Try to go through it if you haven't already.

1 (d). Peas

It is impossible to imagine the New Year's table of Latvians without peas, just as it is impossible to imagine the festive table of Russians without tangerines. When celebrating the New Year, residents of a European country always eat at least one pea, hoping for prosperity. The abundance of dishes on the Latvian table will please anyone - the people are accustomed to celebrating the holiday on a grand scale, with the clink of glasses and the explosion of fireworks.

On the morning after the New Year, it is customary for Latvians to scatter peas in their homes. It is believed that this ritual will bring an abundant and fruitful year.

1 (c). Pomegranate

In Greece, the New Year's talisman is the pomegranate. Its inhabitants believe that the red fruit brings good luck, happiness and prosperity. A few minutes before the chimes strike, the Greeks go out into the courtyard. Immediately after the New Year, everyone exchanges congratulations, after which the owner of the house breaks the fruit on the threshold. If its grains scatter in different directions, the family will enjoy success in the new year. After the solemn custom, all family members step over the threshold, and always with their right foot.

In some homes, the tradition of breaking a pomegranate takes place on the morning of January 1 or immediately after the Divine Liturgy. Interestingly, this is how the famous Greek expression “Έσπασε το ρόδι” - “Break a pomegranate” - appeared, which means a good start to something.

2. New York

Residents of the American metropolis and tourists gather in Times Square on New Year's Eve for a grandiose spectacle. Right before the New Year, in front of thousands of people, a giant glowing crystal ball, the so-called Big Apple, descends down the spire of a skyscraper. This tradition is already 100 years old, and it was interrupted only twice: during the Second World War.

www.globallookpress.com

3. Krampus

The beginning of December in Germany not only brings pleasant surprises for obedient children, but also punishments for hooligans. Along with Saint Nicholas, who distributes gifts, walks the cruel Krampus. It is believed that when Krampus finds a naughty child, he puts coal under his pillow or takes him in a sack to a cave to eat for Christmas dinner.

Dressing up as Krampus is quite popular in Munich. Every winter, generous Santa Clauses appear on the streets of the city, and with them the Krampus, who take revenge on naughty children.

www.globallookpress.com

4. Israel

The traditional New Year is not considered an official holiday in Israel. It is celebrated only by immigrants from the Russian Federation: they ask for a day off on this day and spend it at home with their family. All others work on January 1st. There is a separate holiday for them - Rosh Hashanah - the beginning of a new year according to the Israeli calendar.

The Jewish New Year is unique because it does not have a specific date. The holiday begins in the spring on the new moon, so the dates are different every year. In 2019, it will begin on September 30 and last until October 1. At this time, the Israelis will celebrate the advent of 5578.

It is interesting that, unlike the Russian New Year, when people happily dance under the Christmas tree, during the Jewish New Year it is customary to repent and remember their sins. There are no dishes on the table: only fish, carrots, apples and lamb's heads.

5. Colombia

For the residents of this southern country, the New Year is similar to Russian Maslenitsa. A few days before the holiday, Colombians make dolls symbolizing the old year, put them on sticks and read funny wills. On New Year's Eve they are thrown away from themselves.

Symbols of the old year with a surprise: inside each of them there is hidden gunpowder or charges that begin to explode exactly at midnight. Colombians believe this is the best way to say goodbye to the past. The old year scatters and makes way for the new.

6. Kiss

Immediately after the chime, the lights in all houses in Bulgaria go out for three minutes. This is the time for New Year's kisses, which replace the usual toasts in the country. Sometimes Bulgarians even compete with each other to see who can kiss the most.

7. Log

In many European countries they believe not only in the good Santa Claus, but also in his antipode. For example, in France there is a legend about the terrible log Bouche de Noel. The French believe that this is a terrible force from which you need to cleanse your home. They solemnly bring in the “villain,” pour wine and oil on him, burn him, and keep the ashes for themselves as a guarantor of safety. This custom has deep roots, but is not observed by everyone. Most families prepare cookies in the form of logs, hoping to eradicate the “evil spirits.”

