New Year’s Eve “Times” tells how this holiday is celebrated in Russia, in the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and Russia.
dopetrovskoy summer
In the Dark Ages, when the rulers of Russia still believed in the theory of “Moscow – the Third Rome “New Year is celebrated quite differently. Firstly, while the country lived on another calendar and countdown led her years since the creation of the world. In this first New Year is celebrated on March 1. This was a reference to the tradition that existed in ancient Rome.
In addition, the New Year’s celebration with the beginning of spring was correlated with the pagan heritage, which in Russia retained even after the adoption of Christianity .
Over time, the role of the church in the state increased. It is not surprising that its members would like to overcome the remnants of pagan beliefs. And in 1492 it was decided to abandon Constantinople “ultramartovskogo” calendar in favor of “Byzantine».
It is noteworthy that the Byzantine calendar was invented in the 988 – year Baptism of Russia.
Since the introduction of the new calendar new year in Russia began on 1 September. This, however, did not prevent the peasants continue to focus on the day of the vernal equinox, and continue to practice rituals of pagan nature. However, some pagan festivals were combined with the church, thus preserving the festive event, giving it a new meaning.
During the New Year celebrations were special celebrations in the Kremlin. They participated in the Metropolitan and the king, as well as other nobles and the higher clergy.
Over time, the ritual, wearing a purely religious significance, becoming more and more solemn. For example, its main participants wore a gold-plated clothes.
And the action begins with the fact that the king was applied to the icons and the Gospel, and then inquired about the health of the patriarch of the Lord’s anointed. The same answer him a long speech, which certainly ends with the words “… God gave alive».
Then all those present bowed to each other. And then removed at the Mass.
Christmas tree and fireworks
Peter I, reshape Russia on the European model, and could not pass by such an important holiday like New Year. Since 1700 calendar in Russia was conducted from Christmas.
Among other things, have Peter and “inflict some decorations from the tree, and branches of pine, spruce and juniper,” making step to the already familiar to us Christmas trees.
In addition, the monarch ordered “to inflict great Red Square fiery fun” and “release several missiles as anyone happen.” Thus, Peter I created the image of Russia in the New Year, the main features of which are preserved today.
Over time, most of the world switched to the Gregorian calendar, and the Russian New Year began on 11 days ahead of Europe. Have a reason to celebrate as much as two times!
However, the European style New Year is celebrated mainly representatives of noble and wealthy classes. But the peasants continued to celebrate it in September, a new date associated with them rather Yuletide and Christmas.
In particular, there was a ceremonial Christmas dinner. During his peasants ate fried “kesaretskogo pig” got its name from the nickname of St. Basil Kesaretskogo celebrated on January 1st. Included in the meal and other products, the eating of which was to promote the welfare of the family in the new year.
On the other hand, the Russian nobility continued to celebrate the New Year in a new and borrowed from Europe all the new aspects of the celebration.
So, under Catherine II began to conduct large-scale fancy-dress balls. Celebrated New Year and the firing of guns, which was later overturned Paul I.
But the Christmas tree was able to gain a foothold in Russia only during the reign of Nicholas I. It happened thanks to the wife of Emperor – Prussian princess, who took Orthodoxy under the name Alexandra Feodorovna.
It was then in the homes of the nobility there are Christmas trees. They were decorated by the German model: crowned tree star of Bethlehem, and it hung apples, symbolizing the forbidden fruit. Subsequently began to appear, and toys that matched the Christmas theme.
holidays are becoming increasingly popular. The situation changed only in 1914 – then in the wake of the First World War caused by anti-German sentiment Synod called the tree “of the enemy, the German undertaking, alien to the Orthodox Russian people».
The Soviet tree
After the First World War, New Year is celebrated on the new Gregorian calendar in the new country. These measures have helped to dilute the Christmas celebrations with church – because of the difference in the 13 days of the Advent accounted for the New Year, that did not like the church.
Despite the devastation of the first years Soviet Russia, the New Year is widely celebrated, and the ban on Christmas trees, introduced in tsarist times, has been canceled.
The situation changed after the death of Lenin – Stalin at first simply forbidden tree as the phenomenon of anti-Soviet, and then left the country just two holidays – 7 November and May 1. Up until the mid-1930s, even the authorities have a special check in order to identify those who still decided to put on the eve of the New Year tree.
In 1935, the evergreen beauties are back in the home of Soviet citizens. Two years later, there was a Christmas tree in the Moscow House of Unions. Authorities even released form, which explains how to properly decorate fir.
Santa Claus first appeared at Christmas in 1910, but caught only during the Soviet era. Subsequently, he was given in the accompanying and granddaughter – Snow White. There was also a system of Christmas trees for children.
Since 1947, 1 January again became a holiday. In 1954, the first time the country’s main Christmas tree lit up – the Kremlin.
With the coming to power of Nikita Khrushchev in the country was fun to live in every sense. New Year’s celebration was truly ambitious, driven by memories of the heavy war years.
New Year gradually began to take traditional features and symbols – in 1962, was first shown Christmas “Blue Light”. In addition, the sale appeared on the eve of holidays tangerines, also became one of the symbols of Christmas.
In 1928 came “Soviet champagne”, but the traditional New Year’s drink, it was just after the war years.
And Leonid Brezhnev and became the father of a trend at all, speaking before the new year 1976 with the treatment. On a regular basis it started doing already Mikhail Gorbachev. Even during the adjustment there was a tradition every year to connect with the single sign of the Eastern calendar.
A New Year marred except that anti-alcohol campaign of the same Gorbachev.
By 1989, the country lived in conditions of scarcity, so the New Year has been one of the few holidays that residents of the then Soviet Union continued to actively celebrate.
New Year’s Eve, so you know
In a difficult time surrounding the collapse of the USSR and the formation of the new Russia, New Year was celebrated in different ways. One remained unchanged – people tried to New Year’s table was the most diverse and rich in comparison with the ordinary.
On the eve of 1992 and 1993 appeals of top officials was not. A December 31, 1991 with the New Year congratulates Russian satirist Mikhail Zadornov.
In general, the 1990s brought a lot of surprises. But perhaps the biggest surprise brought the last day of 1999.
The fact that he is tired and goes, said the first Russian President Boris Yeltsin.
At midnight showed his appeal to the Russians. And after this aired appeal Acting Russian President Vladimir Putin. Enjoy the new treatment will be already 31 December 2014.
In addition, since the Soviet era and has remained a tradition of celebrating the Old New Year, which falls on Jan. 13. The main innovation was the long New Year holidays, which the government has failed, but is trying to fight.
In celebration of the New Year in Russia are increasingly manifest European elements. Traditional Soviet rituals, including watching TV and cooking of salads, replaced by a European-style fairs, public festivals and the participation of people in the various activities that claim to cultural. In addition, the streets appeared the traditional mulled wine, which can make a festive and warm even the coldest winter day.
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