There are not many holidays in the world that really unite people of the whole world. And it is not surprising that each country has its own characteristics of celebrating even the seemingly most universal dates. Somewhere, for example, on the first of January it is customary to throw away all old things, and in other countries people sincerely believe that it is enough to just gather at the table to mark the coming of the next year. America is a country that has mixed a huge number of different cultures, borrowed something really interesting and unique from every people living in it.
What is the New Year in the USA: how is it celebrated, what they eat and what do they want? Let's try to find out.
Story
First you need to find out how the New Year celebration was born in the United States. In Europe, the tradition of celebrating the beginning of the new year on January 1 appeared at the end of the sixteenth century, with the introduction of the Gregorian calendar. Over time, conservative Britain came to a new method of scoring, a little later imposing it on all its colonies, among which was modern America. Even then, to the question “New Year in the USA - how is it celebrated?” no one could give a concrete answer: everyone knew that on this day it was necessary to have fun, but still the colony did not have any specific traditions.
Customs and traditions
Currently, the situation has changed a bit. A new, unlike anything else, New Year appeared in the USA, traditions associated with this amazing holiday, certain symbols of the beginning of the next year.
Firstly, not only the streets of cities, but also residential buildings are decorated, and their residents do it. Perhaps this tradition can be more attributed to Christmas, which in Western countries is considered a much more important holiday.
Secondly, the "baby in the diaper." Quite an interesting custom, proposed on the query "How to celebrate the New Year in the USA?" In America, they believe that every year is a baby who gradually grows up over the course of twelve months. And so it turns out that the symbol of each coming year in the States is a small child.
Third, a ball from Times Square. From the beginning of the twentieth century, a huge luminous ball begins to sink into the center of the square one minute before midnight , touching the bottom point at the beginning of the New Year. It can be compared with chimes known in Russian-speaking countries: a gradual decrease in the ball is broadcast on TV, and the whole Ten Times Square counts the last ten seconds to the final point.
Fourth. No culinary traditions. In America, they don’t buy tangerines, they don’t cook any specific dishes - everything is the way people themselves want. The only almost obligatory attribute of the holiday is champagne, and you can bite it with at least lobsters, at least cheap pizza.
Fifth. Gifts and discounts. Nobody obliges people to present gifts to each other on this day, this is more considered a sign of attention, but still many shops arrange holiday sales, which spend millions of dollars. Presents are placed under the "Christmas tree" - that’s exactly what the English-speaking countries call the Christmas tree.
For people
But what about the traditional New Year parades in the USA? How do ordinary people celebrate the beginning of the year?
In each city, actions, concerts, various social events dedicated to the beginning of the year are held. Usually all this happens on the eve of the holiday. It should be noted that in America, the New Year is considered a home holiday, so if you go to the parade, it is mandatory for the whole family. New Year's-themed movies are shown on television that day, various postal services offer a huge number of electronic greeting cards and gifts - in principle, everything is the same as ours.
But the remnants of Christmas decorations make the New Year in the United States (photos of surprisingly beautiful streets, shops and residential buildings really fascinate) one of the most striking calendar holidays.
Anew
Not surprisingly, Christmas is more popular than New Year's in the United States. The traditions of the first holiday are richer, the second only means changing the numbers on the calendar. But on this day, most Americans are going to start a new life, make a list of promises to themselves and loved ones, plan the next year.
Of course, whether everything new is being implemented is another question, but still people are trying. And most importantly, they sincerely wait every New Year in order to try to become even a little better.