Time zones in Russia are established by the Federal Law, adopted in the fall of 2014. Prior to its approval, there were 9 zones, today there are 11. According to international numbering, they are in the range from 2 to 12. Moscow time (hereinafter referred to as MSK) refers to the third time zone. The changes were adopted at the legislative level so that each subject of the Russian Federation belongs to one zone. The exception is Yakutia (three time zones). So who in Russia is the first to celebrate the New Year?

Uelen, Chukchi village

The globe is divided into two hemispheres: Western and Eastern. The line along which the border runs is the 180th meridian. It is established by international agreement that a new day begins here. The 180th meridian passes through the water basin and crosses the land only twice - the Fiji Islands and the Chukchi Peninsula. That is why every Russian schoolchild knows that in our country the day begins with Chukotka. It originates at the point of the 180th meridian, the border of which is conditionally transferred from the territory of the Bering Strait to land. In what villages does morning come first? "Border of the day" - these are the easternmost settlements of Uelen and Naukan.

Here lies the answer to the question of who in Russia is the first to celebrate the New Year. For those who are in the MSK + 9 time zone, it arrives at 15:00 Moscow time. Nearby is the easternmost settlement of our country - the village of Uelen, where about 650 people live. It stretches along the pebble strip that separates the lagoon from the Chukchi Sea, and is located at the very foot of the hill, the slope of which is visible at any time because of the black hillocks on them. The inhabitants of the village are Eskimos, Chukchi and Russians, who are engaged in fishing and sea hunting. It is curious that Yu. S. Rytkheu, a famous writer, was once born in this small settlement.

Township of Naunkan

In fact, the easternmost village was Naunkan. Founded presumably in the XIV century, the village was located directly on Cape Dezhnev. When asked where the New Year was celebrated first in Russia, until 1958 they always answered: "In Naunkan."

But it was 1958 that was the last year in the life of the inhabitants of the village. It was abolished by resettling 400 people across the territory of the Autonomous Okrug. Now only a few monuments have survived on the cape in the place where one of Dezhnev's koches once crashed. May the memory of the most famous natives of the village be preserved, among them the famous engraver Khukhutan and the poetess Z.N. Nenlyumkin.

Together with Chukotka, the capital of the ChAO, Anadyr, is the first to meet Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden. The most northeastern city of the Russian Federation, located on the banks of the river of the same name. It was founded as an outpost in 1889 and was called Novo-Mariinsk. Already in the 30s it became the administrative center of the district, and in 1965 acquired the status of a city. Today, its population exceeds 15 thousand people, Russians, Chukchi and Eskimos predominate. By the way, the locals call the capital of CHAO Kagyrgym, which in translation from Chukchi means "mouth", or Vyen ("entrance"). The city is really located in a small neck, from where the path to the upper part of the estuary opens.

Residents of the city, living in permafrost conditions, call the rest of Russia the mainland, emphasizing their remoteness. The distance to the capital of the Russian Federation is more than 6,100 km. Residential houses built on piles are painted in bright colors, which looks quite impressive against the background of the gray tundra. The facades are decorated with drawings of animals, people, shaman tambourines. There is practically no unemployment in the city. In addition to reindeer breeding, hunting and fishing, residents mine coal and gold, work at a fish factory and the largest wind farm - the Anadyr WPP. So, which city of Russia will be the first to meet? Undoubtedly, Anadyr. But it is not the only one located in the MSK+9 time zone.

Other cities in ChAO

Two more cities are located in the Autonomous Okrug, where its residents are the first to celebrate the New Year in Russia. These are Bilibino and Pevek. The first one has had the status of a city since 1993 and is located even further from the capital of the Russian Federation - at a distance of 6500 km. Previously, it was called Karalvaam - after the name of the river on the banks of which it is located. The town was founded in connection with the discovery by geologists of a placer gold deposit and is now considered one of the most expensive cities in the country. At the moment, its population exceeds 6.3 thousand people.

Answering the question about which city in Russia will be the first to celebrate the New Year, it should be said about the northernmost - Pevek, founded in 1933. It received its current status in 1967. Its population is 4.5 thousand people. This is an important port located on the shore of the strait that connects the East Siberian Sea and the Chaun Bay. At one time, tin deposits were discovered on its territory and two ITC institutions were founded. Today Pevek is one of the gold mining regions. However, after the closure of the tin mines in the 90s, the population of the city began to decline sharply due to employment problems. By the way, during the meeting of the New Year, the polar night reigns in the city, lasting until January 16th.

