New Year in Rome. History of New Year celebrations

New Year in ancient Rome. December 27th, 2011

For a long time, the New Year began for the Romans on March 1st. In 46 BC. Emperor Julius Caesar introduced a new calendar - one that is still used today, and the New Year moved to January 1st. And so that the calendar coincided with the movement of the sun, Caesar “extended” the previous year from 365 to 445 days.

January is a symbolic month for the start of a new year, because it got its name in honor of the two-faced Roman god Janus. God looks back - to the past year and forward - to the next.

The Roman festivals in honor of the New Year were called Saturnalia. People decorated their houses and gave each other gifts. The slaves drank with their masters, and for several days the people did whatever they pleased.
The holiday fell on the last half of December - the time when agricultural work came to an end and everyone sought rest and fun in connection with the end of the harvest.

During the Saturnalia, public affairs were suspended, schoolchildren were released from classes, and criminals were forbidden to be punished. Slaves received special benefits these days: they were freed from ordinary labor, had the right to wear pilleus (a symbol of liberation), received permission to eat at the common table in the clothes of their masters, and even accepted services from them.

The public celebration began with a sacrifice before the temple of Saturn in the forum; then a religious feast was held, in which senators and horsemen, dressed in special costumes, took part. In families, the day began with a sacrifice (a pig was slaughtered) and passed in joy, with friends and relatives exchanging gifts. The streets were crowded with crowds of people; Exclamations of Jo Saturnalia were heard everywhere (this was called clamare Saturnalia).

There were even some kind of laws for holding Saturnalia, according to which it was not allowed to make any speeches other than cheerful and mocking ones; it was necessary to prepare money, clothes, and silver in advance in order to send them to friends. Moreover, the rich man should not have given gifts to the rich man, but everything had to be sent to the learned people in double amount, “for they are worthy to receive a double share.
The poor man, if he is a learned man, should send in response to the rich man either a book of one of the ancient writers, or his own work, which he can. The rich man is obliged to accept this gift with a bright face, and having accepted it, read it immediately,” wrote the great satirist of antiquity, Lucian.

The holidays and Christmas holidays that are familiar to us are similar to the cheerful winter Saturnalia.
After dinner on December 16, one of the priest-pontiffs (later this title passed to the popes), located under the portico of the Temple of Saturn, solemnly proclaimed: “Saturnalia!” And the whole of Rome literally shook from the screams of a crowd of thousands, which, running merrily through the streets of the city, loudly announced the upcoming event.

Among the crowd there were certainly mummers dressed in animal skins - primarily wolf skins. There are also groups of slaves freed on the occasion of the holiday (they wear special headdresses). They all joyfully shout: “I am Saturnalia! I am Saturnalia! On holidays, no wars, no work, no school. Only bakers and confectioners work like damned people. And songs are already heard from the houses, dancing is everywhere...

These days, everything is allowed: drunkenness, orgies, and gambling. The famous Roman poet Horace dubbed all this “December freedom.” Even some of the prisoners were clownishly dressed up and driven around the city. There was no ceremony with them at all. And all this for the sake of general fun! Many prohibitions were lifted, and a nationwide theatrical show began. The slaves dressed in the clothes of their owners, and the owners, in rags, began to serve at the table with pleasure

New Year is a holiday when the old ends, when we analyze the results of our work, when we so want to let go of the bad and enter the coming year with new impressions. There is no better place for this than Rome. Here they know how to celebrate holidays on an incredible scale, turning every celebration into a real extravaganza.

Holiday Traditions

Before traveling to Italy, you should find out how the New Year is celebrated in Rome:

A holiday means, first of all, buying gifts for loved ones. Italians often buy souvenirs for family and friends on December 31st. From the very morning they go to boutiques and choose pleasant surprises for their loved ones.
Their New Year's Eve celebration begins around 9 pm. Family and invited friends sit down at the table, which necessarily contains 13 dishes. It is believed that they will help attract good luck in the coming year.
As a rule, the Roman festive table consists of smoked fish and always stuffed baked poultry.
Italians consider lentils to be the main feature of the New Year's table.
It is impossible to imagine a Roman banquet without pork. It is served in any form: boiled, fried, baked. Italians believe that the pig is an animal that is constantly on the go and will definitely advance things in the coming year.
Italians usually drink champagne on New Year's Eve. But often they also have beer on the table. This seems strange, because this is not a holiday drink for us. However, the residents of Italy consider it a home brew that brings success, so they are sure to offer it to guests. This symbolizes a spell of good luck in the coming year.

