New Year's traditions in Russia. New Year traditions in Russia

19.07.2019

New Year is the most favorite holiday in our country! Weekends, fun, meeting friends, festive Christmas trees and the smell of pine needles, clinking champagne groceries, flickering lights ...

Peter I's innovations in the New Year celebration

The tradition of celebrating the New Year was introduced in Russia by Peter I, wishing to keep up with the West, forbade celebrating the New Year in the fall, postponing the holiday to January 1 by a special decree.

In those days, Christmas in Russia fell on December 25 (according to the Julian calendar), and the New Year was celebrated after Christmas. This meant that January 1 did not fall on the Christmas fast, which at that time was strictly observed by everyone, which means that on the holiday people did not have to limit themselves in food and drink. The first New Year in Russia was noisily celebrated with a parade and fireworks on the night of December 31 to January 1, 1700.

The capital was then Moscow, St. Petersburg had not yet been built, so all the celebrations took place on Red Square. However, from the new 1704, the celebrations were moved to the northern capital. The main thing at the New Year's holiday in those days was not a feast, but mass festivities. Petersburg masquerades were held on the square near the Peter and Paul Fortress, and Peter not only took part in the festivities himself, but also obliged the nobles to do so. Those who did not appear at 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 glass of vodka in front of everyone.

After the masquerade, the inexorable tsar invited a narrow circle of especially close ones (80 - 100 people) to the imperial palace. The doors of the dining room were traditionally locked with a key so that no one would try to leave the premises earlier than 3 days later. Such an agreement operated at the insistence of Peter. These days they were drinking immensely: most of the guests by the third day quietly crawled under the bench, without disturbing the rest. Only the strongest withstood such a New Year's feast.

Winter New Year in Russia did not take root immediately. However, Peter was persistent and ruthlessly punished those who tried, according to the old tradition, to celebrate the new year on September 1. He also strictly observed that by January 1 the houses of nobles and commoners were decorated with spruce, juniper or pine branches. These branches were supposed to be decorated not with toys, as now, but with fruits, nuts, vegetables and even eggs.

Moreover, all these products served not only as decoration, but also as symbols: apples - a symbol of fertility, nuts - the incomprehensibility of divine providence, eggs - a symbol of developing life, harmony and complete well-being.

Over time, the Russians got used to the new winter holiday. The evening on the eve of the new year came to be called "generous." A plentiful festive table, according to popular belief, seemed to provide well-being for the entire coming year and was considered a guarantee of the family's wealth. Therefore, they tried to decorate it with everything that they would like to have in abundance in their household.

Empress Elizabeth I continued the tradition of New Years celebrations begun by her father. New Year's and New Year's celebrations have become an integral part of the palace festivities. Elizabeth, a great lover of balls and amusements, arranged luxurious masquerades in the palace, to which she herself liked to appear in a man's suit. But in contrast to the riotous Peter's era, in Elizabethan times, court celebrations and feasts were given dignity.

Under Catherine II, the New Year was also celebrated on a grand scale, and the tradition of giving New Year gifts became widespread. On New Year's Eve, a huge number of various offerings were brought to the imperial palace.

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

The reign of Emperor Nicholas I includes the appearance of the first public New Year tree in Russia and St. Petersburg. Before that, as already mentioned, the Russians decorated the house with only coniferous branches. However, any tree was suitable for decoration: cherry, apple, birch. In the middle of the 19th century, only Christmas trees began to decorate. The first dressed up beauty lit up with lights indoors in 1852. And by the end of the 19th century, this custom had already become familiar not only in Russian cities, but also in villages.

In the 60s of the XIX century, the French chef Lucien Olivier invented the Olivier Salad. He was the owner of the Hermitage inn, which at that time was located on Trubnaya Square. By all accounts, this was not a tavern, but the highest-class Parisian restaurant. The Olivier salad immediately became the main attraction of the Hermitage cuisine.

Lucien Olivier kept the method of preparing the salad a secret and with his death the secret of the recipe was considered lost. However, the main ingredients were known and the salad recipe was reproduced in 1904.