The main city of Kamchatka

The Kamchatka Territory is also located in the MSK + 9 time zone. The capital of the administrative district is Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. This is the answer to the question of which city in Russia celebrates the New Year first. Almost 180.5 thousand residents of the capital of the region raise their glasses with champagne before others in Russia. Among them, about 80% are Russians, a little more than 3.5% are Ukrainians. Other nationalities make up less than 1%. Among them are Tatars, Azerbaijanis, Belarusians, Koryaks, Chuvashs and others.

The city is located in the southeast of the peninsula, on the hills, on the very shore of the Avacha Bay. There are four volcanoes in the visibility zone, two of them are active. Kamchatka (especially its eastern coast) is a seismically dangerous place, so most of the buildings are built with five floors. Recently, skyscrapers have also appeared that can withstand an earthquake of 10 points. The peculiarity of the peninsula is that there are no overland communications with the mainland. To get to Vladivostok, for example, you can only by plane or boat.

Who in Russia is the first to celebrate the New Year: Kamchatka Territory

There are two more cities of regional subordination in Kamchatka - Vilyuchinsk and Yelizovo. The first is ZATO. It was formed by the merger of workers' settlements, where the Navy's ship repair plant and the nuclear submarine base were once built. The name of the city is given by the name of an extinct volcano, which is a natural monument. Year of foundation - 1968. The population is just over 22 thousand people.

To the question of who in Russia is the first to celebrate the New Year, it will be correct to answer: Yelizovo. Located 32 km from this city with 38 thousand people, it occupies the banks of the Avacha River. Here in the middle of the 19th century there was a settlement renamed in honor of G. M. Elizov, the commander of a partisan detachment who died in 1922. The village received city status in 1975. Its inhabitants live by catching fish and processing it.

So, we have sorted out the inhabitants of which regions are the first to celebrate the New Year. An hour later, Magadan, Sakhalin Island and the east of Yakutia take the baton.

New Year is traditionally celebrated almost all over the world on December 31st. However, the first to celebrate the New Year begin in the dwarf Kingdom of Tonga in the Pacific Ocean. And they complete - in Haiti and Samoa - in 25 hours.

0.15 - Chatham Island (New Zealand), remote from the main islands of New Zealand, is in a special time zone and is the second place where the New Year comes.

1.00 - New Zealand (Wellington, Auckland, etc.) and polar explorers from the South Pole in Antarctica celebrate the New Year.

2.00 - The New Year begins with the inhabitants of extreme eastern Russia (Anadyr, Kamchatka), the Fiji Islands and some other Pacific islands (Nauru, Tuvalu, etc.)

2.30 - Norfolk Island (Australia).

3.00 - Part of eastern Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra) and some Pacific islands (Vanuatu, Micronesia, Solomon Islands, etc.).

Australia. Sydney is having a big party. On New Year's Eve, the whole city looks like an incomparably decorated Christmas tree, the branches of which bend under the weight of all the decorations. The sky over Sydney sparkles with numerous salutes and fireworks.

3.30 - South Australia (Adelaide).

4.00 - Queensland in Australia (Brisbane), part of Russia (Vladivostok) and some islands (Papua New Guinea, Mariana Islands).

4.30 - Northern Territories of Australia (Darwin).

5.00 - Japan and Korea.

In Japan, New Year is celebrated on January 1st. Mandatory is the custom of seeing off the Old Year, which includes organizing receptions and visiting restaurants. At the beginning of the new year, the Japanese begin to laugh. They believe that laughter will bring them good luck in the coming year.

6.00 - China, part of Southeast Asia and the rest of Australia.

7.00 - Indonesia and the rest of Southeast Asia.

7.30 - Myanmar.

8.00 - Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and part of Russia (Novosibirsk, Omsk).

8.15 - Nepal.

8.30 - India.

In India, the New Year is celebrated in different ways. In one part, the holiday is considered open when a kite is struck by a burning arrow.

9.00 - Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and part of Russia (Yekaterinburg, Ufa).

9.30 - Afghanistan.

10.00 - Armenia, Azerbaijan, part of Russia (Samara), some islands in the Indian Ocean.

10.30 - Iran.

11.00 - Part of East Asia, part of Africa, part of Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg).

