This bright and cheerful holiday is celebrated in different countries in different ways, however, everywhere he is loved and expected. This is the most popular of all existing holidays. It took shape over a long period of time and has its own incredibly interesting history. New Year noted by the ancient Egyptians. This fact is confirmed by archaeologists who, having excavated the Egyptian pyramids, found a vessel with the inscription: “The beginning of the New Year.”
Ancient customs or how and why they celebrated the New Year in the old days
Primitive people did not count years and did not think about what year it was in their yard: they simply warm summer gave way to a rainy autumn, followed by a snowy winter, and after long cold spells the streams rang. Some peoples counted how many springs they experienced, others counted how many harsh winters they were able to survive.
In Ancient Armenia, for example, as in Ancient India, The New Year began on March 21, on the day spring equinox. The country woke up from its winter sleep along with the new Sun. The days got longer and people started new life. On the first day of spring, they made wishes and secured them by tying a ribbon to a tree branch or hanging their decoration on it.
And the tradition of celebrating the New Year on the day of the spring equinox came from Ancient Mesopotamia. Here, every year, following the 21st day of the month Nissan (on the day of the spring equinox), water began to rise in the Tigris River, and two weeks later - in the Euphrates. That is why all agricultural work began this month. The inhabitants of Mesopotamia celebrated this day with colorful processions, carnivals, masquerades, songs and dances.
In ancient Greece, the New Year began on the day summer solstice- June 22. The celebration opened with a procession in honor of the god of wine, Dionysus. Dionysus's retinue consisted of satyrs - the children of earthly women and Pan - the goat-like god of herds, forests and fields. The satyrs sang hymns in honor of Dionysus. Later, in the times of Pericles and Socrates, satyrs were replaced by priests. Every time on New Year's Eve they gathered in the vicinity of Athens, dressed themselves in goat skins and sang the praises of Dionysus in bleating voices.
IN Ancient Egypt New Year was celebrated in July during the Nile flood. On the night of July 19-20, priests in ceremonial robes, accompanied by coordinated singing, headed to a predetermined place, raised their faces to the black southern sky, trying to be the first to notice when the brightest star, Sirius, rose above the horizon. Her appearance in the sky meant the coming of the New Year.
In ancient Rome, the New Year was also celebrated in early March until Julius Caesar introduced new calendar(28 February 46 BC). After this, the first day of the New Year began to be considered the first day of January. January received its name in honor of the Roman god, the two-faced Janus. One Janus face was turned back to the previous year, the other forward to the new. On New Year's Day, the Romans decorated their houses and gave each other gifts and coins with the image of this god. The celebrations continued for several days. In Ancient Rome, the first gifts were laurel branches - symbols of happiness and good luck. They also gave each other fruits covered with gold, dates and wine berries, then copper coins and even valuable gifts.
For the Celts, the inhabitants of Gaul (the territory of modern France and part of England), the New Year began at the end of October. The holiday was called Samhain (end of summer). On this holiday, the Celts decorated their homes with mistletoe to drive away ghosts. They believed that it was on New Year's Day that the spirits of the dead came to the living. In addition, the Celts inherited many Roman traditions, including the requirement New Year's gifts from subjects.
In the Middle Ages, there was complete confusion in the celebration of the New Year. Depending on the countries, the time of the beginning of the year was different: for example, March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, celebrated the beginning of the year in Italy, and in Southern Italy and Byzantium, and in Rus', the beginning of the year is considered to be September 1, and in many countries the year began on holidays Christmas or Easter, and on the Iberian Peninsula the countdown time for the New Year was, as it is now, January 1. The Church was categorically against the last date, since it broke the cycle of the Christmas holidays. And only by the 18th century in Europe did they come to a single date (for example, the New Year in medieval England began in March, and only in 1752 was it decided by parliament to move the New Year to January 1). By the same time, modern European traditions of celebrating the New Year began to take shape. year
History of the holiday in Rus'
Our ancestors Eastern Slavs, celebrated the arrival of the New Year in the same way as other peoples, in the spring. The year was divided into two halves: summer and winter. It began with the first month of spring - March, because it was from this time that nature awakens from sleep to life.
In Rus' there was a proleta for a long time, i.e. the first three months, and the summer month began in March. In honor of him, they celebrated Ausen, Ovsen or Tusen, which later moved to the new year. Summer itself in ancient times consisted of the current three spring and three summer months - the last six months included winter time. The transition from autumn to winter was blurred like the transition from summer to autumn. Presumably, initially in Rus' the New Year was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox on March 22. Maslenitsa and New Year were celebrated on the same day. Winter has been driven away, which means a new year has arrived. It was a holiday of Spring and new life.
But even in winter, at the time that we are celebrating now, the ancient Slavs had a holiday - Kolyada is celebrated from December 25 to January 6 (Veles Day). Thus, December 25 is the beginning of 10 whole days of the holiday. This time of birth of the new Sun, as well as the “pass” of the year through the shortest and darkest days, has been celebrated since ancient times as a time of witchcraft and revelry evil spirits. Fortune telling at Christmas time is one of the echoes of the old Slavic holiday Carols. On December 25, as the day “like a sparrow’s toe” increased, people gathered to sing carols. This was supposed to be done in scary masks made from natural materials- fur, leather, bast, birch bark. Having put on masks, the mummers went home to carol. At the same time, so-called carols were sung, glorifying the owners and promising wealth, happy marriage etc. After caroling, they began to have a feast. In the hut, in the red corner, there was always a sheaf (didukh) with a wooden spoon or straw doll, depicting Kolyada.
