How New Year is celebrated in different parts of the world

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

In Russia, the European chronology was introduced, as you know, by Peter the Great on January 1, 1700. But if the Old Russian calendar still had its power, then we would now celebrate the new year, 7508 "from the creation of Jorah", and not in January, but in September. And in China, the New Year will come in February - 4697th year according to the Chinese calendar. Then the New Year will be celebrated in India. There, March 22 will be 1921. A little later, on April 13, New Year will come to Nepal. It will become 2056. Muslims will celebrate their 1419th year in the summer of June 21. Jews will celebrate the new 5760th year on September 15th. In Japan and Korea, the New Year will come, as in Europe, on January 1st. Only there on the calendar is a completely different chronology. Such, as they say, are pies … And what can be, not to limit ourselves to the first January feast, but to celebrate the New Year in February with the Chinese, and in March with the Indians, and in April with the Nepalese, and in June with the Muslims, and in September - with the Jews?

New Year in Australia starts on the first of January. But just at this time it is so hot there that Santa Claus and Snow Maiden are carrying gifts in bathing suits.

Italians on New Year's Eve old things are thrown out of the windows - flower pots, old chairs, boots fly out of the windows onto the pavement … The more things you throw away, they say, the more wealth the New Year will bring.

Inhabitants British isles both hands hold on to the old custom of Letting in New Year. In Herdfordshire, the custom of admitting the New Year is that when the clock starts striking 12, the back door of the house is opened to let out the Old Year, and with the last stroke of the clock, the front door is opened to let in the New Year.

In Scotland, before midnight on the farms, they light a bright fire in the fireplace and the whole family sits around it, waiting for the clock to strike. When the hands of the clock are approaching 12, the owner of the house gets up and silently opens the door. He keeps it open until the clock strikes the last beat. So he lets out the old year and lets in the new one.

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In Spain , the expressive features of an erotic cult are borne by one of the New Year's customs, which is still observed in many villages of the country, although now in a humorous form:"

In Barcelona, in Madrid, just recently on New Year's Eve, tickets were sold with the names of guests of both sexes and then they were connected in pairs at random: it turned out "grooms" and "brides" for the whole evening. The next morning, the "groom" was supposed to come to his "bride" with a visit and a gift - flowers, sweets. Sometimes young people set things up in such a way as to get their beloved girl in the "bride", and the matter ended in a real marriage.

It is very likely that there are traces of an ancient, quite serious marriage custom, when marriages were contracted under the strict control of the community.

V Belgium and The Netherlands ubiquitous is the "magic of the first day", the meaning of which lies in the fact that according to the behavior of a person on the first day of the New Year, one can judge what will happen to him in the coming year. Therefore, they tried not to borrow anything on this day, put on something new, etc. In order to have abundance in the house all year, it was necessary to have an abundance of food in the New Year.

New Year's Day is also a holiday for children. On this day, children wish their parents a Happy New Year and read to them pre-prepared congratulatory letters written on special paper decorated with bright flowers and ribbons. Among the Flemings and Walloons, on New Year's Eve, the "Good Angel" or "Christ Child" goes to their homes, putting sweets under the pillow for sleeping children.

Sometimes young people set things up in such a way as to get their beloved girl in the "bride", and the matter ended in a real marriage.

Since ancient times, there has been another custom widespread in other countries in the Netherlands and Belgium - the election of the king of the holiday. For this, the hostesses bake a cake in which a bean is baked. Whoever gets a piece of the bean pie becomes king for the whole holiday. The king chooses his own queen and retinue: a court jester, a nobleman, "Black Peter", etc.

There is another way of electing a king in Brabant and West Flanders. 16 special so-called royal postcards (Koningsbriefs) are produced, which depict the king, his courtiers and servants: counselor, kravchiy, confessor, ambassador, singer, actor, cook, etc. Such postcards are often drawn by hand in the village. Then those present at random take one postcard, and in this way the roles of the festive evening are distributed. The king and queen, crowned with crowns of gold paper, preside over the evening. All their gestures and deeds must be repeated. Their power continues all day on January 6th, which is full of fun and jokes.

By Finnish In ancient times, the central winter month was a fox. January and February were called major and minor, or the first and second months of tammikuu. The celebration of the New Year on January 1 was adopted by the Finns in the 16th century. Before that, as already mentioned, the year began after Michael's Day, gradually moved towards the end of October and at one time was celebrated, obviously, on November 1. Since the time when the New Year began to be celebrated on January 1, on the eve of it and on the first day, the features characteristic of such a date passed. On the eve they began to guess. The casting of tin into water, which came from the west, has also spread. They cast a figurine for each family member and the last one for the spirit of the earth, in order to find out if he would patronize the house. In the water from under the casting, the girls moistened their scarves and put them under their heads, hoping to see their betrothed in a dream. In addition, they looked in the mirror, which supposedly would help to see the groom's face, predict in the coming year: the upcoming marriage, the time of death, etc.