12.00 - Eastern Europe (Romania, Greece, Ukraine, etc.), Turkey, Israel, Finland, part of Africa.
Finland. Finnish families gather at a New Year's table full of various dishes. The kids are waiting for a big basket of gifts from Joulupukki, that's the name of the Finnish Santa Claus. On New Year's Eve, Finns tell fortunes to find out their future.

In Greece, New Year's Day is Saint Basil's Day. Saint Basil was known for his kindness, and Greek children leave their shoes by the fireplace in the hope that Saint Basil will fill the shoes with gifts.

13.00 - Western and Central Europe (Belgium, Italy, France, Hungary, Sweden, etc.), part of Africa.

Italy. As soon as the New Year has begun, the Italians are in a hurry to get rid of things that have already served their purpose. In Italy, the custom has been preserved to bring clean water from a spring on the first morning of the new year, as it is believed that water brings happiness.

France. Even before Christmas, the French hang a branch of mistletoe over the door of their houses, believing that it will bring good luck next year. In addition, the French decorate the whole house with flowers, be sure to put them on the table. In each house they try to place a model depicting the scene of the Birth of Christ. According to tradition, a good owner-winemaker on New Year's Eve should clink glasses with a barrel of wine, congratulate her on the holiday and drink for the future harvest.

14.00 - Zero meridian (Greenwich), UK, Portugal, part of Africa.

United Kingdom. The ringing of the bell announces the New Year in England. The British have a tradition to let the old year out of the house, they open the back doors of the houses before the ringing of the bell, and then open the front doors to let in the New Year. New Year's gifts in the family circle of the British are distributed according to the old tradition - by lot.

15.00 - Azores.

16.00 - Brazil.

Brazil. On New Year's Eve, the inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro go to the ocean and bring gifts to the Goddess of the Sea Yemanzha. Traditionally, Brazilians dress up in white clothes, which symbolizes a plea for peace addressed to the goddess of the Sea.

17.00 - Argentina and part of the eastern part of South America.

17.30 - Newfoundland Island (Canada).

18.00 - Eastern Canada, many islands of the Caribbean, part of South America.

19.00 - Eastern parts of Canada (Ottawa) and USA (Washington, New York), western part of South America.
USA. In New York, in Times Square, the traditional solemn descent of the famous Ball, sparkling with thousands of neon lights, takes place.

20.00 - Central parts of Canada and the USA (Chicago, Houston), Mexico and most of Latin America.

21.00 - Part of Canada (Edmonton, Calgary) and the USA (Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City).

22.00 - Western parts of Canada (Vancouver, and the USA (Los Angeles, San Francisco).

23.00 - State of Alaska (USA).

23.30 - Marquesas Islands as part of French Polynesia.

24.00 - Hawaiian Islands (USA), Tahiti and the Cook Islands.

25.00 - Residents of the state of Samoa are the last to celebrate the New Year.

So, Saudi Arabia does not celebrate the New Year in principle. The fact is that the celebration of the change of dates is considered alien to Islam in principle. For the faithful in Saudi Arabia, there are only three holidays: Independence Day, the celebration of the end of the month of Ramadan and the Feast of Sacrifice.

AT Israel January 1 is also a working day, unless, of course, it is Saturday - a sacred day for the Jews. The Israelis celebrate their New Year in the fall - on the new moon of the month of Tishrei according to the Jewish calendar (September or October). This holiday is called Rosh Hashanah. It is celebrated for 2 days.

January 1st is an ordinary day and Iran. The country lives according to the Persian calendar. The New Year is celebrated in Iran on the day of the spring equinox - March 21. The holiday is called Navruz, that is, a new day.

In a multicultural India there are so many holidays that if you had to celebrate everything, there would be no time to work. Therefore, some of them have become "holidays of choice". These days, all institutions and offices are open, but employees can take time off. January 1 is one of those holidays. March 22 is the New Year according to the unified national calendar of India. In Kerala, New Year is celebrated on April 13th. It is called Vishu. Sikhs celebrate their New Year, Vaisakhi, on the same day. In South India, the Divapali festival is widely celebrated in autumn, which also means the arrival of the new year. This is not a complete list of New Year's days that can be celebrated in India. By the way, among the "holidays to choose from" there is also Catholic Christmas.

AT South Korea January 1 is a day off. Decorated Christmas trees and Santa Clauses are common here, but the beginning of the year in Korea is perceived rather than as a holiday, but as an additional day off that can be spent in a pleasant circle of family and friends. But if something is celebrated on an unprecedented scale, it is Sollal - the New Year according to the lunar calendar. By this day, most Koreans leave for their hometowns to honor the memory of their ancestors.