They drank honey, kvass, uzvar (a decoction of dried fruits, compote, in our opinion), ate kutya, bagels and loaves, after a feast with songs and dances they went outside to be sure to roll a burning wheel up the hill, personifying the sun, with the words “In Roll up the mountain, come back with spring.” The most persistent ones also met the real sun - on a cold winter morning.
In 988, Rus' adopted Christianity, and along with the new religion the Byzantine calendar came to us. It was a Julian calendar with Roman names for the months; a seven-day week and a year of 365.25 days. The Byzantine calendar also came into use, where the creation of the world was dated 5508 BC.
According to the new calendar for Rus', the year was supposed to begin in September. As you know, it is very difficult to fight traditions. Even after being baptized, the Russian people stubbornly continued to celebrate the New Year in the old fashioned way on March 1 - with the beginning of spring. Echoes of the customs of that distant holiday are still preserved in some Maslenitsa rituals.
Time passed, and around the 12th century. the people became completely accustomed to the new environment and began to celebrate their traditional New Year first in March, and a few months later in September.
Russian people celebrated the September New Year with pleasure, solemnly and in order. Many sought to come to Moscow for the holiday, where magnificent celebrations were held. From all the cities and villages, carts and carts of peasants stretched to Belokamennaya, the wagons of nobles hurried, and the wheels of important boyars rattled along the log flooring of the pavements. Everyone wanted to visit the Kremlin and see the capital city.
We celebrated the New Year the same way we do today, at night. On the last evening of the old year, dear guests and respectful relatives always came to the house of the head of the family or the eldest in the family. Guests were warmly greeted, seated at laid tables, treated to honey, raspberry mash or overseas wine - depending on the wealth of the owners. We waited for midnight for a leisurely conversation. Exactly at twelve, the shot of the messenger cannon thundered in the silence, announcing the onset of the New Year, and immediately the large bell on Ivan the Great struck. Everyone hugged, kissed each other three times, wished each other a Happy New Year and wished them well and peace.
And the feast began! Some walked all night until dawn, and some, mindful of tomorrow's affairs, drank a glass, and on the side. Those who came to celebrate the New Year in Moscow in the morning certainly went to the Kremlin, to Cathedral Square. An action took place there that shocked the imagination of our ancestors. In the cathedrals, myriads of candles were burning, clerks were singing in bass voices, the gold of rich iconostases was shining, and colorful and festively dressed people were crowding around. Streltsy, dressed in ceremonial caftans and armed with berdysh, stood holding banners in their hands.
For just over two hundred years, Russians used this system of counting years.
The last time the autumn New Year was celebrated was on September 1, 1698...
On the eve of 1700, Peter I issued a decree to celebrate the New Year according to European custom - January 1. Peter ordered all Muscovites to decorate their houses and large thoroughfares with pine, spruce, and juniper branches. Everyone had to congratulate their relatives and friends on the holiday. At 12 o'clock at night, Peter I went out onto Red Square with a torch in his hands and launched the first rocket into the sky. The New Year celebration began “all over Belokamennaya”: cannons were fired, multi-colored never-before-seen fireworks flashed in the dark sky, and illumination blazed. People had fun, sang, danced, congratulated each other and gave New Year's gifts. It was from January 1, 1700 that folk New Year's fun and merriment gained recognition, and the celebration of the New Year began to have a secular (non-church) character. Since then, this holiday has become firmly entrenched in the Russian calendar.
The capital then was Moscow, St. Petersburg had not yet been built, so all the celebrations took place on Red Square. However, starting from the new year 1704, the celebrations were moved to the northern capital. True, the main thing at the New Year's holiday in those days was not the feast, but mass festivities. St. Petersburg masquerades were held on the square near the Peter and Paul Fortress, and Peter not only himself took part in folk festivals, but also obliged the nobles to do this. Those who did not attend the festivities on the pretext of illness were examined by doctors. If the reason turned out to be unconvincing, a fine was imposed on the offender: he had to drink a huge amount of vodka in front of everyone.
After the masquerade, the inexorable king invited a narrow circle of especially close associates (80 - 100 people) to his imperial palace. Traditionally, the doors of the dining room were locked with a key so that no one would try to leave the premises before 3 days later. This agreement was in effect at the insistence of Peter. They reveled immensely these days: by the third day, most of the guests quietly slid under the bench, without disturbing the others. Only the strongest could withstand such a New Year's feast.
Winter New Year did not take root in Russia right away. However, Peter was persistent and mercilessly punished those who tried to old tradition celebrate the new year on September 1st. He also strictly ensured 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 just 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, Russians got used to the new winter holiday. The evening before the New Year began to be called “generous.” A bountiful festive table, according to popular belief, ensured well-being for the entire coming year and was considered a guarantee of family 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 celebrating the New Year started by her father. New Year's Eve and New Year's celebrations have become an integral part of palace festivities. Elizabeth, a great lover of balls and entertainment, organized luxurious masquerades in the palace, which she herself loved to attend. men's suit. But unlike the riotous era of Peter the Great, in Elizabethan times court celebrations and feasts were given decorum.
