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New Year is our favorite family holiday, which can not be imagined without dear traditions. In anticipation of the main celebration, we offer to find out how the New Year is celebrated in different European countries. Our guide in this fascinating journey will be the trademark “Private Gallery”.
The main symbol of the New Year in England is a wreath of mistletoe. It is under it that you need to capture a kiss with a loved one under the fight of Big Ben. But first, you should open all the doors in the house to say goodbye to the past year and let in the coming year. Children place plates on the table for gifts from Santa Claus, and next to them put wooden shoes with hay-a treat for his faithful donkey.
The custom associated with the first guest is curious. A person who crosses the threshold of the house on January 1 should bring a slice of bread with salt and a coal-symbols of well-being and good luck. The guest burns a coal in the fireplace or stove, and only after that you can exchange congratulations.
As for the festive table, there is always turkey with chestnuts, roast beef with potatoes, braised Brussels sprouts, meat pies and pates. Among the sweets, Yorkshire pudding and chocolate chip cookies are particularly popular.
Bonfire of happiness and good luck
The French also decorate their homes with sprigs of mistletoe for the New Year. In the most visible place, they set up a Nativity scene with the cradle of Jesus. Lush decoration is not complete without fresh flowers, which literally drown apartments, offices, shops and streets. Instead of Santa Claus, the good-natured Per-Noel congratulates everyone on the holidays.
The main household custom is the burning of a Christmas log. By tradition, the head of the family pours it with a mixture of oil and brandy, and older children are entrusted to solemnly set it on fire. The remaining coals and ashes are collected in a bag and stored all year round as a talisman of family happiness and prosperity.
Festive tables in France are full of delicious treats: smoked meats, cheeses, foie gras, hams, whole-baked game and pies with a happy bean seed. In Provence, 13 different desserts are prepared especially for the New Year’s dinner. Among them, there may well be a French tender cream puff. This delicacy can also be found in the assortment of the “Private Gallery”.
Grape Dozen Wonders
Surely you have heard about the tradition of the Italians to get rid of old furniture for the New Year. Together with her, they throw away old clothes and equipment without regret. So they clean the house of negative energy and attract good spirits. For the distribution of gifts in Italy, the mischievous Fairy Befana with a hooked nose is responsible. Together with her, the obedient kids are congratulated by Babbo Natale, a brother of Santa Claus.
Under the beat of the Italian chimes, it is customary to eat 12 grapes, one berry with each stroke. If you manage to fulfill this rite exactly, your wish will certainly be fulfilled in the coming year. To keep money in the house, and Fortune favored business, coins and a red candle are placed on the windowsill.
Maintaining their reputation as excellent chefs, the Italians prepare up to 15 different dishes from beans, as well as pork legs, spicy sausages, fish and seafood. Home-made pastries are always on the table.
Jump towards a dream
It is believed that the fir tree as a symbol of the New Year was first proposed by the Germans. And therefore, without this fluffy tree, shimmering with lights, not a single house can do. Apartments are also decorated with knitted napkins in the form of stars, snowflakes and bells. A cheerful mood is created by all Frau Holle, aka Mrs. Metelitsa, and the Nutcracker. The children rejoice at the arrival of Vainachtsman, the German Santa Claus.
Many Germans spend the last seconds before the New Year standing on chairs, armchairs and sofas. With the final stroke of the chimes, they all jump to the floor together, cherishing their innermost desire in their minds. Another interesting custom is associated with the favorite fish of the Germans, carp. Since its scales resemble coins, it is customary to put them in a purse to attract wealth.
Carp must be baked for the holidays. The menu also includes homemade sausages with sauerkraut, meat pies, raclette, and assorted smoked meats. Among the sweets, the festive gingerbread is very popular. It is not inferior to the Bavarian gingerbread with oranges, which are also in the “Private Gallery”.
Secret signs of Fate
In Finland, more than anywhere else, they know a lot about New Year’s celebrations. After all, on the very edge of it is a piece of Lapland, the birthplace of Joulupukka. Grandiose festivities begin on December 30. Ride with the wind in the legendary reindeer sled or get a souvenir from the hands of the Finnish Frost — a cherished dream of many. Of course, it is impossible not to visit one of the fairs and take away a bag of gifts with a national flavor.
On the very eve of the New Year, it is customary to guess on the tin. Everything you need can be found in the nearest souvenir shop. A piece of tin is melted over the fire and poured into a bucket of water, completely concentrating on the question of interest. Then the frozen figure is taken out of the water and try to explain the secret meaning.
The festive feast is not complete without beet salad, ruddy ham with vegetables, calacucco fish pie and rutabaga casserole. Children love ginger houses in colored glaze and waffle tubes with cream.
Whatever the New Year’s traditions, they always fill the house with an atmosphere of magic, bright joy and amazing harmony. And they also help you believe in miracles no matter what. Perhaps that is why people so diligently observe all these customs from year to year.