New Year is not just a holiday, it is a noisy fun, which is expected all year round. Children are especially fond of him. As a rule, they meet him with the whole family at a beautiful New Year tree, with gifts and fireworks.

Only one island country in the world, the Kingdom of Tonga, celebrates the New Year 13 hours earlier than the rest of the world.

In 1870, the Greenwich Standards and the 180th meridian were approved. The time difference began to fluctuate from 1 to 12 hours.

Some countries fell into the zone with a larger time difference. These include New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, +13 hours. Every morning the sun rises 1 hour earlier there. These countries, as well as Russia, use the transition to winter time, the difference in this period is 12 hours. One single country, the Kingdom of Tonga, does not translate the clock. Therefore, it became the only state that celebrates the New Year first.

Residents of Tonga begin the celebration with a prayer. Throughout the first week of January, they pray diligently in the morning and evening, at lunchtime they gather at the festive table.

Tonga is a paradise for tourists.

Which residents of Russia are the first to celebrate the new year

The first to celebrate New Year's Eve are:

1. In the remote Chukchi peninsular village of Uelen.

2. Together with them, Anadyr enters New Year's Eve. It was built on permafrost. The city looks beautiful and impressive, brightly painted multi-storey buildings stand out from its dullness. More than 6000 km from the city to the capital.

3. The city of gold miners and the port gate of the Russian Federation - Pevek. At this time, the polar night dominates there.

4. Kamchatka Territory. The territory of active volcanoes and endless hills. You can only visit them by plane or by ferry. Difference with Moscow +9 hours. When they raise their glasses, it is 15:00 in the capital.

An hour later, the clink of glasses will be heard in Sakhalin, the east of the Yakutsk and Magadan regions.

The sequence of regions celebrating the new year in Russia

At the end of 2014, the Russian Federation adopted a law on time limits, 9 time zones were allocated. As of today, changes have been made, there are 11 of them.

Moscow is the third time zone. The law approved for each region its own time zone. One Yakutsk region has become an exception, it has three such zones.

The sequence of clinking glasses is as follows:

1. Kamchatka and Chukotka region. It will enter the New Year, Moscow time at 15:00.
2. Yakutia, Northern Kuriles, Chukotka. Moscow time 16:00.
3. Central Yakutsk region, Primorsky, Khabarovsk, Magadan, Sakhalin region. Moscow time 17:00.
4. Western Yakutia, Amur Region. Moscow time 18:00.
5. Buryat region, Transbaikal, Irkutsk. Moscow time 19:00.
6. Tyva, Khakassia, Krasnoyarsk, Kemerovo. Moscow time 20:00.
7. Omsk, Tomsk, Novosibirsk region. Altai region. 21:00 Moscow time. Many Muscovites are just starting to lay the table.
8. Moscow time 22:00. Bashkortostan, Perm region, Yugra, Yamalo-Nenets autonomy, Kurgan, Orenburg, Sverdlovsk, Tyumen, Chelyabinsk - the chimes are heard. They have midnight.
9. Udmurtia, Samara raise New Year's glasses. And in Moscow at 23:00, preparations are being completed. Muscovites are moving to the festive tables, waiting for the president's congratulations.
10. 24:00, Muscovites and guests of the capital raise their glasses. And with them the whole central part of Russia, Crimea.
11. At 1:00 Moscow time, Kaliningrad enters the New Year.

Who is the last to celebrate the new year in Russia

Residents of the Kaliningrad region will be the last to celebrate New Year's Eve in Russia.

Which country celebrates the new year last

On the first of January, at 14-00 Moscow time, the island country of Samoa, Midway, will launch a colorful New Year's fireworks display.

How many times in Russia celebrate the new year

Residents of Russia can raise their glasses 11 times and celebrate the New Year. They begin to celebrate in Kamchatka and end in the Kaliningrad region.

How to celebrate the new year twice

Option 1

The strait between the Chukchi Peninsula and Alaska has two settlements - the Diomede Islands. On the big one, Russian servicemen control the state border, on the small island, the Americans. The 180th parallel runs between the islands. When our military has night, the neighbors have the morning of the next day.

The Russian Federation and the United States have signed a visa-free regime for the local population. There you can celebrate the New Year twice. First on one island, then on the second, visiting the neighbors.

Option 2

Travel to Vladivostok. Their chimes will strike midnight Moscow time at 15:00. Moving west towards the capital, you can celebrate the New Year more than once.

