Hi! Today we will tell you about what the New Year's symbol of 2025 will be. From this article you will also learn how New Year's Eve is celebrated in the USA and Europe. And, lastly, let's compare the traditions of celebrating and symbols of the New Year in Russia.
- The reading time is 5 minutes.
- Chinese calendar symbols
- New Year's Eve celebrations in the United States
- How New Year's Eve is celebrated in Europe
- New Year symbols in Russia
Chinese lunar calendar and its symbols
How did China, with its closed nature, give the whole world the tradition of celebrating the year of a certain animal every year? After all, until the end of the 20th century, the symbols of the new year were different for each country.
For example, the fashion for everything Chinese has come to Russia came in the '90sAfter the collapse of the USSR. At that moment, two factors coincided - the openness of the Russian economy and the Chinese economic boom.
Since then, a flood of goods with the famous Made in China inscription, including paper products, has found their way to Russia. These were mainly wall and pocket calendars, as well as horoscopes. So there was a sharp increase in interest in determining character by horoscope, determining abilities by year of birth, and so on.
Thus, the practice has taken root in countries not directly related to Eastern values.
And now at the end of the year we check which animal will be the year of the coming year. To know in what colors to celebrate the new year 2025 and what dishes should be on the table. After all, as the Chinese calendar says, success and prosperity in the new year depend on it. And who wants to be poor and sick?
So, according to the Chinese lunar calendar, each year corresponds to some animal. There are 12 of them, and each year they replace each other in a certain order.
By the way, the symbol of the new year 2025 is a green wooden snake.
And each word in the name has its own characteristics. For example, the snake in the East is associated with wisdom and the ability to adapt to the environment. Further, the tree symbolizes fertility and harmony. And green color is a symbol of growth and development.
So when asked what colors to meet 2025 in, the obvious answer is green, beige and gold.
Astrologers recommend meat and fish dishes and eggs for the New Year menu. It is possible and necessary to add natural food to the table - vegetables, fruits and berries.
Well, now let's look at the traditions of celebrating the new year in different countries.
Do they celebrate New Year's Eve in the United States
While the main holiday for Americans is, of course, Christmas, New Year's Day is also a holiday. Although there are many Christmas-themed movies dozens of moviesNew Year's Eve is no less popular. And if Christmas is celebrated with a family dinner, New Year's Eve is celebrated outside the house, with friends. This night they hold parties, launch colorful fireworks, listen to music and have fun.
One of the recognizable symbols of the American New Year is Baby New Year.. According to legend, during the year the baby becomes an old man and gives way to a new baby. By the way, in the Russian fairy tale "12 Months" by S. Marshak, January appears as a child (teenager). While its older brother December is depicted as a decrepit old man.
Equally famous is the other symbol of New Year's Eve in the United States - the a crystal ball in Times Square. in New York City. In fact, this installation is more than 100 years old. It has become a New Year's tradition to gather on New Year's Eve to watch a huge ball drop from the height of a 9-story building. With the last second of the passing year, the balloon falls to touch the ground at midnight.
Well, in different states of the USA other symbols of the New Year are also used. For example, in Atlanta, the role of a crystal ball is played by a giant peach. And in Pennsylvania - a giant plastic copy of a marshmallow candy.
And another unusual New Year's Eve tradition - at the sound of the clock. you need to kiss of the first person you meet. It is believed that this will bring good luck in the new year.
How New Year's Eve is celebrated in Europe
Symbols of the New Year in Russia
What happens on this night on the other side of the world? Let's take a look at New Year's Eve traditions in some European countries:
UK. In the capital, Londoners and tourists gather on New Year's Eve on the seafront to see off the old year with the chimes of Big Ben. After midnight strikes, the fun begins in the city. By the way, did you know that the tradition of counting the last seconds before New Year's Eve originated not in Moscow on Red Square, but here? There is also a colorful procession through the city center with the participation of heroes of traditional English fairy tales and folklore. And despite the fact that New Year's Eve is secondary to Christmas, people still exchange small gifts and cards.
France. Can you imagine swimming on a cold winter night? On New Year's Eve in some regions of France it is customary to bathe in the sea. It is believed that this is the way to cleanse oneself of all last year's problems and worries. So there are lovers of winter bathing not only in Russia.
Italy. It is customary to eat 12 grapes, one berry at each beat, when the Italian chimes strike. This is how people believe that the wish made at that moment will certainly come true in the coming year.
Germany. Unlike Italians, Germans greet the last seconds before the new year by climbing up on a chair or sofa with their feet up. As soon as the clock strikes 12, they jump to the floor, making their deepest wish.
What is the symbol of the New Year in Russia? It seems that anyone can easily answer this question: a Christmas tree, Father Frost and the snow maiden, Olivier salad and tangerines. And, yes, champagne! Although its homeland is quite far from the New Year's snowdrifts of Russia.
While the Christmas tree and Santa Claus are quite traditional symbols for most European countries, where did the Snow Maiden come from? Who is she?
If you believe various sources, then the Snow Maiden literally came from a fairy tale. It is known that for the first time this heroine appeared in a folk tale in the 19th century. Childless old man and old woman molded their granddaughter out of snow and called Snegurochka. And in the early 20th century there was a story about how Father Frost and Snow Maiden live together and give children presents at Christmas.
It is also interesting how tangerines became a symbol of the New Year. The fact is that at the end of the 19th century mandarins began to be grown near Russia, in Abkhazia. Since the fruit ripens by December, they were brought at this time to the capital. As a result, parents started decorating the Christmas tree with tangerines, along with other treats.
And in the Soviet period in the mid-60s of the 20th century, mandarins began to be brought from Morocco. And it was just in time for December. Thus, the appearance of this fruit on the shelves became associated with the onset of the New Year.
And, lastly, let us mention the famous Russian salad with a French name. Of course, Olivier has become the most recognizable symbol of the New Year's table in Russia. In fact, until the middle of the 20th century, the main salad was vinaigrette. After all, its recipe consists of more familiar products. But when Moscow cafes began to serve olivier (or Stolichny salad) for New Year's Eve, it quickly gained popularity throughout the country.
We hope you enjoyed this article. And if you want to learn more about New Year traditions in different countries, you can read our blog.
