New Year is being celebrated. How the New Year is celebrated in different countries of the world. old New Year

If you can't give up gatherings at home, at least diversify the table with treats that you've never tried. Let there not be a single familiar dish or drink on your table. Try the cuisine of another country, ask your friends for delicious recipes and make your own cocktails - alcoholic or not.

There is still a lot of time before the New Year, so you will have time to create an unusual menu.

By the way, if you decide to cook traditional dishes of other peoples, why not celebrate the holiday in the style of the country whose cuisine you chose?

2. Join the traditions of another country

This is another way to celebrate the New Year with relatives and friends, but make it unusual and memorable. Decorate your home in the style of another country. For example, Japanese kadomatsu or Chinese lanterns and pictures with wishes.

Give each other special gifts, such as homemade candles in Sweden, dogwood sticks in Bulgaria, or matching items like cups or candles in China.

10. Celebrate the New Year on a plane

As a rule, plane tickets become more expensive on the eve of the holidays, as people tend to celebrate the New Year on the spot. On the contrary, on the dates of the holidays themselves, tickets become much cheaper.

If you take tickets for December 31, you will kill two birds with one stone: you will save on travel and get an unusual experience of celebrating the New Year a few kilometers above the ground.

The more interesting you spend this day, the greater your chances of a New Year's miracle.

How did you celebrate your brightest and most memorable New Year? Share your experience in the comments.

Very soon, as the chimes strike, we will open champagne, raise our glasses and make a wish. The smell of tangerines, fireworks on the street, sparklers, the president's speech - these are the typical attributes of the Russian New Year.

Let's take a trip to other countries of the world and get to know the local traditions of the most beloved holiday of Russians, find out how the New Year is celebrated in different countries of the world
So, let's go.

How to celebrate New Year in Australia

New Year comes early to Australia. Australians are among the first in the world to welcome the New Year.

At this time, the hot summer is raging here, because December and January are the summer months. All kinds of free shows and concerts are held here. In Sydney, one of the largest fireworks displays in the world is launched at midnight in Sydney Harbor.

And at exactly midnight, all the parties are interrupted and people honk, whistle, and ring bells. This is how you are invited to visit the New Year.

How to celebrate New Year in England

In England, it is customary to order gifts from Father Christmas (literally - Father of Christmas). In order for the letter to reach, it must be burned in the fireplace; it is the smoke that will deliver all the wishes to their intended destination.

This is the magical side of the issue, but let's not forget that the British are very scrupulous and balanced people, so real gifts are chosen with great care. As a rule, lots are drawn in the family - who will give what to whom. The cost of the gifts should be approximately the same.

Despite the fact that people all over the world have begun to write letters on paper much less often, nevertheless, in England there is still a wonderful tradition of congratulating all friends and acquaintances with Christmas and New Year cards sent by mail.

How to celebrate New Year in Burma (Myanmar)

Between April 12 and 17, on the hottest days of the year, the New Year begins in this state.
The celebration lasts three days, and the start date is announced by the government in the New Year's message.
We believe in Father Frost and the Snow Maiden, and the Burmese believe in the rain gods. To attract the attention of the gods, the inhabitants of the country organize competitions, and women and children try to make as much noise as possible.

In another way, this holiday is called the holiday of water. All residents go out into the streets and pour water on each other.

How to celebrate New Year in Bulgaria

This holiday is often called Vasily’s Day; it received its name in honor of St. Basil. New Year seems not as significant as Christmas and is not celebrated as magnificently and cheerfully. Nevertheless, the New Year's table should be bursting with food so that the coming year will be richer.

After the New Year's feast, children, teenagers and young people make “survachki”. These are dogwood sticks decorated with red thread, heads of garlic, nuts, and coins. They should be knocked on the backs of family members in order to ensure health and well-being in the coming year.

Also on New Year's Eve, firecrackers are set off and fireworks are set off.

How to celebrate New Year in Brazil

New Year in Brazil is a summer holiday, because... At this time the weather is hot and the sun is shining brightly.
If we are accustomed to the fact that New Year is a family holiday, then in Brazil everything is exactly the opposite. It is customary to celebrate the New Year in noisy companies in clubs, bars, and on the beach.

Gifts are usually given purely symbolically, because... The time for large and significant gifts falls on Christmas. And our traditional chime has been replaced by a countdown of the seconds remaining until the new year, after which there is general rejoicing.

African pagan traditions are also found in Brazilian culture, for example, it is customary to throw white flowers and candles across the water and make wishes.

How to celebrate New Year in Vietnam

Instead of a Christmas tree, they decorate tangerine trees, apricot and peach branches. It is at this time that most fruit trees bloom, so many people associate the holiday itself with flowers and fragrance.
Traditionally, the New Year falls on floating dates between January 20 and the end of February, when flowering is in full swing. Streets and houses are decorated with flowering branches.

New Year is considered a family holiday and is always celebrated with family. Children are the first to congratulate the older generation, and parents, in turn, give their children money in bags. Banknotes and coins must be new.

Before the New Year, it is customary to collect rich gifts for Buddha and bring them to the temple. Various entertainment events take place on the streets for three days, which end with a bright, magnificent dragon procession at night.

How to celebrate New Year in India

There are many dates for celebrating the New Year in India. It all depends on the region. But there is an official date, it is March 22. Traditionally, the Indian New Year is a family holiday, which brings together all family members, all distant relatives.