It is customary to celebrate the New Year in Rome with a large, cheerful and noisy company of family and friends, so after a feast at the New Year's table at home, people go out to the city squares and, together with those around them, joyfully welcome the coming year.

Crowds move through the streets of Rome and get to know each other to spend this magical night together.

The weather for celebrating the New Year in Rome in 2019 is suitable for those who are tired of frosty days, because the weather here in January is warm and clear.

How much does it cost to go to Rome for New Year?

There are two ways to spend the New Year holidays in the Eternal City:

Go on your own. Find accommodation on your own, organize entertainment and relax according to your personal plan.
Book an excursion tour at a travel agency.

In the first case, a trip to Rome for a week will cost 700-1000 euros, considering that you will spend about 300 euros on flights, hotel accommodation - 170, meals - 150, entertainment - 100, and plus shopping, the amount of which is different for everyone. The finished tour will cost from 400 to 900 euros.

What will happen in Rome during the holidays?

New Year in Rome 2019 is expected to be traditionally cheerful and enchanting. Crazy discounts on branded items await you, so shopping in the Italian capital will be remembered for a long time. The week-long festivities from December 26 will be no less impressive. These include daily festivals, fireworks and a fountain of positive emotions.

Where to go in Rome on New Year's Eve?

Before New Year's Eve, you can walk throughout Rome and visit interesting places, monuments, attractions, of which there are an incredible number. This includes the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, St. Peter's Basilica, and the Vatican Museums.

The celebration itself can be celebrated in the square (Lepanto or Spagna metro stops). Here, according to tradition, after 12 midnight they break bottles of champagne at the foot of the monument, and the riskiest ones jump into the Tiber River. There are a huge number of restaurants and cafes open near this square, so the question “Where can I sit?” won't bother you.
An interesting place to celebrate the New Year is considered Colosseum area. There, as well as on the main square of the city, there are many catering establishments. The most popular is the cafe Roof Garden Hotel. You can get there in 10 minutes at a leisurely pace. From the fountain delle Naiadi you need to move forward past the Obelisk of Dogali, which will be on your left. Next, turn right, then one block forward and right again, from there walk to the Diana Hotel. There is a cafe next to it. It will provide an opportunity to eat delicious food and enjoy a beautiful view of Rome. The cost of spending New Year's Eve there is about 350 euros.
Popular Casa Coppelle restaurant on the street Piazza delle Coppelle in the center of Rome. Your orientation is . From there you need to move to the right to the Temple of the Divine Adrin, then walk up and turn left near Piazza Colonna, then walk in a straight line until you reach the turn to Via della Scrofa. There is a direct road from it to the restaurant itself.
It is considered a convenient place for Russian tourists cafe Il Chianti on Via delle Lavatore Near . Here, Russian-speaking staff speak Russian and are always responsive. To get to the restaurant you need to focus on the Academy of San Luca. You need to pass the Accademia cafe and turn right. Near Deutsche Bank, also turn to the right and walk to Via in Arcione, where you will turn left, and then walk to the restaurant itself.

Spending New Year's in Rome in 2019 is a great idea, but wherever you go, it is important to take a good mood with you, then the holidays will be unforgettable.

New Year traditions

New Year for the Romans is a wonderful occasion to please family and friends with nice gifts, so most of the townspeople go shopping. Trade is brisk at the end of December. Taking this into account, as well as the traditional sales starting on Catholic Christmas, you will definitely be able to purchase gifts and souvenirs.

As for the New Year, Italians usually gather at the festive table an hour or two before midnight. They remember the past year and all the good things that happened in it. At the same time, the table is literally bursting with various dishes, among which there is always smoked fish, pork, lentils and baked chicken. Vacationers' glasses are filled with champagne or beer.

