When the Romans celebrate the New Year with ancient shararams. New Year

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 Amon, 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 New Year met in the spring. During the holiday, the king left the city for several days. The 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 New Year was celebrated in early March, until Julius Caesar introduced new calendar(currently called Julian). Thus, the first day of January became the date of the New Year. 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 does not have the right to make women many days older, to which the speaker allegedly replied: “This is a classic example of female 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. Centuries later, thanks to this tradition, Queen Elizabeth I amassed a huge collection of 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

New Year, along with Christmas, is probably the most popular and beloved holiday among the people, which, according to some, arose in ancient times. However, if we consider January 1 to be the beginning of the New Year, it turns out that the holiday is not so ancient, and it is not particularly difficult to name exact time and the place of its appearance.

New Year among different peoples

Happy New Year greetings in different languages ​​of the world.

The New Year can be called a universal holiday of humanity, because the tradition of its celebration has existed since time immemorial among almost all peoples of the world. However, the time considered to be its beginning varies from nation to nation. Most often it is associated with the location of the earth relative to the sun (winter and summer solstices, spring and autumn equinox), the period of the beginning or end of agricultural work, or with the most significant natural phenomena for society.

Thus, in the Ancient East - in Ancient Egypt, Assyria and Babylon - the beginning of the new year was associated with the flood of extremely important rivers for agriculture - the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates. IN Ancient Greece New Year was celebrated on the day summer solstice. In Ancient India - on the day of the spring equinox. On the same day, it is still officially celebrated in many Iranian-speaking and Turkic-speaking countries under the name of Novruz, being a public holiday in some of them, such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, etc.

Common to many nations in celebrating the New Year is the religious idea that it marks a change life cycles, the destruction of the old and the emergence of a new world order, when primordial chaos reigns for a short time in nature.

Thus, the New Year was originally associated with primitive religion. As a secular holiday, it first appeared in Ancient Rome.

Ancient Rome. New Year as a secular holiday

Gaius Julius Caesar (100-44 BC) - ancient Roman social and political figure, writer, military leader and dictator for life.

In Ancient Rome, the New Year traditionally began in the month of March and, therefore, was considered a holiday of fertility and the beginning of spring, like our Maslenitsa, which, by the way, is evidenced by the very name of the month “March”, i.e. dedicated to the god Mars, who was initially in no way associated with war, being the god of vegetation and fertility. There was also the holiday of Saturnalia, associated, like Christmas, with the winter solstice.

Everything changed when Gaius Julius Caesar came to power and became dictator for life. He managed, with the help of a group of Alexandrian scientists led by the Egyptian astronomer and mathematician Sosigenes, to reform the ancient Roman calendar, which after the reform added two more months to the previous ten months - January and February, and the New Year received its official start date - January 1.

It is worth noting that January 1 was not chosen by chance. The month of January was dedicated to Janus - the ancient Roman god of entrances and exits, doors and every beginning. However, in addition to symbolic, this date also had practical significance.

The fact is that from the end of the 2nd century. BC the newly elected Roman consuls took office precisely on January 1, and the official calendar was kept by consuls, i.e. the entry in the state archive looked something like this - “in the year of the consuls of such and such.” In addition, it was at this time that active political and economic activity in Ancient Rome. Therefore, any other date for the beginning of the New Year, other than January 1, would be a clear discrepancy with the actually established order.

The chronology system created by Caesar and Sosigenes came to be called the Julian calendar, and on January 1, the New Year first came in 45 BC, becoming, apparently, the first non-religious holiday in human history, a holiday that arose from vital necessity and introduced by a strong-willed decision from above, which undoubtedly emphasizes its purely secular character.

Despite this, it took root in Ancient Rome. Moreover, the Romans began to celebrate the arrival of the New Year during the first five days of January - from January 1 to 5, having fun, singing songs, holding sports competitions and making thanksgiving sacrifices to the gods.

On the night of January 1, people walked around in masks, wishing passers-by happiness and prosperity, and the next morning, in festive clothes with olive branches in their hands, they greeted everyone with the words “Long live the day of happy hopes!” Children offered apples to passers-by, and they gave them coins in return. There was also a custom of giving each other gifts with wishes written on them. next year.

Byzantium. Continuing the tradition

Constantinople during the period of the highest power of the Byzantine Empire.

The tradition of celebrating the New Year on January 1 was transferred from Ancient Rome to the territory of the Eastern Roman Empire - Byzantium.