However, Western influence is making itself felt. And more and more young people go out into the streets, singing funny songs and drinking alcohol. By the way, New Year is the official day of the year on which even police officers are allowed to drink a little alcohol.

Instead of spruce, Hindus dress up a mango tree, and decorate their houses with palm branches and garlands.

How to celebrate New Year in the USA

In America, the main attention is paid not to the gift itself, but to its packaging - boxes and boxes, a pile of multi-colored paper and various cases. After all, the pleasure lies in unwrapping the gift. By the way, most of the gifts are then joyfully returned to the store, so it is customary to give gifts with a receipt.

New Year is celebrated much more calmly than Christmas, most often in the family circle.

How to celebrate New Year in Japan

Once upon a time, the Japanese celebrated the New Year according to the Chinese lunar calendar. But from the 19th century they began to celebrate according to the generally accepted Gregorian calendar.

Preparations for the holiday take a long time and carefully.

In modern Japan, the team takes first place, so corporate parties are very popular among the Japanese. Celebrating the New Year with colleagues is everyone’s responsibility.

There is also a tradition of "greeting card" in Japan. Such congratulations are necessarily sent to all friends and acquaintances. Moreover, if a Japanese person has ever written a postcard, he is obliged to do so every year. Even in elementary school, Japanese children are taught the craft of signing cards. Wishes are written 2-3 weeks before the New Year, but they are always dated January 1st. Postmen try to deliver the postcard on the 1st.

Back in the late 80s, the Chinese custom came to us to associate the arrival of the New Year with one of the animals of the eastern calendar. A little later, traditional European figures of Santa Claus and deer appeared, Russians began to decorate their houses with Christmas wreaths, and from the beginning of the 21st century it became customary to set off fireworks.

I wouldn’t be surprised if in the near future we start beating each other with “survaks” or dousing ourselves with water.

Almost all nations have a New Year's holiday. This is not just a time milestone, but also a kind of “clean slate”, the beginning of a new life, liberation from the troubles and problems of the past year. At the same time, there are significant differences in the date, traditions, and intensity of the celebration. So, how do they celebrate New Year in different countries?

Some facts from history

• Among the cuneiform tablets of Babylon, one was found telling about the celebration of the New Year. The record was created in the 4th century BC.
• Julius Caesar regulated the change of years in 46 BC, ordering it to be celebrated on January 1.
• Later, half a millennium later, Pope Gregory VIII ordered the date to be moved up, and the Gregorian and Julian calendars now differ by 13 days.
• Most eastern peoples celebrate the New Year in the spring, rejoicing at the awakening of nature from its winter sleep.

The history of the holiday in our country began thanks to Emperor Peter the Great. By his decree, he ordered to celebrate the Julian New Year. True, since Christmas was on December 25, the New Year in Russia became one of the holy days and was included in the context of general winter Christian celebrations. Only after the 1917 revolution did the holiday become a full-fledged holiday.

Most Russian Christmas traditions have carried over to the secular New Year. The Christmas tree, gifts, Santa Claus - all this is borrowed from pre-revolutionary celebrations. Today our unchanging traditions are tangerines, the President’s speech and the chiming clock at midnight, family gatherings and gifts.

One of the fun New Year traditions in Russia that people love is to write a cherished wish on a piece of paper. Then you need to set it on fire while the clock is ringing, throw the ashes into a glass with the chosen drink and drink it.

New Year in Russia, as elsewhere in the world, is an ancient and beautiful holiday. The tasks and expectations of this night are to drive away evil forces, attract good ones, say goodbye to grievances and make wishes for the next year. In general, the New Year in Russia can be safely called the favorite holiday of both children and adults.

Chinese New Year

The largest country in the world celebrates the New Year on the night of the first new moon, which most often occurs at the end of January - beginning of February. The holiday does not have a strictly fixed date. However, there is a symbol - a blooming but unblooming peach branch. In general, the New Year for the Chinese is a symbol of awakening.

In ancient times, every beggar in China could come to any family table and eat what he wanted. If the owners closed their doors on New Year's Day, all the neighbors turned away from them with contempt.

The main sign of the holiday is a sea of ​​lights in the night sky. Every city or village is illuminated with fireworks. The Chinese enjoy exploding firecrackers, as they are believed to ward off evil spirits. Figurines symbolizing happiness, luck and wealth are bought in huge quantities. They are given to family and friends and kept as souvenirs. Houses are always decorated with flowers, each of which carries a deep meaning. For example, daffodils are important in the family for a strong and friendly marriage.

Of particular interest is the money tree that the Chinese create with their own hands. It is a sprig of cypress inserted into a persimmon tree, which rests on a bed of boiled rice, garnished with fruit. Coins must be hung on the branch.

The days of the New Year's celebration conclude with the Lantern Festival, which all Chinese try to attend.

Vietnam

As in China, in this eastern country the holiday is not celebrated on December 31st. It falls in early spring, and here branches of the peach tree are placed on the table.

An interesting tradition comes from the ancient belief that the New Year arrives on a carp. The Vietnamese buy live fish and ceremonially release them into a lake or river. Houses are decorated with tangerine trees with tiny fruits.

