Winter is the time of year when nature works wonders. Beautiful frosty patterns on the windows, carved snowflakes, trees in hoarfrost - it seems that hundreds of little magical men work at night to create this beauty. Also, do not forget about the winter holidays, which are one of the most beloved for many Russians. Clutter, decorated Christmas trees, laid tables, lots of gifts, and this is only part of the pleasant moments that occur these days. Congratulations on New Year and Christmas is bright, remembered for a long time. Many families have traditions that are passed down from generation to generation. Following them, you can immerse yourself in a special atmosphere of celebration. How to celebrate holidays? Should I give presents? We will look for answers to these questions in the article.
Where did the tradition of celebrating the New Year come from?
Russian New Year and Christmas are holidays that are loved not only by children, but also by adults. At this time, I want to believe in miracles and a fairy tale. But it was not always like that. Who introduced the tradition of celebrating a calendar year that has just arrived? Its roots go back to the 15th century. He wore then a completely different character. People gathered in the main square who believed in God. At the head were the prince and the metropolitan, who sprinkled all present with holy water. The holiday took place at the beginning of September and meant the end of field work. On this day, it was customary to wear the most beautiful clothes, give alms and help the crippled.
Everything changed after Peter the Great introduced his reforms. New Year began to be celebrated on January 1. Since that time, a tradition appeared to decorate a Christmas tree. And not with toys, but with everything at hand. It could be pies, sweets, nuts, gingerbread cookies and much more.
Opinion polls show that the most favorite holidays among Russians are New Year, Christmas. Traditions are passed from old people to young people. In recent years, it has become customary to spend these holidays with your family. How to make the guests remember the celebration for a long time? We will talk about this further.
Congratulations to the children. How to make a holiday unforgettable and bright?
Children are looking forward to the winter holidays. They believe in miracles and a fairy tale, so you need to do everything so that they are completely delighted. For children, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year must be accompanied by the arrival of Santa Claus and Snegurochka in the house. Without these fabulous heroes, triumph will not work.
Recently, many parents have ordered them in special animation studios and agencies. But the service costs a lot, about five thousand rubles. And this is only half an hour spent with a child. The animators' congratulation program is pretty standard. It includes the following activities:
Acquaintance with a child.
Round dance around the Christmas tree.
Performance of the kid.
Presentation of a gift.
Mentoring good behavior and learning.
If you want the child to remember the New Year and Christmas greetings for a long time, you can play the roles of fairy-tale heroes yourself or ask your relatives and friends to do this. For these purposes, costumes will be needed. You can rent them or sew them in the studio. A plus is that you can create a congratulation program individually for your child, take into account all his fantasies and desires. In addition, choose the right time that suits you. Well, do not forget about the financial side of the issue. Every year, prices for the services of animators are growing, and spending money on a costume once, you can use it every year.
The Age of Gadgets
In addition to children, it will be necessary to congratulate colleagues, acquaintances. So that it’s not expensive, just write an SMS message to your phone. You can start sending congratulations on December 31. Remember that you should not write praises and words of love in messages, it is better to say this in person. The message should be concise and solemn. For example: “I sincerely congratulate you on the upcoming holidays. Let your home be full of love, care, affection, let good luck and success be with you, and always have money in your pockets. Have a nice New Year and Christmas! ”
It is worth considering some important points when sending SMS messages for the holidays:
congratulations should be short and concise, you see, it’s not very convenient to read whole poems that come one after another;
make sure that you have money in your account;
Remember that millions of people seek to congratulate their relatives and loved ones, therefore, after the chimes, the operator network is very congested.
In the era of modern gadgets, congratulations on the triumph began to take no more than five minutes.
Congratulations for loved ones
In the festive bustle, one should not forget about the most dear people, it is they who are waiting for unusual and interesting surprises. It does not have to be expensive gifts (diamonds, a car, a trip to the islands), usual verbal greetings on New Year and Christmas are suitable. Prose must be sincere. Explain how much you love your loved ones, how much you value them. Sometimes such revelations are more expensive than any gifts.
The following lines can serve as an example: “Dear relatives, it is great that on this special day we gathered at a common table. There are no words to express all appreciation. I love you very much and I am proud that I have you! ” Of course, these are just blueprints, each selects words individually.
Choose gifts
On the eve of the holidays, I would like to please relatives and friends with something unusual. Gifts for the New Year and Christmas can be very diverse. Here is a list of the most popular products:
Jewelry. It can be earrings, chains, pendants. Many people prefer to make products to order with special engraving. Such a gift is especially pleasant and expensive. Rings should not be given, as the message can be interpreted differently.
Technics. Which of us does not dream of a new model of phone or laptop? Prices for similar goods are rather big, but a holiday happens once a year.
Cosmetics. Such gifts are quite difficult to choose, you need to know the tastes and preferences of the person for whom the surprise is being prepared. Nevertheless, cosmetics are given very often.
Toys Paradoxically, even adult girls give soft bears. Every mature person in the shower is a child, so such products are quite relevant.
Flowers It's nice to get a bouquet of fresh roses in the winter cold.
Another popular gift option is New Year and Merry Christmas cards. It would seem that this could be unusual? But some instances are quite expensive. They are made manually, on order, in a single copy.
