikov
• "Happy New Year" - Spanish. ABBA , Marina Kapuro
• "The last hour of December" - Spanish. beat quartet "Secret"
• "New Year's toys" (A. Khoralov) - Spanish. duet Arkady Khoralov and Aurika Rotaru
• "Song about the snowflake" (from the movie "Magicians" E. Krylatov - L. Derbenev) - Spanish. Olga Rozhdestvenskaya and VIA Good well done
• "New Year" (Yu. Loza) - Spanish. Yuri Loza
• “Five minutes” (from the movie “Carnival Night”) - Spanish. Lyudmila Gurchenko
• "New Year's Dreams" - Spanish. Irina Allegrova and Mikhail Shufutinsky
• "From the first to the thirteenth" - Spanish. Alexander Abdulov
• “Laughter rings with silver” (from the musical “For two hares”) - Spanish. Alla Pugacheva
• "New Year" (I. Sarukhanov) - Spanish. Lolita Milyavskaya , Vladimir Presnyakov , Marina Khlebnikova , Igor Saruhanov , Valery Syutkin , Alena Sviridova , groups Old Friend , Lyceum , Lyube and Inveterate scammers
• “Happy New Year” (Fluffy snow flies from heaven, glasses foam with champagne) - Spanish. Na-na group
• "Under the New Year" - Spanish. Tatiana Bulanova
• "New Year's" (A. Makarevich - K. Khlebnikov) - Spanish. Lyceum group
• “New Year” (“New Year is rushing towards us ...”) - Spanish. Diskoteka Avaria
• "Happy New Year, baby" - Spanish. Mumiy Troll group
• “How the New Year will come to a fairy tale” (“Last Christmas”) - Spanish. Arrows
• "New Year's" ("Slowly the ball spins") - Spanish. Visitors from the future
• "White Winter" - Spanish. Sofia Rotaru
• "This is the New Year" ("New Year") - Group Reflex
• "Smell of the New Year" - Group Reflex
• "New Year" ( Are you tired of worries...) -

New Year is the most beautiful and most beloved holiday for each of us. How did the tradition of its celebration originate 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 is rooted in ancient times. This holiday is now celebrated by people according to the modern calendar. This happens at the moment the last day of the year leaves and the first day of the new year begins. An interesting fact is that the custom to celebrate NG 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 NY on the first of January, because this day is the first in the Gregorian calendar. If we take into account standard time, then the inhabitants of the little-known islands of Kiribati, located in the Pacific Ocean, are the first to begin to celebrate. And the last one always begins to celebrate Midway Island, in the Pacific Ocean. But some countries celebrate the holiday, such as the Chinese, according to the lunar calendar.

The Jewish Rosh Hashanah comes 163 days after Passover. It is believed that this day decides human fate for the whole 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 since 1911 is the most significant holiday in China and other Eastern countries. Moreover, in translation, its name sounds like “Spring Festival”. At this time, blossoming peach branches are placed in vases in houses or the rooms are decorated with tangerine trees hung with fruits.

New Year in Rus' in pagan times

The history of the emergence of the New Year in Rus' is one of the most controversial points in science. The origins of the holiday should be sought in the era of ancient times. Until now, no answer has been found to the question of when the New Year was celebrated and from what moment the time was counted. 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 span - this is March, April and March. It is believed that, most likely, NG was celebrated on March 22, on the day of the vernal equinox. It turns out that Maslenitsa and NG were celebrated on the same day, because with the departure of winter, a new countdown began.

Changes that came after the baptism of Rus'

The situation changed with the advent of Christianity in Rus'. After this event, a new chronology appeared, which is repelled from the creation of the world. In turn, the new calendar was called Julian. The names of the months were fixed in it. And the first of March began to count the new year.

At the end of the fifteenth century, the Orthodox Church moved the date of the beginning of the year to the first of September, in accordance with the Council of Nicaea. Such changes were associated with the growing influence of the Christian Church on the life of Rus' at that time. The reform of the calendar was carried out without any consideration of the rhythm of the working life of ordinary people, without its connection with agricultural planting and work. NG in September was justified by 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 the day of Simeon - the period of the end of summer and the beginning of a new year.

Innovations of Peter I

Peter I in 1699 carried out a reform. A decree was issued that the beginning of the year should be considered the first of January. This was done in accordance with how all Christian nations lived, using the Gregorian calendar. However, Peter I failed to completely switch to the Gregorian calendar, since the church used, as before, the Julian one. And yet in Russia the chronology was changed. If earlier it was led from the creation of the world, then later it was led from the Nativity of Christ. In fairness, it is worth noting that for a long time both reckonings 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 king completely banned any celebration of the first of September. He strictly watched to ensure that NG in Russia was no poorer and no worse than in European countries. Since then, New Year's traditions began to appear. Interesting facts about the New Year are recorded even in Petrovsky decrees. The king ordered trees and gates of houses to be decorated with pine and juniper branches along the large streets. The decree did not talk about a Christmas tree, it was said in general about trees. But the beginning of the appearance of the main symbol of the New Year was already laid. Trees were originally decorated with fruits, nuts, sweets and even vegetables. But they began to decorate the Christmas tree for the New Year much later - in the middle of the last century.

Thanks to innovations, January 1, 1700 began with a colorful procession on Red Square in Moscow. And in the evening the sky was painted with colorful fireworks. It was from 1700 that New Year's fun gained universal recognition. And the very celebration of the New Year began to bear a universal national 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. Many Interesting Facts we don’t even know 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 1917 revolution, the government raised the question of the need to reform the calendar. Indeed, at that time, most of the 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 appeared in Russia - another interesting fact about the New Year.

