Every night from December 31 to January 1, we celebrate a wonderful and bright holiday, which is characterized by specific customs in different parts of the world. Incredibly informative and fascinating are interesting facts about the New Year and Christmas. In different countries, these glorious holidays are celebrated at different times. So it was before.
In ancient times, Babylon was distinguished by the fact that this holiday was celebrated there in the spring. In a sense, this is quite justified, because nature "wakes up" after the cold weather and really lives in a new way. At this time, the king gathered his closest servants and family, leaving the city. The lands remained at the full disposal of ordinary people, and they could arrange a celebration at their discretion. Citizens had fun from the heart, deprived of the society of their ruler. After all, a curious gift, and most importantly - befitting the wisest of kings.
How diverse it is - this New Year!
If you search and carefully study the history of this holiday, you can find the most diverse and interesting facts about the New Year.
One entertaining custom is available in Micronesia. Residents of these lands celebrate the New Year, as we do, on January 1, but still they have something that is not the same as ours. Since life on a bright holiday needs to be started from scratch, on this day all the inhabitants are given new names, and in their ears they tell their relatives. Accepting the secret, close people beat the drums in order to drive away the listening spirits with a thundering sound.
The most interesting facts about the New Year can make you smile. But who knows that somewhere in the opposite hemisphere someone else is not smiling while reading about our customs?
All superfluous - down
Let's move a little closer - to Italy. Here on New Year's eve old unnecessary things are thrown out of the house. And they’re not just taken out under the garbage bin, but thrown directly from the windows. It is believed that the more conscientiously a person cleans the house of old rags, the more new and beautiful will enter his life in the coming year.
As a holiday in Russia is celebrated
Interesting facts about the New Year in Russia are also available. In the first half of the last millennium, this holiday was celebrated on March 1, from the fourteenth century it began to be met on September 1. And finally, at the end of the sixteenth century, the date of the celebration of the merry triumph becomes that which is to this day - January 1.
In Russia, the New Year is a holiday that has incorporated the traditions of the Slavs, Christians, peoples of Western Europe and the East. On the night of December 31 to January 1, people gather with their families and close friends. The atmosphere of love, positive and faith in the best reigns. The whole country sends an impulse to the Universe, which in the future should attract prosperity in their lives. The president congratulates citizens on television screens. All this happens against the backdrop of a beautiful Christmas tree, bright decorations, interesting costumes, sparklers, excellent cuisine and a splash of champagne. When the chimes strike, everyone makes the most secret desires.
Tree - an integral symbol of Christmas
Interesting facts about the New Year in London can delight and enrich erudition. In England, there is a custom associated with a tree that is used for Christmas. This tradition came here from the Vikings. Wood was prepared and sawn for Christmas, it was left to dry for a whole year.
When the holiday came, the tree was brought into the house and thrown into the flame of the hearth. Then the fire was carefully watched. Long burning meant that next year would be successful for this house. If the log was rotten, it was considered a bad sign.
A very good Christian tradition is to plant a living Christmas tree. Indeed, it is very merciful to the tree, in the best traditions of Christianity. Noble impulses can sometimes harm people. Scientists say that fungi can stay in living fir trees. Once in a warm room, they begin to multiply and secrete spores that are not very useful for humans. From here cough appears, breathing is difficult, insomnia may occur, a person feels lethargic, may get bronchitis or pneumonia.
So be careful. Process the tree properly or buy not a living Christmas tree, but an artificial one. You can create a Christmas mood without cutting down trees. The main thing is faith in a fairy tale and a positive attitude, aspiration of thoughts for a better future.
These are not all interesting facts about the New Year. Children, as a rule, want Santa Claus to bring toys or sweets, and some adults playfully ask them to freeze their superiors or, in any case, pile up more beautiful snow-white snowdrifts so that neither the boss nor the employee have to go to work.
About New Year's cuisine
A large role is played by the Christmas and New Year's table. For baking, ginger is most often used as a spice.
Tibet is distinguished by the fact that there they bake pies and unselfishly distribute them to people passing by. Wisdom says: "How much you give, so much you will receive." That is, people show generosity on a bright holiday so that in the future fate will be generous and supportive of them.
Each country has a unique set of dishes for the New Year and Christmas, which is often due to local traditions and, of course, the food set that "grows" in a particular area.
Rice is much more than cereal containing a sea of nutrients, it is also a "tool" for fortune telling. While waiting for the New Year, you need to sprinkle a pinch. Count the grains. An even number of grains means that the result will be positive in everything, odd - negative.
And let everything certainly come true
Before the chiming clock, you can write down the desire on paper. When the clock starts to beat, set fire to the paper, so you can determine how likely it is that desire will come true. If the sheet manages to burn out during the countdown, this is a good sign, and your dream will become a reality.
We all well know the film “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath”. This film has been shown on television on December 31 for more than 35 years. This viewing has already become a good tradition for us.
Fireworks and christmas tree
There are such interesting facts about the New Year:
- In earlier times, people were not so much attracted by the aesthetic effect that fireworks created, but by their supposed ability to drive away and defeat evil spirits.
- The largest non-living Christmas tree in the world was established in Rio. Her height was 76 meters.
- The year 1895 was remembered for the first time that the lights of a garland illuminated the streets of the United States.
- Orthodox holidays are distinguished by the fact that, along with church traditions, something in them remains from paganism. The same can be said about Christmas time, a holiday celebrated in the period after Christmas and before the Epiphany. Fortune telling is held as part of this holiday.
- Until December 1947, January 1 was not a day off. And only with the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council in the late forties did the situation change.
- All our conscious lives we found gifts under the tree. If you look at how versatile this holiday is, it seems that interesting facts about the New Year are inexhaustible. For example, the Germans find gifts from Santa on the windowsill, and the Swiss climb into the stove behind them.
- Original presents give Eskimos to each other. In Greenland, people carve animal shapes from ice and present them to each other in the form of gifts. The benefit of material for creativity around is enough because of the cold climate.
- Not all countries have a cold New Year. In such warm places as Cambodia, there is also its own specificity of celebrating winter celebrations. Sometimes all the required work in a responsible position is performed by Santa Claus. As a rule, this person appears in those parts where the cold is for the locals - this is already something from the category of mythology.
Interesting facts about the New Year can be found in Vietnam. Carp is released into a nearby pond. It is believed that a brownie is riding on his back. The pond becomes the home of the carp for the whole year, and in gratitude for this, the brownie pays for family care.
Year of the Fire Monkey
Interesting facts about the New Year of the Monkey are that it is a symbol of rebirth and a new beginning. This is a year of harmony and tranquility. Although it was the Chinese who started the first fireworks, this time of the Chinese calendar has nothing to do with noise and bright highlights. According to astrologers, the Year of the Fire Monkey takes effect on the night of February 7th to 8th.
People who were born during this period are excellent artists, they have a well-developed intuition, they are trying to find light and positive in everything. In the next twelve months, astrologers do not advise too burdening themselves with projects that require a lot of nerves and energy.
The Fiery Monkey is a symbol of the ease and pleasure received from life daily. So it’s better to relax and live as your heart tells you. Realize yourself, do not be afraid of anything, and may the new in the New Year be only positive and enjoyable!