Where to celebrate the new year with children

According to the survey, most of the population of the Federation chose the sun and the warm breeze of Thailand, India, and the United Arab Emirates. From cooler countries, Italy, Spain, France, Austria.

Tour operators advise visit Finland . New Year's holidays here will be incomparable. You will be offered trips on snowmobiles, motorized sleds, go fishing, ride a team of reindeer and dogs. For kids, this is an exciting adventure.

Meeting the real Santa is really something.

For these holidays, travel agencies will offer tours by rail; time flies quickly in the company.

There are currently two directions available:

• "Lapland Express"
• "Finnish fairy tale"

The fastest way to get there is by plane.

Most kids love skis, snow, slides . You can celebrate the New Year holidays in the mountains. Domestic ski resorts are a great place for family holidays. There is a place for children to turn around, and there are entertainments for adults too.

Tour operators will offer Rosa Khutor, the most suitable complex with children. "Slides Gorodok" can ride even the smallest children.

lovers sandy beaches, sea breeze, can expect the chimes under the palm trees. The tour operator will help you choose a hotel of the right level, with a family concept, competent staff.

An interesting offer is sea tours. You will see different cities, countries.

Those who have already had a rest this year on the seas can show the kids Europe. More often Russians book Czech, Spanish, German, Italian, French, Hungarian hotels. The capitals of these countries have beautiful architecture.

Trips to the Czech Republic, Spain are relevant at any time of the year.

The capital of Hungary - Budapest, will amaze with its architecture. Children will remember visiting the water park, the children's railway. A large number of museums, such as "Marzipan". A meeting with the local Santa Claus - Mikulash, will give a lot of positive emotions.

Italian Disneyland, which is located in the town of Verona, will give the kids many joyful moments. It is also recommended to visit the attractions and entertainment in the Movieland park complex. Italian architecture itself is already a landmark.

Disneyland Paris is recommended by many travel companies. Christmas celebrations are long, starting in December and ending at the end of January. There is a residence of Santa, kids can make a wish and get on his knees. An additional service from the tour operator can be a personal guide. He will not only show all the most interesting and exciting places in the park, but also tell you about them in detail. Moreover, rides with his presence are available without queues. You will also be provided with a layout of the park in your native language.

Where can I celebrate the new year inexpensively

From the available options, choose St. Petersburg, Sochi ski resorts, Moscow region sanatoriums, Gelendzhik. It is not necessary to fly to distant lands, you can have a great rest in your native country.

Leading positions are occupied by:

• Moscow and its unsurpassed beauty;
• after Sochi;
• in third place is Peter and his architecture;
• Kazan;
• Novgorod and Kostroma, Yaroslavl, Belgorod, their greatness and ancient architecture;
• Moscow region and its wonderful sanatoriums. Each of them prepare their own entertainment New Year's program;
• The Moscow park "Ethno World" will give children a lot of impressions. Recreation is affordable, the kids are very interested.

You can go visiting Santa Claus , he will receive guests in Veliky Ustyug. You need to plan such a trip in advance, tour operators will offer a choice of hotels. It must also be remembered that there are only a few of them, and there are a lot of people who want to visit Grandfather.

You can go with children to the no less interesting town of Kostroma. The granddaughter of Santa Claus lives there. House of the Snow Maiden located on the Volga embankment.

Also hospitable Santa Claus in Karelia. Together with the Snow Maiden and the forest trolls, they will intrigue the kids. Their hut is no less interesting, these days there are many guests.

It is worth visiting the local museum, where the children will be shown the first Christmas tree toy. You will be treated to a traditional red fish soup. Children can go dog sledding.

After the trip will be something to remember. They celebrate there cheerfully, on a grand scale, and they cook excellently.

Where to celebrate the New Year at sea

Of the available New Year's tours, they can offer Thai beaches, the Indian islands of Goa, the colorful UAE, Egypt with its majestic pyramids. Egypt in winter is not very attractive, the sea is cold, children can soak up only in heated pools.

Of the more expensive ones, they will offer the Maldives, Mauritius, Malaysia, and the Dominican Republic. Impressions will be more than enough.

The perfect place to stay in Bali. Weather conditions are always wonderful, + 30 C, water at least + 26 C. Excursion programs will not leave your children indifferent. The nature is beautiful, there are many exotic birds, all living creatures, it is bright and bewitching.