Officially, the New Year in the Byzantine Empire began on September 1 according to the Julian calendar (September 14 according to the new style), which is explained by the influence of Christianity, more precisely, by the definition of the Council of Nicaea in 325. However, the people continued to celebrate the January New Year, which in Byzantium was called “calends”. This tradition was so strong that even the ban of the VI Ecumenical Council, which anathematized the Kalends, could not eradicate it.

At first, the Kalends were celebrated, as in Ancient Rome, from January 1 to 5, but then their celebration was dedicated to Christmas, and the Kalends themselves became twelve days long. This was done, apparently, in order to eventually replace the pagan holiday in the popular consciousness with a Christian one. Although it is worth noting that the pious Byzantine emperors always tried to separate pagan celebrations from Christian ones, and the main New Year's entertainment was not held on the night of December 25 or January 1, but only on the night of January 2. The Byzantines had fun just like the Romans of the time of Julius Caesar.

Most often, men dressed up as women, and women as men. People put on masks and wandered from house to house singing and dancing cheerfully, demanding rewards for their performances. Knocking on doors strangers and took part in their feast. Quite a few Byzantines crowded into taverns and taverns, as well as on the streets at night.

They celebrated the coming of the New Year in the palace of Basileus of the Romans, i.e. Byzantine emperor. On the night of January 2, the so-called “Gothic games” were held there, which consisted of singing songs glorifying the emperor and his heirs. Everyone present at the games was required to sing: professional musicians, members of the “blue” and “green” circus parties, and even eminent Byzantine nobles invited to the holiday.

Songs of praise were interspersed with dancing by mummers and people armed with swords and shields, who were called “Goths.” It was from them that the entire festive event took its name. The duty of the “goths,” in addition to dancing, included the performance of songs that once had ritual significance in Latin, corrupted beyond recognition. At that time, no one understood the meaning of these songs, but their performance undoubtedly gave the atmosphere of the holiday an aroma of mystery.

Ancient Rus'. New Year on September 1st. Two New Years

Cathedral Square of the Moscow Kremlin. Watercolor by D. Quarenghi (1797). On the left is the Archangel Cathedral, on the right, behind the bell tower of Ivan the Great, the Assumption Cathedral.

The internal and foreign policies of the Byzantine Empire were closely connected with the life of its economically and culturally less advanced neighbors, among whom was Kievan Rus. Russian-Byzantine contacts became more and more frequent over the years, and at the end of the 10th century, the Old Russian state became an equal partner in strength and power, but sometimes a rival, of Byzantium. It was then, in 988, that the Kiev prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich was baptized, and with him his state, Ancient Rus', adopted Christianity.

With the advent of Christianity, Russian chronology began to be calculated in the Byzantine manner - from the creation of the world according to the Julian calendar, and the Orthodox church holidays became holidays Ancient Rus'. However, until the 14th century, and according to another version - until the end of the 15th century, the pagan tradition of celebrating the New Year in March continued, and only in 1348 or 1492 did the Russian Church move its start to September 1st.

The September New Year became one of the main Russian holidays of pre-Petrine times, which, by the way, is still celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church. At the same time, it was a rather solemn celebration according to the ceremony established by the church. This is how the Russian monarch’s New Year’s Eve is described in the book “The Home Life of Russian Tsars in the 16th-17th Centuries.”

[The king’s] first appearance was on New Year’s Day, which then began on September 1, “for the summer,” at ten o’clock in the morning. In the middle of the cathedral square, opposite the Red Porch, there was a vast platform. On it, on the eastern side, three layers were placed, on one of which the image of Simeon the Flyer was placed; On the western side, two special places were set up, one for the sovereign, the other for the patriarch. The Patriarch came out to the “action” from the western gates of the Assumption Cathedral, accompanied by the clergy in the richest vestments, at the same time, the procession of the sovereign was shown from the palace, heralded by the ringing of Ivan the Great. Having ascended the platform, the sovereign venerated the Gospel and icons, then received a blessing from the patriarch, who asked about his royal health. The spiritual authorities and boyars stood on both sides of the seats of the sovereign and the patriarch according to rank. The entire cathedral square, even before the Emperor’s exit, was covered with servicemen standing ceremoniously in pre-designated places.