8. Iceland

There is not only one Santa Claus in Iceland. Instead, children believe in the existence of 13 wizards, similar to trolls or gnomes. All of them are the sons of a terrible mountain troll named Grila. If they behave badly, they will cause a lot of trouble: they will steal food, scare you, steal sheep and disappear unnoticed. Therefore, on the eve of Christmas night, Icelandic children listen to their parents. They want to earn the leniency of the gnomes, because a good troll can generously reward: sorcerers put small gifts in the shoes of good children throughout the 13 nights before Christmas.

9. Goat

In Norway, the role of the New Year's wizard is played by a goat. This animal is given a privileged position in the northern country. According to local legend, the Norwegian king Olaf II once saved a wounded goat by lifting it from a cliff. The poor animal was taken to the palace, treated and released. As a token of gratitude, the goat brought rare healing plants to the savior every night.

Earlier, Channel Five told how they met on the Russian border.

A fluffy Christmas tree, falling snow flakes, the aroma of tangerines and the chiming clock - this is exactly what the New Year is like for most residents of Russia. But if you list all these signs to foreigners, many of them simply will not understand what we are talking about, because for them the holiday lies in something else. What are the New Year traditions of different countries for children and adults? Does everyone celebrate the arrival of the new 12 months on January 1?

Europe

Of all the parts of the world, it is Europe that is closest in mentality to the residents of Russia. The traditions of celebrating holidays are also similar. Although there are still some differences. The main thing is that most European countries first celebrate Christmas on December 25, and then only the New Year. And much more attention is paid to the first holiday. But nevertheless, January 1 is still celebrated. How does this happen?

How is New Year celebrated in other European countries? In Scotland, it is customary to keep doors open until the clock strikes midnight - this is how the old year passes and the new year comes. The Greeks break a pomegranate against the wall of the house - if the seeds scatter throughout the yard, it means that the year will be successful. And Icelanders dress up as trolls and elves and dance around a big fire.

America

Although America is located quite far from Europe and from Russia, many of the customs associated with the main winter holiday are similar:

1. Residents of the United States, like Russians, not only celebrate January 1, but also see off the passing 365 days on December 31, so the festivities begin the day before. And on the first day of the new year, bright and colorful parades are held throughout the country.
2. Canada is considered a country of emigrants - here you can meet Italians, Russians, English, French, and Chinese. Therefore, the holiday can be celebrated differently in different parts of the country. What is common to all is that the New Year is most often celebrated on the street with friends.
3. In Mexico, people celebrate the holiday with both friends and family. There are no strict rules on this matter. But no matter in which circle the celebration takes place, the Mexicans will do the following: during the chime they will eat 12 grapes and make 12 wishes. And then they will go outside to watch the festive fireworks.
4. Colombia and Brazil are transformed for the New Year holidays. Carnivals and parades take place everywhere, fireworks and fireworks soar into the air.
5. The New Year in Argentina is very similar to the one that Russians are used to. Argentines open a bottle of champagne at midnight when gathering with their families. And then they go out into the street and set off firecrackers.

There are no unusual New Year traditions in different countries of America. Russia has long known about everything that can happen on a distant continent.

Asia

Many Asian countries do not live according to the Gregorian calendar, but according to the Chinese calendar. And therefore, the onset of a new 365-day cycle is celebrated not on January 1, but in the period between January 21 and February 19. And only the Japanese do this, like most other nations, on January 1st.

1. In Japan, people are very afraid that evil spirits will move into the house, and therefore, in order to scare them away, they start laughing loudly at midnight. A bunch of straw hung above the entrance to the house, also, according to the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun, should prevent evil spirits from entering the home.
2. Thailand, so beloved by Russian residents as a holiday destination, celebrates Songkran (Thai New Year) on April 13-19. At this time, everyone pours water on each other, because the hot season ends in the country and the rainy season begins. This transition (and Songkran is translated this way) is usually celebrated by taking an impromptu shower.
3. New Year celebrations in India take place at different times, depending on the province. In some places the holiday falls in mid-April, and in others in early March. The celebrations themselves are similar to those that take place in Bali: the festivities last for several days, and at the end, a papier-mâché effigy is burned, symbolizing the past that people are ready to let go of.
4. In Vietnam, the arrival time of the next 12 months depends on the lunar calendar. It is considered great luck if you manage to celebrate a holiday in the presence of a person 70 years of age or older - it symbolizes the wisdom that should descend on all guests.
5. Perhaps the most ancient traditions of celebration. They have been around for many centuries and are still observed today. Like the Japanese, the Chinese believe that you can drive away evil spirits from your home by having loud fun, exploding firecrackers and laughing. In China, the color red is considered another way to get rid of evil spirits - hence there are so many shades of red in New Year's decorations in the Middle Kingdom.