Guides will offer a lot of educational games and activities for children, draw on fabric, carve ivory figurines, learn how to cook exotic dishes.

How to celebrate the new 2019 year of the pig

On the first of January, the Pig takes over the reign. We will be protected throughout the year. Therefore, it is extremely important to appease the royal person. Think in advance what you will cook for the feast, what outfit you will wear.

• Clean the house, the main rule is no unnecessary things.

New Year's Eve should be spent in a cheerful company, singing, dancing, the more active the better.

Mumps will begin to fully fulfill their duties only on February 5th. It is at this time that the New Year begins according to the Eastern calendar.

But we are accustomed to our traditions. The night from January 31 to January 1 is a grandiose holiday for us, for which we are diligently preparing, making wishes. Treat the preparation of the holiday with all responsibility. And then the hostess of the year will generously reward your family with prosperity, joy, and give you many fun, memorable moments.

What color to prepare Christmas decorations

The coming year brings its own changes. It is actual to use red, orange, yellow, brown colors. They create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort.

What to wear

Choose an outfit that is comfortable. It is better if it is made from natural fabrics. You need to complement the image with a bright accent on the lips, a chic hairstyle.

How to celebrate New Year's Eve

Pig is a traveler, not a homebody at all. It is recommended to celebrate New Year's Eve by traveling. It is not necessary to fly to distant lands. The road to relatives is also a small journey.

What dishes to cook

Prepare two to three salads, one of them must be vegetable. From hot dishes, give preference to chicken, beef, fish, but not pork.

When setting the table, pay attention to meat dishes and seafood, they should be placed side by side. This arrangement of dishes attracts good luck for the whole next year. The key to financial stability is fruit. Place a vase in the center of the table, ideally filled with red apples.

In order for life to give you generous gifts, you need to give something, to give. Treat with due understanding, be kind and generous to your neighbors.

On the table, and in the decor of the house, there should be figures of the Pig.

Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) answers:

Tradition connects the emergence of the custom of putting fir trees in houses on the feast of the Nativity of Christ with the name of the Apostle of Germany, St. Boniface (+ June 5, 754). While preaching to the pagans and telling them about the Nativity of Christ, he cut down an oak tree dedicated to Thor, the god of thunder, to show the pagans how powerless their gods were. Oak, falling, knocked down several trees, except for spruce. Bonifatius called spruce the tree of the Infant Christ. Apparently, at first the spruce was placed on the feast of the Nativity of Christ without decorations. She herself, slender, beautiful, exhaling a thick pleasant smell, was the decoration of the house. The custom of dressing a fir tree appeared after the Reformation in Protestant countries.

In Russia, the establishment of the Christmas tree, apparently, dates back to the reign of Peter the Great. The Orthodox Church celebrated the beginning of the new year on September 1 in memory of the victory won by Constantine the Great over Maxentius in 312. In 1342, under Metropolitan Theognost, it was decided to start both the church and the civil year on September 1, which was also confirmed at the council of 1505 d. The celebration of the new civil year and the church year were closely intertwined.

The year 1700 was celebrated twice in Russia. First September 1st. And on December 20, 1699, Peter I adopted a decree "on the celebration of the new year." He ordered the beginning of the year to be postponed from September 1 to January 1, 1700. At the same time, Peter I ordered that houses be decorated that day with “pine, spruce and juniper branches, according to the samples exhibited in Gostiny Dvor; as a sign of fun to each other, be sure to congratulate each other on the new year. Fire fun was arranged on Red Square.

The custom introduced by Peter I took root with difficulty. Even at the beginning of the 19th century, Christmas trees were put up only in the houses of St. Petersburg Germans. The Christmas tree became a ubiquitous decoration in Russia only at the end of the 19th century. However, in the 40s of the same century, it began to enter the life of Russian society. This can be judged from the story of F.M. Dostoevsky The Christmas tree and the wedding, published in the September issue of Notes of the Fatherland for 1848: “The other day I saw a wedding ... but no! I'd rather tell you about the tree. The wedding is good; I liked it very much, but another incident is better. I don’t know how, looking at this wedding, I remembered this tree. This is how it happened. Exactly five years ago, on the eve of the New Year, I was invited to a children's ball.