Japanese celebration

Speaking about how the New Year is celebrated in different countries, one cannot fail to mention the land of the rising sun. The Japanese celebrate the New Year on the same day as us, and this event lasts three days. The rooms of the house are decorated not with spruce, but with a composition of kadomatsu flowers, the center of which is a pine branch. It symbolizes one of the most important categories for a Japanese resident – ​​longevity.

On New Year's Day, you should definitely, at least for a short time, return to your native place and visit the temple. The celebrated holiday was not in vain if 108 bell strikes were heard over the city or village. According to legend, they relieve the same number of human worries. Liberation from problems should be accompanied by laughter, because the New Year is a cheerful holiday.

Celebration in Thailand

Residents of this warm country celebrate the beginning of the year twice. The first time, as in other countries, is January 1. The day before, they come to pray at Buddhist temples, and in the morning they give gifts and do charity work.

The national holiday - Songkran - takes place on April 13 - 15. These days, passers-by on the streets are doused with water, and this is considered a good sign, because the life-giving moisture washes away both illnesses and misfortunes. You can also tie a colored rope around the wrist of any passerby. You can’t remove it yourself; you have to wait until it breaks on its own.

Smearing the neck and face with clay is an ancient New Year's custom that protects against attacks by evil spirits.

India

Since many ancient and new cultures have converged within this country, the New Year is celebrated here eight times. One of the most common is Gudi Padwa. Indians eat the bitter leaves of the neem neem tree and believe that they cleanse the body of present and future diseases.

New Year in Muslim countries

Syria and Algeria, Bahrain and Morocco, Pakistan and Sudan, and even African Tanzania celebrate Muharram, the first month of the Muslim lunar calendar. By this date, they sprout grains as a symbol of a new and happy life.

Jewish celebration

Rosh Hashanah is the day of divine judgment of a person depending on his actions in the past year. Jews dedicate this day to repentance and prayer. During the meal, they symbolically dip apples in honey, hoping that next year will be sweet.

Europe

The traditions of Christian European countries are very similar, but they also have interesting national customs. New Year is celebrated after Christmas. Sometimes the event also includes ancient modified pagan rituals.

France

Although most regions celebrate the New Year on January 1, there are a small number of French territories that do so on December 6, the feast day of St. Nicholas.

Père Noël quietly sneaks up to the children on a festive night if they are obedient. The old man leaves gifts in stockings hanging over the fireplace. However, another old man comes to the harmful children - the unkind Pere Fouétard. He leaves them without gifts.

Bush de Noel is a holiday log. It is divided into chips and stored until next year, to be burned later. Ashes are kept in linen and are believed to protect against troubles and misfortunes.

The French bake a cake in which they hide beans. The one who gets this surprise can give tasks to everyone else on this special night.

England

New Year in Britain gave us the tradition of presenting beautiful cards with good wishes to friends and family. Houses here, as in other Western European countries, are decorated with mistletoe. Lovers are instructed to kiss under its branches for long and happy years in harmony and tenderness. This must be done at the time when the New Year's bells ring at midnight. An interesting custom is to wrap them in blankets until 12 o'clock at night so that the sound is practically inaudible.

The British let out the old year by opening the back door and let in the new year at the front door.

Italy

Temperamental residents of the Apennine Peninsula throw old things out the windows before the New Year - irons, tables, chairs, teapots, believing that then new ones will take their place. Grapes and lentils are required on the table - symbols of longevity, fertility, and wealth.

Hungary

Here on a festive night everyone blows whistles and walks around with rattles. According to legend, this drives away evil spirits and devils.

Finland

Residents of Suomi love to tell fortunes using wax figurines. To do this, they melt a candle, drop it into cold water and take out the resulting intricately shaped pieces of wax. Finns are trying to see their future in them.

Spain

When going on a visit, people take nougat with them in a basket. By midnight, everyone gathers in the square, where they need to eat 12 grapes before the clock strikes. Even on New Year's Eve, the Spaniards play forfeits, which result in fictitious marriages that last until the morning. The “husband” and “wife” must act like real people.

In general, it is not so important when (summer or winter) and how exactly the residents of a particular country celebrate the New Year. The most important thing is that the components of the celebration are fun, fireworks and happiness!

It does not have a fixed date; it is calculated according to the lunisolar calendar and occurs on one of the days between January 21 and February 21. In 2018, it will come on the night of February 16; it is planned to celebrate its offensive in China from February 16 to March 2. However, officially the Chinese will rest for only seven days - from February 15 to 21.

The reason the holiday is celebrated at different times each year is because while our years follow the cycle of the Earth's passage around the Sun, the Chinese year is based on the movement of the Moon. Also known as Lunar New Year, it is different each year because the lunar month is about two days shorter than the Western month.

Chinese New Year always falls on the second day of the new moon after the winter solstice.
A thirteenth month is added to the year to help catch up with the seasons.
This means that Chinese New Year always falls between January 21st and February 21st.