Here is its composition; 2 hazel grouse, veal tongue, quarter pound pressed caviar, half a pound fresh salad, 25 boiled crawfish, half a can of pickles, half a can of kabul soybeans, two fresh cucumbers, a quarter pound of capers, 5 hard boiled eggs.

For the sauce: Provencal mayonnaise should be cooked in French vinegar from 2 eggs and 1 pound of Provencal (olive) oil, however, according to connoisseurs, this was not the case. But, try cooking.

From Christmas in St. Petersburg at the beginning of the twentieth century, the season of balls and festive festivities began. Numerous Christmas trees with obligatory gifts were arranged for children, ice palaces and mountains were built for folk entertainment, and free performances were given. The most solemn moment of the New Year's meeting was the appearance of the Imperial persons in the Winter.

By tradition, St. Petersburgers celebrated Christmas and Christmas Eve at home, with their families. But on New Year's Eve, they ordered tables in restaurants or entertainment establishments. There were a great many restaurants in St. Petersburg at that time - for every taste and budget. There were aristocratic restaurants: "Kyuba" on Bolshaya Morskaya Street, or "Bear" on Bolshaya Konyushennaya. The more democratic "Donon" gathered at its tables writers, artists, scientists, graduates of the School of Law.

The capital's elite - people of art and literature - organized their evenings in the fashionable "Kontana", on the Moika. The program of the evening includes a lyrical divertissement with the participation of the best Russian and foreign artists, a virtuoso Romanian orchestra; the ladies were offered flowers free of charge. Literary youth preferred artistic cabarets to ordinary restaurants. The most picturesque of them was "Stray Dog" on Mikhailovskaya Square.

But along with such restaurants for the intelligent public, there were establishments of a completely different kind. Winter cafe "Villa Rode", appeared in St. Petersburg in 1908. Dancers and a choir of gypsies performed on the stage. Young ladies and ladies from respectable families were not recommended to visit this institution.

New Year under Soviet rule. Change the calendar.

After the revolution, in 1918, by Lenin's decree, Russia switched to the Gregorian calendar, which by the 20th century overtook the Julian calendar by 13 days. February 1, 1918 was immediately declared the 14th. But the Orthodox Church did not accept this transition and announced that it would celebrate Christmas according to the old Julian calendar. Since then, Orthodox Christmas in Russia has been celebrated on January 7 (December 25, old style). In 1929, Christmas was canceled. With it, the tree, which was called the "priest's" custom, was also canceled. New Year has been canceled. Former holidays have turned into regular working days. The tree was recognized as a "priestly" custom. "Only the one who is a friend of the priests is ready to celebrate the Christmas tree!" - wrote children's magazines. But in many families, they continued to arrange the New Year, although they did it with great care - they put the Christmas tree secretly, tightly curling the windows. Probably, it was in those years that the New Year in Russia began to be celebrated not with masquerades and dances, but with a feast. After all, they had to celebrate in secret, so as not to wake up the neighbors. This continued until 1935. However, at the end of 1935, the newspaper Pravda published an article by Pavel Petrovich Postyshev "Let's organize a good Christmas tree for the children for the new year!"

The society, which has not yet forgotten the beautiful and bright holiday, reacted quickly enough, and the "highest directive" changed.

It turned out that the New Year is a wonderful holiday, which can also once again testify to the achievements of the country of the Soviets - Christmas trees and Christmas tree decorations have appeared on sale. Pioneers and Komsomol members took over the organization and implementation of Christmas trees in schools, orphanages and clubs. On December 31, 1935, the tree again entered the homes of our compatriots.

Since 1936 in Moscow, the most important children's Christmas tree in Russia has been installed in the Kremlin.

And since 1947, January 1 has again become a "red day of the calendar", that is, non-working.

Dances and masquerades were almost completely excluded from the New Year's program: in cramped apartments one had to choose: either a table or a dance. With the appearance of televisions in Soviet families, the table finally won out. The main action in the New Year was the opening of a bottle of "Soviet Champagne" to the sound of the Kremlin chimes.

On New Year's Eve, television has always prepared an extensive entertainment program: the annual Blue Lights were especially popular. Later, special "New Year" films began to appear.