Under Catherine II, the New Year was also celebrated on a grand scale, and the tradition of giving New Year's 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 that today not a single New Year's feast can do without. True, at first Russians viewed sparkling wines with suspicion: they were called “the devil’s drink” because of the flying cork and foamy stream from the bottle. According to legend, champagne gained wide popularity after the victory over Napoleon. In 1813, upon entering Reims, Russian troops, as victors, devastated the wine cellars of the famous house of Madame Clicquot. However, Madame Clicquot did not even try to stop the robbery, wisely deciding that “Russia will cover the losses.” The insightful madam looked into the water: the fame of the quality of her products spread throughout Russia. Within three years, the enterprising widow received more orders from the Russian Empire than in her homeland.
The reign of Emperor Nicholas I dates back to the appearance of the first public New Year tree in Russia and St. Petersburg. Before this, as already mentioned, Russians decorated their houses only with pine branches. However, any tree was suitable for decoration: cherry, apple, birch. In the mid-19th century, only Christmas trees began to be decorated. The first dressed-up beauty lit up the room with lights in 1852. And by the end of the 19th century, this beautiful custom had already become familiar not only in Russian cities, but also in villages.
With 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 organized for children, ice palaces and mountains were built for public entertainment, and free performances were given. The most solemn moment of the New Year's Eve was the appearance of the Highest Persons in the Winter Palace.
According to tradition, St. Petersburg residents celebrated Christmas and Christmas Eve at home, with their families. But on New Year's Eve they reserved tables in restaurants or entertainment venues. At that time there were a great variety of restaurants in St. Petersburg - for every taste and budget. There were aristocratic restaurants: “Kyuba” on Bolshaya Morskaya Street, or “Bear” on Bolshaya Konyushennaya. The more democratic “Donon” gathered writers, artists, scientists, and graduates of the School of Law at its tables.
The capital's elite - people of art and literature - held their evenings in the fashionable "Kontan", on the Moika. The evening program includes a lyrical divertissement with the participation of the best Russian and foreign artists, a virtuoso Romanian orchestra; Ladies were presented with free flowers. Literary youth preferred artistic cabarets to ordinary restaurants. The most colorful of them was “Stray Dog” on Mikhailovskaya Square.
But along with such restaurants for the intelligent public, there were establishments of a completely different kind. The winter cafe "Villa Rode" appeared in St. Petersburg in 1908. Dancers and a gypsy choir performed on stage. Young ladies from respectable families were not recommended to visit this establishment.New Year under Soviet rule. Calendar change
After the October Revolution of 1917, the country's government raised the question of calendar reform, since most European countries had long switched to the Gregorian calendar, adopted by Pope Gregory XIII back in 1582, and Russia still lived according to the Julian calendar.
On January 24, 1918, the Council of People's Commissars adopted the "Decree on the introduction of the Western European calendar in the Russian Republic." Signed V.I. Lenin published the document the next day and came into force on February 1, 1918. It said, in particular: “...The first day after January 31 of this year should not be considered February 1, but February 14, the second day should be considered 15 -m, etc." Thus, Russian Christmas shifted from December 25 to January 7, and the New Year holiday also shifted.
Contradictions immediately arose with Orthodox holidays, after all, having changed the civil dates, the government did not touch church holidays, and Christians continued to live according to the Julian calendar. Now Christmas was celebrated not before, but after the New Year. But this did not bother the new government at all. On the contrary, it was beneficial to destroy the foundations of Christian culture. The new government introduced its own, new, socialist holidays.
In the first post-revolutionary years, the tradition was still preserved intact. The children continued to enjoy both the “old-fashioned” Santa Claus and the decorated Christmas trees. But still, gradually and steadily, the new government moved away from the old traditions. It was decided to transform the holiday of the Nativity of Christ into a “Komsomol Christmas”, where there was no longer a place for a Christmas tree. And soon, after 1923, the expulsion of Christmas from Russia began altogether. One of the circulars of the anti-Christmas campaign stated that “the everyday environment of the Christmas holiday has a harmful effect on the health and education of children: Christmas stories with devilry; smoke and gas from the Christmas tree; drunken screams of guests..." A merciless war was declared on Yolka.
In 1929, Christmas was cancelled. With it, the Christmas tree, which was called a “priestly” custom, was also abolished. New Year was cancelled. Production was discontinued New Year cards, merry Christmas and New Year holidays and festivities are a thing of the past. The New Year holiday, along with the Christmas tree, following the classic rules of conspiracy, went underground. Ban
However, at the end of 1935, an article by Pavel Petrovich Postyshev appeared in the Pravda newspaper, “Let's organize for the new year for children nice Christmas tree". Society, which had not yet forgotten the beautiful and bright holiday, reacted quite quickly - Christmas trees and Christmas decorations. Pioneers and Komsomol members took upon themselves the organization and holding of New Year trees in schools, orphanages and clubs. On December 31, 1935, the Christmas tree re-entered the homes of our compatriots and became a holiday of “joyful and happy childhood in our country” - a wonderful New Year’s holiday that continues to delight us today.
In 1936, the first Kremlin Christmas tree took place, for the country's most outstanding students.
The very next year, detachments of Santa Clauses were formed to deliver New Year's gifts to the most remote corners of the country. On the eve of 1938, propaganda trains, propaganda cars and snowmobiles left for populated areas, airplanes took off, skiers and even special couriers on reindeer sleds set off. The holiday should not have left anyone behind.
In 1949, January 1 became a non-working day.