The arrival of the New Year according to the Chinese calendar is eagerly awaited not only in Asian countries. The whole world froze in anticipation of the new patron of the year, but few people know the history of the origin of this holiday.
The second new moon after the winter solstice will occur on February 16, 2018 at 18:13 Moscow time or 23:13 Beijing time. This time will be considered the beginning of the New Year according to the Eastern calendar.

history of the holiday

Chun Jie has an ancient history, dating back to the rituals of sacrifice to deities and remembrance of ancestors, which were performed at the end and beginning of the year in the Shang era 1600-1100 BC. In everyday life, Chun Jie is called “Nian” (nian means “year”)

They say that at the bottom of the sea there lives a bloodthirsty monster named Nian, who can come onto land only once a year - on the new moon on New Year's Eve. Having escaped from the depths of the sea, the creature begins to devour all living things that come its way: animals, fruits of trees and shrubs, vegetables, and even people and children.

People were afraid of the monster and prepared in advance for its annual appearance. To protect their families, on the eve of the holiday they stored food at the doorstep of their home. It was believed that the more you put in, the more likely it was that the beast would be satisfied with the offering and would not harm the people.
And they themselves, taking with them the most important things, left the village for the mountains.

This went on for many years. One day, on the eve of the day when the monster was supposed to emerge from the sea, an old man with a bag over his shoulders, a gray mustache and a staff appeared in the village of Tao Hua (“Peach Blossoms”).
However, due to the bustle, no one paid attention to him. Only one old woman advised him to leave quickly, since Nyan would soon appear. He replied that if they left him for the night, he would drive the monster away once and for all. The woman let the old man into her house, gave him food and left him to spend the night, but did not hope to find him alive in the morning.

The surprise of the returning villagers knew no bounds when the grandfather, safe and sound, moreover, having driven out the terrible monster, rested peacefully on the threshold of the house in a red painted robe.
The fire crackled cheerfully in the hut, the front door was painted red, and the remains of firecrackers lay on the floor. The old man said that Nian is most afraid of the color red and loud noise.

Having heard the story, all the villagers were happy, dressed up in new clothes, congratulating each other on the onset of peace, happiness and prosperity. This story quickly spread to neighboring villages, and everyone soon learned how to drive out the Nyan beast.
Since then, every year on New Year's Eve, people stick red paired inscriptions on their doors, hang red lanterns, set off firecrackers, lights are on in their houses, people don't go to bed and stay awake all night, which in Chinese is called "shou sui" - "protect the year" "

This version of the origin of the New Year is most popular among the Chinese. However, it is considered the most mythical of all existing options. One day the monster Nian knocked on the door of one of the residential buildings. The door was opened by a little boy who was wearing bright red pajamas. The boy's mother saw that a monster was on the doorstep and began banging on the walls with a stick. As a result, the monster got scared and ran away. Then people realized that the creature was afraid of the color red and loud sounds. This is where the tradition of making New Year's decorations with a predominance of red began.
Also on New Year's Day, people covered the windows and front doors of their houses with red cloth and lit bamboo sticks, which, when burned, emit a loud, characteristic crackling sound.

Whether this is true or a beautiful fiction is unknown, but since then no one has seen the monster, but you can understand why such a love for the color red is connected from here :).

And the Chinese to this day decorate their houses with red lanterns and scrolls and celebrate the New Year cheerfully and noisily, with firecrackers, garland lights and other tinsel that drives out evil spirits.
Later, fireworks were used to scare Chun away.

Every street, building and house where Chinese New Year is celebrated is decorated in red. Red is the main color of the festival as it is considered auspicious.
Red lanterns hang on the streets, red couplets (short poems with wishes on red paper) are pasted on doors, banks and other official buildings are decorated with red New Year pictures expressing images of prosperity.

How to prepare

The Chinese begin preparing for the upcoming celebration a few days in advance. Literally everywhere - in homes, work offices, on city streets - total order is being restored. Unnecessary, broken and old things are thrown away. To neutralize stagnant energy, literally everything in the house/apartment is washed out - from the attic with its most secluded places to the entrance gate located on the plot.
In this way, the Chinese clear the way for renewed vital energy to flow.

Particular attention is paid to decorating the house with traditional red color and its shades. The Chinese have a special ritual - paired inscriptions are posted at the entrance to the house, the walls of apartments and houses are decorated with special paintings from paper patterns.

Instead of the traditional New Year tree, the Chinese use Light Tree. All rooms of the home are decorated with garlands, images, figurines and figurines of the animal that rules the coming year.
Multi-colored ribbons must be hung on the front door. There should be 5 of them. They symbolize success in five main areas of life: family; business; financial; love; in the field of health.

It is customary to decorate houses with 8 ripe, juicy tangerines, since this number symbolizes infinity.

Not only homes are decorated with red; it is customary to wear special red clothes. After all, it is this color, according to legend, that drives away misfortune and sorrow from the house.

As a rule, the Christmas tree in China is replaced by trays of oranges and tangerines. But they need to be laid in a special way - always in a circle and there should be exactly 8 pieces of each fruit, no less and no more.

However, more and more often you can find those who, instead of citrus fruits, decorate small artificial trees, which are decorated with dried fruits or fresh fruits in sugar.

How to celebrate

In the old days, the holiday lasted a whole month; nowadays, the Chinese have reduced the number of days off by half. Therefore, the holiday ends on the fifteenth day - the grandiose Chinese Lantern Festival.

Traditionally, China celebrates the holiday for 15 days, each of which has its own traditions and customs.

Day 1. The first day of the Chinese New Year begins with a festive dinner, loud fireworks and noisy festivities. Setting off fireworks while the New Year clock is striking is an old Chinese tradition.