You may be surprised that Italians drink beer on New Year's Eve, but this fact is easy to explain. The fact is that residents of Rome and other Italian cities consider the foamy drink to be a magic mash that can bring good luck.

After spending a few hours at home or in a restaurant, Italians go to mass celebrations. There they have a lot of fun, drink champagne and make new acquaintances, considering this a good tradition.

New Year's Eve in Rome: where to go?

Every year Piazza del Popolo becomes the epicenter of public festivities. If you decide to go, then remember that entry is only open until 22:00. Joining the crowd of people walking, you can dance to the sets of popular DJs and see performances by famous musicians. At midnight, the fun will reach its climax: vacationers will drink champagne straight from their throats, break empty bottles on the monument, explode pyrotechnics, etc.

If you would like to celebrate the New Year 2019 in a more relaxed atmosphere, then it is better to sit in a restaurant or cafe. True, this option has 2 significant drawbacks. The first of them is inflated prices. The second is the lack of a show program. This is explained by the fact that going to restaurants on New Year's Eve is not popular among the Romans. Despite this, most catering establishments are open until the morning.

It's better to do it the next day. In particular, a visit to the Vatican and the Colosseum, as well as an overview of other attractions, will give you a lot of impressions. We should immediately warn you that the Italian capital is incredibly popular among tourists, so in order to save time, it is better to pay for a trip to a museum or somewhere else via the Internet.

Rome Restaurants

We already said above that Italians do not often celebrate the New Year in cafes and restaurants. However, do not forget that you will be a tourist whose main goal is to have a good rest. Considering the task at hand, it is better to decide in advance which establishment to go to and, if necessary, book a table there.

Roman restaurants, cafes and bars are open on New Year's Eve, but their prices skyrocket significantly. If this does not bother you, and you are ready to do anything to enjoy Italian cuisine, then we advise you to book a table in advance in a restaurant with a view of either the Colosseum or Piazza del Popolo. If the idea of treating yourself to something tasty arises spontaneously, then stop by any cafe. There will always be a place for visitors there. Don't count on entertainment in both cases. The maximum is “live” music. This fact is explained by the fact that most Romans prefer to have fun on the street.

As for specific establishments, the Roman restaurant “Roof Garden Hotel Forum Roma” enjoys a high level of popularity among tourists from around the world.

Finding it will not be difficult, because it is located just a few steps from the Colosseum. Here you can celebrate the New Year 2019, sitting at a table on the open terrace and admiring the fireworks launched into the sky. The menu includes traditional Italian dishes and a lot of desserts. The wine list will delight you with a wide selection of red and white wines. Such pleasure is not cheap - the average bill per person exceeds 350 euros.

The “Casa Coppelle” restaurant, located on Piazza delle Coppelle, is a good restaurant. Here the average cost of dinner is approximately 130-150 euros. A table must be reserved in advance with a small prepayment. Next to the Trevi Fountain is the Chianti restaurant in Via delle Lavatore. Tourists from Russia will definitely like it because its waiters are fluent in Russian. In addition, the local chef is a real guru who knows how to create unique culinary masterpieces.

More about prices

As the New Year holidays approach, hotel prices in Rome rise sharply. Given this, it is worth booking a room at least a month before your upcoming trip. So, staying in a single room in a 3-star hotel will cost you 60-80 euros per night. If the chosen hotel is 5-star, then the daily cost of renting a room will be at least 160 euros.

As for other expenses, in inexpensive Italian cafes the cost of breakfast is 3-10 euros, lunch – 5-10 euros, dinner – 8-15 euros. If you go to a restaurant aimed at foreigners, then you can safely multiply the above figures by 3-4 times.

You can plan your New Year 2019 trip to Rome yourself. In this case, it is possible that you will spend 800-1000 euros, of which a third will be spent on transport costs, but at the same time you will be able to save on accommodation and excursions. If you decide to buy a ready-made tour, then you will have plenty to choose from, but even the most budget option will cost you no less than 80 thousand rubles.

Thus, the New Year holidays in the Italian capital are a great opportunity to have a good time and forget about pressing problems. It should not be missed under any circumstances!