Putting up and decorating a Christmas tree for Christmas was a favorite thing not only for children, but also for adults. In the story of A.P. Chekhov. Boys (1887) Katya, Sonya and Masha with their father are preparing decorations for the Christmas tree: “After tea, everyone went to the nursery. The father and the girls sat down at the table and began to work, which was interrupted by the arrival of the boys. They made flowers and fringes for the Christmas tree out of multi-colored paper. It was exciting and noisy work. Each newly made flower was greeted by girls with enthusiastic cries, even cries of horror, as if this flower had fallen from the sky; Papa also admired. The Christmas tree was put up not only at home, but also in the city on the squares: “Before Christmas, three days, in the markets, in the squares, there is a forest of Christmas trees. And what trees! This goodness in Russia as much as you want. Not like here - stamens. At our Christmas tree ... as it warms up, spreads its paws, - a thicket. There used to be a forest on Theater Square. They stand in the snow. And the snow will fall - lost the way! Guys, in sheepskin coats, as in the forest. People walk, choose. Dogs in Christmas trees are like wolves, right. Bonfires are burning, get warm. Smoke pillars "(I. Shmelev. Summer of the Lord).

In the first poetry collection of O.E. Mandelstam Kamen (1913), his adolescent experiences were captured:

Burning with gold leaf
There are Christmas trees in the woods;
Toy wolves in the bushes
They look with terrible eyes.
Oh, my sadness,
Oh my quiet freedom
And the inanimate sky
Always laughing crystal!

With the beginning of the persecution of Orthodoxy, the Christmas tree also fell out of favor. Putting it in the house became dangerous. But on December 28, 1935, an article appeared in the Pravda newspaper “Let's organize a good Christmas tree for the children for the New Year!” Its author was P. P. Postyshev, Secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks. Since January 1933, he was the second secretary of the Central Committee of the CP (b) of Ukraine with the task of "unconditionally fulfilling the grain procurement plan." Postyshev together with V.M. Molotov was the organizer of the famine that claimed 3.5-4 million people in Ukraine (including hundreds of thousands of children). Two years later, he takes special care to ensure that children have a fun New Year: “In pre-revolutionary times, the bourgeoisie and bourgeois officials always arranged a Christmas tree for their children on New Year's Eve. The workers' children looked enviously through the window at the Christmas tree sparkling with multi-colored lights and the rich children having fun around it. Why do our schools, orphanages, nurseries, children's clubs, palaces of pioneers deprive the children of the working people of the Soviet country of this wonderful pleasure? Some, none other than "leftists", denigrators denounced this children's entertainment as a bourgeois undertaking. This wrong condemnation of the Christmas tree, which is a wonderful entertainment for children, should be put to an end. Komsomol members, pioneer workers should arrange collective New Year's parties for children. In schools, orphanages, pioneer palaces, children's clubs, children's cinemas and theaters - everywhere there should be a children's tree. There should not be a single collective farm where the board, together with the Komsomol members, would not arrange a Christmas tree for their children on the eve of the new year. City councils, chairmen of district executive committees, village councils, public education bodies should help arrange a Soviet Christmas tree for the children of our great socialist motherland. Organizing a children's Christmas tree, our children will only be grateful. I am sure that the Komsomol members will take the most active part in this matter and eradicate the absurd opinion that the children's Christmas tree is a bourgeois prejudice. So, let's organize a fun meeting of the new year for children, arrange a good Soviet Christmas tree in all cities and collective farms! It was the period of the "godless five-year plan" (1932-1937). They actively created rituals for new holidays in order to completely cancel Orthodox holidays. At the top of the Christmas tree, instead of the Star of Bethlehem, a five-pointed star appeared.

Decades have passed. Millions of children again saw the guiding star of Bethlehem over the decorated Christmas tree. And below it is the Divine Infant, Who was born so that the spiritual night would end for us.

He slept, all radiant, in an oak manger,
Like a ray of moon in the hollow of a hollow.
He was replaced with a sheepskin coat
Donkey lips and ox nostrils.
They stood in the shade, as if in the twilight of a barn,
They whispered, barely choosing the words.
Suddenly someone in the dark, a little to the left
He pushed the sorcerer away from the manger with his hand,
And he looked back: from the threshold at the Virgin,
As a guest, the star of Christmas watched.

(Boris Pasternak. 1947)

A couple of years ago, Saudi Arabia officially banned New Year's Eve. But this state is far from the only one where the traditional for us meeting of the new year goes completely unnoticed. It turns out that the New Year on January 1 is not celebrated in many countries.