The traditional launch of pyrotechnics looks like this: first, one row of small firecrackers explodes, then three large firecrackers, which symbolize “seeing off” the old year and “welcoming” the new year. It is believed that the louder these three firecrackers explode, the better and happier the coming year will be for agriculture and business.

The whole family must burn bamboo sticks.
Also on this day they go to the cemetery to visit their relatives in order to honor their memory.

Day 2. The second day begins with the most important tradition of this day, morning prayer addressed to the Gods. Everyone asks for what they dream of most: families ask for health and happiness for all their loved ones; old people - longevity; business people and businessmen - prosperity and enrichment.
If on this day the Chinese see poor people near the front door of their home, they will definitely help them to the best of their ability. Some bring food, some bring clothes, and some give money.

It is believed that praying at the temple during Chinese New Year celebrations brings special blessings and leads to success in the coming year. In Shanghai, China's largest city, thousands of people flock to Longhuasi Temple, the most famous and largest temple, to pray for happiness and good fortune.

Day 3. On this day it is not customary to visit or invite guests to your home. They do not present gifts, do not make congratulatory speeches and do not set the festive table.
The third day of the New Year is called “red dog” or “red mouth”. Legend has it that the Red Dog is the God of Wrath, and whoever meets her will be plagued by bad luck. That is why people on this day tried not to leave their homes, did not visit acquaintances and did not invite friends to their place.
Traditionally, all family members should be at home in a calm and comfortable environment, but modern Chinese have put an end to this feudal superstition and freely go to visit on the third day of the Spring Festival.

Day 4. On the fourth day, the Chinese try to respect all their friends and relatives and wish them a Happy New Year by giving them gifts.
This day becomes the finale for employees of the largest corporations, since in such organizations only 2-4 days are allocated for celebrating the New Year. The work process is returning to its usual course.

Day 5-6. The fifth and sixth are dedicated to wealth and business. These days, a national New Year's dish called “Bobo” is prepared. Visually it resembles Ukrainian dumplings, but its taste is more similar to the taste of dumplings. In ancient China, beans were eaten for 5 days. But modern Chinese eat it only for two days.

Gradually, people begin to integrate into everyday life, many go to their workplaces. But the first day of work is always marked by a beautiful fireworks display.

Day 7. The seventh day of the holiday, like the second, is customary to begin with prayer and veneration of God. For many centuries, the 7th day of the New Year holidays has been considered the day humanity appeared on Earth. All Chinese celebrate this event, order prayer services, and send words of gratitude to God for the creation of people.
In the evening there is a festive meal. A dish such as “Yusheng” (raw fish) is always present on the table. If you eat a piece of this dish, the whole year will be successful and profitable.

Day 8. It is believed that it was on the 8th day of New Year that the world's first grain of rice was born. The Chinese believe that the weather on this day can be used to judge the quality and quantity of the future harvest. If the weather is good, the harvest will be rich; if it rains, windy and cold, the harvest will be poor.
Also on this day, the stars are glorified; in their honor, people go to temples and light smoking aromatic candles. In the evening, the family awaits another feast, where the main dish is national “koloboks”.

Day 9. On this day, most of the Chinese are already at their workplace. Those who continue to rest pray and light incense all day.
This day commemorates the liberation of the Chinese people from Japanese pirate invaders. Even today, the Chinese celebrate the day of heaven and the birth of the Jade Emperor.
On this occasion, they visit temples, ask for well-being and present sacrificial food to the Gods. Officially, the 9th day is the beginning of the New Year. At dinner they eat pork, and vegetarians are served tea, fruits, and sweets.

Day 10. In all temples, candles and incense are burned in the name of the day of the stone. Today, none of the Chinese use objects for which stone was used.
People continue to visit and receive guests at home. Time is spent mainly playing games (chess, checkers, dice, etc.).

Day 11 The eleventh day is the day of the son-in-law, when the father-in-law always arranges a noisy and rich holiday for his daughter’s husband. Every father tries to respect him and arrange the best holiday for him.

Day 12. Cleansing day, when the body should be freed from eating excess food. After all, in previous days people consumed a lot of fatty and high-calorie foods.
It is customary to eat only vegetarian food. Entrepreneurs go to the temple and pray to the Gods, asking them for success in business, protection from competitors and victory over them.

Days 13 and 14. These days are a preparatory period for the last New Year's day - the Lantern Festival. The Chinese purchase and independently make various decorations, lanterns and canopies for them. Paper, clay, fabric, and living plants are used. Cleansing the body continues, so people eat mostly vegetarian food.

Day 15. The final day of the New Year is the Lantern Festival. It is considered family friendly. In the evening, all household members gather in the large living room and make lanterns with their own hands.
Then a dinner is held to celebrate the end of the holiday. Dishes such as dumplings, sweet rice porridge, and rice flour balls with a sweet filling inside are placed on the table.

After the gala dinner, the whole family goes outside, holding the made lanterns in their hands. Lanterns are hung as decoration, launched into the sky and sent to float down the river.

On street stages they give funny performances, concerts and folk festivals with traditional dances.
As a rule, the traditional ones include the lion dance (dancers, being inside the lion figure, imitate the movements of this animal) and the dragon dance (a special team of people, holding a paper dragon on poles, moves in such a way that the snake-like body makes undulating movements).