It is no coincidence that the New Year holidays were revived so quickly - they were too suitable in our harsh climate, reminding us in the midst of a cold winter that we should never forget: life is beautiful, endless, new meetings, achievements, and spring await us ahead.
Dancing and masquerades were almost completely excluded from the New Year's program: in cramped apartments one had to choose: either a table or dancing. With the advent of televisions in Soviet families, the table finally won. The main event on New Year’s Day was the opening of a bottle of “Soviet champagne” to the sound of the Kremlin chimes.
For the New Year, television 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 break, Russia began to celebrate the Nativity of Christ again. January 7 was declared a non-working day: Christmas services were shown on TV and Russians were explained how to celebrate the holy holiday.
Old New Year
I would like to return once again to the change of calendars and explain the phenomenon of the Old New Year in our country.
The very name of this holiday indicates its connection with the old style of the calendar, according to which Russia lived until 1918, and switched to new style by decree of V.I. Lenin. The so-called Old style is a calendar put into effect by the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar (Julian calendar). The new style is a reform of the Julian calendar, undertaken on the initiative of Pope Gregory XIII (Gregorian, or new style). From an astronomical point of view, the Julian calendar was not accurate and allowed for errors that accumulated over the years, resulting in serious deviations of the calendar from the true movement of the Sun. Therefore, the Gregorian reform was necessary to some extent.
The difference between the old and new styles in the 20th century was already plus 13 days! Accordingly, the day that was January 1 in the old style became January 14 in the new calendar. And the modern night from January 13 to 14 in pre-revolutionary times was New Year's Eve. Thus, by celebrating the Old New Year, we, as it were, join history and make a tribute to time.Symbol of the New Year - Santa Claus
In different countries, the good old man is called differently: in Spain ─ Papa Noel, in Romania ─ Mosh Jarile, in Holland ─ Sinte Klaas, in England and America ─ Santa Claus, and in Russia ─ Father Frost. The image of Santa Claus has evolved over centuries, and each nation has contributed something of its own to its history. In some countries, the ancestors of Santa Claus are considered to be “local” gnomes, in others - medieval wandering jugglers who sang Christmas songs, or wandering sellers of children's toys. Among the elder’s ancestors there are quite real person- Archbishop Nicholas, who lived in the 4th century in the Turkish city of Mira. According to legend, he was a very kind man. So, one day he saved three daughters of a poor family by throwing bundles of gold through the window of their house. After the death of Nicholas, he was declared a saint. In the Middle Ages, the custom of giving gifts to children on St. Nicholas Day, December 19, was firmly established, because this is what the saint himself did. After the introduction of the new calendar, St. Nicholas began to come to children at Christmas, and then on New Year.
As for the Russian Grandfather, there is an opinion that among his relatives is the East Slavic spirit of cold Treskun, aka Studenets, Frost.
In Russian folklore you can find many different fairy tales and legends about Frost - the owner of snowy fields and forests, who brought cold, snow, and blizzards to the earth. He was called differently: Moroz, Morozko, and more often, with respect, by his first name and patronymic: Moroz Ivanovich. In those days, he rarely gave gifts; on the contrary, people who believed in his strength gave gifts to him so that he would become kinder. When Rus' began to celebrate the New Year in winter, on the night from December 31 to January 1, Santa Claus became the main character of our holiday. But his character changed: he became kinder and began to bring gifts to children on New Year's Eve.
Christmas in Rome is undoubtedly the most beloved holiday. The Romans, like all Italians, love to celebrate Christmas with their family. There is a saying in Italy: “Celebrate Christmas with your family and Easter with whoever you want.” Christmas holidays begin on Christmas Eve on December 24 and continue until January 6 of the following year, when Epiphany (Epiphany) is celebrated here.
However, the tradition of celebrating this holiday goes back far into the past. In ancient Rome, a holiday was celebrated at the end of December Saturnalia- a time when agricultural work came to an end and everyone sought rest and fun in connection with the end of the harvest. During the Saturnalia, public affairs were suspended, schoolchildren were excused from classes, and criminals were forbidden to be punished. In families, the day began with a sacrifice (a pig was slaughtered) and passed in joy, with friends and relatives exchanging gifts. Holiday gifts included, among others, cerei (wax candles) and sigillaria (figurines made of terracotta or dough). The first served as a symbol of the fact that the festival of Saturnalia fell on the time winter solstice(bruma); the latter were a relic of the ritual of sacrifice to Saturn.
The streets were crowded with crowds of people; Exclamations of Jo Saturnalia were heard everywhere (this was called clamare Saturnalia).
But the most famous feature of the Saturnalia is the role played by slaves in this action. During Saturnalia, the difference between masters and slaves was, as it were, abolished - the slave was given the opportunity to revile his master, get drunk like free men, and sit with them at the same table. Moreover, he could not even be verbally reproached for offenses for which at any other time he would have been punished by beatings, prison or execution. Moreover, masters exchanged places with their slaves and served them at table; The master's table was cleared no earlier than the slave had finished his meal.