In 1991, with the beginning of the Yeltsin era, after an almost 75-year hiatus, Christmas began to be celebrated in Russia again. January 7 was declared a non-working day: Christmas services were shown on TV and Russians were told how to hold the holy holiday.

However, the traditions of celebrating Christmas in Russia have already been lost. Several generations of Soviet people brought up in the spirit of atheism did not understand either the essence or the form of this holiday. However, the additional day off was accepted with pleasure. The revival of the celebration of Orthodox Christmas in Russia, in a sense, has jeopardized the long-standing "Soviet" tradition of celebrating the New Year. December 31st begins the last week before Christmas: according to Christian canons, this is the time of repentance, abstinence and prayer. And suddenly, in the midst of strict fasting, according to the established "secular" tradition, the most magnificent and most delicious tables are set. What "traditions of celebrating Christmas" can we talk about? It is not known how this paradox will be resolved in the future, which has arisen due to the reluctance of the Russian Church to switch to the “new style”. So far, the confrontation between secular and church traditions is confidently winning the New Year, which has been holding the position of the favorite family holiday of Russians for many years.

Meeting the New Year, without any doubt, can be called our most beloved and popular holiday. Beloved to the point that we celebrate it twice: the first time according to the Gregorian calendar adopted today, and then according to the old Julian calendar, which was used until 1918. This is the second in time, but not in meaning, holiday, we can safely consider only our, truly Russian New Year, because even the name of this holiday - Old New Year cannot be translated into any foreign language. And is it worth it? Can we afford to have such a special, homely, cozy and at the same time, in Russian, cheerful and generous celebration of the New Year.

As strange as it may seem, the New Year holidays did not take root in Russia at all. Moreover, the New Year, so beloved by everyone today, constantly met various obstacles on its way to Russia. The sovereign reformer Peter I brought us this holiday from Europe, but it was not immediately possible to make it to the Russians. Everything in this holiday was strange for the people: a new chronology from the Nativity of Christ instead of the usual chronology from the Creation of the world; and the meeting of the new year, postponed from the plentiful period of the beginning of autumn to the mean middle of winter; and even the Tsar's command to decorate houses with fir trees, pines, and juniper branches. Indeed, in Russia, joy and well-being have always been identified with birch and oak, and spruce was a funeral tree. And it was not clear to the peasants and the common people what kind of holiday it was when you need to decorate your house with funeral spruce branches. And so it happened that with the death of Pyotr Alekseevich, the celebration of the New Year, established by him, immediately ceased.

New Year's celebrations have returned to the reign of Catherine the Great. Well, someone, but the Empress knew a lot about the holidays, and she felt and loved the Russian soul. It was She who first installed a New Year tree in the Winter Palace, and not just a Christmas tree, like Peter I, but a festive, elegant Christmas tree decorated with sweets, fruits and garlands. Such beauty, of course, pleased the Russian people, and it is with the reign of Catherine the Great that the celebration of the real Russian New Year can begin. In those days, the secular New Year was celebrated with balls and festivities rather than plentiful feasts, but traditions were started. It may sound somewhat unexpected, but the New Year's treats of those times were almost the same both in palaces and in peasant huts. Catherine the Great respected sour cabbage soup very much - an effervescent leavened drink, which she called nothing other than Russian champagne, and the tables were lined with the simplest, typically Russian treats: pickles and pickles, baked pigs, fish dishes, pies - all the same things that they were treated to. on New Year's Eve and in the simplest houses. Except that greenhouse exotic fruits and outlandish sweets distinguished the rich New Year's balls from the simple, but no less cheerful New Year's festivities of the townspeople and peasants. It is interesting that poultry dishes, which are so popular today, were not served at the Russian New Year's tables in those days - it was believed that luck could fly away in the coming year. This is how the first New Year traditions were established.

The 19th century brought real popularity to the Russian New Year holidays. Today, for some reason, it is believed that pre-revolutionary Russia widely celebrated only church holidays, for example, Christmas, while secular holidays like New Year were not widespread at that time. Sometimes calls are even heard to completely abandon the celebration of the "pagan and alien" New Year. Perhaps this confusion stems from the fact that, according to the modern calendar, New Year's holidays fall on the time of Filippov's Lent. But right, this is why the Old New Year is so important for the Russian people, which embraces with its joy and binds together all layers of our society, allowing deeply religious people to boldly celebrate the New Year together with secular friends, combining ancient and modern New Year traditions.