Watch the video of what Rome looks like on New Year's Eve:

And it's very simple. The idea of going somewhere outside the Moscow Ring Road for New Year arose immediately upon arrival in the fall from another trip to the sea, where we had a good time. Before this, we had heard that in most European cities it is very boring to meet a New one, because... Most shops, all kinds of establishments and museums are closed.

But in principle, we were not very interested in shopping, the main goal of such a trip was to take quiet walks around Rome and get new impressions, it’s still better than sitting at home. In addition, we had a French multiple visa, which we wanted to use to the fullest extent.

So, the first thing we started doing was monitoring air tickets to Rome. Since it was already October, there was not much hope for discounts and cheap air tickets to Rome. No matter how hard we looked, we couldn’t find it cheaper than 40 thousand for two. In the end, we bought the ones we had. The main thing is that we had a direct flight to Rome without any transfers.

We were in Rome about eight years ago, so we had some idea of the Eternal City.

Next, it was necessary to decide where to live, in a hotel or in a rented apartment. Since we traveled to New Rome on our own, without a travel agency, our possibilities were unlimited. If you choose a hotel, then one of the advantages is a guaranteed breakfast, but if you choose an apartment, then you had to prepare breakfast and dinner yourself. In the latter case, it was necessary to purchase food from the nearest store. Here we had doubts whether there would be such a store near our house. In the end, we decided to choose a hotel. Still, with an apartment it’s more troublesome; it’s unknown what kind of owners you’ll get and what requirements they’ll set for the care and maintenance of your home. It was easier with a hotel. After a short search, we found a small hotel not far from the famous Trevi Fountain, which is practically the very center of Rome. For two people for 7 nights it came out to about 800 euros. We booked through Booking with prepayment by card. The prepayment was 200 euros, which was then written off from us. For such purposes, I have long had a special Sberbank card, which I use only when traveling. If there is money left over, I immediately withdraw it upon arrival, just in case.

The next point was that we still had to make a small plan of what to do in Rome on New Year’s Day, where to go, where to celebrate the New Year itself and what to do for the remaining four days. Our departure was scheduled for December 30, and return on January 5.

We started by finding out which museums and what in general would be open in Rome in the first days of January. We found out that almost everything works. And in general, as it turned out, the New Year in Rome is celebrated very vigorously and cheerfully. True, on one condition: the weather is without rain. After long and painful planning, everything turned out to be quite banal: we decided to just walk and go where it would be open. It couldn't be simpler.

And here we are in Rome. Our flight was delayed for 7 hours and we arrived at our hotel late in the evening. In view of the late arrival, we decided to get to the hotel by taxi, which was not initially part of our plans. But I really didn’t want to wander around the city in the dark. A taxi from the airport cost us as much as 50 euros. And one more unforeseen moment: at 24.00 in Rome, in the area of our hotel, nothing was working from public catering outlets, so we went to bed hungry. Anyway.

The next day we woke up late, but caught breakfast at the hotel. And we immediately went for a walk. By the way, the girl at the reception began to offer us to book through her a place in a trattoria not far from the Caliseum, so that we could then immediately go out into the night. It cost 250 euros for two and we immediately refused and decided that we would find a restaurant ourselves.

During the day, all the cafes and restaurants that we came across were working properly. There was an idea to go in and book a table, but we decided that we would still have time. Towards evening it dawned on both of us: why should we book a table if we are going to celebrate the New Year in Rome on the street anyway? Therefore, we decided that it would be better to have a hearty dinner now and not need any New Year’s restaurant or menu. Fortunately, the weather was quite normal, 5-7 degrees and, most importantly, no rain. True, there was a breeze, but we were dressed warmly and had a bottle of cognac stored in advance to warm us up.

We had dinner at about 19.00 in a small restaurant, where there were plenty of empty seats and, well-fed and satisfied, we went to wander the streets. There were festive lights everywhere, there were a lot of people, it was noisy, but you could feel the festive mood. We don't need much for the holiday. But the most interesting thing began when the clock struck twelve. It was something! Everyone shouts: “Buon Anno!” We were near the Colosseum. There was an unimaginable roar from fireworks and exploding firecrackers, everything around was glowing and booming. The worst thing is that people open bottles of champagne and try to direct the stream directly at you, and then these empty bottles break under your feet and you have to constantly walk on broken glass. The police observe all this without interfering. Then they told us that drinking champagne in the square on New Year’s Day is a Roman tradition and no one comes here without a bottle. And what a grandiose fireworks display it was! Well done Italians, they arranged everything very well.

