Interesting facts about the New Year: how to celebrate the holiday in different countries of the world

Each country has its own specific differences regarding the specifics of Christmas and New Year holidays. Sometimes here there are quite unusual, extravagant and even exotic traditions. Let's look at some interesting facts about celebrating the New Year.

New Year celebration time

The date on which the holiday is scheduled for some peoples differs from the time that is usual for us all. If we talk about antiquity, in Babylon the event was celebrated with the advent of spring. During this period, the supreme government left the city with its entourage, which allowed the population to have a fun-filled party and freely walk the streets at any time of the day.

The people of Micronesia traditionally celebrate the holiday in winter. At this time, the inhabitants of numerous islands give their relatives new names. At the same time a loud battle of drums is heard from everywhere. Thus, the local inhabitants defend themselves from evil spirits who, according to beliefs, try to overhear names and steal the soul of their owners.

It is also worth mentioning interesting facts about the New Year in Russia. From the 10th to the 15th centuries, the holiday was celebrated on March 1 in Russia. Only in 1699, according to a special decree of Tsar Peter I, the event was postponed until January 1. However, in traditions there are still a lot of Old Slavic customs.

Christmas tree

Tradition to bring on holidays in the house of fir or pine is based on Vikings. They were sawing a large trunk, which was crocheted and crawled throughout the year. On Christmas Eve the tree was brought into the house and lay down in the hearth. If the latter caught fire and only ashes remained from it, the residents expected luck. The faded barrel foreshadowed trouble.

Considering interesting facts about the New Year, we can not fail to mention how the Christmas tree originated in the Christian tradition. The first mention of the ornamentation of a tree is mentioned in the documentary evidence of the 17th century. According to historians, this method of celebration was used by the inhabitants of Alsace, which at that time was considered part of Germany, and today is the territory of France. Ornaments for spruce then served as paper flowers, sugar cubes, fruit, biscuits and tinsel.

The first Christmas balls, made of glass, appeared in the 16th century in Saxony. Production of such jewelry on an industrial scale began here, but already in the XIX century.

Birthday cake

It is worth noting interesting facts about the New Year and Christmas in France. With the advent of the holidays, pies are traditionally cooked here, in each of which is placed on the bean. The person who receives such an ingredient is awarded the title of the king of the evening, and all present at the New Year's holiday must unquestioningly obey his orders.

It's amazing that such interesting facts about the New Year have not reached our latitudes. Surely we would have chosen a similar tradition.

Luminous garlands

The first electric garland of multi-colored light bulbs appeared in the United States in 1895. The invention was posted on public display at the White House. Novelty was so inspired by eyewitnesses that the Americans subsequently began to decorate everywhere with such products houses and public institutions.

Noise, firecrackers and fireworks

If we talk about interesting facts about the New Year, we can not fail to note the tradition of making noise with the onset of the holiday. So, in the course of the battle of the chimes, the inhabitants of Panama start shouting loudly and knocking with any objects that were at hand at the moment. All this is supplemented by explosions of fireworks, buzzing of car sirens.

With the arrival of the New Year, the people of Hungary loudly whistle. Thus, everything bad is thrown out of the house and well-being is attracted. Iranians are traditionally shot to the air with guns to the chiming clock.

The massive use of the abundance of firecrackers, Bengal lights and fireworks is the most common among the inhabitants of Asian countries. But this is not surprising, because pyrotechnics was invented here.

New Year's table

There are interesting facts about the New Year, which concern the design of a festive table for different peoples. For example, the main dish of the evening the inhabitants of Norway, Denmark and Sweden consider a Christmas goose baked with apples. The traditional dish here is rice porridge, which adds sugar, cinnamon and raisins. The dish is left for the whole night open on the table. According to the beliefs, the gnomes are lapped by the gnomes, who, in gratitude to the owners, guard the house throughout the year.

The opposite traditions are held by the inhabitants of Lithuania, who try to observe the fast after the Christmas holidays. On the festive table there is necessarily a kutya, vegetable salad, fish dish. Meat is consumed only after visiting the church service and purification from sins.

Finally

There is still a lot of what would be interesting to learn about the New Year and the children of the New Year. Interesting facts, considered in this material, are only part of the traditions that are practiced in different parts of the world. Perhaps, some of them will be useful to the inhabitants of our country.