In the 4th century, the holiday was reborn into the Christmas we know, combining with the holiday of Sol invicta (“The Victorious Sun”). The role of Saturn is played by Santa Claus. The people of that era were closely associated with agriculture: Jesus was born in a manger, in his Teachings people are universally compared to a flock (lat. “flock”), and he himself is compared to a lamb; the satyrs dressed up are similar to the animals present at the birth of Jesus. The star of the tree is the Star of Bethlehem. The wise men who came with gifts at the birth of Jesus are one of the prototypes of Santa Claus. It is interesting that Saint Nicholas, the prototype of Father Frost, also lived in the 4th century. Thus, in Rome, all neighboring national mythologies of that time, and subsequently the mythologies of all Europe, were syncretized.
Modern Christmas traditions are associated with the veneration of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. On December 8, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, a festive procession takes place through the streets of Rome, in which the Pope himself participates. He arrives in his popemobile to Piazza di Spagna, where they solemnly lay a wreath on the column of the Immaculate Conception, which is crowned by a statue of Our Lady.
It is on this day that a Christmas den is installed in every church and in every home, illustrating the scene of the Birth of Christ and the worship of the Magi.
This tradition for Italians is as sacred and inviolable as for us - to put up and decorate a Christmas tree for the New Year, which is also decorated in Roman families on this day.
At the main Christmas market of the city on Piazza Navona, among the tents with our traditional New Year's attributes, you will also see a huge selection of materials with which everyone can recreate at home (on a table or on a windowsill, for example) their own nativity scene depicting the arrival of the wise men who wish to bow to the baby Jesus - here is a manger, here are figurines of the Magi, here is Mary and Joseph, and here is Jesus himself. Well, and all sorts of minor characters that complement the picture - animals, bushes, grass, etc. The figurine of Jesus himself is added only on December 25, after he is born!
But the tradition of colorfully decorating the streets came to Rome quite recently. They say that even the Christmas tree in St. Peter began to be installed only under the Pope - John Paul II.
The main color of Christmas is red Therefore, in many families, the Christmas tree is decorated with scarlet balls, the festive table is covered with a red tablecloth, and the house is decorated with plants with bright burgundy flowers, which are usually called “ Stella di Natale "-"Christmas Star". This is none other than Poinsettia or Euphorbia most beautiful, native to Mexico. The flower is really very beautiful and festive, which is usually given to each other with wishes for good holidays.
And another indispensable attribute of pre-Christmas Rome is roasted chestnuts, which are prepared on huge metal baking sheets right on the street and poured into cone-shaped bags made of rough paper.
On Christmas Eve December 24 It is customary for the whole family to go to church services, and later everyone gathers together at the festive table.
On the eve, it is customary to arrange a Lenten table, which means that there is only fish on the menu, but what kind! Traditionally, many families prepare capitone or anguilla (eel, fried or marinated), and baccalà, a dried cod, most often deep-fried.
The first course is often spaghetti with tuna sauce or vongole shellfish. However, this does not mean at all that other shellfish, seafood or any other fish “do not have the right to exist.”
For dessert they usually serve pandoro or panettone, torrone, dried fruits in chocolate and nuts.
In Italy, gifts are usually opened after a festive dinner, with Christmas gifts being the most important and expensive, and often bought in advance, almost several months in advance.
If there are small children in the family, then, secretly from them, colorful bags and boxes are placed under the Christmas tree, where on the morning of December 25th they are found by happy children, believing that at night they were brought by none other than the Italian Santa, Babbo Natale.
The next day December 25 a gala dinner usually begins with a large assortment of sausages and meats, then tortellini is served in broth, lasagna or pasta with ragu, after which a stuffed capon or baked turkey, lamb or assorted meats in broth appears on the table.
For dessert they eat Christmas pies Panettone and Pandoro, but this time with creme anglaise or warm sabayon, and as a pleasant addition you can always nibble on a piece of torrone, a handful of nuts or enjoy a juicy tangerine. It is curious that it is not customary to serve or eat apples at Christmas, since they are, as it were, a reminder of original sin.
And another tradition - during the Christmas holidays, Italians often gather at the table with relatives or friends to play lotto (giocare a Tombola). This rather fun activity takes its roots from ancient times. Playing lotto is very popular during New Year's holidays in Italy.
New Year in Rome– this is another reason for fun. " Capodanno"(this is what the New Year is called in Italy) is celebrated here very actively and most often in a restaurant or at a party, and in lately young people celebrate the New Year right in the squares where festive concerts are organized.
Before the New Year, a real Italian must do two things: first, pay off debts, and second, throw away old things, symbolically saying goodbye to all troubles and making room for new happiness. But parting with trash must certainly be done through the window. Therefore, although in recent years many Italians have abandoned this tradition, walking along Italian streets during the New Year period is not a very safe activity.
After performing the above ritual actions, at nine in the evening the festive table is set. The obligatory dishes of the New Year's program are fatty pork sausage and lentils. Lentils are considered a symbol of good luck and wealth - its round shape and the golden color are represented by the coins. Therefore, every Italian should eat at least a little lentils (even if a person cannot stand them), because the more you eat, the richer you will become.
An interesting tradition came here from Spain: you need to take a sprig of grapes and count the grapes on it, and at the end, when the new year countdown begins, you need to eat 12 grapes in the last 12 seconds of the outgoing year (they symbolize 12 months). If everything worked out, we can assume that good luck in the next twelve months is already in your pocket
If on New Year's Eve you dip your finger in a glass of champagne and touch it to your ear, luck will definitely smile on you next year (or touch the ear of someone to whom you wish good luck).