Already from the beginning of the 19th century, winter holidays in Russia began with the Nativity of Christ and continued until Epiphany. And in a series of merry balls and masquerades, abundant feasts and festivities, there was certainly a place for the New Year's Eve. In restaurants and general meetings, public Christmas trees were arranged, theaters gave New Year's performances, and after the performances, New Year's masquerades and dances were organized. At the same time, a tradition of New Year's gifts has developed, albeit a little more modest than Christmas gifts.

And of course, by this time the tradition of New Year's feasts had already developed. And in big cities, and in provincial towns, and even in the most remote villages, a plentiful feast has become one of the most important attributes of the New Year. And it didn't matter how important it was, to which strata of society the celebrants belong. Be it the palace balls of the aristocrats, the luxurious festivities of the rich residents of both capitals, or the home feasts of the poor bourgeois and peasants - everyone tried to celebrate the New Year as magnificently and cheerfully as possible, treating themselves to and treating friends with the most delicious dishes and wishing themselves and everyone around them prosperity next year ... Regardless of their income, each family tried to set the table with as many of the most varied dishes as possible, and it should be noted that the New Year's treat was much more varied and plentiful than even the Christmas treat. It is not in vain that the evening of December 31 was called generous! Even in the simplest families, they tried to serve as many meat dishes as possible to the table. There were baked pigs, jellies, jellies, boiled pork heads, and stuffed lamb sides and stomachs. In peasant families, they certainly cooked rich kutya, which was seasoned with pork fat and crushed poppy seeds. From the bins and cellars, the most delicious delicacies were obtained, specially reserved for the New Year: pickled cucumbers and sauerkraut, pickled and dried mushrooms, pickled apples and berries, berry marshmallow and jam - all the most delicious went to the preparation of New Year's dishes, all the most delicious were set New Year's table. Russian rich cabbage soup and the most generous porridge with meat did not remain forgotten. As it is today, in those days it was believed that the more abundant the New Year's meal, the more various dishes will be put on the table, the more well-fed and abundant the coming year will be.

New Year's Eve in Russian certainly included special New Year's pastries. Most often, these were various figures of animals, elegant gingerbread - in wealthy houses, or simple ones, baked from butter or the simplest unleavened dough - in poorer houses. Such figures were baked so that the cattle would reproduce well in the new year. The peasants baked pancakes for the New Year's table, so that the cattle were smooth and well-fed, and various buns and rolls for a good harvest, and smart loaves decorated with dough ears and flowers, so that wheat and rye would be fertile. Yes, and besides ritual baking, they did not forget about delicious pies with a wide variety of fillings, and about pies, cheesecakes, fried and yarn pies, levashniki (sweet pies with levash - dried apple or berry mass) and gingerbreads. A lot, a lot of pies and pies were prepared for the New Year. So much to turn a simple meal into a whole New Year's ritual. The hostess put them in a slide on the table, the owner of the house hid behind this slide, and only then the children were called. The children, entering the room, shouted: - And where did our father go? - Can't you see me? - the owner of the house answered cheerfully because of the mountain of pastries, - We do not see! - the children rejoiced, - And God forbid that we also don't see you all year. They said this with a view to the hope that the whole next year the table would be bursting with food as well as on New Year's Eve. And during the New Year's festivities, all these pies were presented to neighbors, friends and, of course, all the surrounding children.

Of course, they did not forget about drinks on New Year's Eve. In peasant houses and families of poor bourgeois, they certainly cooked sbitni, warming on a cold winter night, and for children they prepared non-alcoholic sbitni from water, honey, dried berries and spices, but adults got sbitni strong - with mead, wine, vodka. For the New Year holidays, both liqueurs and liqueurs were in time. In richer houses, champagne was already pouring, a wide variety of wines, Madeira, port and vodka were served at the New Year's table.

In addition to exquisite dishes and drinks, the newest desserts and sweets appeared. At the same time, the favorite and today many Napoleon cake appeared, decorating the tables of wealthy citizens. A newfangled dessert, ice cream, has become an indispensable attribute of the New Year's table of aristocrats.