At the end of the prayer service, the patriarch crossed the sovereign and “congratulated” him with a long speech, which he ended with a wish of health to the sovereign, empress and his entire family. The Emperor thanked the Patriarch and then venerated the Gospel and holy icons. After that, the spiritual authorities and boyars congratulated the sovereign and patriarch on the New Year. Following these congratulations, the entire square congratulated the sovereign; all the rifle regiments that were in the square, and many people, the whole “world” - all in an instant hit the ground with their foreheads and celebrated the sovereign for many years. The Emperor responded to the “peace” with a bow. After this, the sovereign went to the Annunciation Cathedral for mass or to his mansion.

Quote From: Home life of Russian tsars in the 16th-17th centuries. According to Zabelin, Klyuchevsky, Karnovich and others. M., 1992. pp. 63-64.

It is worth saying that the New Year tradition, timed to coincide with the spring equinox and the month of March, was not forgotten by the Russian people, which, by the way, is evidenced by the Maslenitsa holiday, which has survived to our times - the spring New Year holiday. Therefore, starting from the 14th or 15th centuries, a situation familiar to modern Russians developed in the social life of Ancient Rus'. The New Year was celebrated twice: in accordance with the pagan tradition - in March and in accordance with the Christian tradition - on September 1. January 1 was not celebrated at all, although this day, as part of the festive celebrations from Christmas to Epiphany, was called Basil's Day in honor of one of the church fathers - Basil the Great or Basil of Caesarea.

Reform of Peter I. Transition to a new chronology

Great masquerade in 1722 on the streets of Moscow with the participation of Peter I and Prince Caesar I. F. Romodanovsky. Watercolor by V. Surikov (1900)

The revival of the January New Year is associated with the name of the first Russian emperor - Peter Alekseevich Romanov (1672-1725), who, like Julius Caesar in Ancient Rome, reformed the Russian chronology. In all his endeavors, Peter I pursued a very specific goal - to make Russia one of the leading European states. Therefore, the royal decree of December 19, 1699 ordered that “years be counted in Orders and in all matters and fortresses” not from the creation of the world, but from the Nativity of Christ, as in other European states.

Despite its undoubted progressiveness, the decree left in force the current Julian calendar, according to which Russia would live until the beginning of 1918, while the rest of Europe, from the end of the 16th century, lived according to the more accurate Gregorian calendar.

The last time the autumn New Year was officially celebrated was on September 1, 1699. But the very next year, the above-mentioned personal decree of Peter appeared with number 1735 “On the writing henceforth of Genvar from the 1st day of 1700 in all papers of the year from the Nativity of Christ, and not from the creation of the world,” which was read to the Muscovites by the royal clerk from a high platform built on Red Square. It was followed by a decree of December 20, 1699 “On the celebration of the New Year.” The decree regulated the celebration of the upcoming New Year in the most detailed way.

And as a sign of that good beginning and the new hundred-year century, in the reigning city of Moscow, after due thanksgiving to God and prayer singing in the church, and whoever happens in his home, along large and well-traveled noble streets, to noble people, and at houses of deliberate spiritual and secular rank, in front of the gate to make some decorations from trees and branches of pine, spruce and juniper, against the samples that were made in the Gostiny Dvor and at the lower pharmacy, or for whomever is more convenient and decent, depending on the place and the gate, it is possible to make, but for poor people Each one should at least place a tree or a branch on the gate, or over his mansion, and so that the future genvar will ripen now by the 1st day of this year, and that decoration of the genvar should stand until the 7th day of the same 1700 year.

Yes, on the 1st day of January, as a sign of joy; congratulating each other on the new year and the centennial century, do this: when on the Great Red Square the fiery fun is lit and there is shooting, then at the noble households, boyars, and okolnichy, and duma and neighbors, and noble people of the ranks of the warriors, military and merchants, famous people, each in his own yard, from small cannons, if anyone has one, and from several muskets, or other small guns, shoot three times and fire several rockets, as many as anyone has, and along large streets, where there is space, generals with 1st to 7th, at night, light fires from wood, or twigs, or straw, and where there are small courtyards, five or six courtyards gathered, put such a fire, or, whoever wants, put one, two, or three on posts tar and thin barrels, and filled with straw or brushwood, lit, in front of the mayor's town hall, shooting and such lights and decorations, according to their consideration.