The very name of the holiday already speaks of the connection with the old calendar style, according to which Russia lived until 1918. The country switched to a new style by decree of Lenin. 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 implemented at 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 decent deviations from the true movement of the luminary. Therefore, we can say that the Gregorian reform was scientifically justified. 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, in fact, has 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 join history and pay tribute to the 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 some corrections should be made to the Julian calendar. There were no representatives of the Russian church at this meeting due to certain circumstances. Having learned about what changes had been adopted, Patriarch Tikhon issued a decree to switch to a new calendar. However, the decree was soon canceled due to the protests of the church people. And at present, the question of changing the calendar in the Russian Orthodox Church is not on the table.

How is New Year celebrated in different countries?

In fairness, it should be said that the New Year holiday, like no other, is incredibly loved by people. Moreover, each nation has its own special traditions of celebrating New Year's Eve. Sometimes there are quite 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 to tell about the most interesting ones is worth it.

Well, who among us does not 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 spread almost all over the world. In general, the Germans believe that their Santa Claus always rides a donkey, and therefore the kids put hay in their shoes to please the animal.

But the ancient Vietnamese sincerely believed that the new year comes to them on the back of a carp. Therefore, there is still a custom in the country to acquire live carps and release fish into the river. The main symbol of the New Year in Vietnam is a blossoming peach twig. They decorate their homes, and also give them to each other.

Many of us love to give cards on the eve of the holiday. But not everyone knows where this tradition came from. It turns out that this custom originated in England. An obligatory ritual for the festive night is the meeting of the New Year. He is let into the house through the front doors, but before that they certainly see off the old year through the back. In England, on New Year's Eve, lovers kiss under a sprig of mistletoe, but this must be done precisely to the ringing of bells. 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 to turn on bright lighting for the holiday. But the French generally celebrate the holiday quite extravagantly. On New Year's Eve, they bake a pie with a bean hiding in it. Whoever finds it will become the bean king. And everyone else must fulfill his wishes on a 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 is interesting, but on New Year's Eve, Americans do not present gifts, and also do not gather at the table. All this they do at Christmas.

But the Finns in this respect are more like us. They celebrate not only Christmas, but the New Year itself. It was from them that the tradition of melting wax and lowering it into water came from, and then, based on the outlines of the figures, make assumptions about what awaits them in the new year.

In Italy, the festivities begin only on the sixth of January. Italians at this time are trying to get rid of unnecessary and old things. They throw away furniture and utensils that they no longer need. But children expect the holiday with special enthusiasm, because on a festive night a fabulous fairy comes to every house. She opens the door with her golden key and fills the children's stockings with sweets and gifts. Only obedient kids are rewarded. And bullies and fighters instead of sweets get only a pile of ash and coal.

The Venetians, on the other hand, tend to go on New Year's Eve to St. Mark's Square. There, couples in love meet the holiday and kiss. Such an unusual tradition appeared not so long ago, but quickly took root among young people.

A very interesting tradition exists in Scotland. There, on New Year's Eve, barrels of tar on fire are rolled through the streets. It is believed that in such an original way, the locals see off the old year and invite the new one into the house.

But in Colombia, on holidays, he walks the streets Old year on stilts. He makes people laugh and tells funny stories to kids. At night, people set off fireworks. And on the eve of the holiday, a parade of dolls marches through the streets. These are the traditions of celebrating the New Year that exist in the world.

New year in Russia

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 Santa Claus, who congratulates the children with his helper Snegurochka. From the first days of December, holiday 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. New Year's Eve for children is the brightest holiday, because at this time magic reigns around, from decorating a wonderful Christmas tree to long-awaited gifts under it.

Wizard's Residence

Since 1998, our Grandfather Frost has been living in a town called Veliky Ustyug. It is there that his famous residence is located. From all over the country, numerous guests come to the wizard, and not only at the end of December. All children know that November 18 is Father Frost's birthday. And of course, the wizard celebrates his holiday by arranging magnificent festivities in the residence. How old he is, no one knows for sure. 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 come.

Celebrations are especially magnificent in the wizard's homeland. Grandfather comes to congratulate not only adults and children, but also fabulous colleagues from different countries.

At the residence, the wizard has many assistants, among whom, as already mentioned, is the Snow Maiden. It is they 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 disregard his request and will try to fulfill his cherished desire. Sometimes there are very touching letters, from which tears well up in the eyes of not only Santa Claus, but also his assistants.

In recent years, a fairly new tradition for our country to celebrate St. Nicholas Day has appeared. All children on holiday look for sweets under the pillow, 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 honored for many years - a glass of champagne to the chiming clock, a festive tree with garlands and balls, Russian salad, sparklers, crackers and much more. Without all these attributes it is difficult to imagine a holiday. The main tradition is to celebrate the holiday well and cheerfully, because there is even a saying: "As you meet New Year's Eve - so you will spend it." That's why New year's night- this is a magnificent feast, laughter and fun. Lush festivities with songs and dances are usually arranged on the streets.

But the celebration doesn't end there. After all, people are ahead of Christmas and Old New Year, which has remained a holiday for the people. Of course, it is not celebrated as magnificently and richly as NG itself, but traditions are still honored, and therefore people also gather at the table this evening.