Usually concerts and theatrical performances are held, people with lit lanterns walk around the square with their families, and fireworks, firecrackers and firecrackers roar around.

It is said that during such a festival, lost good spirits are directed to their homes. In addition, lanterns bring light and happiness to every home.

New Year traditions

On New Year's Eve, all family members, wherever they are, gather around a richly laid festive table.
Moreover, for the festive dinner, even those family members who work or study in other cities or countries return home.

Therefore, the Chinese call this holiday “meeting after separation.” This is the most enduring tradition of celebrating Chinese New Year.
The whole family discusses the past year - what has been achieved, what has been learned and what still remains to be accomplished.

The Chinese New Year table is set taking into account the allocation of seats even for those family members who, for some reason, were unable to join the joint festive meal. Plates and cutlery are set out for them, glasses with drinks are placed, and napkins are placed nearby.
The Chinese custom of celebrating the New Year strictly within the family circle is very important and is rarely violated.

Residents of the Celestial Empire believe that on New Year's Eve the spirits of deceased ancestors are present at the table, who are also participants in the holiday.

The main dish on the New Year's table is dumplings (jiaozi), which are shaped like a gold bar. They prefer dumplings because in Chinese the word “jiaozi” sounds like “farewell to the old and welcome to the new.”
Residents of the Middle Kingdom are confident that this symbol of prosperity and wealth will bring good luck in the first minutes of the new year.
For the same reason, southerners eat niangao (slices made from glutinous rice), symbolizing the improvement of life every year.

New Year's dinner is not complete without dishes of chicken, fish and "doufu" - bean curd, which we call "tofu" because in Chinese the names of these products are consonant with words meaning "happiness" and "prosperity." With these dishes, the Chinese thank the patron of the outgoing year for his generosity and indulgence.
Fish is a must-have dish for Chinese New Year, as the Chinese word for fish sounds the same as the word for excess. Eating fish, the Chinese believe, will bring more money and good luck in the coming year.

Festive clothes must be in bright colors - red, gold, pink, green. The brighter the outfit, the greater the chance that an insidious and cunning spirit that can bring grief and loss will not penetrate the house.

It is not customary to give serious gifts for the New Year. More often they present various souvenirs, amulets and amulets, sweets and images of the symbol of the coming year.

Red envelopes with money are traditionally given by the older generation to the younger, by bosses to their subordinates, and by leaders to their wards. Red envelopes are called hongbao in Mandarin and laisee in Cantonese. During the Chinese New Year, the tradition of presenting them is widespread. This is a special New Year's bonus.

Interestingly, in Chun Jie the traditional gift for children is pocket money in special small red envelopes with an amount of 10 to 20 yuan. Following long-standing customs, money is given to any child who comes to the house in the first 15 days of the New Year.

However, it is not customary to give red envelopes to people who have jobs (adults), with the exception of gifts from their employers.

Traditionally, the Chinese begin to give such gifts from the moment they earn their first money. Giving red envelopes is a way of blessing. Most often, the amount of money invested in the envelope depends on the income of the donor.

Custom says that if a person is not married, he is not obliged to make such gifts. But close relatives (parents and grandparents) continue to give “red envelopes” even to married children and grandchildren, as this symbolizes their love and blessing.

These envelopes are called the “lucky sum”, which is intended to bring prosperity in the new year.

The Chinese love everything bright, and the color red is considered a symbol of energy, happiness and good luck. In their opinion, giving a “red envelope” means laying a “channel” through which the recipient will receive the best wishes. It is not so much the money that is important, but what a person invests when giving it. By wrapping banknotes in red paper, the Chinese believe that it will bring happiness and luck to the recipient. Opening such a gift in the presence of the giver is considered bad manners.

In China, red envelopes are also called yasuiqian(压岁钱) - ya-sui qian, which means "money that drives away ghosts." The donors wish peace and prosperity to those for whom they are intended next year.

“Red envelopes” are prepared in advance, and this is no coincidence. On New Year's Eve, after the clock strikes twelve, children come out to the adults. And according to tradition, envelopes must be handed over immediately. If children fall asleep before midnight, parents place envelopes under their pillows.

Any gift, according to the rules, must be paired.
The owner must be presented with two tangerines, and when leaving, receive two other tangerines from them. In this way, hosts and guests exchange symbols of financial well-being, which, according to the Chinese, are tangerines.

The color of the gift also plays a huge role. The main rule is that neither a gift nor gift paper should be white or blue. In this country, these colors represent death and funerals.

The gift itself is presented only in private and with both hands. But it is necessary to distribute gifts not chaotically, but from senior to junior.

It is also indecent to open a gift in front of everyone; this must be done in private, so as not to offend the giver with a careless look or word.

What not to do

On New Year's Day, during the festive feast, it is not customary to talk about the past year - all thoughts and conversations should be directed towards the future.

The main taboo is that you cannot practice herbal medicine or take medications: they believe that a person who neglects this prohibition will be sick for a whole year.
In some regions, at midnight, at the time of the New Year, sick Chinese break bottles of their medicine in the belief that this will drive away the disease.

You cannot eat porridge in the morning, because it is believed that only poor people eat it. And since the Chinese don't want to start the year poor, they cook rice in the hope that the family will be rich for the coming year.
In addition, you cannot eat meat for breakfast as a sign of respect for the Buddhist gods (who do not approve of killing animals), since on this day all the gods meet and wish each other a Happy New Year.