New Year before the October Revolution

Despite the fact that Peter’s decree strictly ordered to have fun from January 1 to 7, in the post-Petrine era the holiday did not become widespread. The people continued to celebrate Christmas and Christmastide, and even such an invariable attribute of the modern New Year as the New Year tree, which, according to Peter’s decree, should decorate every home, was not in widespread use until the middle of the 19th century. But even from that time on, the custom of placing a coniferous tree decorated with candles, fruits and various toys in a public place or at home was associated only with Christmas. January 1 continued to remain only the official date of the beginning of the new calendar year and, by the way, a working day, which became a day off only in 1898 according to the law of June 2, 1897 “On the duration and distribution of working time in establishments of the factory and mining industries.” "

Soviet poster "Happy New Year, dear comrades!"

The New Year in the form in which we know it now originated in the USSR. However, the date itself and all the holiday attributes familiar to us from childhood - a Christmas tree, tangerines, champagne, Olivier salad, Father Frost and the Snow Maiden - did not appear immediately.

By the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of January 24, 1918 “On the introduction of the Western European calendar in the Russian Republic,” a more accurate Gregorian calendar, adopted in other European countries, began to operate on the territory of Russia. The difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars, which in the 20th century was 13 days, was eliminated due to the fact that the above-mentioned decree “threw out” the first 13 days of February, i.e. January 31, 1918 was immediately followed by February 14.

According to the Gregorian calendar, we continue to celebrate the New Year to this day, although many Russians do not forget about the old holiday, popularly called the Old New Year (New Year according to the Julian calendar), which now occurs from January 13 to 14. Nevertheless, in the first years of Soviet power - in the 20s of the 20th century - neither one nor the other holiday in the modern sense existed yet.

At that time, people continued to have fun on Christmas and holy days, which the Bolsheviks began to actively fight against, organizing celebrations of “Komsomol Christmas,” “Komsomol Christmas Day,” and “Komsomol Christmas tree,” organizing anti-religious street processions and scientific and educational events, trying to “expose” priest's holiday."

However, all efforts were in vain, and the celebration of Christmas was simply banned at the XVI Party Conference, held in April 1929. Thus, for some time Russia was left without one of its main holidays.

The situation changed at the end of 1935, when, at the proposal of P.P. Postyshev, candidate member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, it was decided to revive the New Year (more precisely, the traditions of celebrating the New Year tree), but in a completely different capacity - as a new Soviet holiday for the young builders of communism, who, unlike their unfortunate peers from other countries, had the happy fate of being born in the Soviet Union, where there is no exploitation of man by man, where everything belongs to the Soviet people and their future - Soviet children. Thus, along with entertainment, new holiday also received a propaganda component, which changed the Christmas symbols beyond recognition.

The blue seven-pointed Christmas star turned into the red star of the Red Army, and the Christmas tree most often began to be decorated with toys promoting the Soviet way of life and Soviet values. From now on, the theme of Christmas tree decorations became purely political or socially significant: the hammer and sickle, rockets, tanks, stratospheric balloons, airships, soldiers, border guards, pioneer buglers and even members of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks. There were other oddities associated with the celebration of the New Year tree in the 30s. For example, Santa Claus, in order to emphasize his independence from the “priestly” Christmas, often appeared on Christmas trees, holding in his hands the “Course of History of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)”. By the way, this character, together with his companion, the Snow Maiden, first appeared before the Soviet people in January 1937 at a holiday in the Moscow House of Unions. But it was not yet a holiday in our modern understanding.

From 1930 to 1947, on January 1, people went to their regular jobs, and only on December 23, 1947, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, January 1 became a holiday and a day off.

Gradually, the Soviet holiday lost its political and propaganda appearance. By the early 50s, completely different decorations appeared on Christmas trees: fairy snowmen, snowflakes, red riding hoods, bunnies, squirrels, clowns, stargazers and garlands of light bulbs; and by the mid-70s, the New Year turned, rather, into a family celebration with sparklers, firecrackers, streamers and children's gifts under the New Year tree, when the usual tangerines were purchased, Olivier salad was made and the festive table was set, where a bottle of champagne was placed. The holiday acquired its final form at the turn of 1975 and 1976.

It was then, on December 31, 1975, that the residents of our country first heard the New Year’s televised greeting from the head of state (at that time - the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee L. I. Brezhnev), and on January 1, 1976, the most New Year’s Soviet, and indeed Russian, was shown on television for the first time , the film is a tragicomedy by Eldar Ryazanov “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” Since then, New Year celebrations in Russia have not undergone significant changes.

New Year these days

New Year, smoothly turning into Christmas and Old New Year. A holiday every day with all the ensuing consequences.