An incredible number of people! We walked a little along Piazza del Poppolo, where young people usually gather, and saw a stage where a DJ was located, something like our disco. Some Poles, middle-aged guys in their thirties, began to flock to be our friends, calling us somewhere in broken Russian, but we resisted, and they still lagged behind us. But everything was decent and without impudence, like, if you don’t want it, well, you don’t have to.

Around three o'clock in the morning it started to rain. It was drizzling, but it didn’t go away and my hair began to get wet. We had to take out umbrellas, which kept clinging to other umbrellas in the crowd. We reached Via Venetto, where all the restaurants were open and a lot of people were having fun, and at about three in the morning we walked almost quickly back to our room. And sleep. Christmas night in Rome has come to an end.

We noted for ourselves that it was good that we did not stay overnight in the restaurant, but saw the entire Roman New Year with our own eyes in reality. And it’s also good that the hotel was within walking distance from the place of our celebration. By and large, the New Year in Rome is nothing special, except that you celebrate it not at home, but in Europe. Everything is the same as with us, if you go outside after twelve.

The next day we slept until almost noon, skipping the hotel breakfast. We only went out for a walk around 2 p.m. After breakfast, which was more like lunch, we went for a walk. There were no people on the streets of Christmas Rome, apparently they were sleeping after a stormy night. Well, this is the case with us too. By the way, it was difficult to find a restaurant for lunch. More precisely, it was an ordinary cafe with a regular menu. In short, we ate, drank a cup of coffee and were normally ready to continue celebrating the New Year in Rome.

We headed towards the Vatican. All the streets of Rome are decorated with flowers and Christmas trees, and shop windows and houses are decorated with festive colors everywhere. In one place we stood for a long time and listened to a choir of boys; they sang some Catholic songs, very melodious and beautiful. There was a concert of some local band in Piazza Venezia. For information, on January 1 nothing is open in Rome, the Vatican Museums too, only street performances and small cafes. You definitely won't leave hungry.

Then we also went to Naples and Florence. I didn’t like Naples at all, it’s kind of a gloomy city, but Florence is beautiful.

New Year is a difficult holiday. To begin with, this is, in general, the first human holiday, and therefore the most ancient holiday! One way or another, it was celebrated among all peoples. And getting acquainted with the traditions of celebrating the New Year - today and many centuries ago, in Russia and on the other side of the globe - one can only be amazed at the unity and diversity of the world.

Happy holidays to all

During excavations of ancient Egyptian pyramids, archaeologists found a vessel on which was written: “The beginning of a new year.” New Year in Ancient Egypt It was celebrated during the flood of the Nile (around the end of September), a very important event, because only thanks to it did grain grow in the dry desert. In the absence of Christmas trees, the Egyptians decorated palm trees and held ritual boat rides and chants.

AND in Ancient Mesopotamia 3 thousand years ago, the New Year was celebrated with nationwide rejoicing. The joy was caused by the same reason - the floods of the Tigris and Euphrates. For the Mesopotamians, this happened in early March. To celebrate, everyone was forbidden to work, punish, or hold court - for 12 whole days! All this time, people celebrated another victory of the bright god Marduk over the forces of destruction and death. And they staged it, organizing mystery processions and a carnival with masquerade. Cuneiform records that these were days of “unbridled freedom, when the entire world order was turned upside down.”

In Ancient Babylon The New Year was celebrated in the spring. During the holiday, the king left the city for several days. While he was away, the people were having fun and could do whatever they wanted. A few days later, the king and his retinue, dressed in festive clothes, solemnly returned to the city, and the people returned to work. So every year people started life anew.

And among many ancient peoples, the celebration of the New Year coincided with the beginning of the revival of nature and was most often timed for the month of March. So in the Law of Moses there is a decree to count the New Year from the month of “Aviv” (i.e., ears of grain), which corresponds to our March and April.

