Thursday, January 2, 2014

New Year's Traditions

        
   
         The start of a New year has a special significance to people all around the world. It is a time rich with history and traditions. Interestingly, the month of January is named for the Roman god Janus,who had two faces, which can represent looking back at the old year and one looking forward to the new one. Noise-making and fireworks on New Year's eve is believed to have originated in ancient times, when noise and fire were thought to dispel evil spirits and bring good luck.
Today, most New Year’s festivities begin on December 31 (New Year’s Eve), the last day of the Gregorian calendar, and continue into the early hours of January 1 (New Year’s Day). Common traditions include attending parties, eating special New Year’s foods, making resolutions for the new year and watching fireworks displays.




I've found out about old and new traditions in different countries in Internet. The Spanish ritual on New Year's eve is to eat twelve grapes at midnight. The tradition is meant to secure twelve happy months in the coming year.
The Dutch burn bonfires of Christmas trees on the street and launch fireworks. The fires are meant to purge the old and welcome the new.


In Finland the New Year's Eve is usually celebrated with family or friends. Late supper is served, often featuring wieners, Janssonin kiusaus and potato salad. A Finnish tradition is to tell the fortunes of the New Year by melting "tin" (actually lead) in a tiny pan on the stove and throwing it quickly in a bucket of cold water.



In
Greece, New Year's day is also the Festival of St. Basil. One of the traditional foods served is Vassilopitta, or St Basil's cake. A silver or gold coin is baked inside the cake. Whoever finds the coin in their piece of cake will be especially lucky during the coming year. 

 

The Anglo-Saxons, who settled what is England, had a festival called Yule, which celebrated a fertile and peaceful season.
In Germany old tradition is to predict the future by small pieces of lead melted in a spoon over a lit candle. The melted lead is dropped into cold water. It hardens into shapes, which predict the future.
In Japan before the holiday, houses must be cleaned, inside and out. At midnight on New Year's Eve, a monk at a local shrine strikes a gong to signify the forgiving of the past year's mistakes.
In Scotland first footing-people visit neighbors just after midnight to wish them well for the New year.

 
  
The most extensive New Year celebrations in Russia occur on December 31st/January 14th. Fireworks and concerts mark this holiday. In this day the Russian Santa, or Grandpa Frost and his granddaughter Snow-girl visit children to pass them gifts. 

 
Russians have a second opportunity to celebrate the New Year, which falls on January 14th according to the old Julian calendar. This “Old New Year” is spent with family and is generally quieter than the New Year celebrated on January 1st. True Russians would never miss an opportunity for yet another get-together, and so the tradition of celebrating the coming of the New Year twice is widely enjoyed eating Olivie salad (recipe).


I wish my friends bloggers
a Happy and Prosperous New Year!



What are favorite New Year's traditions in your family?
Do you know some old traditions? 


49 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing these different traditions. Interesting. I wish you Happy New Year 2014, Nadezda!

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  2. An interesting post, Nadezda. I like the idea of celebrating the Old New Year too.
    I wish a very Happy 2014 to you and your family.

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    1. Oh. yes, we have two New years!!! But I do not cook special meal on 14th, only cake with cream, jam and nuts :))
      Thank you, Tracey!

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  3. Happy New Year to you and I hope you enjoy the celebrations.

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  4. Enjoyed reading this interesting post about the traditions in different countries celebrating the new year. Was surprised you eat olivier salad these days. I saw the recipe and we know this salad in our country as Russian egg salad, it is delicious and I make it sometimes.
    Wish you All the Best for 2014!

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    1. I wanted to tell to my friends about this salad but seemed this salad Olivie is well known in your country, Janneke. Glad you like cooking it!
      Thank you! Happy New Year!

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  5. Поздравляю с новым годом! Пусть в этом году сбудутся все мечты и во всем будет сопутствовать удача!

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    1. Спасибо! И вас тоже с праздником!

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    2. Great post, you had lots of fun finding all the traditions! I had lunch yesterday with a very good friend who comes from Cypress and she made the St. Basils cake, it was delicious but I wasn't the lucky one to find the coin. Happy New Year Nadezda, Christina

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    3. I have never eaten St. Basil cake and think it's delicious. Thank you, Christina!

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  6. I like the Russian holiday on two separate days! One celebrating the date in the old calendar and one in the new calendar -- two ways to welcome the new year! Happy New Year twice : )

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    1. Oh, yes, it's wonderful and our holidays continue since 1st to 8th, orthodox Christmas. Thank you, Laurrie!

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  7. Lovely post Nadezda and thank you for all the history that you took so much trouble to research. I love hearing about different traditions and I've learnt a lot here. Happy New Year xx

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    1. Glad you liked to learn about traditions. Thank you, Patricia!

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  8. Nadezda, wonderful post ...
    I know many of your beautiful traditions ...
    I wish you all the best in the New Year.
    Greetings.
    Lucia

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    1. I wish you healthy and peaceful New Year, Lucia!

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  9. Happy New Year 2014 to you and your family,my dear friend Nadezda!Wishing joy and happiness in your life!!
    What a beautiful and interesting post about the new year's eve!I'm so glad seeing the Greek tradition(ours)with the vassilopita cake!Our coin was for my little daughter,Flora,but she was flying back to the Netherlands,that night!I wish you all the best!!!Hugs!!
    Dimi...

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    1. Your daughter Flora is lucky finding the coin in a piece of cake, Dimi. I think she will happy and fortunate all this year. Thank you!

