New Year is knocking at the door! In addition to the upcoming millions of promises to give up bad habits, start a new life, eat healthy, exercise more, save money instead of constantly drawing on the credit card, etc., the holiday has many other traditions. Like many world holidays, welcoming the New Year is associated with various customs and traditions. Some are typical and performed only in certain regions of the world, and others only in one country.
This year is a holiday that marks the end of the current and the beginning of the next calendar year.
All cultures using an annual calendar celebrate the New Year.
Welcoming the new year dates back 4000 years. Then, on the first day of the new year (“Akitu”), celebrations were organized in ancient Babylon.
For the Romans, the new year began on April 1 – the day when the newly elected consuls took office. But in 153 BC. a major revolt against Roman rule breaks out in Iberia. This required the consuls, who were also commanders-in-chief of the army, to take up their posts ahead of schedule on January 1. This precedent becomes a tradition. With introductions in 45 BC. Julian calendar change is now final. On April 1, the “false” new year begins to be celebrated, and gradually this day turns into a holiday of jokes and laughter.
In Egypt in 4241 B.C. in Heliopolis, the most ancient calendar was created, in which the year is divided into 12 months and has 365 days. In it, the new year begins in the month of the overflowing of the Nile – July. This calendar was used in Egypt until the introduction of the Julian in 26 BC.
In 2700 BC the Chinese created their own cyclical calendar, according to which the New Year celebrations, called the “Spring Festival”, last for 3 days and are celebrated in February. It was not until 3000 years later that they accepted that the year had 365 and a half days. Since 1949, the Gregorian calendar has been used in China, but traditionally Chinese people around the world also celebrate a new year according to the Chinese calendar.
According to the ancient Japanese calendar, each year passes under the sign of one of all 12 zodiac symbols: Rat, Buffalo, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The New Year’s holiday lasts from December 30 to January 3 and is celebrated with 108 bells.
According to the 1952 Indian calendar, the new year begins on March 22 and the leap year begins on March 21.
The Vietnamese New Year, called the “Tet holiday”, is celebrated according to the lunar calendar.
Celebrating the New Year in Bulgaria
St. Basil’s Day
Immediately after welcoming the New Year on the first day of January, Basil’s Day is celebrated. Pacha is traditionally prepared on this holiday. It is consumed as a soup if it is warm, or as a jelly if it is cold. It is made from pig’s feet, tail, ears, head and spices, of course. The meal on the first day of the new year should be plentiful and varied, so that it remains so throughout the year. On the first day of the new year, survakars go around the houses, greeting the hosts and calling for health and prosperity. For this reason, the day is also called Survaki. New Year’s survakan is considered a continuation of the carol blessings that are given by the carolers.
Cheesecakes are traditionally made of dogwood, because it is considered the strongest wood. It is decorated with various things, traditionally putting strings of popcorn, colorful woolen threads, dried fruits and coins. Although various innovations in cheese making can now be found, in the past they were made from improvised means. This is why woolen threads were widely available – most people raised animals, dried fruit was made at home. The curd is necessarily shaped in the form of the letter F, and if the selected stick has more branches, two Fs can be obtained – one small and one large.
Fortune cookie
The presence of the fortune cookie on the table is debatable. In some regions, fortunes are placed in the pie on Christmas Eve. In other places, only a steamed bun is prepared for Christmas Eve, and on New Year’s itself, a fortune pie is made.
In different parts of the country, different types of pie are prepared
– with leek, cheese, sauerkraut, etc. You can make it as you like, the important thing is to respect the tradition.
The food
In some places it is accepted to make kapama, in others – to have local dishes on the New Year’s table. However, it is imperative that the food be blissful, as the Christmas fast ends on Christmas Eve and after that the consumption of meat is permitted. On the table that is served on New Year’s Eve, there should also be walnuts. At least that’s what tradition says. According to whether the nut of the walnut is healthy and beautiful or rotten, and the shell is empty, it is guessed what the coming year will be for a family.
The garbage
Tradition dictates that on the first of January you should not throw out the garbage. Otherwise, you’ll be throwing away your New Year’s luck. And speaking of throwing away – in no case on the last day of the old year and the first of the new year do not lend money. Otherwise, you risk wealth leaving your home.
How is the New Year celebrated around the world?
England
The tradition of the Island dictates that the first person to enter the home after welcoming the New Year should be a young man with dark hair, who will bring gifts: bread – to make the year full, salt – to make it rich and coal – to be warm. A little incomprehensible to us, but there are similar beliefs in Bulgaria about Ignazhden, which is celebrated on December 20. According to Bulgarian traditions, whichever person enters the house first on that day, that will be the year. And according to even older beliefs, such will be the gender of the babies (animals) that will be born during the year.
Japan
In the Land of the Rising Sun, the new year is called Oshogatsu. It is a time when the whole family comes together. The home is decorated with natural decorations such as flowers, plums, bamboo, pine branches, which have their own special role and symbolism in the holiday. The plum branches are for the rapid growth of Japanese children, the bamboo branches are for the Japanese to be strong, and the pine branches are for the Japanese to live long.
China
The color red is considered a symbol of happiness and home in the country. During the New Year holidays, doors are painted red, lanterns of the same color are used, and children are given gifts wrapped in this color.
Spain
In the country, it is believed that in order to have a happy and lucky year, you must eat 12 grapes exactly at midnight. There are 12 beads – one for each stroke of the clock at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Italy
It is specific for Italians to put on new clothes and welcome the new year with them.
Well, a significant part of the global fashion business is there, so a choice of brands and clothes – as much as their heart desires. Well, on New Year’s Eve, in addition to dressing in new clothes, Italians also exchange gifts, and the packages must contain a surprise that sends a personal message to the recipient.
Australia
If you are not a fan of the bitter and cold Bulgarian winter, when the New Year falls, you can jump to Australia. In the country at this time of the year, it is exactly the middle of summer. Traditionally, the new year is welcomed at the Sydney Opera House. It is Sydney that is one of the cities where millions of people flock to enjoy the extremely beautiful and world-famous light show, which starts much earlier, with the spectacular finale precisely at midnight on the harbor.