Until 1991, only the first day of the new year was a holiday in January, after which Soviet citizens returned to their activities. However, in December 1990, the Supreme Council of the RSFSR adopted a resolution according to which the Orthodox holiday of Christmas became a non-working day on January 7, 1991. And what happened as a result?

A typically Soviet holiday, strongly reminiscent of paganism, which smoothly flows into a Christian holiday. Somewhat unusual for national holidays, isn’t it? However, if you take a closer look at our current state symbols - the coat of arms and flag of the Russian Empire against the background of ranting about democracy, the anthem of the USSR with words about God - then two national holidays, ideologically alien to each other, will not seem like something out of the ordinary. Rather, one of the symbols of modern Russia. And the people, in general, think little about the meaning and significance of any celebrations.

What is important for the people is that there is a reason to drink, have fun and somehow diversify the monotony of their existence. And what kind of reason will it be - Catholic or Orthodox Christmas, New Year, Old New Year or Chinese New Year is the tenth thing. The main thing is that the period from January 1 to January 7 according to the Gregorian calendar is a holiday every day with all the ensuing consequences. Then comes the “real” New Year, also known as the New Year according to the Julian calendar, also known as the Old New Year, i.e. the holiday continues until January 14. Then the most advanced ones remember Epiphany, pushing back the end of the celebrations until January 19th. Total - nineteen days. And if someone remembers ahead of time about Catholic Christmas, then the New Year and Christmas marathon will last a month or more, taking into account the post-marathon condition of the athletes.

Although, speaking seriously, there is nothing wrong with the New Year and Christmas holidays, if, of course, on the advice of Horace, you stick to the golden mean. In addition, as we have seen, the New Year in Russia has traditionally been and is celebrated more than once. But if not one, then how many?

How many times is New Year celebrated in Russia?

The question is really interesting. So, let's do the math, not taking into account, of course, exotic and borrowed holidays.

January 14. New Year according to the Julian calendar, popularly known as Old New Year.

February-March. Maslenitsa - in the pre-Christian era, the holiday of the spring equinox, which was the beginning of the new year among the ancient Slavs.

It turns out that you can celebrate the New Year in Russia as many as five times. For one cultural and historical tradition, this fact is more than impressive!

This one is bright and happy holiday noted 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. The ancient Egyptians celebrated the New Year. 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

In Ancient Greece, the New Year began on the 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, the New Year was celebrated in July during the Nile flood. On the night of July 19-20, priests in ceremonial robes, accompanied by harmonious singing, headed to a predetermined place, raised their faces to the black southern sky, trying to be the first to notice when the sky rose above the horizon. bright star- Sirius. 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 a new calendar (February 28, 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 past 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 of New Year's gifts from their 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, the 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 Kolyada. On December 25, as the day “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, a 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 stuck into it or a 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 the festivities, but also obliged the nobles to do so. Those who did not attend the festivities under 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 celebrate the New Year on September 1 according to the old tradition. 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. Pre-New Year and New Year 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, while 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 moved from December 25 to January 7, the New Year holiday also shifted.
Contradictions immediately arose with Orthodox holidays, because, having changed the dates of civil holidays, 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. 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". A society that has not yet forgotten the beautiful and bright holiday, responded 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 was held 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 at the height of cold winter that we should never forget: life is beautiful, endless, new meetings, achievements, 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

In a previous post, 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 / Christmas 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.

Similarly, many pagan traditions migrated to 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 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 could not defeat.

In the last days of December - on the days 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 modern tradition 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, crackers, 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 of the 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 the presence of two or three higher educations and scientific degrees, they show aggressive medieval intolerance to any opinion that does not coincide with their own worldview, immediately writing it down as “erroneous and superficial.” ...Isn't this familiar to you?..

Celebrating New Year is nothing new. Festivals to mark the start of a new calendar year have existed for thousands of years, and some are still actively celebrated by millions of people around the world. These early New Year's celebrations often had important social, religious and political implications, but in some cultures the traditional holiday was not all that different from the champagne parties and fireworks displays we have today. Today you can learn facts about how ancient civilizations celebrated the New Year.

Babylonian Akitu

On the day after the first new moon, which followed the spring equinox in late March, the Babylonians of ancient Mesopotamia held the Akitu festival to celebrate the rebirth of the natural world. This early New Year celebration dates back to 2000 BC. It is believed to have been deeply intertwined with religion and mythology. During the festival, statues of gods were carried around the city streets. Rituals were also performed that symbolized victory over the forces of chaos. The Babylonians believed that through these rituals the world was symbolically purified and recreated by the gods in preparation for the new year and the return of spring.