A festive outfit cannot be combined with black and white, since black is a symbol of failure, and white is the color of mourning.

The number “4” is also a symbol of death, so it should not be anywhere - neither on a gift, nor on money, and the number of bills should be either more or less.

During the first three days of Chinese New Year, the house should not be cleaned. During the New Year, good deities appear in all homes, giving happiness and good luck, which settle in the form of dust.

Usually, after the Chinese New Year, you should not buy shoes to avoid getting into trouble. And all because, “shoes” in Chinese is consonant with the Chinese “difficult”.

Also, you can’t cut your hair in the first month, otherwise failures will fall like an avalanche on your uncle on your mother’s side :).

In the first days of the New Year celebration, you should not use knives or other sharp objects so as not to cut off your happiness.

Washing your hair during the New Year holidays means washing away good luck. In Chinese, the word for hair (发) is pronounced the same as (and is derived from) fa V facai(发财), which means "to be rich." Washing away your wealth at the start of the New Year is not a good idea.

The Chinese do not wash clothes on the first and second day of the New Year because these two days are considered the birthday of Shuishen (水神, God of Water).

You cannot quarrel, sort things out, swear, shout or utter curses.

Borrow money. You must give away all the money you borrowed.

Rituals for Chinese New Year

According to Chinese tradition, one of the most powerful rituals that attracts well-being is a ritual called 108 oranges. On New Year's Eve, roll 108 oranges (about 30 kg) into your apartment so that they get into all rooms. And enjoy the “orange carpet” throughout the day.
From time to time, raise the fruits, while repeating - “love to the house”, “money to the house”, “luck to the house”, etc.
After 24 hours, give the oranges to friends and family, make jam, make fresh juice, or just eat them. In Eastern cultures, 108 is considered a sacred number, so such a ritual must necessarily bring harmony and well-being.

There is another ritual that can be performed on New Year's Eve. It will help attract money to the house. You need to take a red sheet of paper and a green marker or paint.
Write the amount you want to earn in the coming year, then glue a 10-kopeck coin and paint the sheet with images of bills and coins. After this, roll the drawing into a scroll, wrap it with gold and red ribbon and hide it in a secluded place.

Another ritual will also bring material well-being. You need to prepare for it. Sew a small bag from red fabric. On New Year's Eve, fill it with coins, having washed them under running water in advance. This way you will wash away someone else’s energy from your money.
Tie the bag with red and gold ribbon and place it in your most beautiful non-metallic container.
Fill the bag with rice, and then move the “money source” to the south-eastern part of the apartment and leave it in the corner of the room.

Symbol of the year

Each year in China is symbolized by a combination that is repeated only once every 60 years. This combination represents one of the 12 zodiac animals of a specific color, corresponding to one of the five elements (water, earth, metal, fire and wood). Chinese New Year 2018 will be symbolized by the animal Dog and the element Earth, and the main color of the year will be yellow.

By the way, every 60-year circle begins with a wooden Rat and ends with a water Pig. The next such circle started on February 2, 1984, and it will end on January 29, 2044.

According to the Chinese calendar, on February 16, 2018, the year 4716 will begin - the year of the Yellow Earth Dog, which will last until February 4, 2019, when it will be replaced by the year of the Earth Pig.

The Chinese consider the Yellow Dog to be the most interesting animal in the eastern horoscope. They believe that thanks to the Dog's wisdom and loyalty, conflicts are avoided, and justice is always on the side of those who deserve it.

In winter, the Earth Dog will “clean up” after the Fire Rooster (2017). By spring everything will improve and bring luck out of winter hibernation. Despite the fact that the Dog is Yellow in 2018, you shouldn’t expect mountains of gold from it. When he comes, he will illuminate you with positivity, cheerfulness and good mood.

It is possible that the mistress of the year will generously patronize people whose professions are related to communication. These are lawyers, politicians, actors, advertisers, journalists. The rest will also benefit from luck, since the Dog will help them with his wisdom and prudence.

The most interesting thing is that the Dog never chases money. Dogs consider it their “dog duty” to build an ideal world. And they won’t calm down until they make him a little kinder and more positive.

Despite the fact that this animal has the most noble character traits - friendliness, justice, honesty, loyalty - sometimes it has such traits as unpredictable behavior and laziness. But the Chinese believe that the non-leap year 2018, enhanced by the elements of the Earth and the color yellow, will be predominantly calm and stable.
This period should bring harmony and peace to every family.

Professional Chinese astrologers are confident that this year the economic situation in the world will improve, violent confrontations and wars will end, and many people will be able to improve their quality of life.

And 2018 is considered the most favorable period for starting a family and serious relationships, getting married, conceiving and having children.

The Chinese also believe that if you feed all the dogs you meet on the street on the holiday, the year will bring unprecedented luck, good health and success in love.

On February 16th, you shouldn’t have a luxurious, hours-long feast with loud chants and dancing until you drop. Ideally, this should be a relaxed family dinner with the presentation of small gifts and the exchange of pleasantries. Don’t forget to once again tell your relatives that you love and appreciate them.
based on materials from sputnik-georgia.ru, vedmochka.net, www.stb.ua, kitaing.ru

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Happy New Year!
新年快乐

In Chinese, this phrase sounds like this: “xin’nyen kuayle” (Xīnniánkuàilè). Now you know how to pronounce it!