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  10. Very interesting post! My sister-in-law is Spanish and we have observed the custom of eating the 12 grapes. You are supposed to eat one grape with each chime of the bell when it strikes 12 midnight. Not as easy as it sounds!

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    1. You're right, Jason. I also tried to eat one grape with chime of the bell and know you have to move your teeth very fast! Thank you!

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  11. Fun post, Nadezhda, thank you for doing all the research :). Here Christmas is a much bigger holiday than New Year's and most of my neighbors take down their Christmas trees the day after Christmas... I miss the Russian old new year, we all need more festive occasions :). Happy holidays to you, I hope you had a good time celebrating.

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    1. My tree is still in my living room and I like watching the decoration and garland! I always cook Olivie salad for Old New Year. Thank you, Masha!

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  12. Such a gorgeous fireworks display! We have many traditions in the U.S. around New Year's, such as eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day for good luck and watching the ball drop in Times Square at midnight. My husband and I, though, observe our own tradition--we always spend New Year's Eve with two of our closest friends. We've been doing this for probably 40 years or more, and each year it gets harder and harder for us to stay awake until midnight:) Wishing you a very Happy New Year, Nadezda!

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    1. I've heard about the ball dropping in Time Square, but have not seen, Rose. I think it's interesting tradition. You have the friends for long time, it's almost the whole life! Great! Thank you!

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  13. Lovely traditions and photos, Nadezda, especially the ones with the snow falling! Happy New Year to you!

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  14. Beautiful photos of New Year Nadezda! I love the sparkling greeting cards. Hope you and your garden have a wonderful 2014!

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    1. Hi, Rebecca! Happy New Year to you!
      Glad you liked these pictures!

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  15. Metti la mano sinistra sulla spalla destra e la mano destra sulla spalla sinistra.
    Hai appena ricevuto un abbraccio a distanza. Buon 2014.

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  16. Happy New Year! In New Zealand the celebrations are usually quite relaxed, it's summer so it's quite common for people to have outdoor parties or barbeques. My night was spent at a family member's house, we had a nice dinner and then toasted marshmallows on a fire outside. Then we watched the town fireworks display which we could see from the deck of the house.
    It was interesting to read about all the different traditions around the world - and I like how in Russia you celebrate twice!

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    1. You are in summer, Ruth, that's nice! I'd love to spend New Year holidays in summer as well!
      Sure the fireworks were wonderful in your town. I watched them in Sidney on TV. Thank you!

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  17. What an interesting post with beautiful photos, Nadezda!
    Amazed to know that you looked into the Japanese one ! YES, the New Years tradition in Japan is what you've posted:) In addition, we usually give some money in small envelopes to children whom we meet during New Year holidays. I liked that custom when I was a kid, but now... hahaha...
    You can have a second opportunity to celebrate the New Year in 10 days, sounds nice!
    Wish you and your family a happy new year!

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    1. What a nice Japanese tradition, I think children are happy meeting people at holidays! Thank you, Keity!

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  18. Muy interesantes tradiciones. Me alegra ver Madrid en tus fotos!!
    En España lo celebramos comiendo las 12 uvas con las campanadasy brindando por el año que empieza.
    Te deseo lo mejor para este 2014 Nadezda y que podamos seguir compartiendo mucho tiempo!!!
    Un beso

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    1. Estoy segura que podamos seguir nuestra amistad Laura!
      Gracias!

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  19. How interesting to see the different traditions all over the world, thanks for this post Nadezda. In Norway we call the whole period from Christmas to 1st January ‘Jul’, from the old pagan traditions and most people have a rather non-religious celebration. Over here in Britain it is pretty much the same, but people pack away their Christmas tree very soon after New Years’ eve. I like to have it up as long as possible so I still have all the Christmas decoration and will probably have it for another week or two :-)
    Happy New Year!

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    1. It's interesting! The old traditions live among the people in different countries.I have my tree until 14th Jan.(old new year) and then I pack it.Thank you, Helene!

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  20. Dearest Nadezda , what interesting post ! Thank you ,that you included the Creek trandition . I found the coins in two pies and is my first time in my 52 years !! I hope that this year will be lucky for all people ! Happy New Year !

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    1. Right this year has to be special for you, Olimpia! To find coins twice!
      Congrats!

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  21. Dear Nadezda, I love reading your posts and viewing your beautiful pictures. So nice to read about the new year traditions. I loved the effects you have made with the pictures. I think that one photo is Sydney new years eve fireworks:)
    Thank you for your kind advice and interest in my blog. I am not technically minded and am taking time to understand features. I will try to work out how to add new aspects soon. Life is busy just now.
    Happy and healthy new year to you!
    Betty

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    1. Betty you are right, Sidney fireworks picture is 7th before burning, I saw these fireworks on TV!
      Hope you will learn more and more for your wonderful blog!
      Have a nice week!

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  22. So many different traditions I hadn't heard of.Thank you for bringing them together in a post Nadezda. I wish you and yours a wonderful and happy newyear in good health.
    Marian

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    1. Thank you Marian and glad you had lovely holidays!

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  23. It's interesting to read about all of the different New Year's traditions! It's traditional in the Southeast to eat black-eyed peas and greens for luck and prosperity. Unfortunately I can't stand either of those foods.

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    1. I didn't know of black-eyed pea, it's not growing here, interesting tradition sweetbay!
      Thank you!

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  24. What wonderful traditions! Thank you, Nadezda, and happy old new year tomorrow!

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