It is obvious that New Year's traditions in different countries of the world are very different from those inherent in Asian countries. But the culture of Russia’s eastern neighbors is all the more interesting.

Africa

Since most of the countries of the black continent were previously colonies of some European states, many of their customs are similar to English and French. But, nevertheless, ancient African traditions have been preserved in some regions.

For example, in Ethiopia, the year has not 12, but 13 months, and it begins on September 1. At this time, the rainy season ends, and people strive to enter a new life clean and freed from sins. To do this, they bathe in the river, and then arrange ritual dances around the fire.

An interesting custom exists in Cote d'Ivoire, or more precisely in the Abiji tribe, where locals race on all fours with a chicken egg in their mouth. The one who comes to the finish line first is considered the luckiest.

Residents of South Africa, like most of the world's population, celebrate the New Year on January 1. After midnight, they throw unnecessary household items out of the windows - from old boxes to large furniture. It is for this reason that the police are blocking traffic and not advising pedestrians to approach residential buildings.

New Year's traditions from different countries can be studied endlessly, because even within one of them they can vary greatly. And in Russia there are places where the arrival of the new 12 months is celebrated differently than in most cities of the largest country in the world.

The Greeks, like the Slavs, are very superstitious people. They spit three times against the evil eye, wear amulets and do not like the number “13”. And local signs often echo myths about the gods. In its TOP-15, the ZagraNitsa portal has collected the most interesting and widespread signs and superstitions in Greece

The Greeks deliberately spill a little coffee from their cup so that money flows and good luck accompanies them.

If a large bubble forms from the coffee foam, this means disappointment or the arrival of a good friend.

In Greek villages, a whole ritual is performed before cutting the bread. The loaf is crossed (blessed) with a knife by the eldest woman in the family. By the way, the Greeks treat bread with reverence, considering it a gift from God.

Photo: alaczek 4

Under no circumstances give the knife to someone else! This is for a quarrel. It is better to place the device on the table so that the person can pick it up himself.

In Greece they sincerely believe that garlic protects against all evil spirits, and primarily against the evil eye. Almost every house has a bunch of garlic hanging in the corner.

Photo: Asarum Images 6

"Scorda!" - the Greeks shout in response to stormy compliments, which is translated from Greek as “garlic.” This way no one will jinx them!

Praised - spit. And this doesn't just apply to babies. Three times “pah-pah-pah” (or rather, “pah-pah-pah”) and knocked on wood - saved! This is how the envy of the gods is averted. Be sure to spit three times even when you hear bad news.

Amulets also help against the evil eye. Usually this is a small blue glass or marble pendant with a painted eye, but bracelets made from a variety of such “eyes” are also popular. Greeks often wear amulets on a chain along with a cross.

Photo: Shutterstock 9

It happens that during a conversation, friends pronounce the same words in unison. In a Greek company this will definitely be noticed, and someone will say “piase kokkino!”, which means “touch the red!” To a red table, a red curtain, a red plate - it doesn’t matter what, the main thing is the appropriate color. Otherwise, friends will quarrel.

In Greece, in addition to Friday the 13th, there is Tuesday the 13th. The Hellenes are sure: on this day, evil spirits lie in wait for you at every step.

Photo: Shutterstock 11

If someone knocks on your door, open it and be sure to give the guest, even a stranger, tea or coffee. Not opening and giving a treat is a bad omen, because guests influence the well-being and prosperity of the home.

And to send out a person who is not welcome in the house, they use ordinary table salt. You need to try to scatter it behind the back of the uninvited guest, and then he won’t stay too long.

Photo: auntneecey 13

When buying a new car, Greeks always throw coins under the driver's seat. This, in their opinion, will protect the owner from accidents and other troubles on the road.

Pomegranate in Greece is a symbol of fertility, prosperity and happiness. On New Year's Eve, it is customary to break it on the threshold of the house where you came to visit. Then the owners are guaranteed good luck for the whole year!