No matter how different our customs and traditions may be, the New Year for everyone and always remains the most important and family holiday. This is a time of miracles, a time of fulfillment of cherished desires, a moment of happiness.
May everything be fine with you!

New Year's Eve Australia starts on the first of January. But just at this time it is so hot there that Father Frost and Snow Maiden deliver gifts in swimsuits.

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

Residents British Isles with both hands they hold on to the ancient custom of “Letting in the New Year”: when the clock begins to strike 12, they open the back door of the house to let out the Old Year, and with the last stroke of the clock they open the front door, letting in the New Year.

IN Scotland Before midnight on the farms, a bright fire is lit in the fireplace and the whole family sits around it, waiting for the clock to strike. When the clock hands approach 12, the owner of the house gets up and silently opens the door. He keeps it open until the clock strikes the last stroke. So he lets out the old year and lets in the new one.

IN Spain On New Year's Eve, girls and boys throughout the village draw lots - pieces of paper with the names of fellow villagers of both sexes. Guys get “brides” this way, girls get “grooms”. In some places this procedure is performed in front of bonfires near the church porch. The resulting married couples are considered to be in love until the very end of Christmas, and behave accordingly.

IN Barcelona, V Madrid Until recently, on New Year's Eve, they sold tickets with the names of guests of both sexes and then paired them up in pairs at random: they got “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 arranged things in such a way as to get their favorite girl as a “bride,” and the matter ended in a real marriage. It is very likely that here are traces of an ancient, quite serious marriage custom, when marriages were concluded under the strict control of the community.

IN Belgium And the Netherlands The “magic of the first day” is widespread, the meaning of which is that a person’s behavior on the first day of the New Year is used to judge what will happen to him in the coming year. Therefore, they tried not to do anything on this day, wear something new, etc. In order for there to be prosperity in the house all year, it was necessary to have an abundance of food on the New Year.

Since ancient times it has existed in the Netherlands And Belgium Another widespread custom in other countries is the election of the king of the holiday. To do this, housewives bake a pie in which the beans are baked. Whoever gets a piece of bean pie becomes king for the entire holiday. The king himself selects his queen and retinue: a court jester, a nobleman, “Black Peter”, etc.

IN Austria The modern custom of gifts and congratulations for the New Year was widespread at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries. It is now customary to give figurines or send postcards with traditional symbols of happiness; These are considered to be chimney sweep, four-leaf clover, and pig. Dinner on December 31st should be plentiful in order to live well in the New Year. The obligatory meat dish was jellied pig or pork. They believed that in order to be happy, you need to eat a piece of a pig's head or snout; this was called "participating in the pig's happiness" (Saugluck teilhaftig werden).

IN Switzerland(and in the above-mentioned 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 year 1000 this monster would break free and destroy the world. To everyone's joy, this did not happen. Since then, in Austria and Switzerland this story has been remembered on New Year's Day. People dress up in fancy dress and call themselves Sylvesterklaus.

New Year's Eve Hungary does not have the same significance as Christmas, although some Christmas rituals 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 popular belief, the woman who enters the house first on this day brings misfortune. Therefore, a boy is often sent to the house of relatives under some pretext, after whose visit the house is no longer afraid of a visit from a woman. Many magical actions were taken in order to be healthy and rich in the New Year. So, in some places, when washing in the morning, instead of soap, they rub their hands with coins so that they do not pass through their hands all year long.

IN Yugoslavia There was a lot of fortune-telling on New Year's Day: by salting 12 onions, they determined the weather in a particular month. In some areas of Slovenia, ten different objects were laid out on the table: among them were a pine branch (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 always came across the same one, this meant that within a year an event would occur in his life related to the symbolism of this object.

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

Hindus Depending on where you live, New Year is celebrated differently. People of northern India decorate themselves with flowers of pink, red, purple, or white shades. In south India, mothers place sweets, flowers, small gifts on a special tray. On New Year's morning, children must wait with their eyes closed until they are led 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 roofs of houses. On New Year's Day, Hindus think of the goddess of wealth Lakshmi.

New Year's Eve Burma begins on the first of April, on the hottest days. For a whole week, people pour water on each other with all their hearts. The New Year's water festival is underway - Tinjan.

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

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

In Vietnam The New Year is called Tet. He is met between January 21 and February 19. The exact date of the holiday changes from year to year. The Vietnamese believe that a god lives in every home, and on New Year's Day this god goes to heaven to tell how each family member spent the past year. The Vietnamese once believed that God swam on the back of a carp fish. Nowadays, on New Year's Day, the Vietnamese sometimes buy live carp and then release it into a river or pond. They also believe that the first person to enter their home on New Year's Day will bring good or bad luck for the coming year.

IN Japan New Year is celebrated on January 1. To keep out evil spirits, the Japanese hang bundles of straw at the entrance to their houses, which they believe brings good luck. As the New Year begins, the Japanese begin to laugh. 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 into the New Year. The Chinese believe that the New Year is surrounded by evil spirits. Therefore, they scare them away with firecrackers and firecrackers. Sometimes the Chinese cover windows and doors with paper to keep out evil spirits.

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