Although sometimes the New Year was celebrated, on the contrary, at the end of the rich harvest season. Celts and Gauls (the territory of modern France and part of England) celebrated the New Year at the end of October. The holiday was called Samhain (end of summer), and it was this holiday that slowly flowed into Halloween. On New Year's Day, the Celts decorated their homes with branches of evergreen 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.

Ancient Romans We celebrated the New Year for a long time since March. Even before our era, they began to have fun all New Year's Eve, wishing each other happiness, good luck and prosperity. On the same day, it was customary to give each other congratulations and gifts, especially to officials. At first they gave each other fruits covered with gold, dates and wine berries, then copper coins and even valuable gifts (the latter was practiced only among rich people). The patricians received the most gifts. Each client had to give his patron a gift on New Year's Day. This custom later became mandatory for all residents of Rome. And Emperor Caligula, on the first day of the New Year, went out to the square in front of the palace and accepted gifts from his subjects, writing down who gave, how much and what...

But in 45 BC. The High Priest Julius Caesar, with the help of his priests and astrologers, introduced a new calendar and decided to celebrate the New Year from January 1. And for good reason. The Romans revered January as the month of the god Janus, who looked simultaneously into the past and into the future. Janus is the keeper of time, the deity of every beginning, entrance and exit (therefore, he also patronizes all doors with their locks and bolts). Such a month could only stand after the end of last year and at the beginning of the next year.

Russian New Year is not easy!

The celebration of the New Year in Rus' has a complex fate, like its history itself. The date of the beginning of the year has changed on our lands more than once, and changes in the celebration of the New Year were associated with the most important historical events that affected the entire state as a whole.

For our distant ancestors, hunters and cattle breeders, the day of the winter solstice was especially important: although winter is in full force, the Sun is gradually heating up, and the day begins to lengthen. The year began in the middle of winter with the celebration of Kolyada. Later, during the development of agriculture, another holiday acquired great importance. On the March day of the vernal equinox, the Slavs celebrated the New Year, the awakening of Nature (Komoeditsa), that is, the agricultural New Year. In the Middle Ages, our ancestors even counted time by years, and not by years. Chronicles were kept. The word “year” itself means waiting, from “goditi” - to wait, hence our “wait”. It is curious that in Russian the age of small children, who simply do not know how to wait and from whom there is still no help, is counted in years, not in years: 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years. And the year itself, which is now divided into 4 seasons, our ancestors, without trifling, divided into winter and summer, or winter and summer time.

With the adoption of Christianity by Kievan Rus, in 990 (988), the New Year began to be celebrated on March 1. The beginning of the countdown was the “day of the creation of Adam” (Friday, March 1, 1 year “from the Creation of the world”). And this overlapped well with the established Slavic tradition of celebrating the New Year (Maslenitsa) at the beginning of spring.

But in 7000 “from the Creation of the world” (1492 AD) in Medieval Rus', the beginning of the year was moved to September 1. In many lands, it was on the New Year that tribute, duties, and various quitrents (an echo of the obligatory New Year's gifts) were collected. And often it was in the spring that tribute was collected and the year began, so the spring New Year was very convenient, because most of the various collections went to the spring sowing. But in Rus' everything was different: during the winter, the poor people from whom tribute was collected could run out of all supplies. Therefore, the duty was levied after the harvest, that is, in the fall. The New Year was also moved there.

Having signed the decree, Tsar Ivan the Third himself (the same one who married Sophia Paleologus, brought signs of imperial power from Constantinople and made Moscow the “third Rome”) staged a magnificent celebration and appeared in the Kremlin, where every commoner or noble boyar could approach him and seek directly from him truth and mercy. When arranging solemn festive ceremonies on the occasion of the September New Year, the tsar and clergy took the example of Byzantium. By the end of the 15th century, the creation of a centralized Russian state was completed, and the transfer to the autumn time of counting the year in written sources began to be traced more clearly.