In addition, on New Year's Eve it is customary to wear new red underwear, which symbolizes not only love and luck, but also fertility. That’s why in Italy it’s so popular to give red underwear as a New Year’s gift. But attention: according to tradition, this laundry must be thrown away the next day!
The culmination of the celebration takes place in the central square, Piazza del Popolo, where many people flock to watch the grandiose fireworks display and party until the morning with the artists performing on stage. And on the first day of the new year there is a traditional procession by candlelight in the catacombs of St. Priscilla.
On the night of January 5-6, residents of Italy welcome Feast of Saint Epiphany or Epiphany, completing the series of New Year and Christmas holidays.
Epiphany, the Catholic holiday following Christmas, the holiday of the three wise men, the eastern kings Caspar, Melchior and Baltasar, who came with gifts to worship the newborn baby Jesus. It was on this day that Christ first appeared before people,
On the day of Epiphany, fairs and fun performances with treats are held on the streets and squares of Italian cities.
An indispensable participant in the Epiphany holiday is Befana, a fairy-tale creature similar to the Baba Yaga we know - a hooked nose, a pointed hat, a long cloak and holey woolen stockings. She moves on a broom.
According to legend, the wise men knocked on her house to ask the way to Bethlehem, Befana pointed it out, but for some reason did not go with them. And when I came to my senses, I couldn’t catch up with them. Since then, Befana comes to all children in the hope of finding the Infant Christ and asking him for forgiveness. She enters houses through the chimney and gives sweets to those children who behaved well during the year, and brings coal to those who were naughty. They discover the gifts in the morning in stockings prepared in advance.
So, Italian children are lucky twice: on Christmas Eve they receive gifts from Babbo Natale (Italian Santa Claus), and on the day of St. Epiphany - sweets from Befana.
In Ancient Egypt The New Year was celebrated when the Nile River was in flood (around the end of September). On New Year's Day, statues of the god Amun, his wife and son were placed in a boat. The boat sailed along the Nile for a month, which was accompanied by singing, dancing and fun. The statues were then carried back into the temple.
In Ancient Babylon The New Year was celebrated in the spring. During the holiday, the king left the city for several days. People took advantage of this, had fun and did whatever they wanted. A few days later, the king and his retinue in festive clothes solemnly returned to the city, and the people returned to work.
In ancient Rome For a long time, the New Year was celebrated in early March, until Julius Caesar introduced a new calendar (currently called the Julian). Thus, the date of the New Year was the first day of January. The month of January was named after the Roman god Janus (two-faced). One face of Janus was supposedly turned back to the past year, the other - forward to the new one. The New Year's holiday was called "Kalends". During the holiday, people decorated their houses and gave each other gifts and coins with the image of the two-faced Janus; slaves and their owners ate and were merry together. The Romans gave gifts to the emperor. At first this happened voluntarily, but over time the emperors began to demand gifts for the New Year. The celebrations continued for several days.
They say that Julius Caesar gave one of his slaves freedom on New Year's Eve because he wished him to live longer in the new year than in the old one.
On the first day of the New Year, the Roman Emperor Caligula went out to the square in front of the palace and accepted gifts from his subjects, writing down who gave, how much and what...
In France The new anniversary was counted until 755 from December 25, and then from March 1. In the XII and XIII centuries - from the day of St. Easter, until it was finally established in 1654 by decree of King Charles IX, was counted as the beginning of the year on January 1. In Germany the same thing happened in the second half of the 16th century, and in England in the 18th century.
The New Year in medieval England began in March. Parliament's decision to move the New Year to January 1, 1752 encountered female opposition. A delegation of indignant Englishwomen told the Speaker that Parliament did not have the right to make women many days older, to which the Speaker allegedly replied: “Here is a classic example.” feminine logic!»
Celts, inhabitants of Gaul(the territory of modern France and part of England) celebrated the New Year at the end of October. The holiday was called Samhain from "summer"""s end" (end of summer). On New Year's Day, the Celts decorated their homes with mistletoe to drive away ghosts. They believed that on New Year's Day the spirits of the dead came to the living. From the Romans, the Celts adopted the requirement of New Year's gifts from their subjects. Usually they gave jewelry and gold. Several centuries later, thanks to this tradition, Queen Elizabeth I accumulated huge collection embroidered and bejeweled gloves.
In Rus' Until the 15th century, the year began on March 1. In the 15th century, the New Year was moved to September 1, and in 1699 Peter I issued a decree, which ordered January 1 to be considered the beginning of the year: “Since in Russia they consider the New Year differently, from now on stop fooling people and consider it the New Year everywhere from the first of January. And as a sign of good beginnings and joy, congratulate each other on the New Year, wishing well-being in business and in the family. In honor of the New Year, make decorations from fir trees, amuse children, and ride down the mountains on sleds. and don’t start a massacre - there are enough other days for that.” The girls, when cleaning on December 31, carefully swept under the table; if they came across a grain of grain, it meant marriage; and so that there would be new things all year round, on January 1 they put on all their best and continued to change their clothes several times. On January 2, the peasants performed a ritual - a talisman for the house
In a previous publication, I told you in detail how he became the prototype of the Son of God, and how it came about that the date of his birth (Christmas) was “pushed forward” to the end of December.