V Austria the modern custom of gifts and greetings for the New Year was widespread in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It is now customary to give figurines or send postcards with the traditional symbols of happiness; these are considered to be a chimney sweep, a four-leaf clover, a pig. Dinner on December 31 should be plentiful so that you can live well in the New Year. Jellied pig or pork was an obligatory meat dish. It was believed that in order to be happy, one must eat a piece of a head or a pork snout; it was called "participating in pig happiness" (Saugluck teilhaftig werden).

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In Switzerland (and in the aforementioned Austria) people dress up to celebrate St. Sylvester's Day. This holiday is based on the legend that Pope Sylvester (314) caught a terrible sea monster. It was believed that in the 1000th year, this monster will break free and destroy the world. To everyone's joy, this did not happen. Since then, in Austria and Switzerland, this story is remembered in the New Year. People dress up in fancy dress and call themselves Sylvesterclaves.

New Year - uj ev (uj ev) - in Hungary does not have the same meaning as Christmas, although some Christmas rites and beliefs were observed at this time. For example, beliefs related to the magic of the first day were very widespread, among them superstitions associated with the first visitor played a significant role. According to a widespread belief, the woman who entered the house first on this day brings misfortune. Therefore, a boy is often sent to the house of relatives under some pretext, after visiting which the house is no longer afraid of the visit of a woman. Many magical actions were taken in order to be healthy and rich in the New Year. So, in other localities, when washing in the morning, instead of washing, they rub their hands with coins so that they are not transferred in their hands all year round.

In Yugoslavia on New Year's Eve, they made a lot of guesswork: 12 salted onion slices were used to determine the weather in a given month (Croats, Slovenes). In some regions of Slovenia, ten different objects were laid out on the table: among them were a pine twig (happiness), a ring (wedding), a doll (family growth), money (wealth), etc., which were covered with a fur hat. Each fortuneteller had to pull out an object three times, and if he came across the same one all the time, this meant that an event related to the symbolism of this object would occur in his life within a year.

Muslims use the lunar calendar, so the Muslim New Year's date shifts 11 days forward every year. In Iran (a Muslim country that was formerly called Persia), the New Year is celebrated on March 21. A few weeks before the New Year, people plant wheat or barley grains in a small dish. By the New Year, the grains sprout, which symbolizes the beginning of spring and a new year of life.

Many magical actions were taken in order to be healthy and rich in the New Year.

Hindus , depending on where they live, celebrate the New Year in different ways. The people of northern India adorn themselves with pink, red, purple, or white flowers. In southern India, mothers place sweets, flowers, small gifts on a special tray. On the morning of the new year, children should wait with their eyes closed until they are brought to the tray. In central India, orange flags are hung on buildings. In western India, New Year is celebrated at the end of October. Small lights are lit on the rooftops. On New Year's Day, the Hindus think of the goddess of wealth Lakshmi.

The New Year in Burma begins on April 1st, on the hottest days. For a whole week, people heartily pour water on each other. Tinjan New Year Water Festival is underway.

In October, New Year comes to Indonesia . All people dress up and ask each other for forgiveness for the troubles they caused in the past year.

Jewish New Year is called Rosh Hashanah. This is a holy time when people think about their sins and promise to atone for them next year with good deeds. Children are given new clothes. People bake bread and eat fruit.

In Vietnam New Year is called"

Street processions are the most exciting part of the holiday. Thousands of lanterns are lit during processions to light the way during the New Year.

In Japan New Year is celebrated on January 1. To keep evil spirits out, the Japanese hang bundles of straw in front of their homes, which they believe brings happiness. At the start of the new year, the Japanese start laughing. They believe that laughter will bring them good luck in the coming year.

Chinese New Year is celebrated between January 17 and February 19, during the new moon. Street processions are the most exciting part of the holiday. Thousands of lanterns are lit during processions to light the way on New Years. The Chinese believe that the new year is surrounded by evil spirits. Therefore, they scare them away with firecrackers and firecrackers. Sometimes the Chinese seal the windows and doors with paper to keep out evil spirits.

V Greece New Year is St. Basil's Day. Saint Basil was known for his kindness, and Greek children leave their boots by the fireplace in the hope that Saint Basil will fill them with gifts.