In general, the New Year's tables of wealthy townspeople and aristocracy differed from our modern New Year's menus only by their abundance and an impressive assortment of food. But most of the rich New Year's dishes of that time are available to us today. Ducks and geese baked with apples, caviar, noble fish, a variety of delicious salads and snacks of that time, which came to us from European cuisine, have perfectly taken root in Russian cuisine, over time migrating from the tables of the old aristocracy to our festive New Year's menus , often with only small changes associated with products that have become too difficult or costly to obtain. And simple, but such delicious and hearty New Year's meals are available to absolutely everyone today. This means, like centuries ago, today every family can not only celebrate the Old New Year, but also meet it, respecting many old New Year's traditions, and celebrate the real New Year in Russian on the night of January 13-14.

New Year is the most favorite holiday for the majority of the inhabitants of our country, and not only ours. Both children and adults are looking forward to the onset of the holidays, in the hope that everything conceived will definitely come true. These days, a festive atmosphere reigns in the country and in every family, joyful efforts to prepare gifts for all friends and relatives. Everyone is waiting for some miracle, which must necessarily happen on New Year's Eve. There are legends all over the world about how Russians celebrate the New Year. Despite the fact that the Russian people are quite reckless and easy-going, but still the majority try to meet this holiday in the circle of relatives and friends.

For most of us, celebrating the New Year is such a familiar phenomenon, with all the ensuing consequences, that we do not even think about how this event took place in the distant past. Our ancestors also loved holidays, folk festivals were constantly held, what then can we say about celebrating the New Year.

A long time ago, the New Year in Russia was celebrated on the first spring day. In 1492, the Orthodox Church decided that this holiday should be celebrated on the first day of autumn, that is, September 1. It was believed that the harvest was harvested, which means that the working year was over. Interestingly, until the 18th century, the celebration of the holiday began not at midnight, as is customary now, but at 9 am. At this time, on the main square in the capital of our Motherland, a divine service was held dedicated to the holiday, which was attended by mandatory the king with his retinue, the highest ranks and boyars, as well as foreign guests. After the solemn service, a festive feast began for all the guests.

Only at the very beginning of the 18th century, Peter the Great issued a decree, which stated that the celebration of the New Year would be on January 1, as it was by that time in all European countries. How the New Year was celebrated before, many do not know, let alone suspect that at first the tsar forcibly forced ordinary people and his entourage to decorate houses with pine branches and not remove these decorations until January 7.

On New Year's Eve, one could hear cannon volleys, see fiery fun in honor of the coming New Year. The Russian people walked to the fullest: they drank, ate deliciously, went to visit, all this happened with the direct participation of the tsar himself. Such festivities continued for 7 days. Many signs are associated with the celebration of the New Year in those days. Here is some of them:

for 13 days, starting from January 1, they noted what the weather was like - it was believed that exactly such weather conditions would be in a certain month of the year;
before the New Year, water was frozen in a spoon on the street. If the ice came out with bubbles, then nothing threatens your health in the New Year, but when a dimple forms, expect trouble;
going to bed, the girl put the first piece of the festive feast under the pillow and invited her betrothed to taste. Whoever dreams in a dream will become a husband;
sleeping next to a cat was considered a particularly good omen.
New Year's fortune-telling. Not a single unmarried girl could do without them.

It can be noted only one thing that the Russian people perceived without much enthusiasm to decorate the Christmas tree for the New Year, it was associated with the last path of the deceased, which was covered with spruce branches. Therefore, after the death of Peter the Great, they immediately forgot about the tree and stopped putting it up. This tradition returned only in 1819, when Prince Nikolai Pavlovich tied the knot with a German princess. Then this custom of celebrating the New Year with the Russians, together with the Christmas tree, was firmly and permanently entrenched.