Today you will find out why we celebrate Christmas this way - we eat and drink without going dry for several days in a row, we dress up like weirdos in costumes, caps and masks, we give each other most often useless gifts. You will find out what Christmas has in common with the ancient Romans' worship of Saturn; what unites Father Frost, Nicholas the Wonderworker and the Grim Reaper; why at Christmas / New Year's tree- five-pointed star; what do New Year's candles symbolize? and something else that you won’t read about in school textbooks and routine magazine articles dedicated to the New Year holidays.
In short, as usual on my blog, you will find out
about the true nature of things - this time in connection with the tradition of celebrating the so-called. Christmas.
So, as you already know, there are very good reasons to believe that in fact Jesus Christ was born not in the depths of winter, but precisely in these months, like possible time the birth of Christ logically follow from the analysis of the Gospel of Luke and other Christian chronicles.
The fundamental source itself - the Bible - did not preserve information about the birthday of the Son of God. However, this date suddenly becomes known with absolute accuracy - December 25 (Gregorian style). Where did it come from and how can this even happen?
Here's how.
In the 4th century AD, when, through the efforts of Emperor Constantine I, Christianity became the official religion of Rome, in order to make the transition from paganism to Christianity less painful for Roman citizens, it was decided to preserve the most popular pagan holidays, smoothly transforming them into Christian ones. The same thing happened with Christmas.
Likewise, many pagan traditions migrated to the Orthodox Church. In particular, numerous rituals associated with the lighting of candles in Christian churches take their roots from pagan fire worship; Christian Maslenitsa is a modified pagan holiday, dedicated to Dazhbog - the solar deity, who, according to pagan beliefs, “closes winter and opens spring” (damn and symbolizes the Sun), funeral feasts at the graves of ancestors on the Christian holidays of Easter and Mother's Saturday - a purely pagan tradition that the Christian church has never defeated I could.
In the last days of December - on the days of the winter solstice - the ancient Romans usually celebrated the holiday of Saturnalia - on these days the sun is in the zodiac sign of Capricorn, whose ruler in astrology is Saturn.
It is with the reason that the sun is in Capricorn that the custom of dressing up as satyrs and devils for Christmas is associated, and it is with Saturn that the figure of “death with a scythe” is associated - a symbol of the harvest, chronology (summing up the results of the year and wishes for the future), and the winter hungry / cold time, fatal in case of crop shortage. So, in their mythological essence, Santa Claus and the Grim Reaper are one and the same image, two sides of the same coin: he can give generously in the event of a good harvest and cause the inevitable death of many people in lean years.
In our time, when lean years have ceased to be the scourge of humanity and the cause of a general pestilence of the population, the terrible hypostasis of “Santa Claus” - Death with a Grim Reaper - has been forgotten, and he began to be perceived by the people exclusively as a kind and generous old man from Lapland, although his grandfather was such a good-natured man not always, and there was a time when he came to people not with a bag full of gifts, but with an empty bag and a sharp scythe, reaping his terrible harvest...
The holiday itself fell on the second half of December - the time when agricultural work came to an end, and people received the right to a well-deserved rest. From this moment on, the much-desired lengthening of daylight hours began.
The festivities lasted for several days in a row, which is why they were called in the plural. During the Saturnalia, public affairs were suspended, schoolchildren were released from classes, criminals were forbidden to be punished, and slaves were freed from ordinary labor. A religious feast was held, in which senators and equestrians (officials appointed to high socially significant positions), dressed in special costumes, took part; the streets were crowded with elegant crowds. In families, the day began with a sacrifice to Saturn (usually a pig was slaughtered, which was eaten together in the following days), and passed in fun and drinking, friends and relatives exchanged gifts. ...So the modern tradition of organizing a multi-day New Year's (Christmas) feast and giving each other gifts originates from there - from the Roman Saturnalia.
Among the festive attributes of the ancient Romans were, among other things, wax candles, the lighting of which symbolized the increase in the length of daylight hours, as well as figurines sculpted from terracotta (colored clay) or dough as part of the ritual of sacrifice to Saturn. In the Christian interpretation, this tradition was united in the form of candles of various types, often performed in the form of animals, stars, houses, Christmas trees, etc., burned on festive tables, and their modern technological variations - sparklers, Christmas tree garlands, firecrackers, fireworks.
So, on the one hand, the traditional Roman Saturnalia is one of the most popular pagan holidays, which was celebrated for many centuries, and which could not be canceled without provoking mass popular unrest, on the other hand, it was necessary to introduce the Nativity of Christ into religious use and not just, and so that it becomes one of the most important Christian holidays; which was done by shifting the date of Christ’s birth to the nearest traditional folk holidays, which turned out to be Saturnalia.
As expected, the people gradually forgot the true motives of certain customs, although under new form retained their original traditional content.
This is how in the 4th century, in connection with the transition from paganism to Christianity, the holiday of the pagan Roman Saturnalia was reborn into the Christmas we know (the birthday of Jesus Christ), but remained unchanged in essence. Under the guise of Christmas there is the same worship of Saturn with all the necessary attributes: sacrifices, lighting candles, dressing up, exchanging gifts. The role of Saturn is now played by Father Frost (the Finns still call Father Frost "Youlupukki" which translates as “solstice goat” is an opaque allusion to Capricorn; Yule/Youl is a medieval pagan holiday of the winter solstice among the ancient Germanic peoples).