Photo: Shutterstock 15

In almost every Greek courtyard, cacti grow near the front doors. It is believed that plants use their needles to ward off troubles and evil people.

New Year in Greece is celebrated, as in most countries of the world - on the night from December 31 to January 1. On January 1, the country also celebrates St. Basil's Day. The Greeks honor and love the image of this man, who during his lifetime was the patron saint of the poor and needy.

The center of winter holidays in Greece is the city of Athens (capital). Every year in mid-December, the country's main Christmas tree is installed on Syntagma Square in front of the parliament building. Its lighting ceremony is accompanied by an official speech by the mayor of the city, a show program with the participation of pop stars and colorful fireworks. On the square there are attractions and carousels for children, fairs where you can buy New Year's decorations, sweets and gifts. Around them there are platforms where symphony orchestras and ethnic groups perform.

Traditions and rituals

Celebrating the New Year in Greece is associated with interesting traditions.

On December 31, Greeks go to visit relatives and close friends. They take a stone with them, which they place at the door. By bringing a small pebble, the guest wishes the troubles to be small and insignificant. A large, heavy stone symbolizes wealth and prosperity.

On New Year's Eve, Greek residents exchange fotik - wooden skewers with figs, apples, citrus fruits and candies strung on them. The Greeks place a candle on the top of such sticks - a symbol of faith and hope.

A popular family tradition is breaking a pomegranate fruit against the wall of the house. The owner of the house tries to throw it with all his might so that the grains scatter throughout the yard. The farther they fly, the more luck and prosperity awaits family members in the coming year. After this ritual, all household members dip their fingers into a vessel with honey and lick them.

Fortune telling is popular among young girls. They put a piece of traditional New Year's pie under their pillow and wish to see their betrothed in a dream.

An ancient sign is to predict the next year based on the first guest. It is considered a good sign when children are the first to enter the house in the coming year. If a child crossed the threshold of the house with the right foot, it means that the New Year will come in the “right” direction.

Festive table

The Greek New Year's table includes baked pig with potatoes or turkey in wine stuffed with raisins and nuts, cheese slices, and seafood dishes. Housewives bake traditional bread, Christopsomo and Vasilopita. They decorate it with dough figures, and put various fillings inside: berries, fruits, chicken, beans, herbs and spices. Greek women who honor traditions place a coin inside the vasilopita. The bread is cut at noon on January 1st in the presence of all family members. The first piece is left to Saint Basil, and the rest are distributed according to seniority. Whoever gets the coin will be blessed with wealth and success in the coming year.

Present

In Greece, Saint Basil, the prototype of the Russian Father Frost, brings gifts to children. The Greeks believe that he enters homes through the fireplace. On New Year's Eve, children hang their shoes or socks next to the fireplace, expecting to find gifts in them on the morning of January 1st. Greeks do not give each other expensive gifts. They are limited to symbolic souvenirs.

Cities and resorts

Winter holidays in Greece will leave an unforgettable experience.

Fans of New Year's entertainment and fairs will enjoy a holiday in Athens. The mild climate, festive decorations and interesting traditions will allow you to spend time with pleasure and feel the atmosphere of this ancient city. Thanks to New Year's discounts in the capital, you can make successful purchases. Fans of excursions will be able to visit the Acropolis, Plaka and Agora Square.

The ski resorts of Greece are not inferior in beauty and infrastructure to the best European resorts. Professional skiers and beginners alike will be able to enjoy modern slopes and lifts. Popular ski tourism centers in the country: Pigadia, Parnassus, Vasilitsa, Kaimaktsalan, Kalavryta.

So far, but so close

What do we know about Greece? The Greeks have a Greek profile, they eat Greek salad, go to the temples of the Greek Olympian gods, their country has everything and they also dance sirtaki. Probably, the residents of this country feel exactly the same way about our ideas about them as we do about foreigners’ stereotypes about Russia.

Meanwhile, Greece and Russia have a common feature - these are countries where the majority of the population professes the Orthodox faith. This means that we cross out the stereotype about Greeks visiting temples of the Olympian gods. But besides abstract faith, our countries have much in common in everyday life, for example, in the traditions of celebrating the New Year.