New Year traditions in Russia

New Year, favorite holiday. Each family has its own traditions of celebrating this event. Now there are so many different traditions and acceptances that you can get lost in them. You will not immediately understand whether they are primordially Russian or came to us from abroad. In Russian families, the New Year is always celebrated and celebrated on a large scale. It is impossible to overcrowded in supermarkets before the holiday. People buy everything and in large quantities. This speaks of the generosity of the Russian soul. Everyone is ready to host everyone on these holidays. But there are moments without which the celebration of the New Year is not possible:

Christmas tree. It is worth recalling that we adopted the tradition of decorating a forest beauty from the French, who hung it with sweets, fruits and paper figures;
Russian national traditions cannot be imagined without gifts. The only difference is that in ancient times a young man chose a bride for himself before the New Year, and with the help of a gift he wanted to get her favor;
Christmas carols are an old tradition, but they have not been forgotten even today, especially in the countryside.

Modern New Year

In our age of modern technology and new technologies, the New Year remains the most beloved and long-awaited. As soon as the New Year holidays are over, we are already making plans for the next New Year. Every year new ideas appear in the celebration of this event, but there are also obligatory attributes of the modern New Year, which our ancestors did not have. Each of you is familiar with them:

You can still enumerate modern traditions for a long time, each family has its own special rules for celebrating the New Year.

New trends and signs of the New Year

Around the end of the 80s, a trend appeared that came to us from other countries - to associate the coming New Year with a certain animal from the Chinese horoscope. The year of the rat, bull, tiger and so on comes on the calendar a little later, only in February. Figures of these animals can be seen in large numbers in supermarkets. Everyone is trying to acquire the symbol of the coming year, hoping that this will bring happiness and good luck to the house.

How Russians celebrate the New Year can be seen during the New Year holidays, which, since 2000, have been organized not only for schoolchildren, but also for residents of the entire country. That's when the Russian soul can take a walk. Various fireworks and fireworks become a symbol of New Year's Eve, and of all New Year's holidays. How wonderful it is to see colorful flashes in the sky in different parts of the city on New Year's Eve!

This is all the more joyful since it is becoming very popular to celebrate the New Year with friends on the street. You can spend an unforgettable night at the skating rink, ride a sleigh belonging to Santa Claus, or dance around the Christmas tree in the city square. There are those who go to a restaurant or club in a noisy company. It is very convenient, no need to fool your head and set the table at home, here they will do everything for you, just count on your wallet. Fans of everything extreme can go on a trip to Australia or New Zealand. How nice it is to soak up the sun under the gentle rays, remembering that blizzards are raging in the Motherland and frosts are creaking.

Not without New Year's signs, which Russians are trying to follow:

put on all the best on New Year's Eve;
it is impossible to repay debts before the chimes, otherwise you will spend the whole year distributing them;
borrowing before the New Year is also not recommended, otherwise the whole year will have to be borrowed before the salary;
sleeping on the most important night is considered bad form, otherwise you will spend the whole year half asleep;
all the best should be on the table;
all broken dishes must be thrown away.

Whichever way of celebrating the New Year you choose, it all depends on you, whether it will turn out to be unforgettable and fabulous or will fly by completely unnoticed. Have fun, give gifts, please your loved ones with surprises and just enjoy every minute of this wonderful holiday.

New Year is rightfully considered the most beloved and most long-awaited holiday. After all, we all remember very well the thrill with which each New Year's gift was opened in childhood, the impatience with which every child is waiting for Santa Claus and the expectations of what he will bring us. But that was in childhood! Having matured, people begin to dream not of gifts, but of the fulfillment of the most cherished, most secret desires, and for this, one way or another, the ancient Russian New Year's traditions, customs, and signs will come in handy.

We celebrate the New Year on January 1, because three centuries ago, Tsar Peter I issued a decree commanding to celebrate this holiday on December 31. It was this decree that became the reason for the emergence of many Russian traditions, customs, signs. Spruce, for example, has become the main symbol of the New Year's holiday, as was customary in all European countries.

The next tsar's decree read: "... On large carriageways, noble people in front of the gates should make decorations from the branches of juniper and pine ... and for poor people - at least one tree or spruce branch should be placed on the collars for everyone ...". For the first time on this New Year's holiday, all Muscovites decorated their houses with branches of juniper, spruce and pine, according to the patterns that were decorated with the royal guest yard.