In 7208, “from the Creation of the world,” on December 19, Peter I, by his decree, moved the celebration of the New Year to January 1, 1700 (7209), mistakenly considering 1700 the year of the beginning of the century. Not wanting to completely banish the custom of celebrating the New Year, he established it according to the customs he borrowed from Holland and other countries of Western Europe. To justify his undertakings, the Tsar cited the simple and obvious reasons that “not only in many European and Christian countries, but also in the Slavic peoples, who agree with our Eastern Church in everything, and all the Greeks, from whom our Orthodox faith was accepted, according to their summers are counted from the Nativity of Christ on the eighth day later, i.e. January 1st. And as a sign of good beginnings and joy, congratulate each other on the New Year, wishing for prosperity in matters and in the family. In honor of the New Year, make decorations from fir trees. , amuse the children, take them sledding down the mountains. And don’t make adults drunk and violent – there are enough other days for that.”

Tsar Peter relied on the Julian calendar, which was still adopted in many Protestant states of Europe. Russia then celebrated the New Year at the same time as these countries, but 11 days later than the Catholic countries, where the Gregorian calendar was in force since 1582. In the 18th century, almost all Protestant states switched to the Gregorian style, and the New Year in Russia again ceased to coincide with the Western European one. Only starting in 1919, the New Year holiday in post-revolutionary Russia began to be celebrated in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.

“What do you have?”

Chinese New Year

In China, the New Year traditionally coincides with the winter new moon. In the Gregorian calendar, this corresponds to one of the days between January 21 and February 21. Each new year is associated with one of the 12 animals and one of the five elements. The first day of the New Year begins with the release of fireworks and firecrackers and the burning of incense. Fireworks are supposed to scare away evil spirits and thereby attract a spirit of peace and happiness into the family. At the end of the day, the family welcomes the deities home after their visit to the spirit world, where they "gave an account" of the past year, and then pays respects to the memory of the ancestors.

Japan

If we celebrate the New Year in the evening, then the Japanese celebrate it early in the morning. No wonder Japan is called the land of the rising sun. On the morning of January 1, all residents of cities and villages congratulate each other on the new year with the first rays of sun and exchange gifts. Also in Japan, bells are rung 108 times on New Year's Eve. Each strike of the bell corresponds to one of the vices. There are six of them in total: greed, stupidity, anger, frivolity, indecisiveness and envy, but each vice has 18 different shades, which in total amounts to 108 rings of the bell. Such edification and meticulousness.

Vietnam

This is where the New Year is celebrated at night around the bonfires. At dusk, the Vietnamese gather with the whole family in parks, gardens or on the streets, light fires and cook special rice delicacies over the coals. On this night all quarrels are forgotten, all insults are forgiven.

Mongolia

Instead of magnificent celebrations, Mongolia organizes sports competitions - a test of dexterity and courage. The New Year in this country coincides with the cattle breeding holiday, so on this day it is customary to prepare a lot of meat dishes. Just like the peoples of Europe, the Mongols celebrate the New Year at the Christmas tree. Santa Claus also comes to them, but in the clothes of a cattle breeder.

Bulgaria

New Year in Bulgaria is perhaps the most romantic and mysterious. When people gather around the festive table, the lights go out in all houses for three minutes. These minutes are called the minutes of New Year's kisses, the secret of which is preserved by darkness.

Romania

If you celebrate the New Year in Romania, be careful not to choke! It is customary to bake various small surprises into New Year's pies: small money, porcelain figurines, rings, hot pepper pods... If you find a ring in a pie, then, according to an old belief, this means that the New Year will bring you a lot of happiness.

Italy

In Italy, on New Year's Eve it is customary to get rid of old things, and Christmas is marked by the burning of a Christmas log (how can one not remember the baby Pinocchio...)

Cuba

In Cuba, you can get thoroughly wet if you decide to walk down the street on New Year's Eve. The fact is that the residents of this country fill their glasses with water before the New Year, and when the clock strikes twelve, they splash it out through the open window onto the street as a sign that the old year has ended happily. Cubans also wish for the New Year to be as clear and clean as water.

Jewish New Year

The Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah (head of the year) marks the beginning of a ten-day period of spiritual self-deepening and repentance. The next 10 days before the Day of Judgment (Yom Kippur) are called “days of return” (meaning return to God). They are also called “days of repentance” or “days of trembling.” It is believed that on Rosh Hashanah the fate of a person is decided for the year ahead. On the first night of the holiday, Jews greet each other with the wish: “May you be written and signed for a good year in the Book of Life!”