One fascinating aspect of Akitu was the kind of ritual humiliation that the Babylonian king endured. During this peculiar tradition, the king had to appear before the statue of the god Marduk without any royal regalia and swear that he would rule the city with honor. The High Priest would then slap the king and pull his ears, hoping to make him cry. If royal tears were shed, it meant that Marduk was pleased and he was symbolically expanding the rights of the king. Some historians claim that the Akitu festival was used by monarchs to reaffirm their divine power to the people.

Ancient Roman festival of Janus

The Roman New Year was also originally celebrated after the spring equinox, but years of manipulation solar calendar led to the fact that the holiday began to be celebrated on the first of January. For the Romans, this month had special significance. Its name comes from the name of the two-faced Janus, the god of change and beginnings. Janus was depicted as having two faces, symbolizing the past and the future, and this idea was tied to the concept of the transition from one year to the next.

The Romans celebrated January 1st by paying homage to Janus in hopes of good luck for the new year. This day was seen as the foundation for the next 12 months, so friends and neighbors started the new year positively, exchanging gifts and wishes. It was customary to give figs and honey as gifts. Most Romans also tended to work at least part of the day. But idleness was seen as a bad omen for the rest of the year.

New Year in Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptian culture was closely connected with the Nile, so the new year began with the flooding of the river. Egyptians celebrated the New Year when Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, was visible for the first time after an absence of 70 days. This phenomenon typically occurred in mid-July, just before the annual flooding of the Nile. This ensured that the farmland would be fertile throughout the following year. Egyptians celebrated a new beginning during the festival. The New Year was perceived as a time of rejuvenation and rebirth, and therefore special religious rituals were held.

But perhaps the Egyptians also used it as an excuse to have a little fun. Recent discoveries at the Temple of Mut show that during the reign of Hatshepsut, the first month of the year was perceived as a “festival of intoxication.” These mass celebrations were tied to the myth of Sekhmet, the goddess of war who planned to destroy all humanity, and the sun god Ra, who deceived her and made her drunk into unconsciousness. The Egyptians celebrated the salvation of mankind with music, fun and lots of beer.

Chinese New Year

One of oldest traditions, which has survived to this day, is the Chinese New Year. It is assumed that the holiday originated more than 3 thousand years ago, during the reign of the Shang Dynasty. Initially, it was a way to celebrate the beginning of the spring sowing season, but it soon became overgrown with myths and legends. According to one popular legend, there once lived a bloodthirsty creature called "Nian" (now a word meaning "year") who hunted villagers once a year. To scare the hungry beast, villagers would go out and decorate their houses in red, burn bamboo and make loud noises. The trick worked bright colors and the light scared the Nians away, and these activities were eventually integrated into the celebration.

Modern celebration

Traditionally, the holiday lasts 15 days and is associated with home and family. People clean houses to get rid of bad luck and try to pay off old debts to deal with the past year's affairs. To give a good start to the new year, they decorate their doors with paper scrolls and gather with relatives to celebrate. After the invention of gunpowder in the 10th century, the Chinese became the first to use fireworks.

Chinese New Year is still based on lunar calendar, which dates back to the second millennium BC. As a rule, the holiday falls at the end of January or beginning of February, on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Each year is associated with one of the 12 zodiac animals.

Nowruz

Nowruz is still celebrated in Iran and other countries in the Middle East and Asia. But its roots are hidden in ancient times. This holiday is often called the Persian New Year. This is a 13-day holiday that falls on vernal equinox or on days close to it. It is assumed that it originated in the territory of modern Iran within the framework of the Zoroastrian religion. Nowruz did not appear in official documents until the second century, but most historians believe that its celebration dates back to at least the 6th century BC. Unlike many other ancient Persian festivals, Nowruz survived as an important holiday even after the conquest of Iran by Alexander the Great in 333 BC.

Ancient Nowruz rituals centered on the rebirth that accompanied the return of spring. Monarchs used the holiday to hold lavish banquets, exchange gifts, and keep their subjects in line. Other traditions include exchanging gifts between family and friends, lighting bonfires, dyeing eggs, and splashing water to symbolize the creation of the world. Nowruz has changed significantly over time, but many of the holiday's ancient traditions, especially those involving bonfires and egg dyeing, remain part of a ritual that brings together 300 million people each year.