This custom was borrowed by the Russians from the Germans, who considered the spruce to be a sacred tree, in the branches of which a kind “forest spirit” lives - the defender of justice, goodness and truth. Constantly green spruce personified longevity, eternal youth, courage, dignity and loyalty. Spruce cones were a symbol of the fire of life, as well as the restoration of health.

New Year's Eve was considered “generous”. The plentiful festive table was decorated with everything that one wanted to have in abundance. For the New Year, they cooked various compotes, boils, beer, served a lot of meat, cereal and flour dishes, baked pies with a wide variety of fillings.

In the center of the table, it was customary to place the meat of a two-three-week-old pig roasted on a spit, which was perceived as a symbol of beauty. Surely, more than once you have heard such a concept as "kolyada". This word refers to all pork products that were prepared for Christmas or New Year. Each owner tried to stock up on pork, since the whole family was fed with this product until Lent.

Dishes from poultry, game birds or hares should not have been present on the New Year's table, because there was a belief that happiness could fly away or run away from home. For Ukrainians, Belarusians, Russians and Moldavians, pancakes and kutia were considered a traditional New Year's dish. Guests were treated to nuts, sweets or figurines baked from dough in the form of domestic animals: cows, bulls, horses.

It was customary to celebrate the New Year in a new dress and shoes (it was believed that then you would wear new clothes all year round). Before the New Year, they tried to forgive all insults, to pay off all debts. On the eve of the holiday, windows and mirrors were washed in houses, and broken dishes were disposed of.

In Russia, it was customary to prepare a very intricate dish for the New Year's table. It was not only expensive, but also required a very high level of skill from the chef. This was the general recipe: instead of pits, a slice of anchovies was put into fleshy olives, which served as a filling for a gutted lark, which was placed in a fat partridge, and that in a pheasant. The last "wrapper" of olives was a suckling pig. This work of culinary art was invented by a French court chef and is dedicated to the beautiful Catherine II. Soon the secret of this extravagant New Year's treat was found out by a wealthy nobleman and quickly disseminated among the nobility. It has become very prestigious to invite guests to the Empress roast.

But now let's move on from traditions to the rituals of the New Year's holiday ...

At midnight, when the chimes strike 12 times, we all make the most cherished wishes, which must necessarily come true in the coming year. Many also observe a more complex ceremony. At the time when the clock strikes 12, a wish is written on paper, then the paper is burned, the ashes are stirred in a glass of champagne. The champagne must be drunk until the clock strikes the last beat.

Many other rather interesting signs are associated with the celebration of the New Year. On New Year's Eve, in severe frost, the water was frozen in a spoon. Ice in bubbles testifies to good health and longevity, and a hole in the center of illness or even death.

There is another no less interesting custom: on New Year's Eve, the girl put part of the festive dinner under her pillow. Before going to bed, she invited her betrothed to come and taste the food she had in store. The beloved was supposed to appear to her in a dream.

For a long time, people have had New Year's omens. I think it will not hurt you to find out some of them:

1. On New Year's Eve, you cannot lend money, otherwise you will be in dire need of it for the next year.

2. If you want luck to accompany you everywhere in the New Year, put on something new.

3. To have prosperity in the house, the New Year's table should be bursting with food and drinks.

4. If on January 1 the first guest in the house is a man, the year will be happy, but if a woman - vice versa.

5. Remember how you will celebrate the New Year, so you will live it. Try not to swear, quarrel, cry, or go to bed early on New Years Eve.

6. To avoid incurring trouble on yourself and someone in the family, do not wash on New Year's Eve.

7. If you throw garbage out of the house before the New Year, expect trouble in the coming year, forget about well-being.

The most enjoyable moment in celebrating the New Year is, of course, receiving gifts. If you want your gift to bring joy and pleasure to your family and friends, consider the helpful tips for choosing them.

Women do not like being presented with: cheap perfume, lipstick, jewelry, sets of cheap soap, blouses, tights, pans, kitchen utensils and anything that reminds them of household chores. An exception is the previously agreed-upon situations.

It is undesirable for men to present as a gift: flowers, cufflinks, a tie, a strong-smelling aftershave or cologne, underwear, handkerchiefs, socks.

The child will be upset if you give him: clothes (without a toy), a smart book ("Schoolchildren's Encyclopedia"), school supplies, a souvenir that cannot be played with, but can only be put on the shelf.