On New Year's Eve, the inhabitants of our latitudes drink champagne, launch colorful fireworks and eat Russian salad. It would seem that the whole world at this moment is celebrating the onset of the new year. But this is by no means the case. Somewhere thousands of kilometers away, an ordinary Indian or Iranian snores calmly on New Year's Eve - in the morning he will start an ordinary working day.

The religious police of Saudi Arabia, Al Mutawa, warned citizens and foreigners living in the Kingdom of a ban on celebrating the New Year. A special unit of law enforcement agencies, announcing the inadmissibility of the celebration, is guided by a fatwa (religious injunction in Islam) issued by the supreme committee of Saudi ulema (Islamic preachers), since Muslims follow the lunar calendar.

Police officers contact shops that sell flowers and gifts so that they do not sell a number of goods that can be purchased on the occasion of this holiday. Al Mutawa closely monitors the implementation of norms in a purely conservative Saudi Arabia. However, cases of excess of authority by this department were often recorded, which, in particular, led to human casualties.

The Islamic New Year is celebrated on the vernal equinox, March 21, which almost always corresponds to the first day of the holy month of Muharram. The chronology is from the Hijra (July 16, 622 AD) - the date of the migration of the Prophet Muhammad and the first Muslims from Mecca to Medina.

In Israel, January 1 is also a regular working day, unless, of course, the first day of the new year happens on Saturday - a holy day for the Jews. The Israelis celebrate their New Year in the fall - on the new moon of the month of Tishrei according to the Jewish calendar (September or October). This holiday is called Rosh Hashanah. It is celebrated for two days, and many traditions, rituals and ceremonies are associated with its celebration in Israel.

As a rule, the traditions of celebrating the New Year in the sense in which it is understood in Europe and North America are supported by the Russian diaspora living in Israel. And then everyone gets out as best they can. People try to take a day off from work and traditionally celebrate the holiday with family and friends. Someone gathers at home, and someone goes to a Russian restaurant.

Some Israelis believe that the celebrants are celebrating the day of the Catholic Saint Sylvester, which falls on December 31st. Therefore, the country often calls the New Year "Sylvester".

January 1 is not a holiday at all in Iran either. The country lives according to its own calendar. For example, it is now 1395 in Iran. The Iranian calendar, or Solar Hijra, is an astronomical solar calendar that was developed with the participation of Omar Khayyam and has since been refined several times.

New Year in Iran is celebrated according to the calendar on the first day of spring, which corresponds to March 22 of the Gregorian calendar. The New Year's holiday in Iran is called Novruz (or Noruz), and the first spring month is called Favardin.

By the way, Novruz is celebrated not only in Iran, but also in many countries where the ancient Persians managed to pretty much inherit. For example, the year in Afghanistan begins with Novruz. Along with January 1, Nowruz is celebrated in Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Albania and Macedonia.

In multicultural India, there are so many holidays that if you had to celebrate everything, there would be no time to work. Therefore, some of them have become "holidays of choice". These days, all institutions and offices are open, but employees can take time off. January 1 is one of those holidays.

In addition, there are several other options for celebrating the arrival of the New Year in the Indian subcontinent.

On March 22, the new year begins according to the unified national calendar of India. In Maharashtra it is celebrated under the name Gudi Padwa and in Andhra Pradesh it is called Ugadi. In Kerala, New Year is celebrated on April 13th. It is called Vishu. Sikhs celebrate their New Year, Vaisakhi, on the same day. In South India, the Divapali festival is widely celebrated in autumn, which also means the arrival of the new year.

New Year in China (where it is now called Yuan-dan) passes quite unnoticed. Only in large department stores and shopping centers, paying tribute to Western traditions, they put up shiny artificial Christmas trees and puppet Santa Clauses here and there, and the Chinese send electronic New Year cards to their Western friends. And even then it is done for Christmas, and not for the New Year.

"Yuan-dan" is the first, initial day of the new year ("yuan" means "beginning", "tribute" - "dawn" or simply "day"). Until the 20th century, the New Year in China was counted according to the lunar calendar, and not at all according to the calendar we are used to, and Yuan-dan was celebrated on the first day of the first lunar month.

On September 27, 1949, the government of the newly established People's Republic of China decided to call the first day of the lunar calendar "Spring Festival" (Chun Jie), and the first of January according to the Western calendar - "Yuan-dan". Since that time, January 1 has become an official public holiday in China. But even today, the Chinese still do not celebrate this day, not perceiving it as a holiday, marking the change of years. The "Western" New Year is not a competitor to the Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival.