New Year`s Day
On the night of December 31 to January 1, the most beloved holiday in the whole world is celebrated - New Year
New Year's Eve is a symbol of renewal, the beginning of a new life cycle, so people look forward to it, anticipating new important changes
The first New Year was celebrated in Mesopotamia, and then the tradition of the national holiday spread to the Jews, Greeks and further to Europe Each nation considered the beginning of the new year in its own way
Some peoples began to celebrate in March, others immediately after the end of agricultural work Some from the day of the creation of the world, others from the founding of their country
And finally, Julius Caesar in 46 BC declared the New Year's day to be January 1 The holiday was dedicated to Janus, the two-faced God, which was considered quite symbolic, since one of his faces looked back, following the passing year, and the second looked with proud confidence into the future, welcoming a new life The first month of the year is named January in honor of the same two-faced pagan deity
In Russia, since the adoption of Christianity, the New Year was celebrated in March, sometimes at the behest of the church, it fell on Easter John III, in 1492, combined the church and folk holiday and moved it to September 1 This day was not so festive for the people, since on this day dues, taxes, and fees for the whole year were collected But on September 1, anyone could directly turn to the sovereign with a request or complaint, and he listened without hindrance and tried to help
In 1700, Tsar Peter changed the date of celebration to January 1 The Tsar was known for his love for the European way of life and tried to adopt as much as possible from his Western brothers And Russia began to celebrate New Year's Eve from December 31 to January 1 The great reformer personally supervised the preparations of his subjects, trying to be no different from their Western neighbors
New Year's Eve began to look like a fairytale dream, lights, illuminations, fireworks, all these favorite holiday decorations appeared under Peter I, and still bring joy to people
Festive table, splashes of champagne, a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, garlands, balls, songs, round dances, fun all night long, and, of course, the most long-awaited guest - Santa Claus Adults and children look forward to the New Year holidays with special excitement and hearts full of hope
New Year is a family holiday, so on this night the whole family, young and old, gathers around a noisy table Each family has its own special traditions, gifts and wishes for each other Kids anxiously unwrap packages with gifts from under the Christmas tree, while adults make their deepest wishes as the chimes strike and make plans for the future