New Year's traditions are relevant every year. Everyone believes in their hearts that making wishes, certain dishes and decorations can bring good luck, happiness and prosperity.

No one can say with certainty whether this is really so, but everyone adheres to tradition.

Among the New Year's customs, there are many interesting and unusual signs that our ancestors still believed in.

Each of us remembers ourselves in childhood. The New Year was a miracle and a welcome arrival of Santa Claus.

Grown people already know that grandfather does not exist, but they still want to fulfill their desires.

The first in history to apply New Year's traditions was Peter 1, who issued a decree about this. It was he who gave birth to the tradition of decorating everything with fir branches.

Until now, the tree is a decoration of every New Year.

All New Year's traditions

I think many of you practice these customs, because this is a very exciting and interesting activity, even if deeply in our hearts, we do not believe in it.

The main traditions for the New Year are:

decorations;
new Year gifts;
stockings for gifts;
festive table.

Decorating according to New Year's traditions

It is believed that the more food on the New Year's table, the richer the owners will be.

Also, if you believe the New Year's traditions, then there must be rabbit or poultry meat on the table. So your happiness cannot fly away or run away.

Olivier salad is no longer considered traditional, although on other holidays it is required by all guests.

For the New Year, you need to cook something unusual. So, for example, you can cook or.

They look delicious and New Year's.

On the New Year's table, according to modern traditions, there should be tangerines.

It is not known why the Russians loved them so much, but this has already become a custom.

The most important is the "Soviet Champagne", which is opened to the chimes.

Just imagine: the smell of spruce and tangerines, the striking of the clock and the screams of Uraaaaaaa! What could be more fun!

New Year's tradition "Make a Wish"

The most beloved tradition. After all, everyone believes in a miracle and in a New Year's fairy tale. Why not?!

We will tell you exactly how you need to make wishes in order for them to come true and what customs exist regarding just this.

How to make a wish for the New Year so that it comes true:

according to the New Year's tradition, it is necessary to write a wish on a leaf, set it on fire and dissolve it in a glass of champagne. It is necessary to drink it while the chimes strike;
write 12 wishes on small leaves and place them under the pillows. Get up in the morning and take out one of them. The wish that you pulled out will definitely come true. If, during sleep, several pieces of paper fell out from under the pillow, then fate will fulfill all your desires;
another New Year's tradition of making wishes for a stranger. If you are spending the New Year in the company of friends, but there is a person whom you see for the first time, then after 12-00 take his hand and think of anything;
launch a Chinese flashlight into the sky, into which a letter with a wish should be placed in advance;
catch a snowflake, and if it does not melt while the chimes strike, everything will come true (this is feasible when celebrating on the street);
light a candle and make a wish while the clock strikes, if the candle burns out to the end without extinguishing, it will come true;
under the chimes, eat 12 grapes, having time to spit out the seeds;
at 00-00 jump up and make a wish;
cut out and write your desire on it, you can make several of them. Then throw them off the balcony.

You can follow all traditions, but remember, making a wish - do not wish people evil, because the New Year is a bright and kind holiday.

New Year's signs

There are many signs, especially those related to the New Year. You can believe in them, or you can ignore them. It depends on your superstition, but if you want your wishes to come true, then follow the New Year's traditions and signs.

smash dishes (you will swear all year);
quarrel (waiting for an unhappy year);
cook at least 10 dishes (to poverty and hunger);
throw out the remnants of food from the table (chase your luck);
do not invite guests (to lack of money).

Signs that must be performed:

buy a new broom and tie a red ribbon bow on it with the broom up in the corner of the kitchen;
ask everyone for forgiveness;
put a banknote in your pocket (for money);
hang a wreath on the door;
leave the housekeeper with a glass of wine and a spoonful of salad in the kitchen;
before the arrival of guests, light in each room at the church meeting (observe fire safety).

No less interesting signs and New Year traditions are associated with other things.

This is how new clothes are accepted, it is believed that by doing so you attract success and money, so go shopping more daringly.

It is equally important to pay back and collect all monetary debts. It is believed that if the debtor has not returned the funds to you, then after New Year's Eve he will never return them.