Preparation for the holiday

The fact that the Greeks celebrate the New Year, like us, from December 31 to January 1 and decorate the Christmas tree, will not surprise anyone. Another thing is that in Greece they decorate the Christmas tree for Christmas (December 25) and it is called “Christoxylo” - “the body of Christ”. Previously, in the villages, Christoxil was not treated very reverently: usually, by the end of the New Year holidays, the Christmas tree replaced firewood for heating the house. Today, only some villages in northern Greece have preserved this tradition. But not everywhere there is a tradition of decorating a Christmas tree; on the island of Crete, for example, it is customary to decorate your houses with boxes.

So, when the tree is decorated and Christmas is behind us, it is necessary to prepare to see off the outgoing year and welcome the new one. Since ancient times, the Greeks have had a New Year's tradition - cleaning the home fireplace. For Russian people, a fireplace is more of a luxury, but in the last days of the passing year you can hear someone flapping the carpet in the yard. But the essence is the same: residents of both countries have a tradition of getting rid of accumulated garbage and celebrating the New Year in a clean house.

Present

The Greeks also have a fairy-tale character similar to our Grandfather Frost. His name is Saint Basil. He keeps track of who behaved and how and distributes gifts depending on this. Especially for St. Basil, children place a shoe by the fireplace to find it full of sweets and gifts in the morning. And parents at this time, as more pragmatic creatures, in the first minutes of the New Year, place a stone at the threshold. According to popular belief, this ritual is a sign of respect to St. Basil, who is the protector of the poor and disadvantaged. Also, every Greek, when going on a visit, carries a stone to the hosts’ house. If this stone is heavy, they wish the owner’s wealth to be just as heavy. And if the stone is small and light, then they want to hurt as little as the stone weighs. The main thing is not to confuse them, the Greeks say.

But don’t think that in Greece everyone only gives each other huge cobblestones. The tradition of gifts in this country is extremely rich and varied. Like Russians, when going on a visit, it is customary to take gifts with you. Especially often, the Greeks give baskets of wine and champagne and exchange “photos”, which look like a stick with a candle on top, hung with tangerines (what would a New Year be without them), apples, figs, sweets and chocolates. A popular gift is a new deck of cards, which the Greeks like to give as a symbol of new life. Cards in this country are given, it should be noted, for any occasion - both for a birthday and for newlyweds on their wedding day.

New Year's table

The Greeks, of course, don’t drink vodka, but champagne and wine are very popular among them. A traditional dish on the Greek New Year's table is roasted pig, served with baked potatoes. Residents of the islands cook turkey in wine, but all Greeks, without exception, love the familiar cabbage rolls. And for dessert they serve “courabiedes” - cookies prepared according to a special recipe, soaked in delicious honey syrup.
But the main dish of the table is the vasilopita pie, which is more like a sweet cake. It is made from dough and decorated with currants and nuts. You need to bake a coin inside the vasilopite, and whoever gets it will not need anything in the New Year and will be happy. There is a whole ritual associated with this dish: the hosts treat St. Basil with the first piece, the second is given to the house, the third is given to the eldest of those present, and the youngest gets the last piece of the holiday pie.

Holiday fun

The Greeks have several rules on how to celebrate the New Year. Apparently, they also adhere to Russian folk wisdom - how you celebrate the New Year is how you will spend it. Therefore, the Greeks consider it important not to swear or shout on New Year’s Eve, or break dishes. Among the prohibitions, there are also quite strange ones: you cannot grind or drink coffee and let black dogs into your house. Many Greeks believe in the evil spirits of kallikantsaros - elves who are especially active during the Christmas and New Year holidays. To protect your home from unwanted guests, people light incense or make an offering. There is another fun way to scare away evil spirits - burn old shoes in the fireplace.

Many of us have forgotten that fortune telling on New Year's Eve, according to popular belief, has the same power as on Christmas Eve. But the Greeks follow the tradition of New Year's fortune telling. For example, the head of a family must go outside at exactly midnight and break a pomegranate fruit against a stone wall. If the grains scatter in different directions, then the next year will be successful and happy. In order to consolidate the result obtained from fortune telling, all family members, as Greek folk wisdom teaches, should dip their fingers in honey and lick them. This symbolizes the desire to live in abundance in the New Year. Some girls also put a piece of vasilopita pie under their pillow and wish that they will dream about their betrothed at night.