New Year traditions
Any holiday has its own characteristics, New Year is no exception. In Russia, there are a number of traditions that many families observe. Here are the most famous:
Decorate the Christmas tree. A couple of years ago it was fashionable to decorate the New Year tree with the help of designers. But lately, traditions have come back to hang nuts wrapped in foil on wooden spruce, wooden toys, beads, hand-made crafts. With the help of them, the tree seems to come to life. Great demand for Soviet Christmas toys and glass decorations.
Make a wish for a chime. There is even a whole rite: write your plan on paper, burn, pour ashes into a glass of champagne and drink. And all these actions must be done while the clock strikes in the main square. Many note that desires are truly fulfilled.
Give Merry Christmas and Happy New Year greeting cards. There are families that collect entire collections of similar products. Then they are passed down from generation to generation. For many, the best gift is a DIY gift. Cards are not an exception. Nowadays, a lot of drawing techniques have appeared: quilling, scrapbooking, patterns using beads, threads and much more.
Invite Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden to visit. This is an integral tradition of the holiday, especially for children. Do not forget about the costumes that should be on the kids. They can be sewn by yourself or purchased at a store.
In fact, there are a lot of traditions, in each family they have their own.
Christmas light holiday
Christmas days are the time when all problems and worries should recede into the background. This holiday is the main among Christians after Easter. And this is not accidental, because, according to legend, Jesus Christ was born on the night of January 6-7.
Unlike the New Year, Christmas was celebrated in Russia since 388. It was believed that on this day heaven opens and everything that happens is not accidental. One of the main traditions was going to church. People put on beautiful furniture and went to honor God. Later customs came to us in the form of mummers, carols and many others.
Christmas for children is one of the most beloved celebrations. Older children are happy to dress up, go to neighbors, acquaintances, sing carols, glorify Christ, wish happiness and health to the owners of the house. For this they are rewarded with sweets, gifts. As a rule, boys do this. The girls' task is to help, sing along, and wish the owners good and health.
Do I need to prepare in advance for the holiday?
Since ancient times, it was customary to prepare for the celebration in advance. The hostess needs to clean the house, prepare a new tablecloth for the table. It is advisable to observe the post, if you can’t completely abandon the prohibited products, you can make special fasting days.
Children must learn in advance Christmas songs that they will perform for adults. It is also worth taking care of the costumes.
Sacrament of Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve. He accounts for the evening of January 6. There is a tradition on this day not to eat food until the first star appears in the sky. The hostess must set the table. Of the treats, obligatory kutya (cereal with fruits), uzvar (compote of dried fruits).
If you follow the custom, then the festive table needs to be set in advance, before the arrival of the guests. On the edge of the table, you need to place the heads of garlic to protect yourself from evil spirits, put a bunch of straw under the tablecloth, a tribute to Christ, who was born in the hayloft. After the table is set, you can go to church, and later regale and treat guests.
A special role on this day is given to children. Those who have learned Christmas songs must definitely perform them. It is impossible to leave kids without gifts, this is a sin. Even a little treat or candy will be enough.
Holiday traditions
Christmas is one of the most favorite holidays in Russia. Many customs and traditions have been preserved to our time, which are still observed. Here are the main ones:
To wear the godmother. Many cook a special porridge called kutia. Traditionally, it is cooked from wheat, but recently various variations (rice, millet, buckwheat) have become fashionable. You must add honey or jam to the porridge. You can also put nuts, dried fruits. You need to start your meal with this dish. It is the main thing on the festive table.
Caroling. The tradition has come to us since pagan times, but it has perfectly taken root in our culture. Carollers dress up in funny costumes, from the materials at hand they make the Star of Bethlehem, which symbolizes the birth of Christ. Mostly only boys sing. And the girls wish the owners well. This entertainment is perfect for children and adolescents. In addition to a great mood, you can get gifts and various goodies. Christmas for children is a holiday when dreams come true.
Christmas fortune telling. The church does not support this fun. But many girls are waiting for Christmas time to start guessing. It is believed that at this time you can find out the future. Types of fortune telling are enormous. The most popular are the predictions of fate by wax. To do this, cinder candles must be melted and poured into cold water. According to the resulting picture, interpret the message.
Put a burning candle on the window. This tradition has come to us from the last century. According to legend, Mary and Joseph wandered for a long time before finding a place where she would have a birth. The owners of the houses refused them an overnight stay. Therefore, I had to go to the stable, where Jesus was born. Legend has it that on Christmas Eve a window must have a lit candle as a symbol of the fact that the owners are ready to receive a guest with love.
This is only part of the traditions that Christians adhere to, but each family has its own customs, developed over the years.
Briefly about the main thing
For many, winter holidays are their favorite. Beautiful weather, lots of gifts, weekends - all this together gives a good mood. The main celebrations are held on the squares of cities. Concert programs, shows, animators, festivities - what could be more fun?
Many are interested in what should be a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. It all depends on who the message is addressed to. The main rule is that the words come from the heart. Congratulations can be in verse or prose. It’s better to invent them yourself, but if it doesn’t work out at all, you can order the author.
It is better to take care of gifts in advance, on the eve of the holidays it is impossible to buy something decent. Huge demand creates an increase in prices, this also needs to be taken into account.
Holidays New Year, Christmas - one of the most beloved in Russia. Celebrate them brightly. Public festivities are arranged, in each city a square is decorated with a Christmas tree. Congratulations these days should be sincere, with all my heart. Everyone is free to choose gifts to their taste, the main thing is that they are not offensive.