But the holiday was complemented by more modern customs associated with Christian mythology. The traditional Christmas tree star is not one of the symbols at all former USSR, as some believe, but the Star of Bethlehem, the flash of which, according to legend, accompanied the birth of Jesus. The Magi who came with gifts to the Mother of God are one of the prototypes of the modern Father Frost among Christians, Santa Claus among Catholics, and the Nativity Father / Father Christmas from the Normans. By the way, who doesn’t know, the Orthodox Christian saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, who lived in the 4th century, also became the prototype of Father Frost, who gives people wonderful gifts at their request.
That is why in modern church mythology the Christian Son of God was “born” precisely at the end of December - from the position of “promoting” the Christian worldview and replacing pagan traditions with it, it turned out to be necessary to “move” the date of the birth of Jesus Christ to a more “convenient” time. Although his prototype, Yeshua the Nazarene, as we most likely saw, was actually born in September or October.
From the position of sanity and respect for the history of peoples and the personality of Jesus Christ himself, such freedom looks like blasphemy against the religious faith of millions of people and those who are considered to be the Son of God, but the Church has never shied away from such hoaxes - for her, the goal has always justified any means to achieve it, leaving moral aspects far behind the scenes, and church history has a huge number of examples of this.
As for the date itself, December 25, its first mention is found in the works Sexta Julia Africana, an early Christian Greek-speaking writer, one of the first Christian historians - in his chronicle, written in 221 and which has come down to us in fragments, which, among other things, talks about the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Where he got it from remains unknown.
By the way, Julius was a very educated man in his time, which did not prevent him from being convinced that the world was created in 5500 before the birth of Christ and should exist for 6000 years until the Apocalypse... Just like many of my interlocutors , citing to me as proof of their education that they have two or three higher education and scientific degrees, show aggressive medieval intolerance towards any opinion that does not coincide with their own worldview, immediately writing it down as “erroneous and superficial.” ...Isn't this familiar to you?..
New Year in ancient times
The ancient Celts also celebrated the New Year when work in the fields ended. But not after sowing, but after harvesting, in the fall. Samhain or Samhain was celebrated on the night of October 31 to November 1. It was one of the four major Celtic holidays. IN modern world it was replaced by the famous Halloween - the eve of All Saints' Day.
Samhain was considered the time when the border between the ordinary world of Mortals and the Other World disappeared, so at this moment spirits can come to our world, and people can go to another world. “On the eve of Samhain, there is a ghost sitting on every step,” as the old proverb says. For example, there was even a special goblin Samhanakh, appearing only on the night of Samhain. This posed a great danger, so no one should be alone that night. And the Celts preferred to get together, feast (the day before, cattle were slaughtered for the holiday), sing, dance and have fun, trying to drive away the ghosts. Mass celebrations were held in Tara - the sacred capital of the ancient Celts - people competed in various games and races.
The ancient Scandinavians also celebrated the New Year on the winter solstice, December 22. This holiday was called Yule (from the Scandinavian word “wheel”, “to spin”, perhaps this meant the turn of the year to spring, or maybe there is solar symbolism of the wheel). It was a very magical holiday. The most long night was supposed to end with the victory of the Sun and the New Year, for this purpose various magical rituals. Just like the Celts at Samhain, the Scandinavians believed that on the night of Yule - the longest of the year - the boundary between the obvious and the other world is erased, and spirits penetrate to people. Therefore, the whole clan needs to be together, feast and have fun.
The Yule holiday lasted for 13 nights - perhaps the tradition of the Christmas holidays comes from there. The next day was called the “day of fate,” since the most truthful signs appeared precisely on the “twelfth night.” In addition, all actions and deeds committed before sunset determined all the events of the following year, hence the proverb “how you celebrate the New Year is how you will spend it.”
In Ancient Egypt, the New Year was celebrated during the Nile flood, when the sacred star Sirius was rising (it is difficult to indicate the exact date - the range is somewhere from July to September), and the first season of the ancient Egyptian year - “akhet” - began. The flood of the Nile was called the arrival of Hapi, the god of the Upper and Lower Nile, who bestows abundance. This was a sacred time for Egypt, because drought would threaten the very existence of this agricultural state. Therefore, with the rise of Sirius, a new period in the life of the ancient Egyptians began, who by that time had finished sowing.
4000 years ago, New Year was celebrated in Ancient Babylon. Here it came with the first new moon (as soon as the first thin month appeared) after the vernal equinox, which was considered the first day of spring. Indeed, the arrival of spring is a very logical time to start a new year. This is the time of rebirth, planting seeds and flowering.
During the holiday, the ruler was stripped and sent out of the city, and for 11 days everyone did whatever he wanted. Moreover, every day was celebrated somehow in its own way. Then the king returned at the head of a large procession, dressed in beautiful clothes. Everyone returned to work and behaved decently. Thus, people started a new life every year. As we see, new year tradition making a decision to change something in your life in the coming year has its roots in Ancient Babylon. By the way, at that time the most popular solution was to return borrowed agricultural equipment...
For a long time, the New Year began for the Romans on March 1st. In 46 BC. Emperor Julius Caesar introduced a new calendar - one that is still used today - and the New Year moved to January 1st. And so that the calendar coincided with the movement of the sun, Caesar “extended” the previous year from 365 to 445 days.
January is a symbolic month for the start of a new year, because it got its name in honor of the two-faced Roman god Janus. God looks back to the past year and forward to the next.
Roman festivals in honor of the New Year were called Kalends. People decorated their houses and gave each other gifts. The slaves drank with their masters, and for several days the people did whatever they pleased.
